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THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 

GIFT  OF 
FREDERIC  THOMAS  BLANCHARD 


/ 


'^i4-#^''"*-       -fn.^  , 


THE 

WORKS 

OP 

:      THOMAS  DICK,  LL.D. 

FOUR  VOLUMES  IN  ONE, 

VIZ. 

AN  ESSAY  ON  THE  IMPROVEMENT  OF  SOCIETY: 
THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  FUTURE  STATE : 
THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION : 
THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER : 

OR, 

t 

THE     CONNEXION     OF     SCIENCE     AND     PHILOSOPHY 
WITH     RELIGION. 


HARTFORD: 

PUBLISHED  BY  SUMNER  &  GOODMAN. 

1842. 


ON    THE 


IMPROVEMENT  OF  SOCIETY 


DIFFUSION  OF   KNOWLEDGE 


AN  ILLUSTRATION 


ADVANTAGES  WHICH  WOULD  RESULT  FROM  A  MORE  GENERAL  DISSEMINATIOH 
OF  RATIONAL  AND  SCIENTIFIC  INFORMATION  AMONG  ALL  RANKS. 


ILLUSTRATED    WITH   EN6RATIMCS. 


BY    THOMAS    DICK, 

AVTBOR    OF    A   VARIETY    OF    LITERARY    AND    SCIENTIFIC   COMMUNICATIOim 

IN  Nicholson's  philosophical  journal,  the  annals 

OF    PHILOSOPHY,    ETC.    ETC. 


"  Knowledge  Is  x>oweT."  —  Lord  Bacon. 


H  ARTE  ORD: 
PUBLISHED  BY  SUMNER  &,  GOODMAN. 

1842. 


SRLF 


A 


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g 


PREFACE 


The  plan  and  outlines  of  the  following  work  were  sketched,  and  a  considerable 
portion  of  it  composetl,  about  eighteen  years  ago.  It  was  advertised,  as  preparing 
for  tiie  press,  in  1823,  when  the  author  published  the  first  edition  of  "  The 
Christian  Philosopher;"  but  various  other  engagements  prevented  its  appear- 
ance at  that  period.  The  Introduction  and  the  first  two  sections  were  published 
in  a  respectable  quarterly  journal  in  the  year  1816 ;  but  they  are  now  consider- 
ably modified  and  enlarged.  This  circumstance  will  account  for  the  date  of 
some  of  the  illustrative  facts  to  which  reference  is  made  in  the  first  part  of  the 
volume,  and  in  several  portions  of  the  Appendix, 

Had  the  present  work  been  published  at  any  of  the  periods  now  referred  to, 
the  subject  it  discusses,  and  some  of  the  illustrations,  would  have  presented  a 
more  novel  aspect  than  they  can  lay  claim  to  at  the  present  time,  when  the 
diflusion  of  knowledge  has  become  an  object  of  general  attention.  The  author, 
liowever,  is  not  aware  that  any  work  embracing  so  full  an  illustration  of  the 
same  topics  has  yet  made  its  appearance;  and  is,  therefore,  disposed  to  indulge 
the  hope,  that,  in  conjunction  with  the  present  movements  of  society,  it  may, 
in  some  degree,  tend  to  stimulate  those  exertions  which  are  now  making  for  the 
melioration  and  mental  improvement  of  mankind.  Independently  of  the  general 
bearing  of  the  liicts  and  illustrations  on  the  several  topics  they  are  intended  to 
elucidate,  the  author  trusts  that  not  a  few  fragments  of  useful  knowledge  will  be 
found  incorporated  in  the  fi^llowing  pages,  calculated  to  entertain  and  instruct 
the  general  reader. 

In  the  numerous  illustrations  brought  forward  in  this  volume,  it  was  found 
impossible  altogether  to  avoid  a  recurrence  to  certain  facts  which  the  author 
had  partially  adverted  to  in  some  of  his  former  publications,  without  interrupt- 
ing the  train  of  thought,  and  rendering  his  illustrations  partial  and  incomplete. 
But,  where  the  same  facts  are  introduced,  tliey  are  generally  brought  forward 
to  elucidate  a  different  topic.  Any  statements  or  descriptions  of  this  kind, 
however,  which  may  have  the  appearance  of  repetition,  eould  all  be  comprised 
within  the  compass  of  three  or  four  pages. 

The  general  subji^ct  of  the  present  work  will  be  prosecuted  in  another  volume, 
to  be  entitled  "Tlie  Mental  Uluniination  of  Mankind,  or  an  inquiry  into  the 
means  by  which  a  general  diffusion  of  knowledge  may  be  promoted."     This 


1G04S56 


It  preface. 

work  will  embrace — along  with  a  ^at  variety  of  other  topics  —  an  examina- 
tion of  the  present  system  of  education,  showing  its  futility  and  inefficiency,  and 
illustrating  the  principles  and  details  of  an  efficient  intellectual  system,  capable 
of  universal  application  ;  together  with  a  variety  of  suggestions  in  relation  to 
the  physical,  moral,  and  intellectual  improvement  of  society. 

To  his  numerous  correspondents  who  have  been  inquiring  after  the  work, 
"  The  Scenery  of  the  Heavens  Displayed,  with  the  view  of  illustrating  the  doctrine 
of  a  Pba-aUtyof  Worlds"  which  was  announced  at  page  88  of  the  "  Philo8oi)hy 
of  a  Future  State,"  —  the  author  begs  respectfully  to  stote,  that,  if  health  permit, 
he  intends  to  proceed,  without  delay,  to  the  completion  of  that  work,  as  soon  as 
the  volume  announced  above  is  ready  for  the  press.  It  will  form  a  volume  of 
considerable  size,  and  will  be  illustrated  with  a  great  number  of  engravings, 
many  of  which  will  be  original. 

Droughty  Ferry,  near  Dundu^ 
IBlA  Afnil,  1833. 


'* 


If 


t  -  < 


CONTENTS. 


Pag« 
Ihtroduction — Retrospective  view  of  the  state  of  mankind — ignorance  of  the  dark  ages — 
revival  of  learning  at  the  Reformation.     Present  intelleciual  state  of  the  human  race. 
Causes  which  have  retarded  the  progress  of  the  human  mind.    A  more  general  diffusion 
of  knowledge  desirable.     Prelu4es  which  indicate  the  approach  of  the  era  of  intelligence     11 

SECTION  I. 

INFLUENCE     OP     KNOWLEDGE     IN     DISSIPATING     StTPERSTITlOUS     NOTIONS     AND 
VAIN    FEARS. 

Objects  and  circumstances  which  ignorance  has  arrayed  with  imaginary  terrors — eclipses, 
comets,  aurora  borealis,  &c.  Absurdity  of  astrology.  Belief  attached  to  its  doctrines. 
Various  prevalent  superstitious  opinions — omens — witches — spectres,  &c.  Proof  of  such 
notions  still  prevailing.  Superstitions  indulged  by  men  of  rank  and  learning.  Baneful 
tendency  of  superstition — leads  to  deeds  of  cruelty  and  irjustice.  How  knowledge  would 
undermine  superstition  and  its  usual  accompaniments — illustrated  at  large.  Animadversion 
on  Dr.  S.  Johnson,  &c.       .-.....-.---17 

SECTION  II. 

ON     THE     UTILITY    OP    KNOWLEDGE     IN     PREVENTING     DISEASES    AND    FATAL 
ACCIDENTS. 

Accidents  which  have  happened  from  ignorance  of  the  properties  of  the  different  gases,  and 
the  means  of  preventing  them.  Disasters  which  have  happened  in  coal  mines.  Figure 
d[  Demy's  Safety  Lamp,  with  description  and  remarks.  Accidents  caused  by  the  stroke 
of  lightning.  Precautions  requisite  to  be  attended  to  during  thunder-storms.  Accidents 
from  ignorance  of  the  principles  oi  mechanics.  Reasons  of  such  accidents  explained  by  a 
figure.  Fatal  accidents  caused  from  ignorance  of  the  effects  produced  by  the  refraction  of 
light — illustrated  by  figures  and  experiments.  Accidents  from  the  clothes  of  females 
catching  fire,  and  the  means  of  prevention.  Various  duieases  propagated  from  ignorance 
of  their  nature.  Pernicious  effects  of  contaminated  air.  Improper  mode  of  treating 
children  during  infancy,  and  its  fatal  effects.  Importance  of  temperance.  General  * 
remarks     -----...---.---24 

SECTION  III. 

ON    THE   INFLUENCE  WHICH  A  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE  WOULD  HAVE  ON  THE 
PROGRESS  OF  SCIENCE. 

Science  founded  on  facts.  Every  person  is  endowed  with  faculties  for  observing  facts. 
Anecdote  of  Sir  I.  Newton.  Extraordinary  powers  of  intellect  not  necessary  for  making 
discoveries  in  science.     Ample  field  of  investigation  still  remains.    Discoveries  would 


vi  CONTEKTS. 

b«  nearly  in  prnpertion  to  the  number  ornbuervcrfi.  Varioiii:  ilhietrationt  ofthese  potilians. 
CMogy,  iU  mull ilitriiMi!)  oI)hm-is  nii.l  •latiiUrnUi.  JVatural  History,  how  it  may  b"  improved, 
and  its  rai>ge  oxii^mlrd.  M'Unrology,  ininorfudiun  of  our  kn'mleilgc  in  re(;ard  to  many 
ofita  object*, — ihunilcr'otoriii.s,  aurora  bxt-alii*,  meteoric  Rtones,  &c.  AMtronomy,  deside- 
rata in  reference  to,  which  romain  to  be  ascertained.  Illimtralion  taken  frimi  Jupiter, 
with  four  ditferenl  view*  ortiiis  planei.  Vcntis,  mode  by  which  the  time  of  its  rotation 
Bay  be  determined — illustrated  by  a  figure.  Comet*,  fixed  »i«ni. — MfM>n,  |ilan  by  which 
oar  knowledge  of  the  scenery  o(  thi*  {:lobe  may  be  extended.  Diacoverm*  which  have 
been  made  in  the  heavens  by  arcidt-ni.  Prospects  presented  when  knowledge  shall  be 
HMMre  generally  difi\Mcd.  Ch/mx»lTy,  '\\»  objeciK,  and  the  means  of  it*  improvement. 
Futility  of  firaming  hypothese*— importance  of  obaenring  fact* — general  remarks  and 
reflections  ..----.*.-..-.3J 


SECTION  IV. 

ON    THE    PLEASCRRS    CONNECTED    WITH    THE    PtTRSOITS    OP   SCIENCE. 

Measures  of  sense  and  of  intellect.  The  enjoyments  of  the  i^orant  and  of  the  man  of 
intelligence  contrasted,  and  particularly  illustrated.  Pleasure  annexed  to  the  stratification 
of  the  principle  of  curiosity.  Sdenlific  facts  iliuetrativt  oflhu  nthjtct. — Number  of  uffec!* 
produced  by  a  single  principle  in  nature.  Surprising  resemblances  in  o[>crations  where 
we  should  leasl  of  all  have  expected  them.  Grand  ami  sublune  objects  which  science 
presents  before  us.  Variety  of  novel  and  interesting  objects  it  exhibits.  Illustrated  from 
mechanics,  hydrostatics,  mai;netism,  optics,  chyniistry,&c.  Instruments  connected  with 
optics.  Figure  of  ihe  Aerial  Tc!e8rx)pe.  Pleasure  in  tracin>;  the  steps  by  which  dis- 
coveries have  been  made,  and  the  experiments  by  whiih  they  are  illustrated.  Beneficial 
tendency  of  scientific  pursuits  on  the  htart,  and  on  social  and  domestic  enjoyment.  Mis- 
cellaneous reflections  and  remarks       .........        .4$ 

SECTION  V. 

ON  THE  PRACTICAL  INFLUENCE  OF  SCIENTIFIC  KNOWLEDGE,  AND  ITS  TENDENCY 
TO  PRO.MOTE  THE  COMFORTS  OF  GENERAL  SOCIETY. 

L  A  knowledge  of  science  would  render  mechanics,  &r.  more  skilful  in  their  respective 
employments — illustrated  from  the  arts  of  dying,  calico  printing,  bleaching,  brewing, 
tanning,  agriculture.  &c.  Chymistry  essentially  requisite  10  surszeons  and  apothecaries. 
Utility  of  practical  Geometry,  illustrated  by  a  diagram.  Utility  o(  Mechanics.  Of  ifyrfro- 
stofies  and  Hydrauiics,  illu.-«trated  with  varicMis  fijiures.  Hydrostalical  paradox,  mode  of 
conveying  water,  hydrostatical  press,  per|>endicular  pressure  of  water,  and  the  accidents 
it  mav  occasion.  Application  of  these  facts  to  engineering  and  hydraulic  operations. 
Disaster  occasioned  by  want  of  attention  to  hydrostatic  principles.  Practical  utility  of 
PncMmatiu— anecdote  illuslralive  of.  Mode  of  curing  smoky  chimneys,  illustrated  by 
figures.  Utility  of  an  acquaintance  with  Optics.  Explanatinn  of  the  nature  of  a 
telescope,  and  the  mmle  of  its  construction.  MimIc  of  constnicting  a  compound 
microscope,  with  illustrative  figures.  Buniing  lenses.  Sir  D.  Brewstj  r's  Polyzonal  L^ns, 
reflecting  concave  mirrors  for  liirlit-h«Hises,  &c.,  with  illiwtrative  figures.  Utility  of 
Electricity  and  Galvanism.  Mixle  of  directing  lightning  as  a  mechanical  pownr. 
Practical  applications  of  Magnetism,  and  late  discoveries  in — Magnetized  masks.  &c. 
Practical  utility  of  Geology.  Utility  of  .Natural  Hiftory.  Application  of  steam — steam 
navigation — steam  carriaj-es.  Carbureited  hydrogen  gas.  Utility  of  science  to  day- 
labourers,  house-keepers,  kitchen-maids,  &c.  Instance  illustrative  of  the  advantages 
of  chymieal  knowledge        ............gy 

n.  Scientific  knoviedge  uxmld  pate  the  way  ftir  future  inventions  and  imprnx-emrnts  in  ik*  aril. 
Circumstances  which  led  to  the  invention  and  subse<iuent  improvrnicni  of  the  telescope, 
with  a  fisfure  of  the  first  telescope.  Fraunhofer's  telescope — Guinand^s  experiment  00 
the  composition  of  flint  glass— Description  of  an  achromatic  objei-i-tlass,  with  a  figure,  &c. 
Historical  sketches  of  certain  inventions— s:cam  engine — mariner's  compass — galvaair 


^.i 


CONTENTS.  VU 

principle — pendulum  clocks — watches — air-pump — spinning  jennies — safety  lantp,  &c. 
Few  inventions  owing  to  chance.     Cautions  to  be  attended  to  in  the  construction  and  use 
of  the  safety  lamp.     Mechanics  have  a  greater  cliance  of  becoming  inventors  than  mere 
philosophers.     Prospects  of  improvement  in  future  ages        ......     77 

III.  The  external  comforts  of  mankind  promoted  by  intelligence  and  improvements  in  the  arts. 
Contrast  between  the  past  and  present  aspect  of  the  social  state.  Wretched  accommoda. 
tions  which  still  exist  among  the  lower  classes.  Mental  improvement  would  lead  to 
diligence  and  economy,  to  cleanliness  in  person,  clothes,  and  furniture — to  tasteful  decora- 
tions of  houses  and  garden-plots — improvements  in  foot-paths,  narrow  lanes,  villages,  &c.     82 

SECTION  VI. 

ON    THE    INFLUENCE  OF  KNOWLEDGE    IN    PROMOTING    ENLARGED  CONCEPTIONS 
OF    THE    CHARACTER   AND    PERFECTIONS    OF    THE    DEITT. 

Grovelling  conceptions  of  the  Deity  both  in  heathen  and  Christian  countries.  Just  coi>- 
ceptions  of  the  Divinity  acquired  from  his  external  manifestations.  Ignorance  exhibits 
distorted  views  of  the  Divine  character.  Attributes  of  the  Deity  which  science  illustrates  : 
1.  Theuniiy  of  God.  2.  Pf-'isdojn  of  the  Deity — manifested  in  the  various  arrangements 
of  sublunary  nature.  Particular  illustration.  3.  Benevolence  of  the  Deity — manifested  in 
the  parts  of  the  human  frame,  and  in-the  surrounding  elements — muscles  of  the  eye  (illus- 
trated with  figures) — gratification  afforded  to  our  different  senses.  Remedies  against 
the  evils  to  which  we  are  exposed.  Multitudes  of  animated  beings,  and  the  ample 
.provision  made  for  them.  Calculations  in  relation  to  the  number  of  certain  species  of 
birds,  and  the  velocity  with  which  they  fly.  Number  of  species  of  plants  eaten  by 
different  animals.  4.  Science  exhibits  a  view  of  the  multiplicity  of  conceptions  which  have 
been  formed  in  the  Divine  mijid.  Exemplified  in  the  different  construction  and  functions 
of  the  various  species  of  animals — in  the  numerous  parts  which  enter  into  the  construction 
of  an  animal  frame.  Lyonet's  description  of  the  numerous  parts  of  the  cossus  caterpillar. 
Muliiplicity  of  ideas  manifested  in  the  Vegetable  kingdom.  Varieties  in  the  Mineral 
kingdom.  Varieties  in  Microscopical  objects — scales  of  *ishes,  feathers  of  birds,  wings 
of  flies,  leaves  and  transverse  sections  of  plants,  &c.  Numbers  and  varieties  of  ani- 
malculae.  Immensity  of  nature.  Description  of  the  engravings  of  microscopic  objects. 
Variety  in  the  external  aspect  of  nature^in  the  sun,  planets,  comets,  and  on  the  surface 
of  the  moon.  6.  Science  expands  our  conceptions  of  the  power  of  the  Deity,  and  of 
the  magnificence  of  his  empire.  Such  views  of  Deity  in  unison  with  the  dictates  of 
revelation, — and  calculated  to  produce  many  beneficial  effects  on  the  understandings  and 
affections  of  mankind  -.------....gs 

SECTION  ViL 

ON     THE    BENEFICIAL    EFFECTS    OF    KNOWLEDGE    ON     MORAL    PRINCIPLE    AND 

CONDUCT. 

•Introductory  remarks — knowledge  and  moral  action  inseparably  connected.  Ignorance 
one  principal  cause  of  immorality  and  crime.  Knowledge  requisite  for  ascertaining  the 
true  principles  of  moral  action.  It  leads  to  inquiries  into  the  reasons  of  moral  laws,  and 
the  foundations  on  which  they  rest, — to  self-examination  and  self-inspection, — and  to  a 
comprehensive  view  of  the  bearings  and  consequences  of  moral  actions.     Miscellaneous  » 

remarks,  and  objections  answered        ..........  JOJ 

SECTION  VIIL 

ON    THE    UTILITY    OP   KNOWLEDGE    IN    RELATION    TO    A    FUTURE    WORLD. 

Man  destined  to  an  eternal  state.  Knowledge  will  be  carried  along  with  us  into  that  state. 
Scientific  knowledge  has  a  relation  to  a  future  world.  Evidences  of  a  future  state. 
Causes  of  the  indifference  which  prevails  on  this  subject.  Knowledge  prepares  the  mind 
for  the  etrployments  of  the  future  world.  Impossibility  of  enjoying  happiness  in  that 
world  without  kno.viedge  and  moral  principle.    General  remarks  ....   108 


CONTENTS. 


SECTION  IX.     . 

•V    TBB    UTILITT   Or   OBNBRAL    KNOWLEDGE    IN    BEFBRBNCB    TO   THB    •TODV 
OF    DIVIME    REVELATION. 

Preliminary  remarks.  Summary  of  the  txtrmal  evidtnet*  oTChristianity.  Eridence  firom 
Miroelet.  Resurrection  of  Christ.  Evidence  from  Propkeey.  Predictions  in  relation 
to  Babylon,  the  Arabs,  the  Jews,  &c  Internal  evidences.  Dignity  and  sublimity  of 
the  Scriptures,— exhibit  the  most  rational  and  rublime  views  of  the  Deity, — give  bill 
assurance  of  a  state  uf  immortaliry,— point  out  the  way  in  which  pardon  may  be  obtained, — 
inculcate  the  purest  and  most  comprehensive  system  of  morality, — explain  certain  moral 
phenomena, — communicate  a  knowledge  of  interesting  focts  and  doctrines.  Btn{fiouU 
^tct*  which  Christianity  lias  produced  in  the  world, — is  adapted  to  evriy  country. 
Harmony  of  Science  and  Revelation.  Christianity  of  the  Bible.  Evidences  of  Revels 
tiun  continually  increasing.  Reason  for  giving  the  preceding  summary  of  tliese  evidences. 
General  knowledge  enables  us  to  understand  the  meaning  and  references  of  the  Mcrad 
writings.  Figures  used  in  the  prophetical  writings.  Heathen  mythology  illustrative  of 
Scripture  history.  Manners  and  customs  of  eastern  nations.  Utility  of  ancient  geography. 
Natural  history  and  science  illustrative  of  Scripture.  Evaporation — rivers — ocean^ 
storms — animated  beings — human  body — the  heavens — plurality  of  worlds.  Advantage! 
which  would  result  from  an  intelligent  study  of  the  Scriptures.     Folly  of  infidelity,  &c       113 

SECTION  X. 

MI3CBLLANB0CS   ADTANTAGBS   OF   KNOWLEDOB   BRIEFLY   STATED. 

Knowledge  would  lead  to  juMt  utimala  of  human  charaeUr  and  enjoyment — various 
remarks  on  this  topic.  II.  The  acquisition  of  general  information  vxnJd  enable  jtertatu 
to  pr<(/U  by  their  attendance  on  public  instruction*.  Scientific  lecturei> — instructions  from 
the  pulpit — limited  nature  of  these  instructions  in  consequence  of  the  ignorance  of 
mankind — prospects  presented  when  knowledge  is  increased.  III.  Knowledge  would 
introduce  o  tpirit  of  tolerance,  and  prevent  persecution /or  conscifnce'  take.  Persecutions 
which  have  prevailed,  and  still  prevail.     Absurdity  of  persecution — general  remarks,  tu. 

IV.  Knowledge  wotdd  vanquisft  the  antipathies  of  nations,  and  produce  harmony  among 
mankind.  Miseries  and  devastations  of  war — ^jealousies  and  hostilities  of  nations — 
arguments  and  efforts  which  enlightened  minds  would  employ  for  counteracting  them. 
Advantages  which  would  result  from  the  union  of  mankind.     Practicability  of  effecting  it. 

V.  A  general  diffusion  of  knowledge  vxmld  promote  the  union  of  (he  Christian  cktavk. 
Number  of  sectaries — slight  differences  of  opinion  between  them.  £vils  which  have 
flowed  from  sectarianism — promotes  infidelity — retards  the  progress  of  Christianity,  &c. 
Folly  of  attaching  an  undue  importance  to  sectarian  ofiinions.  Remedies  for  the  divisions 
of  the  church.  Liberality  and  bigotry  contrasted.  Character  of  violent  party-partizans. 
Auspicious  effects  which  would  fiow  from  Christian  union.  Present  circumstances 
favourable  to  nnioiu  Concessions  which  behooved  to  be  made  by  all  parties, — preparative 
measure  to  union— concluding  remark  -        -         -        -        -        -         -         -        -133 

SECTION  XI. 

ON    THE    IMPORTANCE    OF    CONNECTING    SCIENCE    1V1TU    RELIGION. 

Increase  of  knowledge,  of  late  yearf.  Tendency  to  irreligion  in  certain  scientific  inquirers, 
and  the  eircumstances  which  have  produced  it.  Religion  and  science  connected — 
irrationality  and  inconsistency  of  allempiing  to  dissever  ihem.  Christian  religion  over- 
looked.  Supreme  importance  of  Christianity.  Effects  of  a  complete  separation  of  science 
and  religion.  Tendency  of  our  present  modes  of  education.  Illusiraied  from  tJtt  scenes 
exhibited  durinif  the  French  Revolution.  Demoralization  [irodiiccd  by  the  principles  of  the 
continental  philosophists.  Persecuting  spiri'  of  French  infidels  and  skeptics.  Science 
without  reliiiion  produces  few  moral  effects.     Subversion  of  morality  in  France,  a  beacon 


«    % 


CONTENTS.  ix 

to  guard  us  from  similar  dangers.  Extract  from  Rev.  D.  Young.  Nature  of  the  pro- 
posed connexion  between  science  and  religion.  Attributes  of  the  Deity  displayed  in  his 
works.  Authors  who  have  illustrated  this  subject,  with  remarks  on  some  of  their  writings. 
Modem  system  of  physico-theology,  a  desideratum.  Newton,  Maclaurin,  and  Robison's 
sentiments  on  this  subject.  Truths  of  revelation  ought  to  be  recognised  in  scientific 
instructions.  Squeamishness  of  certain  philosophers  in  this  respect.  Extract  from 
Dr.  Robison.  Harmony  of  Nature  and  Revelation.  Scientific  instructions  should 
produce  a  moral  impression.  Prayer  and  recognition  of  the  Deiiy  in  philosophical 
associations.  Hypocrisy  of  skeptics.  Exemplified  in  the  case  of  Buffbn.  Topics, 
connected  with  religion,  which  might  occasionally  be  discussed  in  scientific  associations. 
Immortality,  its  importance  in  a  scientific  point  of  view.  Skeptical  philosophy  insufiicieat 
to  support  the  mind  in  the  prospect  of  dissolution — exemplified  in  the  case  of  Voltaire, 
Biiffbn,  Gibbon,  Hume,  and  Diderot.     Concluding  reflections       .        .        •        .        .  I49 


APPENDIX. 

Na  I.   Ignorance  of  the  dark  ages — scarcity  and  high  price  of  books        -        .        «        -  165 
No.  II.    Superstitious  opinions  respecting  comets  and  eclipses — Description  of  a  solar 
eclipse,  and  its  effects  on  the  inhabitants  of  Barbary     -------  166 

No.  III.    Absurdities  of  Astrology      ----------       167 

No.  IV.   Proofs  of  the  belief  which  is  still  attached  to  the  doctrines  of  Astrology       -        -  168 
No.  V.    Illustrations  of  some  of  the  opinions  and  practices  in  relation  to  witchcraft  -       169 

History  of  witchcraft — and  the  numbers  that  suffered  for  this  supposed  crime         -        -  17C 
No.  VI.   Proofs  that  the  belief  in  witchcraft  is  still  prevalent  among  certain  classes  of 

society  ---------------  171 

Tales  of  superstition  published  by  the  Jesuits — Anecdote  of  Alexander  Davidson,  A.  M.    173 
No.  VII.   Circumstances  which  have  occasionally  led  to  the  belief  of  spectres  and  appari- 
tions— Indistinct  vision — Doses  of  opium — Drunkenness — Dreams — Fear — Tricks  of 
impostors — Ventriloquism — Witch  ofEndor — Phantasmagoria — Ghostofa  Flea,&c.  174-181 
No.  Vlll.     Explosions  of  steam-engines — Accidents  in  America — on  the  Liverpool  Rail- 
way, &c.  with  remarks       --.-----.--    181-183 

No.  IX.  Circumstances  which  led  to  the  invention  of  the  Safety  Lamp  -        -        -       I83 

No.  X.    On  the  utility  of  the  remarks  and  observations  of  Mechanics  and  Manufacturers       184 
No.  XI.   Liberality  of  Religious  Sectaries  in  America,  contrasted  with  British  bigotry        184 
No.  XII.    On  the  demoralizing  effects  of  Infidel  Philosophy  in  France.     Gambling — 
Concubinage — Prostitution — Profanation  of  the  Sabbath — Danso-mania — moral  reflec- 
tions— Consecration  of  the  "  Goddess  of  Reason" — Concluding  remarks  <■    187-191 


GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


INTRODUCTION. 


Whew  we  lake  a  restrospective  view  of  the 
state  of  mankind  during  the  ages  that  are  past, 
tt  presents,  on  the  whole,  a  melancholy  scene 
of  intellectual  darkness.  Although  in  every 
«ge  men  have  possessed  all  the  mental  faculties 
they  now  or  ever  will  enjoy,  yet  those  noble 
powers  seem  either  to  have  lain  in  a  great  mea- 
sure dormant,  or,  when  roused  into  action,  to 
have  been  employed  chiefly  in  malignant  and 
destructive  operations.  Hence  the  events 
which  the  page  of  history  records  chiefly  pre- 
sent to  our  view  the  most  revolting  scenes  of 
war,  rapine,  and  devastation,  as  if  the  earth  had 
been  created  merely  to  serve  as  a  theatre  for 
mischief,  and  its  inhabitants  for  the  purpose  of 
dealing  destruction  and  misery  to  all  around 
them.  Such,  however,  are  the  natural  conse- 
quences of  the  reign  of  Ignorance  over  the 
human  mind.  For  the  active  powers  of  man 
necessarily  follow  the  dictates  of  his  under- 
standing, and  when  the  intellectual  faculties  are 
not  directed  to  the  pursuit  and  the  contempla- 
tion of  noble  and  benevolent  objects,  they  will 
most  frequently  be  employed  in  devising  and 
executing  schemes  subversive  of  human  happi- 
ness and  improvement. 

Amidst  the  darkness  which,  in  ancient  times, 
so  long  overspread  the  world,  some  rays  of  in- 
tellectual light  appeared  in  Palestine,  in  Egypt, 
and  in  the  Greek  and  Roman  empires  ;  but  its 
influence  on  the  nations  around  was  extremely 
feeble,  and,  like  a  few  tapers  in  a  dark  night, 
served  little  more  than  to  render  the  surround- 
ing darkness  visible.  The  light  of  science 
which  then  shone  was,  however,  doomed  to  be 
speedily  extinguished.  About  the  fifth  century 
of  the  Christian  era,  numerous  hordes  of  bar- 
barians from  the  northern  and  the  eastern  parts 
of  Europe,  and  the  north-western  parts  of  Asia, 
overran  the  western  part  of  the  Roman  em- 
pire, at  that  time  the  principal  seat  of  know- 
ledge ;  and,  in  their  progress,  overturned  and 
almost  annihilated  every  monument  of  science 
and  art  which  then  existed.  Wherever  they 
tuarcbed,  their  route  was  marked  with  devasta- 


tion and  with  bl6od.  They  made  no  distinction 
between  what  was  sacred  and  what  was  pr<H 
fane — what  was  barbarous  and  what  was  re- 
fined. Amidst  the  din  of  war,  the  burning  of 
cities,  the  desolation  of  provinces,  the  convul- 
sion of  nations,  the  ruin  of  empires,  and  the 
slaughter  of  millions,  the  voice  of  reason  and 
of  religion  was  scarcely  heard ;  science  was 
abandoned  ;  useful  knowledge  was  set  at  naught ; 
every  benevolent  feeling  and  every  moral  prin- 
ciple was  trampled  under  foot.  The  earth 
seemed  little  else  than  one  great  field  of  battle ; 
and  its  inhabitants,  instead  of  cultivating  the 
peaceful  arts  and  sciences,  and  walking  hand  in 
hand  to  a  blessed  immortality,  assumed  the 
character  of  demons,  and  gave  vent  to  the  most 
fiend-like  and  ferocious  passions,  till  they  ap- 
peared almost  on  the  brink  of  total  exterminar 
tion. 

For  nearly  the  space  of  a  thousand  years 
posterior  to  that  period,  and  prior  to  the  Re- 
formation, a  long  night  of  ignorance  overspread 
the  nations  of  Europe,  and  the  adjacent  regions 
of  Asia,  during  which  the  progress  of  literature 
and  science,  of  religion  and  morality,  seems  to 
have  been  almost  at  a  stand ;  scarcely  a  vestige 
remaining  of  the  eflbrts  of  the  human  mind, 
during  all  that  period,  worthy  of  the  attention  or 
the  imitation  of  succeeding  ages.  The  debas- 
ing superstitions  of  the  Romish  church,  the 
hoarding  of  relics,  the  erection  of  monasteries 
and  nunneries,  the  pilgrimages  to  the  tombs  of 
martyrs  and  other  holy  places,  the  mummeries 
which  were  introduced  into  the  services  of  reli- 
gion, the  wild  and  romantic  expeditions  of  cru- 
saders, the  tyranny  and  ambition  of  popes  and 
princes,  and  the  wars  and  insurrections  to  which 
they  gave  rise,  usurped  the  place  of  every  ra- 
tional pursuit,  and  completely  enslaved  the 
minds  of  men.  So  great  was  the  ignorance 
which  then  prevailed,  that  persons  of  the  most 
distinguished  rank  could  neither  read  nor  write. 
Even  many  of  the  clergy  did  not  understand  the 
breviary,  or  book  of  common  prayer,  which  they 
were  daiijr  accustomed  to  recite,  and  some  of 


13 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


them  could  scarcely  read  it.*  The  records  of 
past  transactions  were  in  a  groat  measure  lost, 
and  legendary  talcs  and  fabulous  histories,  to 
celebrate  exploits  which  were  never  performed, 
wore  substituted  in  place  of  the  auliienticated 
history  of  mankind.  The  learning  which  then 
proTailed,  under  the  name  of  philosophy  and  of 
•cholastic  theology,  consisted  chiefly  in  vain 
disquisitions  and  reasonings  about  abstract 
truths,  and  incomprehensible  mysteries,  and  in 
attempts  to  decide  questions  and  points  of  theo* 
logy,  which  lie  beyond  the  reach  of  the  human 
mind,  and  which  its  limited  faculties  are  unable 
to  resolve.  Sophisms,  falsehoods,  and  bold  as- 
severations were  held  forth  as  demonstrations  ; 
a  pompous  display  of  words  was  substituted  in 
the  place  of  things ;  eloquence  consisted  in 
vague  and  futile  declamations  ;  and  true  philo- 
sophy was  lost  amidst  the  mazes  of  wild  and 
extravagant  theories  and  metaphysical  subtle- 
ties. The  sciences,  such  as  they  were,  were 
all  taught  in  the  Latin  tongue,  and  all  books  in 
relation  to  them  were  written  in  Ujat  language  ; 
the  knowledge  of  them  was  therefore  necessarily 
confined  to  the  circle  of  the  leamud,  and  it  would 
have  been  considered  as  a  degradation  of  the 
subject,  to  have  treated  of  it  in  any  of  the  mo- 
dem languages  which  then  prevailed.  The 
gates  of  the  temple  of  knowledge  were  conse- 
quently shut  against  the  great  body  of  the  peo- 
ple, and  it  was  never  once  surmised  that  they 
had  any  right  to  explore  its  treasures.  "  Dur- 
ing this  period,"  says  Dr.  Robertson,  "  the  hu- 
man mind,  neglected,  uncultivated,  and  de- 
pressed, continued  in  the  most  profound  igno- 
rance. Europe,  during  four  centuries,  pro- 
duced few  authors  who  merit  to  be  read,  either 
on  account  of  the  elegance  of  their  composition, 
or  the  justness  and  novelty  of  their  sentiments. 
There  sure  few  inventions,  useful  or  ornamental 
to  society,  of  which  that  long  period  can  boast." 
And,  if  those  of  the  highest  ranks,  and  in  the 
most  eminent  stations  in  society,  were  so  defi- 
cient in  knowledge,  the  great  mMS  of  the  people 
must  have  been  sunk  into  a  state  of  ignorance 
degrading  to  human  nature. 

About  the  time  of  the  revival  of  letters,  after 
the  dark  ages  of  monkish  superstition  and  igno- 
lance,  the  moral  and  intellectual  state  of  the 
inhabitants  of  Europe  began  to  experience  a 

*As  an  evidence  of  the  extreme  Ifrnomnce  ot 
those  times,  It  may  be  stated,  that  many  charters 
granted  by  persons  of  the  highest  rank  are  pre- 
served, from  which  It  appears  that  they  could  not 
subscribe  their  name.  It  was  usual  for  persons  who 
could  not  write,  to  make  the  tign  of  the  cro»t.  In 
conflnnation  of  a  charter.  Several  of  these  remain, 
where  kings  and  persons  of  (leat  eminence  affix 
tigimm  crueU  manu  propria  pro  igrutratUme  Ultra- 
mm,  "the  sl^n  of  the  cross  made  by  our  own  hand, 
en  account  of  our  li^orance  ot  letters."  From  this 
circumstance  1»  derived  the  practice  of  making  a  x 
when  si^nlnj;  a  deed,  In  the  case  of  those  who  can- 
not sul>scrtbe  their  names.  See  Robertson's  Charles 
y.  and  Appendix,  No.  I. 


change  auspicious  of  better  times  and  of  a  more 
enligfitened  era.  The  dimiuutioti  of  the  Papal 
power  and  influence,  the  spirit  of  civil  and  reli- 
gious liberty  which  then  burst  forth,  the  crec 
tion  of  new  seminaries  of  education,  the  disco 
very  of  tiie  mariner's  compass,  tl>e  invention  of 
the  art  of  printing,  the  labours  of  Lord  Bacou 
in  pointing  out  the  true  method  of  philosophiz- 
ing, and  the  subsequent  discoveries  of  Galileo, 
Kepler,  Boyle,  and  Newton,  in  the  physical  sci- 
ences,— gave  a  new  and  favourable  impulse  to 
the  minds  of  men,  and  prepared  tJie  way  for  a 
more  extensive  communicatioii  of  useful  know- 
ledge to  persons  of  every  rank.  From  this 
period  knowledge  began  to  be  gradually  diffused 
among  most  of  the  European  nations ;  but  its 
progress  was  slow,  and  its  influei:ce  was  chiefly 
confined  to  tlic  higher  circles  of  society,  and  to 
persons  connected  with  the  learned  professions, 
till  after  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  ceniury. 
About  this  time  there  began  to  issue  from  tlie 
press  many  popular  works  on  Natural  and  Civil 
History,  Geography,  Astronomy,  and  Experi- 
mental Philosophy,  divested  of  the  pedantry  of 
former  times,  and  of  the  technicalities  of  sci- 
ence, which,  along  with  periodical  works  that 
were  then  beginning  to  extend  their  influence, 
conveyed  to  the  minds  of  the  mechanic  and  the 
artizan  various  fragments  of  useful  knowledge. 
It  was  not,  however,  till  the  era  of  the  French 
Revolution,  that  the  stream  of  knowledge  began 
to  flow  with  an  accelerated  progress,  and  to 
shed  its  influence  more  extensively  on  the  mid- 
dling and  the  lower  orders  of  society.  Though 
we  cannot  look  back,  without  feelings  of  regret, 
and  even  of  horror,  at  the  revolting  scenes  of 
anarchy  and  bloodshed  which  accompanied  that 
political  convulsion,  yet,  amidst  all  its  evils,  it 
was  productive  of  many  important  and  beneficial 
results.  It  tended  to  undermine  that  system  of 
superstition  and  tyranny  by  which  most  of  the 
European  nations  had  been  so  long  enslaved ; 
it  roused  millions,  from  among  the  mass  of  the 
people,  to  assert  those  rights  and  privileges,  to 
which  they  are  entitled  as  rational  beings,  and 
which  had  been  withheld  from  them  by  the 
strong  hand  of  power ;  it  stimulated  them  to  in* 
vesiigations  into  every  department  connected 
with  the  rights  and  the  happiness  of  man,  and 
it  excited  a  spirit  of  inquiry  into  every  subject 
of  contemplation  which  can  improve  or  adorn 
the  human  mind,  which,  we  trust,  will  never  be 
extinguished,  till  the  light  of  useful  knowledge 
shall  extend  its  influence  over  all  the  inhabit- 
ants of  the  earth. 

Striking,  however,  as  the  contrast  is,  between 
the  state  of  knowledge  in  the  present  and  in 
former  ages,  much  still  remains  to  be  accom- 
plished, till  the  great  body  of  mankind  be  sti- 
mulated to  the  prosecution  of  intellectual  ac- 
quirements. Though  a  considerable  portion  of 
rational  information  has  of  late  years  been  div 


INTRODUCTION. 


IS 


■emulated  among  a  variety  of  individuals  in 
ntffcrent  classes  of  society,  yet,  among  the 
great  majority  of  the  population  in  every  coun- 
try, a  degree  of  ignorance  still  prevails,  de- 
grading to  the  rank  of  intellectual  natures. 
Wiih  respect  to  tne  great  mass  of  the  inhabit- 
ants of  the  world,  it  may  still  be  ^id  with  pro- 
priety, that  "  darkness  covers  the  earth,  and 
gross  darkness  the  people."  The  greater  part 
of  the  continent  of  America,  the  extensive  plains 
of  Africa,  the  vast  regions  of  Siberia,  Tartary, 
Thibet,  and  the  Turkish  empire — the  immense 
territories  of  New  Holland,  Sumatra,  Borneo, 
and  the  Barman  empire,  the  numerous  islands 
which  are  scattered  throughout  the  Indian  and 
the  Pacific  ocejms,  with  many  other  extensive 
regions  inhabited  by  human  beings — still  lie 
within  the  confines  of  mental  darkness.  On  the 
numerous  tribes  which  people  those  immense 
regions  of  our  globe,  neither  the  light  of  science 
nor  of  revelation  has  yet  shed  its  benign  influ- 
ence ;  and  their  minds,  debased  by  superstition, 
idolatry,  and  every  malignant  passion,  and  en- 
slaved by  the  cunning  artifices  of  priests,  and 
the  tyranny  of  cruel  despots,  present  a  picture 
of  human  nature  in  its  lowest  stage  of  degrada- 
tion. Even  in  Europe,  where  the  light  of  sci- 
ence has  chiefly  shone,  how  narrow  is  the  cir- 
cle which  has  been  enlightened  by  its  beams! 
The  lower  orders  of  society  on  the  continent, 
and  even  in  Great  Britain  itself,  notwithstand- 
ing the  superior  means  of  improvement  they 
enjoy,  are  still  miserably  deficient  in  that  degree 
of  knowledge  and  information  which  every  hu- 
man being  ought  to  possess  ;  nor  are  there  many 
even  in  the  higher  spheres  of  life  who  cultivate 
science  for  its  o%vn  saku,  who  set  a  due  value 
on  intellectual  acquisitions,  or  encourage  the 
prosecution  of  rational  inquiries. 

There  is,  perhaps,  no  country  in  the  world 
where  the  body  of  the  people  are  better  educated 
and  more  intelligent  than  in  North  Britain ;  yet 
we  need  not  go  far,  either  in  the  city  or  in  the 
country,  to  be  convinced,  that  the  most  absurd 
and  superstitious  notions,  and  the  grossest  ig- 
norance respecting  many  important  subjects  in- 
timately connected  with  human  happiness,  still 
prevail  among  the  great  majority  of  the  popula- 
tion. Of  two  millions  of  inhabitants  which 
constitute  the  population  of  the  northern  part 
of  our  island,  there  are  not,  perhaps,  20,000,  or 
the  hundredth  part  of  the  whole,  whose  know- 
ledge extends  to  any  subject  of  importance, 
beyond  the  range  of  their  daily  avoca'ions. 
With  respect  to  the  remaining  1,800,000,  it 
may  perhaps  be  said  with  proprie'y,  that  of  the 
figure  and  magnitude  of  the  world  they  live  in 
—of  the  seas  and  rivers,  continents  and  islands, 
whicS  diversify  its  surface,  and  of  the  various 
tribes  of  men  and  animals  by  which  it  is  inha- 
bited— of  the  nature  and  properties  of  the  at- 
mosphere which  surrounds  them— -of  the  disco- 


veries which  have  been  made  respecting  light, 
heat,  electricity,  and  magnetism — of  the  general 
laws  which  regulate  the  economy  of  nature — of 
the  various  combinations  and  eflects  of  chyrai- 
cal  and  mechanical  powers — of  the  motions  and 
magnitudes  of  the  planetary  and  the  starry  orbs 
— of  the  principles  of  legitimate  reasoning — of 
just  conceptions  of  tlie  attributes  and  moral  go- 
vernment of  the  Supreme  Being — of  the  genuine 
principles  of  moral  action — of  many  other  sub- 
jects interesting  to  a  rational  and  immortal  be- 
ing— they  are  almost  as  entirely  ignorant  as 
the  wandering  Tartar,  or  the  untutored  Indian. 

Of  eight  hundred  millions  of  human  beings 
which  people  tlie  globe  we  inhabit,  there  are 
not  perhaps  two  millions  whose  minds  are  truly 
enlightened  as  they  ought  to  be — who  prosecute 
rational  pursuits  for  their  own  sake,  and  from  a 
pure  love  of  science,  independently  of  the 
knowledge  requisite  for  their  respective  profes- 
sions and  employments.  For  we  must  exclude 
from  the  rank  of  rational  inquirers  af:er  know- 
ledge all  those  who  have  acquired  a  smaiteriiig 
of  learning,  with  no  other  view  than  to  gain  a 
subsistence,  or  to  appear  fashionable  and  polite. 
And,  if  this  rule  be  admitted,  I  am  afraid  that 
a  goodly  number  e>H*n  of  lawyers,  physicians, 
clergymen,  teachers,  nay,  even  some  authors, 
and  professors  in  universities  and  academies, 
would  be  struck  ofl^  from  the  list  of  lovers  of 
science  and  rational  inquirers  af  er  truth.  Ad- 
mitting this  statement,  it  will  follow,  that  there 
is  not  one  individual  out  of  four  hundred  of  the 
human  race,  that  passes  his  life  as  a  rational 
intelligent  being,  employing  his  facuhies  in  those 
trains  of  thought  and  active  exercises  which  are 
worthy  of  an  intellectual  nature !  For,  in  so  far 
as  the  attenticm  of  mankind  is  absorbed  merely 
in  making  provision  for  animal  subsistence,  and 
in  gratifying  the  sensual  appetites  of  their  na 
ture,  they  can  be  considered  as  little  superior  in 
dignity  to  the  lower  orders  of  animated  existence. 

The  late  Frederick,  king  of  Prussia,  who  was 
a  correct  observer  of  mankind,  makes  a  still 
lower  estimate  of  the  actual  intelligence  of  the 
human  species.  In  a  letter  to  D'Alembert,  in 
1770,  he  says,  "Let  us  take  any  monarchy  you 
please; — let  us  suppose  that  it  contains  ten 
millions  of  inhabitants ;  from  these  ten  millions 
let  us  discount, — first  the  lalK>urers,  the  manu- 
facturers, the  artizans,  the  soldiers,  and  there 
will  remain  about  fif;y  thousand  persons,  men 
and  women  ;  from  these  let  us  discount  twenty- 
five  thousand  for  the  female  sex,  the  rest  will 
compose  the  nobility  and  gentry,  and  the  re- 
spectable citizens ;  of  these,  let  us  examine  how 
many  will  be  incapable  of  application,  how  many 
imbecile,  how  many  pusillanimous,  how  many 
dissipated, — and  from  this  calcula'ion  it  will  re- 
sult, that  out  of  what  is  called  a  civilized  nation 
of  nearly  ten  millions,  you  will  hardly  find  a 
thousand  well-informed  persons,  and  even  among 


14 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OP  KNOWLEDGE. 


them  wh&t  inoqtiality  with  regard  to  genius !  If 
eight-tenthi  of  tlie  nation,  toiling  for  their  sub- 
natenco,  never  read — if  another  tenth  are  inca- 
pable of  a|iplication,  from  frivolity,  or  disnipa- 
lion,  or  imbecility, — it  resultii,  that  the  xnail 
■hare  of  good  aeose  of  which  our  species  is  ca« 
pable,  can  only  reside  in  a  sinall  fraction  of  a 
nation."  Such  was  the  estimate  made  by  tliis 
philosophic  monarcli  of  the  intelligence  posseHsed 
by  the  nations  of  Europe,  sixty  years  ago ;  and 
although  society  has  considerably  advanced  in 
intellectual  acquisitions  since  that  period,  the 
great  body  of  the  people,  in  every  country,  is 
■till  shrouded  iu  the  mists  of  folly  and  ignorance. 

Such  a  picture  of  the  intellectual  state  of 
maitkind  must,  when  seriously  considered,  ex- 
cite a  melancholy  train  of  reflections  in  tlie 
breast  both  of  the  philanthropist  and  the  man  of 
•cience.  That  such  a  vast  assemblage  of 
beings,  furnished  with  powers  capable  of  inves- 
tigating  the  laws  of  nature, — of  determining  the 
arrangement,  the  motions,  and  magnitudes  of 
distant  worlds,— of  weighing  the  masses  of  the 
planets,^-of  penetrating  into  the  distant  regions 
of  the  universe, — of  arresting  the  lightning  in  its 
course, — of  exploring  the  pathless  ocean,  and 
the  region  of  the  cluud8,^-and  of  rendering  the 
most  stubborn  elements  of  nature  subservient 
to  their  designs :  that  beings,  capable  of  form- 
ing a  sublime  intercourse  witli  tlie  Creator  him- 
self, and  of  endless  progression  in  knowledge 
and  felicity,  should  have  their  minds  almost 
wholly  absorbed  in  eating  and  drinking,  in  child- 
ish and  cruel  sports  and  diversions,  and  in  but- 
chering one  another,  seems,  at  first  view,  a 
tacit  reflection  on  the  wisdom  of  the  Creator, 
in  bestowing  on  our  race  such  noble  powers, 
and  plainly  indicates,  that  the  current  of  human 
intellect  has  widely  deviated  from  its  pristine 
course,  and  that  strong  and  reiterated  efforts 
are  now  requisite  to  restore  it  to  its  original 
charmel.  Every  lover  of  science  and  of  man- 
kind must,  therefore,  feel  interested  in  endea- 
vouring to  remove  those  obstructions  which 
have  impeded  the  progress  of  useful  knowledge, 
and  to  direct  the  intellectual  energies  of  his 
fellow-men  to  the  prosecution  of  objects  worthy 
cf  the  high  station  they  hold  in  the  scale  of 
existence. 

Were  we  to  inquire  into  the  external  causes 
which  have  retarded  the  progress  of  the  human 
mind,  we  should,  doubtless,  find  them  existing 
in  the  nature  of  those  civil  governments  which 
have  most  generally  prevailed  in  the  world,  and 
in  several  of  the  ecclesiastical  establishments 
which  have  been  incorporated  with  them.  It 
has  been  a  favourite  maxim  with  all  tyrants, 
that  the  people  must  be  kept  in  ignorance  ;  and 
hence  we  find,  that  in  the  empires  of  the  East, 
which  are  all  of  a  despotical  nature,  the  people 
are  debarred  from  the  temple  of  science,  and 
aank  into  a  stata  of  the  grossest  ignorance  and 


servility.  Under  such  governments,  tho 
of  men  sink  into  apathy, — the  sparks  of  j 
ore  smothered, — the  sciences  are  nc^lccted^— 
i^niorance  is  honoured,— and  tlie  man  of  dis- 
cernment, who  dares  to  vent  his  opinions,  is 
proscribed  as  an  enemy  to  the  state.  In  the 
mor6  enlightened  governments  on  tlie  continent 
of  Europe,  the  same  effects  have  followed,  in 
proportion  to  the  number  of  those  tyrannical 
maxims  and  principles  which  enter  into  their 
constitution.  Hence,  we  may  frequently  deter- 
mine the  degree  of  mental  illumination  which 
prevails  among  any  people,  from  a  considerar 
tion  of  the  nature  of  the  government  under 
which  they  live.  For  the  knowledge  of  a 
people  is  always  in  proportion  to  their  liberty^ 
and  where  the  spirit  of  liberty  is  either  crushed 
or  shackled,  the  energies  of  the  human  mind 
will  never  be  exerted  with  vigour,  in  the  acqui- 
sition or  the  propagation  of  literature  and  sci- 
ence. Even  in  the  mildest  and  most  enlight- 
ened  governments  of  modern  Europe,  the  in- 
struction of  the  general  mass  of  society  forms 
no  prominent  feature  in  their  administration. 
Knowledge  on  general  subjects  is  simply  j>tr- 
mitted  to  be  disseminated  among  the  people ; 
its  promoters  are  not  sufficiently  patronized  and 
encouraged, — no  funds  are  regularly  appropri- 
ated for  this  purpose, — and  its  utility,  in  many 
instances,  is  even  called  in  question.  It  is  to 
be  hoped,  however,  now  that  the  din  of  war  is 
in  some  measure  hushed,  that  the  attention  of 
princes  and  their  ministers  will  be  more  parti- 
cularly directed  to  this  important  object :  for  it 
might  easily  be  shown,  were  it  necessary,  that 
an  enlightened  population  is  the  most  solid  ba^ 
sis  of  a  good  government,  and  the  greatest  se- 
curity for  its  permanence, — tliat  it  will  always 
form  the  strongest  bulwark  around  every  throne 
where  the  sceptre  is  swayed  by  wisdom  and 
rectitude.  That  the  establishment  of  the  Popish 
religion  in  any  state  has  a  tendency  to  impede 
the  progress  of  knowledge,  it  would  be  almost 
needless  to  illustrate.  The  mummeries  which 
have  been  interwoven  with  its  services,  the 
grovelling  and  superstitious  notions  which  it  has 
engendered,  the  ignorance  which  prevails  among 
the  population  of  all  those  countries  over  which 
its  influence  extends,  the  alarms  of  its  priestly 
abettors  at  the  idea  of  free  diicussion,  and  of 
enlightening  the  minds  of  the  people,  the  records 
of  its  Inquisitions,  the  history  of  the  dark  ages, 
when  it  prevailed  in  all  its  rigour,  and  the  recent 
experience  of  our  own  times,  show,  that  it  is  a 
system  founded  on  the  darkness  and  imbecility 
of  the  human  intellect,  and  can  flourish  only 
where  the  spirit  of  liberty  has  fled,  and  where 
reason  has  lost  its  ascendency  in  the  minds  oC 
»nen.* 

•  Let  It  be  c areftally  remembered,  that  In  thesa 
remarks  it  is  merely  the  lyntm  of  poper>'  to  which 
ths  author  refers.    He  Is  awars  that  man/  buUvt^ 


INTRODUCTION. 


19 


With  regard  to  the  internal  causes  of  the  ig- 
norance which  so  generally  prevails,  they  will 
be  found  in  the  general  depravity  of  human  na- 
ture ,  in  the  vicious  propensities  so  prevalent 
among  all  ranks ;  in  the  indulgence  of  inordi- 
nate desires  after  riches  and  power ;  and  in  the 
general  disposition  of  mankind  to  place  their 
chief  happiness  in  sensual  gratifications, — evils 
which  the  spirit  of  Christianity  only,  in  con- 
junction with  every  rational  exertion,  is  calcu- 
lated fully  to  eradicate.  And  therefore  it  is  in- 
dispensable, that  every  attempt  to  diffuse  intel- 
lectual light  over  the  human  race  be  accompa- 
nied witli  the  most  strenuous  exertions  to  pro- 
mote the  moral  renovation  of  mankind.  For 
vice  and  ignorance,  especially  among  the  lower 
orders,  generally  go  hand  in  hand ;  and  experi- 
ence demonstrates,  that  indulgence  in  evil  pas- 
sions, and  in  unhallowed  gratifications,  destroys 
the  relish  for  mental  enjoyments,  and  is  one  of 
the  most  powerful  obstructions  to  the  vigorous 
exercise  of  the  intellectual  powers. 

That  the  general  diffusion  of  knowledge 
among  all  ranks  is  an  object  much  to  be  desired, 
will  not,  I  presume,  be  called  in  question  by  any 
one  who  regards  the  intellectual  powers  of  man 
as  the  noblest  part  of  his  nature, — and  who  con- 
siders, that  on  the  rational  exercise  of  these 
powers  his  true  happiness  depends.  If  ignorance 
he  one  of  the  chief  causes  which  disturb  the 
harmonious  movements  of  the  machine  of  so- 
ciety, by  removing  the  cause  we  of  course  pre- 
vent the  effects ;  and  if  knowledge  be  one  of  the 
mainsprings  of  virtuous  conduct,  the  more  it  is 
diffused,  the  more  extensively  will  be  brought 
into  action,  on  the  stage  of  life,  those  virtues 
which  it  has  a  tendency  to  produce.  A  few 
Ferdinands  and  VVyndhams  and  Don  Miguels 
may  still  remain,  who  regard  the  great  mass  of 
the  people  merely  sis  subjects  of  legislation,  or 
as  the  tools  of  tyranny  and  ambition,  and  that, 
therefore,  they  must  be  held  in  the  chains  of  ig- 
norance, lest  they  should  aspire  to  the  ranks  of 
their  superiors.  But  the  general  current  of 
public  opinion  now  runs  counter  to  such  illiberal 
and  antiquated  notions  ;  and  few  persons  of  re- 
spectability, at  least  in  this  country,  would  ha- 
zard their  reputation  in  defending  a  position  so 
degrading  and  untenable.  The  more  learning  a 
people  have,  the  more  virtuous,  powerful,  and 
happy  will  they  become  ;  and  to  ignorance  alone 
must  the  contrary  effects  be  imputed.  "  There 
is  but  one  case,"  says  a  French  writer,  "where 
ignorance  can  be  desirable ;  and  that  is,  when 
all  is  desperate  in  a  state,  and  when,  through 
the  present  evils,  others  still  greater  appear  be- 

dnals,  distinsniished  for  learning  and  piety,  have 
been  connected  with  llie  Romish  church ;  and  while 
he  condemns  the  spirit  and  tendency  of  the  peculiar 
dogmas  and  practices  nf  that  church,  he  deprecates 
every  Idea  of  persecution,  and  every  attempt  to 
deprive  Its  members  of  those  rights  and  privileges 
to  which  they  are  entitled  as  men  and  aa  citizens. 


hind.  Then  stupidity  is  a  blessing :  knowledge 
and  foresight  are  evils.  It  is  then  that,  shut- 
ting our  eyes  against  the  light,  we  would  hide 
from  ourselves  the  calamities  we  cannot  pre- 
vent." In  every  other  case,  knowledge  must 
prove  an  inestimable  blessing  to  men  of  every 
nation  and  of  every  rank. 

That  the  period  when  a  general  diffusion  of 
knowledge  shall  take  place  is  hastening  on,  ap- 
pears from  the  rapid  progress  which  has  been 
made  in  almost  every  department  of  science 
during  the  last  half  century;  from  the  numerous 
publications  on  all  subjects  daily  issuing  from 
the  press ;  from  the  rapid  increase  of  theolo- 
gical, literary,  and  scientific  journals,  and  the 
extensive  patronage  they  enjoy  ;  from  the  nume* 
rous  lectures  on  chymistry,  astronomy,  experi- 
mental philosophy,  political  economy,  and  ge- 
neral science,  now  delivered  in  the  principal 
cities  and  towns  of  Europe  ;  from  the  adoption 
of  new  and  improved  plans  of  public  instruo 
tion,  and  the  erection  of  new  seminaries  of 
education  in  almost  every  quarter  of  the  civi- 
lized world ;  from  the  extensive  circulation  of 
books  among  all  classes  of  the  community ; 
from  the  rapid  formation  of  bible  and  mission- 
ary societies ;  from  the  increase  of  literary  and 
philosophical  associations ;  from  the  establish- 
ment of  mechanics'  institutions  in  our  principal 
towns,  and  of  libraries  and  reading  societies  in 
almost  every  villaae ;  from  the  eager  desire  now 
excited,  even  among  the  lower  orders  of  society, 
of  becoming  acquainted  with  subjects  hitherto 
known  and  cultivated  only  by  persons  of  the 
learned  professions ;  and,  above  all,  from  the 
spirit  of  civil  and  religious  liberty  now  bursting 
forth,  both  in  the  eastern  and  the  western  he- 
mispheres, notwithstanding  the  efforts  of  petty 
tyrants  to  arrest  its  progress.  Amidst  the  con- 
vulsions which  have  lately  shaken  the  surround- 
ing nations,  "  many  have  run  to  and  fro,  and 
knowledge  has  been  increased ;"  dhe  sparks  of 
liberty  have  been  struck  from  the  collision  of 
hostile  armies  and  opposing  interests :  and  a 
spirit  of  inquiry  has  been  excited  among  mt- 
merous  tribes  of  mankind,  which  will  doubtlesr 
lead  to  the  most  important  results.  These  oip. 
cumstances,  notwithstanding  some  gloomv  u[> 
pearances  in  the  political  horizon,  may  be  con- 
sidered as  so  many  preludes  of  a  new  and  hap- 
pier era  about  to  dawn  upon  the  world ;  when 
intellectual  light  shall  be  diffused  among  aU 
ranks,  and  in  every  region  of  the  globe  ;  when 
Peace  shall  extend  her  empire  over  the  world ; 
when  men  of  all  nations,  at  present  separated 
from  each  other  by  the  effects  of  ignorance,  and 
of  political  jealousies,  shall  be  united  by  the 
bonds  of  lov^  of  reason,  and  intelligence,  and 
conduct  themselves  as  rational  and  immortal 
beings. 

In  order  that  such  a  period  may  be  gradually 
ushered  in,  it  is  essentially  requisite  that  a  ood- 


16  ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 

Tiction  of  the  utility  and  importance  of  a  general     ledge  amon|;  all  rankii, — and  shall  aflerwanb 
4iff'usion  of  knowledge  bo  impressed  upon  the     follow  out  the  investigation,  by 


of  the   more  intelligent   and  influential  II.   An  inquiry  into  the   meam  requi«it«  to 

I  of  society,  and  that  every  ezertion  and  bo  used  in  order  to  accomplish  this  important 

every  appropriate  mean  should  be  used  to  ac-  object.* 
Gomplish  this  desirable  object.      In  accordance 

with  tliis  idea,  1  shall  endeavour,  in  the  follow-  •  >,   a  particular  Illustration  of  the  means  by 

JB£  work,  which  a  grneral  diffusion  of  knowleilee  mlglil  tw 

1    T«  :ii...i.^>.  <k.  ^j.^^i^.^  — l.:«k  ^^,\A  effected  would  render  th«  iiretcnt  wo'lt  too  bulky, 

I.  To  Illustrate  the  advantage  which  would  -tw.  department  of  tbe  suiuect  will  be  pro«»ut«J 

WW  from  a  general  diffusion  of  useful  know-  la  a  separate  voiuma. 


?^ 


GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


PART  L 


ON  THE  ADVANTAGES  IfHICH  WOULD   FLOW  FROM  A  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF 
KNOWLEDGE. 


perstihon,  and  remove  those  groundless  fean 
to  which  superstitious  notions  give  rise.  Igno- 
rance has  not  only  debarred  mankind  froifl 
many  exquisite  and  sublime  enjoyments,  but 
has  created  innumerable  unfounded  alarm.", 
which  greati/  increase  the  sum  of  human  mi- 
sery. Man  is  naturally  timid,  terrified  at  those 
dangers  whose  consequences  he  cannot  foresee, 
and  at  those  uncommon  appearances  of  nature 
whose  causes  he  has  never  explored.  Thus,  he 
is  led,  in  many  instances,  to  regard  with  appre- 
hension and  dread  those  operations  of  nature 
which  are  the  result  of  regular  and  invariable 
laws.  Under  the  influence  of  such  timid  emo- 
tions, the  phenomena  of  nature,  both  in  the 
heavens  and  on  the  earth,  have  been  arrayed 
with  imaginary  terrors.  In  the  early  ages  of 
the  world,  a  total  eclipse  of  the  sun  or  of  the 
moon  was  regarded  with  the  utmost  consterna- 
tion, as  if  some  dismal  catastrophe  had  been 
about  to  befall  the  universe.  Believing  that 
the  moon  in  an  eclipse  was  sickening  or  dying 
through  the  influence  of  enchanters,  the  trem- 
bling spectators  had  recourse  to  the  ringing  of 
bells,  the  sounding  of  trumpets,  the  beating  of 
brazen  vessels,  and  to  loud  and  horrid  excla- 
mations, in  order  to  break  the  enchantment, 
and  to  drown  the  muttering  of  witches,  that  the 
moon  might  not  hear  them.  In  allusion  to  this 
practice,  Juvenal,  when  speaking  of  a  loud 
scolding  woman,  says,  that  she  was  able  to  re- 
lieve the  moon. 

•'  Forbear  your  drums  and  trumpets  If  you  please^ 
Her  voice  alone  the  labouring  moon  can  ease." 

Mt  first  priposi'lon  is,  that  the  diifusion  of     Nor  are  such  foolish  opinions  and  customs  ye» 
knowledge  would  undermine  the  fabric  of  cu-     banished  from  the  world.    They  are  said  to  b* 

s 


That  the  intellectual  faculties  of  man  have 
never  been  thoroughly  directed  to  the  pursuit  of 
objects  worthy  of  the  dignity  of  rational  and 
immortal  natures — and  that  the  most  pernicious 
effects  have  flowed  from  the  perversion  of  their 
mental  po.vers, — are  truths  which  the  history 
of  past  ages  and  our  own  experience  too  plainly 
demonstrate.  That  the  state  of  general  society 
would  be  greatly  meliorated,  were  the  mists  of 
ignorance  di-ipelled,  and  the  current  of  human 
thought  direc  ed  into  a  proper  channel,  might 
^pear,  were  we  to  take  an  extensive  survey  of 
the  evils  w^ich  have  been  produced  by  igno- 
rance, and  its  necpssary  concomitants, — and  of 
the  opposite  Ptfects  which  would  flow  from  men- 
tal illumina'iim,  in  relation  to  all  those  subjects 
connected  vrh  the  improvement  and  the  happi- 
ness of  oui  jiecies.  Here,  however,  a  field  of 
Tast  extent  opens  to  view,  which  would  require 
several  vol;ifnes  fully  to  describe  and  illustrate : 
I  shall,  thei'!' ire,  in  the  mean  time,  select,  from 
the  multitii'{>  <>f  objects  which  crowd  upon  the 
view,  only  a  few  prominent  particulars, — the 
elucidation  o!"  which  shall  occupy  the  following 
■ections. 


Ok  the  171 : 

rtrsioN  (■ 

DISSIP.t'i  i 

Tioirs  A> 

LONG   EN! 


SECTION  I. 

r  irr.NCE  WHICH  A  OEITERAI.  DIF- 
-  KNOWLEDGE  WOULD  HAVE  IN 
v.:  THOSE  SUPERSTITIOOS  NO- 
I  VAI.N  FEARS  WHICH  HAVE  SO 
l.AVF.D    THE    HINDS    or    MEN. 


18 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OP  KNOWLEDGE. 


■till  prermlent  in  several  Mahometan  and  Pagan 
countries.*  Comcta,  too,  with  their  blazing 
taib,  were  long  regarded,  and  ctill  are,  by  the 
Ttdgar,  as  harbingers  of  divine  vengeance,  pre- 
saging famines  and  inundations,  or  the  downfall 
of  princes  and  the  destruction  of  empires. t 
The  Aurors  Boreales,  or  northern  lights,  have 
been  frequently  gazed  at  with  similar  appre- 
hensions, and  whole  provinces  have  been  thrown 
into  consternation  by  the  fantastic  coruscations 
of  those  lambent  meteors.  Some  pretend  to 
see,  in  these  harmless  lights,  armies  mixing  in 
fierce  encounter,  and  fields  streaming  with 
blood ;  o'.hers  behold  states  overthrown,  earth- 
quakes, inundations,  pestilences,  and  the  most 
dreadful  calamities.  Because  some  one  or  other 
of  these  calamities  formerly  happened  soon  after 
the  appearance  of  a  comet,  or  the  blaze  of  an 
aurora,  therefore  they  are  considered  either  as 
the  causes  or  the  prognostics  of  such  events. 

From  the  same  source  have  arisen  those 
foolish  notions,  so  fatal  to  the  peace  of  mankind, 
which  have  been  engendered  by  judicial  attro- 
logy.  Under  a  belief  that  the  characters  and 
the  fates  of  men  are  dependent  on  the  various 
aspects  of  the  stars  and  conjunctions  of  the 
planets,  the  most  unfounded  apprehensions,  as 
vrell  as  the  most  delusive  hopes,  have  been  ex- 
cited by  the  professors  of  this  fallacious  science. 
Such  impositions  on  the  credulity  of  mankind 
are  founded  on  the  grossest  absurdity,  and  the 
most  palpable  ignorance  of  the  nature  of  things ; 
Sat  since  the  aspects  and  conjunctions  of  the 
celestial  bodies  have,  in  every  period  of  dura- 
tion, been  subject  to  invariable  laws,  they  must 
be  altogether  inadequate  to  account  (or  the  di- 
versified phenomena  of  the  moral  world,  and 
for  that  infinite  variety  we  observe  in  the  dispo- 
sitions and  the  destinies  of  men  ;  and,  indeed, 
the  single  consideration  of  the  immense  dis- 
tances of  the  stars  from  our  globe,  is  sufficient 
to  convince  any  rational  mind  that  their  influ- 
ence can  have  no  effect  on  a  region  so  remote 
fixwn  the  spaces  which  they  occupy.  The  pl»- 
notary  bodies,  indeed,  may,  in  certain  cases, 
have  some  degree  of  phytiecd  influence  on  the 
earth,  by  virtue  of  their  attractive  power,  but 
that  influence  can  never  affect  the  operation  of 
moral  causes,  or  the  qualities  of  the  mind. 
Even  although  it  were  admitted  that  the  hea- 
venly bodies  have  an  influence  over  the  desti- 
nies of  the  human  race,  yet  we  have  no  data 
whatever  by  which  to  ascertoin  the  mode  of 
its  operation,  or  to  determine  the  formula  or 
rules  by  which  calculations  are  to  be  mode,  in 
order  to  predict  the  fates  of  nations,  or  the  in- 
dividual temperaments  and  destinies  of  men  ; 
and  consequently,  the  principles  and  rules  on 
which  astrologers  proceed  in  constructing  haro- 
teepu,  and  calculating  nativities,  are  notliing 


>SMApve»ui,no.n. 


t  DM. 


else  than  mere  assumptions,  and  tlieir  preteB* 
sions  nothing  short  of  criminal  im|)0!>iiions  upoo 
the  credulity  of  mankind.  With  equally  the 
same  reason  might  we  assert,  that  tlie  earth,  in 
different  positions  in  its  orbit,  would  have  an 
influence  in  producing  fools  and  maniacs  in  the 
planet  Jupiter,  or  in  exciting  wars  and  msurrec- 
tions  among  the  inhabitants  of  Saturn,  as  to 
suppose,  with  Mr.  Varley,  the  prince  of  modem 
astrologers,  that  "  Batum  passing  through  the 
atcendant,  causes  dulness  and  melancholy  for  a 
few  weeks,"  and  that  "  Jupiter,  in  the  third 
house,  gives  safe  inland  journeys  and  agreeable 
neighbours  or  kindred." 

Notwithstanding  the  abstirdity  of  the  doc- 
trines of  astrology,  this  art  has  been  practised 
in  every  period  of  time.  Among  the  Romans, 
the  people  were  so  infatuated  with  it,  that  the 
astrologers,  or,  as  they  were  then  called,  the 
mathematieian*,  maintained  their  ground  in 
spite  of  all  the  edicts  of  the  emperors  to  expel 
them  from  the  capital ;  and  after  they  were  at 
length  expelled  by  a  formal  decree  of  the  senate, 
they  found  so  much  protection  from  the  credu- 
lity of  the  people,  that  they  still  remained  in 
Rome  unmolested.  Among  the  Chaldeans,  the 
Assyrians,  the  Egyptians,  the  Greeks,  and  the 
Arabians,  in  ancient  times,  astrology  was  uni- 
formly included  in  the  list  of  the  sciences,  and 
used  as  one  species  of  divination  by  which  they 
attempted  to  pry  into  the  secrets  of  futurity 
The  Brahmins  in  India,  at  an  early  period,  in- 
troduced this  art  into  that  country,  and,  by 
means  of  it,  have  rendered  themselves  the  ar- 
biters of  good  and  evil  hours,  and  of  the  for- 
tunes of  their  fellow-men,  and  have  thus  raised 
themselves  to  great  authority  and  influence 
among  the  illiterate  muhitude.  They  are  con- 
sulted as  oracles,  and,  like  all*  other  impostors, 
they  have  taken  great  care  never  to  sell  their 
answers  without  a  handsome  remuneration.  In 
almost  every  country  in  the  world  this  art  is  still 
practised,  and  only  a  short  period  has  elapsed 
siiKe  the  princes  and  legislators  of  furope  were 
directed  in  the  most  important  concerns  of  the 
state  by  the  predictions  of  astrologers.  In  the 
time  of  dueen  Catharine  de  Medicis,  astrology 
was  so  much  in  vogue,  that  nothing,  however 
trifling,  was  to  be  done  without  consulting  the 
stars.  The  astrologer  Morin,  in  the  seven- 
teenth century,  directed  Cardinal  Richelieu's 
motions  in  some  of  his  journeys,  and  Louisa 
Maria  de  Gonzaga,  queen  of  Poland,  gave 
200®  crowns  to  carry  on  an  edition  of  his  Attro- 
hiia  GaUiea ;  and  in  the  reigns  of  Henry  the 
Third  and  Henry  the  Fourth  of  France,  the 
predictions  of  astrologers  were  the  common 
theme  of  the  court  conversation.  Even  in  the 
present  day,  and  in  the  metropolis  of  the  British 
empire,  this  fallacious  art  is  practised,  and  ita 
professors  are  resorted  to  for  judicial  infurma* 
tioD,  not  only  by  the  vulgar,  but  even  by  miunr 


OMENS, 


19 


in  the  higher  spheres  of  Hfe.  The  extensive 
annual  sale  of  more  than  240,000  copies  of 
"  M  jore's  Almanac,"  which  abounds  with  such 
predictions,  and  of  similar  puWications,  is  a 
striking  proof  of  the  belief  which  is  still  attached 
to  the  doctrines  of  astrology  in  our  own  age  and 
country,  and  of  the  ignorance  and  credulity  from 
which  such  a  belief  proceeds.*  Parhelia,  par- 
selence,  shout'ng  stars,  fiery  meteors,  luminous 
arches,  lunar  rambows,  and  other  atmospherical 
phenomena,  have  likewise  been  considered  by 
some  as  ominous  of  impending  calamities. 

Such  are  some  of  the  objects  in  the  heavens, 
which  ignorance  and  superstition  have  arrayed 
with  imaginary  terrors. 

On  the  earth,  the  objects  which  have  given 
rise  to  groundless  fears,  are  almost  innume- 
rable. Tne  ignesfatui,  those  harmless  meteors 
which  hover  above  moist  and  fenny  places  in 
the  night-lime,  and  emit  a  glimmering  light, 
have  been  regarded  as  malicious  spirits,  endea- 
vouring to  deceive  the  bewildered  traveller,  and 
lead  him  to  destruction.  The  ticking  noise 
of  the  little  insect  called  the  death-watch — a 
screech-owl  screaming  at  the  window — a  raven 
Croaking  over  a  house — a  dog  howling  in  the 
night-time — a  hare  or  a  sow  crossing  the  road — 
the  meeting  of  a  bitch  with  whelps,  or  a  snake 
lying  in  the  road — the  falling  of  salt  from  a  table 
— and  even  the  curling  of  a  fibre  of  tallow  in  a 
burning  candle, f  have  been  regarded  with  ap- 
prehensions of  terror,  as  prognostics  of  impend- 
ing disasters,  or  of  approaching  death. 

In  the  Highlands  of  Scotland,  the  motions  and 
appearances  of  the  clouds  were,  not  long  ago, 
considered  as  ominous  of  disastrous  events. 
On  the  jvenin"  before  new-year's  day,  if  a  black 
cloud  appeared  in  any  part  of  the  horizon,  it  was 
thought  to  prognosticate  a  plague,  a  famine,  or 
Jie  death  of  some  great  man  in  that  part  of  the 
country  over  which  it  seemed  to  hang ;  and  in 
order  to  ascertain  the  place  threatened  by  the 
omen,  the  mo  ions  of  the  clouds  were  often 
watched  through  the  whole  night.  In  the  same 
country,  the  inhabitants  regard  certain  days  as 
unlucky,  or  ominjus  of  bad  fortune.  That  day 
of  the  week  on  which  the  3d  of  May  falls,  is 
deemed  unlucky  throughout  the  whole  year.  In 
the  isle  of  Mull,  ploughing,  sowing,  and  reap- 
ing, are  always  begun  on  Tuesday,  though  the 

♦  That  the  absurdities  of  astrology  are  still  In 
TOgue  anion!;  a  certain  class,  appears  from  thp  pub- 
. nation  of  such  worlts  as  the  following:— "A  Trea- 
.-«e  on  Zoiliiual  Physiognomy,  lllustrateil  by  en- 
gravings of  heads  and  features,  and  accompanied 
ay  tables  of  the  times  of  the  rising  of  tlie  twelve 
signs  of  the  Zodiac,  and  containing  also  new  astro- 
logical explanations  of  some  remarkahle  portions 
of  ancient  mythological  history.  By  John  Varley. 
No.  1.,  large  8V0.,  pp.  so,  to  be  comprised  in  four 
parts.  LoMiimin  and  Go.  I82s  !'•  A  specimen  of 
some  of  the  fooleries  and  absurdities  gravely  treated 
of  by  this  sapient  author,  will  be  found  in  No».  IIL 
and  IV.  of  the  Appendix  to  this  volume. 

t  Called  In  Scotland,  the  dead  tpeai. 


most  favourable  weather  for  these  purposes  be 
in  this  way  frequently  lost.  In  Morven,  none 
will,  upon  any  account,  dig  peat  or  turf  for  fuel 
on  Friday.  The  age  of  the  moon  is  also  much 
attended  to  by  the  vulgar  Highlanders  ;  and  an 
opinion  prevails,  that  if  a  house  take  fire  while 
the  moon  is  in  the  decrease,  the  family  will  from 
that  time  decline  in  its  circumstances,  and  sink 
into  poverty.* 

In  England,  it  is  reckoned  a  bad  omen  to 
break  a  looking-glass,  as  it  is  believed  the  party 
to  whom  it  belongs  will  lose  his  best  friend.  In 
going  a  journey,  if  a  sow  cross  the  road,  it  is 
believed  the  party  will  meet  either  with  a  disap- 
pointment or  a  bodily  accident  before  returning 
home.  It  is  reckoned  unlucky  to  see  first  on© 
magpie,  and  then  another  ;  and  to  kill  a  magpie, 
it  is  believed,  will  certainly  be  punished  with 
some  terrible  misfortune.  If  a  person  meet  a 
funeral  procession,  it  is  considered  necessary 
always  to  take  off  the  hat,  which  keeps  all  the 
evil  spirits  that  attend  the  body  in  good  humour. 
If  in  eating,  a  person  miss  his  mouth,  and  the 
victuals  fall,  it  is  reckoned  very  unlucky,  and 
ominous  of  approaching  sickness.  It  is  also 
considered  as  unlucky  to  present  a  knife,  scis- 
sors, razor,  or  any  sharp  cutting  instrument,  to 
one's  mistress  or  friend,  as  they  are  apt  to  cut 
love  and  friendship  ;  and  to  find  a  knife  or  razor, 
denotes  ill  luck  or  disappointment  to  the  party. 

Among  tht  ancient  na.ions,  there  was  hardly 
any  circumstance  or  occurrence,  however  tri- 
vial, from  which  they  did  not  draw  omens. 
This  practice  appears  to  have  taken  its  rise  in 
Egypt,  the  parent  country  of  almost  every  su- 
perstition of  paganism ;  but,  from  whatever 
source  it  may  have  derived  its  origin,  it  spread 
itself  over  the  whole  inhabited  globe,  even 
among  the  most  civilized  nations,  and  at  this 
day  it  prevails  more  or  less  among  the  vulgar 
in  every  country.  Even  kings  and  emperors, 
sages  and  heroes,  have  been  seized  wiih  alarm, 
at  the  most  trivial  circumstances,  which  they 
were  taught  to  consider  as  ominous  of  bad  for- 
tune, or  of  impen. ting  danger.  Suetonius  says 
of  Augustus,  that  he  believed  implicitly  in  cer- 
tain omens ;  and  that,  si  mane  sihi  calceus  per- 
peram,  ac  sinister  pro  dextero  inducereter,  ul  di- 
rum,  "  if  his  shoes  were  improperly  put  on  in 
the  morning,  especially  if  the  left  shoe  was  put 
upon  his  right  foot,  he  held  it  for  a  bad  omen." 

Thus  it  appears,  that  the  luminaries  of  hea- 
ven, the  clouds,  and  other  meteors  that  float  in 
the  atmosphere,  the  actions  of  animals,  the 
seasons  of  the  year,  the  days  of  the  week,  the 
most  trivial  incidents  in  human  life,  and  many 
other  circumstances,  have  afforded  matter  of 
false  alarm  to  mankind.  But  this  is  not  all : 
Man,  ever  prone  to  disturb  his  own  peace,  not- 
withstanding the  real  evils  he  is  doomed  to  suf- 

*  Encyclopedia  Brltannica,  Ait.  Omen. 


10 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


for,  i.K*  inffia  iiij^enious  enough  to  furm  imagi- 
nari/  III  iii^  vrs  whkli  have  no  exUtencu,  eitlier 
in  hcuvfii  <ir  on  rarth,  nor  (he  least  fuundation 
in  i<ie  --rvnes  of  external  nature.  He  lias  not 
only  Jra  wi  false  coaclusiuns  from  the  objeria 
which  have  a  real  •xistence,  to  increase  his 
ftari ;  bin  has  created,  in  his  imagination,  an 
idtul  wurlil,  and  peopled  it  with  spectres,  hub- 
lobiin'-,  t'^iries,  satyrs,  imps,  wraiths,  genii, 
bro  viiivK,  witches,  wizards,  and  other  faiiios- 
ticai  heiiiijs,  to  whose  caprices  he  believes  his 
ha|>|iiiie>!t  and  misery  are  subjected.  An  old 
W^akled  '■  ag  is  supposed  to  have  the  (lowcr  of 
rendctin ;  miiierable  all  around  her,  who  are  the 
objects  if  tier  hatred.  In  her  privy  chamber,  it 
ia  believe  I,  she  can  roast  and  torment  the  absent, 
and  iiillict  incurable  disorders  both  on  man  and 
beast  ;*  she  can  transport  herself  through  the 
air  (HI  a  spit  or  a  broomstick  ;  or,  when  it  serves 
her  purpose,  she  can  metamorphose  herself  into 
a  cat  or  a  liare ;  and,  by  shaking  a  bridle  over  a 
person  as.ecp,  can  transform  him  into  a  horse; 
and,  iniunted  on  this  new-created  steed,  can  tra- 
Toree  the  air  on  the  wings  of  the  wind,  and  visit 
distant  countries  in  tlie  course  of  a  night.  A 
certain  being  called  a  fairy,  though  supposed  to 
be  at  least  two  or  three  feet  high,  is  believed  to 
have  the  faculty  of  contracting  its  body,  so  as  to 
pass  through  the  key-hole  of  a  door ;  and  though 
they  are  a  distinct  species  of  beings  from  man, 
they  have  a  strong  fancy  for  children  ;  and  hence, 
in  the  Highlands  of  Scotland,  new-born  infants 
are  wa'ched  till  the  christening  is  over,  lest  they 
should  be  stolen  or  exchanged  by  those  fantastic 
existences.  The  regions  of  the  air  have  been 
peop  ed  with  apparitions  and  terrific  phantoms 
of  different  kinds,  which  stalk  abroad  at  the  dead 
hour  of  iiiwht,  to  terrify  the  lonely  traveller.  In 
ruined  castles  and  old  houses,  they  are  said  to 
anno'ince  their  appearance  by  a  variety  of  loud 
snd  dreadful  noises ;  sometimes  rattling  in  the 
ok)  ha.l  like  a  coach  and  six,  and  rumbling  up 
and  I'.iwn  the  staircase  like  the  trundling  of 
bowls  <ir  cannon-balls.  Especially  in  lonely 
diurcli-vards,  in  retired  caverns,  in  deep  forests 
and  dells,  horrid  sounds  are  said  to  have  been 
heanl.  and  monstrous  shapes  to  have  appeared, 
by  which  whole  villages  have  been  thrown  into 
coastemation.'t 


•  The  rca-1 
this  kliKl  III 
alxKik  Whit  I 


*-•*  -Vinnrtancc  of  relations  of 
•  Ue  irnrtd  dUcovered," 
Willi  avidity  b>  the  vul- 
gar in  ih!  which  has  frequently 
('  tinoiiK  youthful  groups 
(  :>lenln£to  its  fearful  re- 
I  r  be  enuliotetl,  ami  has 
r  I  r,,icur(ii  in  the  (L-^rk,  during  all  the 
t  ,                    •  riodsof  tnfir  lives. 

V  of  the  &u|icrstltlou*  opinions  and 
I  le  rilliKlcd  to,  still  prevail  even  within 

t  li.e  British  empire,  appears  from  the 

f  THCt  from  the  "  Monthly  Magazine" 

fjj  J  .  ,  .  .!,  p.  4M.— "In  tstaffbrdshlre,  they  bum 
a  call  III  *  r.irm  house  alive,  to  prevent  the  other 
calve*  from  dying.    In  ibe  sane  county,  a  woman 


Nor  have  such  abeur-1  notions  been  confined 
to  the  illiterate  vulcar ;  men  of  conriderabie 
acquirements  in  literature,  irum  ignorance  of 
the  laws  of  na'urc,  have  fallen  iiiiu  ilic  came 
delusions.  Formerly,  a  man  who  was  endowed 
with  considerable  genius  and  knowledfje,  was 
reckoned  a  magician.  Doctor  Bariolo  was 
seized  by  tlie  Inquisition  at  Rome,  in  the  six- 
teenth century,  because  he  unexitcclcdly  rurcd 
a  nr>bleman  of  the  gout;  and  the  illustrious 
Friar  Bacon,  because  he  was  belter  acquainted 
with  experimental  philosophy  than  most  persons 
of  the  age  in  which  he  lived,  was  suspected, 
even  by  the  learned  ecclesiastics,  of  having 
dealings  with  the  devil.  Disca.scs  were  at 
those  times  imputed  to  faacination,  and  hundreds 
of  poor  wretches  were  dragged  to  the  stake  for 
being  accessary  to  them.  Mcrcatus,  physician 
to  Philip  II.  of  Spain,  relates,  that  he  had  seen 
a  very  beautiful  woman  break  a  steel  mirror  to 
pieces,  and  blast  some  trees,  by  a  single  gianca 
of  her  eyes  !  Josephus  relates,  that  he  saw  a 
certain  Jew,  named  Elea»ar,  draw  the  devil  out 
of  an  old  woman's  noetrils,  by  the  application 
cif  Solomon's  seal  to  her  nose,  in  the  presence 
of  Vespa-sian.  Dr,  Mynsight  is  said  to  have 
cured  several  bew  itched  persons  with  a  plaster 
of  assafcBtida.  How  the  at>8af<Elida  was  effica- 
cious, was  much  disputed  among  the  learned. 
Some  thought  the  devil  might  cotwider  such  an 
application  as  an  insult,  and  ran  off  in  a  passion ; 
but  others  very  sagely  observed,  that  as  devils 
were  supposed  to  have  eyes  and  ears,  it  was 
probable  they  might  have  noses  too.  James 
VI.  who  was  famed  for  his  polemics  and  theo- 
logical acquirements,  wrote  a  treatise  in  defence 
of  witchcraft,  and  persecuted  those  who  opposed 

having  kept  a  toad  In  a  pot  In  her  garden,  her  hus- 
band killed  it,  and  she  reproached  him  for  It,  saying 
she  Intended  the  nent  Sunday  to  have  taken  the  sa- 
crament, for  the  purpose  of  trelting  some  of  the 
bread  to  feed  him  with,  and  make  him  thereby  a 
valuable  (amillar  spirit  to  her.  At  Loni;  Ashton,  a 
youne  farmer  has  several  imiex  predicted  hU  own 
end,  from  wh:it  he  calls  beliiii  UjiJctd  avrr ;  and  his 
mother  and  father  Informed  a  friend  nf  mine,  (says 
the  relater)  that  they  hatl  sent  to  the  White  Witch 
Doctor,  beyond  Brid,;e  Water,  by  the  coachman,  for 
a  charm  to  cure  him,  (liavinc  paid  haiulM>n>cly  for 
It ;)  but  that  he  had  new  Riven  him  over,  as  her 
spells  were  more  pvtcnt  than  his.  If  not  dead,  he  Is 
dyinx  of  mere  fear,  and  all  the  parish  of  his  class 
believe  It.  There  is  also,  in  that  parish,  an  old  man 
who  !>ell.<i  gingerbread  to  the  schools,  who  is  always 
employed  to  cure  the  rrd  icatrr  in  cows,  by  means 
of  clia'rn;8  and  verses  which  he  says  to  them.  In 
the  Marfh,  we  have  water  doctors,  who  get  rich; 
at  the  mines,  diviners  with  rtMls,  who  find  ores  and 
water;  :  nd  at  Weston-super-Mare,  they  sec  llehls 
before  funerals,  and  are  agreed  that  the  jieoplo  in 
that  parish  always  die  by  threes,  i.  t.  three  old, 
three  young,  three  men,  three  women,  4c.  Such 
are  a  part  only  of  the  superstitions  of  Uic  West  In 
ISIS  I" 

Every  one  who  Is  much  conversant  with  the  lower 
ranksof  sooieiy,  will  find,  that  such  notions  are  still 
current  and  believed  by  a  con.«idcrjble  portion  of 
the  (K)|  ul:uii>n,  which  Is  the  only  ajolngy  thai  can 
be  made  for  sutmg  and  couuieractlnc  sucb  opt 
nions. 


ABSURDITY  OF  SUPERSTITION. 


31 


his  opinions  on  this  subject.  The  pernicious 
effects  in  mines,  occasioned  by  the  explosion  of 
hydrogen  gas,  were  formerly  imputed  to  the  de- 
mons of  the  mine.  Van  Helmont,  Bodinus, 
Slrozza,  and  Luther,  attributed  thunder  and 
meteors  to  the  devil.  Socrates  believed  he  v^as 
guided  by  a  demon.  Dr.  Cudworth,  Glanvil, 
and  others,  wrote  in  defence  of  witchcraft  and 
apparitions.  But  it  would  be  endless  to  detail 
all  the  foolish  opinions  which  have  been  imbibed 
and  propagated  even  by  men  who  pretended  to 
genius  and  learning. 

Besides  the  opinions  to  which  I  have  now 
adverted,  and  which  have  a  direct  tendency  to 
fill  the  mind  with  unnecessary  apprehensions, 
there  is  also  an  immense  variety  of  foolish  and 
erroneous  opinions  which  passed  current  for 
genuine  truths  among  a  great  majority  of  man- 
iiind.  That  a  man  hais  one  rib  less  than  a  wo- 
man,— that  there  is  a  certain  Jew  still  alive, 
who  has  wandered  through  the  world  since  the 
crucifixion  of  Christ, — that  the  coffin  of  Maho- 
met is  suspended  in  the  air  between  two  load- 
stones,— that  the  city  of  Jerusalem  is  in  the 
centre  of  the  world, — that  the  tenth  wave  of  the 
sea  is  greater  and  more  dangerous  than  all  the 
rest, — that  all  animals  on  the  land  have  their 
corresponding  kinds  in  the  sea,— that  there  is  a 
white  powder  which  kills  without  giving  a  re- 
port,— that  the  blood  of  a  goat  will  dissolve  a 
diamond, — that  all  the  stars  derive  their  light 
from  the  sun, — that  a  candle  made  of  human 
fat,  when  lighted,  will  prevent  a  person  asleep 
from  awaking,  with  many  other  similar  un- 
founded positions, — are  regarded  as  indispu- 
table truths  by  thousands,  whose  adherence  to 
tradition  and  authority,  and  whose  indolence 
and  credulity,  prevent  them  from  inquiring,  with 
a  manly  independence,  into  the  true  state  and 
nature  of  things. 

Such  are  a  few,  and  but  a  very  few,  of  the 
superstitious  notions  and  vain  fears  by  which 
the  great  majority  of  the  human  race,  in  every 
age  and  country,  has  been  enslaved.  To  have 
attempted  a  complete  enumeration  of  such  hal- 
lucinations of  the  human  intellect,  would  have 
been  vain,  and  could  only  have  produced  satiety 
and  disgust.  That  such  absurd  notions  should 
ever  have  prevailed,  is  a  most  grating  and  hu- 
miliating thought,  when  we  consider  the  noble 
faculties  wiih  which  man  is  endowed.  That 
they  still  prevail, in  a  great  measure,  even  in  our 
own  country,  is  a  striking  proof,  that  we  are, 
as  yet,  but  just  emerging  from  the  gloom  of  in- 
tellectual darkness.  The  prevalence  of  such 
opinions  is  to  be  regretted,  not  only  on  account 
of  the  groundless  alarms  they  create,  but  chiefly 
on  account  of  the  false  ideas  they  inspire  with 
regard  to  the  nature  of  the  Supreme  Ruler  of 
the  universe,  and  of  his  arrangements  in  the  go- 
vernment of  the  world.  While  a  man,  whose 
mind  is  enlightened  with  true  science,  perceives 


throughout  all  nature  the  most  striking  evidences 
of  benevolent  design,  and  rejoices  in  the  benig- 
nity of  the  Great  Parent  of  the  universe, — while 
he  perceives  nothing  in  the  arrangements  of  the 
Creator,  in  any  department  of  his  works,  which 
has  a  direct  tendency  to  produce  pain  to  any  in- 
telligent or  sensitive  existence, — the  supersti- 
tious man,  on  the  contrary,  contemplates  the 
sky,  the  air,  the  waters,  and  the  earth,  as  filled 
with  malicious  beings,  ever  ready  to  haunt  him 
with  terror,  or  to  plot  his  destruction.  The  one 
Contemplates  the  Deity  directing  the  movements 
of  the  material  world,  by  fixed  and  invariable 
laws,  which  none  but  himself  can  counteract  w 
suspend ;  the  other  views  them  as  continually 
liable  to  be  controlled  by  capricious  and  malig- 
nant beings,  to  gratify  the  most  trivial  and  un- 
worthy passions.  How  very  different,  of  course, 
must  be  their  conceptions  and  feelings  respect- 
ing the  attributes  and  government  of  the  Su- 
preme Being !  While  the  one  views  Him  as  an 
infinitely  wise  and  benevolent  Father,  whose 
paternal  care  and  goodness  inspire  confidence 
and  affection  ;  the  other  must  regard  him,  in  a 
certain  degree,  as  a  capricious  being,  and  offer 
up  his  adorations  under  the  influence  of  fear. 

Such  notions  have  likewise  an  evident  teri- 
dency  to  habituate  the  mind  to  false  principles 
and  processes  of  reasoning,  which  unfit  it  for 
forming  legitimate  conclusions  in  its  researches 
after  truth.  They  chain  down  the  understand- 
ing, and  sink  it  into  the  most  abject  and  sordid 
state  ;  aind  prevent  it  from  rising  to  those  noble 
imd  enlarged  views  which  revelation  and  modem 
science  exhibit,  of  the  order,  the  extent,  and  the 
economy  of  the  universe.  It  is  lamentable  to 
reflect,  that  so  many  thousands  of  beings  en- 
dowed with  the  faculty  of  reason,  who  cannot 
by  any  means  be  persuaded  of  the  motion  of  the 
earth,  and  the  distances  and  magnitudes  of  the 
celestial  bodies,  should  swallow,  without  the 
least  hesitation,  opinions  ten  thousand  times 
more  improbable  ;  and  find  no  difficulty  in  be- 
lieving that  an  old  woman  can  transform  herself 
into  a  hare,  and  wing  her  way  through  the  air 
on  a  broomstick. 

But  what  is  worst  of  all,  such  notions  almog 
invariably  lead  to  the  perpetration  of  deeds  of 
cruelty  and  injustice.  Of  the  truth  of  this  po- 
sition, the  history  of  almost  every  nation  affords 
the  most  ample  proof.  Many  of  the  barbarities 
committed  in  pagan  countries,  both  in  their  re- 
ligious worship  and  their  civil  polity,  and  most 
of  the  cruelties  inflicted  on  the  victims  of  the 
Romish  inquisition,  have  flowed  from  this 
source.*    Nor  are  the  annals  of  our  own  coun- 


•  In  the  duchy  of  Lorraine,  900  females  were  delW 
vered  over  to  the  flames,  for  being  witches,  by  one 
Inquisitor  alone.  Under  this  accusation,  it  Is  reck- 
oned that  upwards  of  thirty  thotisand  women  have 
perished  by  the  hands  of  the  Iriquisltion. — "JnquiH' 
tion  Unftuuked,"  by  Puigblanch. 


8t 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


try  deficient  in  examples  of  this  kind :  The 
belief  attached  to  the  doctrine  of  witchcraA,  led 
our  ancestor*,  little  more  than  a  century  ago,  to 
ooodemn  and  to  bum  at  the  stake  hundreds  of 
unhappy  women,  accuaed  of  crtmei  of  which 
they  could  not  possibly  have  been  guilty.'*'  In 
New  England,  about  the  year  1692,  a  witchcraft 
phrensy  roae  to  such  excess  as  to  produce  com- 
motions  and  calamities  more  dreadful  than  the 
scourge  of  war  or  the  destroying  pestilence. 
There  lived  in  the  town  of  Salem,  in  that  coun- 
try, two  young  women,  who  were  subject  to 
convulsions,  accompanied  with  extraordinary 
symptoms.  Their  father,  a  minister  of  the 
church,  supposing  they  were  bewitched,  cast  his 
■tispicions  upon  an  Indian  girl,  who  lived  in  the 
house,  whom  he  compelled,  by  harsh  treatment, 
to  confess  that  she  was  a  witch.  Other  women, 
on  hearing  this,  immediately  believed  that  the 
convulsions,  which  proceeded  only  from  the 
nature  of  their  sex,  were  owing  to  the  same 
cause.  Three  citizens,  casually  named,  were 
immediately  thrown  into  prison,  accused  of 
witchcraft,  hanged,  and  their  bodies  left  ex- 
posed to  wild  beasts  and  birds  of  prey.  A  few 
days  after,  sixteen  other  persons,  together  with 
a  counsellor,  who,  because  he  refused  to  plead 
against  them,  was  supposed  to  share  in  their 
guilt,  suffered  in  the  same  manner.  From 
this  instant,  the  imagination  of  the  multitude 
was  inflamed  with  these  horrid  and  gloomy 
scenes.  Children  of  ten  years  of  age  were  put 
to  death,  young  girls  were  stripped  naked,  and 
the  marks  of  witchcraft  searched  for  upon  their 
bodies  with  the  most  indecent  curiosity  ;  and 
*hose  spots  of  the  scurvy  which  age  impresses 
upon  the  bodies  of  old  men,  were  taken  for  evi- 
dent signs  of  infernal  power.  In  default  of  these, 
torments  were  employed  to  extort  confessions, 
dictated  by  the  executioners  themselves.  For 
such  fancied  crimes,  the  offspring  of  supersti- 
tion alone,  they  were  imprisoned,  tortured, 
murdered,  and  their  bodies  devoured  by  the 
beasts  of  prey.  If  the  magistrates,  tired  out 
with  executions,  refused  to  punish,  they  were 
themselves  accused  of  the  crimes  they  tolerated ; 
the  very  ministers  of  religion  raised  false  wit- 
nesses against  them,  who  made  them  forfeit 
with  their  lives  the  tardy  remorse  excited  in 
them  by  humanity.  Dreams,  apparitions,  ter- 
ror, and  consternation  of  every  kind,  increased 
these  prodigies  of  folly  and  horror.  The  pri- 
sons were  filled,  the  gibbets  left  standing,  and 

*  The  Scots  appear  to  have  displayed  a  more  than 
•rdinary  zeal  aoUntt  witches,  an<l  it  is  said  that 
more  ilcnuv^  old  women  were  condemned  for  this 
imaginary  crime  In  Scotland,  than  in  any  other  coun- 
try. So  late  as  ITSt,  a  poor  woman  was  burned  for 
witchcraft,  which  was  amoni;  the  last  executions  In 
Scotland.  A  variety  of  curious  particulars  in  rela- 
tion to  the  trials  of  witches,  may  he  seen  in  Ptt- 
nlm's  "  Criminal  Trials,  and  other  proceedings  be- 
fore the  Hlxh  Court  of  Justiciary  In  Scotland."-- 
Pan  U.  lataljr  pubUsbad.  See  also  AppentUx,  No.  V. 


all  the  citizen*  involved  in  gloomy  apprehen* 
sions.  So  tliat  superstitious  not  ions,  ku  far  from 
being  innocent  and  harmless  speculations,  lead 
to  the  most  deplorable  re*:ilis,  and  tlicreibre 
ought  to  be  undermined  and  eradi<  aied  by  every 
one  who  wishes  to  pronsote  the  happiness  and 
the  good  order  of  general  society. 

Such,  then,  is  the  evil  we  find  existing  among 
mankind— false  opinions,  which  produce  vain 
fears,  which  debase  the  understanding,  exhibit 
distorted  views  of  the  Deity,  and  lead  to  deeds 
of  cruelty  and- injustice.  Let  us  now  consider 
the  remedy  to  be  applied  for  its  removal. 

I  have  all  along  taken  it  for  granted,  that 
ignorance  of  the  laws  and  economy  of  nature 
is  the  great  source  of  the  absurd  opinions  to 
which  I  have  adverted, — a  position  which,  1 
presume,  will  not  be  called  in  question.  For 
such  opinions  cannot  be  deduced  from  an  atten- 
tive survey  of  the  phenomenaof  nature,  or  from 
an  induction  of  well-authenticated  facts ;  and 
they  are  equally  repugnant  to  the  dictates  of 
revelation.  Nay,  so  far  are  they  from  having 
any  foundation  in  nature  or  experience,  that  in 
proportion  as  we  advance  in  our  researches 
'  into  Nature's  economy  and  laws,  in  the  same 
proportion  we  perceive  their  futility  and  ab- 
surdity. As  in  most  other  cases,  so  in  tiiis,  a 
knowledge  of  the  cause  of  the  evil  leads  to  tho 
proper  remedy.  Let  us  take  away  the  cause, 
and  the  effect  of  course  will  be  removed.  Let 
the  exercise  of  the  rational  faculties  be  directed 
into  a  proper  channel,  and  the  mind  furnished 
with  a  few  fundamental  and  incontrovertible 
principles  of  reasoning — let  the  proper  sources 
of  information  b«  laid  open — let  striking  and 
interesting  facts  be  presented  to  view,  and  a 
taste  for  rational  investigation  be  encouraged 
and  promoted — let  habits  of  accurate  observa- 
tion be  induced,  and  the  mind  directed  to  draw 
proper  conclusions  from  the  various  objects 
which  present  themselves  to  view, — and  then 
we  may  confidently  expect,  that  superstitious 
opinions,  with  all  their  usual  accompaniments, 
will  gradually  evanish,  as  the  shades  of  night 
before  the  rising  sun. 

But  here  it  may  be  inquired.  What  kind  of 
knowledge  is  it  that  will  produce  this  effect? 
It  is  not  merely  an  acquaintance  with  a  number 
of  dead  languages,  with  Roman  and  Grecian 
antiquities,  with  the  subtleties  of  metaphysics, 
witli  pagan  mythology,  with  politics  or  poetry : 
these,  however  important  in  other  points  of 
view,  will  not,  in  tiie  present  case,  produce  the 
desired  effect ;  for  we  have  already  seen,  that 
many  who  were  conversant  in  such  subjects  wero 
not  proof  against  the  admission  of  superstitious 
opinions.  In  order  to  produce  the  desired  ef- 
fect, the  mind  must  be  directed  to  the  study  of 
material  nature,  to  contemplate  the  various 
appearances  it  presents,  and  to  mark  the  uni- 
form results  of  thoM  invariable  laws  by  which 


REMEDIES  FOR   SUPERSTITION. 


ss 


the  universe  ia  governed.  In  particular,  the 
attention  should  be  directed  to  those  discoveries 
which  have  been  made  by  philosophers  in  the 
differen'  departments  of  nature  and  art,  during 
the  last  two  centuries.  For  this  purpose,  the 
study  of  natural  history,  as  recording  the  vari- 
ous facts  respecting  the  atmosphere,  the  waters, 
the  earth,  and  animated  beings,  combined  with 
the  study  of  natural  philosophy  and  astronomy, 
as  explaining  the  causes  of  the  phenomena  of 
nature,  will  have  a  happy  tendency  to  eradicate 
from  the  mind  those  false  notions,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  will  present  to  view  objects  of  de- 
lightf  il  cintemplation.  Let  a  person  be  once 
thorouzhly  convinced  that  Nature  is  uniform  in 
her  operations,  and  governed  by  regular  laws, 
impre-!sed  by  an  all- wise  and  benevolent  Being, 
—he  will  soon  be  inspired  with  confidence,  and 
will  not  easily  be  alarmed  at  any  occasional 
phenomena  which  at  first  sight  might  appear  as 
exceptions  to  the  general  rule. 

For  example,— -let  persons  be  taught  that 
eclipses  are  occasioned  merely  by  the  shadow 
of  one  opaque  body  falling  upon  another — that 
they  are  the  necessary  result  of  the  inclination 
of  the  mo3n'3  orbit  to  that  of  the  earth — that  the 
times  when  they  take  place  depend  on  the  new 
or  fill!  m  M)n  happening  at  or  near  the  points  of 
intersection — and  that  other  planets  which  have 
moons,  experience  eclipses  of  a  similar  nature 
— that  the  comets  are  regular  bodies  belonging 
to  our  system,  which  finish  their  revolutions, 
and  appear  and  disappear  in  stated  periods  of 
lime — that  the  northern  lights,  though  seldom 
•sen  in  southern  climes,  are  frequent  in  the 
region?  of  the  North,  and  supply  the  inhabitants 
with  light  in  the  absence  of  the  sun,  and  have 
probably  a  relation  to  the  magnetic  and  electric 
fluids — that  the  ignesfatui  are  harmless  lights, 
formed  by  the  ignition  of  a  certain  species  of 
gas  produced  in  the  soils  above  which  they 
hover — that  the  notes  of  the  death-watch,  so 
far  from  being  presages  of  death,  are  ascer- 
tained to  be  the  notes  of  love,  and  presages  of 
hymeneal  intercourses  among  these  little  in- 
sects ;*  let  rational  information  of  this  kind  be 
imparted,  and  they  will  soon  learn  to  contem- 
plate nature  with  tranquillity  and  composure. 
Nay,  a  more  beneficial  effect  than  even  this, 
will,  at  the  same  time,  be  produced.  Those 
objects  which  they  formerly  beheld  with  alarm, 
will  now  be  converted  into  sources  of  enjoy- 
ment, and  be  contemplated  with  emotions  of 
delight. 

"  When  from  the  dread  Immensity  of  space, 
The  rushin;  comet  to  the  sun  descends, 
With  awfui  train  projected  o'er  the  world  ; 

■ The  enii^hlen'd  few, 

Whose  ?od-lllf  e  minds  phllosopliy  exalts, 
The  glorious  stranger  hall,    tbey  feel  a  joy 

•  This  fact  was  particularly  ascertained  by  Dr. 
X>9ib*aL--PlM»opMcai  TratuactUmt,  No.  391. 


Divinely  great ;  they  in  their  powers  exult; 
They  see  the  hlazing  wonder  rise  anew, 
In  seeming  terror  clad,  but  kindly  bent 
To  work  the  will  of  all-sustaining  Love." 

Thomson's  Summer. 

Such  are  the  sublime  emotions  with  which  a 
person  enlightened  with  the  beams  of  science 
contemplates  the  return  of  a  comet,  or  any  un- 
common celestial  appearance.  He  will  wait 
the  approach  of  such  phenomena  with  pleasing 
expectation,  in  hopes  of  discovering  more  of 
the  nature  and  destination  of  those  distant  orbs  ; 
and  will  be  led  to  form  more  enlarged  ideas  of 
their  onmipotent  Creator. 

Again,  to  remove  the  apprehensions  which 
arise  from  the  fear  of  invisible  and  incorporeal 
beings,  let  persons  be  instructed  in  the  various 
optical  illusions  to  which  we  are  subject,  aris- 
ing from  the  intervention  of  fogs,  and  the  indis- 
tinctness of  vision  in  the  night-time,  which  make 
us  frequently  mistake  a  bush  that  is  near  us  for 
a  large  tree  at  a  distance ;  and,  under  the  influ- 
ence of  which  illusions,  a  timid  imagination 
will  transform  the  indistinct  image  of  a  cow  or 
a  horse  into  a  terrific  phantom  of  a  monstrous 
size.  Let  them  also  be  taught,  by  a  selection 
of  well-authenticated  facts,  the  powerful  influ- 
ence of  the  imagination  in  creating  ideal  forms, 
especially  when  under  the  dominion  of  fear — 
the  effects  produced  by  the  workings  of  con- 
science, when  harassed  with  guilt — by  very 
lively  drea-BS,  by  strong  doses  of  opium,  by 
drunkenness,  hysteric  passions,  madness,  and 
other  disorders  that  affect  the  mind,  and  by 
the  cunning  artifices  of  impostors  to  promote 
some  sinister  or  nefarious  designs.  Let  them 
likewise  be  instructed  in  the  nature  of  tpon- 
taneous  combiudons  and  deUmatums,  occasioned 
by  the  accidental  combustion  and  explosion  of 
gases,  which  produce  occasional  noises  and 
lights  in  church-yards  and  empty  houses.  Let 
the  experiments  of  optics,  and  the  striking  phe- 
nomena produced  by  electricity,  galvanism, 
magnetism,  and  the  different  gases,  be  exhi- 
bited to  their  view,  together  with  details  of  the 
results  which  have  been  produced  by  various 
mechanical  contrivances.  In  fine,  let  their  at- 
tention be  directed  to  the  foolish,  whimsical,  and 
extravagant  notions,  attributed  to  apparitions, 
and  to  their  inconsistency  with  the  wise  and 
benevolent  arrangements  of  the  Governor  of 
the  universe.* 

That  such  instructions  as  those  I  have  now 
hinted  at  would  completely  produce  the  intended 
effect,  may  be  argued  from  this  consideration, 
— that  they  have  uniformly  produced  this  effect  on 
every  mind  which  has  been  thus  enlightened. 
Where  is  the  man  to  be  found,  whose  mind  is 
enlightened  in  the  doctrines  and  discoveries  of 


•  See  Appendix,  No.  VII.  for  an  illustration  of  some 
of  the  ciuses  which  have  concuned  to  piopajaW 
the  belief  of  apparitions. 


•4 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OP  KNOWLEDGE. 


nodmi  acience,  aiid  who  yet  remains  the  ilave 
oTsuperatitious  notions  and  vain  fears  ?  Of  all 
the  philoso|>hcr8  in  Kiirope,  is  there  one  who 
ia  alarmed  at  an  eclipse,  at  a  comet,  at  an  ignit 
fahau,  or  the  notes  of  a  death-watch,  or  who 
pmtpones  his  experiments  on  accotint  of  what 
is  called  an  unlucky  day  ?  Did  we  ever  hear 
of  a  spectra  appearing  to  such  a  person,  drag- 
ging him  from  bed  at  the  dead  hour  of  miiitiight  to 
wander  through  the  forest  trembling  with  fear? 
No:  such  beings  appear  only  to  the  ignorant 
■nd  illiterate ;  and  we  never  heard  of  their  ap- 
pearing to  any  one  who  did  not  previously  bo- 
liere  in  their  existence.  But  why  should  phi- 
losophers be  freed  from  such  terrific  visions,  if 
substantial  knowledge  had  not  the  power  of  ba- 
nishing them  from  the  mind?  Why  should 
•opcmatural  beings  feel  so  shy  in  conversing 
with  men  of  science  ?  They  would  be  the  fit- 
test persons  to  whom  they  might  impart  their 
secrets,  and  communicate  information  respect- 
ing the  invisible  world,  but  it  never  falls  to  their 
lot  to  be  favoured  with  such  visits.  Therefore, 
it  may  be  concluded,  that  the  diffusion  of  useful 
knowledge  would  infallibly  dissipate  those 
groundless  fears  which  have  so  long  disturbed 
the  happiness  particularly  of  the  lower  orders  of 
mankind.'* 

It  forms  no  objection  to  what  has  been  now 
stated,  that  the  late  Dr.  Samuel  Johnson  be- 
lieved in  the  existence  of  ghosts,  and  in  the 
second  sight:  for,  with  all  his  vast  acquirements 
in  literature,  he  was  ignorant  of  natural  science, 
and  even  attempted  to  ridicule  the  study  of  na- 
tural philosophy  and  astronomy — the  principal 
subjects  which  have  the  most  powerful  tendency 
to  dissipate  such  notions, — as  may  be  seen  in 
No.  24  of  his  "  Rambler ;"  where  he  endea- 
Tours  to  give  force  to  his  ridicule  by  exhibiting 
the  oddities  of  an  imaginary  pretender  to  these 
sciences.  He  talks  of  men  of  science  "  lavish- 
ing their  hours  in  calculating  the  weight  of  the 
terraqueous  globe,  or  in  adjusting  systems  of 
worlds  beyond  the  reach  of  the  telescope  ;"  and 
adds,  that  "  it  was  the  greatest  praise  of  So- 

•  It  would  be  unfair  to  Infer  from  any  expressions 
tare  used,  that  the  author  denies  the  possibility  of 
sapematural  visions  and  appearances.  We  are 
•SBUred,  from  the  records  of  Sacred  History,  that 
beings  of  an  order  superior  to  the  human  race,  have 
"  at  sundry  tloies,  and  In  divers  manners,"  made 
tbelr  appearance  to  men.  But  there  is  the  most 
marked  diflerenee  between  vulf ar  apparitions,  and 
tte  celestial  messengers  to  which  the  records  of  Re- 
velation refer.  They  appeared,  not  to  old  women 
and  clowns,  but  to  patriarchs,  prophets,  and  a|ios- 
ties.  They  appearetl,  not  to  friehten  tlie  timid,  and 
to  create  unnecessarr  alarm,  but  to  declare  "  tidings 
•f  great  joy."  They  appeared,  not  to  reveal  inch 
paltry  secreU  as  the  place  where  a  pot  of  gold  or 
silrer  Is  concealed,  or  where  a  tost  ring  may  be 
found,  hut  to  communicate  Intelligence  worthy  of 
God  to  reveal,  and  of  the  utmost  Importance  for  man 
to  receive.  In  these,  and  many  other  respects,  there 
is  the  most  striking  eontrast  between  popular 
ghosts,  and  the  supernatural  eommunicatlons  and 
appearaness  reconled<tn  gcrtpttae. 


crates,  that  he  drew  the  wits  of  Greece  fW^m 
the  vain  jmrtuit  ofnalural  philutuplty  to  moral 
inquiries,  and  turned  their  thougiits  from  stars 
and  tides,  and  matter  and  motion,  upon  the  va- 
rious modes  of  virtue  and  relations  of  life."  His 
opinions  and  conduct,  thereft^e,  can  only  be 
considered  as  an  additional  proof  of  the  pro- 
priety of  the  sentiments  above  expressed. 

Nor  should  it  be  considered  as  a  thing  im- 
practicable to  instruct  the  great  body  of  mankind 
in  the  subiects  to  which  I  have  alluded.  Every 
man  |>08sessed  of  what  is  called  common  sense, 
is  capable  of  acquiring  all  the  information  re- 
quisite for  the  purpose  in  view,  even  without 
infringing  on  the  time  allotted  for  his  daily  la- 
bours, provided  his  attention  be  once  thoroughly 
directed  to  its  acquisition,  and  proper  means 
used  to  promote  his  instruction.  It  is  not  in- 
tended that  all  men  should  be  made  profound 
mathematicians  and  philosophers ;  nor  is  it  ne- 
cessary, in  order  to  eradicate  false  opinions, 
and  to  enlarge  and  elevate  the  mind.  A  general 
view  of  lueful  knowledge  is  all  that  is  necessary 
for  the  great  mass  of  mankind  ;  and  would  cer- 
tainly be  incomparably  preferable  to  that  gross 
ignorance,  and  those  grovelling  dispositions, 
which  so  generally  prevail  among  the  inferior 
ranks  of  society.  And,  to  acquire  such  a  d»- 
gree  of  rational  information,  requires  only  thai 
a  taste  for  it,  and  an  eager  desire  for  acquiring 
it,  be  excited  in  the  mind.  If  this  were  attained, 
I  am  bold  to  affirm,  that  the  acquisition  of  such 
information  may  be  made  by  any  person  who  is 
capable  of  learning  a  common  mechanical  em- 
ployment, and  will  cost  him  less  trouble  and 
expense  than  are  requisite  to  a  schoolboy  for 
acquiring  the  elements  of  the  Latin  tongue. 

To  conclude  this  branch  of  the  subject  >- 
Since  it  appears  that  ignorance  produces  super- 
stition, and  superstitious  notions  engender  vain 
fears  and  distorted  views  of  the  government  of 
tlie  Almighty, — since  all  fear  is  in  itself  painful, 
and,  when  it  conduces  not  to  safety,  is  painful 
without  U8e,^.«very  consideration  and  every 
scheme  by  which  groundless  terrors  may  bo  re- 
moved, and  just  conceptions  of  the  moral  attri- 
butes of  the  Deity  promoted,  must  diminish  the 
sum  of  human  misery,  and  add  something  to 
human  happiness.  If  therefiire  the  acquisition 
of  useful  knowledge  rfsipecting  the  laws  and 
the  economy  of  the  imiverse  would  produce  this 
effect,  the  more  extensively  such  information  is 
propagated,  the  more  happiness  will  be  diffused 
among  mankind. 

SECTION  U. 

Oir  TRS  UTILITY  OT  KNOWLSDAK  IK  PRX- 
VENTIRO  DISEASES  AlTD  FATAI,  ACCI- 
DEHTB. 

It  is  a  conclusion  which  has  been  deduced 
from  long  experience,  "  that  mankind  in  tbet' 


PREVENTION  OF  DISEASES  AND  ACCIDENTS. 


85 


opinions  and  conduct  are  apt  to  run  from  one 
extreme  to  another."  We  have  already  seen, 
that,  in  consequence  of  false  conceptions  of  the 
Deity,  and  of  his  arrangements  in  the  economy 
of  nature,  the  minds  of  multitudes  have  been 
alarmed  by  the  most  unfounded  apprehensions, 
and  have  been  "  in  great  fear  where  no  fear 
was."  On  the  other  hand,  from  a  similar  cause, 
many  have  run  heedlessly  into  danger  and  de- 
struction, when  a  slight  acquaintance  with  the 
powers  of  nature,  and  the  laws  of  their  opera- 
tion, would  have  pointed  out  the  road  to  safety. 
This  leads  me  to  the  illustration  of  another  ad- 
vantage which  would  be  derived  from  a  general 
diffusion  of  knowledge, — namely. 

That  it  uxtuld  tend  to  preverU  many  of  those 
diseases  and  fatal  accidents  which  flow  from  igno- 
rance of  the  laws  which  govern  the  operations  of 
nature. 

There  are,  indeed,  several  accidents  to  which 
mankind  are  exposed,  which  no  human  wisdom 
can  foresee  or  prevent.  Being  furnished  with 
faculties  of  a  limited  nature,  and  placed  in  the 
midst  of  a  scene  where  so  many  powerful  and 
complicated  causes  are  in  constant  operation, 
we  are  sometimes  exposed,  all  on  a  sudden,  to 
the  action  of  destructive  causes,  of  which  we 
were  ignorant,  or  over  which  we  have  no  con- 
trol. Even  although  we  could  foresee  a  pesti- 
lence, a  famine,  an  earthquake,  an  inundation, 
or  the  eruption  of  a  volcano,  we  could  not  alto- 
gether prevent  the  calamities  which  generally 
flow  from  their  destructive  ravages.  But,  at  the 
same  time,  it  may  be  affirmed  with  truth,  that  a 
great  proportion  of  the  physical  evils  and  acci- 
dents to  which  the  human  race  is  liable,  are  the 
effects  of  a  culpable  ignorance,  and  might  be 
effectually  prevented,  were  useful  knowledge 
more  extensively  diffused.  But  it  unfortunately 
happens,  in  almost  every  instance,  that  the  per- 
sons who  are  exposed  to  the  accidents  to  which 
I  allude,  are  ignorant  of  the  means  requisite  for 
averting  the  danger.  To  illustrate  this  point,  I 
shall  select  a  few  examples,  and  shall  inter- 
sperse a  few  hints  and  maxims  for  the  consider- 
ation of  those  whom  it  may  concern. 

The  first  class  of  accidents  to  which  I  shall 
advert,  comprises  those  which  have  happened 
from  ignorance  of  the  nature  and  properties  of  the 
df^erent  gases,  and  of  the  noxious  effects  which 
some  of  them  produce  on  tlie  functions  of  ani- 
mal life. 

We  have  frequently  read  in  newspapers  and 
magazines,  and  some  of  us  have  witnessed,  such 
accidents  as  the  following: — A  man  descends 
into  a  deep  well,  which  had  for  some  time  been 
shut  up.  When  he  has  gone  down  a  consider- 
able way  he  suddenly  lets  go  his  hold  of  the 
rope  ot  ladder  by  which  he  descends,  and  drops 
to  the  bottom  in  a  state  of  insensibility,  devoid 
of  utterance,  and  unable  to  point  out  the  cause 
of  his  disaster.    Another  hastily  follows  him, 


to  ascertain  the  cause,  and  to  afford  him  assist- 
ance ;  but  by  the  time  he  arrives  at  the  same 
depth  he  shares  the  same  fate.  A  third  person, 
af.er  some  hesitation,  descends  with  more  ca»*- 
tious  steps.  But  he  soon  begins  to  feel  a  cer- 
tain degree  of  giddiness,  and  makes  haste  to 
£iscend,  or  is  drawn  up  by  assistants.  In  the 
mean  time,  the  unhappy  persons  at  the  bottom 
of  the  well  are  frequently  left  to  remain  so  long 
in  a  state  of  suspended  animation,  that  all  means 
of  restoration  prove  abortive  ;  and  the  cause  of 
the  disaster  remains  a  mystery,  till  some  medical 
gentleman,  or  other  person  of  intelligence,  be 
made  acquainted  with  the  circumstances  of  the 
accident.  Similar  accidents,  owing  to  the  same 
cause,  have  happened  to  persons  who  have  in- 
cautiously descended  into  brewers'  vats,  or  who 
have  entered  precipitately  into  wine  cellars  and 
vaults,  which  had  been  long  shut  up  from  the 
external  air,  and  where  the  process  of  fermen- 
tation was  going  on  :  They  have  been  suddenly 
struck  down,  as  by  a  flash  of  lightning ;  and, 
in  some  instances  the  vital  spark  has  been 
completely  extinguished.  Many  instances,  too, 
could  be  produced,  of  workmen,  who  have  in- 
cautiously laid  themselves  down  to  sleep  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  lime-kilns  where  they  were 
employed,  having,  in  a  short  time,  slept  the 
sleep  of  death.  The  burning  of  charcoal  in 
close  apartments  has  also  proved  fatal  to  many  ; 
more  especially  when  they  have  retired  to  rest 
in  such  anartments,  while  the  charcoal  was 
burning,  and  before  the  rooms  had  received  ft 
thorough  ventilation. 

Numerous  are  the  instances  in  which  acci- 
dents have  happened,  in  the  circumstamces  now 
stated,  and  which  are  still  frequently  recurring; 
all  which  might  have  been  prevented  had  the 
following  facts  been  generally  known  and  at- 
tended to : — That  there  exists  a  certain  species 
of  air,  termed  Jixed  air,  or  carbonic  acid  gat, 
which  instantly  extinguishes  flame,  and  is  de- 
structive to  animal  life  ;  that  it  is  found  in  con- 
siderable quantities  in  places  which  have  been 
shut  up  from  the  external  atmosphere, — as  in 
old  wells,  pits,  caverns,  and  close  vaults  ;  that 
it  is  copiously  produced  during  the  fermentation 
of  liquors  in  brewers'  vats,  where  it  hovers  above 
the  surface  of  the  liquor  ;  in  cellars  where  wine 
and  malt-liquors  are  kept ;  and  by  the  burning 
of  lime  and  charcoal ;  and,  that  being  nearly 
twice  as  heavy  as  common  air,  it  sinks  to  the 
bottom  of  the  place  where  it  is  produced.  The 
following  plain  hints  are  therefore  all  that  19 
requisite  to  be  attended  to,  in  order  to  prevent 
the  recurrence  of  such  disasters.  Previous  to 
entering  a  well  or  pit  which  has  been  long  se- 
cluded from  the  external  air,  let  a  lighted  candle 
or  taper  be  sent  down ;  if  it  continues  to  bum 
at  the  bottom  there  is  no  danger,  for  air  that  will 
support  flame,  without  an  explosion,  will  also 
support  animal  life;  but,  should  the  taper  b* 


3C 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


extinguished  before  it  reaches  the  bottom,  it 
would  be  attended  with  imminent  danger  to  ven- 
ture down  till  the  foul  air  be  expelled.  The 
noxious  air  may  be  deglroycd  by  throwing  down 
a  quantity  of  quick  lime,  and  gradually  sprin- 
kling it  with  water ;  for  as  the  lime  slakes  it  will 
absorb  the  mephitic  air,  and  a  person  may 
ftAerwards  descend  in  safety.  Where  lime  is 
not  at  hand,  a  bush,  or  such  like  bulky  sub- 
stance, may  be  let  down  and  drawn  up  several 
times  ;  or  some  buckets  of  water  may  be  thrown 
into  it,  till  the  air  be  so  purified,  that  a  lighted 
taper  will  continue  to  burn  at  the  bottom.  These 
precautionary  hints  will  apply  to  all  the  other 
cases  referred  to,  where  this  species  of  gas  may 
happen  to  exist.  To  which  I  may  also  add,  as 
another  hint,  that  in  every  situation  where  fixed 
air  is  supposed  to  exist,  it  is  more  dangerous  to 
sit  or  to  lie  down,  in  such  places,  than  to  stand 
erect ;  for,  as  tliis  gas  is  the  heaviest  of  all  the 
gases,  it  occupies  the  lowest  place ;  and  there- 
fore, a  person  lying  on  the  ground  may  be  suffo- 
cated by  it,  while  another  standing  at  his  side 
would  feel  no  injury,  his  mouth  being  raised 
above  the  stratum  of  the  noxious  fluid.* — I  shall 
only  remark  farther  on  this  head,  that  several 
disorders  have  been  contracted  by  persons  sleep- 
ing under  the  branches  of  trees  in  the  night- 
time, and  in  apartments  where  great  quantities 
of  fruit,  or  other  vegetable  matter,  are  kept,^ 
from  ignorance  of  the  fact,  that  during  the  night, 
the  leaves  of  trees,  and  all  vegetable  matter 
perspire  a  deleterious  air,  which,  when  it  has 
accumulated  to  a  certain  degree,  may  induce  a 
variety  of  serious  complaints,  and  sometimes 
prove  fatal. 

The  disasters  which  have  happened  in  coal 
mines,  and  other  subterraneous  apartments,  form 
another  class  of  accidents,  many  of  which  have 
been  the  effects  of  ignorance.  Of  late  years 
an  immense  number  of  men,  boys,  and  horses, 
has  been  destroyed  by  the  explosion  of  inflam- 
mable air  in  the  coal  mines  in  this  country,  par- 
ticularly in  the  north  of  England,  where  the 
most  affecting  and  tragical  scenes  have  been 
presented  to  view.  On  the  forenoon  of  Monday, 
25th  May,  1812,  a  dreadful  accident  took  place 
at  Felling,  near  Gateshead,  in  the  mine  belong- 
ing to  C.  T.  Branding,  Esq.  When  nearly  the 
whole  of  the  workmen  were  below, — the  second 
•et  having  gone  down  before  the  first  had  come 
up, — a  double  blast  of  hydrogen  gas  took  place, 

•  The  crotto  del  Cant,  a  small  cavern  In  Italy, 
about  four  leairues  from  Naple.»,  contains  a  stratum 
of  carbonic  acid  gas.  It  has  been  a  common  prac- 
tice to  drive  dojrs  Into  tl»e  cavern,  where  ihey  sulTer 
a  tem|>orary  de.-ith,  for  the  entert.ilnment  of  stran- 
gers. But  a  man  enters  with  |>erfert  HHfety,  and  feel* 
no  particular  inconvenience  by  itandhtg  In  it,  lie- 
cause  his  mouth  is  considerably  aliove  the  surfiire 
ot  the  stratum  of  deleierloui  air;  but  wpre  he  to 
lie  down  he  would  be  inmantly  siilTocated.  The 
same  precaution  nuiy  also  be  useful  in  walking 
through  certain  caverns  in  our  own  country. 


and  set  the  mine  on  fire,  forcing  up  an  immenn 
volume  of  smoke,  which  darkened  the  air  to  fc 
considerable  distance,  and  scattered  an  inimenae 
quantity  of  small  coal  from  the  upcast  shaft.  In 
this  calamity  ninety-three  men  and  boys  p©» 
rished.  The  mine  was  obliged  to  be  closed  up 
on  the  following  Saturday,  in  order  to  ex:  inguish 
the  fire,  which  put  an  end  to  all  hopes  of  saving 
any  of  the  sufferers.  On  the  6th  Oct<>ber,  in 
the  same  year,  and  in  the  same  county,  (Dur> 
ham,)  a  coal-pit,  at  Shiiiey  Row,  suddenly  took 
fire,  by  explosion  of  the  inflammable  air ;  in 
consequence  of  which  seven  persons  were  se- 
verely scorched.  And  on  the  Saturday  follow- 
ing, (October  lOtli,)  the  Harrington  Mill  pit, 
distant  from  the  other  about  two  or  three  hundred 
yards,  also  took  fire ;  by  which  four  men  and 
nineteen  boy*  were  killed  on  the  spot,  and  inanj 
people  severely  wounded  and  burned,  and  two 
boys  were  missing.  This  dreadful  catastrophe 
was  likewise  occasioned  by  the  explosion  of  fire- 
damp.f  The  above  are  only  two  or  three  ex- 
amples of  a  variety  of  similar  accidents  which 
have  happened,  of  late  years,  in'  the  coal  dis- 
tricts in  the  northern  part  of  our  island.  That 
all  such  accidents  could  have  been  prevented  bj 
means  of  the  knowledge  we  have  hitherto  ac- 
quired, would  perhaps  be  too  presumptuous  to 
affirm  ;  but  that  a  great  proportion  of  them  wero«u 
the  effects  of  ignorance  on  the  part  of  the  mi- 
ners, and  might  have  been  prevented  by  a  ge- 
neral knowledge  of  the  nature  and  causes  of 
such  explosions,  and  by  taking  proper  precau- 
tionary measures,  there  is  every  reason  to  be- 
lieve. That  this  is  not  a  mere  random  asser- 
tion, will  appear  from  the  following  extract  from 
the  Monthly  Magazine  for  February  1814,  p. 
80: — "Mr.  Bakewell,  in  his  late  lectures  at 
Leeds,  stated  the  following  circumstance,  which 
strongly  evinces  the  benefits  which  arise  from 
educating  the  working  classes — that,  in  the  coal 
districts  of  Northumberland  and  Durham,  accw 
dents  are  constantly  taking  place  from  explo- 
sions in  tlie  mines ;  so  that  not  less  than  six 
hundred  persons  have  been  destroyed  in  the  last 
two  years.  But,  in  one  of  the  mines  which  waa 
frequently  subject  to  explosion,  not  an  accident 
of  tuiy  consequence  hod  taken  place  for  the  last 
twelve  years ;  the  proprietors,  besides  other 
precautions,  having  for  a  con.iiderable  time  past 
educated  the  children  of  the  miners  at  their  own 
expense,  and  ^i'en  them  proper  information  re 
tpeding  the  nature  of  the  danger  to  be  avoided."'^ 

♦  See  Monthly  Magazine,  vol.  xxxill.  p.  580,  and 
vol.  xxxlv.  p.  461. 

I  This  section  of  the  present  work  was  writirn  in 
l«l«,  and  the  farts  referred  to  in  it  happened  within 
three  or  four  years  of  that  date.  Since  thnt  ix-riod 
Sir  Humphrey  Davy's  ingenious  contrivance,  called 
the  ta/elj/  lamp,  hri.s  been  Invented,  by  means  of 
which,  we  have  every  renson  to  believe,  many  acci- 
dents in  coal  mines  have  l>cen  prevented,  and  manjr 
lives  preserved  from  destruction.  The  peculiar  pro- 
perty of  this  lamp  Is,  that  the  miner  may  move  abod 


PREVENTION  OF  DISEASES  AND  ACCIDENTS. 


27 


Were  the  working  miners  carefully  instructed 
in  the  nature  and  composition  of  the  atmos- 
phere, and  its  chymical  properties,  and  particu- 
larly in  the  nature  and  composition  of  the  dif- 
ferent gases, — were  such  instructions  illustrated 
by  a  judicious  selection  of  chymical  experi- 
ments, and  were  the  proper  practical  hints  auid 
precautions  deduced  and  clearly  exhibited,  there 
cannot  be  the  least  doubt  that  it  would  be  at- 
tended with  numerous  beneficial  results.  When 
a  person  is  ignorant  of  the  noxious  principles 
that  may  be  secretly  operating  within  the  sphere 
of  his  labours,  he  will  frequently  rush  heed- 
lessly within  the  limits  of  danger ;  whereas,  a 
man  who  is  thoroughly  acquainted  with  all  the 
variety  of  causes  which  may  possibly  be  in  ac- 
tion around  him,  will  proceed  in  every  step  with 
judgment  and  caution,  and,  where  danger  is 
apparent,  will  hasten  his  retreat  to  a  place  of 
safety. 

The  injuries  which  are  produced  by  the  stroke 
of  lightning  form  another  class  of  acdderUs  which 
are  frequently  owing  to  ignorance.  It  is  still  to 
be  regretted,  that,  notwithstanding  the  disco- 
veries of  modern  philosophy,  respecting  the 
electric  fluid  and  the  laws  of  its  operation,  no 
thunderguard  has  yet  been  invented,  which,  in 
all  situations,  whether  in  the  house,  in  the 
street,  in  the  open  field,  in  a  carriage,  or  on 
*<horseback,  shall  serve  as  a  complete  protection 
from  the  ravages  of  lightning.  Till  some  con- 
trivance of  this  kind  be  effected,  it  is  probable 
that  the  human  race  will  still  be  occasionally 
subjected  to  accidents  from  electrical  storms. 
Such  accidents  are  more  numerous  and  fatal, 
even  in  our  temperate  climate,  than  is  generally 

with  it,  and  even  work  by  its  light  in  the  midst  of 
those  explosive  mixtures  which  have  so  often 
proved  fatal  when  entered  with  a  common  lamp  or 
a  candle.  It  transmits  its  li?ht,  and  is  fed  with  air, 
through  a  cylinder  of  copper  wire-?auze.  The  aper- 
tures in  the  gauze  are  about  one-twentieth  or  one- 
twenty-fifth  of  an  inch  square,  and  the  thicknesi 
of  the  wire  from  one-fortieth  to  one-sixtieth  of  an 
inch  diameter.  The  parts  of  the  lamp  are  : — l.  The 
brass  cistern  which  contains  the  oil.  2.  The  rim  In 
which  the  wire-?auze  cover  is  fixed,  and  which  is 
fastened  to  the  cistern  by  a  moveable  screw.  3.  An 
aperture  for  supplying  oil,  fitted  with  a  screw  or 
cork,  and  a  central  aperture  for  the  wick.  4.  The 
wire-gauze  cylinder,  which  consists  of  at  least  825 
apertures  to  the  square  inch.  5.  The  second  top, 
three  fourths  of  an  inch  above  the  first,  surmounted 
by  a  brass  or  copper  plate,  to  which  the  ring  of  sus- 
pension is  fixed.  6.  Four  or  six  thick  vertical 
wires,  joining  the  cistern  below  with  the  top  plate, 
and  serving  as  protecting  pillars  round  the  cage. 

When  the  wire-gauze  safety  lamp  is  lighted  and 
Introduced  into  an  atmosphere  gradually  mixed 
with  fire-damp,  the  first  effect  of  the  fire-damp  is  to 
Increase  the  length  and  size  of  the  flame.  When 
the  inflamm.able  i;as  forms  one-twelfth  of  the  vo- 
lume of  the  air,  the  cylinder  becomes  filled  with  a 
feeble  blue  flame,  but  the  flame  of  the  wick  appears 
burning  brightly  within  the  blue  flame,  and  the  light 
of  the  wick  increases,  till  the  fire  damp  increases  to 
one-fifth,  when  it  is  lost  in  the  flame  of  the  fire- 
damp, which  fills  the  cylinder  with  a  pretty  strong 
light.  As  long  as  any  explosive  mixture  of  gas  ex- 
ists ia  contact  with  the  lamp,  so  long  will  it  give  its 


imagined.  From  an  induction  of  a  variety  of 
facts  of  this  kind,  as  stated  in  the  public  papera 
and  other  periodical  works,  in  the  year  1811, 
the  author  ascertained  that  more  than  twenty 
persons  were  killed  by  lightning,  or  at  the  rate 
of  a  thousand  persons  every  fifty  years,  during 
the  summer  months  of  that  year,  within  the 
limits  of  our  island ;  besides  the  violent  shocks 
experienced  by  others,  which  did  not  immedi- 
ately prove  fatal,  and  the  damage  occasioned  to 

light,  and  when  it  is  extinguished,  which  happens 
when  the  foul  air  constitutes  one-third  of  the  volume 
of  the  atmosphere,  the  air  is  no  longer  proper  for 
respiration,  for  though  animal  life  "will  continue 
where  flame  is  extinguished,  yet  it  is  always  with 
suffering. 

DAVY'S  SAFETY  LAMP. 


The  following  are  the  principal  parts  of  the  safety 
lamp : — F  is  the  lamp  throwing  up  a  brilliant  flame. 
C  is  the  reservoir,  supplied  with  oil  by  the  tube  M. 
E  G  is  a  frame  of  thick  wire  to  protect  the  wire- 
gauze,  A  A  A  A,  which  has  a  double  top  G  H.  The 
frame  has  a  ring  P  attached  to  it  for  the  convenience 
of  carrying  it.  The  wire-gauze  is  well  fastened  to 
the  rim  B. 

Notwithstanding  the  utility  of  this  Invention,  such 
Is  the  carelessness  and  apathy  of  the  working  mi- 
ners, that  they  either  neglect  to  use  their  safety 
lamps,  or  to  attend  to  the  means  requisite  to  keep 
them  in  order, — which  carelessness  and  apathy  are 
the  effects  of  that  gross  ignorance  into  which  so 
many  of  them  are  sunk.  Hence  we  find,  that  sel- 
dom a  year  passes  in  which  we  do  not  hear  of  de- 
structive explosions  happening  in  our  coal  mlnec, 
particulaurly  in  E^nglacd. 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


■haep  tnd  cattle,  and  to  public  and  private  edi- 
fice*;  and  it  is  worthy  of  notice,  that  most  of 
the  individuals  who  wcru  killed  by  the  lightnmi; 
had  either  taken  shelter  under  trees,  or  were  in 
situations  ailjacenl  to  bells  or  belUwires.  The 
experience  df  succeeding  years  proves  that  a 
ainiilar  number  of  disasters  of  this  kind  annu- 
ally take  place.  It  is,  however,  more  than  pro- 
bable, that  at  least  half  the  number  of  accidents 
arising  from  ttic  same  cause  might  have  been 
averted,  had  the  nature  of  lightning,  and  the 
laws  which  regulate  its  movements,  been  gene- 
rally known.  Seldom  a  year  passes  but  we  are 
infonned  by  the  public  prints  of  some  person  or 
other  having  been  killed  by  lightning,  when 
taking  shelter  under  a  large  tree,— of  whole 
fiunilies  have  been  struck  down  when  crowding 
around  a  lire-place,  during  a  thunder-storm,— 
«f  one  person  having  been  struck  when  stand- 
ing beside  a  bell- wire,  and  another  while  stand- 
ing under  a  bell  connected  with  the  wire,  or 
§    .under  a  lustre  hanging  from  the  ceiling. 

There  can  be  little  doubt,  that  a  considerable 
number  of  such  accidents  would  have  been  pre- 
vented, had  the  following  facts  respecting  the 
nature  of  lightning  been  extensively  known  : — 
That  lightning  is  a  fluid  of  the  same  nature, 
•nd  is  directed  in  its  motions  by  the  same  laws 
which  regulate  the  motions  of  the  electric  fluid 
in  our  common  electrical  machines  ; — that  it  is 
attracted  and  conducted  by  trees,  water,  mois- 
ture, flame,  and  all  kinds  of  metallic  substances  ; 
~-that  it  is  most  disposed  to  strike  high  and 
pointed  objects ;  and  that,  therefore,  it  must  be 
dangerous  to  remain  connected  with  or  in  the 
immediate  neighbourhood  of  such  objects  when 
a  thunder-cloud  is  passing  near  the  earth. 

Hence  the  following  precautionary  maxims 
have  been  deduced,  by  attending  to  which  the 
personal  accidents  arising  from  thunder-storms 
might  be  in  a  great  measure  prevented.  In  the 
open  air,  during  a  storm,  rivers,  pools,  and 
every  mass  of  water,  even  the  streamlets  aris- 
ing from  a  recent  shower,  should  be  avoided, 
because  water  being  an  excellent  conductor, 
might  detennine  the  course  of  an  electrical  dis- 
charge towards  a  person  in  contact  vith  it,  or 
in  its  immediate  neighbourhood.  All  high  trees 
and  similar  elevated  conductors  should  also  be 
avoided,  as  they  are  in  more  danger  of  being 
■truck  than  objects  on  the  ground  ;  and,  there- 
fi>re,  a  person  in  contact  with  them  exposes  him- 
self to  imminent  danger,  should  the  course  of 
the  lightning  lie  in  that  direction.  But,  to  take 
our  station  at  the  distance  of  thirty  or  forty 
paces  from  such  objects,  or,  at  such  a  distance 
H  may  prevent  us  from  being  injured  by  the 
splinters  of  wood,  should  the  tree  be  struck,  is 
more  secure  than  even  in  the  midst  of  an  open 
plain.  Persons  in  a  house  not  provided  with 
thunder-rods,  should  avoid  sitting  near  p  chim- 
■ej  or  fire-place,  whether  there  be  a  fire  in  the 


grate  or  not.  For  when  there  is  a  fire  in  (he 
grate,  the  fire  contains  the  following  coodur* 
tors,— ftame,  smoke,  rarolied  air,  and  soot. 
Even  when  there  is  no  fire,  the  soot  with  which 
the  flue  is  lined  is  a  conductor ;  and  from  the 
superior  height  of  tlie  chimney-shafi  above 
every  other  part  of  tiie  building,  ii  is  more 
liable  than  any  other  part  of  the  liouse  to  be 
struck  with  lightning.  In  a  house,  loo,  gilt 
mirrors  or  picture-frames,  lustres  or  burnmg 
candles,  bell-wires,  and  all  metallic  sub^ianres, 
should  be  carefully  avoided,  as  they  aiibrd  so 
many  points  of  attraction,  which  might  deter- 
mine the  course  of  an  electric  discharge.  The 
safest  position  is  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  if 
not  near  a  lustre,  a  bell,  or  any  thing  hanging 
from  the  ceiling ;  and  if  we  place  the  chair  on 
which  we  sit  on  a  bed  or  mattress,  almost  every 
possible  danger  may  be  avoided  *  Such  are  a 
f<:w  maxims  easy  to  be  recollected  and  put  in 
practice,  by  attending  to  which,  not  a  few 
accidcntA  from  electrical  explosions  might  be 
averted. 

In  the  next  place,  txuiou*  aeddtnU  have  hap' 
penedfrom  ignorance  of  certain  plain  mechanical 
prindpltB.  For  example,  serious  accidents  have 
sometimes  occurred  from  the  want  of  accjuainl- 
ance  with  the  lawn  of  motion.  Persons  have 
heedlessly  jumped  out  of  moving  vehicles,  and 
got  their  legs  and  arms  sprained  or  dislocated, 
and  from  one  boat  to  another  when  both  were  in 
rapid  motion,  and  run  the  risk  of  being  either 
bruised,  drenched,  or  drowned.  But  had  the 
effects  of  compound  motion  been  generally  known 
and  attended  to,  in  all  those  cases  where  it  oc- 
curs, it  would  have  prevented  many  of  those 
accidents  which  have  happened  from  persons 
rashly  jumping  out  of  carriages  when  in  rapid 
motion,  or  attempting  to  jump  from  the  top  of  a 
moving  cylinder,  in  which  cases  they  are  alwaya 
precipitated  with  violence  in  a  direction  dif- 
ferent from  what  they  expected,  from  the  ob- 
vious effects  of  a  combination  of  forces.  Boats 
and  carriages  have  been  sometimes  overset  by 
persons  rising  hastily  when  they  were  in  danger 
of  such  accidents, — from  ignorance  of  the  prin- 
ciple, that  the  centre  of  gravity  of  the  moving 
vehicle,  by  such  a  practice,  is  raised  so  as  to 
endanger  the  line  of  direction  being  thrown  be- 
yond the  base,  when  the  vehicle  must,  of  course, 
be  overturned  ;  whereas,  had  they  clapped  down 
to  the  bottom,  they  would  have  brought  down 
the  line  of  direction,  and  consequently  the  centre 
of  gravity,  farther  within  the  base,  so  as  to  have 
prevented  the  accident  and  secured  their  safety. 

*  It  has  been  generally  thoueht  that  the  cellar  is 
the  most  secure  situation  during  a  thunder-vlnrm ; 
but  this  Is  Inie  only  In  rertain  rates.  When  the 
llffhtnlnx  iirorccds  froni  the  rioiiilii.  it  Is  luiquesl Ion- 
ahly  tlie  mom  secure  i>osltion;  hut  In  the  rase  of  « 
retuminf  iirxJce,  or  when  the  lightning  proceeds 
flora  the  eanh,  It  u  less  secure  than  the  tUfher  parts 
of  Uie  building. 


PREVENTION  OF  DISEASES  AND  ACCIDENTS. 


39 


The  reason  of  this  will  perhaps  more  plainly 
appear  from  the  following  explanations  :— 'The 
Centre  of  gravity  is  that  point  of  a  body  about 
which  all  its  parts  are  in  equilibrie,  or  balance 
each  other ;  and  consequently,  if  this  point  be 
supported,  the  whole  body  will  be  at  rest,  afld 
cannot  fall.  An  imaginary  line  drawn  from  the 
centre  of  gravity  of  any  body  towards  the  centre 
of  the  earth  is  called  tke  line  of  direction.  Bo- 
dies stand  with  firmness  upon  their  bases,  when 
this  line  falls  within  the  base  ;  but  if  the  line  of 
direction  fsdls  without  the  base,  the  body  will  be 
overturned.  Thus,  the  inclining  body  ABCD, 
whose  centre  of  gravity  is  E,  stands  firmly  on 
its  base  CDKF,  because  the  line  of  direction 
EM  falls  within  the  base.  But  if  a  weight,  as 
ABGH,  be  laid  upon  the  top  of  the  body,  the 
centre  of  gravity  of  the  whole  body  and  weight 
together  is  raised  up  to  I ;  and  then  as  the  line 
of  direction  ID  falls  without  the  base  at  D,  tne 
centre  of  gravity  I  is  not  supported,  and  the 
whole  body  and  weight  must  tumble  down  to- 
gether. 


for  three  hundred  years.  But  were  an  additional 
erection,  of  any  considerable  elevation,  to  be 
placed  upon  its  top,  it  would  undoubtedly  soon 
tumble  into  ruins. 

To  a  somewhat  similar  cause,  in  combination 
with  heedlessness  and  ignorance,  may  be  as- 
cribed many  of  those  accidents  which  so  fre- 
quently happen  at  spinning  mills  and  other 
pieces  of  machinery,  by  which  legs  and  arms 
are  torn  asunder,  and  the  human  frame  some- 
times mangled  and  destroyed. 

B'atal  accidents  have  likewise  happened  yrom 
ignorance  of  the  ^ects  prodttced  by  the  refraction 
of  light.  It  is  a  well-known  optical  fact,  that 
when  a  ray  of  light  passes  from  air  into  water, 
and  is  again  refracted,  the  sine  of  the  angle  of 
incidence  is  in  proportion  to  the  sine  of  the  angle 
of  refraction  as  four  to  three.  From  this  cir- 
cumstance it  happens,  that  pools  and  rivers  ap- 
pear shallower  than  they  really  are — their  chan- 
nels, when  viewed  from  their  brink,  being  appa- 
rently higher  than  their  true  position,  in  tho 
proportion  of  three  to  four ;  so  that  a  river  eight 
feet  deep  will  appear  from  .its  bank  to  be  only 
six.  This  fact  may  be  at  any  time  perceived  in 
a  tub  or  pail  full  of  water,  where  the  bottom  of 
the  vessel  will  obviously  appear  to  be  raised  a 
considerable  space  above  its  true  position,  and 
its  apparent  depth  consequently  diminished.  In 
consequence  of  this  optical  illusion,  which  is  not 
generally  known,  many  a  traveller  as  well  as 
many  a  schoolboy  has  lost  his  life,  by  supposing 
the  bottom  of  a  clear  river  to  be  within  his 
depth,  as,  when  he  stands  on  the  bank,  the  bot- 
tom will  appear  one-fourth  nearer  the  surface 
than  it  really  is. 

This  will  appear  evident  from  the  follow- 
ing illustrations  : — If  a  ray  of  light  AC  passes 
obliquely  from  air  into  water,  instead  of  continu- 
ing its  course  in  the  direct  line  CB,  it  takes  the 


The  tower  of  Pisa,  in  Italy,  leans  sixteen  feet 
out  of  the  perpendicular,  so  that  strangers  are 
afraid  to  pass  under  it ;  but  as  the  plummet  or 
line  of  direction  falls  within  iU  hate  or  foundation , 
it  is  in  no  danger  of  falling,  if  its  materials  keep  direction  CH,  and  approaches  the  pcrpendicula* 
together ;  and  hence  it  has  stood  in  this  state .    PP,  in  such  a  manner,  that  the  angle  of  rcfrac 


80 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOTVXEDGE. 


tioa  PCH  ia  let*  than  its  angle  of  incidence 
EGA.  AE  i*  the  «iie  of  the  angle  of  inci- 
dence, and  HP  the  aine  of  the  angle  of  refrac- 
tion ;  and  ihe  proportiim  they  bear  to  each  other 
ia  aa  four  to  three.  If  a  small  body,  therefore, 
were  placed  at  H  and  Ticwed  from  the  point  A, 
h  would  appear  aa  if  it  were  railed  to  the  point 
B,  or  oDo-fuurth  higher  than  it  really  ia. 


This  may  be  farther  illuntrated  by  the  follow- 
ing common  experiment.  Put  a  shilling  into  the 
bottom  of  an  empty  bason,  at  C,  and  walk  hack- 
Wards  till  it  appear  completely  hid  by  the  inter- 
ception of  the  edge  of  the  bason  ;  then  cause 
water  to  be  poured  into  the  bason,  and  the  shil- 
ling will  instantly  appear  as  if  placed  at  the 
point  D ;  for,  being  now  in  a  denser  medium, 
it  appears  raised,  or  nearer  to  its  surface.  Be- 
fore the  water  was  poured  in,  the  shilling  could 
Dot  be  seen  toAere  it  uja$ ;  now  it  is  seen  where 
it  u  not.  It  is  not  the  eye  that  has  changed  its 
place,  but  the  ray  of  light  has  taken  anew  di- 
rection, in  passing  from  the  water  to  the  eye, 
and  strikes  the  eye  as  if  it  came  from  the  piece 
of  money.  This  experiment  may  be  varied  as 
follows  : — Take  an  empty  bason,  and,  along  the 
diameter  of  its  bottom,  fix  marks  at  a  small  dis- 
tance from  each  other,  then  take  it  into  a  dark 
room,  and  let  in  a  ray  of  light ;  and  where  tliis 
falls  upon  the  floor,  place  the  ba.<)on,  so  that  its 
marked  diameter  may  point  towards  the  win- 
dow, and  so  that  the  beam  may  fall  on  the  mark 
most  distajit  from  tlie  window.  This  done,  till 
the  bason  with  water,  and  the  beam  which  be- 
fore fell  upon  the  most  distant  mark,  will  now, 
by  the  refractive  power  of  the  water,  be  turned 
out  of  its  straight  course,  and  will  fall  two  or 
three  or  more  marks  nearer  the  centre  of  the 
baaon. 

It  ia  owing  to  the  circumstance  now  stated, 
that  an  oar  partly  in  and  partly  out  of  the  water 
appears  broken ;  that  objects  appear  distorted 
when  seen  through  a  crooked  pane  of  glass ;  that 
•  6ah  in  the  water  appears  much  nearer  the  sur- 
fiKe  than  it  actually  is ;  and  that  a  skilful  marks- 
nan,  in  shooting  at  it,  must  aim  considerably 
balow  the  place  which  it  Mtam  to  occupy.  It 
ia  owing  to  the  refractive  power  of  the  atmos- 
phere, that  the  sun  is  seen  before  he  rises  above 
the  horizon  in  the  morning,  and  aAer  he  links 
baoealb  it  in  the  evening ;  that  w«  aonetimea 


aee  the  moon,  on  her  rising,  totally  ecKptwJ, 
while  the  sun  is  still  seen  in  the  opp^ite  part  of 
the  horizon  ;  and  that  the  stars  and  planela  arc 
never  seen  in  the  places  where  they  really  ar«, 
except  when  they  are  m  the  zenith,  or  point  dW 
rectly  over  our  head. 

Many  affecting  and  fatal  accidenta  have  hap- 
pened, and  are  frequently  recurring,  particu- 
larly to  children,  and  frmaleit  in  the  higher  ranka 
of  life,  from  their  eUtthtt  catching  Jire,  moat  of 
which  might  be  prevented,  were  the  two  follow- 
ing simple  facts  universally  known  and  practi» 
cally  applied,  that  Jtamt  ha*  a  tendency  to  motiWl 
upwardM;  and  that  air  it  tuentiaUy  requisite  far 
supporting  it.  When  the  clothes  of  females 
take  fire,  as  the  fire  generally  begins  at  the 
lower  parts  of  their  dress,  so  long  as  they  coi>> 
tinue  in  an  upright  posture  the  flames  naturally 
ascend,  and  meeting  with  additional  fuel  a* 
they  rise,  become  more  powerful  in  proportion; 
whereby  the  neck,  the  head,  and  other  vital 
parts  of  the  body  are  liable  to  be  most  injured  ; 
and,  by  running  from  one  part  of  the  room  to 
another,  or  from  one  apartment  to  another,  aa  ia 
most  frequently  the  case,  tlie  air,  which  is  the 
fuel  of  Are,  gains  free  access  to  every  part  of 
their  apparel,  and  feeds  the  increasing  flame. 
In  such  cases,  the  sufferer  should  instantly 
throw  her  clothes  over  her  head,  and  roll  or  lie 
upon  them,  in  order  to  prevent  the  ascent  of  tho 
flames  and  the  access  of  fresh  air.  When  thia 
cannot  conveniently  be  effected,  she  may  still 
avoid  great  agony,  and  save  her  life,  by  throw- 
ing herself  at  full  length  on  tlie  floor,  and  rolling 
herself  thereon.  Though  this  method  may  not, 
in  every  case,  completely  extinguish  the  flame, 
it  will  to  a  certainty  retard  its  progress,  and  pre- 
vent fatal  injury  to  the  vital  parts.  When  as- 
sistance is  at  hand,  the  by-standers  should  im- 
mediately wrap  a  carpet,  a  hearth>rug,  a  great 
coat,  or  a  blanket,  around  the  head  and  body  of 
the  sufferer,  who  should  be  laid  in  a  recumbent 
position,  which  will  prove  a  certain  preventiv* 
from  danger.  During  the  year  181S,  the  author 
noted  down  more  than  ten  instances,  recorded 
in  the  public  prints,  of  females  who  were  burned 
to  death  by  their  clothes  catching  fire,  all  of 
which  might  have  been  prevented,  had  the  sim- 
ple expedients  now  stated  been  resorted  to  and 
promptly  applied. 

It  may  be  remarked,  in  the  next  place,  that 
many  of  the  diteate*  to  which  mankind  are  <uA- 
iect — particularly  fevers,  small-pox,  and  other 
infectious  disorders — might  be  prevented  by  tho 
diflusion  of  knowledge  in  relation  to  their  na- 
ture, their  causes,  and  the  means  of  prevention. 
It  cannot  have  been  overlooked,  in  the  view  of 
the  intelligent  observer,  tliat  fevers  and  other 
infectious  disorders  generally  spread  with  tho 
greatest  facility  and  make  the  most  dreadful 
havoc  among  the  lower  orders  of  society.  Thia 
ia  owing,  in  part,  to  the  dirty  atate  in  which 


PREVENTION  OP  DISEASES  AND  ACCIDENTS. 


SI 


tkeir  houses  are  kept,  every  part  of  which  af- 
fords proper  materials  for  the  production  and 
detention  of  pestilential  effluvia,  and  their  igno- 
rance of  the  importance  of  pure  atmospherical 
air  to  animal  life,  and  the  consequent  necessity 
of  daily  ventilating  their  apartments.  It  is  also 
owing  in  a  great  measure  to  the  custom  of  per- 
sons crowding  into  the  chambers  of  those  who 
€"ire  labouring  under  such  infectious  diseases, 
and  thereby  not  only  increasing  the  strength  of 
the  infectious  virus,  but  absorbing  a  portion  of 
it  in  their  own  bodies,  to  spread  its  baleful  in- 
fluence in  a  wider  circle.  Such  a  conduct  fre- 
quently proceeds  from  a  wamt  of  conviction  of 
the  infectious  nature  of  such  disorders,  and 
from  ignorance  of  the  rapid  manner  in  which 
they  are  sometimes  communicated  from  one  to 
another,  as  well  as  from  that  obstinacy  and  from 
those  inveterate  prejudices  which  are  always 
the  accompaniments  of  ignorance .  Though  the 
eoto-pox  inoculation  has  been  proved  by  experi- 
ence to  be  an  effectual  preventive  of  that  loath- 
some and  often  fatal  disorder,  the  small-po.x,  yet 
numbers  in  the  lower  ranks  of  life  cannot  yet  be 
persuaded  to  use  this  simple  preventive,  and 
will  rather  run  the  risk  of  experiencing  all  its 
(ijsagreeable  and  dangerous  effects  both  on  their 
own  persons  and  on  those  of  their  offspring. 
Their  cAtstinate  preiudices,  in  this  and  similar 
respects,  are  increased  by  their  false  views  and 
reasonings  respecting  the  doctrine  of  the  divine 
decrees,  and  the  providence  of  the  Almighty. 
They  imagine,  that  to  induce  one  species  of 
disease  for  the  prevention  of  another  is  attempt- 
ing to  take  the  government  of  the  world  out  of 
the  hands  of  the  Creator,  and  that  no  means  of 
preventing  disorders  can  be  of  any  avail,  if  the 
Deity  has  otherwise  decreed ;  not  considering 
that  the  Almighty  governs  the  world  he  has 
created  by  regular  and  invariable  laws,  and  ac- 
complishes his  decrees  through  the  intervention 
of  those  secondary  causes,  both  natural  and 
moral,  which  are  continually  operating  in  the 
physical  and  intellectual  world.  Were  general 
knowledge  more  extensively  diffused,  and  the 
minds  of  the  multitude  habituated  to  just  prin- 
ciples and  modes  of  reasoning,  such  fallacious 
views  and  opinions  would  be  speedily  dissipated, 
and  consequently  those  physical  evils  and  disor- 
ders which  they  produce  would  be  in  a  great 
jneasure  prevented. 

Again,  to  ignorance  we  must  likewise  attri- 
bute, in  a  great  measure,  the  pernicious  ^ects 
of  contaminated  air  in  duaelling-house^.  Pure 
air  is  essentially  requisite  to  the  health  and 
vigour  of  the  animal  system  as  wholesome  food 
and  drink.  When  contaminated  by  stagnation, 
by  breathing,  by  fires  or  candies,  it  operates  as 
a  slow  poison,  and  gradually  undermines  the 
human  constitution ;  yet  nothing  is  less  attended 
to  in  the  economy  of  health  by  the  great  majo- 
rity of  mankind.    Because  air  is  an  invisible 


substance,  and  makes  little  impression  on  the 
organs  of  sense,  they  seem  to  act  as  if  it  had  no 
existence.  Hence  we  find,  that  no  atten.ion  is 
paid  by  the  lower  orders  of  society  to  the  pro- 
per ventilation  of  their  apartments.  In  some 
cases,  the  windows  of  their  houses  are  so  fixed 
in  the  walls  as  to  be  incapable  of  being  opened ; 
and  in  other  cases,  where  the  windows  are 
moveable,  they  are  seldom  opened,  except  by 
accident,  for  weeks  and  months  together  ;  and 
were  it  not  that  a  door  and  a  chimney  are  to  be 
found  in  every  habitable  apartment,  the  air 
would  be  rendered  in  many  instances  absolutely 
unfit  for  respiration.  Crowds  of  tailors,  wea- 
vers, shoemakers,  and  other  mechanics,  ema 
ployed  in  sedentary  occupations,  are  frequently 
pent  up  in  close,  and  sometimes  damp  apar^ 
ments,  from  morning  till  evening,  without  ever 
thinking  of  opening  their  windows  for  a  single 
half  hour  for  the  admission  of  fresh  air ;  and 
consequently,  are  continually  breathing  an  at- 
mosphere highly  impregnated  with  the  noxious 
gas  emitted  from  the  lungs,  and  the  effluvia  per- 
spired from  their  bodies,  which  is  most  sensibly 
felt  by  its  hot  suffocating  smell,  when  a  person 
from  the  open  air  enters  into  such  aparttqents. 
The  sallow  complexion  of  such  persons  plainly 
indicates  the  enervating  effects  produced  by  the 
air  they  breathe ;  and  although  its  pernicious 
efl^ects  may  not  be  sensibly  felt,  it  gradually 
preys  upon  their  constitutions,  and  often  pro- 
duces incurable  asthmas,  fevers,  consumptions, 
and  other  dangerous  disorders,  which  are  fre- 
quently imputed  to  other  caitses.  Nothing  is 
more  easy  than  to  open  the  windows  of  an 
apartment,  and  other  apertures  that  communis 
cate  with  the  external  air,  at  meal  hours,  when 
the  room  is  empty,  in  order  to  expel  the  conta^ 
minated  air,  and  admit  the  pure  vital  fluid.  No 
me  licine  or  restorative  is  cheaper  or  of  more 
importance  to  health  and  vigour  than  pure  atmos- 
pherical air ;  yet,  because  it  costs  nothing,  it  is 
little  regarded.  Hints  and  admonitions  in  re- 
ference to  this  point  are  seldom  attended  to; 
for  ignorance  is  always  proud  and  obstinate, 
and  the  inconveniences  supposed,  in  certain 
cases,  to  flow  from  the  practice  of  ventilaiing 
particular  apartments  are  seldom  attempted  to 
be  remedied.  It  is,  therefore,  presumed,  that 
were  a  knowledge  of  the  nature  of  the  atmos- 
phere, of  the  ingredients  that  enter  into  its  com^ 
position,  of  its  indispensable  necessity  for  the 
support  and  invigoration  of  animal  life,  of  the 
circumstances  by  which  it  is  deteriorated,  and 
of  the  baneful  effects  which  are  produced  by  its 
contamination,  more  widely  diffused,  its  use  and 
imrwrtance  would  be  more  duly  appreciated,  and 
the  disorders  which  flow  from  the  circumstances 
now  stated  eflectually  prevented.* 

•  The  following  fact  shows,  in  an  impre-ssive  man- 
ner, the  danger  arising  f^om  the  want  of  a  free  cir- 
culation and  frequent  cliange  of  air.    "  In  the  lying- 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWTLEDOB. 


Much  benefit  mifrht  also  be  prevented,  were 
•  knowUilgt  oftht  mtani  of  rtUoring  mupendtd 
Ofii/nolion,  in  cases  uf  druwniiiK,  straiigulalion, 
&c.,  generally  disseminalvd.  As  prompt  mea- 
nires  in  such  cases  arc  absolutely  necessary, 
many  fatal  effects  have  happened  from  the  delay 
occasioned  by  miniical  assistance  having  been 
at  a  distance ;  which  mii(ht  have  been  prevented, 
had  the  proprr  means  of  resuscitation  been 
known  and  immcdiatuly  resorted  to  by  the  per- 
sons present  at  such  a  juncture.  Were  the  na- 
ture and  importance  of  the  function  of  perspira- 
tion generally  known  and  attended  to,  it  might 
likewise  be  the  means  of  preventing  those  dis- 
eases and  duiastcrs  which  flow  from  making 
sudden  transitions  from  heat  to  cokl,  which  arc 
the  origin  of  many  fatal  disorders  sunong  the 
labo«iring  classes.  If  a  man  is  thoroughly  con- 
vinced that  more  than  the  one-half  of  what  he 
eats  and  drinks  is  thrown  ofi*  by  insensible  per- 
spiration, ho  will  at  once  see  the  importance  of 
avoiding  every  practice  and  every  circumstance 
which  has  a  tendency  to  obstruct  the  operations 
of  this  important  function. 

The  last  example  I  shall  mention,  though  not 
<tf  the  least  importance,  is  the  fatal  effects  pro- 
duced by  ignorance  of  the  proper  mode  of  brtating 
ehUdren  during  thejirst  stages  of  infancy.  It  is  a 
iact  deduced  from  the  annual  registers  of  the 
dead,  that  one-half  the  number  of  children  bom, 
die  under  seven  years  of  age.  This  extraordi- 
nary mortality  is  universally  imputed,  by  medi- 
cal writers,  to  wrong  management  during  the 
first  and  second  years  of  their  infancy,  and  the 

fractice  of  giving  anodyne  aromatic  medicines. 
Dstead  of  clothing  infants  in  such  a  manner  as 
to  give  free  scope  for  the  exercise  of  all  the  vitsJ 
functions,  as  soon  as  they  are  ushered  into  the 
world,  the  midwives  and  officious  matrons  fre- 
^ently  vie  with  each  other  to  improve  upon  na- 
ture, by  attempting  to  model  the  head  and  to 
strengthen  the  limbs  by  the  application  of  fillets, 
rollers,  and  swaddling-bands,  of  several  yank 
in  length  ;  thus  loading  and  binding  them  with 
clothes  equal  to  their  own  weight,  to  the  mani- 
fest injury  of  the  motions  of  their  bowels,  lungs, 
Umbs,  and  other  animal  functions.  Instead  of 
covering  the  head  with  a  thin  single  cap,  and 
kee|Mng  the  extremities  in  a  moderate  degree  of 


1b  hospital  of  Dublhi,  two  thousand  nine  htmdred 
and  forty  Tour  Infants,  out  n(  seven  lliousand  six 
bundre<l  ami  fifty,  ilied  In  the  year  17S'J,  within  the 
first  fortnUlil  from  their  birth.  They  almost  all 
•xplreil  in  ronviiKlons ;  many  foaaie<t  at  the  month  ; 
their  thunitx-i  were  drawn  Into  the  ixtlros  of  their 
hands;  their  jaws  were  K>cked  ;  their  faces  swelled; 
and  they  presented,  In  a  greater  or  less  decree, 
•very  appearance  of  sulTocatlon.  T))U  last  circum- 
stance at  last  produced  an  tnqulry  whether  the 
rooms  were  no)  too  close  aiid  Insufflcleniljr  venti- 
lated. The  apartments  of  the  ho«plul  were  ren- 
dered more  airy  ;  and  the  consequence  has  t>eeii, 
that  the  proportion  of  deaths,  arcordlnr  Ir  the  re- 
gisters of  suoceedlnc  yean.  Is  dimUttsUed  (rum  iMrm 
m»n€." 


warmth,  an  opposite  course  is  most  fre<]aenf*T 
pursued,  which  is  supposed  to  be  one  among  the 
many  existing  causes  uf  hydrocephalus  or  water 
in  the  brain.  Instead  of  allowing  the  first  milk 
that  is  secreted,  which  nature  has  endowed  with 
a  purgative  quality,  to  stimulate  the  bowels,  it 
is  a  common  practice,  immediately  on  the  birth 
of  a  child,  to  adminuter  a  variety  of  purgative 
medicines  in  close  succession,  "  as  if,"  xays  a 
modem  writer,  "  to  prove  that  it  hss  arrived  is 
a  world  of  physic  and  of  evils."  Instead  of 
being  exposed  to  the  invigorating  effects  of  ptve 
air,  and  kept  in  a  moderate  degree  of  tempera- 
ture,  they  are  too  frequently  confined  to  a  hot 
contaminated  atmosphere,  which  relaxes  their 
solids,  impedes  their  respiration,  and  frequently 
induces  fatal  convulsions.*  These  are  but  a  few 
examples  out  of  many  which  could  be  produced 
of  the  improper  treatment  of  children,  from 
which  multitudes  of  painful  complaints  and  dai>> 
gerous  disorders  derive  their  origin.  It  ii 
therefore  reasonable  to  believe,  that  were  ge- 
neral information  on  such  topics  extensively  dis> 
seminated,  and  a  more  rational  mode  of  nurtura 
during  the  first  years  of  infancy  adopted,  not 
only  fatal  disorders,  but  many  subsequent  dif 
eases  in  life,  might  either  be  wholly  prevented, 
or  at  least  greatly  mitigated. 

We  have  likewise  reason  to  conclude,  that  a 
general  dissemination  of  knowledge,  by  direct- 
ing the  mind  to  intellectual  enjoyments,  and 
lessening  the  desire  for  sensual  pleasures,  vouZd 
lead  to  habits  of  ioiniety  and  temperance.  In- 
temperemce  has  perhaps  beea  productive  of 
more  diseases,  misery,  and  fatal  accidents,  thaa 
all  the  other  causes  I  have  now  specified.  It 
has  benumbed  the  intellectual  faculties,  debased 
the  affections,  perverted  the  moral  powers,  do- 
graded  man  below  the  level  of  the  brutes,  and 
has  carried  along  with  it  a  traui  of  evils  de- 
structive to  the  happiness  of  fiunilies,  and  to  the 
harmony  and  order  of  social  life.  Wherever 
intemperance  prevails,  a  barrier  is  interposed 
to  every  attempt  for  raising  nMn  from  the  state 
of  moral  and  intellectual  degradation  into  which 
he  has  sunk,  and  for  irradiating  his  mind  with 
substantial  knowledge.  But  were  the  mind  in 
early  life  imbued  with  a  reKsh  for  knowledge 
and  mental  enjoyments,  it  would  tend  to  wit]^ 
draw  it  from  those  degrading  associations  and 
pursuits  which  lead  to  gluttony,  debauchery, 
and  drunkenness,  and  consequently  prevent 
those  diseases,  accidents,  and  miseries,  which 
invariably  follow  in  their  train.  As  the  human 
mind  is  continually  in  quest  of  happiness  of  one 
description  or  another,  so  multitudes  of  the 
young  and  inexperienced  have  been  led  to  de- 
vote themselves  to  the  pursuit  of  sensual  plei^ 
sures  as  their  chief  and  ultimate  object,  because 
they  have  no  conception  of  enjoyment  Crom  anj 

*  See  the  precedlne  iMte. 


PROGRESS  OP  GENERAL  SCIENCE. 


ss 


otfier  quarter,  and  are  altogether  ignorant  of  the 
refined  gratification  which  flows  from  intellec- 
tual pursuits.  In  the  prosecution  of  knowledge, 
the  rational  faculties  are  brought  into  exercise, 
and  sharpened  and  invigorated  ;  and  when  rea- 
son begins  to  hold  the  ascendancy  over  the  de- 
sires and  affections,  there  is  less  danger  to  be 
apprehended  that  the  mind  will  ever  be  com- 
pletely subjected  to  the  control  of  the  sensitive 
appetites  of  our  nature. 

I  might  also  have  stated,  that  many  physical 
erils  might  be  prevented,  were  mankind  at  large 
acquainted  with  the  characteristics  of  poisonous 
plants ; — the  means  of  detecting  mineral  poi- 
sons, and  the  mode  of  counteracting  their  ef^ 
fects  ; — the  proper  mode  of  extinguishing  fires, 
and  of  effecting  an  escape,  in  cases  of  danger, 
from  that  element ; — the  precautions  requisite  to 
be  attended  to  in  the  management  of  steam- 
engirtes,*  &c.  &c.  But,  as  a  minute  acquaint- 
ance with  some  of  these  subjects  supposes  a 
greater  degree  of  knowledge  than  could  reason- 
ably be  expected  in  the  general  mass  of  society, 
I  shall  not  further  enlarge.  The  few  examples 
I  have  selected  will,  it  is  presumed,  be  sufficient 
to  prove  and  illustrate  the  position  stated  in  the 
beginning  of  this  section,  "  that  knowledge 
would,  in  many  cases,  prevent  dangers,  diseases, 
and  fatal  accidents."  If  it  be  admitted,  that 
several  hundreds  of  persons  are  annually  de- 
stroyed by  noxious  gases,  by  the  explosions  of 
(ire-damp  in  coal-mines,  by  the  stroke  of  light- 
ning, by  their  clothes  catching  fire,  and  other 
accidents  ;  and  that  several  thousands  are,  dur- 
ing the  same  period,  carried  off  by  infectious 
diseases,  and  by  those  diseases  which  are  the 
effects  of  contaminated  air,  and  an  improper 
mode  of  treatment  during  the  first  stages  of  in- 
fancy ;  and  if  a  general  diffusion  of  knowledge 
respecting  the  principles  and  facts  adverted  to 
above  would  have  a  tendency  to  prevent  one-half 
the  number  of  such  physical  evils  as  now  hap- 
pen, it  wiii  follow,  that  several  hundreds,  if  not 
thousands,  of  useful  lives  might  annually  be 
preserved  to  the  coramnnity,  and  a  great  pro- 
portion of  human  suffering  prevented ;  and  if 
so,  the  cause  of  humanity,  as  well  as  of  science, 
is  deeply  interested  in  the  general  diffusion  of 
useful  knowledge  among  persons  of  every  na- 
tion, and  of  every  rank. 

In  the  conclusion  of  this  topic,  it  may  be  re- 
marked, that  the  knowledge  requisite  for  the 
purpose  now  specified  is  of  easy  acquisition. 
It  requires  no  peculiar  strength  or  superiority 
of  genius,  nor  long  and  intricate  trains  of  ab- 
stract reasoning ;  but  is  capable  of  being  ac- 
quired by  any  person  possessed  of  common 
sense,  when  his  attention  is  once  thoroughly 
directed  to  its  acquisition.  As  the  food  of  the 
body  wliich  is  the  most  salutary  and  nourishing 

*  See  Appendix.  Mo.  vm. 
5 


is  the  most  easily  procured,  so  that  kind  of 
knowledge  which  is  the  most  beneficial  to  man- 
kind at  large,  is  in  general  the  most  easily  ac- 
quired. Its  acquisition  would  not  in  the  least 
interfere  with  the  performance  of  their  regular 
avocations,  as  it  could  all  be  acquired  at  leisure 
hours.  It  would  habituate  them  to  rational 
reflections  and  trains  of  thought,  and  gradually 
unfold  to  their  view  new  and  interesting  objects 
of  contemplation.  It  would  have  a  tendency  to 
prevent  them  from  spending  their  hours  of  lei- 
sure in  folly  or  dissipation,  and  would  form  an 
agreeable  relaxation  from  the  severer  duties  of 
active  life. 


SECTION  m. 

Oir  THE  INFLUEirCE  WHICH  A  GENERAL  SII^ 
FUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE  WOULD  HATE  OZT 
THE  PBOGBE88  OF  GENS&AL  8CI£AC£. 

We  have  already  seen,  that  the  diffusion  of 
knowledge  among  the  general  mass  of  society 
would  eradicate  those  false  and  superstitious 
opinions  which  have  so  long  degraded  the  hu- 
man intellect,  would  introduce  just  conceptions 
of  the  attributes  of  the  Deity,  and  of  his  oper^ 
tions  in  the  system  of  nature,  and  would  avert, 
or  at  least  greatly  mitigate,  many  of  those  phy- 
sical evils  to  which  the  human  race  has  been 
subjected.  Although  these  were  the  only  ad- 
vantages to  be  derived  from  the  general  disse- 
mination of  knowledge,  they  would  be  sufficient 
to  warrant  every  exertion  which  the  friends  of 
science  and  of  humanity  can  make  to  accom- 
plish such  an  important  object.  But  these  are 
only  a  few  of  the  mainy  beneficial  results  which 
would,  doubtless,  flow  from  the  progress  of  ra^ 
tional  investigations  and  scientific  pursuits. 
Knowledge,  in  its  progress  through  the  general 
mass  of  society,  and  among  the  various  tribes 
of  mankind,  could  not  long  remain  confined 
within  its  present  boundaries,  but  would,  in  all 
probability,  enlarge  its  circumference  nearly  in 
proportion  to  the  extent  of  its  diffusion.  The 
man  of  erudition  and  of  science,  who  now  ex- 
erts his  influence  and  his  talents  to  enlighten  the 
minds  of  his  fellow-men,  would  be  laying  a 
foundation  for  the  expansion  of  his  own  intellec- 
tual views,  and  of  those  of  his  successors  in  the 
same  pursuits,  in  future  generations.  As  a 
small  body  of  snow,  by  rolling,  gradually  accu- 
mulates to  a  largo  mass,  so  that  portion  of  know- 
ledge we  already  possess,  in  its  progress  through 
the  various  ranks  of  mankind,  would  have  its 
volume  increased,  and  its  present  boundaries 
extended,  so  that  new  scenes  of  intellectual 
vision  and  enjoyment  would  be  continually 
opening  to  the  view.     In  accordance  with  these 


84 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


Tiflwi,  I  ihall  now  proceed  to  illuatrate  the 
poriiiion, 

That  a  f cturat  difimm  ofknowUdgt  would 
Und  to  Uu  npid  adwmetwunt  nf  umvermii  mi- 
«mct. 

We  are  placed  in  (he  midst  of  a  scene  where 
a  raat  multiplicity  of  objects  solicits  our  atten- 
tion. Whether  we  look  around  on  the  surface 
of  the  earth,  or  penetrate  into  its  bowels,  or 
turn  our  eyes  upwards  to  the  surrounding  at- 
mosphere and  the  rault  of  heaven,  we  perceive 
an  immeiise  variety  of  beings,  celestial  and 
terrestrial,  animated  and  inanimated,  continu- 
ally varying  their  aspects  and  positions,  all  dif- 
fering from  each  other  in  certain  points  of  view, 
yet  connected  together  by  various  relations  and 
resemblances. 

Sdenct,  in  the  most  general  and  extensive 
sense  of  the  term,  consists  in  a  perception  of 
the  resemblances  and  differences,  or  the  rela- 
tions which  these  objects  have  to  one  another, 
and  to  us  as  rational  beings.  To  ascertain  the 
almost  infinite  number  of  relations  which  sub- 
list  among  the  immense  variety  of  objects  which 
oompose  the  material  and  intellectual  universe, 
requires  an  immense  multitude  of  observations, 
comparisons,  and  deductions  to  be  made  by  a 
vast  number  of  observers  placed  in  various  cir- 
cumstances and  positions ;  or,  in  other  words, 
the  diioovtry  of  an  immenie  number  of  fact*. 
All  science  may  therefore  be  considered  as 
founded  onfaett;  and  perhaps  there  would  be 
few  exceptions  to  the  truth  of  the  position,  were 
we  to  assert,  that  the  most  sublime  truths  and 
deductions,  in  every  science,  when  stripped  of 
all  their  adventitious  circumstances,  simplified, 
and  expressed  in  the  plainest  and  most  perspi- 
cuous terms,  may  be  reduced  to  so  many  facts. 
This  position  might  be  illustrated,  were  it  ne- 
cessary, by  an  induction  of  particulars  from  the 
various  branches  of  mathematical  and  physical 
science.  That  "  a  whole  is  greater  than  any 
of  its  parts," — that  "  the  square  described  on 
the  hypothenuse  of  a  right-angled  triangle  is 
equal  to  the  sum  of  the  squares  described  on  its 
remaining  sides,"  are  facts,  the  one  deduced 
from  observation  or  simple  intuition,  the  other 
from  a  series  of  comparisons.  That  the  sun  is 
the  centre,  around  which  the  pihmetary  bodies 
revolve, — that  a  projectile  describes  a  para- 
bolic curve, — that  the  velocities  of  falling  bodies 
are  in  proportion  to  the  spaces  run  over, — that 
fluids  press  in  all  directions, — that  the  pressure 
of  the  atmosphere  will  support  a  column  of 
water  lo  the  height  of  above  thirty  feet, — that 
the  elastic  spring  of  the  air  b  equivalent  to  the 
force  which  compresses  it,— that  the  angle  of 
iacwtonne  of  a  ray  of  light  is  equal  to  the  angle 
•f  rafaetion, — that  the  north  pole  of  one  mag- 
Mt  will  attract  the  south  pole  of  another, — that 
the  air  we  breathe  is  a  compoaition  of  oxygen 
and  oitrogeai  aad  a  wiety  of  similar  tnithe,— 


are /acts,  deduced  either  from  simple 
tion  and  experiment,  or  from  a  comparison  of  a 
series  of  phenomena  and  experimenu  with  each 
other.  Now,  every  comparison  we  make  be- 
tween two  or  more  objects  or  ideas,  is  an  act  of 
the  mind  affirming  a  resemblance  or  a  di»> 
greement  between  the  objects  compared  ;  which 
affirmation,  if  deduced  from  a  clear  view  of  the 
objects  presented  to  the  mind  or  senses,  is  the 
declaration  of  a  fact. 

If  the  above  sentiments  are  just,  it  will  fol- 
low, that  every  person  poaseeeed  of  an  ordinary 
•hare  of  understanding,  and  whose  organs  of 
sensation  are  in  a  sound  state,  u  capable  of  ac- 
quiring ail  the  leading  truths  of  the  most  useful 
sciences,  since  he  enjoys  the  senses  and  facuW 
ties  requisite  for  the  observation  of  facts,  and 
tor  comparing  them  with  one  another.  And  if 
such  a  person  is  capable  of  receiving  into  his 
mind  truths  already  ascertained,  he  is  also,  for 
the  same  reason,  qualified  for  discovering  new 
truths  or  facts,  provided  he  be  placed  in  such 
circumstances  as  shall  have  a  tendency  to  pre- 
sent the  objects  of  his  pursuit  in  the  clearest 
point  of  view ;  that  he  have  an  opportunity  of 
surveying  them  on  all  sides,  and  that  his  atten- 
tion be  firmly  riveted  on  their  several  aspects 
and  relations.  That  one  man,  therefore,  excels 
another  in  these  respects,  is  chiefly  owing  to 
his  mind  being  more  particularly  directed  to  the 
contemplation  of  certain  objects  and  relations, 
and  his  mental  faculties  concentrated  upon  them. 
When  a  persoo,  devoted  to  scientific  investiga- 
tion, discovers  a  new  fact,  it  is  not,  in  the  ma- 
jority of  instances,  because  he  possesses  powers 
of  intellect  and  organs  of  sensation  superior  to 
the  ordinary  endowments  of  humanity,  but  be- 
cause he  was  placed  in  different  circumstances, 
and  had  his  attention  directed  to  different  o^ 
jects,  and  was  thus  enabled  to  perceive  rela 
tions  and  combinations  which  had  been  either 
unnoticed  by  others,  or  which  were  placed  b<v 
yond  the  range  of  their  observation.  Gemut, 
then,  which  is  generally  attributed  to  such  cha« 
racters,  may  be  considered  as  consisting  in  a 
concentration  of  the  rays  of  intellect  upon  any 
particular  object,  art,  or  science,  arising  from  a 
lively  taste  we  feel  ibr  that  particular  study.  It 
may  be  compared  to  a  btimmg  letu,  where  the 
scattered  rays  of  light  are  rendered  powerful 
by  being  collected  into  a  point. 

In  so  far,  then,  as  we  are  able  to  direct  the 
faculties  of  the  mind — however  moderate  a  de- 
gree of  vigour  they  may  possess — to  the  fixed 
contemplation  of  scientific  objects,  in  so  far  may 
we  expect  that  new  relations  will  be  discovered, 
and  new  truths  elicited.  Sir  Isaac  Newton  was 
one  day  asked,  "  How  he  bad  discovered  the 
true  system  of  the  universe  T'  He  replied, 
"  By  continually  thinking  upon  iu"  He  was 
frequently  heard  to  declare,  that  "  if  he  bad 
done  the  worki  any  service,  it  was  due  to  no- 


ON  THE  PROMOTION  OF  SCIENCE. 


S5 


thing  but  industry  and  patient  thought,  that  he 
kept  the  subject  under  consideration  constantly 
before  him,  and  waited  till  the  first  dawning 
opened  gradually,  by  little  and  little,  into  a  full 
and  clear  light."  Had  tliis  illustrious  philoso- 
pher been  born  of  barbarous  parents  in  the  wilds 
of  Africa, — had  he  been  placed  in  circumstances 
widely  different  from  those  in  which  he  actually 
existed,  or  had  not  his  attention,  by  some  casual 
occurrence,  been  directed  to  the  grand  object 
which  he  accomplished,  in  all  probability,  his 
mind  would  never  have  ranged  through  the  ce- 
lestial regions,  nor  have  discovered  the  laws  of 
the  planetary  motions. 

Many  important  scientific  facts  require  only 
a  certain  combination  of  circumstances  to  bring 
them  to  the  view  of  any  common  observer.  To 
discover  the  phases  of  the  planet  Venus,  the 
satellites  of  Jupiter,  and  the  elliptical  figure  of 
Saturn,  after  the  telescope  was  invented,  re- 
4]uired  no  uncommon  powers  either  of  vision  or  of 
intellect  in  Galileo,  who  first  brought  these  facts 
to  view,  however  superior  the  faculties  he  ac- 
tually possessed.  It  only  required,  that  he  had 
a  previous  knowledge  of  the  existence  of  these 
planetary  bodies,  that  his  mind  was  interested 
in  the  extension  of  science,  and  that  he  foresaw 
a  probability  that  new  and  interesting  facts 
might  be  discovered  by  directing  his  new  in- 
vented instrument  to  the  starry  regions.  And 
when  once  he  had  descried  from  his  observatory 
wich  new  celestial  wonders,  every  other  person 
whose  organs  of  vision  were  not  impaired,  with 
%  similar  tube,  might  discover  the  same  objects. 
Yet,  for  want  of  the  qualifications  which  Galileo 
possessed,  the  telescope  might  have  long  re- 
mained in  the  hands  of  thousands  before  such 
discoveries  had  been  made ;  and  it  is  a  fact, 
that  though  the  telescope  was  in  use  a  consider-, 
able  time  before  Galileo  made  his  discoveries, 
no  person  had  previously  thought  of  directing  it 
to  the  planets  ;  at  any  rate,  no  discoveries  had 
been  made  by  it  in  lh«  heavens. 

The  discovery  of  new  truths  in  the  sciences, 
therefore,  is  not,  in  most  instances,  to  be  as- 
cribed to  the  exertions  of  extraordinary  powers 
of  intellect ;  but,  in  a  great  majority  of  cases, 
to  the  peculiar  series  of  events  that  may  occur 
in  the  case  of  certain  individuals,  to  the  various 
circumstances  and  situations  in  which  they  may 
bo  placed,  to  the  different  aspects  in  which  cer- 
tain objects  may  be  presented  to  their  view,  and 
sometimes  to  certain  casual  hints  or  occur- 
rences which  directed  their  attention  to  parti- 
cular objects.  A  spectacle-maker's  boy,  by  an 
accidental  experiment,  led  to  the  invention  of 
the  telescope ;  the  remark  of  a  fountain-player, 
who  observed  that  water  could  rbe  only  to  thirty- 
two  feet  in  the  tubes  of  a  forcing  engine,  led 
iSalileo  to  calculate  the  gravity  of  the  air. 
Newton's  attention  was  first  directed  to  a  pro- 
Ibund  research  into  the  laws  of  falling  bodies, 


by  the  circumstance  of  an  apple  (ailing  upon  th« 
head,  as  he  was  sitting  under  a  tree  in  his  gar- 
den, which  led  to  the  discovery  of  the  grand 
principle  which  unites  tlie  great  biMlies  of  the 
universe.  The  well-known  M  •.  James  Fer- 
guson, author  of  several  popular  treatises  on 
astronomy  and  mechanical  philosophy,  invented 
a  system  of  mechanics,  and  ascertained  the 
laws  of  the  different  mechanical  powers,  when 
only  eight  years  of  age,  and  before  he  knew 
that  any  treatise  had  ever  been  written  on  that 
subject.  The  accidental  circumstance  of  see- 
ing his  father  lift  up  the  roof  of  his  cottage,  by 
means  of  a  prop  and  lever,  first  directed  his 
mind  to  these  subjects,  in  which  he  afterwards 
made  many  useful  improvements. 

If,  then,  it  be  admitted,  that  an  extraordinary 
degree  of  intellectual  energy  and  acumen  is  not 
necessary,  in  every  instance,  for  making  useful 
discoveries, — that  the  concentration  of  the  men- 
tal faculties  on  particular  objects,  and  the  va- 
rious circumstances  in  which  individuals  may 
be  placed,  have  led  to  the  discovery  of  impor- 
tant facts, — it  will  follow,  that  the  exertion  of 
the  ordinary  powers  of  intellect  possessed  by 
the  mass  of  society  is  sufficient  for  the  purpose 
of  prosecuting  scientific  discoveries,  and  that  the 
more  the  number  of  scientific  observers  and  expe- 
rimenters is  increased  among  the  inferior  ranks 
of  society,  the  more  extensively  will  interesting 
facts  and  analogies  be  ascertained,  from  which 
new  and  important  principles  of  science  may  be 
deduced. 

An  ample  field  still  remains  for  the  exertion  of 
all  the  energies  of  the  human  mind.  The  sci- 
ences are,  as  yet,  far  removed  from  perfection  ; 
some  of  them  have  but  lately  commenced  their 
progress,  and  some  of  their  elementary  prin- 
ciples still  require  to  be  established  by  future 
observations.  The  objects  of  nature  which 
science  embraces  are  almost  infinite ;  the  ex- 
istence of  many  of  these  objects  hsis  not  yet 
been  discovered,  and  much  less  their  multiplied 
relations  and  combinations.  The  researches  of 
ages  are  still  requisite,  in  order  thoroughly  to 
explore  the  universe,  and  bring  to  view  its  hid- 
den wonders.  In  order  to  bring  to  light,  as 
speedily  as  possible,  the  undiscovered  truths  of 
science,  we  must  endeavour  to  increase  the 
number  of  those  who  shall  devote  themselves, 
either  wholly  or  in  part,  to  scientific  investig»- 
tion  and  research.  And,  were  this  object  at- 
tained, in  all  probability,  the  number  of  useful 
truths  and  facts  which  would  be  discovered, 
would  be  nearly  in  proportion  to  the  number  of 
those  whose  attention  is  directed  to  such  r»> 
searches. 

This  might  be  illustrated  from  the  history  of 
the  past  progress  of  science.  In  those  ages, 
when  only  a  few  solitary  individuals,  here  and 
there,  directed  their  attention  to  such  pursuits, 
Uttle  or  no  progress  was  made  in  the  wiow 


86 


ON  THE  GENERAL   DIFFUSION  OP  KNOWLEDGE. 


4«pw1aMBto  oThuman  knowkdgr ;  nay,  tomv- 
tUDM  ih»j  appeared  to  hav«  taken  a  retrograde 
oourae.  During  Um  dark  ages,  when  the  hu- 
man mind,  fettered  by  papal  tyranny  and  luper- 
stilion,  and  absorbed  in  senatial  fratificalion*, 
aeldom  made  excursion*  into  the  regions  of  sci- 
ence, no  useful  discoveries  were  brought  to 
Ught,— science  was  not  only  at  a  stand,  but  the 
knowledge  and  improvements  of  preceding  ages 
were  even  in  danger  of  being  entirely  oblite- 
rated. But  no  sooner  had  the  human  intnllect 
bam  its  fetters,  and  the  number  of  rational  in- 
VMtigators  begun  to  increase  ,-^m>  sooner  had 
they  formed  themselves  into  regular  aasoci- 
ktioas  for  scientific  purposes,  than  Science  and 
Art  were  aroased  from  the  slumber  of  ages, 
aad  began  to  move  forward  towards  perfection 
with  accelerated  progress.  This  may  easily 
be  traced  by  those  who  have  attended  to  the 
history  of  science  during  the  last  160  years. 
About  the  commencement  of  this  period,  the 
Academy  of  Sciences  at  Paris,  and  the  Royal 
Society  of  London,  were  established.  These 
•oon  gave  birth  to  similar  societies  in  almost 
every  country  in  Europe  ;  and  there  can  be  no 
doubt,  that  the  advanced  state  of  knowledge  in 
the  present  day  is  chiefly  to  be  attributed  to  the 
investigations  and  discoveries  made  by  the 
members  of  those  associations,  to  their  joint  co- 
operation  in  the  propagation  of  useful  know- 
ledge, and  to  the  stimulus  they  afforded  to  intel- 
lectual pursuits. 

Would  we  then  accelerate  the  march  of  sci- 
ence iar  beyond  the  rate  of  its  past  and  present 
progress, — would  we  wish  to  extend  its  range 
frr  beyond  its  present  boundaries,  nothing  is  so 
likely  to  effectuate  this  end,  as  an  increase  of 
the  number  of  scientific  experimenters  and  ob- 
servers. Let  a  certain  portion  of  rational  in- 
formation be  imparted  to  the  great  mass  of  man- 
kind,— let  intellectual  acquirements  be  exhi- 
bited to  them  as  the  noblest  objects  of  pursuit, 
and  let  them  be  encouraged  to  form  associations, 
for  the  purpose  of  mutual  improvement  and  sci- 
entific research.  By  these  means  their  atten- 
taon  would  be  directed  to  intellectital  improve- 
ment, a  taste  would  be  excited  for  rational  in- 
VMtigatioo*,  which  would  stimulate  tliem  to 
make  farther  progress ;  they  would  soon  feel  an 
intereat  in  the  objects  of  science  ;  they  would 
iHten  with  pleasure  to  the  accounts  of  disco- 
veries which  are  gradually  brought  to  light 
throughout  the  different  regions  of  physical  in- 
VMtigatioo  ;  and  would  be  stimulated,  from  a 
Ikudable  ambition  of  distinguishing  themselves 
M  discoverers,  as  well  as  (roro  an  innate  love 
to  the  pursuit  of  knowledge,  to  observe  those 
iKta,  to  make  those  researches,  and  to  institute 
diOM  experiments,  that  might  have  a  teodency 
to  eolarge  the  circle  of  human  knowledge. 
Were  the  number  of  auch  peraoos  increased  but 
•  iboosand-fold,  so  tkkt  for  vnrj  twenty  scien- 


tific investigators  now  existing,  twMnty  thousaad 
were  employed  in  surveying  the  various  locals 
ties,  aspects,  and  operations  of  nature,  in  the 
anima!,  vegetable,  and  mineral  kingdoms,  on 
the  surface  of  the  earth  and  the  ocean,  and  in 
the  celestial  regions,— Aundreds  of  new  f«cla 
would,  in  all  probability,  be  brought  to  light, 
for  oiu  that  is  now  discovered  by  the  present 
contraciod  circle  of  scienii6c  men  ;  from  which 
new  and  important  conclusions  in  the  arts  and 
sciences  might  be  deduced. 

Nor  let  it  be  objected,  that  the  great  bulk  of 
mankind,  particularly  the  middling  and  the 
lower  ranks  of  society,  are  incapable  of  making 
any  important  discoveries  in  science.  If  what 
we  have  already  stated  be  correct,  they  are 
possessed  of  all  the  essential  requisites,  not  only 
for  acquiring  the  elementary  principles  of  know- 
ledge, but  also  for  penetrating  beyond  the  circle 
which  marks  the  present  boundaries  of  science. 
They  are  all  organized  in  nearly  the  same  man- 
ner, (a  few  insulated  individuals  only  excepted,) 
and,  consequently,  have  nearly  an  equal  apti- 
tude for  the  exercise  of  cooceptioo,  judgment, 
and  ratiocination.  They  have  the  same  organs 
of  sensation,  and  the  same  powers  of  intellect, 
as  persons  in  the  highest  ranks  of  society. 
The  grand  scene  of  the  universe  is  equally  open 
to  peasants  and  mechanics,  as  to  princes  and 
legislators  ;  and  they  have  the  same  opportu- 
nities of  making  observations  on  the  phenomena 
of  nature,  and  the  processes  of  art, — nay,  ia 
many  instances,  their  particular  situations,  aad 
modes  of  life,  afford  them  peculiar  advantages 
in  these  respects,  which  are  not  enjoyed  by  per> 
sons  of  a  superior  rank.  In  short,  they  have 
the  same  innate  curiosity  and  taste  for  relishing 
such  investigations,  provided  the  path  of  know- 
ledge be  smoothed  before  them,  and  their  at- 
tention thoroughly  directed  to  intellectual  ao 
quisiiions. 

Nor,  again,  should  it  be  objected,  that  an  at- 
tention to  such  objects,  and  an  exquisite  relish 
for  mental  enjoyments,  would  unfit  them  for  the 
ordinary  duties  of  active  life.  Every  man, 
under  a  well-regulated  government,  enjoys  a 
certain  portion  of  leisure  fi-ora  the  duties  of  his 
station,  which,  in  too  many  instances,  ia  wasted 
either  in  listless  inaction,  or  in  the  pursuits  of 
folly  and  dissipation.  This  leisure  is  all  that  is 
requisite  for  the  purpose  in  view.  It  would 
only  be  requisite  that,  during  its  continuance, 
the  train  of  their  thoughu  should  be  directed 
into  a  chaimel  which  would  lead  them  to  more 
pleasing  associations,  and  more  substantial 
pleasures,  than  the  general  current  of  human 
thought  is  calculated  to  produce.  That  those 
who  are  in  the  habit  of  exercising  their  faculties 
on  rational  subjects  are  thereby  rendered  nnore 
unfit  for  the  common  business  of  life,  it  would 
be  absurd  to  suppose.  He  who  habitually  ei- 
ercises  his  judgment  oo  scientific  objecu,  is 


ON  THE  PROMOTION  OP  SCIENCE.. 


87 


gradually  improving  his  mental  powers,  and 
must,  from  this  very  circumstance,  be  better 
qualified  than  others  for  exercising  them  in  his 
particular  trade  or  profession.  For  the  habit  of 
exer;iiig  the  intellectual  faculties  in  any  one 
department,  must  necessarily  fit  them  for  vigor- 
ous exertion  on  any  other  object,  whether  me- 
chanical, agricultural,  social,  or  domestic,  to 
which  the  attention  may  be  directed.  The 
evils  which  at  present  derange  the  harmony  of 
society,  so  far  from  arising  from  a  vigorous  ex- 
ertion of  intellect,  are  to  be  ascribed,  for  the 
most  part,  to  an  opposite  cause.  The  intellec- 
tual powers,  in  the  case  of  the  great  bulk  of 
mankind,  lie  in  a  great  measure  dormant,  their 
energies  are  not  sufficiently  exerted  in  any  de- 
partment of  active  life  ;  and  when  occasionally 
roused  from  their  inactivity,  they  are  too  fre- 
quently exercised  in  the  arts  of  deception,  of 
mischief,  and  of  human  destruction.  To  direct 
the  current  of  human  thought,  therefore,  into  a 
different  channel,  besides  its  influence  on  the 
progress  of  science,  would  be  productive  of 
many  happy  effects  on  the  social  and  moral 
condition  of  mankind  ;  and,  as  far  as  my  expe- 
rience goes,  with  a  very  few  exceptions,  I  have 
found,  that  those  who  are  addicted  to  rational 
pursuits  are  the  most  industrious  and  respect- 
able members  of  civil  and  Christian  society. 

The  above  hints  have  been  thrown  out  with 
the  intention  of  showmg,  that,  as  all  science  is 
founded  on  facts,  and  as  every  person  possessed 
of  the  common  organization  of  human  nature  is 
capable  of  observing  facts,  and  of  comparing 
them  with  one  another, — as  the  discovery  of 
new  truths  is  owing  more  to  the  concentration 
of  the  mental  faculties  on  particular  objects,  and 
to  several  accidental  circumstances,  than  to  the 
<ixertion  of  extraordinary  powers  of  intellect, — 
and  as  the  sciences  have  generally  improved  in 
proportion  to  the  number  of  those  who  have  de- 
voted themselves  to  their  cultivation,^so  there 
IS  every  reason  to  conclude,  that  the  diffusion 
of  general  knowledge  and  of  scientific  taste, 
and  consequently,  the  increasp  of  scientific  ob- 
servers, would  ensure  the  rapid  advancement  of 
the  different  sciences,  by  an  increase  of  the 
facts  in  relation  to  them  which  would  thus  be 
discovered. 

I  shall  now  endeavour  to  illustrate  the  posi- 
tions stated  above,  by  a  few  examples  in  relation 
to  two  or  three  of  the  physical  sciences. 

Genlo/rt/. — This  science  is  yet  in  its  infancy ; 
and  somj  of  its  first  principles  require  to  be  con- 
firmed and  illustrated  by  an  induction  of  an  im- 
mense number  of  facts  of  various  descriptions. 
It  is  a  branch  of  knowledge  altogether  founded 
upon  facts  palpable  to  the  eye  nf  every  common 
observer.  Its  object  is,  to  investigate  the  inter- 
nal structure  of  the  earth, — the  arrangement  of 
ka  component  parts, — the  changes  which  its 


materials  have  undergone  since  its  original  for- 
mation,— and  the  causes  which  have  operated 
in  the  production  of  these  changes.  To  deter- 
mine such  objects,  it  is  requisite  that  an  im- 
mense variety  of  observations  be  made  on  the 
form,  position,  and  arrangement  of  mountains, 
—on  the  beds  of  rivers, — the  interior  of  ca- 
verns,— the  recesses  of  ravines, — the  subterra- 
neous apartments  of  mines, — the  fissures  and 
chasms  which  abound  in  Alpine  districts, — and 
even  on  the  bottom  of  the  ocean,  in  so  far  as  it 
can  be  explored  ;  and  that  a  multitude  of  facts 
be  collected  in  relation  to  the  materials  and  po- 
sition, the  elevation  and  inflexion,  the  fraction 
and  dislocation  of  the  earth's  strata — calcareous 
petrifactions— metallic  veins — decomposed  rocks 
—  mosses  —  rivers  —  lakes — sand-banks — sea- 
coasts — the  products  of  volcanoes — the  con»- 
position  of  stone,  sand,  and  gravel — the  organic 
remains  of  aninml  and  vegetable  matter, — in 
short,  that  the  whole  surface  of  the  terraqueous 
globe,  and  its  interior  recesses,  be  contemplated 
in  every  variety  of  aspect  presented  to  the  view 
of  man.  The  observations  hitherto  made  in 
reference  to  such  multifarious  objects  have  been 
chiefly  confined  to  a  few  regions  of  the  earth, 
and  the  facts  which  have  been  ascertained  with 
any  degree  of  precision,  have  been  collected, 
chiefly  by  a  few  individuals,  within  the  last  fifty 
or  sixty  years.  From  such  partial  and  limited 
researches,  general  principles  have  been  de- 
duced, and  theories  of  the  earth  have  )>een 
framed,  which  could  only  be  warranted  by  a 
thoriTugh  examination  of  every  region  of  tho 
globe.  Hence  one  theory  of  the  earth  has  suc- 
cessively supplanted  another  for  more  than  a. 
century  past.  The  theories  of  Burnet,  Whig- 
ton,  Woodward,  Buffbn,  and  Whitehurst,  have 
each  had  its  day  and  its  admirers,  but  all  of 
them  are  now  fast  sinking  into  oblivion,  and  in 
the  next  age  will  be  viewed  only  as  so  manj 
philosophical  rhapsodies,  and  ingenious  fictions 
of  the  imagination,  which  have  no  solid  fotAla- 
tion  in  the  actual  structure  of  the  earth.  Even 
the  foundations  of  Che  Huttonianand  Wemerian 
systems,  which  have  chiefly  occupied  the  atten- 
tion of  geologists  during  the  last  thirty  years, 
are  now  beginning  to  be  shaken,  and  new  sys- 
tems are  constructing  composed  of  the  frag- 
ments of  both.  One  principal  reason  of  this 
diversity  of  opinion  respecting  the  true  theory 
of  the  earth,  undoubtedly  is,  that  all  the  facts 
in  relation  to  the  external  and  internal  structure 
of  our  globe  have  never  yet  been  thoroughly  ex- 
plored. Instead  of  retiring  to  the  closet,  and 
attempting  to  patch  up  a  theory  with  scattered 
and  disjointed  fragments,  our  province,  m  the 
mean  time,  is,  to  stand  in  the  attitude  of  sur- 
veyors and  observers,  to  contemplate  every  as- 
pect which  terrestrial  nature  presents,  to  collect 
the  minutest  facts  which  relate  to  the  object  in 
riew,  and  then  leave  to  succeeding  geoeratioM 


88 


ON  THK  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


the  task  of  eooMnictinf  a  th«ory  from  tho  ma- 
tarials  we  thus  |>repare. 

Wi*re  wu  now  to  luppose,  thmt,  instead  of  one 
obsrrver  <if  ideological  faru  that  now  exist*, 
tlioiisaii  l'<  w«rc  distributed  throughout  the  dif- 
furuni  (MiitirionUi  uiid  islands,  having  tlieir  minds 
occa'^i  >tKi  ly  directed  to  mich  investigations; 
that  tlio  iiii.io  8  and  labourers  in  coal-pits,  iron- 
mines,  at)  I  quarries,  not  only  in  Europe,  but 
throiigH  lul  Mexico  and  Peru,  in  the  East  and 
West  I.I  li'-i.  in  Canada,  in  Now  Holland,  in 
Southern  Africa,  in  the  ranges  of  the  Alps,  tho 
Andes,  the  Himalayas,  and  other  quarters,  ob- 
served wit  I  attention  the  various  phenomena  of 
nature  siilij  !c:t  to  their  inspection,  with  this  ot>- 
iect  in  vi.v.v  ;  that  sailors,  missionaries,  and  tra- 
vellers of  I'very  description,  contemplated  the 
difTcr^'nt  a  pects  of  nature  in  the  regions  through 
which  tliov  [>as'4ed,  and  recorded  the  facts  which 
came  un  I  -r  their  observation,  for  a  similar  pur- 
pose ;  ail  I  rvHild  we  still  farther  suppose,  that 
the  great  bo  ly  of  mankind  in  every  clime  might, 
at  no  ili'<-:aiit  [)eriod,  have  their  minds  directed 
to  simiUr  subjects,  there  cannot  be  the  least 
doubt  but  an  immense  multitude  of  important 
facts  wo'iW  soon  be  accumulaied,  which  would 
throw  a  siri'<in!»  light  on  the  con^jtitution  of  our 
planetary  :;l')be,  and  on  the  changes  and  revolu- 
tions thro'inh  which  it  has  passed,  which  would 
form  a  broad  basis  for  the  erection  of  a  true 
theory  of  the  earth,  and  tend  either  to  establish 
or  to  overthrow  the  hypotheses  which  have  hi- 
therto been  framed.  Persons  in  the  lower 
spheres  of  lif.?  have,  in  many  cases,  more  fre- 
quent opji'irtunities  of  ascertaining  facts  of  the 
description  to  which  I  allude,  than  many  others 
who  are  placed  in  an  elevated  rank.  Colliers, 
quarriers.  miners  of  every  description,  and  the 
mhabiiants  of  Alpine  districts,  are  almost  daily 
in  contact  with  objects  connected  with  geolo- 
gical research  ;  and  it  is  only  requisite  that  their 
attention  be  directed  to  such  inquiries — that  the 
knlf^-led<re  of  a  few  elementary  terms  and  prin- 
ciples be  i'njiarted  to  them — that  they  be  di- 
rected to  classify  the  facts  which  fall  under  their 
observation — and  that  a  systematic  list  of  que- 
ries, such  as  those  publishe<l  some  years  ago  by 
Ae  Lonlin  "  Geological  Society,"  be  put  into 
their  bands.* 


•  The  qncrlM  to  which  1  refer  mar  •«  seen  In  the 
-Monthlr  .M-iimilne"  for  June  I8IT,  pp.  43«— ».  A 
few  yeiir«  ;t!:<i.  some  Interesting  fossil  rem.ilns,  sup- 
posed •."  t>"  t'l'-  teeth  and  other  tjones  of  the  extinct 
anlm.ll  ilc^i-ii  ileil  by  the  n.-kme  of  Mummnth.  were 
almost  eii'irrlv  ilestroyal  tlirouah  the  (siinnuice  of 
some  l;il>.i'i  trs  in  the  psrish  of  Horley.  wiio  hap- 
pened to  hit  iiiion  IhPmwhendlKHlng gravel.  After 
<-le.-iviii<;  them  to  pieces  with  th^  pick  .txet.  and 
nudinir  It  lIIuI  fiothln?  to  their  amv  of  knowledge, 
"they  ttircw  aw^»v  the  fmsroents  amomt  the  heipa 
•f  i^avel,  :iiid  the  mibjeet  was  ooiwtKncil  to  obli- 
vion ;  an<i  It  was  only  by  accident  that  two  entire 
teeth  were  fo-ind  by  a  centleman  In  the  nelehliour- 
hood.  The  Ihhips  nuppo^eil  to  have  been  either  dc- 
■troyed  or  luiki,  ore  a  very  large  bone,  r upimsed  to 


Nntural  Hi»tory. — It  is  evident  that  the  ez- 
tenxion  and  improvement  of  this  department  of 
knowledge  depends  almost  entirely  on  ob««rv»- 
tion.  Although  a  considerable  accession  haa 
of  late  years  been  made  to  our  knowledge  in  thia 
branch  of  ttndy,  yet  much  still  remains  to  be 
accomplished  befere  all  the  objects  it  embraces 
be  thoroughly  explored.  Our  acquaintance  with 
the  zoology,  botany,  and  minrrak>gy  of  New 
Holland,  Polynesia,  Birmah,  China,  Tartary, 
Thibet,  Africa,  and  America,  is  extremely  li- 
mited ;  and  even  within  the  limits  of  Europe, 
numerous  unexplored  regions  still  lie  open  to  the 
future  researches  of  the  natural  historian.  So 
numerous  are  the  objects  and  investigation* 
which  natural  history  presents,  that  although  its 
cultivators  were  increased  ten  thousand-fold, 
they  would  find  sufficient  employment  in  the 
prosecution  of  new  discoveries  for  many  centu- 
ries to  come.  Even  those  minute  objects,  in  the 
animal  and  vegetable  kingdoms,  which  lie  b^ 
yond  the  natural  sphere  of  human  vision,  and 
which  the  microscope  alone  can  discover,  would 
afford  scope  for  the  investigations  of  thousands 
of  ingenious  inquirers,  during  an  indefinite  series 
of  ages.  And  it  ought  never  to  be  forgotten, 
that  every  new  object  and  process  we  are  ena- 
bled to  trace  in  this  boundless  field  of  observa- 
tion, presents  to  us  the  Deity  in  a  nrxo  atptet, 
and  enables  us  to  form  more  enlarged  concep- 
tions of  that  |>owcr  and  intelligence  which  pro- 
duced the  immense  assemblage  of  beings  with 
which  we  are  surrounded. 

Independently  of  the  additions  that  might  b« 
made  to  our  knowledge  of  animals,  vegetables, 
and  minerals,  there  are  several  facts  in  natural 
history  which  might  be  more  precisely  ascerw 
tained  and  explained,  were  common  labourers 
and  others  in  the  same  rank  of  life  inspired  with 
the  spirit  of  philosophical  observation.  For  the 
illustration  of  this,  1  shall  slate  only  one  parti- 
cular circumstance.  It  is  a  fact,  which,  how- 
ever inexplicable,  must  be  admitted,  that  toads 
have  been  found  alive  in  the  heart  of  solid  rocks, 
and  in  the  trunks  of  trees,  where  they  have 
been  supposed  to  have  existed  for  ages  without 
any  apparent  access  to  nourishment  or  to  air. 
Such  facts  are  sup|>orted  by  ho  numerous  and 
so  respectable  authorities,  that  it  would  be  vain 
to  call  in  question  their  reality  ;  and  they  as- 
sume a  more  mysterious  a<«p«'ct,  from  the  cir- 
cumstance, that  toads,  when  placed  in  the  ex- 
hausted receiver  of  an  air-pump,  like  all  other 
animals,  soon  lose  their  existence.     That  the 


have  brr n  a  thieh  bone :  a  hoee  blartebone :  and  a 
lusk  of  Ivory,  pcrfcrl  In  Its  fonii.rteicrllicil  as  beinf 
al>ont  half  a  roil  In  lein-'th."  H:id  these  laliourers 
been  nwnreof  the  inlercsting nature  of  such  fossils, 
they  inleht  have  been  all  preserved  entire:  and  this 
cirrunislanre  shows  how  im|iortanl  sorb  orrur 
renrcs,  and  the  otjservat Ions  and  researches  of  com 
mon  lalMMirrrs,  mteht  sometimes  prove  to  the  geida* 
gUl  and  the  general  student  of  nature. 


ON  THE  PROMOTION  OP  SCIENCE. 


89 


toad  is  not  the  only  animal  whif  h  has  been  found 
in  similar  instances,  appears  from  a  notice  in 
the  Monthly  Magazine  for  April  1817,  which 
states,  that  "  a  large  lizard  or  serpent  was  found 
by  some  miners,  imbedded  in  a  stratum  of  mi- 
neral substance,  and  lived  for  some  time  after  it 
was  extricated."  As  the  mineral  substance  in 
which  this  animal  was  found  was  at  the  bottom 
of  a  deep  mine,  and  connected  with  the  surround- 
ing strata,  we  are  almost  under  the  necessity  of 
concluding,  that  it  must  have  existed  in  that  state 
for  many  years.  Now,  it  is  proper  to  take  into 
consideration,  that  such  facts  have  been  disco- 
vered, in  the  first  instance,  by  labourers,  quar- 
riers,  miners,  and  others  engaged  in  laborious 
occupations,  who,  with  the  limited  knowledge 
they  presently  possess,  are  unqualified  for  at- 
tending to  all  the  circumstances  which  require 
to  be  noticed  in  conducting  philosophical  re- 
searches. Were  persons  of  this  description 
accustomed  to  examine  every  uncommon  occur- 
rence of  this  kind  with  a  philosophic  eye  ;  were 
they,  in  such  cases  as  those  to  which  I  have 
now  referred,  to  examine,  with  accuracy,  whe- 
ther chinks  or  fissures,  either  horizontal  or  per- 
pendicular, existed  in  the  rocks,  or  were  con- 
nected with  the  holes  or  vacuities  of  the  old 
trees,  where  toads  were  found  adive  ;  and  were 
every  other  circumstance,  which  a  scientific  in- 
vestigator would  take  into  account,  accurately 
observed  and  recorded,  such  observations  might 
ultimately  lead  to  some  rational  explanations  of 
such  unaccountable  facts.  At  any  rate,  as 
'%  those  who  belong  to  that  class  of  society  to 
which  (  allude,  have  many  opportunties  of  con- 
templating the  various  objects  aind  operations  of 
the  material  world,  their  accumulated  observa- 
tions, when  scientifically  directed,  could  not  fail 
of  enlarging  our  knowledge  of  facts  in  several 
departments  of  the  history  of  nature. 

Meteorology. — In  this  department  of  physical 
science,  numerous  facts  still  remain  to  be  ascer- 
tained, before  we  can  attempt  to  explain  the 
causes  of  various  interesting  phenomena.  We 
have  hitherto  been  unable  to  collect  with  preci- 
sion all  the  facts  in  relatbn  to  the  diversified 
phenomena  of  the  atmosphere,  and  are  still  at 
a  los3  to  explain,  on  known  principleii,  the  causes 
which  operate  in  producing  many  atmospherical 
appearances.  We  are  still  in  a  great  measure 
ignorant  of  the  aurora  boreali*,  with  respect  to 
its  nature  and  origin,  its  distance  from  the  sur- 
face of  the  earth,  what  precise  connexion  it  has 
with  the  magnetic  and  electric  fluids,  and  why 
it  has  been  frequently  seen  at  some  periods,  and 
been  invisible  at  others.  We  are  in  a  similar 
state  of  ignorance  in  regard  to  lummoxis  and 
fitry  meteors, — as  to  their  different  species  and 
varieties,  the  velocity  and  direction  of  their  mo- 
tions, their  influence  on  other  atmospherical  phe- 
nomena, on  vegetation,  and  on  the  weather,  and 
the  principles  in  nature  which  operate  in  their 


production.  Although  the  general  cause  of 
thunder-iftorms  is  in  some  measure  ascertained, 
yet  we  are  ignorant  of  the  causes  of  a  variety  of 
phenomena  with  which  they  are  somedmes  ac- 
companied, and  of  some  of  the  chymical  agents 
by  which  they  are  produced.  To  determine  the 
origin  of  meteoric  stones,  the  particular  regions 
in  which  they  are  produced,  the  causes  of  their 
extreme  velocity,  the  oblique  direction  of  their 
motion,  and  the  agents  which  concur  in  their 
formation,  has  hitherto  baffled  the  researches  of 
the  whole  philosophical  world.  Even  the  nature 
of  the  d'ruda,  their  various  modifications,  their 
different  electric  states,  the  causes  which  com- 
bine to  produce  their  precipitation  into  rain,  the 
nature  of  evaporation,  together  with  an  immense 
number  of  facts  requisite  for  laying  the  founda- 
tion of  a  correct  theory  of  the  weather,  are  still 
hid  in  obscurity. 

It  is  obvious,  that  a  thorough  knowledge  of 
atmospherical  phenomena  caimot  be  acquired, 
before  we  have  ascertained  not  only  the  partU 
cular  facts  and  appearances  connected  with  the 
atmosphere,  but  all  the  preceding,  concomitant, 
and  consequent  circumstances  with  which  they 
are  generally  accompanied ;  and  to  determino 
such  particulars  requires  an  immense  variety  of 
observations,  both  by  day  and  by  night,  through 
all  the  regions  of  the  earth.  Before  such  facts 
be  more  fully  ascertained,  our  attempts  to  ac- 
count for  various  atmospherical  phenomena  must 
prove  unsatisfactory  and  abortive.  Hence,  the 
causes  assigned  by  philosophers  of  the  last  cen- 
tury for  the  production  of  rain,  hail,  dew,  fire- 
balls, and  other  meteors,  are  now  considered  nu- 
gatory and  erroneous ;  and  few  will  be  bold 
enough  to  maintain  that  we  have  yet  arrived  at 
the  knowledge  of  the  true  causes.  If  these 
sentiments  be  admritted,  it  will  follow,  that  an  in- 
creased number  of  observers  of  the  scenery  of 
the  atmosphere,  in  different  climates,  with  a  sci- 
entific object  in  view,  could  not  fail  of  increasing 
our  knowledge  both  of  the  phenomena  which 
take  place  in  the  regions  of  the  atmosphere,  and 
of  the  powers  of  nature  which  operate  in  their 
production 

With  respect  to  the  aurora  horeales,  some 
data  might  be  ascertained  for  determining  their 
height  above  the  surface  of  the  earth,  which 
might  lead  to  a  discovery  of  their  true  cause, 
were  a  multitude  of  observers,  in  different  places, 
at  the  same  moment,  to  take  the  altitude  and 
bearing  of  any  particular  coruscation,  particu- 
larly of  the  modification  of  this  phenomenon 
which  assumes  the  form  of  a  rainbow  or  lumi- 
nous arch,  which  can  instantly  be  done  by  noting 
the  series  of  stars  which  appear  about  the  mid- 
dle or  sides  of  the  arc  at  any  particular  instant. 
By  this  means  the  parallactic  angle  might  be 
found,  and  the  distances  of  the  places  of  obser- 
vation, or  their  difference  of  latitude,  if  directly 
north  and  south  of  each  other,  would  form  bass 


40 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OP  KNOWLEDGE. 


linos  for  determining  the  perpendicular  elevation 
oft^te  phonomenuiu  In  rcferunre  to  liiinin  xis 
meteors,  as*  they  are  noost  frequently  seen  in  ihe 
night-Uino,  tntia  of  science  an3  jjersons  of  clo- 
Tated  rank  have  sfldom  opportuni  ie»  of  oh-ierv- 
ing  their  divursified  phenomena,  and  (he  ciri'uin- 
•tanccs  with  which  they  are  preceded  an  J  ac- 
companied. But  while  persons  of  this  class 
are  reclining  on  beds  of  down,  or  regaling  thenn 
selves  at  the  festive  b'>ard,  hemmed  in  from  the 
Tiew  of  the  surrounding  sky  by  the  walls  and 
oartains  of  their  splendid  apartments,  many  in 
the  lower  walks  of  life  are  "  keeping  watch  by 
lught,"  or  travelling  from  place  to  place,  who 
have  thus  an  opportunity  of  observing  every 
v&riety  of  atmospherical  phenomena ;  and  it  is 
not  unlikely  may  have  scon  several  species  of 
luminous  and  tiery  meteors  unknown  to  the  sci- 
entific world.  Were  persons  of  this  descrip- 
tion, particularly  watchmen,  soldiers,  sailors, 
mail-coach  guards,  policemen,  and  such  like, 
capable  of  observing  such  appearances  with 
scientific  interest  and  accuracy,  and  of  record- 
ing their  observations,  various  important  addi- 
tions might  he  made  to  the  facts  which  compose 
the  natural  history  of  the  atmosphere. 

Similar  additions  might  be  made  to  our  know- 
ledge of  thunder-storms,  were  their  phfmomena 
and  concomitant  circumstances  accurately  noted 
by  a  vast  number  of  persons  in  ditferent  places. 
It  might,  for  example,  be  determined,  from  a 
multitude  of  observations  made  with  this  special 
object  in  view, — at  what  distance  from  the  earth 
« thunder-cloud  may  explode  without  danger  ? 
— ^in  what  circumstances,  and  at  what  elevation 
it  generally  attains  its  striking  distance,  and 
Inings  us  within  the  range  of  its  destructive  in- 
fluence?— what  particular  effects,  hitheno  un- 
observed, are  produced  by  lightning  on  animal, 
vegetable,  and  mineral  substances  ? — to  what 
|)ractical  purposes  its  agency  might  be  applied, 
— and  how  its  destructive  ravages  might  be 
averted  or  diminished  ?  The  same  remarks 
will  apply  to  the  singular  phenomenon  of  mete- 
oric stones.  These  have  seldom  been  observed 
at  the  instant  of  their  descent  by  men  addicted 
to  philosophical  research  ;  but  chiefly  by  pea- 
sants, labourers,  and  mechanics,  who,  at  pre- 
•ent,  are  generally  unqualified  for  attending  to 
every  circumstance  in  the  preceding  and  conco- 
mitant phenomena  connected  with  their  desc»-nt, 
with  the  discerning  eye  of  a  philosopher ;  and 
therefore,  we  nuiy  still  be  ignorant  of  certain 
important  facts  in  the  history  of  the  fall  of  these 
bodies,  which  may  long  prevent  as  from  form- 
log  any  rational  theory  to  explain  their  causes, 
or  to  determine  the  regions  whence  their  origin 
is  derived. 

jSMromtmff. — My  next  illustration  shall  be 
liken  from  the  science  of  astronomy.  Though 
thia  is  aming  the  oldest  of  the  sciences,  and  its 
(•oeral  principles  are  established  with  greater 


precisirm  than  those  of  almost  any  other  depart* 
inunt  of  science,  yet  many  denideratu  requisite 
to  its  perfi!Ction,  s'ill  remain  to  be  asrcrtained. 
The  late  diitcovery  of  several  new  planets,  both 
|>rimary  and  secondary,  leads  us  to  conclude, 
Uiat  other  globes  of  a  similar  nature,  l>ctonging 
to  our  system,  may  still  lie  hid  in  the  distant 
spaces  of  the  firmament.  The  spheroidal  figure 
of  some  of  ilie  planets— their  periods  of  rota«" 
tion — the  nature  of  the  changes  which  appear  to 
take  place  on  their  surfaces  or  in  their  atmoe* 
phercs— the  precise  nature  of  the  soiar  spotf, 
the  causes  of  their  changes,  and  the  influence 
which  those  changes  produce  on  our  car:h  or  at- 
mosphere— the  parallax  of  the  fixed  stars — th* 
rate  of  motion  of  the  planetary  system  in  abso- 
lute  space — the  gradual  formation  of  nebulae— 
the  nature  of  variable  stars — the  number  of  co- 
mets, their  periods,  tlie  nature  of  their  tails  and 
atmospheres,  and  their  uses  in  the  system  of 
nature — with  many  other  interesting  particulars 
of  a  similar  description,  still  remain  to  be  ascer- 
tained. To  determine  such  objects,  requires  a 
multiplicity  of  long-continued  observations  in 
every  region  of  the  heavens ;  and  it  must  be 
evident,  that  the  more  we  increase  the  number 
of  astronomical  observers,  the  greater  chance 
we  shall  have  of  acquiring  a  more  accurate  and 
comprehensive  knowledge  of  the  bodies  which 
roll  in  the  distant  regions  of  the  universe,  and 
of  the  relations  they  bear  to  one  another,  and  to 
the  whole  system  of  nature. 

This  position  might  be  illustrated  by  a  few 
examples.  The  surface  of  Jupiter  has  beeB 
found  to  be  diversified  with  a  variety  of  spota 
and  belts  :  the  belts,  which  are  considerably 
darker  than  the  general  surface  of  the  planet, 
are  observed  to  vary  in  their  number,  distance, 
and  position.  Sometimes  only  one  or  two,  and 
sometimes  seven  or  eight  belts  have  been  ob- 
served; sometimes  they  are  quite  dijtinct,  and 
at  other  tiiies  they  seem  to  run  into  each  other ; 
and,  in  so.ne  instances,  the  whole  surface  of  this 
planet  has  appeared  to  be  covered  with  smaO 
curved  belts  that  were  not  continuous  across  his 
disk. 

The  following  figures  represent  some  of  the 
diversified  views  which  Jupiter  sometimes  ex- 
hibits. 

Fig.  1,  is  copied  from  Dr.  Long,  and  appears 
to  be  one  of  the  views  of  this  planet  taken  by 
the  celebrated  Cassini.  It  consists  of  about 
nine  different  belts.  Fig.  2,  is  copied  from 
Schrocter,  and  exhibits  a  view  of  Jupiter  about 
the  lime  of  its  occultation  by  the  moon  on  the 
7th  of  April  1792.  Fig.  S,  is  one  of  Sir  W. 
Herschel's  views  of  this  planet,  as  it  appeared 
on  the  28th  May  1780,  when  the  whole  disk  of 
Jupiter  appeared  covered  with  small  curved 
belts,  or  rather  lines,  that  were  not  continuous 
across  his  disk.  Fiz.  4,  contains  a  view  which 
is  nearly  the  appearance  which  Jun*"«r  exhibiW 


ON  THE  PROMOTION  OP  SCIENCE. 


41 


at  present,  and  which  is  not  much  different  from 
bis  appearance  for  several  years  past.  These 
appearances  may  be  seen  by  a  good  achroma- 
tic telescope,  magnifying  from  80  to  150  times. 
These  views  demonstrate,  that  changes  of  con- 
siderable magnitude  are  occasionally  taking 
place,  either  on  the  surface  or  in  the  atmosphere 
of  this  planet,  which  it  would  be  of  some  impor- 
tance to  ascertain,  in  order  to  our  acquiring  a 
more  intimate  knowledge  of  the  physical  consti- 
tution of  this  globe.  Now,  were  a  number  of 
observers,  in  different  places,  to  mark  these  ap- 
pearances, and  to  delineate  the  aspect  of  this 
planet  during  the  space  of  two  or  three  periodi- 
cal revolutions,*  marking  the  periods  of  the  dif- 
ibient  changes,  and  noting  at  the  same  time  the 
positions  of  his  satellites — it  might  be  ascer- 
tained, whether  these  changes  are  occasioned 
by  tides,  which  are  differently  affected  accord- 
ing to  the  position  of  his  moons,  or,  by  immense 
strata  of  clouds,  or  other  changes  that  take 
place  in  his  atmosphere,  or  by  some  great  phy- 
sical revolui  >ns  which  are  occasionally  agita- 
ting the  surface  of  this  planet.  The  observers 
of  such  facts  behooved  to  be  numerous,  in  order 


•  The  annual  or  periodical  re  vomtlon  of  Jupiter  is 
tompleted  in  about  eleven  years  and  ten  months. 

6 


that  the  deficiencies  of  one  might  be  supplied  by 
another,  and  the  general  conclusions  deduced 
from  a  comparison  of  all  the  observations  taken 
together ;  and  it  would  be  requisite,  that  the 
places  of  observation  be  in  different  countries^ 
that  the  deficiency  of  observations  in  one  place, 
occasioned  by  a  cloudy  atmosphere,  might  be 
compensated  by  those  made  in  the  serene  sky 
of  another.  Such  a  series  of  observations,  al- 
though they  should  not  lead  to  satisfactory  coo« 
elusions  in  relation  to  the  particulars  now  stated, 
could  scarcely  fail  of  throwing  some  additional 
light  on  the  nature  and  constitution  of  this 
planet. 

With  respect  to  the  planet  Venus,  the  author 
some  time  ago  ascertained  from  observation,! 
that  this  planet  may  be  distinctly  seen  in  the 
day-time,  at  the  time  of  ils  superior  conjunction 
with  the  sun,  when  it  presents  to  the  earth  a 
full  enlightened  hemisphere ;  provided  its  geo- 
centric latitude,  or  distance  from  the  sun's 
centre  at  the  time  be  not  less  than  1°  4^.  This 
is  the  only  position  (except  at  the  time  of  a 
transit,  which  happens  only  once  or  twice  in  a 

♦  See  Nicholson's  Phil.  Journal,  vol.  xxxvl.  tor 
Oct.  1813.— Edin.  Phil.  Journal,  No.  v.  for  July  1810. 
—  Monthly  IMag.  Feb.  1814,  and  August  1880,  p.  88.— 
Scots  Magazine  for  1814,  p.  84,  Ac. 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


hundred  yean)  in  which  the  polar  and  equato- 
rial dianietem  of  this  planet  can  be  moaaiired, 
and  thoir  dilferenoe,  if  an/,  aacenained,  ao  aa 
(o  determine  whether  ita  iigurn,  like  that  of  the 
earth  and  Mrerml  uiher  planets,  b«  tphtrMml. 
But  a*  this  planet  may  not  happen  for  a  iierivs 
of  jreart  to  be  in  tl>e  precise  position  for  such  an 
ohMnratioa,  the  attempt  to  determine  tie  points 
aw  stated,  «Ten  when  the  planet  happens  twbe 
placed  in  the  rtrquisite  circumstances,  wouM,  in 
all  probability,  fail,  if  a  number  of  obeerrers  at 
the  same  time,  in  ditferent  places,  were  not  en- 
gaged in  the  obserration ;  on  account  of  the 
uncertainty  of  enjoying;  a  serene  sity  ai  one  par^ 
ticular  place,  during  the  moments  when  the  ob- 
■erration  behooved  to  be  made.  Whereas,  by 
a  multitude  of  observations  in  different  places, 
the  object  in  view  could  not  fail  of  being  deter- 
mined. The  disputes  respecting  the  period  of 
rotation  of  this  planet  (whether  it  be  SS  hours 
to  minutes,  or  S4  days  8  hours)  might  also  be 
■ettled,  were  a  number  of  persons  to  obserre  ita 
surface  with  eqiiaiorial  telescopes  in  the  day- 
time ;  particularly  in  those  southern  climea 
where  the  air  is  serene,  and  the  sky  exhibits  a 
deep  azure,  where,  m  ail  probability,  spots 
would  be  discovered,  which  could  be  traced  in 
their  motions  for  successive  periods  of  twelve 
hours  or  more,  which  would  determine  to  a  cer- 
tainty the  point  in  question. 

The  fullowmg  figure  and  explanation  will  per- 
haps tend  to  show  the  reason  of  the  dispute 
which  has  arisen  in  reference  to  this  point.  Let 
A  represent  a  spot  cm  the   surface  of  7enus. 


As  this  planet  is  seen,  by  the  naked  eye,  only 
in  the  morning  a  little  before  sun-rise,  or  in  the 
erening  a  short  time  after  sun-set — the  motion 
of  the  spot  cannot  be  traced  above  an  nour  or 
two  in  ■ucceasion;  and,  consequently,  during 
tkat  time,  its  progressive  motion  b  almost  in>- 
perceptible.  Suppose  the  observation  to  have 
bean  made  in  the  evening,  after  sun-eet,  the 


next  observation  cannot  be  made  till  about  the 
same  time,  on  the  following  evening,  whin  it  is 
found  that  the  spot  has  moved  from  A  to  B. 
But  it  is  still  uncenam  whether  tlte  spot  has  only 
muvrd  frr>m  A  to  B,  since  the  last  observation, 
or  ha«  tinishcd  a  complete  lefulllliuil,  and  moved 
the  distance  A  B  as  part  of  another  revolutioo 
round  the  axis  of  the  planet.  This  point  can 
only  be  ascertained  by  tracing  the  motion  of  the 
spot  without  interruption  for  10,  It,  or  14  hours, 
when,  if  the  rotation  is  pcrfi>rm«d  in  33}  hours, 
the  motion  of  the  spot  cuuld  be  traced  without 
interruption  across  the  whole  disk  oftlie  planet. 
But  such  an  observation  eouM  only  be  made  in 
the  day-time,  in  a  serene  sky,  and  by  means  of 
equatorial  instruments,  and  by  numbers  of  ob» 
servers  in  different  places,  where  the  attention  it 
directed  to  the  same  object.  But  the  limits  to 
which  I  am  confined,  in  throwing  out  these  cur- 
sory hints,  prevent  me  from  eatermg  into  minute 
details. 

In  regard  to  eonttU,  it  is  scarcely  necessary 
to  remark,  that  were  the  aumberof  those  nhoae 
attention  is  directed  to  a  survey  of  the  heavens 
considerably  increased,  manyoftlwse  eccentric 
bodies,  which  pass  and  repass  wttkin  the  orbits 
of  the  planeU  without  being  perceived,  could  not 
fail  of  being  detected.  Were  multitudes  of  sucb 
person.s  engaged  in  exploring  the  celestial  re- 
gions, on  opposite  sides  of  the  globe,  those  c<v 
mets  which  pass  within  the  limits  of  our  view, 
and  which  arc  above  our  horizon  only  in  the 
day-time,  and  consequently  invisible,  would  be 
detected,  during  the  night,  by  om  antipodes  ia 
the  opposite  regions  of  the  globe.  By  this 
means  the  number  of  those  bodies  belonging  to 
our  system,  the  diversified  phenomena  they  pre- 
sent, the  form  of  their  trajectories,  the  periods 
of  their  revolutions,  the  nature  of  their  tails,  and 
their  ultimate  destination,  might  be  more  acci^ 
rately  determined.  With  respect  to  the  JUtd 
»tar$,  particularly  those  termed  vitriabU  atcm, 
the  results  of  a  multitude  of  observations  made 
by  different  persons,  might  lead  us  to  determine, 
whether  those  changes  in  brightness  which  they 
undergo,  arise  from  the  transits  of '^rge  planets 
revolving  around  them,  and  thus  furnish  direct 
evidence  of  their  being  the  centres  of  systenia 
analogous  to  our  own, — or  whether  they  be  oo 
casioned  by  large  spots  which  periodically  inter- 
pose between  our  sight,  and  then  disappear  ia 
the  course  of  their  rotation,— or  whether  the 
(Stance  of  such  stars  be  changed  by  their  re- 
volving in  a  long  narrow  ellipse,  whose  tran^ 
verse  axis  is  situated  nearly  in  our  line  of  v>> 
sion.  In  the  several  instances  now  stated,  an 
immense  variety  of  sticeessive  observations,  by 
numerous  observers  at  different  stations,  are  re- 
quisite to  accomplish  the  ends  in  view  ;  but  the 
limits  of  this  section  prevent  me  from  entering 
into  those  details  requisite  for  rendering  tha 
bints  now  suggested  perspicaous  to  tboae  who 


ON  THE  PROMOTION  OF  SCIENCE. 


4$ 


have  not  deToted  their  attention  to  this  sub- 
ject. 

The  Moon  being  the  nearest  celestial  body 
to  the  earh,  il  might  have  been  expected  that 
the  variety  of  scenery  on  her  surface,  and  even 
some  parts  of  lier  physical  cons.itulion,  might 
have  bejii  a  curtained  an  J  dLlineated.  Yet  all 
that  has  h;t  lerta  been  discovered  «i  h  certainty 
in  relaii  m  o  this  body  is,  that  her  surface  is 
strikAgly  ^liver^ified  with  mountains  and  valleys, 
with  va-i  caverns  or  hollows  surrounded  with 
mountaiiioii-i  riJges,  and  with  several  elevated 
peaks,  wliich  rise,  like  a  sugar  loaf,  from  the 
middle  of  '.he  p'ains.  We  have  no  accurate 
deUnea  i  )n  of  ihe  lunar  scenery,  as  exhibired  in 
the  vario  IS  sages  of  the  moon's  increase  and 
decreas  ■,  except  those  which  have  been  pub- 
lished by  Hevehtis  and  Schroeter,  which  have 
never  b  'en  translated  into  our  language,  and, 
consequen  ly,  are  very  little  known.  Most  of 
our  Kn^'.i  h  books  on  astronomy  contain  nothing 
more  tlian  a  paltry  and  inaccurate  view  of  the 
fall  moon.,  which  has  been  copied  by  one  en- 
graver fr  jm  another,  without  any  improvements, 
ever  since  the  days  of  Kicciolus,  and  long  before 
the  telescope  was  brought  to  its  present  state  of 
iinprovemen!.  It  is  not  from  a  telescopic  view 
of  the  full  moon  that  any  specific  deductions 
can  be  niade  respecting  the  appearance  and 
arrangement  of  her  diversified  scenery  ;  but 
from  long-oontinued  observations  of  her  surface 
about  the  period  of  the  quadratures,  and  at  the 
times  wh  in  she  assumes  a  crescent  or  a  gibbous 
pliase  ;  f  )r  it  is  only  at  such  times  that  the  sha- 
dows of  her  cavities  and  mountain-ridges  can 
be  distinctly  perceived.  As  there  is  none  of  the 
celestial  bodies  whose  constitution  and  scenery 
we  have  so  excellent  an  opportunity  of  inspect- 
ing, had  we  a  sufficient  number  of  astronomical 
sbservers,  furnished  with  good  telescopes,  the 
surface  of  ihis  globe  might  be  almost  as  accu- 
rately delineated  as  that  of  the  earth,  and  the 
most  prominent  changes  that  take  place  on  its 
surface  plainly  detected.  In  order  to  bring  to 
light  the  min'ite  parts  of  its  scenery,  it  would 
only  be  reqiisite  to  distribute  the  entire  surface 
of  this  luminary  among  a  hundred  or  a  thousand 
observers,  allotting  to  each  one  or  more  spots  as 
the  particular  object  of  his  attention,  with  the 
nndergtan  ling,  that  he  is  to  inspect  them  with 
care  through  every  variety  of  shade  they  may 
exhibit,  and  d  iring  the  different  stages  of  the 
moon's  increase  and  decrease,  and  delineate 
the  different  asiects  they  may  present.  When 
we  conii  I  t  that,  by  means  of  a  telescope  which 
magnifies  200  timiis,  an  object  on  the  moon  that 
measures  only  600  yards  may  be  perceived  as  a 
visible  point,  and  by  one  which  magnifies  800 
times,  an  objoct  not  larger  than  150  yards  in 
diameter  mav  be  distinguished — we  can  scarcely 
ontertain  a  di'ibt,  that  a  number  of  interesting 
discoveries  n<ight  soon  be  made  on  the  lunar 


surface,  were  such  minute  obserrations  as  those 
now  suggested  to  be  continued  for  a  series  of 
years,  which  might  afford  sensible  and  demon- 
strative evidence  of  the  moon's  being  a  habi- 
table world.  But  before  auention  to  such  ob- 
jects become  general,  and  the  number  of  astro- 
n3mical  observers  be  increased  far  beyond  what 
it  is  at  present,  such  discoveries  can  scarcely  be 
expected. 

I  shall  only  remark  farther  on  this  head,  that 
several  discoveries  have  been  made  by  accident- 
ally directing  a  telescope  to  certain  parts  of  the 
heavens.  It  is  well  known  that  Miss  Herschell, 
while  amusing  herself  in  looking  at  the  heavens 
through  Sir  William  Herschell's  telescope,  dis- 
covered at  different  times  a  variety  of  comets, 
which  might  otherwise  have  passed  unnoticed 
by  the  astronomical  world  ;  and  several  of  the 
new  planets  which  have  been  discovered  within 
the  last  50  or  60  years,  were  detected  when  the 
discoverers  were  employed  making  observations 
with  a  different  object  in  view.  The  splendid 
comet  which  appeared  in  our  hemisphere  ia 
1811,  was  first  discovered  in  this  country  by  a 
sawyer,*  who,  with  a  reflecting  telescope  of  his 
own  construction,  and  from  his  sawpit  as  an  ob- 
servatory, descried  that  celestial  visitant  before 
it  had  been  noticed  by  any  other  astronomer  in 
North  Britain.  The  author  of  this  work  de- 
tected this  comet  a  day  or  two  af  erwards,  be- 
fore he  ha:*,  been  informed  of  the  discovery, 
while  he  was  taking  a  random  sweep  over  the 
northern  region  of  the  heavens.  He  had  di- 
rected his  telescope  to  a  certain  star  in  the 
nei;j;hbourhood  of  Ursa  Major,  and  immediately 
afterwards,  taking  a  general  sweep  upwards  and 
downwards,  and  to  the  east  and  west,  an  un- 
common object  appeared  in  the  field  of  view, 
which,  after  a  little  inspection,  was  perceived  to 
be  a  comet,  and  he  naturally  concluded  that  he 
had  made  the  first  discovery,  till  the  newspapers 
afterwards  informed  him  that  it  had  been  de- 
tected a  day  or  two  before.  It  was  while  Sir 
W.  Herschell  was  inspecting  some  small  stars 
near  the  foot  of  Castor,  with  a  different  object 
in  view,  that  he  discovered  the  planet  which 
bears  his  name,  and  which  he  at  first  took  for  a 
comet.  It  had  been  seen  thirty  years  before, 
but  for  want  of  numerous  observers  to  mark  its 
motions,  it  had  been  marked  in  catalogues  as  a 
fixed  star.  It  was  while  Mr.  Harding  of  Lili- 
enthal,  near  Bremen,  was  forming  an  atlas  of 
the  stars  so  far  as  the  eighth  magnitude,  that, 
on  the  1st  September  1804,  he  discovered  in 
the  constellation  Pisces  the  planet  Juno,  one  of 
the  four  asteroids  situated  between  the  orbits  of 
Mars  and  Jupiter. 

If,  therefore,  instead  of  a  few  individuals  oc- 
casionally engaged  in  surveying  celestial  phe- 

♦  The  name  of  this  gentleman  Is  Mr.  Veiteh,  and 
I  believe  be  resides  In  the  neighbourhood  of  KeUa. 


44 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


OOfnoiii  .111(1  chiefly  confined  to  a  small  portion 
of  Lur  .«', — were  thousaiidt  and  len  thou-sands 
of  telc.o-'  >)K'«  daily  directed  to  the  sky  from  every 
ngioii  i>l'  ilie  earth,  and  were  dialinct  portions 
of  the  heavena  allotted  to  distinct  classes  oTob- 
Mrrerx,  as  the  object  of  their  more  immediate 
roseanli,  every  poriion  of  that  rast  concave, 
with  I  1  aiiiiii  rous  globes  which  roll  withm  its 
wide  11  (■  .nitVri'iire,  as  far  as  human  vision  aa- 
•iated  by  art  ran  penetrate,  would  ere  long  be 
thoroii^'hlv  explored,  and  its  hidden  worlds  dis- 
closed to  view.  No  comet  could  pass  within  the 
orbit  'X  Jupiter  withwit  being  detected, — the 
undiscovered  planets  belonging  to  our  system, 
if  any  stili  remain,  wotild  be  brought  to  view, — 
the  periiidicai  changes  on  the  surfaces  and  in 
the  atmospheres  of  the  planets  already  disco- 
vered, with  all  their  diversified  phenomena, 
would  be  more  accurately  ascertained  and  deli- 
neated,— the  path  of  the  solar  system  in  abso- 
lute space,  the  velocity  of  its  motion,  'he  dis- 
tant centre  about  which  it  revolves,  and  the 
centre  of  gravity  of  th'^  nebula  to  which  it  be- 
longs, might  be  determined,— the  changes  and 
revoluiions  that  are  taking  place  among  the 
fixed  s  ars, —  he  undiscovered  strata  of  TitbvUe, 
—the  o!d  systems  that  are  going  into  decay, — 
the  new  creations  that  may  be  emerging  into 
existence,  aind  many  other  sublime  objects 
which  at  present  lie  concealed  m  the  unex- 
plored regions  of  space,  might  be  brought  within 
the  range  of  human  contemplation,  and  astro- 
nomy, the  sublimest  of  all  the  sciences,  ap- 
proximate towards  perfection. 

For  making  the  observations  now  supposed, 
■  profound  knowledge  of  the  physical  and  ma- 
thematical principles  of  astronomy  is  not  abso- 
lutely neccs<iary.  All  the  qualifications  essen- 
tially requisite  are, — a  general  knowledge  of  the 
elements  of  the  science,  of  the  celestial  pheno- 
mena which  have  already  been  explored,  and  of 
the  methrwl  of  determining  the  riglit  ascension 
and  declination  of  any  observed  phenomenon, — 
qualifications,  which  every  person  of  common 
JIIH  understanding  can  easily  acquire. 

I  mi'^ht  next  have  illustrated  the  general  po- 
ution  laid  down  in  the  beginning  of  this  section 
from  the  science  of  ekj/mutry.  This  science, 
having  f)r  its  object  to  ascertain  the  ingredients 
that  enter  into  the  composition  of  bodies,  the 
nature  of  those  ingredients,  the  manner  in  which 
they  combine,  and  the  properties  resulting  from 
their  combination  ;  or,  in  other  words,  an  analy- 
tical examination  of  the  ma'erial  world,  and  the 
pnncip'es  which  concur  to  produce  its  diversi- 
fied phenomena ;  it  is  apparent,  at  first  view, 
that  an  immense  number  and  variety  of  experi- 
■ents  are  indispensably  requisite  for  accom- 
■Bahing  such  objects;  and,  eoiisequcntly,  that 
Its  progress  towards  perf<x'ii)ii  eaimot  be  acce- 
Urated,  unless  multitudes  of  expt^rimenteracoo- 
cnr  in  obaerring  the  piMoooiMiaof  wUHra,  wai 


the  processes  of  the  arts,  in  instituting  analy- 
tical experiments,  and  in  prosecuting  every  in- 
quiry which  has  a  tendency  to  promote  its  im« 
provemcnt.  It  is  chiefly  in  consequencv  of  tha 
increased  number  of  its  cultivators  that  inis  sc»> 
ence  has  risen  to  the  distinguished  rank  it  now 
holds  among  the  useful  departments  of  human 
knowledge,  and  that  so  many  brilliant  disced 
veries  have  rewarded  the  investigations  of  its 
votaries.  Wrenched  from  the  grasp  of*empk> 
rics  and  alchymists,  and  no  longer  confined  to 
the  paltry  object  of  srarrhmg  for  the  pAi/os»> 
pher'i  »Umt,  it  extends  its  range  over  every  ob* 
ject  in  the  material  world,  and  sheds  its  influ> 
ence  over  all  the  other  departments  of  physical 
science;  and  as  its  votaries  increase  in  numbers 
and  in  perseverance,  it  will  doubtless  bring  to 
light  scenes  and  discoveries  still  more  interest 
ing  and  brilliant  than  those  which  have  hitherto 
been  disclosed.  Illustrations  of  the  same  de> 
scription  might  also  have  been  taken  from  o{^ 
tics,  electricity,  magnetism,  galvanism,  pneum^ 
tics,  and  other  departments  of  natural  science  ; 
but  having  protracted  this  section  to  a  dispro- 
portionate length,  the  instances  already  stated 
will,  I  presume,  be  sufficient  to  prove  the  truth 
of  the  position,  "  that  a  general  dfffution  of 
knowledge  would  have  a  powerful  it\^uene«  on  tJm 
progreu  of  ecitmee." 

From  the  few  hints  now  given,  and  from  manj 
others  that  might  have  been  suggested,  had  roj 
limits  permitted,  it  will  appear,  that  much  still 
remains  to  be  accomplished  till  any  science, 
even  those  which  are  farthest  advanced,  arrive 
at  perfection.  The  reason  is  obvious  ;  the 
scene  of  universal  nature  has  never  yet  been 
thoroughly  surveyed,  and  never  will  be,  till  the 
eyes  and  the  intellects  of  millions  be  fixed  in  tho 
contemplation  of  its  multifarious  and  diversified 
objects  and  relations.  Till  the  universe,  in  alt 
its  asi>ects,  so  far  as  it  lies  within  the  range  of 
human  inspection,  be  more  particularly  explored^ 
clouu's  vid  darkness  will  continue  to  rest  on 
many  interesting  departments  of  knowledge,  and 
many  of  our  most  specious  theories  in  the  scW 
ences  must  be  considered  as  reposing  on  sleitder 
and  unstable  foundations.  Prior  to  the  intro- 
duction of  the  inductive  method  of  philosophic- 
ing,  men  of  science  were  extremely  prone  to  the 
framing  of  hypotheses,  before  they  had  atten- 
tively surveyed  and  collected  the  requisite  &ctS) 
and  when  only  a  few  scattered  fragments  of 
nature  were  present  to  their  view.  Theory  waa 
reared  upon  theory,  and  system  upon  system ; 
each  of  them  obtained  its  admirers  and  its  pe- 
riod of  applause,  but,  in  consequence  of  modem 
researches,  they  have  now  passed  away  like  a 
dream  or  a  vision  of  the  night.  The  crystal 
line  spheres  with  which  Ptolemy  had  enclosed 
the  heavens  arc  now  dashed  to  pieces ;  the  vocw 
tices  of  Des  Cartes  have  long  since  ceased  their 
whirling ;  the  terraqueous  globe  whick  Tjrcb* 


ON  THE  PROMOTION  OF  SCIENCE. 


49 


had  fixed  in  the  centre  of  the  universe  is  now  set 
in  rapid  motion  through  ihe  heavens,  in  com- 
pany with  the  planetary  orbs ;  and  the  abyss  of 
water  with  which  Burnet  had  filled  the  internal 
cavity  of  the  earth  is  now  converted  inio  a  mass 
denser  than  the  solid  rock.  The  Terra  Austra- 
Us  Incognito,  which  served  as  a  prop  to  certain 
theories,  has  completely  evanished,  and  is  now 
transformed  into  a  dreary  mass  of  water  and 
ice.  The  subtile  ether,  which  formerly  ac- 
counted for  so  many  phenomena,  is  now  evapo- 
rated into  electricity  and  heat.  Whiston's  idea 
of  the  cometary  origin  of  our  globe,  and  BufTon's 
fancy  of  the  earth's  being  a  splinter  struck  from 
the  body  of  the  sun,  are  fast  sinking  into  obli- 
vion ;  and  such  will  be  the  fate  of  every  theory, 
however  spacious,  which  is  not  founded  on  the 
broad  basis  of  inductive  evidence. 

Even  in  the  present  day,  there  is  still  too 
great  a  propensity  to  generalize,  without  sub- 
mitting to  the  trouble  of  observing  phenomena, 
and  noting  their  various  modifications  and  at- 
tendant circumstances.  The  human  mind  is 
impatient,  and  attempts  to  reach  the  goal  by  the 
shortest  and  most  rapid  course,  while  observa- 
tion and  experiment  are  tedious  and  slow.  In- 
steafl  of  surveying  the  material  world  with  his 
own  eyes,  and  investigating,  by  observation  and 
experiment,  its  principles  and  laws,  the  man  of 
genius  frequently  shuts  himself  up  in  his  closet, 
and  from  a  few  scattered  fragments  of  nature, 
constructs,  in  his  imagination,  a  splendid  theory, 
which  makes  a  noise  and  a  blaze  for  a  little, 
like  an  unsubstantial  meteor,  and  then  evanishes 
into  air.  The  system  of  nature,  though  di- 
rected in  its  general  movements  by  a  few  simple 
laws,  is  too  grand  and  extensive,  and  too  com- 
plex in  many  of  its  parts,  to  be  grasped  by  a 
few  individuals,  after  a  cursory  survey ;  and, 
therefore,  to  attempt  to  comprehend  its  multi- 
farious revolutions,  phenomena  and  objects 
within  the  range  of  theories  founded  on  a  par- 
tial view  of  some  of  its  detached  parts,  is  not 
only  an  evidence  of  presumption  and  folly,  but 
tends  to  damp  our  ardour  in  prosecuting  the  only 
sure  path  which  leads  to  discovery,  and  to  frus- 
trate what  appears  to  be  one  of  the  designs  of 
the  Creator,  namely,  to  grant  to  the  intelligent 
inhabitant*  of  our  glohe  a  gradual  display  of  his 
ttupendout  plana  in  the  univtne  at  the  reward  of 
their  incessant  and  unwearied  eorUemplationofhia 
wondrotu  works. 

Were  the  period  arrived  (and  of  its  arrival  I 
entertain  no  doubt,  from  the  present  movements 
of  the  human  mind)  when  the  majority  of  man- 
kind shall  devote  a  portion  of  their  time  and  at- 
tention to  the  purposes  of  science,  and  to  the 
con  emjJation  of  nature — then  the  different 
tastes  of  individuals,  and  the  various  situations 
in  which  they  may  be  placed,  would  lead  them 
to  cultivate  more  particularly  the  science  moat 
eoDgenial  to  their  minda;  and  were  distinct 


departments  of  the  same  science  marked  oat 
for  distinct  classes  of  individuals,  as  the  more 
immediate  field  of  their  investigation,  on  tlie 
principle  of  the  division  of  labour,  every  lead- 
ing principle  and  fact  in  relation  to  that  science 
would  soon  be  detected  and  illustrated  in  all  itH 
practical  bearings.  Even  as  matters  presently 
stand,  were  the  whole  literary  and  scientific 
world  to  form  itself  into  one  great  republic,  and 
to  allot  the  several  branches  of  every  depart- 
ment of  knowledge  to  the  different  classes  of 
such  a  community,  according  to  their  respective 
tastes  and  pursuits,  as  the  object  of  their  more 
particular  attention,  it  might  be  followed  by 
many  interesting  results,  and  important  disco- 
veries and  improvements.  But  we  live  in  too 
early  a  period  in  the  history  of  science  to  expect 
a  generaJ  interest  to  be  taken  in  such  objects ; 
we  are  but  just  emerging  from  the  gloom  of  i^ 
norance  and  superstition;  the  great  body  of 
mankind  still  suffer  their  faculties  to  lie  in  a 
state  of  languor  and  inactivity,  and  those  who 
are  more  vigorous  and  alert  are  too  much  en» 
grossed  in  commercial  speculations,  in  grasping 
at  power  and  opulence,  and  in  the  indulgence 
of  sensual  gratifications,  to  think  of  attending 
to  the  interests  of  science  and  the  progress  of 
the  human  mind.  Much,  however,  might  be 
accomplished  in  this  respect,  with  ease  and 
pleasure,  by  various  classes  of  society,  and 
without  interfering  with  their  ordinary  avoca- 
tions, were  their  minds  inclined  and  their  at- 
tention directed  to  such  pursuits.  Sailors,  in 
crossing  the  Atlantic,  the  Pacific,  and  the  Iih 
dian  oceans,  have  frequently  excellent  opporti^ 
nities  of  observing  the  phenomena  of  the  waters, 
the  atmosphere,  and  the  heavens,  peculiar  to 
the  climates  through  which  they  pass ;  and  were 
the  facts  presented  to  their  view  observed  with 
care,  classified,  and  recorded,  they  might,  in 
many  instances,  contribute  to  the  advancement 
of  science.  But  thousands  of  such  persons 
can  sail  twice  "  from  Indus  to  the  frozen  pole, 
as  ignorant  as  their  io^,  and  as  stubborn  as  their 
compass,"  without  importing  one  intellectual 
acquisition.  The  observations  made  durmg  a 
single  voyage  across  the  Atlantic,  by  a  single 
observer,  M.  Humboldt,  on  the  aspect  of  the 
Antarctic  region  of  the  heavens — the  peculiar 
azure  of  the  African  sky — the  luminous  meteors 
of  the  atmosphere — the  tides,  the  currents,  and 
the  different  colours  of  the  ocean,  and  other 
phenomena  which  happened  to  present  thenw 
selves  to  his  view — are  of  more  value  to  the 
scientific  world  than  the  observations  of  ten 
thousands  of  other  beings  who,  for  a  series  of 
years,  have  traversed  the  same  regions.  Yet 
these  possessed,  on  an  average,  the  same  sen- 
tient organs,  the  same  intellectual  powers, 
though  somewhat  differently  modified  and  di- 
rected, the  same  natural  capacities  for  observa* 
tioo  as  this  distinguished  philosopher,  which  re> 


46 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION   OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


quirod  only  an  impulse  to  be  gi*en  in  a  certain 
direction,  in  order  lo  acconipliNh  the  same  end«. 
And  wan  HiinibuMl  more  burdened  and  per- 
plexed, ur  did  liu  feel  less  comfortable  and  happy 
ib&n  his  ignorant  and  grovelling  aaaociaies  in 
the  ship  that  wafied  them  across  the  ocean  7 
Mo.  He  felt  emotions  of  delight  and  intellcc- 
tiuU  enjoymi-nta  to  which  they  were  utter 
strangers.  While  they  were  lolling  on  their 
hammocks,  or  loitering  upon  de<rk,  viewing 
every  object  with  a  "brute  unconscious  gaze," 
and  finding  no  enjoyment  but  in  a  glass  of  grog, 
— a  train  of  interesting  reflections,  having  a 
relation  to  the  past,  the  present,  and  the  future, 
passed  through  the  mind  of  this  philosopher. 
He  felt  those  exquisite  emotions  whicii  arise 
from  perception  of  the  beautiful  and  the  sub- 
time  ;  he  looked  forward  to  the  advancentent  of 
natural  science  as  the  result  of  his  observations, 
and  beheld  a  display  of  the  wisdom  and  gran- 
deur of  the  Almighty  in  the  diversified  scenes 
through  which  he  passed.  Such  observations 
and  menial  employments  as  those  to  which  I 
allude,  so  far  from  distracting  the  mind,  and  un- 
fitting it  for  the  performance  of  official  duties, 
would  tend  to  prevent  that  languor  and  ennui 
which  result  from  mental  inactivity,  and  wouU 
afford  a  source  of  intellectual  enjoyment  amidst 
the  uniformity  of  scene,  which  is  frequently 
presented  in  the  midst  of  the  ocean. 

From  the  whole  that  has  been  now  staled  on 
this  subject,  it  appears,  that  in  order  to  make 
science  advance  with  accelerated  steps,  and  to 
multiply  the  sources  of  mental  enjoyment,  we 
have  only  lo  set  the  machinery  of  the  human 
mind  (at  present  in  a  quiescent  state)  in  mo- 
tion, and  to  direct  its  movements  to  those  ob- 
jects which  are  congenial  lo  its  native  dignity 
and  its  high  destination.  The  capacity  of  tlie 
bulk  of  mankind  for  learning  mechanical  em- 
ployments, and  for  contriving  and  executing 
plans  of  human  destruction,  proves  that  they 
are  competent  to  make  all  the  researches  requi- 
site for  the  improvement  of  science.  The  same 
mental  energies  now  exerted  in  mechanical  la- 
bour and  in  the  arts  of  mischief,  if  properly  di- 
rected, and  acting  in  unison,  and  accompanied 
with  a  spirit  of  perseverance,  would  accomplish 
many  grand  and  beneficent  efTr.cts,  in  relation 
both  to  the  physical  and  moral  world,  and  would 
amply  compensate  the  iiccasional  want  of  ex- 
traordinary  degrees  of  mental  vigour.  Were 
only  a  hundred  millions  of  eyes  and  of  intellects, 
(or  the  tenth  part  of  the  population  of  our 
*  ^obe)  occasionally  fixed  on  all  the  diversified 
aspects,  motions  and  relattons  of  universal  na« 
ture,  it  could  not  fail  oT  being  followed  by  the 
most  noble  and  interesting  results,  not  only  in 
relation  to  science,  but  to  social  and  moral  or- 
Am,  and  to  the  general  melioration  of  mankind. 
Were  this  supposition  realized,  our  travellers, 
merchants,  aad  mariners,  along  with  the  pn>- 


duce  of  foreign  lands,  might  regularly  iittport, 
without  the  least  injury  to  their  coiiiinercial  in* 
terestft,  interesting  facu,  both  phyxiiaii  hikI  mo- 
ral, scientific  obieivaiions,  chyimciH  experi- 
ments, and  various  other  fragnieiiiN  of  use£il 
intiirmaiion  for  rearing  the  Temple  of  Science, 
and  extending  the  boundafies  of  huinuii  know- 
ledge. 


SECTION  IV. 

ON   inE    PI^EASDRES   AND    ENJOVMEITTS    COI»> 
RECTED  WITU    THE  PDRSIJITS  Of    tC>ENCB> 

Man  is  a  compound  being  ;  his  nature  con- 
sists of  two  essential  parts,  body  and  mind. 
Each  of  these  parts  uf  the  human  consiiiution 
has  its  peculiar  uses,  and  is  susceptible  of  pe- 
culiar gratifications.  The  body  is  furnished 
with  external  senses,  which  are  Ixtth  the  sources 
of  pleasure  and  the  inlets  of  knowledge,  and 
the  Creator  has  furnished  the  universe  wiih  ot^ 
jtrcts  fitted  for  their  exercise  and  graiificatio& 
While  these  pleasures  are  directed  by  ihe  dic- 
tates of  reason,  Mid  confined  within  the  limits 
prescribed  by  the  Divine  law,  they  are  so  far 
from  being  unlawful,  that  in  the  enjoyment  of 
them  we  fulfil  one  of  the  purposes  for  which  our 
Creator  brought  us  into  existence.  But  tlM 
pursuit  of  sensitive  pleasures  is  not  the  ultimate 
end  of  our  being;  we  enjoy  such  gratificaliona 
in  common  with  the  inferior  aninmis  ;  and  in  so 
far  as  we  rest  in  them  as  our  chief  go<id,  we 
pour  contempt  on  our  intellectual  nature,  and 
degrade  ourselves  nearly  to  the  level  of  the 
beasts  that  perish. 

Man  is  endowed  with  inteileclaal  powers,  as 
well  as  with  organs  of  sensation, — with  fkcuhiea 
of  a  higher  order,  and  which  admit  of  more  va- 
ried and  sublime  gratifications  than  those  which 
the  senses  can  produce.  By  these  faculties  we 
are  chiefly  distinguished  from  the  lower  orders 
of  animated  existence ;  in  the  proper  exercise 
and  direction  of  them,  we  experience  the  high- 
est and  most  refined  enjoyments  of  whirh  our 
nature  is  susceptible,  and  are  gradually  pre- 
pared for  the  employments  of  that  immortal  ex- 
istence to  which  we  are  destined.  The  corpo> 
real  senses  were  bestowed  chiefly  in  subser- 
viency to  the  powers  of  intellect,  and  to  supply 
materials  for  thought  and  contemplation;  and 
the  pleasures  peculiar  lo  our  intellectual  nature, 
rise  as  high  above  mere  sensitive  enjrymtnts, 
as  the  rank  of  man  stands  in  the  scale  ofez« 
istence,  above  that  of  the  fowls  of  the  air,  or 
the  beasts  of  the  forest.  Such  pleasures  are 
pure  and  refined;  they  are  congenial  to  the 
character  of  a  rational  being;  they  are  more 
permanent  than  mere  sensitive  enjoyments* 
they  can  be  enjoyed  when  worklly  cuuiforts  are 


PLEASURES  CONNECTED  WITH  SCIENCE. 


47 


withdrawn,  and  when  sensual  gratifications  can 
aflbrd  no  deliglit;  they  atfjfd  solace  in  the 
hours  of  retirement  from  the  bustle  of  business, 
and  consolation  amidst  the  calamities  and  afflic- 
tions til  which  humanity  is  exposed ;  and  the 
more  we  acquire  a  relish  for  such  pleasures,  the 
better  shall  we  be  prepared  for  associating  with 
intelligences  of  a  higher  order  in  the  future 
world, 

Bef  jre  proceeding  to  the  more  particular  il- 
lustration of  this  topic,  let  us  consider  the  state 
and  the  enjoyments  of  the  man  whose  mind  is 
shrou  led  in  i,'norance.  He  grows  up  to  man- 
hood like  a  vegetable,  or  like  one  of  the  lower 
animals  that  are  fed  and  nourished  for  the 
slaughter.  He  exerts  his  physical  powers,  be- 
cause such  exertion  is  necessary  for  his  sub- 
sistence ;  were  it  otherwise,  we  should  most 
frequently  find  him  dozing  over  the  fire,  or 
basking  in  the  sun,  with  a  gaze  as  dull  and  stu- 
pid as  his  ox,  regardless  of  every  thing  but  the 
gratification  of  his  appetites.  He  has  perhaps 
been  taught  the  art  of  reading,  but  has  never 
applied  it  to  the  acquisition  of  knowledge.  His 
views  are  chiefly  confined  to  the  objects  imme- 
diately around  him,  and  to  the  daily  avocations 
in  which  he  is  employed.  His  knowledge  of 
society  is  circumscribed  within  the  limits  of  his 
parish,  and  his  views  of  the  world' in  which  he 
dwells  are  confined  within  the  range  of  the 
country  in  which  he  resides,  or  of  the  blue  hills 
which  skirt  his  horizon.  Of  the  aspects  of  the 
globe  in  other  countries — of  the  various  tribes 
with  which  they  are  peopled— of  the  seas  and 
rivers,  continents  and  islands  which  diversify 
the  landscape  of  the  earth — of  the  numerous 
orders  of  animated  beings  which  people  the 
ocean,  the  atmosphere  and  the  land, — of  the  re- 
volutions of  nations,  and  the  events  which  have 
taken  place  in  the  history  of  the  world,  he  has 
almost  as  little  conception  as  the  animals  that 
range  the  forest,  or  bound  through  the  lawns. 
In  regard  to  the  boundless  regions  that  lie  be- 
yond him  in  the  firmament,  and  the  bodies  that 
roll  there  in  magnificent  grandeur,  he  has  the 
most  confused  and  inaccurate  ideas ;  and  ho 
seldom  troubles  himself  with  inquiries  in  relation 
to  such  subjects.  Whether  the  stars  be  great 
or  small,  whether  they  be  near  us  or  at  a  dis- 
tance, or  whether  they  move  or  stand  still,  is  to 
him  a  matter  of  trivial  importance.  If  the  sun 
give  him  light  by  day,  and  the  moon  by  night, 
and  the  clouds  distil  their  watery  treasures  upon 
his  parched  fields,  he  is  contented,  and  leaves  all 
such  inquiries  and  investigations  to  those  who 
have  little  else  to  engage  their  attention.  He 
views  the  canopy  of  heaven  as  merely  a  ceiling 
to  our  earthly  habitation,  and  the  starry  orbs  as 
only  so  many  lum'mo  is  studs  or  tapers  to  diver- 
sify its  aspect,  and  to  afford  a  glimmering  light 
to  the  benighted  traveller.  Of  the  discoveries 
which  have  been  made  in  the  physical  sciences 


in  ages  past,  of  the  wonders  of  creation  which 
they  have  unfolded  to  view,  of  the  instrument"* 
which  have  been  invented  for  exploring  the  uni- 
verse, and  of  the  improvements  which  are  now 
going  forward  in  every  department  of  science 
and  art,  and  the  prospects  they  are  opening  to 
our  view,  he  is  almost  as  entirely  ignorant  as  if 
he  had  been  fixed  under  the  froicen  pole,  or 
chained  to  the  surface  of  a  distant  planet.  He 
considers  learning  as  consisting  chiefly  in  the 
knowledge  of  grammar,  Greek  and  Latin  ;  and 
philosophy  and  astronomy,  as  the  arts  of  telling 
fortunes  and  predicting  the  state  of  the  weai- 
ther  ;  and  experimental  chymistry,  as  allied  to 
the  arts  of  magic  and  necromancy.  He  has  no 
idea  of  the  manner  in  which  the  understanding 
may  be  enlightened  and  expanded,  he  has  no  re- 
lish for  intellectual  pursuits,  and  no  conception 
of  the  pleasures  they  afford,  and  he  sets  no 
value  on  knowledge  but  in  so  far  as  it  may  tend 
to  increase  his  riches  and  his  sensual  gratifica- 
tions. He  has  no  desire  for  making  improve- 
ments in  his  trade  or  domestic  arrangements, 
and  gives  no  countenance  to  those  useful  in- 
ventions and  public  improvements  which  are 
devised  by  others.  He  sets  himself  against 
every  innovation,  whether  religious,  political, 
mechanical,  or  agricultural,  emd  is  determined 
to  abide  by  the  "  good  old  customs"  of  his  fore- 
fathers, however  irrational  and  absurd.  Were 
It  dependent  upon  hiin,  the  moral  world  would 
stand  still  as  the  material  world  was  supposed  to 
do  in  former  times ;  all  useful  inventions  and 
improvements  would  cease,  existing  evils  would 
never  be  remedied,  ignorance  and  superstition 
would  universally  prevail,  the  human  mind  would 
be  arrested  in  its  progress  to  perfection,  and  man 
would  never  arrive  at  the  true  dignity  of  his  in- 
tellectual nature. 

It  is  evident  that  such  an  individual,  (and  the 
world  contains  thousands  and  millions  of  such 
characters)  can  never  have  his  mind  elevated 
to  those  sublime  objects  and  contemplations 
which  enrapture  the  man  of  science,  nor  feel 
those  pure  and  exquisite  pleasures  which  culti- 
vated minds  so  frequently  experience ;  nor  can 
he  form  those  lofty  and  expansive  ideas  of  the 
Deity  which  the  grandeur  and  magnificence  of 
his  works  are  calculated  to  inspire.  He  is  left 
as  a  prey  to  all  those  foolish  notions  and  vain 
alarms  which  are  engendered  by  ignorance  and 
superstition  ;  and  he  swallows,  without  the  least 
hesitation,  all  the  absurdities  and  childish  tales 
respecting  witches,  hobgoblins,  spectres  and  ap- 
paritions, which  have  been  handed  down  to  him 
by  his  forefathers  in  former  generations.  And 
while  he  thus  gorges  his  mind  with  fooleries  and 
absurdities,  he  spurns  at  the  discoveries  of  sci- 
ence as  impositions  on  the  creduUty  of  mankind, 
and  contrary  to  reason  and  common  sense.  That 
the  sun  is  a  million  of  times  larger  than  the 
earth,  that  light  flies  from  his  body  at  the  rat* 


48 


ON  TIIK  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


of  two  hundred  thousand  mil«s  in  a  moment  of 
time,  and  that  tht«  earth  is  whirhng  round  ila 
axis  from  day  to  day,  wiiji  a  vclcKity  of  a  thou- 
■Hmd  miles  every  hour,  are  regarded  by  him  aa 
notions  far  more  improbable  and  extravagant 
than  tlie  story  of  the  "  Wonderful  Lamp,"  and 
all  the  other  tales  of  the  "  Arabian  Night's  En- 
lertainmcnis."  In  his  hours  of  leisure  from  his 
daily  avocations,  his  thoughts  either  run  wild 
among  the  most  grovelling  objects,  or  sink  into 
sensuality  or  inanity,  and  solitude  and  retire- 
ment  present  no  charms  to  his  vacant  mind. 
While  human  beings  are  thus  immersed  in  ig- 
norance, destitute  ot'  rational  ideas,  and  of  a 
solid  substratum  of  thought,  they  can  never  ex- 
perience those  pleasures  and  enjoyments  which 
flow  from  the  exercise  of  the  understanding, 
and  which  correspond  to  the  dignity  of  a  rational 
and  immortal  nature. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  man  whose  mind  is 
irradiated  with  the  light  of  substantial  science, 
has  views,  and  feelings,  and  exquisite  enjoy- 
ments to  which  the  former  is  an  entire  stranger. 
In  consequence  of  the  numerous  and  multifa- 
rious ideas  he  has  acquired,  he  is  introduced, 
as  it  were,  into  a  new  world,  where  he  is  enter- 
tained with  scenes,  objects,  and  movements,  of 
which  a  mind  enveloped  in  ignorance  can  form 
no  conception.  He  can  trace  back  the  stream 
of  time  to  its  commencement ;  and,  gliding 
along  its  downward  course,  can  survey  the  most 
memorable  events  which  have  happened  in 
every  part  of  its  progress  from  the  primeval 
ages  to  the  present  day — the  rise  of  empires, 
the  fall  of  kings,  the  revolutions  of  nations,  the 
battles  of  warriors,  and  the  important  events 
which  have  followed  in  their  train — the  progress 
of  civilization,  and  of  arts  and  sciences — the 
judgments  which  have  been  inflicted  on  wicked 
nations — the  dawnings  of  Divine  mercy  towards 
our  fallen  race — the  manifestation  of  the  Son 
of  God  in  our  nature — the  physical  changes  and 
revolutions  which  have  taken  place  in  the  con- 
stitution of  our  globe — in  short,  the  whole  of 
the  leading  events  in  the  chain  of  Divine  dis- 
pensation from  the  beginning  of  tlie  world  to 
the  period  in  which  we  live.  With  his  mental 
eye  he  can  survey  the  terraqueous  globe  in  all 
its  variety  of  aspects ;  contemplate  the  conti- 
nents, islands  and  oceans  which  compose  its 
exterior,  the  numerous  rivers  by  which  it  is  in- 
dented, the  lofty  ranges  of  mountains  which  di- 
versify its  surface,  its  winding  caverns,  its 
forests,  lakes,  sandy  deserts,  ice-islands,  whirl- 
pools, boiling  springs,  glaciers,  sulphuric  inoun- 
taiiu,  bituminous  lakes,  and  the  states  and  em- 
pires into  which  it  is  distributed,  the  tides  and 
currents  of  the  ocean,  the  ice-bergs  of  the  polar 
ragioas,  and  the  verdant  scenes  of  the  torrid 
aooe.  He  can  climb,  in  imagination,  to  the 
•ammit  of  the  flaming  volcano,  listen  to  its  sub- 
terrueoiu  belluwings,  behold  it«  lava  bursting 


from  its  mouth  and  rolling  down  its  sides  like  a 
flaming  river— descend  into  the  subterraitcan 
grotto,  survey,  from  the  top  of  the  Andes,  the 
lightnings  flashing  attd  the  thunders  rollini;  far 
beneath  him — stand  on  the  brink  of  the  da.sliing 
cataract  and  listen  to  its  roarings — contemplate 
the  ocean  rearing  its  billows  in  a  storm,  and  the 
hurricane  and  tornado  tearing  up  forests  by 
their  roots,  and  tossing  them  almut  as  Hii.bblc. 
Sitting  at  his  fireside,  during  the  blasts  of  win- 
ter, he  can  survey  the  numerous  tribes  of  man- 
kind scattered  over  the  various  climates  of  ilie 
earth,  and  entertain  himself  with  views  of  their 
manners,  customs,  religion,  laws,  trade,  manu- 
factures, marriage  ceremonies,  civil  and  eccle- 
siastical governments,  arts,  sciences,  cities, 
towns  and  villages,  and  the  tuiimals  peculiar  to 
every  region.  In  his  rural  walks  he  can  not 
only  appreciate  the  beneficence  of  Nature  and 
the  beauties  and  harmonies  of  the  vegetable 
kingdom,  in  their  exterior  aspect,  but  can  iilso 
penetrate  into  tlie  hidden  ]>rocesses  which  are 
going  on  in  the  roots,  trunks  and  leaves  of 
plants  and  flowers,  and  contemplate  the  nu- 
merous vessels  through  which  the  sap  is  flowing 
from  their  roots  through  the  trunks  and  branches, 
the  millions  of  pores  through  which  their  odori- 
ferous effluvia  exhale,  their  fine  and  delicate 
texture,  their  microscopical  beauties,  their  or- 
ders, genera,  and  species,  and  their  uses  in  the 
economy  of  nature. 

With  the  help  of  his  microscope,  he  can  ei>- 
ter  into  a  world  unknown  to  the  ignorant,  and 
altogether  invisible  to  the  unassisted  eye.  In 
every  plant  and  flower  which  adorns  the  field,  in 
every  leaf  of  the  forest,  in  the  seeds,  prickles 
and  down  of  all  vegetables,  he  perceives  beau- 
ties and  harmonies,  and  exquisi  e  contrivances, 
of  which,  without  this  instniment,  he  could 
have  formed  no  conception.  In  every  scale  of 
a  haddock  he  perceives  a  beautiful  piece  of 
net-work,  admirably  contrived  and  arranged, 
and  in  the  scale  of  a  sole  a  still  more  diversified 
structure,  which  no  art  could  imitate,  termi- 
nated with  pointed  spikes,  and  formed  with  ad- 
mirable regularity.  Where  nothing  but  a  speck 
of  mouldineu  appears  to  the  naked  eye,  he  bo- 
holds  a  forest  of  mushroom*  with  long  stalks, 
and  with  leaves  and  blossoms  distinctly  visible. 
In  the  eyes  of  a  common  fly,  where  others  can 
see  only  two  small  protuberances,  he  perceives 
several  thousands  of  beautiful  transparent 
globes,  exquisitely  rounded  and  polished,  placed 
with  the  utmost  regularity  in  rows,  crossing 
each  other  like  a  kind  of  lattice-work,  and 
forming  the  most  admirable  piece  of  mechanism 
which  the  eye  can  contemplate.  The  small 
dust  that  covers  the  wings  of  moths  and  butter- 
flies he  perceives  to  consist  of  an  infinite  multW 
tude  of  feathers  of  various  forms,  not  much  un- 
like the  feathers  of  birds,  and  adorned  with  the 
most  bright  and  vivid  colours.     In  an  animal  m 


PLEASURES  CONNECTED  WITH  SCIENCE. 


49 


•mail  that  the  naked  eye  can  scarcely  distin- 
guish it  as  a  vbible  point,  he  psrcuives  a  head, 
mouth,  eyes,  legs,  joints,  bristles,  hair,  and 
other  animal  parts  and  func  i  )ns,  as  nicely 
forme.l  a  id  adjusted,  and  endowed  with  as  mucn 
vivacity,  agility  and  intelligence  as  the  larj^er 
animLils.  In  the  tail  of  a  small  fish  or  the  foot 
of  a  fro^,  he  can  perceive  the  variegated  branch- 
ings of  t  le  veins  and  arteries,  aind  the  blood 
circjla  in*  through  them  with  amazing  velocity. 
In  a  drop  of  stagnant  water  he  perceives  thou- 
sanii  of  living  beings  of  various  shapes  and 
t'lzei,  bea'j:ifjily  firmed,  and  swimming  with 
wantjn  vivaci'y  like  fishes  in  the  midst  of  the 
ocean.  In  short,  by  this  instrument  he  perceives 
tha'.  tie  whole  earth  is  full  of  animaiion,  and 
tha:  there  is  not  a  single  tree,  plant  or  flower, 
an  1  scircely  a  drop  of  water  tha'.  is  not  teeming 
wi  h  life  and  peopled  with  its  peculiar  inhabi- 
tants. He  thus  enters,  as  it  were,  into  a  new 
world,  invisible  to  o  her  eyes,  where  every  ob- 
ject in  the  animal,  vegetable  and  mineral  king- 
doms, presents  a  new  and  interesting  aspect, 
and  unfo  ds  beauties,  harmonies,  contrasts  and 
exqiisi  e  contrivances,  altogether  inconceivable 
by  the  ignorant  and  unreflecting  mini. 

In  the  invisible  atmosphere  which  surrounds 
him,  where  other  minds  discern  nothing  but  an 
im  nonse  blank,  he  beholds  an  assemblage  of 
wo.n  lers,  and  a  striking  scene  of  Divine  Wis- 
dom and  Omnipotence.  He  views  this  invisible 
agent  not  only  as  a  material  but  as  a  compound 
sub  itance— compounded  of  two  opposite  prin- 
ciple.'), the  one  the  source  of  flame  and  animal 
life,  and  the  other  destructive  to  both,  and  pro- 
ducing by  their  diflTerent  combinations,  the  most 
diversified  and  beneficent  effects.  He  per- 
ceives the  atmosphere,  as  the  agent  under  the 
Almighty,  which  produces  the  germination  and 
grow  h  of  plants,  and  all  the  beauties  of  the 
rege  ab'e  creation — which  preserves  water  in  a 
liq  li  I  state — supports  fire  and  flame,  and  pro- 
du;e;  animal  heat,  which  sus'ains  the  clouds, 
and  gives  buoyancy  to  the  feathered  tribes — 
which  is  the  cause  of  winds — the  vehicle  of 
smells — the  medium  of  sounds — the  source  of 
all  the  pleasures  we  derive  from  the  harmonies 
of  misic — the  cause  of  that  universal  light  and 
splon  bar  which  is  diffused  around  us,  an  J  of 
the  aHvan'ages  we  derive  from  the  morning  and 
everiin'  twilight.  In  short,  he  contemplates  it 
as  th-3  prims  mover  in  a  varie'y  of  machines, — 
as  i  nielling  ships  across  the  ocean,  blowing  our 
furnaces,  grinding  our  orn,  raising  water  from 
the  d'^e ;)est  pi's,  exiinguishing  fires,  setting 
po'.ver-loims  in  raoim,  propelling  steam-boars 
alon  !  rivers  and  canals,  raising  balloons  to  the 
regi  )n  of  the  cliuds,  and  perf.>rraing  a  thousand 
other  beneficent  agencies  without  which  our 
glob  J  would  cease  lobe  a  habi'able  world.  All 
which  views  and  contemplations  have  an  evi- 
dent f'ndency  to  enlarge  the  capacity  of  the 

7 


mind,  to  stimulate  its  faculties,  and  to  produce 
rational  enjoyment. 

Again, — the  man  of  knowledge,  even  when 
shrojdad  in  darkness,  and  in  solitude,  where 
other  minds  could  find  no  enjoyment,  can  enter- 
tain himself  with  the  most  sublime  contempla- 
tions. He  can  trace  the  huge  globe  on  which 
we  stand  flying  through  the  depths  of  space, 
carrying  along  wiJi  it  its  vast  population,  at  iho 
rate  of  sixty  thousand  miles  every  hour,  and, 
by  the  inclination  of  its  axis,  bringing  about  the 
alternate  succession  of  summer  and  winter, 
spring  and  harvest.  By  the  aid  of  his  telescope 
he  can  transport  himself  towards  the  moon,  an^ 
survey  the  circular  plains,  the  deep  caverns,  the 
conical  hills,  the  lof.y  peaks,  the  shadows  of  tlic 
hills  and  vales,  and  the  rugged  and  romantic 
mountain  scenery  which  diversify  the  surface 
of  this  orb  of  night.  By  the  help  of  the  same 
instrument,  he  can  range  through  the  planetary 
system,  wing  his  way  through  the  regions  of 
space  along  with  the  swiftest  orbs,  and  trace 
many  of  the  physical  aspects  and  revolutions 
which  have  a  relation  to  distant  worlds.  Ho 
can  transport  himself  to  the  planet  Saturn,  and 
behold  a  stupendous  ring  600,000  miles  in  cir- 
cumference, revolving  in  majestic  grandeur 
every  ten  hours,  around  a  globe  nine  hundred 
times  larger  than  the  earth,  while  seven  moons 
larger  than  ours,  along  with  an  innumerable 
host  of  stars,  display  their  radiance,  to  adorn 
the  firmament  of  that  magnificent  world.  Ho 
can  win?  hid  flight  to  the  still  more  distant  re- 
gions of  the  universe,  leaving  the  sun  and  all  his 
planets  behind  him,  till  they  appear  like  a 
scarcely  discernible  speck  in  creation,  and  con- 
template thousands  and  millions  of  stars  and 
starry  systems,  beyond  the  range  of  the  unas- 
sisted eye,  and  wander  among  suns  and  worlds 
dispersed  throughout  the  boundless  dimen.sions 
of  space.  He  can  fill  up,  in  his  imagination, 
those  blanks  which  astronomy  has  never  directly 
explored,  and  conceive  thousands  of  systems 
and  ten  thousands  of  worlds,  beyond  all  thatjs 
visible  by  the  optic  tube,  stretching  out  to  infinity 
on  every  hand,  — new  creations  incessantly  starts 
inz  into  existence — peopled  with  intelligences  of 
various  orders,  and  all  under  the  superinten- 
dence and  government  of  "  the  King  Eternal, 
Immortal  and  Invi.^ible,"  whose  power  is  omni- 
potent, and  the  limits  of  his  dominions  past  find- 
in?  out. 

It  is  evident  that  a  mind  capable  of  such  ex- 
cursions and  contemplations  as  I  have  now  sup- 
posed! must  experience  enjoyments  infinitely  su- 
perior to  those  of  the  individual  whose  soul  is 
enveloped  in  intellectual  darkness.  If  substan- 
tial happiness  is  chiefly  seated  in  the  mind,  if  it 
consists  in  the  vigorous  exercise  of  its  faculties, 
if  it  deoends  on  the  m'.il'iplicity  of  objects  which 
lie  within  the  range  of  its  contemplation,  if  it  i» 
augmented  by  the  view  of  scenes  of  beauty  and 


60 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWI.EDGB. 


Mib)imi?y,  and  dii^ay*  of  infinite  intelligrnce 
■od  po'.ver,  if  il  ii  connected  with  traiKjiiiJiiy  of 
mind,  which  {rent-rally  anrompanios  iiiti*|lcriiial 
pursuits,  ami  with  t)ie  subjugatiun  of  the  |ilea- 
Bures  of  sen^e  to  the  dictates  of  reason — the  en- 
lightened iniu:!  must  enjoy  gratifications  a.s  far 
superior  to  those  of  the  i>^oraiit,  as  man  is  !iu- 
perior,  in  station  and  capacity,  to  the  worms  of 
the  dist. 

In  order  to  il'ustratc  this  topic  a  littte  farther, 
I  shall  sirlcct  a  few  fact:i  and  deductions  in  rela- 
tion to  S'-ience  which  demonstrate  the  interesting 
nature  and  delightful  tendency  of  scientific  pur- 
•aits. 

Every  species  of  rational  information  has  a 
tendcnfy  to  produce  pleasing  emotions.  There 
is  a  ci-r  ajn  gratification  in  bccomhig  acquainted 
with  objects  and  operations  of  which  we  were 
formerly  ignorant,  and  tiiat,  too,  altogether  inde- 
pendent of  the  practical  tendency  of  such  know- 
lodge,  of  the  advantages  we  may  expect  to  reap 
from  it,  or  the  sensitive  enjoyments  with  which 
it  mav  be  accompanied.  A  taste  for  knowledge, 
a  capacity  to  acquire  it,  and  a  pleasure  acconi- 
panyiii<;  its  acquisition,  form  a  part  of  the  con- 
stitution of  every  mind.  The  Creator  has  im- 
planted in  the  human  mind  a  pruicip'e  of  curi- 
osity, an:l  annexed  a  pleasure  to  its  gratification, 
to  excite  us  to  investigations  of  ijie  wonders  of 
creation  he  has  presented  before  us,  to  lead  us 
to  just  conceptions  of  his  infinite  perfections, 
and  of  the  relation  in  which  we  stand  to  him  as 
the  subjects  of  his  government.  We  all  know, 
with  what  a  lively  interest  most  persons  peruse 
novels  and  romances,  where  hair-breadth  es- 
capes, mvstcrioiis  incidents,  and  tales  of  wonder 
•re  depicted  witli  all  the  force  and  beauty  of 
language.  But  the  scenes  detailed  in  such  wri- 
tings produce  only  a  momentary  enjoynjent. 
Being  retraced  as  only  the  fictions  of  a  lively 
imagination,  they  pass  away  like  a  dream  or  a 
vision  of  the  niglit,  leaving  the  understanding 
bewildered,  and  destitute  of  any  solid  improve- 
ment. In  (M-iler  to  improve  the  intellectual  facul- 
ties while  we  gratify  the  principle  of  curiosity, 
it  is  only  requisite,  that  we  direct  the  attention 
tafdfU  instead  of  fictions ;  and  when  the  rtal 
acgntt  of  the  universe  are  presented  in  an  in- 
tcre8tin<!  aspect,  they  are  calculated  to  produce 
emotions  of  wonder  and  delight  even  superior  to 
those  excited  by  the  most  highly  wrought  tales 
of  fiction  and  romance.  The  following  facts 
and  considerations  will  perhaps  tend  to  corro- 
borate this  position. 

In  the  first  place,  the  numher  of  fffrdx  jmdueed 
bjf  a  tinfle  principle  in  nature,  is  calculated  to 
excite  emotions  of  admiration  and  delight.  From 
the  simtile  principle  of  gravitation,  for  instance, 
proceed  all  tlie  beauties  and  sublimities  which 
•rise  from  the  meandering  rills,  the  majestic  ri- 
trera,  and  the  roaring  cataracts — it  causes  (he 
NMNintaini  to  rvet  oo  a  ootid  buis,  and  confines 


the' ocean  to  its  appointed  channels  retaina  tlw 
inhabitants  of  the  earth  to  its  surface,  and  pr»> 
vents  them  from  flying  off  in  wiki  ronfijinoii 
through  the  voids  of  space— it  produces  the  de- 
scent of  the  rains  and  dews,  atid  the  altema'e 
flux  and  reflux  of  tlie  tides — regulates  the  various 
movements  of  all  animals — Ibnns  mechanical 
powers — gives  impulsion  to  numerous  machines 
—rolls  the  moon  round  the  earth,  and  prevents 
her  from  flying  off  to  the  distant  regions  of  space 
— extends  its  influence  from  the  moon  to  the 
eartli,  from  the  earth  to  tiie  moon,  tind  from  the 
sun  to  the  remotest  planets,  preserving  surround- 
ing worlds  in  their  proper  courses,  and  connect- 
ing the  solar  system  with  otticr  worlds  and  sy^ 
tems  in  the  remote  spaces  of  the  universe. 
When  a  stick  of  sealing  wax  is  rubbed  with  a 
piece  of  flannel,  it  attracts  feathers  or  small  bits 
of  paper ;  when  a  long  tube  of  glass,  or  a  cat's 
back  is  rubbed  in  the  dark,  they  emit  flashes  of 
fire,  accompanied  with  a  sdapping  noise.  Now, 
is  it  not  delightful  to  a  rational  mind  to  know, 
that  the  same  principle  which  causes  wax  or 
amber  to  attract  light  substances,  and  flass 
tubes  or  Grinders  to  emit  sparks  of  fire,  prtK 
duces  the  lightnings  of  heaven,  and  all  t]ie  sub- 
lime phenomena  which  accompany  a  violent 
thunder-storm,  and,  in  combination  with  other 
agents,  produces  also  the  fiery  meteor  which 
sweeps  through  the  sky  with  its  luminous  train, 
and  the  beautiful  coruscations  of  the  aurora  bo- 
realis  ?  There  are  more  than  fifly  thoiisatid  dit 
ferent  sp'^cies  of  plants  in  the  vegetable  king^ 
dom,  all  differing  from  one  another  in  their  size, 
structure,  flowers,  leaves,  fruits,  mode  of  propa- 
gation, internal  vessels,  medicinal  virtues,  and 
the  odours  they  exhale.  Who  would  imagine 
that  this  immense  assemblage  of  vegetable  pro- 
ductions which  adorns  the  surface  of  the  earth 
in  every  clime,  with  such  a  diversity  of  forms, 
fruits  and  colours,  are  the  result  of  the  combina- 
tion of  four  or  five  simple  substances  variously 
modified  by  the  hand  of  the  Creator?  Yet  it  is 
an  undoubted  fact,  ascertained  from  chymical 
analysis,  that  all  vegetable  substances,  from  the 
invisible  mushroom  which  adheres  to  a  spot  of 
mouldiness,  to  the  cedar  of  Lebanon  and  the 
Banian-tree,  which  would  cover  with  its  shade 
an  armv  of  ten  thousand  men,— are  solely  com- 
posed of  the  following  natural  principles, — Ca- 
loric, Light,  Water,  Air  and  Carbon. 

Aiiain,  is  it  not  wonderful,  that  the  invisible 
atmosphere  should  compress  our  bodies  every 
moment  with  a  weight  of  more  than  thirty  thott- 
sand  pounds  without  our  feeline  it,  and  the  whole 
earth  with  a  weipht  of  12.043.468.800,000,000, 
000  of  pound*,  or  five  thousand  billions  of  ton*; 
that  this  pressure  is  essentially  necessary  to  our 
existence,  ond  that  a  small  quantity  of  air  witliin 
us,  which  would  iK>t  weigh  above  a  single  ounce, 
bv  its  strung  elastic  force,  counteracts  the  efTects 
of  this  tremendous  pressure  upon  our  bodies, 


PLEASURES  CONNECTED  WITH  SCIENCE. 


51 


ftnd  prevents  our  being  crushed  to  pieces — tiiat 
the  same  cause  prevents  our  habitations  from 
falling  upon  us  and  crushing  us  to  death,  without 
which  our  glass  windows  would  be  shattered  to 
atoms,  and  our  most  stately  editices  tumbled  into 
ruini  I— that  this  atmosphere  is  at  the  same  time 
perfarning  an  immense  variety  of  operations  in 
Nature  and  Art — insinuating  itself  into  the  pores 
and  sao-ves^els  of  plants  and  flowers — produc- 
ing respiration  in  all  living  beings,  and  support- 
ing all  the  processes  of  life  and  vegetation 
throughout  the  amimal  and  vegetable  creation — 
that  its  pressure  produces  the  process  of  what  is 
ca!led  suction  and  cupping — causes  snails  and  pe- 
riwinkles to  adhere  to  the  rocks  on  which  they  are 
found — =rive3  effect  to  the  adhesion  of  bodies  by 
means  of  mortar  and  cements — raises  water  in 
our  farcing-pumps  and  fire-engines — supports  the 
quicksilver  in  our  barometers — prevents  the 
water  of  our  seas  and  rivers  from  boiling  and 
evaporating  into  steam — and  promotes  the  ac- 
tion of  our  steam-engines  while  raising  water 
from  deep  pits,  and  while  propelling  vessels 
along  seas  and  rivers ! 

In  the  next  place,  science  contributes  to  the 
gratification  of  the  human  mind  by  enabling  us 
to  trace,  in  many  objects  and  operations,  surpris- 
ing resemblances,  where  we  should  least  of  all 
have  expected  them.  Who  could,  at  first  sight, 
imagine,  that  the  process  of  breathing  is  a  spe- 
cies of  combustion,  or  burning — that  the  dia- 
mond is  nothing  else  than  carbon  in  a  crystal- 
lized state,  and  differs  only  in  a  very  slight 
degree  from  a  piece  of  charcoal-  -that  water  is 
a  compound  of  two  invisible  airs  or  gases,  and 
that  one  of  these  ingredients  is  the  principle  of 
flame ! — that  the  air  which  produces  suffocation 
and  death  in  coal-mines  and  subterraneous 
grottos,  is  the  same  substance  which  gives 
briskness  to  ale,  beer,  and  soda  wafer,  and  the 
acid  flavour  to  many  mineral  springs — that  the 
air  we  breathe  is  composed  of  the  same  ingre- 
dients and  nearly  in  the  same  proportions  as 
nitric  acid  or  aqua  fortis,  which  can  dissolve  al- 
most all  the  metals,  and  a  single  draught  of 
which  would  instantly  destroy  the  human  frame 
— that  tho  colour  of  white  is  a  mixture  or  com- 
pound of  all  the  other  colours,  red,  orange,  yel- 
low, green,  blue,  indigo,  and  molet,  and  conse- 
quently, that  the  white  light  of  the  sun  produces 
all  that  diversity  of  colouring  which  adorns  the 
face  of  nature — that  the  same  principle  which 
causes  o'lr  fires  to  burn,  forms  acids,  produces 
the  rust  of  metals,  and  promotes  the  growth  of 
plants  by  night — that  plants  breathe  and  perspire 
as  well  as  animals — that  carbonic  acid  gas,  or 
fixed  air,  is  the  product  both  of  vegetation,  of 
burning,  of  fermentation  and  of  breathing — that 
it  remains  indestructible  by  age,  and,  in  all  its 
diversified  combinations,  still  preserves  its  iden- 
tity— that  the  air  which  burns  in  our  street-lamps 
and  illuminates  our  shops  and  manufiictories,  is 


the  same  which  causes  a  balloon  to  rise  abov* 
the  clouds,  and  likewise  extinguishes  flame  whea 
it  is  immersed  in  a  body  of  this  gas — that  tho 
leaves  of  vegetables  which  rot  upon  the  ground 
and  appear  to  be  lost  for  ever,  are  converted  by 
the  oxygen  of  the  atmosphere  into  carbonic  acid 
gas,  and  this  very  same  carbon  is,  in  process  of 
time,  absorbed  by  a  new  race  of  vegetables, 
which  it  clothes  with  a  new  foliage,  and  again 
renews  the  face  of  nature — and  that  the  same 
principle  which  causes  the  sensation  of  heut  is 
the  cause  of  fluidity,  expands  bodies  in  every 
direction,  enters  into  every  operation  in  nature, 
flies  from  the  sun  at  the  rate  of  195,000  miles  in 
a  second  of  time,  and,  by  its  powei  ful  influence, 
prevents  the  whole  matter  of  the  universe  from 
being  converted  into  a  solid  mass ! 

What,  then,  can  be  more  delightful,  to  a  being 
furnished  with  such  powers  as  man,  than  to  trace 
the  secret  machinery  by  which  the  God  of  nature 
accomplishes  his  designs  in  the  visible  world,  and 
displays  his  infinite  power  and  intelligence — to 
enter  into  the  hidden  springs  of  Nature's  opera*- 
tions,  to  follow  her  through  all  her  winding  re- 
cesses, and  to  perceive,  fi-om  what  simple  prin- 
ciples and  causes  the  most  sublime  and  diver- 
sified phenomena  are  produced !  It  is  with  this 
view  that  the  Almighty  hath  set  before  us  his 
wondrous  works,  not  to  be  overlooked,  or  beheld 
witli  a  "  brute  unconscious  gaze,"  but  to  be  in- 
vestigated, in  order  that  they  may  be  admired, 
and  that  in  such  investigations  we  may  enjoy  a 
sacred  pleasure  in  contemplating  the  results  of 
his  Wisdom  and  Intelligence. 

In  the  third  place,  science  contributes  to  our 
enjoyment  by  the  grand  and  mtblime  objects  sha 
presents  before  us.  In  consequence  of  the  inves- 
tigations which  have  been  made  to  determine  the 
distances  and  magnitudes  of  the  heavenly  bodies, 
objects  of  magnificence  and  grandeur  are  now 
presented  to  the  view  of  the  enlightened  mind  of 
which  former  ages  could  form  no  conception. 
These  objects  are  magnificent  in  respect  of  mag- 
nitude, of  motion,  of  the  vast  spaces  which  inter- 
vene between  them,  and  of  the  noble  purposes  for 
which  they  are  destined. 

What  a  sublime  idea,  for  example,  is  presented 
to  the  view  by  such  an  object  as  the  planet  Jupi- 
ter,— a  globe  fourteen  hundred  times  larger  than 
the  world  in  which  we  dwell,  and  whose  surface 
would  contain  a  population  a  hundred  times  more 
numerous  than  all  the  inhabitants  that  have  ex- 
isted on  our  globe  since  the  creation !  And  how 
is  the  sublimity  of  such  an  idea  augmented  when 
we  consider,  that  this  immense  body  is  revolving 
round  its  axis  at  the  rate  of  twenty-eight  thou- 
sand miles  in  an  hour,  and  is  flying,  at  the  same 
time,  through  the  regions  of  space,  twenty-nine 
thousand  miles  every  hour,  carrying  along  with 
it  four  moons,  each  of  them  larger  than  the  earth, 
during  its  whole  course  round  the  centre  of  its 
motion !    And  if  this  planet,  which  appears  onljr 


6S 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OP  KNOWLEDGE. 


Kk«  a  lumiiKHM  Mptek  on  the  nocturnal  sky,  pre- 
■cnU  Mji'li  un  aii<,'usi  iciva,  wlion  lis  nia/niii.do 
Uid  uixtioiis  are  investigated,  wliui  on  u.iiufii-ih- 
ing  idea  14  iire.tcntctl  lu  lliv  mtixl  wlicu  it  con.t'in- 
|>Ute3  Uii;  ;-i/.i!  and  Kpleudnur  of  the  «un, — a  Ixxly 
which  wuulJ  coiitaia  williin  its  boweU  nine  hi;it- 
<tnd  globus  iar<>cr  itian  Jupiter,  and  tbirteiii  hun- 
dfttii  thousand  globes  of  the  bulk  of  tiio  earth,— 
which  darts  ils  rays,  in  a  few  moments,  to  the  re- 
motest boiind.t  of  the  planetary  system,  producing 
light  and  colnur,  and  life  and  vcgelalion  through- 
out surrounding  worlds !  And  how  must  cur  as- 
tonishmeni  be  still  increased,  when  we  consider 
the  numhrr  of  such  globes  which  exist  through- 
out the  universe ;  that  within  the  range  of  our 
telescopes  more  than  eighty  millions  of  globes, 
similar  lo  the  sun  in  size  and  in  splendour,  arc 
arranged  at  immeasurable  distances  from  each 
Other,  ditfuNing  their  radiance  through  the  im- 
mensity of  space,  and  enlivening  surrounding 
worlds  with  their  benign  influence,  besides  the 
innumerable  multitudes,  which  our  reason  tells 
«M,  must  exist  beyond  all  that  is  visible  to  the 
ejee  of  mortals ! 

But  trie  motion*,  no  less  than  the  magnitudes 
of  Nch  bodies,  present  ideas  of  sublimity.  That 
m  globe*  as  large  as  tlie  earth  should  fly  through 
the  celestial  regions  with  a  velocity  of  seventy- 
six  thousand  miles  an  hour, — that  another  globef 
should  move  at  the  rate  of  one  tliousand  seven 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  in  a  minute,  and  a  hun- 
dred an'.l  live  thousand  miles  an  hour, — that  even 
Saturn,  with  all  his  assemblage  of  rings  and 
moons,  should  be  carried  along  his  course,  with 
a  Teloci'  v  of  twenty-two  thousand  miles  an  hour, 
—that  some  of  the  comets,  when  hear  the  sun, 
#houkl  Vy  with  the  amazing  velocity  of  eight 
iMindred  thousand  miles  an  hour, — that,  in  all 
probability,  ilie  sun  himself,  with  all  his  attend- 
ing plane' s,  besides  tlieir  own  proper  motions, 
•re  carri  -d  around  some  distant  centre  at  the 
ntt«  of  III  >re  than  sixty  thousand  miles  every 
iiour;  aiii  that  thousands  and  millions  of  sys- 
|em«  are  tnuvin?  in  the  same  rapid  manner,  are 
ttels  so  a'toni-ihin^,  and  so  far  exceeding  every 
lUng  we  behold  around  us  on  the  surface  of  the 
Mrth,  tlia)  the  imagination  is  overpowered  and 
Coafbundi-d  at  the  idea  of  the  astonishing  forces 
|*bicfa  are  in  opciration  throughout  the  universe, 
jM|d  of  llii-  power  and  energy  by  which  they  are 
aroduced  ;  an-1  every  rational  being  feels  a  sub- 
Jinie  plea-iiire  in  the  contemplation  of  such  ob- 
Mcts  whioh  is  altogether  unknown  to  the  ignorant 
mind. 

,  The  vaot  and  trntntaturaNe  ipaet$  which  inter- 
Mne  between  the  great  bodies  of  the  universe 
pkswise  convey  august  and  sublime  concrpiions. 
Sctween  'lie  earth  and  the  sun  there  intervenes 
4|  aptce  so  vast,  that  a  rannon  boll,  flying  with 
Ae  veloci'y  of  five  hundred  milee  an  hour,  would 


<•  The  planet  Tcnns 


t  The  planet  Mercnrr 


not  reach  that  luminary  in  twenty  years ;  ht)A  a 
niail-c(4ich,  nioviitg  at  v.t  utmost  hp<.-cd,  would 
not  arrive  at  iu  buifuce  in  less  than  i»elvc  hi:D> 
dred  years;  and,  were  il  lo  proceed  from  ihe  ^un 
toHorda  the  |ilanet  llerschel,  it  would  nut  airive 
at  that  body  af  er  ll.e  lapse  of  twmtt/-luo  thow 
tund  yrv*.  And  yet  ilic  sun,  at  li.at  immense 
di.'.ianre,  exerts  liia  attractive  enirgy,  re:ains 
tlial  huge  planet  in  its  orbit,  and  di'iM-mes  i^ht 
and  colour,  life  and  animation  over  every  part  of 
its  surface.  Uut  all  such  s(.ace8,  vast  as  ut  first 
sight  they  appear,  dwindle,  as  it  were,  into  a 
span,  when  compared  wiih  those  immcosuroble 
spaces  which  are  interposed  between  us  and  tho 
regions  of  the  stars.  Between  tlie  earth  and 
the  nearest  fixed  star  a  rpoce  intervenes  m>  vast 
and  incomprehensible,  that  a  ball  flying  willi  tJie 
velocity  above  meniioncd,  would  not  pass  through 
it  in  four  mi.lions  and  five  hundred  thousand 
years ;  and  as  there  are  stars,  visible  through 
telescopes,  at  least  a  himdred  times  farther  di»- 
tont  from  our  globe,  it  would  require  such  a  body 
four  hundred  millions  of  years,  or  a  period  67  ,CCO 
times  greater  than  that  which  has  elapsed  sine* 
the  Mouic  creation,  before  it  could  arrive  at 
those  distant  regions  of  immemiiy. 

The  /(rand  and  ncbU  dtsign*  for  which  the 
great  bodies,  to  wltich  1  have  adverted,  are  in- 
tended, suggest,  likewise,  a  variety  of  intcrest« 
ing  and  sublime  reflections.  These  dcfifits  un- 
doubtedly are,  to  display  the  ineffable  glories  of 
the  Eternal  Mind, — to  demonstrate  the  immen- 
sity, omnipotence  and  wisdom  of  Him  who 
formed  the  universe, — and  to  serve  as  so  many 
worlds  for  the  residence  of  incalculable  numbers 
of  intelligent  beings  of  every  order.  And,  what 
on  immense  variety  of  interesting  objects  is  pre- 
sented to  the  mind  when  its  views  are  directed 
to  the  numerous  orders  and  gradations  of  intelli- 
gences that  may  people  the  universe, — the  mag- 
nificent scenes  that  may  be  displayed  in  every 
world, — their  moral  economy,  and  the  important 
transactions  that  may  have  taken  place  in  their 
hlttory  under  the  arrangements  of  the  Divine 
government  I 

Such  are  some  of  the  scenes  of  grandeur 
which  science  unfokis  to  every  enlightened  mind. 
The  contemplation  of  such  objects  has  an  evi- 
dent tendency  to  enlarge  the  capacity  of  the 
soul, — to  raise  the  affections  above  mean  and 
grovelling  pursuits,  to  give  man  a  more  impre*- 
■ive  idea  of  the  dignity  of  his  rational  and  im- 
mortal nature,  and  of  the  attributes  of  that  Al- 
mighty Being  by  w  hum  he  is  upheld,  and  to  make 
him  rrjoiet  in  the  possession  of  faculties  capable 
of  b«-ing  exercised  on  scenes  and  objects  so  mag- 
nificent and  ^nhlime. 

In  Khe  fourth  place,  science  administers  to  our 
enjoyment  by  the  variety  of  novel  and  intertMing 
objecO  It  fxhibtU.  Almost  every  department  of 
natural  science  presents  to  the  untutored  mind  an 
assemblage  of  objects,  new  and  strange,  which 


PLEASURES  CONNECTED  WITH  SCIENCE. 


53 


tend  to  rouse  Its  faculties,  and  to  excite  to  impor- 
tant itirjiiiri  ■■!  aiiil  interesting  reflections.  The 
science  of  riiechanicx  presents  us  with  many  cu- 
rious c  «:nbin  i  i  )iis  of  mechanical  p  jwers,  which, 
from  tie  >i  a  ilcst  principles^  produce  the  most 
powe:fil  an  1  as  onishing  effects.  "  What  can 
be  morj  strange  (says  a  profound  and  energetic 
writer*)  ha;i  that  an  ounce  weight  should  ba- 
lance h  mJre.ls  of  pounds  by  the  intervention  of 
a  few  bars  of  I  lin  iron?"  AnJ  when  we  consi- 
der th  It  ail  t'le  mschanical  powers  may  be  re- 
duced t  >  the  lever,  the  wheel  and  axle,  the  ptdley, 
the  iiuUineii  plane,  the  wedge  and  tlie  icrew,  how 
astonishing  are  the  forces  exerted,  and  the  effects 
produce  I,  by  heir  various  combinations  in  wheel- 
cajria;.'es,  mills,  cranes,  thrashing-machines,  and 
pile-engines  I  Hi/droslatics  teaches  us  the  won- 
derfjl  fact,  that  a  fe>v  pounds  of  water,  without 
the  aid  of  any  machinery,  will,  by  mere  pres- 
sure, produce  an  almost  irresistible  force  ;  or,  in 
other  words,  thai  any  quantity  of  fluid,  however 
small,  may  be  made  to  counterpoise  any  quan- 
tity, however  large;  and  hence  a  very  strong 
hogshead  has  been  burst  to  pieces,  and  the  water 
scattered  ab  >  it  with  incredible  force,  by  means 
of  water  con /eyed  through  a  very  small  perpen- 
dicular tube  of  great  length.  On  tlic  same  prin- 
ciple, anJ  by  the  same  means,  the  foundations  of 
a  largo  building  might  be  shattered,  and  the 
whole  structure  overthrown.  Jdagnetimi  dis- 
closes to  us  such  singular  facts  as  the  following : 
—that  a  small  piece  of  steel,  when  rubbed  by 
the  loadstone,  and  nicely  poised,  will  place  itself 
in  a  direction  nearly  north  and  south,  so  as  to 
point  nearly  towards  the  poles  of  the  world, — 
that  the  north  and  south  poles  of  two  loadstones 
will  attract,  and  two  north  or  two  south  poles  re- 
pel each  other ;  and  that  the  power  of  a  magnet 
will  pass  through  a  thick  board,  and  turn  round 
a  compass-needle,  with  great  velocity,  though 
placed  at  a  considerable  distance. 

The  science  of  opiici  likewise  disclose  a  va- 
riety of  astonishing  truths,  and  is  no  less  replete 
with  won  lers.  How  wonderful  the  fact,  that 
light  proceeds  from  the  sun,  and  other  luminous 
bodies,  wi  h  a  Velocity  of  1 95,000  miles  in  a  mo- 
ment of  tim-? ;  that  myriads  of  myriads  of  rays 
are  flyin?  off  from  visible  objects  towards  every 
point  of  the  compass,  crossing  each  other  in  all 
directions,  and  yet  accurately  depicting  the 
same  images  of  external  objects  in  thousands  of 
eyes  at  the  saTne  moment, — that  the  thousands 
of  millions  of  rays  of  light  which  proceed  from 
any  particilar  object  must  be  compressed  info  a 
space  not  mire  than  one-eighth  of  an  inch  in  di- 
ameter, bef )re  they  can  etiter  the  pupil  of  the 
eye,  and  produce  vision, — ^that  the  ima?es  of  all 
the  objects  which  compose  an  extensive  land- 
scape are  depicted  on  the  bottom  of  the  eye,  in 
ail  their  colours  and  relative  proportions,  within 

*  Lord  Broagbam. 


a  space  less  than  half  an  inch  in  diameter, — that 
the  eye  can  perceive  objects  distinctly  at  the  dis- 
tance of  six  inches,  and  likewise  at  the  distance 
of  ten,  fiftv,  or  an  hundred  miles,  serving  the 
purpose  both  of  a  microscope  and  a  telescope, 
and  can  be  instantaneousli/  adjusted  to  serve 
either  as  the  one  or  as  the  other. — and  that  the 
variegated  colouring  which  appears  in  the  sce- 
nery of  nature  is  not  in  the  objecs  themselves, 
but  in  the  li<;ht  which  fills  upon  them,  without 
which  ail  the  scenes  of  creation  xvould  wear  an 
uniform  aspect,  and  one  object  would  be  undis- 
tinguishable  from  another ! 

The  inslmments  which  the  science  of  optics 
has  been  the  means  of  constructing,  are  also  ad- 
mirable in  their  effects  and  productive  of  rati- 
onal entertainment.  How  wonderful,  that,  by 
means  of  an  optic  lens,  an  image  is  depicted  in  a 
dark  chamber,  on  a  white  table,  in  vyhich  we 
may  perceive  the  objects  of  an  extensive  land- 
scape delineated  in  all  their  colpurs,  motions  and 
proportions,  and  so  accurately  represented,  that 
we  even  distinguish  the  countenances  of  indivi- 
duals at  the  distance  of  a  mile, — that  we  can  see 
objects  distinctly  when  a  thick  board,  or  a  piece 
of  metal,  is  interposed  between  them  and  our 
eye,— that  the  images  of  objects  can  be  made  to 
hang  in  the  air  either  upright  or  inverted,  and 
that  representations  either  of  the  living  or  of  the 
dead  can  be  made  to  startupinstantly  before  the 
view  of  a  spectator  in  a  darkened  room, — that, 
by  admitting  into  a  chamber  a  few  rays  of  white 
light  from  the  sun  through  a  prism,  all  the  co- 
lours of  light  may  be  seen  beautifully  painted  on 
a  piece  of  paper, — that  a  single  object  may  be 
miihiplied  to  an  indefinite  number,  and  that  a 
few  coloured  bits  of  glass  may  be  made  by  re- 
flection to  exhibit  an  infinite  diversity  of  beauti- 
ful and  variegated  forms !  How  admirable  the 
effects  of  the  telescope,  by  which  we  may  see 
objects  as  distinctly  at  the  distance  of  two  or 
three  miles  as  if  they  were  placed  within  a  few 
yards  of  us,  by  which  we  can  penetrate  into  the 
celestial  regions,  and  behold  the  distant  wonders 
of  the  planetary  system,  and  the  millions  of  stars 
dispersed  through  infinite  space,  as  distinctly  as 
if  we  were  actually  transported  by  a  supernatu- 
ral power  several  hundreds  of  millions  of  miles 
into  the  regions  of  the  firmament!  And  how  cu- 
rious the  circumstance,  that  we  can,  by  this  in- 
strument, contemplate  such  objects  in  all  direc- 
tions and  positions,— that  we  can  view  them 
either  as  erect,  or  as  turned  upside  down, — that 
wc  can  perceive  the  spires,  houses  and  windows 
of  a  distant  city  when  our  backs  are  turned  di- 
rectly opposite  to  it,  and  our  faces  in  a  contrary 
direction — the  rings  of  Saturn  and  the  moons  of 
Jupiter,  when  we  are  looking  downwards  with  our 
backs  turned  to  these  objects,— that  we  can  make 
an  object  on  our  right  hand  or  our  left,  appear  as 
if  directly  before  us,  and  can  caufse  a  terrestrial 
landscape  to  appear  above  us,  as  if  it  were  biis> 


B4 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


pendedbilhesky.*  By  the  h«lp  of  the  miero*- 
top*  we  can  exhibit  to  a  number  of  tt|>ect«iara  at 
the  Mine  moment,  a  small  aiiimal  ccarcely  dUtin- 
guiahAble  by  the  naked  eye,  magnified  to  the  sise 
of  Un  or  tifleen  inohca  in  length,  and  distinguinh 
not  only  its  limbs,  joints,  mouth  and  eyes,  but 
oren  the  motions  of  its  bowels,  and  other  inter* 
ntl  movements ;  and  in  every  department  of  na- 
ture can  contemplate  an  assemblage  ofbeauties, 
delicate  rontexiures,  and  exquisite  contrivances, 
which  excite  thtf  highest  admiration,  and  which 
would  otherwise  have  appeared  incredible  and 
IDCompreheiuiible  to  the  human  mind. 

The  sciences  of  dtetridty  and  geUvanitm  like- 
wiae  display  facts  both  curious  and  astonishing. 
How  wonderful  the  operations  of  the  electric 
fluid,  which  can  suddenly  contract  the  muscles 
of  animals,  and  give  a  violent  shock  to  a  hundred 
or  a  thousand  persons  at  the  same  moment— 
which  moves  with  such  amazing  rapidity,  that, 
in  a  few  seconds  of  time,  it  might  be  made  to  fly 
to  the  remotest  regions  of  the  globe — which 
melts  iron  wire,  sets  fire  to  gunpowder  and  other 
inflammable  substances,  destroys  the  polarity  of 

•  This  Is  effected  by  means  of  the  "  aerial  reflect- 
but  telesroiKj,"  lately  Invented  by  the  autlior.  The 
foflowins  is  a  general  representation  of  tills  teles- 
cope in  profile; — 

AB  if  a  tul>e  of  mahogany  about  three  inches  long, 
which  serves  as  a  sorliet  for  holding  the  speculun  ; 
CD  an  ann  att.irhert  to  the  tulie,  about  the  length  of 
the  focal  distance  of  the  mirror,  ronsisting  of  two 
separate  pieces  C  and  D.  ihe  latter  of  which  slides 
under  the  former,  through  the  brass  sockets  EP. 
To  the  under  part  of  the  socliet  Fisattaclied  a  brass 
nut  with  a  female  screw,  In  which  the  nialesc-^w 
Ob  acts  by  applying  the  hand  to  the  noh  c,  which 
iwrvM  for  a4iu*Ung  the  Instrument  to  distinct  vl- 


tho  magnetic  needle,  and  ^rxwaoim  the  Tege1iv> 
tion  of  plants  and  the  penpiration  of  animals— 
which  can  be  drawn  in  vivid  sparks  from  ditfer* 
cnt  parts  uf  the  human  body,  and  made  to  de» 
sccnd  from  the  clouds  in  streams  of  fire !  And 
how  powerful  and  astonishing  the  eflects  of  the 
gah).mie  agency — which  maket  charcoal  bum 
with  a  brilliant  white  flame,  decomposes  water 
into  its  elementary  parts,  and  causes  platina,  the 
hardest  and  heaviest  of  the  metals,  to  melt  as 
readily  as  wax  in  the  flame  of  a  candle— which 
produces  the  most  violent  coonilsioas  on  the 
muscular  system,  causes  a  hare  to  move  its  feet, 
and  a  fowl  to  clap  its  wings,  with  force  and 
energy,  q/ler  lift  it  exa'nef— throws  the  counte* 
nance,  even  of  a  dead  man,  into  appalling  gri> 
macei  and  contortions,  and  excites  the  moat  rapid 
movements  in  his  hands  and  limbs,  to  the  horror 
and  astonishment  of  all  beholders  ! 

The  science  of  ckymittry,  throughout  all  ita 
departments,  is  no  less  replete  with  wonders. 
How  astonishing  are  many  of  the  facts  which  it 
discloses,  of  which  the  following  are  merely  spe- 
cimens ! — That  all  the  productions  of  nature  in 

sion.  G  is  the  brass  tulie  which  receives  the  eye- 
pieces. In  looking  through  this  telescope,  the  right 
eye  is  applied  at  the  point  H,  the  back  is  directly  lo- 
wrirds  the  obiect,  and  the  ol>server's  bead  ii  under- 
stood to  be  uncovered.  When  a  diagonal  eyepiece 
is  applied,  the  object  may  be  seen  either  to  the  right 
or  to  the  left,  or  at  right  angles  to  Its  true  position j 
or,  it  may  t>e  made  to  appear  either  uirwaris,  as  If 
han.o.ing  in  the  air,  or  downwards,  as  if  l>elow  tte 
srrface  of  the  earth.  A  particular  description  of 
this  Instrument  may  be  seen  in  "The  Edinburgh 
New  Pliilosophlcal  Journal"  for  July  1836,  pp.  41 
—61.  and  in  the  "  London  Eocyclopsdla."  Art.  T*- 
Utcope. 


I 


H 


.O   ta 


PLEASURES  CONNECTED  WITH  SCIENCE. 


55 


the  animal  and  vegetable  kin;;doms,  are  com- 
pose J  .if  ;i  very  few  simple  subsla  ices,  many  of 
will  ;li  are  mvisible  gases — that  water  is  chiefly 
com,»  ).sed  of  an  inflammable  principle — that  ihe 
actili,  s  ich  !is  aquafortis  and  oil  of  vi  rial,  are 
forme  I  of  different  kinds  of  air — that  an  invisi- 
ble riui  1,  one  of  the  ingredients  of  the  air  we 
brea.  he,  will  cause  a  rod  of  iron  to  b'lrn  with 
brilliancy,  and  phosphorus  to  produce  a  splen- 
dour .vhich  dazzles  the  eyes  of  every  beholder 
— that  the  diarnnnd,  notwithstanding  its  value 
and  brii:iancy,  is  composed  of  the  same  materials 
as  ct'A — that  oxymuriatic  acid,  or  the  bleaching 
gas,  iiiicharges  all  vegetable  colouis,  and,  in  the 
course  of  a  few  minutes,  will  change  a  piece  of 
prin  ed  calico  into  a  pure  while ;  and  likewise 
burns  all  the  metals,  dissolves  gold  and  piatina, 
and  suifjcates  all  animals  that  breathe  it,  after 
one  or  two  inspirations — that  there  are  metals 
much  lighter  than  water,  which  swim  in  that 
fluid  aa.l  bum  spontaneously  with  a  bright  red 
light,  aiid  when  thrown  into  the  mineral  acids, 
inflame  and  burn  on  the  surface,  and  in  oxygen 
and  ovvrauriaiic  acid  gas,  produce  a  white  flame, 
and  throw  out  numerous  bright  sparks  and  scin- 
tillations,— that  a  certain  kind  of  air,  called  the 
nitrous  oxide,  when  inhaled  into  the  lungs,  pro- 
duces an  extraordinary  elevation  of  the  animal 
spirits,  an  irresistible  propensity  to  laughter,  a 
rapid  flow  of  vivid  ideas,  and  a  thousand  de- 
U^tfiil  emotions,  without  any  subsequent  feel- 
ings (if  debility  or  exhaustion — and,  that  it  is  not 
altoge  her  improbable,  according  to  the  deduc- 
tions of  some  modern  chymists,  that  "  oxygen 
and  hydrogen,  with  the  assistance  of  the  solar 
light,  are  the  only  elementary  Substances  em- 
ployed iathe  constitution  of  the  whole  imiverse;" 
80  that  Nature,  in  all  her  operations,  works  tho 
most  infinitely  diversified  effects,  by  the  slightest 
moditications  in  the  means  she  employs. 

Such  are  only  a  few  specimen*  of  the  curious 
and  interesting  subjects  which  the  physical  sci- 
ences present  to  the  reflecting  mind.  And  is  it 
conceivable  that  a  rational  being  can  make  such 
object-s  as  those  I  have  now  specified  the  subject 
of  his  frequent  study  and  contemplation,  and  not 
feel  pleasures  and  enjoyments  far  superior  to 
those  of  the  mass  of  maniund,  who  are  either 
immersed  in  sensuality,  or  enveloped  witli  the 
mists  of  i  ^norance  ?  The  man  who  has  such 
subjects  to  study  and  investigate,  and  such  ob- 
jects to  cimtemplate,  can  never  be  destitute  of 
enjoym  -nt.  If  happiness  depends  on  the  activity 
of  the  mind,  and  the  range  of  objects  presented 
before  it,  wherever  he  is  placed, — whether  at 
home  or  abroad,  in  the  city  or  in  the  country,  he 
can  never  be  at  a  loss  for  means  of  mental  grati- 
fication, and  of  increasing  his  stock  of  inteyectual 
wealth.  He  needs  not  envy  the  rich  and  the  noble, 
on  account  of  the  elegance  of  their  mansions  and 
the  splendour  of  their  equipage ;  for  the  magnifi- 


cence and  glories  of  the  universe,  and  all  th« 
beauties  of  terrestrial  nature  lie  before  him.  and 
are  at  all  times  ready  to  minister  to  his  enjoy- 
ment. In  investigating  the  admirable  arrange- 
ments which  appear  in  the  economy  of  crcaion, 
in  tracing  throughout  that  economy  the  perfec- 
tions of  his  Creator,  and  in  looking  forward  to  a 
nobler  slate  of  existence  where  his  views  of  the 
divine  empire  shall  be  expanded,  he  can  enjoy  a 
sa'istaction  and  delight  which  the  wealth  of  this 
world  cannot  bestow,  and  which  its  frowns  and 
calamities  cannot  destroy. 

Besides  the  pleasures  derived  from  a  contem- 
plation of  the  doctrines  and  the  facts  of  science, 
— there  is  a  positive  grati^ciition  in  tracing  the 
steps  by  v>hich  the  discoveries  of  science  have  been 
made. — the  reasonings  and  demonstrations  by 
which  its  doctrines  are  supported,  and  the  experi- 
ment* by  which  they  are  proved  and  illustrated. 
In  this  point  of  view,  the  study  of  several 
branches  of  mathematical  science,  however  ab- 
struse they  may  at  first  sight  appear,  will  afford 
a  high  degree  of  gratification  to  the  mind. 
When  it  is  amiounced  as  a  pro|)osition  in  geo- 
metry, "  that  the  square  described  on  the  hypo- 
thenuse,  or  longest  side  of  a  right  angled  tri- 
angle, is  equal  to  the  sum  of  the  squares  de- 
scribed on  the  other  side,"* — it  is  pleasing«to 

•  The  following  figure  will  convey  an  Idea  to  the 
unlearned  reader  of  the  meaning  of  ttus  proposi- 
Uon. 


A  B  Cls  a  rieht  angled  triangle,  having  the  right 
angle  at  C,  and  A  B  Is  tlie  hyiiotlienuse,  or  longest 
side.  By  geometrical  re.isoiiing  It  can  b<  denion- 
str.ited,  that  the  square  D, described  on  the  longest 
side  A  B,  y  exactly  equal  to  the  sum  of  the  (■qiKtres 
E  and  F,  described  on  the  other  two  sides.— One  of 
the  u.ises  of  this  proposition  will  appear  froi>)  the 
following  example.  Suppose  A  C  the  height  of  a 
wall  =  24  feet,  B  C  the  widtli  of  a  trench  =  18  feet; 
it  is  required  to  find  the  length  of  a  ladder  B  A  which 
will  reach  from  the  outside  of  the  trench  to  the  lop 
of  the  wall.  The  square  of  18  is  3*24  ;  Ihe  square  of 
24  is  576,  which  added  together  make  900,  cqii;i!  CO 
the  square  f) ;  tlw  square  root  of  whicli  is  30  =  the 
length  of  the  ladder.    On  this  principle  we  can  find 


M 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OP  KNOWLEDGE. 


perceive,  how  every  step  of  the  demoMtration 
proceeds  with  unerring  certainty,  and  leads  the 
mind  to  perceive  the  truth  uf  the  conclusion  to 
which  it  leals,  with  a.i  high  a  degree  of  demon- 
strative evidence  a«  that  3  added  to  6  make  9, 
or  that  6  multiplied  by  4  make  20.  In  like 
manner,  when  it  is  clearly  demons' rated  by  ma- 
thematical reasoning,  that  "  tJte  tlirce  angles  of 
•very  triangle,  whatever  be  ita  size  or  the  incli- 
nation of  Its  sides,  arc  exactly  equal  to  two  right 
'A.  an^e*,  or  180  degrees,''  and  tiiat  "  the  sides  of 
a  plane  triangle  are  to  one  another  as  the  sines 
of  the  angles  opposite  to  them,"  the  utility  and 
importance  of  these  truths  may  not  at  first  view 
be  appreciated,  however  convincing  the  evi- 
dence from  which  the  conclusions  are  deduced. 
But  when  the  student  comes  to  kno%v  that  on 
these  demonstrated  properties  of  a  triangle  de- 
pends the  mode  of  measuring  the  height  of 
mountains,  and  the  breadth  of  rivers, — uf  deter- 
mining the  circumference  of  the  earth,  the  dis- 
tance of  the  sun  and  moon,  the  magnitudes  of 
the  planets,  and  the  dimensions  of  the  solar  sys- 
tem,— it  cannot  but  afibrd  a  positive  gratification 
to  perceive  the  important  bearings  of  such  truths, 
and  that  the  astronomer,  when  he  announces  his 
aublime  deductions  respecting  the  sizes  and  dis- 
tances of  the  heavenly  bodies,  does  not  rest  on 
vague  conceptions,  but  on  observations  con- 
ducted wirh  the  nicest  accuracy,  and  on  calcu- 
lations <bnnded  on  principles  susceptible  of  the 
strictest  demonstration. 

•'  To  follow  a  demonstration  of  a  grand  ma- 
thematical truth,"  says  a  powerful  and  enlight- 
en^ writer, — "  to  perceive  how  clearly  and  how 
inevitably  one  step  succeeds  another,  and  how 
the  whole  steps  lead  to  the  conclusion, — to  ob- 
serve how  certainly  and  unerringly  the  reason- 
ing goes  on  from  things  perfectly  self-evident, 
and  by  the  smallest  addition  at  each  step,  every 
one  being  as  easily  taken  af\er  the  one  before  as 
the  first  step  of  all  was,  and  yet  the  result  being 
something,  not  only  far  from  self-evident,  but  so 
general  and  strange,  that  you  can  hardly  believe 
it  to  be  true,  and  are  only  convinced  of  it  by 
going  over  tlie  whole  reasoning, — this  operation 
of  the  understanding,  to  those  who  so  exercise 
tbenuelves,  always  affords  the  highest  delight." 

It  is  likewise  a  source  of  enjoyment  to  con- 
template the  ex|M-nments  by  which  the  doctrines 
of  science  are  supported,  and  the  reasonings  and 
deductions  founded  on  eXitei  imrntal  investiga- 
tions. When  a  person  is  told  that  the  atmos- 
phere presses  on  every  part  of  the  Kuiface  of  the 
earth  with  a  force  equal  to  two  ihoiisaml  one 
bnndred  aad  sixty  pounds  on  everv  square  fool, 
it  must  surely  be  gratifying;  lo  behold  a  column 
of  waief  supported  in  a  gUis  tul>o,  open  at  the 
Ivwer  emi, — and  a  square  Ixtttle  connected  with 
an  air-pump,  broken  to  piec«-*  by  the  direct  pres- 

Cbe  beifht  of  'he  in«i:nuins  in  the  moon,  when  the 
ettfth  to  tticlT  shauowf  Is  known. 


sure  of  the  atmosphere, — and  from  a  comparison 
of  the  weight  of  mercury  suspended  in  a  tube 
with  the  diameter  of  its  bore,  to  be  able  to  cal- 
culate the  atmospherical  pressure  on  ttie  body 
of  a  man,  or  even  on  the  whole  earth.  When 
he  is  told  that  one  ingredient  of  aimoKpheric  air 
is  the  principle  of  flaimt,  is  it  not  curious  and 
highly  interesting  to  behold  a  piece  of  iron  bt:m- 
ing  in  this  gas,  throwing  out  brilliant  •'parks  of 
white  flame,  and  illuminating  a  large  hall  with  a 
dazzling  lustre  ? — and  when  he  is  informed  that 
fixed  air  is  the  heaviest  of  the  gases,  and  de- 
structive to  flame  and  animal  life, — is  it  not  gra- 
tifying to  perceive  this  invisible  fluid  poured  from 
one  vessel  to  another,  and  when  poured  on  the 
flame  of  a  candle  ttiat  it  instantly  extingiiiNhes 
it  ?  Many  of  the  deductions  of  natural  science 
are  so  wonderful,  and  so  unlike  every  thing  we 
should  have  previously  conceived,  ihat  to  the  un- 
tutored mind  they  appear  almost  incredible,  and 
little  short  of  unfounded  and  extravagant  asser> 
tions.  When  such  a  one  is  told  that  "  any 
quantity  of  liquid,  however  small,  will  counter- 
poise any  quantity,  however  great,*' — that  the 
rubbing  of  a  glass  cylinder  against  a  cushion 
will  produce  the  effect  of  setting  fire  to  spirits 
of  wine,  or  of  bursting  a  bladder  of  air  at  the 
distance  of  a  hundred  feet  from  the  machine — 
that  the  galvanic  agency  will  produce  a  violent 
and  uncommon  effect  upon  the  nervous  and  mus- 
cular  system — and  that  in  certain  vegetable  in- 
fusions, myriads  of  animals  of  various  forms, 
may  be  seen  a  tiiousand  times  less  than  the 
smallest  visible  point — such  assertions  are  apt 
to  stagger  his  belief  as  improbable  and  extrava^ 
gant.  But  when  he  actually  sees  in  the  first 
case,  a  large  hogshead  that  would  hoki  above  a 
hundred  gallons,  filled  with  water,  and  a  long 
tube  whose  bore  is  not  half  an  inch  in  diameter, 
firmly  inserted  into  its  top,  and  a  small  quantity 
of  water  scarcely  exce<-ding  a  quart,  poured  into 
the  tube — and  then  beholds  the  top  rapidly 
swelling,  and  in  a  few  moments,  the  whole  cask 
burst  to  pieces,  and  the  water  scattered  in  every 
direction, — or  in  the  second  case,  when  he  sees 
alcohol  suddenly  taking  fire,  and  a  bladder  filled 
with  oxygen  and  hydrogen  gas,  exploding  with  a 
tremendous  re|iort,  merely  by  the  turning  of  the 
electri'  al  machine  at  the  other  end  of  a  long 
hall,  and  the  inteqKwition  of  a  wire,— or,  when 
in  the  third  case,  he  sees  a  person  drink  a  glass 
of  poller  whirh  hss  a  wire  around  it  connected 
with  a  galvanic  battery,  and  at  a  certain  stage 
of  the  o|)eration,  receive  a  tremendous  concus- 
sion, which  makes  him  start  and  roar  like  a 
madman,  or,  in  the  last  case,  when  he  looks 
through  a  powerful  microscope,  and  j>erceiv«s 
hundreds  of  mites  like  so  many  young  pigs, 
clambering  ninong  r>x-ks  of  cheese,  and  thou- 
sands of  fishes  in  a  drop  of  water — such  experi- 
mental illustrations  of  the  trutlis  of  science,  can- 
not fail  to  prove  highly  satisfactory,  and  to  aflbrd 


PLEASURES  CONNECTED  WITH  SCIENCE. 


57 


no  inconsiderable  degree  of  entertainment  and 
delight. 

Tke  occasionai  performance  of  scientific  experi- 
ments, as  opportunity  offers,  and  the  conslrvclion 
of  philosuphical  instrumerUs,  may  also  be  con- 
verted into  a  source  of  enjoyment.  In  the  one 
case,  the  student  of  nature  may  derive  gratifica- 
tion, in  being  the  means  of  conununicating  en- 
tertainment and  instruction  to  others ;  and  in  the 
other,  he  may  whet  his  ingenuity,  and  increase 
his  mental  vigour,  and  be  enabled,  at  a  small  ex- 
pence,  to  gra'.ify  his  curiosity  in  contemplating 
the  various  processes,  and  the  beauties  and  sub- 
limities of  nature.  Many  of  the  instruments  of 
science,  when  elegantly  constructed,  are  beyond 
the  reach  of  the  general  mass  of  mankind,  on 
account  of  their  expense ;  but  a  person  of  mode- 
rate reflection  and  ingenuity,  during  his  leisure 
hours,  can  easily  construct  at  an  inconsiderable 
expense,  many  of  the  most  useful  instruments 
which  illustrate  the  facts  of  science.  For  ex- 
ample, a  powerful  compound  microscope,  capa- 
ble of  enabling  us  to  perceive  the  most  interest- 
ing minute  objects  in  the  animal,  vegetable,  and 
mineral  kingdoms,  may  be  constructed  at  an  ex- 
pense of  little  more  than  a  crown,  provided  the 
individual  constructs  the  tubes  and  other  appa- 
ratus of  pasteboard,  wood,  or  other  cheap  mate- 
rials ;  and  the  occasional  exercise  of  the  mental 
powers  in  such  devices,  so  far  from  being  irk- 
some or  fatiguing,  are  generally  accompanied 
with  satisfaction  and  pleasure. 

It  is  true,  indeed,  that  the  study  of  some  of 
the  subjects  above  mentioned,  particularly  the 
first  principles  of  the  mathematics,  may,  in  the 
outset,  be  attended  with  some  didiculties,  and  to 
some  minds  may  wear  a  dry  and  uninteresting 
aspect.  But  as  the  mind  proceeds  onwards  in 
its  progress,  and  acquires  clearer  conceptions  of 
what  at  first  appeared  difficult  or  obscure— 
every  difficulty  it  is  enabled  to  surmount  gives  a 
new  relish  to  the  subject  of  investigation,  and 
additional  vigour  to  the  intellect,  to  enable  it  to 
vanquish  the  difficulties  which  still  remain, — till 
at  length  it  feels  a  pleasure  and  an  interest  in  the 
pursuit,  which  no  difficulties,  nor  even  the  lapse 
of  time  can  ever  effectually  destroy.  "  Let  any 
man,"  says  Lord  Brougham,  "  pass  an  evening 
in  vacant  idleness,  or  even  in  reading  some  silly 
tale,  and  compare  the  state  of  his  mind  when  he 
goes  to  sleep  or  gets  up  next  morning,  with  its 
state  some  other  day  when  he  has  passed  a  few 
hours  in  going  through  the  proofs,  by  facts  and 
reasonings,  of  some  of  the  great  doctrines  in 
Natural  Science,  learning  truths  wholly  new  to 
him,  and  satisfying  himself  by  careful  examina- 
tion of  the  grounds  on  which  known  truths  rest, 
so  as  to  be  not  only  acquainted  with  the  doc- 
trines themselves,  but  able  to  show  why  he  bo- 
Ueves  them,  and  to  prove  before  others  that  tliey 
are  true  ; — he  will  find  as  great  a  difference  as 
can  exist  in  the  same  being, — the  difference  be- 


tween looking  back  upon  lime  unprofitably 
wasted,  and  time  spent  in  self-improvement ;  he 
will  feel  himself  in  the  one  case  listless  and  dis- 
satisfied, in  the  other,  comfortable  and  happy ; 
in  the  one  case,  if  he  do  not  appear  to  himself 
humbled,  at  least  he  will  not  have  earned  any 
claim  to  his  own  respect ;  in  the  other  case,  he 
will  enjoy  a  proud  consciousness  of  having  by 
his  own  exertions,  become  a  wise,  and  therefore 
a  more  exalted  creature." 

The  subjects  to  which  1  have  now  adverted, 
may  be  considered  not  merely  in  reference  to  the 
gratification  they  afford  to  the  understanding, 
but  likewise  in  reference  to  the  benq/irial  influx 
ence  they  rvotdd produce  on  the  heart,  and  on  iociat 
and  domestic  enjoyment. 

All  the  truths  relative  to  the  Creator's  opera- 
tions in  the  universe,  when  properly  contempla- 
ted, are  calculated  to  produce  a  powerful  and  in- 
teresting impression  upon  the  affections.  Is  a 
person  gratified  at  beholding  symmetry  and  beauty 
as  displayed  in  the  works  of  art, — what  a  high 
degree  of  delightful  emotion  must  be  felt  in  sur- 
veying the  beautiful  arrangements  of  Infinite 
Wisdom,  in  the  variety  of  forms,  the  nice  pro- 
portions, the  exquisite  delicacy  of  texture,  and 
the  diversified  hues  which  adorn  the  vegetable 
kingdom, — in  the  colours  of  the  morning  and 
evening  clouds  of  a  summer  sky,  the  plumage  of 
birds,  the  admirable  workmanship  on  the  bodies 
of  insects,  the  fine  polish  of  sea-shells,  the  va- 
riegated wavings  and  colouring  of  jaspers,  to- 
pazes, and  emeralds,  and  particularly  in  those 
specimens  of  divine  mechanism  in  insects, 
plants,  and  flowers,  which  the  unassisted  eye 
cannot  discern,  and  which  the  microscope  alone 
can  unfold  to  view !  Has  he  a  taste  for  the  sub» 
lime?  How  nobly  is  he  gratified  by  an  enlight* 
ened  view  of  the  nocturnal  heavens,  where  suns 
unnumbered  shine,  and  mighty  worlds  run  their 
solemn  rounds !  Such  contemplations  have  a 
natural  tendency,  in  combination  with  Christian 
principles  and  motives,  to  raise  the  affections  to 
that  Almighty  Being  who  is  the  uncreated  source 
of  all  that  is  sublime  and  beautiful  in  creation,— 
to  enkindle  the  fire  of  devotion,-^to  excite  adora- 
tion of  his  infinite  excellences,  and  to  produce 
profound  humility  in  his  presence.  Such  studies 
likewise  tend  to  preserve  the  mind  in  calmness 
and  serenity  under  the  moral  dispensations  of 
Him  whose  wisdom  is  displayed  in  all  his  ar- 
rangements, and  whose  "  tender  mercies  are 
over  all  his  works," — and  to  inspire  it  with  hop* 
and  confidence  in  relation  to  the  future  scenes  of 
eternity,  from  a  consideration  of  his  power,  be- 
nevolence, and  intelligence,  as  displayed  through- 
out the  universe,  and  of  the  inexhaustible  sources 
of  felicity  he  has  it  in  his  power  to  distribute 
among  numerous  orders  of  beings  throughout  an 
immortal  existence.  Contemplating  the  nume- 
rous displays  of  Divine  munificence  around  us 


58 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSFON  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


iHrarilCad  orden  of  driighted  existence 
dMt  pMple  the  air,  the  waters,  and  the  rarth, 
the  nice  adaptation  of  their  organs  and  faculties 
to  their  different  xituations  and  modes  of  life,  the 
ample  provision  made  for  their  wants  and  rnjoy* 
menta,  and  the  butindless  dimensions  of  the  di> 
▼Ine  empire,  where  similar  instances  of  bene  - 
Cence  are  displayed— the  heart  is  disposed  to 
rest  with  confidence  on  Him  who  made  it,  coo- 
yinced  that  hiii  almighty  power  qualifies  him  to 
make  us  happy  by  a  variety  of  means  of  which 
we  have  no  adequate  conception,  and  that  his 
faithfulness  and  benevolence  dispose  him  to  with* 
bold  no  real  good  "  fi-oro  tliero  that  walk  up- 
rightly." 

Such  studies  would  likewise  tend  to  heighten 
the  delights  of  social  enjoyment.  There  is  no- 
thing more  grating  to  the  man  of  intelligence  than 
the  foolish  and  trifling  conversation  which  pre- 
vails in  the  various  intercourses  of  social  life, 
even  among  the  middling  and  the  higher  circles 
of  society,  and  in  convivial  associations.  The 
ribaldry  and  obscenity,  the  folly  and  nonsense, 
and  the  laughter  of  fools  which  too  frequently 
distinguish  such  associations,  are  a  disgrace  to 
our  civilized  condition,  and  to  our  moral  and  in- 
teUectual  nature.  Without  supposing  that  it  will 
ever  be  expedient  to  lay  aside  cheerfulness  and 
rational  mirth,  the  lively  smile,  or  even  the  loud 
laugh,  it  is  surely  conceivable,  that  a  more  ra- 
tional and  improving  turn  might  be  given  to  gene- 
ral conversation  than  what  is  frequently  exem- 
plified in  our  social  intercourses.  And  what  can 
we  suppose  better  calculated  to  accomplish  this 
end  than  the  occasional  introduction  of  topics 
connected  with  science  and  general  knowledge, 
when  all,  or  the  greater  part,  are  qualified  so  take 
a  share  in  the  general  conversation  ?  It  would 
tend  to  stimulate  the  mental  faculties,  to  suggest 
useful  hints,  to  diffuse  general  infonnation,  to 
improve  science  and  art,  to  excite  the  ignorant  to 
increase  in  knowledge,  to  present  interesting  ob- 
jects of  contemplation,  to  enliven  the  spirits,  and 
thus  to  afford  a  source  of  rational  enjoyment. 
It  would  also  have  a  tendency  to  prevent  those 
shameful  excesses,  noisy  tumults,  and  scenes  of 
inlemptranee  which  so  frequently  terminate  our 
ftstive  entertainments.  For  want  of  qualifica- 
tions for  such  conversation,  cards,  dice,  childish 
qaestiona  and  amusements,  gossiping  chit-chat, 
and  tales  of  scandal  are  generally  resorted  to,  in 
order  to  consume  the  hours  allotted  to  social  en- 
joyment. And  how  melancholy  the  reflection, 
that  rational  beings  capable  of  investigating  the 
laws  and  phenomena  of  the  universe,  and  of  pro- 
•ecuting  the  most  exalted  range  of  thought,  and 
who  are  deadned  to  exist  in  other  worlds,  through- 
out an  encUen  duration — should  be  impelled  to 
retort  to  such  degrading  expedients,  to  wheel 
away  tlie  social  hotn^ ! 

Domestic  enjoyment  might  &Jtem$t  he  height' 
tmtd  ami  improved  by  the  studies  to  which  we 


have  adverted.  For  want  of  qiialifiraticins  tor 
rational  conversation,  a  spirit  of  lislle^^lll:^)'  mni 
indifference  frequently  insinuates  iiMlf  iiiii.  the 
intercourse*  of  families,  and  between  married 
individuals,  which  sometimes  de^eiH-ra'e>  into 
freifulness  and  impatience,  and  even  uiio  jars, 
contentions,  and  violent  alierratirns ;  in  which 
case  there  can  never  exist  any  higli  <>(.'tee  cf 
affection  or  domestic  enjoyment.  It  in  Mirely 
not  unreasonable  to  suppose,  that  were  il  e  riiimki 
of  persons  in  the  married  stale  possess e<j  <.f  a 
certain  portion  of  knowledge,  and  endowed  «ith 
a  relish  for  rational  investigations—  not  onlv 
would  such  disagreeable  effects  be  jrevt-nted, 
but  a  variety  of  positive  enjoyments  vdild  be 
introduced.  Substantial  knowledge,  whi<h  leads 
to  the  proper  exercise  of  the  mental  powers,  has 
a  tendency  to  meliorate  the  temper,  and  to  pre- 
vent those  ebullitions  of  passion,  which  sie  the 
results  of  vulgarity  and  ignorance.  By  iiivigo" 
rating  the  mind,  it  prevents  it  from  sini  ing  into 
peevishness  smd  inanity.  It  affords  subjews  for 
interesting  conversation,  and  augments  affertioB 
by  the  reciprocal  interchanges  of  sentiment  and 
feeling,  and  the  mutual  communiratior.  if  ii>* 
struct  ion  and  entertainment.  And  in  cases  w  here 
malignant  passions  are  ready  to  burst  f  r*!!,  ra- 
tional arguments  will  have  a  more  powerfi;!  influ- 
ence in  arresting  their  progress,  in  cultivated 
minds,  than  in  those  individuals  in  whose  consti- 
tution animal  feeling  predominates,  and  reason 
has  lost  its  ascendancy.  As  an  enlightened 
mind  is  generally  the  seat  of  noble  and  liberal 
sentiments — in  those  cases  where  the  parties  bo- 
long  to  different  religious  sectaries,  there  is  more 
prohability  of  harmony  and  mutual  forbearance 
being  displayed,  when  persons  take  an  enlarged 
view  of  the  scenes  of  creation,  and  the  revela- 
tions of  the  Creator,  than  can  be  expected  in  the 
case  of  those  whose  faculties  are  immersed  in 
the  mists  of  superstition  and  ignorance. 

How  delightful  an  enjoyment  w  it,  aPer  tlw 
bustle  of  business  and  the  labours  of  the  day  are 
over, — when  a  married  couple  can  sit  dew  n  at 
each  comer  of  the  fire,  and,  with  mutnal  relish 
and  interest,  read  a  volume  of  history  or  cf  po 
pular  philosophy,  and  talk  of  the  moral  govern- 
ment of  God,  the  arrangements  of  his  providence, 
and  the  wonders  of  the  universe !  Such  inter- 
esting conversations  and  exercises  beget  a  mutual 
esteem,  enliven  the  affections,  and  produce  a 
friendship  lasting  as  our  existence,  and  wlirh  no 
untoward  incidents  can  ever  effectually  impair. 
A  Christian  pastor,  in  giving  an  account  of  the 
last  illness  of  his  beloved  partner,  in  a  late  peri<^ 
dical  work,  when  alluding  to  a  book  she  had  read 
along  with  him  about  two  months  before  her  de- 
cease, says,  "  I  iihall  never  forget  the  pleasure 
with  which  she  studied  the  illustrations  of  the 
divine  perfections  in  that  interesting  book.  Ris- 
ing from  the  contemplation  7f  the  variety,  beauty, 
immensity,  and  order  of  the  creation,  she  e> 


PLEASURES  CONNECTED  WITH  SCIENCE. 


ulted  in  the  as»<irance  of  having  the  Creator  for 
her  father,  anacipated  with  great  joy  the  vision 
of  hi:n  in  the  next  world,  and  calculated  with  un- 
hesita  ing  confidence  on  the  sufficiency  of  his 
boundless  nature  to  engage  her  most  intense  in- 
terest, and  to  render  her  unspeakably  happy  for 
ever."  [t  is  well  known  that  the  late  lamented 
Princess  Charlotte,  and  her  consort  Prince  Leo- 
pold, lived  together  in  the  greatest  harmony  and 
aifectijn;  and  from  what  her  biographers  have 
stated  respecting  her  education  and  pursuits,  it 
appears  that  the  mutual  friendship  of  these  illus- 
trious individuals  was  heightened  and  cemented 
by  the  rational  conversation  in  which  they  in- 
dulged, and  the  elevated  studies  to  which  they 
were  devoted.  Her  course  of  education  em- 
braced the  English,  classical,  French,  German, 
and  Italian  languages;  arithmetic,  geography, 
astronomy,  the  first  six  books  of  Euclid,  algebra, 
mechanics,  and  the  principles  of  optics  and  per- 
spective, along  with  history,  the  policy  of  govern- 
ments, and  particularly  the  principles  of  the 
Christian  religion.  She  was  a  skilful  musician, 
had  a  fine  perception  of  the  picturesque  in  na- 
ture, and  was  fond  of  drawing.  She  took  great 
pleasure  in  strolling  on  the  beach,  in  marine  ex- 
cursions, in  walking  in  the  country,  in  rural 
scenery,  in  conversing  freely  with  the  rustic  in- 
habitants, and  in  investigating  every  object  that 
seemed  worthy  of  her  attention.  She  was  an 
enthusiastic  admirer  of  the  grand  and  beautiful 
in  nature,  and  the  ocean  was  to  her  an  object  of 
peculiar  interest.  After  her  union  with  the 
prince,  as  their  tastes  were  similar,  they  engaged 
m  the  same  studies.  Gardening,  drawing,  mu- 
sic, and  rational  conversation,  diversified  tlieir 
leisure  hours.  They  took  great  pleasure  in  the 
culture  of  flowers — in  the  classification  of  them 
— and  in  the  formation,  with  scientific  skill,  of  a 
kortus  siccus.  But  the  library,  which  was  fur- 
nished with  the  best  books  in  our  language,  was 
their  favourite  place  of  resort ;  aind  their  chief 
daily  pleasure,  mutual  instruction.  They  were 
seldom  apart  either  in  their  occupations  or  in 
their  amusements ;  nor  were  they  separated  in 
their  religious  duties.  "  They  took  sweet  coun- 
sel together,  and  walked  to  the  house  of  God  in 
company ;"  and  it  is  also  stated,  on  good  autho- 
rity, that  they  had  established  the  worship  of 
God  in  their  family,  which  was  regularly  attended 
by  every  branch  of  their  household.  No  won- 
der, then,  that  they  exhibited  an  auspicious  and 
a  delightful  example  of  private  and  domestic  vir- 
tue, of  conjugal  attachmmt,  and  of  unobtrusive 
charity  and  benevolence.  In  the  higher  circles 
of  society,  as  well  as  in  the  lower,  it  would  be  of 
immense  importance  to  the  interests  of  domestic 
happiness,  that  the  taste  of  the  Princess  Char- 
lotte was  more  closely  imitated,  and  that  the 
fashionable  frivolity  and  dissipation  which  so 
generally  prevail  were  exchanged  for  the  pursuits 
of  knowledge,  and  the  delights  of  rational  and 


improving  conversation.  Then  those  family 
feuds,  contentions,  and  separations,  and  those 
prosecutions  for  matrimonial  infideliiy  Nvhich  are 
now  so  common,  would  be  less  frequently  ob- 
truded on  public  view,  and  examples  of  virtue, 
affection,  and  rational  conduct,  would  be  set  be- 
fore the  subordinate  ranks  of  the  conmiunity, 
which  might  be  attended  witli  the  most  beneficial 
and  permanent  results,  not  only  to  the  present, 
but  to  future  generations. 

In  short,  the  possession  of  a  large  store  of 
intetfectual  wealth  would  fortify  the  soul  in  the 
prospect  of  every  evil  to  which  humanity  is 
subjected,  and  would  afford  consolation  and 
solace  when  fortune  is  diminished,  and  the 
greater  portion  of  external  comforts  is  with- 
drawn. Under  the  frowns  of  adversity,  those 
worldly  losses  and  calamities  which  drive  un- 
thinking men  to  desperation  and  despair,  would 
be  borne  with  a  becomhig  magnanimity ;  the 
mind  having  within  itself  the  chief  resources  of 
its  happiness,  and  becoming  almost  independent 
of  the  world  around  it.  For  to  the  individual 
whose  happiness  chiefly  depends  on  intellectual 
pleasures,  retirement  from  general  society,  and 
the  bustle  of  the  world,  is  oflen  the  state  of  his 
highest  enjoyment. 

Thus  I  have  endeavoured  briefly  to  illustrate 
the  enjoyments  which  a  general  diffusion  of 
knowledge  would  produce — from  a  considera- 
tion of  the  limited  conceptions  of  the  untutored 
mind  contrasted  with  the  ample  and  diversified 
range  of  view  presented  to  the  enlightened  im- 
derstanding — from  the  delightful  tendency  of 
scientific  pursuits,  in  enabling  us  to  trace,  from 
a  single  principle,  an  immense  variety  of  effects, 
and  surprising  and  unexpected  resemblances 
where  we  least  expected  to  find  them, — from 
the  grand  and  sublime  objects  it  presents  before 
us — ^from  the  variety  of  novel  and  interesting 
scenes  which  the  different  departments  of  phy- 
sical science  unfold — from  the  exercise  of  tracing 
the  steps  by  which  scientific  discoveries  have 
been  made — and  from  the  influence  of  such 
studies  on  the  affections  and  on  social  and  do- 
mestic enjoyment. 

For  want  of  the  knowledge  to  which  I  have 
alluded,  it  happens  that  few  persons  who  have 
been  engaged  in  commercial  or  agricultural  pur- 
suits feel  much  enjoyment,  when,  in  the  decline 
of  life,  they  retire  from  the  active  labours  in 
which  they  had  been  previously  engaged.  Re- 
tirement and  respite  from  the  cares  of  business 
afford  them  little  gratification,  and  they  feel  a 
vacuity  within  which  nothing  around  them  or 
within  the  range  of  their  conceptions  can  fill  up . 
Being  destitute  of  a  taste  for  intellectual  pur- 
suits, and  devoid  of  that  substratum  of  thought 
which  IS  the  ground-work  of  mental  activity  and 
of  rational  contemplation,  they  enjoy  nothing  of 
that  mental  liberty  and  expansion  of  soul  which 


to 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


the  retremU  of  solitude  aflord  to  the  contempla- 
tive miod ;  and,  when  not  engaged  in  foctive 
uaociationa,  are  apt  to  sink  into  a  species  of  list- 
leaaaess  and  ennui.     Thejr  stalk   about  from 
one  place  to  another  without  any  dctiniic  ob- 
ject in  view — look  at  evury  thing  around  with  a 
kind  of  unconscious  gaze — are  glad  to  indulge 
in  irifhn^  tiilk  and  gossip  with  every  one  they 
meet — and,  feeling  how  Uttle  enjoyment  they  de- 
rive from  their  own  reflections,  not  unfequently 
slide  into  habits  of  sensuality  and  intemperance. 
From  what  we  have  stated  on  tiiis  topic,  it 
evidently  appears  that  the  pursuits  of  science 
are  fitted  to  yield  a  positive  gratification  to  every 
rational  mind.     It  presents  to  view,  processes, 
combinations,  metamorphoses,  motions,  and  ob> 
jects  of  various  descriptions  calculated  to  arrest 
the  attention  and  to  astonish  the  mind,  far  more 
than  all  the  romances  and  tales  of  wonder  that 
were  ever  invented  by  the  human  imagination. 
When  the  pleasures  arising  from  such  studies 
are  rendered  accessible  to  all,  human  happiness 
will  be  nearly  on  a  level,  and  the  ditferent  ranks 
of  mankind  will  enjoy  it  nearly  in  an  equal  de- 
gree.    As  true  enjoyment  depends  chiefly  on 
the  state  of  the  mind,  and  the  train  of  thought, 
that  passes  through  it,  it  follows,  that  when  a 
man   prosecutes    a  rational   train  of  thought, 
and  finds  a  pleasure  in  the  contemplation  of  in- 
tellectual objects,  his  happiness  is  less  dependent 
OQ   mere  sensitive  enjoyments,  and  a  smaller 
portion  of  external  comforts  will  be  productive 
of  enjoyment  than  in  the  case  of  those  whose 
chief  pleasure  consists  in  sensual  gratifications. 
When  intellectual  pursuits,  therefore,  shall  oc- 
cupy the  chief  attention  of  mankind,  we  may  in- 
dulge the  hope,  that  those  restless  and  insatiable 
desires  which  avarice  and  ambition  never  cease 
to  create,  will  seldom  torment  the  soul,  and  that 
a  noble  generosity  of  mind  in  relauon  to  riches 
will  distinguish  persons  of  every  rank,  and  be 
the  means  of  producing  enjoyment  wherever  its 
influence  extends. 


SECTION  V. 

Oir  THE  rHACTICAL  IWrLnEWC*  or  iCIER- 
TiriC  KROWLKOOK,  AND  ITS  TENDEHCY  TO 
PEOMOTE  THE  EXTEEEAL  COMFOKTS  OF 
•EEEEAL   tOCIETT. 

Ik  the  preceding  section  I  have  considered  the 
beneficial  tendency  of  knowledge  and  the  plea- 
•ores  it  aflbrds,  chiefly  in  reference  to  the  un- 
derstanding  and  the  aflections.  In  the  present 
■ection  I  ^all  coosider  it  more  particularly,  in 
regard  to  ha  pinaetieal  fffket$  on  the  active  em- 
pl^rmenta  and  the  external  comforts  of  the 
nriddlmg  and  lower  orders  of  the  community.— 
Every  art,  being  faaded  M  icienti&c  princ4>lea, 


and  directed  in  it*  operations  by  the  experi* 
mental  deductions  of  philonophy,  it  follows,  ihM 
a  knowledge  of  the  principles  of  science  miMtb« 
conducive  to  a  ikiljul  practice  of  the  arts,  and 
mu&t  have  a  tendency  to  direct  the  genius  of  the 
artist  to  carry  them  to  their  highest  pilch  of  inv 
provement.  In  illustrating  (his  topic,  I  shaH 
endeavour  to  show  that  an  acquainlanru  »i'h 
science  would  render  mechanics,  manufacturers, 
and  labourers  more  expert  and  skilful  in  iheir 
diflierent  departments — would  pave  the  way  for 
future  discoveries  and  improvements — and  that 
the  knowledge  and  spirit  which  produced  such 
improvements  would  promote  the  external  conw 
ibrts  of  mankind. 

I.  A  knowledge  of  the  principles  of  science 
would  render  manufacturers,  mechanics,  and 
common  labourers  of  all  descriptions  more  skilful 
in  their  respective  professions  and  employments. 
In  the  arts  of  dyeing  and  ccdtco-printing, 
every  process  is  conducted  on  the  principles  of 
chymistry.  Not  a  colour  can  be  imparted  but 
in  consequence  of  the  affinity  which  subsists 
between  the  cloth  and  the  dye,— or  the  dye  and 
the  mordant  employed  as  a  bond  of  union  be- 
tween them ;  and  the  colours  will  be  liable  to 
vary,  unless  the  artist  take  into  account  the 
changes  which  take  place  in  them  by  the  absorp- 
tion of  oxygen  ; — a  knowledge  of  which  and  of 
the  different  degrees  of  oxidizement  which  the 
several  dyes  undergo,  requires  a  considerable 
portion  of  chymical  skill;  and  such  knowledge 
is  absolutely  necessary  to  enable  either  the 
dyer  or  the  calico  printer  to  produce  in  all  cases 
permanent  colours  of  the  shade  he  intends.  To 
chymistry,  too,  they  must  be  indebted  for  the 
knowledge  they  may  acquire  of  the  nature  of  the 
articles  they  use  in  their  several  processes — 
for  the  artificial  production  of  their  most  valua- 
ble mordants — and  for  some  of  their  most  beau- 
tiful and  brilliant  colours.  As  an  evidence  of 
this,  it  is  sufficient  to  state,  that,  to  produce 
such  colours  as  an  olive  ground  and  yellow 
figures,  a  scarlet  pattern  on  a  black  ground,  or  a 
brown  ground  with  orange  figures,  formerly 
required  a  period  of  many  weeks ;  but  by  means 
ofchymical  preparations  the  whole  of  this  work 
may  now  be  done  in  a  few  days,  and  patterns 
more  delicate  than  ever  produced,  with  a  degree 
of  certainty  of  which  former  manufacturers  couM 
have  no  idea ;  and  all  this  is  effected  by  dyeing 
the  cloth  a  self-colour  in  the  first  instance,  and 
aAerwards  merely  printing  the  pattern  with  a 
chymical  preparation,  which  discharges  a  part 
of  the  original  dye,  and  leaves  a  new  colour  in 
its  stead. 

The  art  ofbleaehing  has  likewise  receired  so 
many  important  improvements  from  chymical  se^ 
ence,  that  no  one  is  now  capable  of  conducting  its 
processes  to  advantage  who  is  ignorant  of  the 
scientific  principles  on  which  the  present  praiv 
tke  of  that  art  is  (bunded.     Till  abot-i 'ka  doe* 


UTILITY  OP  CHYMICAL  KNOWLEDGE. 


rf  the  eighteenth  century,  the  old  tedious  process 
of  bleaching  continued  in  practice.  But,  about 
that  period  the  introduction  of  the  oxymuriatic 
add,  combined  with  alkalis,  lime  and  other  in- 
gredients, in  bleaching  cottons  and  linens,  has 
given  an  entirely  new  turn  to  every  part  of  the 
process,  so  that  the  process  which  formerly  re- 
quired several  months  for  its  completion  can 
now  be  accomplished  in  a  few  days,  and  with  a 
degree  of  perfection  which  could  not  previously 
be  attained.  Even  in  a  few  hours,  that  which 
formerly  required  nearly  a  whole  summer,  can 
now  be  effected,  and  that,  too,  merely  by  the 
action  of  an  almost  invisible  fluid.  As  the 
whole  process  of  bleaching,  as  now  practised, 
consists  almost  entirely  of  chymical  agents  and 
operations,  every  person  employed  in  this  art, 
ought  to  possess  a  certain  portion  of  chymical 
knowledge,  otherwise  many  of  its  processes 
would  run  tlie  risk  of  being  deranged,  and  the 
texture  of  the  materials  undergoing  the  process 
of  being  either  materially  injured  or  completely 
destroyed. 

The  operation  of  brewing  fermented  liquors 
is  likewise  a  chymical  process.  The  student 
of  chymistry  will  learn  how  the  barley  in  the 
iirst  instance  is  converted  into  a  saccharine 
substance  by  malting ;  how  the  fermentative 
process  converts  the  saccharine  to  a  spirituous 
substance,  and  how  the  latter,  by  continuing  the 
process,  becomes  changed  into  vinegar.  He 
will  also  learn  the  means  of  promoting  and 
encouraging  this  process,  and  how  to  retard  and 
check  it,  when  it  is  likely  to  be  carried  too  far, 
so  as  to  be  sure  of  uniformly  obtaining  satisfac- 
tory results.  In  this  and  in  every  other  process, 
it  must  therefore  be  of  importance  to  «cquire 
some  knowledge  of  the  prmciples  of  natural  sub- 
stances, and  of  the  nature  of  those  changes 
which  take  place  in  the  materials  on  which  we 
operate.  In  the  manufaclure  of  toap,  it  is 
reckoned  by  those  intimately  acquainted  with  the 
process,  that  many  thousands  per  annum,  now 
lost  to  the  community,  might  be  saved,  were  the 
trade  carried  on  upon  scientific  principles. 
When  a  soap  boiler  is  an  accomplished  chymist, 
he  knows  how  to  analyze  barilla,  kelp,  potass, 
and  other  materials,  so  as  to  ascertain  the  pro- 
portion of  alkali  in  each ;  and  when  these  arti- 
cles are  at  an  exorbitant  price,  he  will  have 
recourse  to  various  residuums,  which  he  will 
decompose  by  chymical  means,  and  use  as  sub- 
stitutes. He  will  know  how  to  oxydize  the 
common  oils  and  oil-dregs,  so  as  to  give  them 
consistence,  and  render  them  good  substitutes 
for  tallow — and  how  to  apportion  his  lime  so  as 
to  make  his  alkali  perfectly  caustic,  without 
using  an  unnecessary  quantity  of  that  article. 
The  mrmufficture  of  candles  might  also  derive 
advantage  from  chymical  science,  [t  is  found 
that  foreign  tallows  frequently  contain  a  large 
portion  of  acid  rendering  them  inferior  to  the 


English,  which,  by  chymical  means  may  be 
purified  at  a  very  small  expense,  and  by  the 
proper  application  of  chymical  agents,  other 
brown  tallows  may  be  rendered  beautifully 
white,  and  fit  for  the  best  purposes.* 

The  tanning  of  hides  is  now  ascertained  to 
consist  in  impregnating  the  animal  matter  with 
that  peculiar  principle  taken  from  the  vegetable 
kingdom,  called  tan,  the  effect  of  which  is  ex- 
plained entirely  on  chymical  principles.  It  is 
now  known  that  many  substances  besides  oak- 
bark,  contains  tan,  and  to  chymistry  we  are 
indebted  for  the  means  of  discovering  with 
accuracy  the  quantity  of  tan  which  the  several 
astringent  vegetables  contain.  It  is  supposed 
not  to  be  improbable,  when  the  manufacturers 
shall  have  paid  proper  attention  to  chymical 
science,  that  the  article  in  question  may  be  pre- 
pared in  chymical  laboratories,  so  as  entirely  to 
supersede  the  use  of  oak  bark,  since  the  princi- 
ple of  tanning  has  already  been  formed  art^ 
dally  by  a  modern  chymist. f — It  is  also  well 
known,  that  to  chymical  research,  the  manufac- 
tures of  earthen-ware  and  porcelain  are  indebted 
for  the  improved  state  in  which  they  are  now 
found.  For,  the  successful  management  of  all 
their  branches,  from  the  mixture  of  the  materials 
which  form  the  body  of  the  ware,  to  the  produc- 
tion of  those  brilliant  colours  with  which  such 
articles  are  adorned — is  dependent  on  the  prin- 
ciples of  chymical  science.  The  celebrated 
Wedgewood,  to  whom  this  branch  of  manufac- 
ture is  so  highly  mdebted,  devoted  his  whole 
attention  to  the  improvement  of  his  art  by  the 
application  of  his  chymical  knowledge,  of  which 
few  men  possessed  a  larger  share  ;  and  he  has 
been  heard  to  declare,  "  that  nearly  all  the  diver- 
sified colours  applied  to  his  pottery  were  pro- 
duced only  by  the  oxides  of  iron." 

There  are  few  persons  to  whom  a  knowledge 
of  chymistry  is  of  more  importance  than  to  the 
Agrtadturiit.  It  will  teach  him  to  analyse  the 
soils  on  the  different  parts  of  his  farm,  and  to 
subject  to  experiment  the  peat,  the  marie,  the 
lime  and  otlier  manures,  in  order  to  ascertain 
the  advantages  to  be  derived  from  them,  and 
the  propriety  of  applying  them  in  particular  in- 
stances. It  will  teach  him  when  to  use  lime 
hot  from  the  kiln,  and  when  slacked,  how  to 
promote  the  putrefactive  process  in  his  com- 
posts, and  at  what  period  to  check  it,  so  as  to 
prevent  the  fertilizing  particles  becoming  un- 
protific  and  of  little  value.  It  will  also  teach 
him  tlie  difference  in  the  properties  of  marie, 
lime,  dung,  mud,  ashes,  alkaline  salt,  soap- 
waste,  sea-water  and  other  manures,  and,  con- 
sequently, which  to  prefer  in  all  varieties  of 
soil.     It  is  said  that  the  celebrated  Lavoisier 


*  For  most  of  the  above  hints  the  author  i»  to- 
dehted  to  Mr.  Parkes. 

*  Segerin.    See  Nicolson's  Phil.  Journal,  4to.  voL 
L  p.  371. 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


cultirmtAd  140  turres  of  land  in  La  Vendee,  on 
chymkal  principles,  in  urdrr  to  *e(  a  good  ex- 
ample to  tiie  farmera ;  and  his  mode  of  culture 
was  attendrd  with  so  much  success,  that  he  ob- 
tained a  third  more  of  crop  than  was  procured 
by  tlie  usual  method,  ami  in  nine  years  his  an- 
nual produce  was  doubled. 

I  might  also  have  illustrated  the  practical  ad- 
▼aniaves  of  chymical  science  in  relation  to  the 
art  of  txtTOfiing  mftaU  from  their  area, — the  con- 
version of  iron  into  steel,  and  the  metallic  ore 
into  malleable  iron — the  manufacture  of  gluu, 
almm,eiipptn»,  blue  vitriol,  tnda  potmih,  Moroc- 
e»-Jealhtr,  paper,  starch,  varTiith,  and  Prutdan- 
Miie— the  refining  of  sugar,  saltpetre,  gold  and 
tUver — the  artificial  formation  of  ice — the  method 
^  prettroing  Jlth,  meat,  and  other  articles  of 
food,  and  various  other  processes  connected 
with  the  practical  departments  of  life,  all  of 
which  arc  strictly  chymical  operations,  and  can 
b«  improved  and  brought  to  perfection  chiefly 
ikfj  the  knowledge  and  application  of  the  doc- 
trines and  facts  of  chymical  science. 

With  regard  to  the  professions  of  the  p/^si' 
oan,  mrgeon,  and  apothecary,  it  is  now  univer- 
sally admitted,  that  an  extensive  acquaintance 
with  the  principles  and  facts  of  chymistry  is  es- 
sentially requisite  to  the  successful  practice  of 
these  arts.  The  human  body  may  be  considered 
aa  a  species  of  laboratory,  in  which  the  various 
processes  of  absorption,  secretion,  fermenta- 
tion, composition  and  decomposition  are  in- 
cessantly going  forward.  Every  article  of  food 
and  drink  we  throw  into  the  stomach,  every 
portion  of  atmospheric  air  we  receive  into  the 
lungs,  every  impression  we  derive  from  the  sur- 
rounding elements,  every  motion  of  the  heart 
and  lungs,  and  every  pulse  that  vibrates  within 
us,  may  be  considered  as  effecting  a  chymical 
change  in  the  vital  fluids,  and  in  every  part  of 
the  animal  system ;  the  nature  of  which  it  is  of 
the  utmost  importance  to  the  medical  practi- 
tioner thoroughly  to  investigate  and  understand. 
For,  how  can  he  be  supposed  to  be  successful 
in  his  attempts  to  counteract  the  disorders  to 
which  the  human  frame  is  incident,  and  to  pro- 
duce a  chymical  effect  on  the  constitution  of  his 
patient,  if  he  is  ignorant  either  of  the  processes 
which  are  going  on  in  the  system,  of  the  chy- 
mical properties  of  the  substances  which  he 
throws  into  it,  or  of  the  effects  which  they  will 
certainly  produce  ?  If  he  is  ignorant  of  the 
diymical  affinities  that  subsist  between  the  va- 
rious articles  of  the  Materia  Medica,  he  may 
oAen  administer  preparations  which  are  not 
only  inefficacious,  but  even  poisonous  and  de- 
•Inictire  to  his  patient.  When  two  chymical 
■nbstances,  each  of  which  might  be  adminis- 
tsred  teparattly  with  safety,  are  combined,  they 
Moetimes  produce  a  substance  which  is  highly 
deleterious  to  the  animal  system.  For  example, 
although  mercury  and  oxygenixed  mwrialie  add 


have  both  been  administered,  and  either  of  then 
may  be  taken  separately  without  injury  to  the 
animal  economy, — yet  if  a  medical  practitioner, 
igiK>rant  of  the  chymical  affiniiirs  of  such  tub- 
Btances,  and  of  the  quality  of  the  com(>ound, 
should  give  both  of  them  in  conjunction,  ihe  most 
dreadful  consequences  might  ensue  :  since  the 
product  of  this  mixture,  orygeniied  muriate  of 
mercury,  is  known  to  be  a  most  corrosive  poi- 
son ;  and  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  hundreds 
of  lives  have  been  destroyed,  by  ignorant  pre* 
tenders  to  medical  science,  in  consequence  vi 
the  injudicious  administration  of  such  delete- 
rious preparations. 

But  chymistry  is  not  the  only  science  whidi 
is  of  utility  in  the  arts  which  minister  to  ihs 
comfort  and  pecuniary  interests  of  society. 
Geometry,  trigonometry,  conic  sections,  and 
other  branches  of  mathemalicaJ  knowledge  ;  hy- 
drostatics, hydraulics,  mechanics,  optics,  bota> 
ny,  mineralogy  and  the  other  departments  of  the 
physical  sciences,  may  be  rendered  of  essential 
service  to  artisans  and  mechanics  of  various  de- 
scriptions. All  the  sciences  are,  in  some  de- 
gree, connected,  and  reflect  a  muttial  light  upon 
one  another;  and  consequently  the  man  who 
has  the  aoost  extensive  acquaintance  with 
scieiKe,  is  best  qualified  for  carrying  to  per- 
fection any  one  department  of  the  useful  arts. 

Practical  Geometry  is  highly  useful  to  almost 
every  mechanic  ai>d  artisan,  particularly  to 
mill-wrights,  bricklayers,  carpenters  and  ma- 
sons. It  teaches  them  to  form  angles  of  any 
assigned  number  of  degrees,  to  draw  parallel 
and  perpendicular  lines,  to  proportion  circumfi^ 
rences  to  diameters,  to  divide  circular  rims  into 
any  number  of  parts,  to  estimate  the  square  or 
cubical  contents  of  any  piece  of  workmanship, 
and  to  calculate  the  price  they  ought  to  receive 
for  any  work  they  perform,  according  to  its 
solid  or  superficial  dimensions.  In  forming  e^ 
timates  of  the  expense  of  any  proposed  under* 
taking,  the  carpenter,  bricklayer,  and  architect 
must  find  such  knowledge  essentially  requisite , 
and  even  the  common  labourer  who  undertakes 
the  formation  of  roads,  the  digging  of  pits,  and 
the  clearing  away  of  rubbish,  will  find  the  prin- 
ciples of  arithmetic  and  geometry  of  im|K>rtant 
service  in  estimating  the  rate  at  which  he  can 
perform  such  operations.  The  following  geome- 
trical theorems,  besides  many  others,  are  capa^ 
ble  of  a  variety  of  practical  applications,  in 
many  departments  of  the  arts.  "  If,  from  the 
two  ends  of  any  diameter  of  the  circles  two  lines 
be  drawn  to  meet  in  any  one  point  of  the  circle 
whatever,  such  lines  are  perpendicular  to  each 
other,"  or,  in  other  words,  they  form  a  right 
angle  at  the  point  of  contact.*     Again,  "  The 

•  For  example,  If  from  the  two  ends  of  the  diame- 
ter A  ud  B,  the  lines  A  C,  B  C  b(  drawn  to  the  point 
C,  these  lines  will  be  perpeni"«ular  to  each  other 
and  cunsevwatly  theanfle  at  C  will  be  a  rlfbt  an 


PRACTICAL  UTILITY  OP  MECHANICAL  PRINCIPLES. 


6S 


Kreas  of  all  circles  are  in  exact  proportion  to 
the  squares  of  their  radii,  or  half  diameters." 
If,  for  example,  we  draw  a  circle  with  a  pair  of 
compasses  whose  points  are  stretched  4  inches 
asunder,  and  another  with  an  extent  of  8  inches, 
the  large  circle  is  exactly  four  lime*  the  size  or 
area  of  the  small  one.  For  the  square  of  4 
is  =  16,  and  the  square  of  8  is  =  64,  -which  is 
four  times  16.  And  as  the  circumferences  of 
the  circles  are  in  proportion  to  the  radii,  it  will 
follow,  that  the  length  of  a  string  which  would 
go  round  the  curve  of  the  larger  circle  is  ex- 
actly double  the  length  of  one  which  would  go 
round  the  lesser.  Mechanics,  in  recognising 
such  theorems,  will  meet  with  many  opportuni- 
ties of  reducing  them  to  practice. — Again,  there 
is  a  figure  which  Geometricians  term  a  parabola, 
which  is  formed  every  time  we  pour  water  for- 
cibly from  the  mouth  of  a  tea-kettle,  or  throw  a 
stone  forward  from  the  hand.  One  property  of 
the  parabola  is,  that  if  a  spout  of  water  be  di- 
rected at  half  a  perpendicular  from  the  ground, 
or  at  an  angle  of  elevation  of  45  degrees,  it  will 
come  to  the  ground  at  a  greater  distance  than 
if  any  other  direction  had  been  given  it,  a  slight 
allowance  being  made  for  the  resistance  of  the 
air.  Hence  the  man  who  guides  the  pipe  of  a 
fire-engine  may  be  directed  how  to  throw  the 
water  to  the  greatest  distance,  and  he  who  aims 
at  a  mark,  to  give  the  projectile  its  proper  di- 
rection.— To  surveyors,  navigators,  land-mea- 
aurers,  gaugers  and  engineers  a  knowledge  of 
the  mathematical  sciences  is  so  indispensably 
requisite,  that,  without  it,  such  arts  cannot  be 
■kMilly  exercised. 


gle.  In  like  manner  the  lines  A  D,  and  B  D,  A  B  and 
B  E,  will  stand  at  right  angles  to  each  other;  and 
the  same  wiii  be  the  case  to  whatever  point  of  the 
circle  such  lines  are  drawn.  The  practical  appli- 
cation of  this  principle,  in  various  operations,  will, 
at  once,  be  obvious  to  the  intellieent  mechanic,  es- 
pecially when  he  intends  the  two  ends  or  sides  of 
any  piece  of  machinery  to  stand  perpendicular  to 
each  other. 


The  physical  sciences  are  also  of  the  greatest 
utility  in  almost  every  department  of  art.  To 
masons,  architects,  ship-builders,  carpenters 
and  every  other  class  employed  in  combining 
materials,  raising  weights,  quarrying  stones, 
building  piers  and  bridges,  splitting  rocks,  or 
pumping  water  from  the  bowels  of  the  earth, — a 
knowledge  of  the  principles  of  mechanics  and 
dynamics  is  of  the  first  importance.  By  mcams 
of  these  sciences  the  nature  of  the  lever  and 
other  mechanical  powers  may  be  learned,  and 
their  forces  estimated — the  force  produced  by 
any  particular  combination  of  these  powers  cal- 
culated— and  the  best  mode  of  applying  such 
forces  to  accomplish  certain  effects,  ascertained. 
By  a  combination  of  the  mechanical  powers  the 
smallest  force  may  be  multiplied  to  an  almost  in> 
definite  extent,  and  with  such  assistance  man  has 
been  enabled  to  rear  works  and  to  perform  ope- 
rations which  excite  astonishment,  and  which 
iiis  own  physical  strength,  assisted  by  all  that 
the  lower  animals  could  furnish,  would  have 
been  altogether  inadequate  to  accomplish.  An 
acquaintance  with  the  experiments  which  hare 
been  made  to  determine  the  strength  of  materials, 
and  the  results  which  have  been  deduced  from 
them,  is  of  immense  importance  to  every  class 
of  mechanics  employed  in  engineering  and 
architectural  operations.  From  such  experi- 
ments, (which  have  only  been  lately  attended  to 
on  scientific  principles)  many  useful  deductions 
might  be  made  respecting  the  best  form  of  mor- 
tises, joints,  beams,  tenons,  scarphs,  &c. ;  the 
art  of  mast  making,  and  the  manner  of  dbposing 
and  combining  the  strength  of  different  sub- 
stances in  naval  architecture,  and  in  the  rear- 
ing of  our  buildings.  For  example, — from  the 
experiments  now  alluded  to  it  has  been  deduced, 
that  the  strength  ofany  piece  of  material  depend* 
chiefly  on  its  depth,  or  on  that  dimension  which 
is  in  the  direction  of  its  strain.  A  bar  of  timber 
of  one  inch  in  breadth,  and  two  inches  in  depth 
IS  four  times  as  strong  as  a  bar  of  only  cme  inch 
deep ;  and  it  is  twice  as  strong  as  a  bar  two 
inches  broad  and  one  deep,  that  is,  a  joint  or 
lever  is  always  strongest  when  laid  on  its  edge. 
Hence  it  follows,  that  the  strongest  joist  that 
can  be  cut  out  of  a  round  tree  is  not  the  one 
which  has  the  greatest  quantity  of  timber  in  it, 
but  such  that  the  product  of  its  breadth  by  the 
square  of  its  depth  shall  be  the  greatest  pos- 
sible.— Again,  from  the  same  experiments  it  is 
found,  that  a  hollow  tube  is  stronger  than  a  solid 
rod  oorUturung  the  same  quantity  of  matter.  This 
property  of  hollow  tubes  is  also  accompanied 
with  greater  stiffness ;  and  the  superiority  in 
strength  and  stiffness  is  so  much  the  greater  as 
the  surrounding  shell  is  thinner  in  proportion  to 
its  diame-.er.  Hence  we  find  that  the  bones  of 
men  and  other  animals  are  formed  holkjw,  which 
renders  then^  incomparably  stronger  and  stiffer, 
gives  more  room  for  the  insertion  of  muscles^ 


64 


ON  THK  GENEKAL  DlPPUSrOST  OF  RNOWLEDOS. 


•im)  makes  them  lighter  and  more  mgile,  than  if 
tliey  were  constnictod  nf  solid  matter.  In  like 
manner  the  boiie!)  of  birds,  which  arc  thinner 
than  those  of  other  animal*,  and  the  quillii  in 
their  win^,  acquire  by  tlieir  thinnexa  the 
strength  which  \a  necessary,  while  they  are  so 
light  as  to  give  sufficient  buoyancy  to  the  ani- 
Bud  in  its  flight  through  the  aerial  regions.  Our 
engineers  and  carpenters  have,  of  late,  begun  to 
imitate  nature  in  this  respect,  and  now  make 
their  axles  and  other  parts  of  machinery  hollow, 
which  both  saves  a  portion  of  materials  and  ren- 
ders them  stronger  than  if  they  were  solid.* 

The  departments  of  kydnkatici  and  hydraty- 
lie*,  which  treat  of  the  pressure  and  motion  of 
fluids,  and  the  method  of  estimating  their  velo- 
city  and  force,  require  to  be  thoroughly  under* 
stood  by  all  those  who  are  employed  in  the 
construction  of  common  and  forcing-pumps, 
water-mills,  fountains,  fire-engines,  hydrostati- 
cal  presses  ;  and  in  the  formation  of  canals,  wet- 
docks,  and  directing  the  course  of  rivers ;  other- 
wise they  will  constantly  be  liable  to  commit 
egregious  blunders,  and  can  never  rise  to  emi- 
nence in  their  respective  professions.  Such 
principles  as  the  following :— that  fluids  press 
equiJly  in  all  directions,— that  they  press  as 
much  vpwards  as  downward*, — that  water,  in 
several  tubes  that  communicate  with  each  other, 
will  stand  at  the  same  height,  in  all  of  them, 
whether  they  be  small  or  great,  perpendicular  or 
oblique, — that  the  pressure  of  fluids  is  directly 
as  their  perpendicuiar  height,  without  any  regard 
to  their  quantity,— and  that  the  quantities  of 
water  discharged  at  the  same  time,  by  different 
apertures,  under  the  same  heiglh  of  surface  in 
the  reservoir,  are  to  each  other  nearly  as  the 
areas  of  their  aperture8,^will  be  found  capable 
of  extensive  application  to  plumbers,  engineers, 
pump-makers,  and  all  who  are  employed  in 
conducting  water  over  hills  or  vallies,  or  in 
using  it  as  a  mechanical  power,  by  a  recogni- 
tion of  which  they  will  be  enabled  to  foresee, 
with  certainty,  the  results  to  be  exnected  from 
their  plans  and  operations ;  for  want  of  which 
knowledge  many  plausible  schemes  have  been 
frustrated,  and  sums  of  money  expended  to  no 
purpose. 

The  following  figures  and  explanations  will  tend 
to  illustrate  some  of  the  principles  now  stated : 
—1 .  Fluids  press  in  proportion  to  their  perpetv- 
dieuiar  height*,  and  the  base  of  the  vessel  con- 
taining them,  without  regard  to  the  quantity. 
Thus,  if  the  vessel  ABC,  fig.  S,  has  its  bai>e 
BC  equal  to  the  base  FG  of  tlie  cylindrical  ves- 
sel DEFG,  fig.  1 ,  but  is  much  smaller  at  the  top 
A  than  at  the  bottom,  and  of  the  same  height ; 
the  pressure  upon  the  bottom  BC  is  ai  great  as 

•The  meehanlcAl  reader  who  withes  particular 
Infonnatlon  on  thts  tiiblect  Is  referred  tf  the  arUrle 
Btrenflh  i.f  mauriatt  In  Bney.  Brit-  Sd  edit,  which 
was  written  by  the  late  Professor  RobUon. 


the  pressure  upon  the  bottom  of  the  veuel  DB 
FG,  when  they  are  filled  with  water,  or  any 
other  liquid,  notwithstanding  that  tiiere  will  be  a 
much  greater  quantity  of  water  in  the  cylindri* 
cal  than  in  the  conical  vessel ;  or,  in  otJi>-r  words, 
the  bottom  BC  will  sustain  a  pressure  equal  to 
what  it  would  be  if  tlie  vessel  were  as  wide  at 
the  top  as  at  the  bottom.  In  like  manner,  the 
bottom  of  the  vessel  HIKL,  fig.  3,  sustains  a 
pressure  only  equal  to  the  column  whose  base  is 
KL,  and  height  KM,  and  not  as  the  whole 
quantity  of  fluid  contained  in  the  vessel ;  all  the 
rest  of  the  fluid  being  supported  by  the  sides. 
The  demonstration  of  these  positions  would  uiv 
cupy  too  much  room,  and  to  many  readers  would 
appear  too  abstract  and  uninteresting ;  biK  they 
will  be  found  satisfactorily  demonstrated  in  most 
books  which  treat  of  the  doctrines  of  hydro** 
tatics. 
t.  The  positions  now  stated  ibrm  the  founds* 


UTILITY  OF  HYDROSTATICS. 


65 


tion  of  the  hydrostaticai  paradox,  namely,  "  that 
a  quantity  of  fluid,  however  small,  may  be  made 
to  counterpoise  a  quantity,  however  great." 
Thus,  if  to  a  wide  vessel  AB,  we  attach  a  tube 
CD,  communicating  with  the  vessel,  and  pour 


water  into  it,  the  water  will  run  into  the  larger 
vessel  AB,  and  will  stand  at  the  same  height  C 
and  G  in  both.  If  we  affix  an  inclined  tube  EF, 
likewise  communicating  with  the  large  vessel, 
the  water  will  also  stand  at  E,  at  the  same  height 
is  in  the  other  two ;  the  perpendicular  altitude 
»eing  the  same  in  all  the  three  tubes,  however 
■imail  the  one  may  be  in  proportion  to  the  other. 
This  experiment  clearly  proves  that  the  small  co- 
kmm  of  water  balances  and  supports  the  large 
oolumn,  whicli  it  could  not  do  if  the  lateral  pres- 
sures at  bottom  were  sot  equal  to  each  other. 


Whatever  be  the  inclination  of  the  tube  EP,  still 
the  perpendicular  altitude  will  be  the  same  as 
that  of  the  other  tubes,  although  the  column  of 
water  must  be  much  longer  than  those  in  the  up- 
right tubes.  Hence  it  is  evident,  that  a  small 
quantity  of  a  fluid  may,  under  certain  circum- 
stances, counterbalance  any  quantity  of  the  same 
fluid.  Hence  also  the  truth  of  the  principle  io 
hydrostatics,  that  "  in  tubes  which  have  a  commv- 
ideation,  whether  they  be  equal  or  unequal,  ihort  or 
oblique,  thejimd  altvays  rises  to  tite  same  height,'* 
From  these  facts  it  foJows,  that  water  cannot  be 
•conveyed  by  means  of  a  pipe  that  is  laid  in  a  re- 
servoir to  any  place  that  b  higher  than  the  reseiv 
voir. 

These  principles  point  out  the  mode  of  con- 
veying water  across  valleys  without  those  expen- 
sive aqueducts  which  were  erected  by  the  an- 
cients for  this  purpose.  A  pipe,  conforming  to 
the  shape  of  the  valley,  will  answer  every  pur- 
pose of  am  aqueduct.  Suppose  tlie  spring  at  A, 
fig.  5,  and  water  is  wanted  on  the  other  side  of 
the  valley  to  supply  the  house  H,  a  pipe  of  lead 
or  iron  laid  from  the  spring-head  across  the  val- 
ley will  convey  the  water  up  to  the  level  of  the 
spring-head ;  and  if  the  house  stand  a  little  lower 
than  the  spring-head,  a  constant  stream  will  pour 
into  the  cisterns  and  ponds  where  it  is  required, 
as  if  the  house  had  stood  on  the  other  side  of  the 
valley  ;  and,  consequently,  will  save  the  expense 
of  the  arches  BB,  by  which  the  ancient  Romans 
conducted  water  from  one  hill  to  another.  But, 
if  the  valley  be  very  deep,  the  pipes  must  be 
made  very  strong  near  its  bottom,  otherwise  they 
will  be  apt  to  burst ;  as  the  pressure  of  water 
increases  in  the  rapid  ratio  of  1,  3,  5,  7,  9,  &c. 
and  is  always  in  proportion  to  its  perpendicular 
height. 


S.  Fluids  press  in  oR  directions,  laterally  and 
upwards,  as  well  as  downwards.  That  fluids 
press  lateraUy  may  be  seen  by  boring  a  hole  in 
the  side  of  a  cask  containing  any  liquid,  when 
the  liquid  will  run  out  in  consequence  of  the 
lateral  pressure.  The  upward  pressure  is  not 
80  obvious,  but  is  clearly  proved  by  the  following 
experiment,  with  an  instrument  generally  termed 
the  hydrostatic  bellows  .'—This  machine  con- 


sists of  two  thick  oval  boards,  about  18  inches 
long  and  16  inches  broad,  united  to  each  other 
by  leather,  so  as  to  open  and  shut  like  a  pair  of 
cpmmon  bellows,  but  without  valves.  Into  this 
instrument  a  pipe  B,  several  feet  high,  is  fixed 
at  D.  If  we  pour  water  into  the  pipe  at  its  top 
C,  it  will  run  into  the  bellows  and  separate  the 
boards  a  little.  If  we  then  lay  three  weights, 
each  weighing  100  pounds,  upon  the   upper 


ON  THE  GEITERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEIiOB, 


bovd,  and  pour  more  water  into  the  pipe,  it 
will  run  into  the  bellows,  and  raise  up  the 
board  with  all  the  weights  upon  it.  And  though 
the  water  in  the  tube  should  weigh  in  all  only  a 
quarter  of  a  pound,  yet  the  pressure  of  thia 
small  force  upon  the  wat<;r  below  in  the  bellows 
■hall  support  the  weights,  which  are  300  pounds  ; 
nor  will  they  have  weight  enough  to  make  them 
descend,  and  conquer  the  weight  of  water,  by 
forcing  it  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  pipe.  The 
reaaon  of  this  will  appear  from  what  has  been 
abeady  stated  respecting  the  pressure  of  fluids 
of  equal  heights,  without  any  regard  to  the 
quantities.  For,  if  a  hole  be  made  in  the  upper 
board,  and  a  tube  be  put  into  it,  the  water  will 
rite  in  the  tube  to  the  same  height  that  it  do«a 
in  the  pipe  ;  ani  it  would  nse  as  high  (by  sup- 
plying the  pipe)  in  as  many  tubes  as  the  board 
would  contain  holes.  Hence,  if  a  man  stand 
upon  the  upper  board,  and  blow  into  tlie  bellows 
through  the  pipe,  he  will  raise  himself  upward 
upon  the  board  ;  and  the  smaller  the  bore  of  the 
pipe  is,  the  easier  will  he  be  able  to  raise  him- 
self. And  if  he  put  his  finger  oo  the  top  of  the 
pipe  he  may  support  hinMelf  u  long   as  he 


The  uses  to  which  this  power  may  be  applied 
■n«fpaatTarietj  and  extent ;  and  ihe  braiicbea 


of  art  dependent  upon  it  appear  to  be  yet  in  their 
infancy.  By  the  application  of  this  power  the 
late  Mr.  Bramah  formed  what  is  called  the  Hjf- 
drottatie  Pre**,  by  which  a  prodigious  force  ia 
obtained,  and  by  the  help  of  which,  hay,  straw, 
wool,  and  other  light  substances,  may  be  forced 
into  a  very  xinall  bulk,  so  as  to  be  taken  in 
large  quantities  on  board  a  ship.  With  a  ma- 
chine,  on  this  principle,  of  the  size  of  a  tea-pot, 
standing  i>efore  him  on  a  table,  a  man  is  enabled 
to  cut  through  a  thick  bar  of  iron  as  easily  as  he 
could  clip  a  piece  of  pasteboard  with  a  pair  of 
sheers.  By  this  machine  a  pr''<ssure  of  600  or 
600  tons  may  be  brought  to  bear  upon  any  sul^ 
stances  which  it  is  wished  to  press,  to  tear  up, 
to  cut  in  pieces,  or  to  pull  asunder. 

Upon  the  same  principle,  the  tun  or  hogshead 
HI,  fig.  7,  when  filled  with  water,  may  be 
burst,  by  pressing  it  with  some  pounds  addi- 
tional weight  of  the  fluid  through  the  small  tube 
KL,  which  may  be  supposed  to  be  from  U  to 
30  feet  in  height.  From  what  has  been  already 
stated,  it  necessarily  follows,  that  the  small 
quantity  of  water  which  the  tube  KL,  contains, 
presses  upon  the  bottom  of  the  tun  with  as  much 
force  as  if  a  column  of  water  had  been  added  aa 
wide  as  the  tun  itself,  and  as  long  as  the  tube, 
which  would  eridentlj  be  an  enonnoua  weifbt. 


UTILITY  OF  HYDROSTATICS. 


67 


A  few  years  ago,  a  friend  of  mine,  when  in  Ire- 
land, performed  this  experiment  to  convince  an 
English  gentleman,  who  called  in  question  the 
principle,  and  who  laid  a  bet  of  fifty  pounds  that 
it  would  not  succeed.  A  hogshead,  above  3  feet 
high,  and  above  2  feet  wide,  was  filled  with 
water  ;  a  leaden  tube,  with  a  narrow  bore,  be- 
tween 20  and  30  feet  long,  was  firmly  inserted 
into  the  top  of  the  hogshead  ;  a  person,  from  the 
upper  window  of  a  house,  poured  in  a  decanter 
of  water  into  the  tube,  and,  before  the  decanter 
was  quite  emptied,  the  hogshead  began  to  swell, 
and,  in  two  or  three  seconds,  burst  into  pieces, 
while  the  water  was  scattered  about  with  im- 
inense  force . 

Hence,  we  may  easily  perceive  what  mischief 
may  sometimes  be  done  by  a  very  small  quantity 
<jf  water,  when  it  happens  to  act  according  to  its 
perpendicular  height.  Suppose,  that  in  any 
building,  near  the  foundation,  a  small  quantity 
of  water,  only  of  the  extent  of  a  square  yard,  has 
settled,  and  suppose  it  to  have  completely  filled 
up  the  whole  vacant  space,  if  a  tube  of  20  feet 
long  were  thrust  down  into  the  water,  and  filled 
with  water  from  above,  a  force  of  more  than  5 
tons  would  be  applied  to  that  part  of  the  building, 
which  would  blow  it  up  with  the  same  force  as 
gunpowder.*  The  same  effect  may  sometimes 
be  produced  by  rain  falling  into  long  narrow 
chinks,  that  may  have  inadvertently  been  left  in 
building  the  walls  of  a  house  ;  which  shows  the 
importance  of  filling  up  every  crevice  and  open- 
ing of  a  building,  and  rendering  the  walls  as 
close  and  compact  as  possible.  Hence,  like- 
wise, similar  processes  Ln  nature,  connected 
with  pools  of  water  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth, 
may  occasionally  produce  the  most  dreadful 
devastations.  For,  should  it  happen,  that,  in 
the  interior  of  a  mountain,  two  or  three  hundred 
feet  below  the  surface,  a  pool  of  water  thirty  or 
forty  square  feet  in  extent,  and  only  an  inch  or 
two  in  depth,  was  collected,  and  a  small  crevice 
or  opi.-ning  of  half  an  inch  in  breadth  were  con- 
tinued from  the  surface  to  the  water  in  the 
pool ;  and  were  this  crevice  to  be  filled  with 
rain  or  melted  snow,  the  parts  around  the  layer 
of  water  would  sustain  a  pressure  of  more  than 
six  hundred  Ions,  which  might  shaice  the  moun- 
tain to  its  centre,  and  even  rend  it  with  the 
greatest  violence.  In  this  way,  there  is  every 
reason  to  believe,  partial  earthquakes  have  been 
produced,  and  large  fragments  of  mountains 
detached  from  their  bases. 

The  principles  now  illustrated  are  capable  of 
the  most  extensive  application,  particularly  in  all 
engineering  and  hydraulic  operations.  It  is  on 
the  principle  of  the  lateral  and  upward  pressure 
of  fluids  that  the  water,  elevated  by  die  New 
River  water-works,  in  the  vicinity  of  London, 
after  having  descended  from  a  bason  in  a  vertical 

*  See  Hg.  8.  P.M. 


pipe,  and  then,  after  having  flowed  horizontally 
in  a  succession  of  pipes  under  the  pavement,  is 
raised  up  again  through  another  pipe,  as  high  aa 
the  fountain  in  the  Temple  Garden.  It  is  upon 
the  same  principle  that  a  vessel  may  be  filled 
either  at  the  mouth  or  at  the  bottom  indilferently, 
provided  that  it  is  done  through  a  pipe,  the  top 
of  which  is  as  high  as  the  top  of  the  vessel  to  be 
filled.  Hence,  likewise,  it  follows,  tliat  when 
piers,  aqueducts,  or  other  hydraulic  works  for 
the  retention  of  water,  are  to  be  constructed,  it 
becomes  necessary  to  proportion  their  strength 
to  the  lateral  pressure  which  they  are  likely  to 
sustain,  which  becomes  greater  in  proportion  to 
the  height  of  the  water  to  be  sustained.  Walls, 
likewise,  designed  to  support  terraces,  ought  t* 
be  sufficiently  strong  to  resist  the  lateral  pressure 
of  the  earth  and  rubbish  which  they  are  to  sus- 
tain, since  this  pressure  will  be  greater  as  the 
particles  of  earth,  of  which  the  terraces  are 
composed,  are  less  bound  together,  and  in  pro» 
portion  as  the  terraces  are  more  elevated.  The 
increase  of  pressure  in  proportion  to  the  depth 
of  any  fluid  likewise  shows  the  necessity  of  form- 
ing the  sides  of  pipes  or  masonry  in  which  fluids 
are  to  be  retained,  stronger  towards  the  bottom, 
where  the  pressure  is  greatest.  Iftheyareno 
thicker  than  what  is  sufficient  for  resisting  the 
pressure  near  the  top,  they  will  soon  give  way  by 
the  superior  pressure  near  the  bottom ;  and  if 
they  are  thick  enough  in  every  part  to  resist  the 
great  pressure  below,  they  will  be  stronger  than 
necessary  in  the  parts  above,  and,  consequently, 
a  superfluous  expense,  that  might  have  been 
saved,  will  be  incurred  in  the  additional  materials 
and  labour  employed  in  their  construction.  The 
same  principle  is  applicable  to  the  construction 
of  flood-gates,  dams,  and  banks  of  every  de- 
scription, for  resisting  the  force  of  water.  When 
the  strength  and  thickness  requisite  for  resisting 
the  pressure  at  the  greatest  depth  is  once  ascer- 
tained, the  walls  or  banks  may  be  made  to  taper 
upwards,  according  to  a  certain  ratio  founded  on 
the  strength  of  the  materials,  and  the  gradual 
decrease  of  pressure  from  the  bottom  upwards ; 
or,  if  one  side  be  made  perpendicular,  the  other 
may  proceed  in  a  slanting  direction  towards  the 
top. 

From  the  principles  and  experiments  now 
stated,  we  may  also  leam  the  reason  why  the 
banks  of  ponds,  rivers,  and  canals  blow  up,  as  it 
is  termed.  If  wafer  can  insinuate  itself  under 
a  bank  or  dam,  even  although  the  layer  of  water 
were  no  thicker  than  a  half-crown  piece,  the 
pressure  of  the  water  in  the  canal  or  pond  will 
force  it  up.  In  fig.  8,  let  A  represent  the  secticm 
of  a  river  or  canal,  and  B  B  a  drain  running  under 
eae  of  its  banks ;  it  is  evident,  that,  if  the  bank 
C  is  not  heavier  than  the  column  of  watei  BB, 
that  part  of  the  bank  must  inevitably  give  way. 
This  effect  may  be  prevented  in  artificial  canali 
by  making  the  sides  very  tight  with  clay  heavily 


68 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


rammed  down,  or  hj  cutting  a  trench  EF,  about 
a  loot  and  a-half  widr,  along  the  bank  of  the  river 
or  canal,  and  a  little  deeper  than  the  bottom  of 
lh«  canal,  which  being  filled  up  with  earth  or  clay 


well  moistened  with  water,  forms,  when  dry,  a 
kind  of  wall  through  which  the  water  cannot  pe- 
netrate. By  inattention  to  such  circumstancei 
many  disasters  have  happened,  and  much  ex- 
pense needlessly  incurred ;  and,  therefore,  the 
■cientific  principles  to  which  I  have  now  adverted 
ought  to  be  known,  even  by  labourers  of  the 
loweat  rank  employed  in  operations  carried  on 
for  the  improvement  of  the  country. 

To  the  want  of  a  recognition  of  these  prin- 
ciples may  be  attributed  the  failure  of  the  follow- 
ing scheme,  and  the  disaster  with  which  it  was 
attended  : — After  the  diving-bell  was  invented, 
h  was  considered  desirable  to  devise  some  means 
of  remaining  for  any  length  of  time  under  wa- 
ter, and  rising  at  pleasure  without  assistance. 
"  Some  years  ago,  an  ingenious  individual  pro- 
posed a  project,  by  which  thb  end  was  to  be  ac- 
complished. It  consisted  in  sinking  the  hull  of  a 
■hip  made  quite  water-tight,  with  the  decks  and 
■ides  strongly  supported  by  shores,  and  the  only 
entry  secured  by  a  stout  trap-door,  in  fuch  a 
manner,  that,  by  disengaging  from  within  the 
weights  employeid  to  sink  it,  it  might  rise  of  itself 
to  the  surface.  To  render  the  trial  more  satis- 
ftetory  and  the  result  more  striking,  the  projec- 
tor himself  made  the  fir«t  essay.  It  was  agreed 
that  he  should  sink  in  twenty  fathoms  water,  and 
rise  agam  without  assistance  at  the  expiration  of 
t4  hours.  Accordingly,  making  all  secure, 
fiwtening  down  his  trap-door,  and  provided  with 
■0  DocoMaries,  as  well  as  with  the  means  of  mak- 
ii^  ngnab  to  indicate  his  situation,  this  unhappy 
vietim  of  hia  own  ingenuity  entered,  and  was 
sunk.  No  signal  was  made,  and  the  time  a|^ 
pointed  elapsed.  An  immense  conroune  of 
people  had  asaembled  to  witness  his  rising,  but 
ai  vain ;  ibr  the  vessel  wu  BOTer  seen  more .  7^ 
ptsssMTc  of  At  waUrat  «o  grtat  a  drpth  had,  no 
doubt,  been  completely  under-estimated,  and  the 
•Diet  of  the  vessel  being  at  once  crushed  in,  the 
udbrtnaate  projector  perished  before  he  could 


even  make  the  signal  concerted  to  indicate  his 
distress."* 

Many  other  applications  of  the  principles  of 
hydrostatics  might  have  been  mentioned,  but 
what  has  been  now  stated  may  serve  to  exemplify 
the  practical  utility  of  an  acquaintance  witii  sudi 
principles,  not  only  to  engineers  and  su|>erinte» 
dants  of  public  works,  but  to  mechanics  and  art^ 
ficers  of  every  description. 

The  science  of  Pneumatiet,  which  treats  of 
the  mechanical  properties  of  the  atmosphere, 
will  likewise  be  found  useful  to  mechnntca  and 
artists  of  various  dcscriptious,  to  whom  it  is,  in 
many  cases,  of  importance  to  know  something 
of  the  effects  of  the  refManee,  the  prunre,  and 
the  elaMieify  of  air.  The  construction  of  ban^ 
meters,  syphons,  syringes,  and  air-pumps,  d^ 
pends  upon  the  pressure  of  the  atmosphere,  and 
likewise  water-pumps,  fire-engines,  and  many 
other  hydraulic  machines ;  and,  consequently, 
the  constructors  of  such  instruments  and  en> 
ginea  must  frequently  act  at  random,  if  they  are 
unacquainted  with  the  nature  and  properties  of 
the  atmosphere,  nnd  the  agency  it  exerts  in  such 
mechanical  contrivances.!  Even  the  earpenttf 
and  the  mtuon  may  be  directed,  in  some  of  their 
operations,  by  an  acquaintance  with  the  doc- 
trines of  pneumatics.  When  two  pieces  of 
wood  are  to  be  glued  together,  they  are  first 
made  as  even  and  smooth  as  possible  ;  the  glue 
is  then  applied  to  one  or  both  of  the  surfaces  { 
they  are  then  pressed  together  till  the  glue  has 
become  thoroughly  dry.  The  use  of  the  glue  ii 
to  fill  up  every  crevice  in  the  pores  of  the  wood, 
so  as  to  prevent  the  admission  of  any  portion  of 
air  between  the  pieces ;  and  then   the  atmoe* 

*  Herschel's  "  DUcour$e  on  Ote  Study  of  NaM 
PMlMophy." 

t  As  an  illustration  of  the  Importance  of  beiitf 
arqualntcd  wiih  the  atmospheric  pressure,  the  foC 
lowing  anerdote  may  be  here  Inserted  t—A  respects 
ble  eentlemaii,  of  landed  property,  In  one  of  the 
middle  counlies  of  ScotliiDd,  applied  to  a  friend  of 
mine,  a  Lecturer  on  rhymistry  and  Natural  Phiuv 
sophy,  In  order  to  oht.-Un  hit  aitvtce  resperlln«  a 
pump'Wcll  which  he  had  lately  constructed  at  coiw 
slderable  expense.  He  told  him,  that,  notwIthstanV 
Inc  every  exertion,  he  could  not  obtain  a  drop  of 
water  from  the  spout,  althoufh  he  was  quite  sore 
there  was  plenty  of  water  In  the  well,  and  althcufh 
he  had  ptaitrred  it  all  ariitmd,  and  blockfd  vp  everp 
crrvtcf.  When  my  friend  inspected  the  pump,  he 
sus|)ec(eil  thnl  the  iipi>er  part  of  the  well  was  air- 
tight, and,  ronsequeiitly,  that  the  atmospheric  pres- 
sure could  not  an  on  the  surface  of  the  water  in  the 
well.  He  immeili.-itely  ordered  a  hole  to  be  bored 
adjacent  to  the  pump,  when  the  air  rushed  in  with 
coiuKlerable  force ;  and,  on  pumntnK.  the  water  flow- 
ed copiously  from  tlic  ii()out.  The  ^ntleman  was 
both  overjoyetl  and  astonished  ;  but  It  is  somewhat 
astunlshinx.  that  iieltlicr  lie,  nor  his  neixhlwurs,  nor 
any  of  the  workmen  who  had  licen  employed  in  Its 
construction,  should  have  been  able  to  point  out  the 
cause  of  the  defect ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  should 
have  taken  the  vrry  oppctUe  means  for  remedylnc 
It,  namely,  by  plastering  up  every  crevice,  so  at  to 
produce  a  kinil  of  vacuum  within  the  well.  This 
and  similar  facts  show  how  little  pio^rress  sclcntlflo 
knowledge  hat  yet  made,  even  auonf  the  ntddia 
classes  of  Uie  community. 


PRACTICAL  UTILITY  OF  PNEUMATICS. 


69 


phere,  with  a  force  equal  to  16  pounds  on  every 
square  inch,  presses  the  pieces  firmly  together. 
A  knowledge  of  this  principle  will  suggest  the 
propriety  of  filling  up  every  opening  or  crevice, 
and  continuing  the  pressure  for  some  time,  as 
the  air,  wherever  it  gains  admission,  has  a  ten- 
dency, by  its  elastic  force,  to  loosen  every  spe- 
cies of  cement.  The  same  principle  might  di- 
rect bricklayers  and  masons,  in  building  either 
stone  or  brick-walls,  in  suggesting  the  propriety 
of  filling  up  every  crevice  with  the  most  tena- 
cious cements,  so  as  to  prevent  the  access  of 
the  external  air  to  the  interior  of  the  walls. 
For  there  can  be  no  question  that  the  firmness 
and  stability  of  our  houses  and  garden- walls  de- 
pend, in  part,  upon  the  pressure  of  the  atmos- 
phere, after  the  interior  crevices  are  thoroughly 
filled  up.  An  extensive  knowledge  of  this 
science  would  Ukewise  direct  them  to  the  proper 
mode  of  constructing  the  flues  of  chimneys,  so 
as  to  prevent  that  most  disagreeable  of  all  cir- 
cumstances in  dwelling  houses,  smoky  chimneys. 
From  ignorance  of  the  effects  of  heat,  of  the 
experiments  that  have  been  made  on  rarefied 
air,  and  their  relation  to  our  common  fires, — of 
the  proper  dimensions  of  funnels, — of  the  effects 
of  winds  and  currents  of  air, — of  the  proper 
height  and  width  of  chimneys, — of  the  method 
of  promoting  a  good  draught,  and  making  the 
air  pass  as  near  the  fire  as  possible,  and  various 
other  particulars  requisite  to  be  attended  to  in 
the  construction  of  fire-places  and  their  flues ; 
many  dwelling-houses  have  been  bungled,  and 
rendered  almost  uninhabitable.  The  workmen, 
m  such  operations,  without  any  rational  princi- 
ple to  guide  them,  carry  up  funnels  in  the  easiest 
way  they  can,  according  to  the  practice  of"  use 
and  wont,"  and  leave  the  tenants  or  proprie- 
tors of  the  houses  they  erect  to  get  rid  of  their 
smoke  in  the  best  way  their  fancy  can  con- 
trive. Whereas,  were  chimneys  and  their  flues 
constructed  according  to  the  principles  of 
science,  they  might  be  rendered,  almost  with 
certainty,  completely  efficient  for  the  pur- 
pose intended. 

To  all  who  are  acquainted  with  the  nature 
and  properties  of  elastic  fluids,  it  must  be  ob- 
vious, that  the  whole  mystery  of  curing  smoky 
chimneys  consists  in  finding  out  and  removing 
the  accidental  causes  which  prevent  the  heated 
smoke  from  being  forced  up  the  chimney  by  the 
pressure  of  the  cool  or  heavier  air  of  the  room. 
These  causes  are  various  ;  but  that  which  will 
be  found  most  commonly  to  operate  is,  the  bad 
construction  of  the  chimney  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  fire-place.  "  The  great  fault,"  says  Count 
Rumford,  "  of  all  the  open  fire-places  now  in 
common  use  is,  that  they  are  much  too  large, 
or  rather  it  is  Me  throat  of  the  chimney,  or  the 
lower  part  of  its  open  canal,  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  mantle,  and  immediately  over  the 
fire,  which  is  too  large."    The  following  is  a 


condensed  view  of  some  of  the  rules  given  on 
this  subject,  by  this  ingenious  practical  philo- 
sopher, and  which  are  founded  on  the  principles 
of  science,  and  on  numerous  experiments: — 1. 
The  throat  of  the  chinmey  should  be  perpendi- 
cularly over  thejire ;  as  the  smoke  and  hot  va- 
pour which  rise  from  a  fire  naturally  tend  up- 
wards. By  the  throat  of  a  chimney  is  meant  the 
lower  extremity  of  its  canal,  where  it  unites 
with  the  upper  part  of  its  open  fire-place.  2. 
The  nearer  the  throat  of  a  chimney  is  to  the 
fire  the  stronger  will  be  its  draught,  and  the  less 
danger  of  its  smoking ;  since  smoke  rises  in  con- 
sequence of  its  rarefaction  by  heat,  and  the  heat 
is  geater  nearer  the  fire  than  at  a  greater  dis- 
tance from  it.  But  the  draught  of  a  chimney 
may  be  too  strong,  so  as  to  consume  the  fuel 
too  rapidly ;  and,  therefore,  a  due  medium  must 
be  fixed  upon,  according  to  circumstances.  3.  ■ 
That /our  inches  is  the  proper  width  to  be  given 
to  the  throat  of  a  chimney,  reckoning  across 
from  the  top  of  the  breast  of  the  chimney,  or  the 
inside  of  the  mantle  to  the  back  of  the  chimney , 
and  even  in  large  halls,  where  great  fires  are 
kept  up,  this  width  should  never  be  increased 
beyond  4J  or  5  inches.  4.  The  width  given  to 
the  back  of  the  chimney  should  be  about  one- 
third  of  the  w'dth  of  the  opening  of  the  fire-placo 
in  front.  In  a  room  of  a  middling  size,  thirteen 
inches  is  a  good  size  for  the  width  of  the  back, 
and  3  times  13  or  39  inches  for  the  width  of  the 
opening  of  the  fire-place  in  front.  5.  The  angle 
made  by  the  back  of  the  fire-place  and  the  sides 
of  it,  or  covings,  should  be  135  degrees,  which 
is  the  best  position  they  can  have  for  throwing 
heat  into  the  room.  6.  The  back  of  the  chin^ 
ney  should  always  be  built  perfectly  upright.  7. 
Where  the  throat  of  the  chimney  has  an  end, 
that  is  to  say,  where  it  enters  into  the  lower 
part  of  the  open  canal  of  the  chimney,  there  the 
three  walls  which  form  the  two  covings  and  the 
back  of  the  fire-place  should  all  end  abmptly, 
without  any  slope,  which  will  render  it  more 
difficult  for  any  wind  from  above  to  force  its 
way  through  the  narrow  passage  of  the  throat 
of  the  chimney.  The  back  and  covings  should 
rise  5  or  6  inches  higher  than  the  breast  of  the 
chimney.  8.  The  current  of  adr  which,  passing 
under  the  mantle,  gets  into  the  chimney,  should 
be  made  gradually  to  bend  its  course  upwards, 
by  which  means  it  will  unite  quietly  with  the 
ascending  current  of  smoke.  This  is  effected 
with  the  greatest  ease  and  certainty,  merely  by 
rounding  qff'lhe  breast  of  the  chimney,  or  back 
part  of  the  mantle,  instead  of  leaving  it  flat  or 
full  of  holes  and  corners.  Fig.  1  shows  the 
section  of  a  chimney  on  the  common  construc- 
tion, in  which  d  e  is  the  throat.  Fig.  2  shows 
a  section  of  the  same  chimney  altered  and  im- 
proved, in  which  d  i  is  the  reduced  throat,  four 
inches  in  the  direction  of  d  i,  and  thirteen  inches 
in  a  line  parallel  to  the  mantle . 


70 


ON  THE  GTENERAL  DIPFtTSTON  OF  KNOVS'LEDGE. 


Fig.  I. 


Fig.t. 


Masons,  bricklayers  and  others,  who  are  In- 
terested in  this  subject,  would  do  well  to  pro- 
cure and  study  Count  Rumford's  "  Essay," 
which  was  originally  sold  for  two  shillings. 
His  directions  have  seldom  been  accurately 
attended  to  in  this  country  by  those  who  have 
pretended  to  improve  chimneys  on  the  princi- 
ples he  has  laid  down,  partly  from  carelessness, 
and  partly  from  ignorance  of  the  elements  of 
■cience.  When  the  grate  is  not  set  in  its  proper 
place,  when  its  «/optng  iron  back  is  retained, — 
when  no  pains  have  been  taken  to  make  its  ends 
coincide  with  the  covings  of  the  fire-place,— 
when  the  mantle,  instead  of  having  its  back 
rounded  off,  is  a  vertical  plane  of  iron,  cutting  a 
column  of  smoke  which  rises  beneath  it ;  and, 
above  all,  when  the  throat  of  the  chimney,  in- 
stead (X  four,  is  made,  as  we  often  see,f<mTtten 
inch9s  wide, — not  one  of  the  Count's  directions 
has  been  attended  to,  and  his  principles  have  as 
little  to  do  with  the  construction  of  such  a  chim- 
■ej  as  with  the  building  of  the  dykes  of  Hol- 
land, or  the  pyramids  of  Egypt. 

A  knowledge  of  the  science  of  Optic*,  which 
explains  the  nature  of  vision,  and  the  laws  by 
which  light  is  refracted  and  reflected,  is  essen- 
tially  requisite  to  the  makers  of  teUteopes,  m*- 
ero$eopeM,  and  all  other  dioptric  and  catoptric 
instruments,  in  order  to  carry  them  forward  to 
their  highest  pitch  of  improvement.  And  yet 
how  often  do  we  find  many  of  those  employed 
in  the  construction  and  manufacture  of  such  in- 
atruments  glaringly  deficient  in  the  first  princi- 
pals of  optical  science  7  Ono  maker  imitate* 
the  instruments  of  another  without  discrimin»< 
tkm,  and  while  he  sometimes  imitates  the  ex- 
cellencies, he  as  frequently  copies  the  defects. 
Hence  the  glaring  deficiencies  in  the  constnic- 
tifoo  of  the  eye-piecea  of  moat  of  our  pocket  te- 


lescopes, and  the  narrow  field  of  view  by  whidl' 
they  are  distinguished,  which  a  slight  acquaint* 
ance  with  the  properties  of  lenses  would  teach 
tliem  to  obviate.  By  a  moderate  acquaintance 
with  the  principles  of  this  science,  any  inge- 
nious mechanic  might,  at  a  small  expense,  be 
enabled  to  construct  for  himself  many  of  thoee 
optical  instruments  by  which  the  beauties  of  (he 
animal  and  vrgvtabli-  kingdoms,  and  the  woi>- 
dors  of  distant  worlds  have  been  explored. 

Although,  in  the  hands  of  mathematicians, 
the  science  of  optics  has  assumed  somewhat  of 
a  forbidding  appearance  to  the  untutored  mind, 
by  the  apparently  complex  and  intricate  dia- 
grams by  which  its  doctrines  have  been  illus- 
trated, yet  it  requires  only  tlie  knowledge  of  a  few 
simple  facts  and  principles  to  guide  an  intelli* 
gent  mechanic  in  his  experiments,  and  in  the 
construction  of  its  instnmients.  In  order  to  the 
construction  of  a  refracting  telescope,  it  is  only 
requisite  to  know,  that  the  rays  of  light,  passing 
through  a  convex-glass,  paint  an  image  of  any 
object  directly  before  it,  at  a  certain  point  b»> 
hind  it,  called  its  focus ;  and  that  this  image 
may  be  viewed  and  magnified  by  another  convex- 
glass,  placed  at  a  certain  distance  behind  it. 
Thus,  let  CD,  fig.  1,  represent  a  convex-glass, 
whose  focal  distance  CE  is  12  inches ;  let  AB 
represent  a  distant  object  directly  opposite  ;  the 
rays  of  light  passing  from  this  object,  and  croe^ 
ing  each  other,  will  form  an  image  of  the  object 
AB,  at  EF,  in  an  inverted  position.  Let  GH 
represent  another  convex-glass,  whose  focal 
distance  is  only  one  inch.  If  this  glass  is  placed 
at  one  inch  distant  fi-om  the  image  EP,  or  1% 
Fig.  1. 
P 


APPLICATIONS  OF  OPTICAL  KNOWLEDGE. 


71 


inches  from  the  glass  CD,  and  the  eye  applied  at 
the  point  S,  the  object  AB  will  be  seen  turned 
upsidp  down,  and  magnified  in  the  pronortion  of 
I  to  I'i,  or  twelve  times  in  length  and  breadth. 
This  forms  what  is  called  an  Astronomical  tele- 
scope ;  but,  as  every  thing  seen  through  it  ap- 
pears inverted,  U  is  not  adapted  for  viewing  ter- 
restrial objects..  In  order  to  fit  it  for  viewing 
land  objects,  two  other  eye-glasses,  of  the  same 
focal  distance,  (namely,  one  inch,)  are  requi- 
site ;  the  second  eye-glass  IK  is  placed  at  2 
inches  from  G  H,  or  double  their  focal  distance, 
and  the  glass  NO  at  the  same  distance  from  IK.* 
By  this  means  a  second  image  IM  is  formed  in 
an  upright  position,  which  is  viewed  by  the  eye 
at  P,  through  the  glass  NO,  and  the  object  ap- 
pears magnified  in  the  same  proportion  as  before. 
The  magnifying  power  of  a  telescope  of  this 
construction  is  found  by  dividing  the  focal  dis- 
tance of  the  object-glass  by  the  focal  distance 
of  the  eye-glass.  Thus,  if  the  object-glass  be 
86  inches  in  focal  distance,  and  the  eye-glass 
1  \  inch,  the  magnifying  power  will  be  24  times ; 
if  the  focus  <^  the  eye-glass  be  2  inches,  the 
Fig.  2. 


magnifying  power  will  be  18  times,  &c. — LM 
is  the  telescope  fitted  up  for  use. 

A  compound  microscoi>e  might  likewise  be 
easily  constructed  by  any  ingenious  artizan  or 
mechanic,  by  attending  to  the  following  illustra- 
tions and  directions.  Fig.  2  represents  the 
glasses  of  a  compound  microscope.  AB  is  the 
glass  next  the  object;  CD  is  the  amplifying 
glass  for  enlarging  the  field  of  view;  EF  is  tlie 
glass  next  the  eye.  When  a  small  object,  as 
GH,  is  placed  below  the  object-glass  AB,  at  a 
little  more  than  its  focal  distance  from  it,  a  mag- 
nified image  of  this  object  is  formed  by  the  glass 
AB  at  GH,  which  is  magnified  in  proportion  as 
the  distance  GG  exceeds  the  distance  of  AG. 
This  magnified  image  of  the  object  is  magnified 
a  second  time  by  the  glass  EF,  to  which  tlie  eye 
is  applied  at  K.  This  instrument,  when  fitted 
up  for  use,  is  represented  in  fig.  3,  where  LM 
represents  a  box  or  pedestal  on  which  it  stands, 

Fig.  3. 


•TWs  Is  not  the  bei)t  form  of  a  teTTC<!trlal  eye- 
ipiece ;  but  It  may  serve  for  the  purpose  of  illustra- 
Uon.  The  eyc-plece  now  most  generally  used,  con- 
sists of  ftmr  lenses,  combined  on  a  dUTercnt  prln- 
T^pic. 


NO  the  stage  on  which  the  objects  are  placed, 
over  the  opening  i,  which  is  supported  by  3  pillars 
fixed  to  the  top  of  the  box.  P  is  a  tube  which  ia 
supported  by  3  pillars  fixed  into  the  stage.  Into 
this  tube  the  tube  R  slides  up  and  down  for  ad- 
justing the  focus.  The  small  tube  u,  which  carries 
the  object-glass,  is  Connected  with  the  tube  R,  and 
slides  up  and  down  along  with  it.  S  is  the  tube 
which  contains  the  two  eye-glasses,  and  which 
may  be  made  to  slide  up  and  down  into  the  tube 
R,  for  increasing  the  magnifying  power  when  oc- 
casion requires.  T  is  a  mirror,  fixed  on  the  pedes- 
tal, capable  of  moving  up  and  down,  and  to  UM 


7t 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


right  or  leA,  for  throwing  light  upon  tlie  object 
placed  over  the  hole  i,  which  niay  be  laid  u|K>n  a 
•lip  of  thin  f  lass.   The  object-glasii  AB,  fig.  2,  is 
placed  at  u,  fig.  3.   The  glass  C  D  is  placed  oppo- 
site W,fig.  S,  and  the  eye-glass  isF  opposite  V. 
'    Such  are  the  essential  parts  of  a  com|>ound 
micnMeope.     Any  common  mechanic  may  con- 
struct one  for  himself  by  attcndmg  to  the  follow- 
ing directions  :  The  object-glass  AB,   fig.   2, 
may  be  about  |,  j,or  1  inch  focal  distance,  and 
the  aperture,  or  hole  which  lets  in  the  light  from 
the  object,  should  not  exceed  1-lOth  of  on  inch, 
Otherwise  it  will  cause  a  glare,  which  will  pro- 
duce an  indistinct  image  of  the  object.     The 
amplifying  glass  CD  may  be  2}  inches  focal 
distance,  and  1  j  inch  in  diameter.     This  glass 
is  not  euentiaUj/   necessary,   but   it  serves   to 
enlarge  the  field  of  view,  and  to  render  it  more 
distinct  near  the  border.     The  eye-glass  EF 
should  be  about  I  inch  focus,  and  about  J  inch  in 
diameter.     With   respect  to   the   distancea  at 
which  they  should  be  placed  from  each  other, 
the  glass  CD  may  be  placed  at  about  5  or  6 
inches  from    AB,  and  the  glass  EF  about  2 
inches,  or  1{  inch  from  CD.     The  object-glass 
ahoule  be  a  double  convex — the  eye-glasses  may 
be  plano-convex ;  that  is,  plane  on  the  one  side 
and  convex  on  the  other,  with  the  plane  sides 
turned  next  the  eye ;  but  double  convexes  will 
do,  if  these   cannot  be  procured.     The  tubes 
which   contain  the   glasses   may   be   made  of 
pasteboard,  and  the  stage,  pillars,  and  box,  of 
wood.     The  glasses  may  be  procured  for  about 
4  shillings  ;  and  if  the  individual  fit  them  into  the 
tubes,  and  perform  all  the  other  operations  re- 
iinisite,  the  expense  of  all  the  other  materials 
will  not  exceed  other  four  shillings.     Suppose, 
DOW,  that  the  object-glass  AB  is  i  inch  focal 
distance,  and  the  image  GH  is  formed  at  the 
distance  of  6  inches  from  it,  this  image  will  be 
larger  than  the  object,  nearly  in  the  proportion 
of  6  to  I,  or  12  times.     Suppose  tlie  gla.ss  EF, 
considered  in  connexion  with  CD,  to  possess  a 
magnifying  power  equal  to  6  times,  then  the 
whole  magnifying   power  will  be  6  x  12,  or  60 
times.     The  object,  therefore,  will  be  magnified 
60  times  in  lengtli  and  in  breadth,  and,  conse- 
quently,  the   surface   wiD  be   magnified    3600 
times,  which  is  the  square  of  60.     With  such  a 
microscope,  the  animalcule  in  water,  the  circu- 
lation of  the  blood  in  frogs  and  fishes,  the  small 
feathers  which  compose  the  dust  on  butterflies' 
wings,  and  all  the  most  interesting  appearances 
of  the  minute  parts  of  animals  and  vegetables, 
maybe  distinctly  perceived. 

Besides  the  discoveries  in  the  heavens  and  in 
the  minute  parts  of  creation,  to  which  the  study 
of  the  science  of  ofrtics  has  led, — its  principles 
are  capable  of  being  directed  to  many  important 
puqtoses  in  human  life  and  society.  By  means 
of  large  burning  mirrors  and  lenses  the  rays  of 
tfM  MB  hare  been  condeased,  so  aa  to  increase 


their  intensity  more  titan  seventeen  thouaaiid 
times,  and  to  produce  a  heat  more  than  Sent 
hundred  times  greater  than  that  of  our  commoa 
fires,  which  would  serve  for  the  combustion  and 
fusion  of  numerous  substances,  which  are  infu> 
sible  in  tlie  greatest  heat  that  can  be  produced 
in  our  common  furnaces.  The  pro(>crty  of  a 
convex  l>.-ns,  by  which  rays  proceeding  from  its 
focus  are  refracted  into  parallel  directions,  hits 
enabled  us  to  throw,  from  light-houses,  a  itrong 
light  to  great  distances  at  sea.  The  large 
polyzonal,  or  buUt  vp  lenses,  coairi«ed  by  Sir 
D.  Brewster,  which  may  be  made  of  any  mag- 
nitude, and  the  elegant  lamp  of  Lieutenant 
Drummond, — the  one  producing  the  most  intense 
light  yet  known,  and  the  other  conveying  it 
undispersed  to  great  distances, — promise  to 
introduce  improvements  hitherto  unthought  ct, 
and  to  diversify  the  nocturnal  scenery  both  of 
sea  and  land.  For,  in  the  progress  of  extensive 
national  improvements,  they  might  be  nmde 
subservient,  in  connexion  with  carburetled  hy- 
drogen gas,  in  enlivening  and  decorating  the 
rural  scene,  in  tlic  absence  of  the  sun,  and  in 
guiding  the  benighted  traveller  In  all  liis  jour- 
neyings.  For,  when  we  consider  the  improve- 
ments, in  almost  every  department  of  the  social 
state,  which  have  been  lately  carried  forward,  it 
is  surely  not  too  much  to  expect,  that,  in  the 
course  of  a  century  hence,  our  highways,  vil- 
lages, hamlets,  and  even  some  of  our  moors  and 
mountains,  shall  be  liglited  up  with  gas  lamps, 
connected  with  mirrors  and  lenses,  analogous  to 
those  which  illuminate  our  cities  and  towns,  and 
which  direct  the  mariner,  when  approaching  our 
shores.  The  following  figure  shows  the  manner 
in  which  a  large  lens  throws  a  light  to  great  dis- 
tances.    Let  AB,  fig.  4,  represent  one  of  Sir  D. 


Brewster's  polyzonal  lenses,  or  any  other  large 
lens,  and  GK  its  focal  distance  ;  if  a  luminous 
body  CK,  as  the  flame  of  a  lamp,  be  placed  at 
tlie  focal  point  K,  the  rays  of  light,  diverging 
from  CK,  aAer  passing  through  the  lens  AB, 
will  proceed  in  a  partMtl  dtrtetion,  AE,  GH, 
BF,  and  may  illuminate  objects  at  very  consi- 
derable distances.    AB,  fig.  4,  represents  a 


UTILITY  OF  ELECTRICITY  AND  GALVANISM. 


75 


■ectioD  of  the  polyzonal  lens  built  of  ten  different 
pieces.    L,  fig.  b  exhibits  a  front  view  of  the 

Fig.  5. 


same  lens.  Could  such  lenses  be  constructed 
of  the  size  of  6,  8,  10  or  12  feet  diameter,  they 
would  produce  a  degree  of  heat  from  the  solar 
rays  far  surpassing  wha'  has  hitherto  been 
effected,  and  be  capable  of  throwing  a  brilliant 
light  to  immense  distances. 

Fig.  6,  shows  the  manner  in  which  a  concave 
mirror  TU  reflects  the  light  of  a  lamp  VW, 
placed  in  its  focus,  to  great  distances,  ft  is  in 
this  way  that  the  light  of  the  Bell  Rock,  and 
other  light-houses,  is  reflected  to  more  than 
thirty  or  forty  miles  distant. 


Fig.  6. 


Even  the  sciences  of  Electricity  and  Galva- 
nism mi:;ht,  in  some  instances,  be  rendered  sub- 
servient to  the  operation?  of  art.  By  means  of 
the  electrical  fluid,  models  of  corn-mills,  water- 
pumps,  and  orreries,  showing  the  diurnal  motion 
of  the  earth,  and  the  age  and  phases  of  the 
moon,  have  been  set  in  motion ;  and  there  can 
be  no  question,  that,  in  the  hands  of  genius,  it 
might  be  directed  to  accomplish  much  more 
important  effects.  Even  the  lightning  of  the 
clouds,  which  is  only  the  electrical  fluid  acting 
on  an  ample  scale,  has  been  guided  by  the  hand 
of  art,  to  perform  mechanical  operations,  by 


splitting  large  stones  into  shivers.  This  has 
been  etiected  in  the  following  manner.  Suppose 
AB  to  represent  a  stone  or  portion  of  a  rock, 
which  is  intended  to  be  split  into  a  number  of 
pieces.  Into  the  midst  of  this  stone  a  long  rod 
of  iron,  or  conductor  CD,  is  inserted,  which  ter- 
minates in  a  point.  When  a  thunder-cloud,  as 
EF,  passes  over  the  stone,  within  its  striking 


distance  of  the  earth,  the  lightning  from  the 
cloud  strikes  the  upper  part  of  the  pointed  con- 
ductor, and  is  conducted  downwards  to  the  heart 
of  the  stone,  which  either  rends  it  in  different 
places,  or  splits  it  at  once  into  a  multitude  of 
fragments.  This  experiment,  which  appears  to 
have  been  first  made  in  Prussia  in  1811,  was 
attended  with  complete  success,  during  the  first 
storm  that  passed  over,  afler  the  bar  of  iron  was 
inserted  in  the  stone. 

To  braziers,  tinsmiths,  coppersmiths,  and 
other  workers  in  metals,  a  knowledge  of  Gal- 
vanitm  might  suggest  a  variety  of  useful  hints, 
especially  where  it  is  an  object  of  importance  to 
secure  any  piece  of  metallic  workmanship  from 
runt.  It  is  found  that  when  metals  are  pure 
and  kept  separate  from  each  other,  they  remain 
for  a  long  time  untarnished  ;  but  when  alloyed, 
or  placed  in  contact  v^ith  other  metals,  they 
soon  undergo  oxidation.  Coins  composed  of 
one  metal  are  found  more  durable  than  those 
composed  of  two  ;  and  the  copper  sheathing  id 
ships  which  is  fastened  with  iron  nails  soon  un- 


74 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFDSFON  OP  KNOWLEDGE. 


iargan  corrosion.  These  eflccta  arc  now  cx- 
tUilMd  on  the  prinriplcn  of  galvanism.  When 
two  metallic  substanceii  of  tllHcrent  kindsi  aru 
coonoctod  by  moisture,  ihoy  fomi  whai  is  called 
a  gnbMuue  arete;  and,  therefore,  when  one  kind 
of  metal  ii  placed  in  contact  with  another,  if 
either  water  or  the  moLst'Tu  of  the  atmosphere 
adheres  to  thorn,  a  galvanic  circle  is  iormed, 
and  oxiilaiii>n  is  produced.  On  this  ground  tho 
lato  Sir  Humphrey  Davy  suggested  the  propriety 
of  fastcniuv  the  upper  slieathing  of  ships  with 
copper  instead  of  trvn  nails.  The  same  princi- 
ple may  be  rendered  of  extensive  application, 
and  may  afford  many  useful  hints  to  every  arti- 
zan  employed  in  working  and  combining  metals. 
A  knowledge  of  magneti»m  might  also,  in 
many  cases,  be  directed  to  useful  practical 
applications.  This  mysterious  power,  in  con- 
nexion with  its  polarity,  has  already  enabled  tho 
miner  and  surveyor  to  traverse  the  remotest 
corners  of  the  largest  mines,  and  to  trace  their 
way  back  in  safety  through  all  the  windings  of 
those  subterraneous  apartments,  and  has  direct- 
ed the  navigator  to  steer  his  course  with  cer- 
tainty, through  the  pathless  ocean,  to  his  "  de- 
sired haven."  Throughout  all  the  regions  of 
the  globe  the  magnetic  power  extends  its  influ- 
ence ;  and  it  is  now  found  to  have  an  intimate 
connexion  with  heat,  electricity,  and  galvanism. 
Of  late  years,  it  has  been  ascertained  that  iron 
with  its  oxides  and  alloys  are  not  the  only  sub- 
stances susceptible  of  magnetic  influence.  The 
magnetism  of  nickel,  though  inferior  to  that  of 
iron,  is  found  to  be  considerable ;  and  that  of 
cobak  and  htanium  is  quite  perceptible.  Nay, 
the  recent  discoveries  of  Arago  have  shown, 
"  that  there  is  no  substance  but  which,  under 
proper  circumstances,  is  capable  of  exhibiting 
unequivocal  signs  of  the  magnetic  virtue."  In 
consequence  of  a  recent  discovery  of  M.  Oer- 
fted,  "  we  are  now  enabled  to  communicate,  at 
and  during  pleasure,  to  a  coiled  wire,  of  any 
metal  indifferently,  all  the  properties  of  a  mag- 
net— its  attraction,  repulsion,  and  polarity,  and 
that  even  in  a  more  intense  degree  than  was 
previously  thought  to  be  possible  in  tlie  best 
natural  ma!»nets."  This  discovery  tends  to  en- 
large our  views  of  the  range  of  magnetic  influ- 
ence, and  to  lead  us  to  the  conclusion  that  its 
powers  may  hereafter  be  applied  to  purposes  of 
which  at  present  we  can  have  no  conception* 
Although  the  polarity  of  the  magnet  has  been 
of  incalculable  service  to  mankind,  particularly 
in  promoting  navigation  and  enlarging  our 
knowledge  of  the  globe,  yet  we  have  no  reason 
to  believe  that  this  is  ihe  only  practical  pur|>osc 
to  which  its  powers  may  be  applied,  or  the  only 
reason  why  the  Creator  has  so  widely  diffiised 
its  influence  in  the  system  of  nature ;  since,  in 
his  diversified  operations  in  tlic  material  world, 
he  so  frequently  produces  a  variety  of  cflccts 
from  one  and  tho  saiuc  cause.     It  remains  with 


man  to  prosecute  his  observations  still  more  et- 
tensively  on  this  subject,  and  hw  industry  wrt, 
doubtless,  be  rewarded  with  the  di.scovery  of 
netv  relatioiMi,  laws,  and  combinations,  which 
may  be  susceptible  of  the  most  im|>ortant  practi- 
cal applications  in  the  arts  which  minister  to 
the  comfort  and  convenience  of  mankind.  Even 
in  its  present  state,  the  attractive  pro|>crty  of 
magnetism  is  capable  of  being  applied  as  a  ms- 
chanieal  power,  in  certain  pieces  of  machinery, 
although  its  application  in  this  way  has  never 
yet  been  attempted  on  an  extensive  scale. 

The  following  fact  shows  how  its  attractive 
power  has  lately  been  applied  to  the  prolonga- 
tion of  life,  and  the  warding  off  of  incurable 
disease,  in  the  case  of  a  useful  class  of  our 
fellow  men.  "  In  needle  manufactories  the  work- 
men are  constantly  exposed  to  excessively  mi- 
nute particles  of  steel  which  fly  from  the  grind- 
stones, and  mix,  though  imperceptible  to  th* 
eye,  as  the  finest  dust  in  the  air,  and  are  inhaled 
with  their  breath.  The  eflcct,  though  imper- 
ceptible, on  a  short  exposure,  yet  being  constantly 
repeated  from  day  to  day,  produces  a  consti- 
tutional irritation,  dependent  on  the  tonic  pro- 
perties of  tlie  steel,  which  is  sure  to  terminate  im 
pulmonary  consumption  ;  insomuch,  that  persons 
employed  in  this  kind  of  work  used  scarcely  ever 
to  attain  the  age  of  forty  years.  In  vain  was  it 
attempted  to  purify  the  air,  before  its  entry  hitn 
the  lungs,  by  gauzes  or  linen  guards ;  the  duct 
was  too  fine  and  penetrating  to  be  obstructed 
by  such  coarse  expedients,  till  some  ingeniotn 
person  bethought  him  of  that  wonderful  power, 
which  every  child  that  searches  for  its  mother's 
needle  with  a  magnet,  sees  in  exercise.  Masks 
of  magnetized  steel  wire  are  now  constructed 
and  adapted  to  the  faces  of  the  workmen.  By 
these  the  air  is  not  merely  ttrained  but  tearehed 
in  its  passage  through  them,  and  each  obnox* 
ious  atom  arrested  and  removed."* 

This  interesting  fact  affords  n  striking  proof 
of  the  useful  purposes  to  which  the  powers  and 
properties  of  natural  substances  may  bo  applied, 
when  the  mind  is  directed  to  contemplate  them 
in  all  their  bearings,  and  to  trace  th<'m  to  all 
their  legitimate  consequences.  The  attractive 
power  of  the  magnet,  considerfid  not  only  in  its 
relation  to  iron  and  steel,  but  to  all  other  sul>- 
stances  in  which  magnet ical  virtue  is  toumi  in  a 
greater  or  less  degree  to  reside — might,  therc- 
ibre,  in  the  hamlsof  an  ingt-nioiis  mechanic,  lead 
to  many  interesting  experiments,  which  might 
pave  tho  way  for  the  most  im|)ortanl  practical 
results. 

The  facts  connected  with  the  science  of  G(o- 
logy  may  likewise,  in  many  instances,  be  direct- 
ed to  practical  piir]ioses.  From  the  researches 
which,  of  late  years,  have  been  made  in  the  in- 
terior of  the  earth,  geologists  aru  now  pretty  weQ 

*  IJerschcI's  PrtUtn.  XX*.  on  Nat  Pkiloa. 


STEAM  NAVIGATION. 


75 


acquainted  with  the  position  and  alternation  of 
its  strata,  and  with  the  different  fossils  which 
may  be  expected  to  abound  in  any  particular 
district.  Although  these  researches  were  un- 
dertaken chiefly  with  a  view  to  ascertain  the 
changes  which  have  happened  in  the  structure 
of  our  globe,  and  to  support  certain  theories  of 
the  earth — yet  they  may  frequently  be  of  use  to 
landed  proprietors  to  engineers,  and  to  specula- 
tors in  mining  operations,  so  as  to  direct  them  in 
their  investigations,  and  prevent  them  from  em- 
barking in  schemes  that  may  ultimately  blast  their 
expectations,  exhaust  their  resources,  and  lead  to 
irretrievable  ruin.  The  ruinous  effects  some- 
times produced  by  ignorance  of  this  subject 
are  strikingly  illustrated  by  the  following  fact : — 

"  It  is  not  many  years  since  an  attempt  was 
made  to  establish  a  colliery  at  Btixhill,  in  Sussex. 
The  appearance  of  thin  seams  and  sheets  of 
fossil  wood,  and  wood-coal,  with  some  other  in- 
dications similar  to  what  occur  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  great  coal  beds  in  the  north  of  Eng- 
land, having  led  to  the  sinking  of  a  shaft,  and 
the  erection  of  machinery,  on  a  scale  of  vast  ex- 
tent,— not  less  than  eight  thousand  pounds  are 
said  to  have  been  laid  out  on  this  project,  which, 
it  is  almost  needless  to  add,  proved  completely 
abortive,  as  every  geolo^st  would  have  at  once 
declared  it  must,  the  whole  assemblage  of  geo- 
logical facts  being  adverse  to  the  existence  of  a 
regular  coal  bed  in  the  Hastings'  tand;  while 
this  on  which  Bexhill  is  situated,  is  separated 
from  the  coal  strata  by  a  series  of  interposed 
beds  of  such  enormous  thickness  as  to  render  all 
idea  of  penetrating  through  them  absurd. — The 
history  of  mining  speculations  is  full  of  similar 
cases,  where  a  very  moderate  acquaintance 
with  the  usual  order  of  nature,  to  say  nothing  of 
theoretical  views,  would  have  saved  many  a 
sanguine  adventurer  from  utter  ruin."* 

The  study  of  the  various  branches  of  Natural 
History  might  also  be  rendered  productive  of 
utility  in  different  departments  of  the  arts.  It 
is  quite  evident  that  a  scientific  knowledge  of 
Botany  must  be  highly  useful  to  gardeners  and 
their  labourers,  and  to  all  who  take  an  interest 
in  horticultural  and  rural  operations.  Not  only 
a  knowledge  of  the  classification  and  arrange- 
ment of  plants,  but  also  of  their  physiological 
structure  and  functions,  of  their  medicinal  quali- 
ties, and  of  the  chymical  properties  of  soils  and 
the  different  manures,  will  be  found  of  conside- 
rable utility  to  such  individuals. — Zoology  and 
Comparative  Anatomy,  which  describe  the  pe- 
culiar structure  and  habits  of  animals,  both 
foreign  and  domestic,  will  convey  various  por- 
tions of  interesting  information  to  shepherds, 
cattle-dealers,  and  a3riculturi3ts  of  every  de- 
scription. An  acquaintance  with  Mineralogy, 
which  treats  of  the  solid  and  inanimate  mate- 

*  Berschel's  DUeour$e,  fto. 


rials  of  our  globe, — the  earthy,  saline,  inflam- 
mable, and  metallic  substances  of  which  it  is  i 
composed,  must  be  interesting  to  lapidaries, 
jewellers,  iron-founders,  and  all  who  are  em-  i 
ployed  in  working  various  metals.  To  know  i 
the  nature  of  those  substances  on  which  they 
are  operating,  the  materials  with  which  they  ara 
united  in  their  native  ores,  their  combinatioa  ,•>; 
with  phosphorus,  sulphur,  and  carbon,  the  * 
changes  produced  upon  them  by  oxygen  and  the 
different  acids,  their  relations  to  heat,  and  the 
liquids  with  which  they  may  come  in  contact, 
and  the  various  compounds  into  which  they  may 
be  formed,  will  have  a  direct  tendency  not  only 
to  increase  their  stock  of  general  knowledge,  but 
to  render  them  more  skilful  and  intelligent  in 
their  respective  professions.  Jtf«t«orofogy,  which 
treats  of  the  weather  and  the  variable  pheno- 
mena of  the  atmosphere,  will,  in  many  instances, 
be  found  a  useful  study  to  mariners,  fishermen, 
travellers,  and  fanners,  by  which  they  may  fre- 
quently be  directed  in  their  movements,  and 
avoid  many  inconveniences  and  dangers.  By  i 
carefully  attending  to  the  motions  of  the  barome-  » 
ter  and  thermometer,  and  comparing  them  with 
the  electrical  state  of  the  atmosphere,  the  direc-  1 
tion  of  the  winds,  and  the  appearances  of  the 
clouds,  the  farmer  may  be  warned  of  the  con- 
tinuance of  rain  or  drought,  and  direct  his  ope- 
rations accordingly,  so  as  to  protect  his  produce 
from  danger.  ^ 
There  is  no  application  of  science  to  the  arts  i 
of  more  importance,  and  more  extensive  in  its 
effects,  than  that  of  the  employment  of  Slecm 
for  driving  all  kinds  of  machinery,  and  for  pro- 
pelling vessels  along  rivers  and  across  the 
ocean.  "  It  has  armed,"  says  Mr.  Jeffrey, "  the 
feeble  hand  of  man  with  a  power  to  which  no 
limits  can  be  assigned — completed  the  dominion 
of  mind  over  the  most  refractory  qualities  of 
matter,  and  laid  a  sure  foundation  for  all  those 
future  miracles  of  mechanic  power,  which  are 
to  aid  and  reward  the  labours  of  after  genera- 
tions." The  first  person  who  appears  to  have 
entertained  the  idea  of  employing  steam  for  pro- 
pelling vessels,  was  Mr.  J.  Hulls,  in  the  year 
1736.  But  it  was  not  till  1807,  when  Mr.  Ful- 
ton launched,  at  New- York,  the  first  steam-boat 
he  had  constructed,  that  navigation  by  steam 
was  introduced  to  general  practice,  which  may 
therefore  be  considered  as  the  epoch  of  the  in- 
vention. In  a  few  years  every  river  and  bay  i 
in  the  United  States  became  the  scene  of  steam 
navigation.  In  1822  there  were  more  than  350 
steam  vessels  connected  with  these  States, 
some  of  them  of  eight  and  nine  hundred  tons 
burden,  and  by  this  time,  doubtless,  they  are 
more  than  doubled.  In  1819  an  expedition  left 
Pittsburg,  descended  the  Ohio  in  steam-boats 
for  1100  miles,  and  then  ascending  the  rapid 
Missouri,  proceeded  to  the  distance  of  no  less 
than  two  thousand  five  hundred  miles.    They 


78 


ON  THE  GENKKAL  DIFFUSION  OP  KNOWLEDGE. 


haTc  now  been  introduced  into  erery  country  in 
Europe.  On  the  prim-ipal  rivers  and  ReaN  cuih 
nect«d  with  the  British  Islei,  and  even  in  the 
Scottish  lakes,  these  vessels  are  swre|)in<;  along 
in  majestic  |KMnp,  against  wind  and  liili',  diver- 
sifyiu;;  the  scenery  through  which  they  |,ass, 
and  traniporting  travellers  and  parties  of  plea- 
sure to  their  destination,  with  a  rapidity  unex- 
ampled in  former  ages.  On  the  Clyde  alone 
more  than  tifty  or  sixty  steam  vessel.^  are  con- 
stantly plying.  The  scenery  of  the  Rhine,  the 
Rhone,  the  Elbe,  the  8oine,  the  Danube,  the 
Wolga,  the  lakes  of  Constance  and  Geneva,  and 
of  many  other  rivers  and  inland  seas,  is  now  en- 
livened by  these  powerful  machines,  conveying 
goods  and  passengers  in  every  direction.  Even 
Um  Atlantic  ocean,  an  extent  of  more  than  three 
thousand  miles,  has  been  traversed  by  a  steam- 
boat in  twenty  days ;  and  the  period,  we  trust, 
is  not  far  distant,  when  the  Red  Sea,  the  Per- 
sian Gulph,  the  Bay  of  Bengal,  the  Indian 
Ocean,  the  Mediterranean,  the  Euxine,  the 
Gulph  of  Mexico,  and  even  the  wide  Pacific, 
will  be  traversed  by  these  rapid  vehicles,  con- 
veying riches,  liberty,  religion  and  intelligence 
to  the  islands  of  the  ocean,  and  forming  a  bond 
of  union  among  all  nations. 

The  admirable  improvements  in  the  construc- 
tion of  steam  carriage$  which  are  now  going  for- 
ward, are  no  less  worthy  of  attention.  The 
rapid  movements  of  these  machines,  which  have 
been  lately  introduced  on  the  Liverpool  and 
Manchester  railway,  and  the  security  and  com- 
fort with  which  they  are  attended,  have  excited 
the  astonishment  of  every  beholder.  And  no 
wonder, — since  goods  and  passengers  are  now 
conveyed  between  these  cities,  with  a  velocity 
of  nearly  thirty  miles  an  hour!  so  that  it  may 
be  said,  with  the  strictest  propriety,  that  the 
steam  engine  is  the  most  brilliant  present  ever 
made  by  philosophy  to  mankind. 

The  dii<covery  of  carbureUed  hydrogen  gat, 
and  its  application  to  the  purpose  of  illuminating 
our  dwelling-houses,  streets,  and  manufactories, 
may  also  be  considered  in  reference  to  the  arts. 
Every  city,  and  every  town  of  a  moderate  size, 
is  now  enlivened  with  the  splendid  brilliancy  pro- 
duced from  this  invisible  substance  ;  pipes  for 
its  conveyance  have  been  laid,  of  many  hundred 
miles  in  extent,  and  diverging  into  numerous 
ramifications,  and  thousands  of  artists  are  em- 
}>loyed  in  conducting  its  manufacture,  and  form- 
ing tubes  and  other  devices  for  distributing  it  in 
all  directions. 

Now,  since  the  inventions  to  which  I  am 
mdverting  are  (bunded  on  chymtral  and  mecha- 
nical prinrijJes,  and  on  the  discoveries  of  mcxfcrn 
science,  and  !<ince  many  thousantis  of  mechanics 
are  now  employed  in  constructing  the  machinery 
connected  with  these  inventions,  and  in  con- 
ducting its  operations  both  by  sea  and  land,  it  is 
of  the  utinoM  importance,  in  order  to  their  being 


fully  qualified  for  their  respective  departmenta, 
that  they  understand  the  scientific  principles 
which  enter  into  the  construction  of  such  ma> 
chines  and  engines,  the  peculiar  uses  of  every 
part,  the  manner  in  which  the  rhymical  ageiits 
employed  operate,  and  the  effects  which,  in  any 
given  circumstance,  they  must  necessarily  pro* 
duce.  In  particular,  it  is  indispensably  neoe»» 
sary,  that  engitu-^mm,  and  others  employed  for 
directing  these  machines,  when  in  operation, 
should  be  acquainted  with  every  part  of  their 
structure,  and  the  principles  on  which  their 
movements  depend ;  for  the  comfi>rt  and  tnfrtf 
of  the  public  are  dependent  on  the  caution  and 
skill  with  which  they  are  conducted.  How  could 
any  man  be  qualified  for  such  an  ofice  without 
some  portion  of  scientific  knowledge  ?  and  how 
could  travellers  in  such  vehicles  consider  their 
lives  and  property  secure,  if  they  were  not 
guided  by  men  of  intelligence  and  prudence  1 
To  the  want  of  such  caution  and  skill  are 
chiefly  to  be  attributed  most  of  the  disasters  and 
fatal  accidents,  connected  with  such  operations, 
which  have  hitherto  taken  place. 

Besides  the  agriculturists,  manufacturers,  me> 
chanics,  and  artificers  alluded  to  above,  there 
are  numerous  other  classes  to  which  similar 
remarks  will  apply.  In  short,  there  is  scarcely 
an  individual,  however  obscure,  in  any  depart- 
ment of  society,  but  may  derive  practical  benefit 
from  an  acquaintance  with  science.  "  The  farm- 
servant  or  day  labourer,"  says  Lord  Brougham, 
"  whether  in  his  master's  employ,  or  tending  the 
concerns  of  his  own  cottage,  must  derive  great 
practical  benefit, — must  be  both  a  better  servant, 
and  a  more  thrifty,  and,  therefore,  comfortable 
cottager,  for  knowing  something  of  the  nature  of 
soils  and  manures,  which  chymistry  teaches,  and 
something  of  the  habits  of  animals,  and  the  qua- 
lities anti  growth  of  plants,  which  he  learns 
from  natural  history  and  chymistry  together. 
In  truih,  though  a  man  Is  neither  a  mechanic  nor 
a  peasant,  but  only  one  having  a  pot  to  boil,  he 
is  sure  to  learn  from  science  lessons  which  will 
enable  him  to  cook  his  morsel  better,  save  hia 
fuel,  and  both  vary  his  dish  and  improve  it. 
The  art  of  good  and  cheap  cookery  is  intimately 
connected  with  the  principles  of  chymical  philo- 
sophy, and  has  received  much,  and  will  yet 
receive  more,  improvement  from  their  applica- 
tion."—Nsy,  even  the  kitchm  maid,  the  laundry 
maid,  and  the  mistress  of  every  family,  may  de- 
rive many  useful  hints  from  the  researches  of 
science.  The  whole  art  of  cookery  is  a  chymical 
operation,  and  so  arc  the  arts  of  washing,  dres- 
sing, bleaching,  and  dyeing.  By  a  knowledge 
of  the  nature  and  properties  of  the  acids  ant! 
other  chymical  substances,  they  wotild  leam 
how  to  enulirate  s'ains  of  ink,  grease,  &c-  from 
cotton,  linen,  woollen,  and  silks,  in  the  safest 
and  most  effectual  manner,  and  many  other  pro- 
cesses of  grcM  utility  in  domestic  life.     Evea 


GENERAL  UTILITY  OF  SCIENCE. 


77 


the  art  of  kindlin?  a  fire,  and  of  stirring-  It  when 
kindlud,  depends  on  philosophical  principles. 
For  example,  the  stirring  of  a  fire  is  of  use,  be- 
cause it  makes  a  hollow,  where  the  air  being 
rarefied  by  tJie  adjacent  heat,  the  surrounding 
air  rushes  into  the  partial  vacuum,  and  impart- 
ing its  oxygen,  gives  life  to  the  fire  and  carries 
the  flame  along  with  it.  On  this  principle  the 
following  rules  are  founded.  1.  Never  stir  a 
fire  when  fresh  coals  are  laid  on,  particularly 
when  they  are  very  small,  because  they  imme- 
diately fall  into  the  vacuum,  and  prevent  the 
access  of  the  oxygen  of  the  atmosphere,  which 
is  the  principle  of  combustion.  2.  Always  keep 
the  bottom  bar  clear,  because  it  is  there  chiefly 
that  the  air  rushes  in  to  nourish  the  fuel.  3. 
Never  begin  to  stir  at  top,  unless  when  the 
bottom  is  quite  clear,  and  the  top  only  wants 
breaking,  otherwise  the  unkindled  fuel  may  be 
pressed  down  in  a  body  to  the  bottom,  and  the 
access  of  atmospheric  air  prevented. 

Illustrations,  of  a  similar  kind,  of  the  practical 
applications  of  science,  might  have  been  given 
to  an  almost  indefinite  extent ;  but  the  above  spe- 
cimens may  suffice  as  corroborative  of  the  gene- 
rel  position — that  scientific  knowledge  would 
render  mechanics  and  manufacturers  of  all  de- 
scriptions more  skilful  in  the  prosecution  of  their 
respective  employments. 

Some,  however,  may  be  disposed  to  insinuate, 
that  it  is  quite  enough  for  philosophers  to  ascer- 
tain principles,  and  to  lay  down  rules  founded 
upon  them,  f)r  the  direction  of  the  mechanic  or 
artizan ;— or,  that  it  is  only  requisite  that  the 
directors  and  superintendents  of  chymical  pro- 
cesses and  mechanical  operations,  should  be 
acquainted  with  that  portion  of  science  which  is 
necessary  for  their  peculiar  departmerits.  But 
it  is  easy  to  perceive,  that  a  mechanic  who 
works  merely  by  rules,  without  knowing  the 
foundation  or  reasona  of  them,  is  only  like  a 
child  who  repeats  his  catechism  by  rote,  without 
attachini;  a  single  idea  to  the  words  he  utters,  or 
like  a  horse  driving  a  thrashing  machine,  without 
deviating  from  the  narrow  circle  to  which  he  is 
necessarily  confined.  When  any  accident  oc- 
curs, when  the  circumstances  of  the  case  are 
somewhat  changed,  when  the  same  principle  on 
which  he  generally  proceeds  requires  to  be  ap- 
plied to  a  new  object  or  mode  of  operation,  he 
either  blunders  his  work,  or  feels  himself  utterly 
at  a  loss  how  to  proceed.  The  least  deviation 
from  his  accustomed  trammels  puts  him  out, 
because  he  has  no  clear  and  comprehensive 
view  of  the  principles  on  which  his  practice 
depends.  Hence  we  uniformly  find,  that  a  man 
of  scientific  acquirements  will  easily  comprehend 
the  plan  of  any  new  machine  or  architectural 
operation,  and  be  able  to  execute  it,  while  he 
who  works  only  by  square  and  rule,  will  hesitate 
at  every  step,  and  perceive  innumeraole  diffi-^ul- 
ties  in  his  way.    To  confine  artisU  to  mere 


rules,  without  a  knowledge  of  the  principles  on 
which  they  are  founded,  is  to  degrade  their 
intellectual  nature,  to  reduce  them  to  something 
like  mere  machines,  to  render  them  less  useful 
both  to  themselves  and  to  their  employers,  and 
to  prevent  the  improvement  of  the  liberal  and 
mechanical  arts. 

The  following  instance  may  be  stated  as  a 
specimen  of  the  advantages  of  chymical  know- 
ledge, und  of  the  practical  purposes  to  whi»;h  it 
may  be  applied  in  different  regions  of  the  globe< 
A  young  Parisian,  of  the  name  of  Leger  went 
on  a  commercial  adventure  to  Egypt  in  the  year 
1822 :  but  during  some  of  the  convulsions  of  that 
unsettled  country,  he  lost  the  little  property  with 
which  he  was  intrusted,  and  was  forced  to  make 
a  precipitate  retreat  from  Suez  to  Alexandria. 
He  remained  some  time  at  Alexandria,  destitute 
and  almost  hoptless.  But  the  talent  of  observa- 
tion, and  the  social  habits  characteristic  of  his 
countrymen,  came  to  his  aid :  in  a  lucky  mo- 
ment he  formed  the  resolution  of  retrieving  his 
fortune  by  introducing  the  luxury  of  ir.e  into  the 
parched  land  of  the  Ptolemies.  This  common  pro- 
duct of  wintry  regions  is  known  to  be  as  grateful  to 
the  languid  natives  of  tropical  climates  as  ardent 
spirits  are  to  the  benumbed  inhabitants  of  the 
Polar  circle.  Having  succeeded  in  effecting  a 
return  to  his  family,  the  enterprising  Parisian 
was  enabled  by  the  friendly  assistance  of  Gay 
Lussac  and  Thenard,  to  adopt  the  best  means 
that  chymistry  could  devise  for  the  preservation 
of  ice,  both  during  the  voyage,  and  afler  its  ar- 
rival in  a  sultry  latitude  ;  and  at  length  set  oat 
from  Paris  with  his  inventions,  and  arrived  safely 
at  Alexandria,  in  April  1823.  The  sovereign 
of  Egypt,  Mahommed  Ali,  was  delighted  at  this 
novel  addition  to  oriental  luxuries  ;  and,  besides 
valuable  presents,  gave  the  inventor  the  exclu- 
sive right  for  five  years  of  importing  ice  into  his 
dominions.  This  privilege  is  estimated  to  be 
worth  one  miUion  of  francs,  or  nearly  50,0(XM. 
In  ancient  times  the  world  was  enlightened  by 
the  learning  of  Egypt ;  the  greatest  philosophers 
travelled  thither,  as  to  the  fountains-head  of  sci- 
ence ;  but  the  land  of  Sesostres  and  Alexander 
has  now  become  the  prey  of  the  ferocious  Mos- 
lem ;  and  whatever  she  enjoys  of  art,  know- 
ledge or  civilization,  she  is  compelled  to  receive 
from  the  once  barbarous  regions  of  the  West.* 

II.  Scientific  knowledge  will  not  only  render 
persons  more  skilful  in  their  respective  employ- 
ments, but  will  enable  them  to  miike  improve' 
ments  in  the  arts,  and  in  the  physical  sciences  with 
which  they  are  connected. 

It  has  frequently  been  affirmed  that  many 
useful  inventions  have  been  owing  to  cAaner, 
and  that  persons  ignorant  of  science  have  stum- 
bled upon  them  without  any  previous  investigft* 

'.Scots  Mechan.  Mag.  isas. 


78 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


tion.  It  it  not  denied,  that  several  inventions 
have  originated  in  this  way,  but  they  arc  much 
fewer  than  is  generally  imagined ;  and,  in  al- 
most every  instance,  where  chance  suggested 
the  first  hint  uf  any  invcnlinn,  the  future  im- 
provements were  directed  by  the  hand  of  ge- 
nius and  the  aids  of  science.  It  is  said,  that  the 
invention  of  the  telescope  was  owing  to  a  spec- 
tacle-mnker's  boy  having  accidenialiy  taken  up 
two  convex  glasses  of  different  focal  distances, 
ind  place<l  the  one  near  his  eye  and  the  other 


at  a  considerable  distance,  when  he  perceived, 
on  looking  through  them,  the  spire  of  a  neigh- 
bouring church  turned  upside  down,  and  much 
larger  than  its  usual  size.  The  father  of  the 
boy,  amazed  at  tiiis  singular  appearance,  b*> 
thought  himself  of  adjusting  two  glasses  on  a 
board,  supporting  them  in  two  brass  or  wooden 
circles,  which  might  be  removed  nearer  to,  or 
farther  from  each  other  at  pleasure,  as  in  th« 
following  figure,  where  A  represenu  the  object, 
B  the  lent  next  the  object,  a  the  iBverted  ianag* 


Ibrmed  by  it,  C  the  glass  next  the  eye,  and  D 
the  sliding  board  on  which  it  was  fixed,  for  ad- 
justing the  focus.  Such  appears  to  have  been 
the  first  rude  construction  of  a  telescope.  But 
■o  long  as  the  invention  remained  in  this  state, 
it  was  of  little  benefit  to  society.  It  was  not 
befi>re  Galileo,  a  philosopher  of  Tuscany,  heard 
<^the  circumstance,  and  entered  into  investiga- 
tions on  the  refraction  of  light,  and  the  proper- 
ties of  lenses,  that  this  noble  instrument  was 
improve.'!  and  directed  to  the  heavens  for  the 
purpose  of  making  astronomical  discoveries ; 
and  all  the  subsequent  improvements  h  has  re- 
ceived, have  been  the  result  of  reasonings,  and 
experimental  investigations,  conducted  by  men 
of  science.  Sir  Isaac  Newton,  in  cmtKjuenct 
9f  hi*  trptrimenU  and  diteoveritt  rexperiinjf  lij(ht 
amd  ooliwrt,  detected  the  true  cause  of  the  im- 
perfection of  the  common  refracting  telescope, 
and  suggested  the  substitution  of  metalline  spe- 
cula instead  of  lenses,  which  led  him  to  the  in- 
veotiaa  of  the  reflecting  telescope  ;  and  Mr. 
DoUond,  IN  contn/uen/ie  of  hit  mvettiiation*  and 
exptrxmenU  ntptcting  the  dfffkrent  dtgreet  of  rt- 
fradvm  and  divergeney  qf  oolour  prodmctd  hy 
dffftrrnt  kind*  of  gUui,  efTccied  the  (ireatest  im- 
provement that  had  ever  been  made  on  the  re- 
Jraoling  telescope,  by  producing  an  image  free 
of  the  imperfections  caused  by  the  blending  of 
the  prismatic  colours.  And  we  have  reason  to 
bdiere,  that  the  further  improvement  of  this  tele- 


scope will  chiefly  depend  on  ascertaining  the 
true  chymical  composition  of  flint  gla^s  for  achro* 
matic  purposes,  and  the  proper  mode  of  conduct- 
ing its  manufacture,  which  may  lead  to  the  con- 
struction of  instruments  of  this  kind,  on  a  more 
extensive  scale  than  has  ever  yet  been  attempted, 
and  to  discoveries  in  the  celestial  regions  far 
beyond  those  which  have  hitherto  been  made. 
But  such  improvements  can  never  be  effected, 
unless  by  numerous  experimental  investigations, 
conducted  by  those  whose  minds  are  thoroughly 
imbued  with  the  principles  of  chymical  and  op- 
tical science.* 

*  One  or  the  latest  Improvements  on  Achromatic 
object'SlasMii  wns  made  by  a  foreigner  of  the  name 
of  (iuinand,  who  was  originally  a  cabinet  maker. 
After  arqulring  a  knowledf^  of  the  princl|iles  of 
optirs,  and  of  (he  mode  of  conntruclInK  telcHrupes, 
he  ap|>lie«1  himself  particularly  to  abcertuin  tlie 
proper  composition  of  fiint  gtaai  for  nchromatie 
pur))Oses :  and,  after  S|>endln«  twenty  or  thirty 
yean  in  making!  experiments— casting  one  pot  of 
Klass  after  another,  ami  meeting  with  frequent 
disappointments,— he  :it  Icneth  succeeded  in  obtain- 
ing gtasy  for  achromnttr  telescope!,  of  larger  dimen- 
sions and  of  a  quality  iinpertor  to  what  could  for- 
merly b«  procured,  (if  this  glass  was  formed  the 
largest  triple  arhromatic  telescope  ever  constructed, 
which  wax  lately  erected  in  tJte  ot)eerv«tor,r  of  the 
university  at  Uorpat,  under  the  direction  of  M. 
Prauaholer.  This  glass  Is  perfectly  free  from  velna, 
and  has  a  greater  dispersive  power  than  any  ob- 
tained before.  The  dUneter  of  this  obtect  glai>s  is 
almost  (en  inches,  and  Its  focal  distance  IS  feeC 
It  has  four  eyepieces,  the  lowest  macnlfylng  iTt 
times,  and  the  higltest  70C  limse.  Mr.  Tulley  el 
UUnctoo  Uuiy  cousuacted,  of  liaUar  maurlali^ 


ORIGIN  OF  USEFUL  INVENTIONS. 


7» 


With  regard  to  the  invention  and  improve- 
mcnl  of  he  sleam-engine — a  story  has  been  told 
"  tha:  an  iJle  boy  being  employed  to  stop  and 
open  a  valve,  saw  that  he  could  save  himself  the 
trouble  of  attending  and  watching  it,  by  fixing  a 
plug  upon  a  part  of  the  machine  which  came  to 
the  place  at  the  proper  times,  in  consequence  of 
the  general  mi.»vement."  Whether  or  not  this 
story  tias  any  fjundation  in  truth — certain  it  is, 
that  all  t'le  most  useful  improvements  in  this 
engine  have  been  the  result  of  the  mast  elaborate 
researches  and  investigations  of  scientific  truths. 
The  rst  distinct  notion  of  the  structure  and 
opera' i>B  of  this  powerful  machine  appears  to 
have  been  given  by  the  Marquis  of  Worcester, 
in  1663,  in  his  "  Century  of  Inventions."  Its 
subse  ju -nt  improvements  by  Savary,  Blackey, 
Newiomen,  Bji'hton  and  Fitzgerald,  were  the 
results  of  physical  knowledge,  of  mechanical 
skill,  an  i  of  the  most  laborious  investigations. 
Its  latest  and  most  important  improvements  by 

minuf  I'-tured  by  the  same  artist,  a  telescope  whose 
object-sjlass  is  about  seven  inches  diameter,  and  its 
focal  len  'th  tweive  feet,  which  is  now  in  the  pos- 
sessina  of  Dr.  Pearson.  The  piece  uf  flint-glass  of 
which  the  concave  lens  was  formed,  rost  Mr.  Tulley 
!ibouc  thirty  guineas  Unfortunately  for  scienre,  the 
Ingenious  artist  (Guinand)  is  now  dead,  and  it  is 
uncertain  whether  he  has  left  any  particulai  details 
of  his  process  behind  him.  The  possibility,  how- 
ever, of  procuring  eUss  for  the  construction  of  very 
large  achromatic  telescopes  Is  now  put  beyond  a 
doubt. 

The  unscientinc  readier  may  ac(|uire  a  geturai 
idea  of  m  achromatic  object  glass  from  the  follow. 
Ing  fiiiure,—  where  A  D  represents  a  double  unequally 
convex  lens  of  crr/wn  glass,  C  B  a  double  concave 
otflliu  gl  iss,  and  E  F  another  convex  lens  of  crown- 
glass.  These  are  placed  together  in  the  manner 
represented  in  the  figure,  and  form  what  is  called 


ui  achromatic  ebjeet-glass,  the  term  achrmtuxtlc  sig- 
zAiyim  frte  of  colour.  Sometimes  only  two  lenses, 
a  convex  of  crown,  and  a  concave  of  flint  glass  are 
combined  for  the  same  purpose.  In  the  case  of  a 
single  ounvex  glass,  the  image  formed  is  blended 
with  tlie  prismatic  colours  which  come  to  foci  at 
dilTerent  dLstances  from  the  lens,  and  consequently 
produce  a  comparatively  indistinct  image,  which 
Will  lint  ailmit  of  a  high  mignifying  power.  But  the 
a«;hromitic  lens,  forming  .an  image  without  colour 
will  b  :ar  a  larger  aperture,  and  a  hiirher  magnifying 
power,  than  a  common  refractor  of  the  same  length. 
So  great  is  the  dltference— that  an  achromatic  tele- 
scope of  Doilond,  only  three  feel  ten  inches  in 
length,  was  found  to  equal,  and  even  excel  the 
famous  aerial  telescope  of  Huygens  of  123  feet  focal 
length,  an.l  the  gentlemen  present  at  tietri.al  agreed 
that  "tho  dwarf  was  fairly  a  match  for  the  giant." 
The  principal  obstacle  to  their  construction  on  a 
large  scale,  is,  thedifficully  of  procuring  large  pieces 
of  nini-gias:i  free  of  veins,  and  of  a  proper  dispersive 
4uaUty 


Mr.  James  Watt,  were  owing  no  less  to  the 
scientific  knowledge  which  adorned  his  mind, 
than  to  his  mechanical  ingenuity.  He  was  a 
man  of  a  truly  philosophical  mind,  eminently 
conversant  in  all  branches  of  natural  knowledge, 
and  the  pupil  and  intimate  friend  of  Dr.  Black, 
and  had  attended  the  lectures  of  that  distin- 
guished philosopher  in  the  university  ofGlasgow. 
And  he  often  acknowledged  "  that  his  first  ideas 
on  this  subject  were  acquired  by  his  attendance 
on  Dr.  Black's  chymical  lectures,  and  from  the 
consideraiion  of  his  theory  of  latent  heat,  and 
the  expansibility  of  steam."  We  may  therefore 
rest  assured,  that  all  the  future  improvements 
and  new  applications  of  this  noble  invention  will 
be  the  result  of  physical  and  chymical  knowledge 
combined  with  mechanical  skill ;  and  conse- 
quently, no  artizan  can  ever  expect  to  be  instru- 
mental in  bringing  the  steam-engine  to  its  highest 
pitch  of  improvement,  and  in  directing  its  ener- 
gies to  all  the  purposes  to  which  they  may  be 
applied,  unless  the  pursuits  of  science  occupy  a 
considerable  share  of  his  atten'iun. 

The  first  hint  of  the  mariner'a  compass  is 
generally  supposed  to  have  been  ow  ing  to  chance. 
Some  persons  may  have  accidentally  observed, 
that  when  a  small  loadstone  is  suspended  in 
water  on  a  juece  of  wood  or  cork,  its  ends  pointed 
towards  the  south  and  north.  Such  experiments 
seem  to  have  been  applied  at  first  for  mere 
amusement,  and  to  excite  astonishment  in  the 
minds  of  the  ignorant  and  illiterate.  But  it  was 
not  till  some  genius  possessed  of  science  and  of 
reflecting  powers  seized  the  hint  thus  given,  that 
it  was  applied  to  the  important  purpose  of  direct- 
ing the  mariner  in  his  course  through  the  path- 
less ocean.  And  to  science  we  are  indebted 
for  the  manner  of  determining  the  decliTuiiion  of 
the  needle,  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  by  means 
of  the  azimuth  compass,  and  thus  rendering  it 
an  accurate  guide  to  the  navigator  in  every 
region  through  which^fe  moves.  The  discovery 
of  that  peculiar  principle  termed  galvanism,  was 
partly  owing  to  accident.  Whilst  Galvani,  pro- 
fessor of  anatomy  at  Bologna,  was  one  day  era- 
ployed  in  dissecting  a  frog,  in  a  room  where 
some  of  his  friends  were  amusing  themselves 
with  electrical  experiments,  one  of  them  having 
happened  to  draw  a  spark  from  the  conductor,  at 
same  time  that  the  professor  touched  one  of  the 
nerves  of  the  animal,  its  whole  body  was  in- 
stantly shaken  by  a  violent  convulsion.  Having 
afterwards  suspended  some  frogs  from  the  iron 
palisades  which  surrounded  his  garden,  by 
means  of  metallic  hooks  fixed  in  the  spines  of 
their  backs,  he  observed  that  their  muscles  con- 
tracted frequently  and  involuntarily,  as  if  from  a 
shock  of  electricity.  Such  facts,  presented  to 
the  view  of  unscientific  persons,  might  have  pro- 
duced nothing  more  than  a  gaze  of  wonder; 
perhaps  supernatural  powers  might  have  been 
resorted  to  in  order  to  account  for  the  pheno- 


80 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OP  KNOWLEDGE. 


BMaa,  and  in  a  short  time  they  might  have  been 
htfinten  an  a  vision  of  (he  night.  But  such 
•cimtihc  minds  as  those  of  Valli,  Volta,  Monro, 
VowJer,  bavy,  Humboldt  and  W'ollaston,  having 
■eised  ti|i<>n  these  facts,  having  contemplated 
dMn  ill  every  point  of  view,  and  instituted  ex- 
perimonis  of  every  description  in  relation  to 
them — mo^t  astonishing  discoveries  in  science 
have  heoii  brought  to  light — the  whole  aspect  of 
cfaymistry  has  been  changed,  and  numerous  im- 
proTemenb  introduced  into  the  practice  of  the 
oaeful  arts.  Alkalis  have  been  decompoeed, 
new  metnllic  substances  discovered,  the  cause 
of  the  rorrtmon  of  metals  ascertained,  and  the 
means  dctennined  by  which  it  may  be  effectu- 
ally prevented. 

It  is  a  truth  which  the  whole  history  of  sci- 
ence fully  corroborates,  that  very  few  important 
diacoverit'S  have  been  made  by  accident  or  by 
ignorant  persons,  whose  minds  were  not  di- 
rected to  t':e  particular  object  of  research.  On 
the  other  hand,  we  have  every  reason  to  believe, 
duit  there  are  many  facts  and  circumstances 
which  have  passed  under  the  inspection  of  un- 
tutored minds,  which,  had  they  come  within  the 
range  of  uie n  of  science,  would  have  led  to  many 
Vaeful  inventions  which  are  yet  hid  in  the  womb 
of  fiiiurity,  and  which  will  reward  the  industry 
of  more  enlightened  generations.  The  inven- 
tioDS  to  whi(  h  we  have  now  adverted,  and  many 
Others,  where  chance  suggested  the  first  rude 
Unta,  wotild,  in  all  probability,  have  lain  for  ages 
in  obscurity,  without  any  real  utility  to  mankind, 
lutd  not  the  genius  of  science  seized  upon  them, 
viewed  them  in  all  their  bearings,  and  traced 
them  to  ail  their  legitimate  consequences  and  re- 
•olts.  Had  the  telescoue,  the  steam  engine, 
and  thr  mariner's  compass,  in  their  first  embryo 
state,  remained  solely  in  the  hands  of  ignorant 
empirics,  ihey  might  have  been  reserved  merely 
aa  play-things  for  the  punxise  of  vulgar  amiise- 
■Mnt,  or  exhibited  by  (ffnning  impostors  to  aid 
their  deceptions,  or  to  produce  a  belief  of  their 
•upema'ural  powers.  But  science  snatched 
litem  from  The  hands  of  the  ignorant  and  the  de- 
signing, and  having  added  the  requisite  improve- 
■Mnts,  be<|ueathed  them  to  mankind  as  the 
■leans  of  future  advancement  in  the  paths  of 
ItBOwledge,  and  in  the  practice  of  the  arts. 

It  may  be  laid  down  as  a  kind  of  axiom,  to 
ffUch  few  exceptions  will  occur,  that  great  dis- 
coveries in  science  and  improvements  in  art  are 
aavwi  to  be  expected  but  as  the  result  of  know- 
ledge combined  with  unwearied  investigation. 
Thu  axunn  might  be  illustrated,  were  it  necee- 
■ary,  from  what  we  know  of  the  past  history  of 
oar  Boei  useful  inrentions.  I'he  celebrated  M. 
Bnvgens,  who  first  discovered  the  mean*  of  ren- 
jaiiug  clfM-ks  exact  by  applying  the  pmtivlum, 
tad  renilering  all  its  vibrations  equal  by  the  cy- 
oMd— Ma<i  one  of  the  first  mathemalicians  and 
Mttooomcrt  of  hi*  age.    He  had  long  kept  the 


object  of  his  pursuit  before  his  mind,  he  pKeA 
his  mechanical  ingenuity  in  adapting  liie  ma> 
chinery  of  a  clock  to  tlie  mainiaiuing  of  tjie  vi- 
brations of  a  pendulum,  and  by  his  niathemaii- 
cal  knowledge  investigated  the  theory  of  ila 
motion.  By  tlie  aid  of  a  new  department  of 
geometrical  science,  invented  by  himself,  he 
showed  how  to  make  a  pc-ndulum  swing  in  a  cy- 
cloid, and  that  its  vibrations  in  this  curve  are  all 
performed  in  equal  limes,  whatever  be  their  ex- 
tent. The  ingenious  A4r.  Robert  Uooke,  Mho 
was  the  inventor  of  spring  or  pocket  watches, 
and  of  several  astronomical  instruments  fur  mak- 
ing observations  both  at  sea  and  land — was 
eminently  distinguished  for  his  |  hilosophical  and 
mathematical  acquirements.  From  his  earliest 
years  he  discovered  a  genius  for  mechanics,  and 
all  his  other  knowledge  was  brought  to  bear  upon 
his  numerous  inventions  and  contrivances.— 
Otto  Guerieke,  who  mvmUd  the  jlir-jnivip,^mM 
one  of  the  first  mathematicians  of  his  lime  ;  and 
the  Honourable  Robert  Boyle,  who  improvrtt  this 
valuable  instrument,  was  one  of  the  moet  illus* 
trious  philosophers  of  the  age  and  country  ia 
which  he  lived. — Mr.  Ferguson,  the  inventor  ol 
several  orreries,  the  astronomiaal  rotula,  the 
eclipsarion,  the  mechanical  paradox,  and  othet 
astronomical  machinery,  had,  from  his  earliest 
years,  devoted  the  greatest  part  of  his  time  to 
the  study  of  mechanics,  asd  the  physical  and 
mathematical  sciences  with  which  it  is  con- 
nected, as  appears  from  the  numerous  populai 
works  which  he  published  on  these  subjects 
which  are  still  in  extensive  circulation.— The 
late  Mr.  Arkwright,  the  inventor  of  the  tpinnimg 
Jennie*,  devoted  many  years  to  the  study  of  ne- 
chanics  and  to  the  improvement  cf  his  invent 
tion,  till  he  was  perfectly  conversant  in  every 
ihing  that  relates  to  the  construction  of  ma^' 
chinery.  This  admirable  invention,  by  which  a 
pound  of  the  finest  cotton  has  been  spun  by  ma^ 
chinery  into  a  yam  extending  more  tlian  119 
miles,  was  not  the  result  of  chance,  but  of  the 
most  unwearied  study  and  attention  in  regard  te 
every  circumstance  which  had  a  bearing  on  the 
object  of  his  pursuit :  and  as  he  had  not  ori- 
ginally received  any  thing  like  a  rtgrUor  scien- 
tific education,  his  acquirements  were  the  result 
of  his  own  application  and  industry. — "The 
new  process  of  refining  sugar,  by  which  more 
money  has  been  made  in  a  shorter  time,  aiul  with 
less  risk  and  trouble,  than  was  ever  perhaps 
gained  from  an  invention,  was  discovered  by  aa 
accomplished  rhymist,  E.  Howard,  brother  of 
the  Duke  of  Norfolk,  and  was  the  fruit  of  a  long 
course  of  experiments,  in  the  progress  of  which, 
known  philosophical  principles  were  constantly 
applied,  and  one  or  two  new  principles  ascer- 
tained." 

There  are  few  inventions  of  modem  tunes 
t'  at  have  been  more  directly  the  resul*.  of  phi- 
losophical knowledge  and  experiment,  than  the 


ORIGIN  OP  USEFUL  INVENTIONS. 


81 


wfety^amp,  invented  by  that  accomplished  chy- 
mist,  the  late  Sir  Humphrey  Davy.  He  insti- 
tuted a  series  of  philosophical  experiments,  with 
the  express  purpose  of  constructing,  if  possible, 
a  lamp  by  which  the  miner  might  walk  through 
a  body  of  fire-damp  in  his  subterraneous  apart- 
ments without  danger  of  an  explosion ;  and  the 
success  with  which  his  investigations  were  at- 
tended, led  to  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  use- 
ful inventions  which  distinguish  the  period  in 
which  we  live.*  Had  this  ingenious  philoso- 
pher been  ignorant  of  the  nature  and  properties  of 
carburretted  hydrogen  gas,  of  the  composition  of 
atmospheric  air,  of  the  nature  of  combustion,  and 
of  the  general  principles  of  chymical  science, 
he  could  never  have  hit  upon  the  construction 
of  this  admirable  instrument,  and  the  useful  mi- 
ner would  still  have  been  left  to  grapple  with  his 
invisible  enemy  (the  fire-damp)  without  any 
means  of  escaping  from  its  destructive  agency. f 

•  See  Appendix,  No.  IX. 

♦  It  is  more  than  probable,  that  fatal  accidents 
have  occurred  in  coal  mines  wlicre  tljese  lamps  have 
been  used,  owing  to  the  ignorance  and  inattention 
of  some  of  those  artists  who  have  been  employed  in 
forrains  the  wire-gauze  with  which  they  are  sur- 
rounded. A  friend  of  mine,  who  performed  a  great 
variety  of  experiments  with  this  instrument,  with 
every  combination  of  explosive  gas,  informed  me, 
that,  with  a  lamp  surrounded  with  wire-gauze,  ma- 
nufactured by  an  artist  in  a  town  in  the  north  of 
England,  and  who  supplied  it  for  the  use  of  the  mi- 
ners—din explosion  uniformly  took  place  when  the 
instrument  was  placed  in  a  body  of  inflammable 
gas.  He  suspected  that  the  apertures  in  the  wire- 
^uze  were  too  large,  and  remonstrated  with  the 
artist  on  his  want  of  accuracy;  and  it  was  not  be- 
fore he  procured  gauze  with  smaller  apertures  that 
his  experiments  succeeded ;  and  they  were  attended 
with  complete  succes.s  in  every  future  experiment, 
after  the  gauze  was  changed.  So  small  was  the  dif- 
ference in  the  contexture  of  the  two  pieces  of  the 
gauze,  that,  to  a  common  eye,  it  was  scarcely  per- 
ceptible. It  is  found  by  experiment,  that  the  aper- 
tures in  the  gauze  should  not  exceed  one  twentieth 
of  an  inch  sijuare,  and  that  wire  from  one  fortieth 
lo  one  sixtieth  of  an  inch  diameter,  is  the  most  con- 
venient. Had  the  artist  alluded  to,  known  how  to 
perform  experiments  with  this  instrument,  and  tried 
the  effects  of  his  gauze  before  he  sold  it  for  the  pur- 
pose intended,  such  serious  blunders  would  not 
have  been  committed.  Who  knows  but  the  defi- 
ciency in  the  gauze  alluded  to  might  have  been  the 
cause  of  the  destruction  of  several  lives  in  the  pits 
where  it  was  used  ?  for  it  is  a  certain  fact  that  acci- 
dents from  explosions  are  occasionally  recurring, 
oven  In  mines  where  these  lamps  are  generally  in 
use.  Hence  the  necessity  of  chymical  knowledge 
and  attention  to  scientific  accuracy  in  those  who  are 
the  manufacturers  of  instruments  of  tliis  descrip- 
tion— on  the  accurate  construction  of  which  the 
lives  and  comforts  of  a  useful  body  of  the  commu- 
nity may  depend.  I  know  not  whether  it  be  custo- 
mary to  put  the  safety-lamp  into  the  hands  of  the 
miner,  without  first  trj-ins  its  efBclency  for  resisting 
the  effects  of  explosive  gaaes.  If  It  is  not,  it  is  a 
most  glarin?  and  dangerous  oversight;  and  there 
can  1x5  no  question,  thai  to  the  neglect  of  this  pre- 
caution are  to  be  attributed  many  of  those  explo- 
sions which  have  taken  place  In  the  mines  where 
this  lamp  has  been  introduced.  Besides,  such  ne- 
glects have  a  direct  tendency  to  detract  from  the 
merits  of  this  noble  Invention,  to  prevent  Its  univer- 
sal adoption,  and  to  render  uncertain  its  efficiency 
for  warding  off  destructive  explosions.  But  from 
the  experiments  alluded  to  above,  which  were  pcr- 

11 


We  may  farther  remark,  that  the  mechanic 
whose  mind  is  enlightened  with  scientific  know- 
ledge, has  a  much  greater  chance  of  being  instru- 
mental in  improving  the  arts,  than  the  mere  chy- 
mist  or  philosopher.  While  the  mere  philoso- 
pher is  demonstrating  principles  and  forming 
theories  in  his  closet,  and  sometimes  performing 
experiments,  only  on  a  small  scale, — the  work- 
man, in  certain  manufactories,  has  a  daily  op- 
portunity of  contemplating  chymical  processes 
and  mechanical  operations  on  an  extensive  scale, 
and  of  perceiving  numberless  modifications  and 
contrivances,  which  require  to  be  attended  to, 
of  which  the  mere  scientific  speculator  can  form 
but  a  very  faint  and  inadequate  conception. 
Being  familiar  with  the  most  minute  details  of 
every  process  and  operation,  he  can  perceive 
redundancies  and  defects  imperceptible  to  other 
observers  ;  and,  if  he  has  an  accurate  knowledge 
of  the  general  principles  on  which  his  operations 
depend,  he  must  be  best  qualified  for  suggesting 
and  contriving  the  requisite  improvements.  Aa 
the  mechanic  is  constantly  handling  the  tools 
and  materials  with  which  new  experiments  and 
improvements  may  be  made,— observing  the  ef- 
fects of  certain  contrivances,  and  of  deviations 
from  established  practice— and  w;fnessing  the 
chymical  and  mechanical  actions  of  bodies  on 
each  other — he  has  more  opportunities  of  obser- 
vation in  these  respects,  and,  consequently,  is 
more  likely  tlian  any  other  class  of  society  to 
strike  out  a  new  path  which  may  lead  to  some 
useful  invention  in  the  arts,  or  discovery  in  the 
sciences.''  But  if  his  mind  is  not  imbued  with 
knowledge,  he  trudges  on,  like  a  mill-horse,  in 
the  same  beaten  track,  and  may  overlook  a  thou- 
sand opportunities  of  performing  experiments, 
and  a  thousand  circumstances  which  might 
suggest  new  improvements. 

In  short,  in  so  far  as  chance  is  concerned  in 
new  discoveries  and  improvements  in  the  arts, 
the  scientific  mechanic  has  a  hundred  chances 
to  one,  compared  with  the  ignorant  artificer,  that, 
in  the  course  of  his  operations,  he  shall  hit  upon 
a  new  principle  of  improvement :  his  chances 
of  such  results  are  even  superior  to  those  of  the 
most  profound  philosophers  who  never  engage  in 

formed  with  the  greatest  care,  and  with  every  pos- 
sible combination  of  explosive  gas,  and  frequently 
exhibited  in  private,  and  before  large  public  audi- 
ences—the efficiency  of  this  lamp  for  resisting  the  ef- 
fects of  fire-damp  is  put  beyond  the  shadow  of  a 
doubt.  It  is  known  to  be  the  practice  of  some  mi- 
ners, occasionally  to  screw  off  the  top  of  theirlamp, 
In  order  to  enjoy  the  benefit  of  more  light  than  what 
shines  through  the  wire-gauze.  Such  a  practice 
ought  to  be  strictly  prohibited,  and  the  Instrument, 
if  possible,  rendered  incapable  of  being  opened  at 
top— a  practice  which  may  probably  have  been  the 
occasion  of  several  explosions.  If  the  workmen 
in  mines  were  carefully  instructed  In  the  general 
principles  of  chymlstry,  and  parUcularly  In  the  na- 
ture of  combustion,  explosions,  and  the  qualities  of 
the  different  gases,  they  would  not  dare  to  hazaid 
such  dangerous  experiments. 

•  8ee  Appendix  No.  X. 


M 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIPPtfSlON  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


praeticd  Op«f«tioiu,  u  h«  is  constiuiily  in  the 
Wk/  of  perceiving  what  is  ukcIvsk,  drfcrtivc,  or 
in  unj  wmy  amiw.in  the  common  methods  of 
procedure.  To  use  •  cummun  expression,  *'  he 
la  in  the  way  of  i;ood  luck,  and  if  he  possesses 
iiie  requbitu  information,  he  can  lake  the  ad- 
nitt*f6  of  it  when  it  comes  to  him."  And 
•hould  he  be  so  fortunate  as  to  hit  on  a  new  in> 
mention,  he  will  probably  enjoy  not  merely  the 
honour  which  is  attached  to  a  new  discovery,  but 
also  the  pecuniary  advantages  which  {generally 
result  from  it. 

We  have,  therefore,  every  reason  to  hope, 
that,  were  scientific  knowledge  universally  dif- 
fused among  the  working  classes,  every  depart- 
nent  of  the  useful  arts  would  proceed  with  a 
rapid  progress  to  perfection,  and  new  arts  and 
inventions,  hitherto  unknown,  be  introduced  on 
the  theatre  of  the  world,  to  increase  the  enjoy" 
nents  of  domestic  society,  and  to  embellish  the 
face  of  nature.  No  possible  limits  can  be  as* 
ngned  to  the  powers  of  genius,  to  the  resources 
of  science,  to  the  improvement  of  machinery,  to 
tlie  aids  to  be  derived  from  chymical  researches, 
and  to  the  skill  and  industry  of  mechanics  and 
labourers  when  guided  by  the  light  which  scien- 
tific dbcoveries  have  diffused  around  them. 
Almost  every  new  discovery  in  nature  lays  the 
foundation  of  a  new  art ;  and  since  the  recent 
discoveries  of  chymistry  lead  to  the  conviction, 
that  the  properties  and  powcrt  of  material  suh~ 
ttcmce*  are  only  beginning  to  be  discovered — the 
resources  of  art  must,  in  some  measure,  keep 
pace  with  our  knowledge  of  the  powers  of  na- 
ture. It  is  by  seizing  on  these  powers,  and 
wnploying  them  in  subserviency  to  his  designs, 
that  man  has  been  enabled  to  perform  operations 
which  the  whole  united  force  of  mere  animal 
strength  could  never  have  accomplished.  Steam, 
galvanism,  the  atmospheric  pressure,  oxygen, 
hydrogen,  and  other  natural  agents,  formerly 
unnoticed  or  unknown,  have  been  called  into 
action  by  the  genius  of  science ;  and,  in  the 
fbnn  of  steam-boats  and  carriages.  Voltaic  bat» 
teries,  gasometers  and  air-balloons,  have  gene- 
rated forces,  effected  decompositions,  diffused 
the  most  brilliant  illuminations,  and  produced  a 
celerity  of  motion  botli  on  sea  and  land  which 
have  astonished  even  the  philosophical  world, 
and  which  former  generations  would  have  been 
disposed  to  ascribe  to  the  agencies  of  infernal 
iemons.  And  who  shall  dare  to  set  boundaries 
to  the  range  of  scientific  discorery^-or  to  say, 
that  principles  and  powers  of  a  still  more  won- 
derful and  energetic  nature,  shall  not  be  disco* 
vered  in  the  system  of  nature,  calculated  to 
perform  achievements  still  more  striking  and 
magnificent?  Much  has,  of  late  years,  been 
performed  by  the  application  and  combination 
4t  chymical  and  mechanical  powers,  but  much 
more,  we  may  confidently  expect,  will  be 
•chiered  in  generations  yet  to  come,  when  tb« 


physical  univerve  shall  be  more  extensively  e»» 
plored,  and  ihe  gates  of  the  icmplr  of  knowledge 
thrown  open  to  all.  Future  >N  aiix,  Da^yK  and 
A rkw rights  will  dw.btles8  arise,  with  niitids  siiO 
more  britlianily  tlltminated  with  the  lights  of 
science,  and  ihe  splendid  inventions  of  ihe  pre- 
sent age  be  far  surpassed  in  the  "  fiiltirc  miracles 
of  mechanic  power,"  which  will  disiin^ii  i^h  the 
ages  which  are  yet  to  come.  But,  in  «id«r  to 
this  "wished  for  consummation,"  it  is  ir.dirpen- 
sably  re<]ui>.i;e  that  the  mass  of  mankind  be 
aroused  from  their  slumbers,  that  knowledge  be 
inivcrsally  diffused,  and  that  the  light  of  science 
shed  its  influence  on  men  of  every  naticn,  of 
every  proff^ssion,  and  of  every  rank.  And  i( 
through  apathy  or  avarice,  or  indulgence  in  Bei»< 
sual  propensities,  we  refuse  to  lend  our  helping 
hand  to  this  object,  now  that  a  spirit  nf  niquiry 
las  gone  abroad  in  the  world — society  nay  ye* 
relapse  into  the  darkness  which  envelo|,ed  the 
human  mind  duriag  the  middle  ages,  aiid  the 
noble  inventions  of  the  past  and  present  age, 
like  the  stately  monuments  of  Grecian  and  Ko- 
man  art,  be  lost  amidst  the  mists  of  ignorancCf 
or  blended  with  the  ruins  of  empires. 

III.  The  knowledge  and  mental  activity  con- 
nected with  the  impiovement  of  the  arts,  uould 
promote  the  external  eomfortt  of  mankind,  par- 
tieularly  of  the  tower  order*  oftoeiely. 

Since  the  period  when  the  arts  began  to  be 
improved,  and  a  spirit  of  inquiry  after  knowledge 
was  excited  among  the  middling  and  lower  or* 
ders,  many  comforts  and  conveniencies  hare 
been  introduced,  and  a  new  lustre  appears  on  tlie 
face  of  general  society.  In  many  places  the  a» 
pect  of  th*  country  has  been  entirely  changed ; 
the  low  thatched  cottage  of  the  farmer  has  arisen 
into  a  stately  mansion,  the  noisome  dunghiO 
which  stood  within  two  yards  of  his  door,  has 
been  thrown  into  a  spacious  court  at  a  distance 
from  his  dwelling,  and  his  offices  display  a  neat- 
ness and  elegance  which  seem  to  vie  with  ihoee 
of  the  proprietor  of  the  soil.  The  gloomy  pa- 
rish church  with  its  narrow  able  and  tottering 
belfrey,  has  been  transformed  into  a  noble  light- 
some edifice,  and  adorned  with  a  stately  spire 
towering  above  all  surrotmding  objects ;  and  the 
village  school,  within  whose  narrow  walls  a  hun- 
dred little  urchins  were  crowded,  like  sheep  in  a 
fold,  has  now  expanded  into  a  spacious  halL 
Narrow  dirty  paths  have  been  improved,  roads 
formed  on  spacious  plans,  canals  and  railways 
constructed,  streets  enlarged,  waste  lands  cul- 
tivated, marshes  drained,  and  the  interior  of 
houses  decorated  and  rendered  more  comfortable 
and  commodious.  In  districts  where  nothing 
formerly  appeared  but  a  dreary  waste,  prints 
fields  have  been  established,  cotton  mills,  fouiv 
derics,  and  other  manufactories  erected,  villages 
reared,  and  the  noise  of  machinery,  the  toUinf 
of  bells,  the  sound  of  hammers,  tlie  buzz  of  reels, 


.T?^ 


EXTERNAL  COMFORT  CONNECTED  WIIH  SCIENCE. 


8S 


and  the  hum  of  human  voices  and  of  ceaseless 
activity,  now  diversify  the  scene  where  nothing 
was  f  )rmerlY  heard  but  the  purling  stream  or  the 
howlinjs  of  the  tempest.  In  certain  parts  of  the 
coun.ry  where  the  passing  of  a  chariot  was  a 
kind  of  phenomenon,  mails  and  sta:»e-coaches 
crowded  with  travellers  of  all  descriptions,  within 
and  without,  now  follow  each  other  in  rapid  suc- 
cession, conveying  their  passengers  with  unin- 
terrupted rapidity,  and  at  one-half  the  expense 
formerly  incurred.  Even  on  the  inland  lake, 
where  scarcely  a  small  skiff  was  formerly  seen, 
steam-vessels  are  now  beheld  sweeping  along  in 
majestic  style,  and  landing  fashionable  parties, 
heroes,  divines,  and  philosophers,  to  enliven  the 
rural  hamlet,  the  heath-clad  mountain,  and  the 
romantic  glen. 

M.ich,  however,  is  still  wanting  to  complete 
the  enjoyments  of  the   lower  ranks  of  society. 
In  the  country,  many  of  them  live  in  the  most 
wretched  hovels,  open  to  the  wind  and  rain,  with- 
out a  separate  apartment  to  which  an  individual 
may  retire  for  any  mental  exercise  ;  in  towns,  a 
whole  family  is  frequently  crowded  into  a  single 
apartment  in  a  narrow  lane,  surrounded   with 
filth  and  noxious  exhalations,  and  where  the  light 
of  day  is  scarcely  visible.     In  such  habitations, 
w^here  the  kitchen,  parlour,  and  bed-closet  are 
all  comprised  in  one  narrow  apartment,  it  is 
next  to  impossible  for  a  man  to  improve  his  mind 
by  reading  or  reflection,  amidst  the   gloom  of 
twilight,  the  noise  of  children,  and  the  prepara- 
tion of  victuals,  even  although  he  felt  an  ardent 
desire  for  intellectual  enjoyment.     Hence  the 
temptation  to  which  such  persons  are  exposed  to 
geek  enjoyment  in  wandering  through  the  streets, 
in  frequenting  the  ale-house,  or  in  lounging  at 
the  fire-side  in  mental  inactivity.     In  order  that 
the  labourer  may  be  stimulated  to  the  cultivation 
of  his  mental  powers,  he  must  be  furnished  with 
those  domestic  conveniencies  requisite  for  at- 
taining this  object.  He  must  be  paid  such  wages 
as   will  enable  him  to  procure   such  conveni- 
encies, and  the  means  of  instruction,  otherwise 
it  is  next  thing  to  an  insult  to  exhort  him  to  pro- 
secute the  path  of  science.      The  long  hours  of 
labour,  and  the  paltry  remuneration  which  the  la- 
bourer receives  in  many  of  our  spinning-mills  and 
other  manufactories,  so  long  as  such  domestic 
tlavery  and  avaricious  practices  continue,  form 
im  inmrmountahle  barrier  to  the  general  diffusion 
of  knowledge. 

But  were  the  minds  of  the  lower  orders  im- 
bued with  a  certain  portion  of  useful  science,  and 
did  they  possess  such  a  competency  as  every 
human  being  ought  to  enjoy,  their  knowledge 
would  lead  them  to  habits  of  lUligenee  and  eco- 
nomy. In  most  instances  it  will  be  found,  that 
ignorance  is  the  fruitful  source  of  indolence, 
waste,  and  extravagance,  and  that  abject  poverty 
is  the  result  of  a  want  of  discrimination  and  pro- 
per arrangement  in  the  management  of  domestic 


affairs.     Now,  the  habits  of  application  which 
the   acquisition   of  knowledge  necessarily  pro- 
duces, would  naturally  be  carried  into  the  va- 
rious departments  of  labour  peculiar  to  their  sta- 
tions, and  prevent  that  laziness  and  inattention 
which  is  too  common  among  the  working  classes, 
and  which  not   unfrequently  lead  to  poverty  and 
disgrace.     Their  knowledge  of  the  nature  of 
heat,  combustion,  atmospheric  air,  and  combus- 
tible substances,  would   lead   them  to  a  proper 
economy  in  the  use  of  fuel ;  and  their  acquaint- 
ance with  the  truths  of  chymistry,  on  which  the 
art  of  a  rational  cookery  is  founded,  would  lead 
them  to  an  economical  practice  in  the  preparation 
of  victuals,  and  teach  them  to  extract  from  every 
substance  all  its  nutritious  qualities,  and  to  im- 
part a  proper  relish  to  every  dish  they  prepare  ; 
for  want  of  which  knowledge  and  attention,  the 
natural  substances  intended  for  the  sustenance 
of  man  will  not  go  half  their  length  in  the  hands 
of  some  as  they  do  under  the  judicious  manage- 
ment of  others.     Their  knowledge  of  the  struc- 
ture and  functions  of  the  animal  system,  of  the 
regimen  which  ought  to  be  attended  to  in  order 
to  health  and  vigour,  of  the  causes  which  produce 
obstructed  perspiration,  of  the  means  by  which 
pestilential  effluvia  and  infectious  diseases  are 
propagated,  and  of  the  disasters  to  which  the  hu- 
man frame  is  liable  in  certain  situations,  would 
tend  to  prevent  many  of  those  diseases  and  fatal 
accidents  to  which  ignorance  and  inattention  have 
exposed  so  many  of  our  fellow-men.     For  want 
of  attending  to  such  precautions  in  these  re- 
spects, as  knowledge    would  have  suggested, 
thousands  of  families  have  been  plunged  into 
wretchedness  and  ruin,  which  all  their  future 
exertions  were  inadequate  to  remove.     As  the 
son  of  Sirach  has  well  observed,  "  Better  is  the 
poor  being  sound  and  strong  in  constitution,  than 
a  rich  man  that  is  afflicted  in  his  body.     Health 
and  good  estate  of  body  are  above  all  gold;  therw 
are  no  riches  above  a  sound  body,  and  no  joy 
above  the  joy  of  the  heart." 

As  slovenliness  and  filth  are  generally  th» 
characteristics  of  ignorance  and  vulgarity,  so  an 
attention  to  cleanliness  is  one  of  the  distinguishing 
features  of  cultivated  minds.  Cleanliness  is 
conducive  to  health  and  virtuous  activity,  but  un- 
cleanliness  is  prejudicial  to  both.  Keeping  the 
body  clean  is  of  great  importance,  since  more 
than  the  one  half  of  what  we  eat  and  drink  is 
evacuated  by  perspiration,  and  if  the  skin  is  not 
kept  clean  the  pores  are  stopped,  and  perspira- 
tion consequently  prevented,  to  the  great  injury 
of  health.  It  is  highly  necessary  to  the  health 
and  cheerfulness  of  children ;  for  where  it  is 
neglected,  they  grow  pale,  meagre,  and  squalid, 
and  subject  to  several  loathsome  and  trouble- 
some diseases.  Washing  the  hands,  (ace, 
mouth,  and  feet,  and  occasionally  the  whole 
body,  conduces  to  health,  strength,  and  ease, 
and  tends  to  prerent  cokls,  rheumatism,  cramps. 


84 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OP  KNOWLEDGE. 


the  palsy,  the  itch,  the  tooth-«che,  and  many 
other  inaladius.  Attention  to  cleanlineM  oTbody 
would  also  lead  to  cleanliness  in  regard  to 
eiothea,  rictuals,  apartments,  beds  and  furniture. 
A  knowledge  of  the  nature  of  the  mcphitic  gases, 
of  the  necessity  of  pure  atmospheric  air  to  health 
and  vigo<ir,  and  of  the  means  by  which  infection 
is  produced  and  communicated,  would  lead  per- 
sons to  see  tlic  propriety  of  frei]uently  opening 
doors  and  windows  to  dissipate  corrupted  air, 
and  to  admit  the  refreshing  breeze,  of  sweeping 
cobwebs  from  the  comers  and  ceiling  of  the 
room,  and  of  removing  dust,  straw,  or  filth  of  any 
kind  which  is  otfonsive  to  the  smell,  and  in  which 
infection  might  be  deposited.  By  such  attention, 
fevers  and  other  malignant  disorders  might  be 
prevented,  vigour,  health,  and  serenity  promoted, 
and  the  whole  dwelling  and  its  inmates  present 
an  air  of  cheerfulness  and  comfort,  and  become 
the  seat  of  domestic  felicity. 

Again,  scientific  knowledge  would  display  it- 
self among  the  lower  orders,  in  the  tasteful  de- 
coration* of  their  hou$e*  and  garden  ploU.  The 
study  of  botany  and  horticulture  would  teach 
them  to  select  the  most  beautiful  flowers,  shrubs, 
and  evergreens ;  to  arrange  their  plots  with 
neatness  and  taste,  and  to  improve  their 
kitchen-garden  to  the  best  advantage,  so  as  to 
render  it  productive  for  the  pleasure  and  suste- 
nance of  their  families.  A  genius  for  mecha- 
nical operations  which  almost  every  person  may 
acquire,  would  lead  them  to  invent  a  variety  of 
decorations,  and  to  devise  many  contrivances  for 
the  purpose  of  conveniency,  and  for  keeping 
every  thing  in  its  proper  place  and  order — which 
never  enter  into  the  conceptions  of  rude  and 
vulgar  minds.  Were  such  dispositions  and 
mental  activity  generally  prevalent,  the  circum- 
stances which  lead  to  poverty,  beggary,  and 
drunkenness,  would  be  in  a  great  measure  re- 
moved, and  home  would  always  be  resortod  to  as 
a  place  of  comfort  and  enjoyment. 

Again  the  study  of  science  and  art  would  in- 
cline the  lower  classes  to  enter  into  the  tpiril  of 
tvery  new  vmprovement,  and  to  give  their  anial- 
anee  in  carrying  it  forward.  The  want  of  taste 
and  of  mental  activity,  and  the  spirit  of  selfish- 
ness which  at  present  prevails  among  the  mass 
of  mankind,  prevent  the  accomplishment  of  a 
variety  of  schemes  which  might  tend  to  promote 
the  conveniences  and  comforts  of  general  society. 
For  example  ;  many  of  our  Tillages  which  might 
otherwise  present  the  appearance  of  neatness 
and  comfort,  are  almost  impaaiable,  especially 
in  the  winter  season,  and  during  rainy  weather, 
on  account  of  the  badness  of  roads  and  the  want 
of  foot^-patha.  At  almost  every  step  you  en- 
counter a  pool,  a  heap  of  rubbish,  or  a  dunghill, 
and  in  many  places  feel  as  if  you  were  walking 
in  a  quagmire.  In  aonie  Tillages,  otherwise 
well  planned,  the  atraets  present  a  grotesque 
■pp««raDc«  of  saady  hillocks  and  mounds,  and 


poob  of  stagnant  water  scattered  in  eTerydirrxN* 
tion,  with  scarcely  the  Testige  of  a  pathway  to 
guide  the  steps  of  the  passenger.  In  w  inter,  the 
traveller,  in  |>a«sing  along,  is  bes[>attered  with 
mire  and  dirt,  and  in  summer,  he  ran  only  drag 
heavily  on,  while  his  feet  at  every  step  sink  into 
soA  and  parchi.-d  sand.  Now,  such  is  the  apathy 
and  indifference  tliat  prevail  among  many  villa- 
gers as  to  improvement  in  these  respects,  that 
although  the  contribution  of  a  single  shilling  or 
of  half  a  day's  labour  might,  in  some  instances, 
accomplish  the  requisite  improvinK-nts,  they 
will  stand  aloof  from  such  opera'ions  with  a 
sullen  obstinacy,  and  even  glory  in  being  the 
means  of  preventing  them.  Nay,  such  is  the 
selfishness  of  many  individuals,  that  they  will 
not  remove  nuisances  even  from  the  front  of 
their  own  dwellings,  because  it  might  at  the 
same  time  promote  the  convenience  of  the  public 
at  large.  In  large  towns,  likewise,  many  narrow 
lanes  are  rendered  filthy,  gloomy,  and  unwhole- 
some by  the  avarice  of  landlords,  and  the  obsti- 
nate arid  boorish  manners  of  their  tenants,  and 
improvements  prevented  which  would  lend  to 
the  health  and  comfort  of  the  inhabitants.  But 
as  knowledge  tends  to  liberalise  the  mind,  to 
subdue  the  principle  of  selfishness,  and  to  pro- 
duce a  relish  for  cleanliness  and  comfort,  when 
it  is  more  generally  diffused,  we  may  expect  that 
such  improvements  as  those  to  which  I  allude 
will  be  carried  forward  with  spirit  and  alacrity. 
There  would  not  be  the  smallest  difficulty  in  ac- 
complishing every  object  of  this  kind,  and  every 
other  improvement  conducive  to  the  pleasure 
and  comfort  of  the  social  state,  provided  the  ma- 
jority of  a  commimity  were  cheerfully  to  come 
forward  with  their  assistance  and  contributions, 
however  small,  and  to  act  with  concord  and  har- 
mony. A  whole  community  or  nation  acting  in 
unison,  and  every  one  contributing  according  to 
his  ability,  would  accomplish  wonders  in  rela- 
tion to  the  improvement  of  towns,  villages,  and 
hamlets,  ami  of  every  thing  that  regards  the 
comfort  of  civil  and  domestic  society. 

In  short,  were  knowledge  generally  diffused, 
and  art  uniformly  directed  by  the  principles  of 
science,  now  and  interesting  plans  would  be 
formed,  new  improvements  set  on  foot,  new 
comforts  enjoyed,  and  a  new  lustre  would  ap- 
pear on  the  face  of  nature,  and  on  the  state  of 
general  society.  Numerous  conveniencies,  de- 
corations, and  useful  establishments  never  yet 
attempted,  would  soon  be  realized.  Houses  on 
neat  and  commodious  plans,  in  airy  situations, 
and  furnished  with  every  requisite  accommoda- 
tion, would  be  reared  for  the  use  of  the  peasant 
and  mechanic;  schools  on  spacious  plans  for 
the  promotion  of  useful  knowledge  would  be 
erected  in  every  village  and  hamlet,  and  in  every 
quarter  of  a  city  where  they  were  found  expe- 
dient ;  asylums  would  be  built  for  the  receptioa 
of  the  friendless  poor,  whether  young  or  oM( 


ATTRIBUTES  OP  THE  DEITY 


85 


Buuiufactories  established  for  supplying  employ- 
ment to  every  class  of  labourers  and  artizans, 
and  lecture-rooms  prepared,  furiiished  with  re- 
quisite apparatus,  to  which  they  might  resort  for 
improvement  in  science.  Roads  would  oe  cut 
In  all  convenient  directions,  diversified  with  rural 
decorations,  hedge-rows,  and  shady  bowers, — 
foot-paths,  broad  and  smooth,  would  accompany 
them  in  all  their  windings,  and  gas-lamps, 
erected  at  every  half-mile's  distance,  would  va- 
riegate the  rural  scene  and  cheer  the  shades  of 
night.  Narrow  lanes  in  cities  would  be  either 
widened  or  their  houses  demolished  ;  streets  on 
broad  and  spacious  plans  would  be  built,  the 
amoke  of  steam-engines  consumed,  nuisances 
removed,  and  cleanliness  and  comfort  attended 
to  in  every  arrangement.  Cheerfulness  and 
•ctivity  would  everywhere  prevail,  and  the  idler, 
the  vagrant,  and  the  beggar  would  disappear 
from  society.  All  these  operations  and  improve- 
ments, and  hundreds  more,  could  easily  be  ac- 
complished, were  the  minds  of  the  groat  body  of 
the  community  thuroughly  enlightened  and  mora- 
hxed,  and  every  individual,  whether  rich  or  poor, 
who  contributed  to  bring  them  into  effect,  would 
participate  in  the  general  enjoyment.  And  what 
an  interesting  picture  would  be  presented  to 
every  benevolent  mind,  to  behold  the  great  body 
of  mankind  raised  from  a  state  of  moral  and 
physical  degradation  to  the  dignity  of  their  ra- 
tional natures,  and  to  the  enjoyment  of  the 
bounties  of  their  Creator ! — to  behold  the  country 
diversified  with  the  neat  and  cleanly  dwellings 
of  the  inilustrious  labiiprer, — the  rural  scene, 
durin;;  the  day,  adorned  with  seminaries,  manu- 
factories, asylums,  stately  edifices,  gardens, 
fruitful  fields  and  romantic  bowers,  and,  during 
night,  bespangled  in  all  directions  with  varie- 
gated lamps,  firming  a  counterpart,  as  it  were, 
to  the  lights  which  adorn  the  canopy  of  heaven  ! 
Such  are  only  a  few  specimens  of  the  improve- 
ments which  art,  directed  by  science  and  mora- 
lity, could  easily  accomplish. 


SECTION  VI. 

0!»  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  KNOWLEDGE  IN  PRO- 
MOTING ENLARQEn  CONCEPTION'S  OF  THE 
CHARACTER  AND  PERFECTIONS  OF  THE 
DEITr. 

All  the  works  of  God  speak  of  their  Author, 
in  silent  but  emphatic  langua!;e,  and  declare  the 
glory  of  his  perfections  to  all  the  inhabitants  of 
the  earth.  B  u,  although  "  there  is  no  speech 
nor  language"  where  the  voice  of  Deity  is  not 
heard,  how  gross  are  the  conceptions  generally 
entertained  of  the  character  of  Him  "  in  whom 
we  live  and  move,"  and  by  whose  superintending 
prorideuce  all  events  are  directed !    Among  the 


greater  number  of  pagan  nations,  the  most  ab- 
surd and  grovelling  notions  are  entertained  re- 
specting the  Supreme  Intelligence,  and  the 
nature  of  that  worship  which  his  perfections  de- 
mand. They  have  formed  the  most  foolish  and 
degrading  representations  of  this  august  Being, 
and  have  "  changed  the  glory  of  the  incorruptible 
God  into  an  image  made  like  to  corruptible 
man,  and  to  four-footed  beasts  and  creeping 
things."  Temples  have  been  erected  and  filled 
with  idols  the  most  hideous  and  obscene ;  bulls 
and  crocodiles,  dogs  and  serpents,  goats  and 
lions  have  been  exhibited  to  adumbrate  the 
character  of  the  Ruler  of  the  universe.  The 
most  cruel  and  unhallowed  rites  have  been  per- 
formed to  procure  his  favour,  and  human  vic- 
tims sacrificed  to  appease  his  indignation.  All 
such  grovelling  conceptions  and  vile  abomina- 
tions have  their  origin  in  the  darkness  which 
overspreads  the  human  understanding,  and  the 
depraved  passions  which  ignorance  has  a  ten- 
dency to  produce.  Even  in  those  countries 
where  Revelation  sheds  its  influence,  and  the 
knowledge  of  the  true  God  is  promulgated,  how 
mean  and  contracted  are  the  conceptions  which 
the  great  bulk  of  the  population  entertain  of  the 
attributes  of  that  incomprehensible  Beuig  whose 
presence  pervades  the  immensity  of  space,  who 
"  metes  out  the  heavens  with  a  span,"  and  su- 
perintends the  affairs  of  ten  thousand  worlds ! 
The  views  which  many  have  acquired  of  the 
perfections  of  the  Deity,  do  not  rise  much  higher 
than  those  which  we  ought  to  entertain  of  the 
powers  of  an  archangel,  or  of  one  of  the  sera- 
phim ;  and  some  have  been  known,  even  in  our 
own  country,  whose  conceptions  have  been  so 
abject  and  grovelling,  as  to  represent  to  then»- 
selves  "  the  King  eternal,  immortal,  and  invisi- 
ble," under  the  idea  of  a  "  venerable  old  man." 
Even  the  more  intelligent  class  of  the  commu- 
nity fall  far  short  of  the  ideas  they  ought  to  form 
ofthe  God  of  heaven,  owing  to  the  limited 
views  they  have  been  accustomed  to  take  ofthe 
displays  of  his  wisdom  and  benevolence,  and 
the  boundless  range  of  his  operations. 

We  can  acquire  a  knowledge  of  the  Deity 
only  by  the  visible  effects  he  has  produced,  or 
the  external  manifestation*  he  has  givea  of  hiiiK 
self  to  his  creatures ;  for  the  Divine  Essence 
must  remain  for  ever  inscrutable  to  finite  minds. 
These  manifestations  are  made  in  the  Revela- 
tions contained  in  the  Bible,  and  in  the  scene  of 
the  material  universe  ar«und  us.  The  moral 
perfections  of  God,  such  as  his  justice,  mercy, 
and  faithfulness,  are  more  particularly  deline- 
ated in  his  word ;  for,  of  these  the  system  of 
nature  can  afford  us  only  some  slight  hints  and 
obscure  intimations.  His  natural  attributes, 
such  as  his  immensity,  omnipotence,  wisdom, 
and  goodness,  are  chiefly  displayed  in  the  works 
of  creation ;  and  to  this  source  of  information 
the  inspired  writers  uniformly  direc:  our  atten- 


86 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OP  KNOWLEDGE. 


tion,  in  order  that  we  may  acquire  the  moKt 
ain|»le  and  impressive  views  of  tlie  grandeur  of 
the  Divinity,  and  the  magnificence  of  his  ope- 
rations. "  Lift  up  your  eyes  on  high  and  behold  ! 
who  hath  created  these  oriMi  ?  who  bringcth  forth 
their  hi>st  by  number?  The  everlasting  Gcxl 
the  Lord,  by  tlic  greatness  of  his  might,  fur  that 
he  is  strong  in  power.  J  He  mcasureth  the  ocean 
in  the  hollow  of  his  h^d,  be  comprehends  the 
dust  of  the  earth  in  a  measure,  he  weigheth  the 
mmmtains  in  scales,  and  hath  stretched  out  the 
heavens  by  his  understantling.  Ail  nations  be- 
fore him  are  as  the  drop  of  a  bucket,  and  are 
counted  to  him  less  than  nothing,  and  vanity. 
Thine,  O  Lord,  is  the  greatness,  and  the  giory, 
and  the  majesty,  for  all  that  is  in  heaven  and 
earth  is  thine."  The  pointed  interrogatories 
proposed  to  Job,*  and  the  numerous  exhorta- 
tions in  reference  to  this  subject,  contained  in 
the  book  of  Psalms  and  other  parts  of  Scripture, 
plainly  evince,  that  the  character  of  God  is  to 
be  contemplated  through  the  mediimi  of  his  visi- 
ble works.  In  order  to  acquire  &  just  and  com- 
prehensive conception  of  the  jierfections  of 
Deity,  we  must  contemplate  his  character  as 
displayed  both  in  the  system  of  Revelation  and 
in  the  system  of  nature,  otherwise  we  can  ac- 
quire only  a  partial  and  distorted  view  of  the 
attributes  of  Jehovah.  The  Scriptures  alone, 
without  the  medium  of  his  works,  cannot  con- 
vey to  us  the  most  sublime  conceptions  of  the 
magnificence  of  his  empire,  and  his  eternal  power 
and  Godhead  ;  and  the  works  of  nature,  without 
the  revelations  of  his  word,  leave  us  in  profound 
darkness  with  regard  to  the  most  interesting 
parts  of  his  character — the  plan  ot'  his  moral 
government,  and  the  ultimate  destination  of  man. 
Would  we,  then,  acquire  the  most  sublime 
and  comprehensive  views  of  that  invisible  Be- 
ing, who  created  the  universe,  and  by  whom  all 
things  are  upheld,  we  must,  in  the  first  place, 
apply  ourselves,  with  profound  humility  and 
reverence,  to  the  study  of  the  Sacred  oracle*; 
and,  in  the  next  place,  direct  our  attention  to  the 
material  works  of  Goil  as  iUuMtrdtive  of  his 
Scriptural  character,  an<l  of  the  declarations  of 
his  word.  And,  since  the  sacred  writers  direct 
our  views  to  the  operations  of  the  Almighty 
in  the  visible  universe,  in  tehat  moiMicr  are  we 
to  contemplate  these  operation*  ?  Are  wo  to 
view  them  in  a  careless,  cursory  manner,  or 
with  fixed  attention  ?  Are  we  to  gaze  on  them 
with  the  vacant  stare  of  a  nngt,  or  with  the 
penetrating  eye  of  a  Christian  philosopher? 
Are  we  to  view  them  through  the  mists  of  igno- 
rance and  vulgar  prejudice,  or  through  the  light 
which  science  has  diffused  over  the  wonders  of 
creation  ?  There  can  be  no  difficulty  to  any 
reflecting  mind  in  determining  which  of  these 
ought  to  be  adopted.     The  Scriptures 

*  Job.  oh.  zxzvUL  Ae. 


declare,  that  as  "  the  works  of  Jehovah  are 
great,"  they  must  be  "  loughtaut,"  tit  thoroughlj 
investigated,  "  by  all  those  who  have  pleasure 
therein  ;"  and  a  threatening  is  denounced  against 
every  one  who  "  disregards  the  works  of  the 
Lord,"  and  "  neglects  to  consider  ilie  operations 
of  his  hand." 

Such  declarations  evidently  imply,  that  we 
ought  to  make  the  visible  works  of  God  the  mb- 
ject  of  our  serious  study  and  investigation  and 
exercise  the  rational  powers  he  has  given  us  for 
this  purpose ;  otherwise  we  cannot  expect  to 
derive  from  them  a  true  and  faithful  exhibition  of 
his  character  and  purposes.  For,  as  ti.e  cha^ 
racter  of  God  is  impressed  upon  his  woiks,  that 
character  cannot  be  distinctly  traced  unless  thoM 
works  be  viewed  in  their  true  light  and  actual 
relations — not  as  they  may  appear  to  a  rude  and 
inattentive  spectator,  but  as  they  are  actually 
found  to  exist,  when  thoroughly  examined  by  this 
light  of  science  and  of  rei|plation.  For  exampla, 
a  person  unaccustomed  to  investigate  the  systeat 
of  nature  imagines  that  the  earth  is  Ajized  maat 
of  land  and  water  in  the  midst  of  creation,  and 
one  of  the  largest  bodies  in  nature,  and,  conse 
quently,  that  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars,  and  thfl 
whole  material  universe  revolve  around  it  every 
twenty-four  hours.  Such  a  conception  of  the 
material  system  might,  indeed,  convey  to  the 
mind  an  astonishing  idea  of  the  jjowtr  of  the 
Deity  in  causing  such  an  immense  number  of 
orbs  to  revolve  around  our  world  with  so  prodi- 
gious a  velocity  as  behoved  to  take  place,  were 
the  earth  in  reality  a  quiescent  body  in  the 
centre  of  the  universe.  But  it  would  give  us  a 
most  strange  and  distorted  idea  of  his  inlelbgrnc*. 
While  it  tended  to  magnify  his  omniptittnce,  it 
would,  in  effect,  deprive  him  of  the  attribute  of 
tmtdom.  For,  in  the  first  place,  such  aconcep> 
tion  would  represent  the  Almighty  as  having  d^ 
vised  a  system  of  means  altogether  superfluous 
and  preposterous,  in  order  to  accomplish  the  end 
intended  ;  for  it  is  the  characteristic  of  wisdom 
to  proportionate  the  means  to  the  nature  of  the 
design  which  is  to  be  accomplished.  1  he  d^ 
sign,  in  the  case  under  consideration,  is  to  pro> 
duce  the  alternate  succession  of  day  and  nighu 
This  can  be  effected  by  giving  the  earth  itself  a 
rotation  round  its  axis,  as  is  the  case  in  other 
globes  of  much  larger  dimensions.  But  accord- 
ing  to  the  conception  to  which  we  are  now  ad- 
verting, dte  whole  material  creation  is  considered 
as  daily  revolving  around  this  comparatively 
little  globe  of  earth,  an  idea  altogether  extrava- 
gant and  absurd,  and  inconsistent  with  every 
notion  we  ought  to  entertain  of  infinite  wisdom. 
In  tlie  next  place,  were  the  earth  considered  as 
at  rest,  the  motions  of  the  planets  would  present 
a  series  of  looped  curves  without  any  marks  of 
design,  a  scene  of  inextricable  confusion,  and 
the  whole  of  the  solar  system  woukl  ap|>ear  de- 
void of  order  and  harmony,  and,  consequently, 


UNITY  OP  THE  DIVINE  BEING. 


87 


without  the  marks  of  wisdom  and  intelligence. 
So  that  when  the  arrangements  of  nature  are 
contemplated  through  the  mists  of  ignorance, 
they  tend  to  obscure  the  glory  of  the  Divinity, 
and  to  convey  a  distorted  idea  of  his  character. 
Whereas,  when  the  system  of  the  universe  is 
contemplated  in  its  true  light,  all  appears  ar- 
ranged with  the  most  admirable  harmony,  sim- 
plicity, and  order,  and  every  mean  proportionate 
to  the  end  it  is  intended  to  accomplish.  Again, 
in  so  far  as  we  consider  the  earth  as  the  prin- 
cipal body,  or  among  the  largest  bodies  of  the 
universe,  in  so  far  do  we  narrow  our  conceptions 
of  the  extent  and  magnificence  of  creation,  and, 
consequently,  limit  our  views  of  the  plans  and 
perfections  of  the  Creator.  For  our  conceptions 
of  his  attributes  must,  in  some  measure,  corre- 
spond to  the  views  we  have  acquired  of  the  am- 
plitude and  grandeur  of  his  empire. 

Now,  what  is  it  that  enables  us  to  investigate 
the  works  of  God,  and  to  contemplate  the  system 
of  nature  in  its  true  light  ?  .  It  is  Science  com- 
bined with  observation  and  experiment.  And 
what  is  science  considered  in  a  theological  point 
of  view  ?  It  is  nothing  else  than  a  rational  in- 
quiry into  the  arrangements  and  operations  of 
the  Almighty,  in  order  to  trace  the  perfections 
therein  displayed.  And  what  are  the  truths 
which  science  has  discovered  ?  They  may  be 
regarded  as  so  many  rays  of  celestial  light  de- 
scending from  the  Great  Source  of  Intelligence 
to  illuminate  the  human  mind  in  the  knowledge 
of  the  divine  character  and  government,  and  to 
stimulate  it  to  still  more  vigorous  exertions  in 
similar  investigations,  just  as  the  truths  of  reve- 
lation are  so  many  emanations  from  the  "  Father 
of  lights,"  to  enlighten  the  darkness  and  to 
counteract  the  disorders  of  the  moral  world  ;  and 
both  these  lights  must  be  resorted  to  to  direct 
our  inquiries,  if  we  wish  to  attain  the  clearest 
and  most  comprehensive  views  of  the  attributes 
of  the  Divine  Mind.  Revelation  declares,  in  so 
many  distinct  propositions,  the  character  of  God, 
and  the  plans  of  his  moral  government.  Science 
explains  and  illustrates  many  of  those  subjects  to 
which  revelation  refers.  It  removes  the  veil 
fk>m  the  works  of  the  Creator ;  it  dispels  the 
mists  which  ignorance  and  superstition  have 
thrown  around  them ;  it  conducts  us  into  the 
secret  ch  imbers  of  nature,  and  discloses  to  us 
many  of  those  hidden  springs  which  produce  the 
diversified  phenomena  of  the  material  world ; 
it  throws  a  light  on  those  delicate  and  minute 
objects  which  lie  concealed  from  the  vulgar  eye, 
and  brings  within  the  range  of  our  contempla- 
tion the  distant  glories  of  the  sky ;  it  unveils  the 
laws  by  which  the  Almighty  directs  the  move- 
ments of  his  vast  empire,  and  exhibits  his  ope- 
rations in  a  thousand  aspects  of  which  the  un- 
enlightened mind  can  form  no  conception.  If, 
then,  science  throws  a  light  on  the  works  and  the 
ways  of  Giod,  the  acquisition  of  scientific  know- 


ledge, when  properly  directed,  must  have  a  ten- 
dency to  direct  our  conceptions  and  to  amplify 
our  views  of  his  adorable  attributes,  and  of  his 
providential  arrangements. 

Here  it  will  naturally  be  inquired, — What  are 
some  of  those  views  of  the  divine  character 
which  scientific  investigation  has  a  tendency  to 
unfold  ?  Our  limits  will  not  permit  a  full  and  ex- 
plicit answer  to  this  inquiry,  the  illustration  of 
which  would  require  a  volume  of  no  inconsider- 
able size,  and  therefore,  we  shall  attempt  no- 
thing more  than  the  statement  of  a  few  geneml 
hints. 

I.  The  phenomena  of  the  material  world,  as 
investigated  by  science,  evince  the  unity  of  the 
Divine  Being.  There  is  such  a  harmony  that 
prevails  through  the  whole  visible  universe,  as 
plainly  shows  it  to  be  under  the  government  of 
one  Intelligence.  Amidst  the  immense  compli» 
cation  that  surrounds  us,  we  perceive  one  set  of 
laws  uniformly  operating  in  accordance  with 
which  all  things  proceed  in  their  regular  courses. 
The  same  causes  uniformly  produce  the  same 
effects  in  every  region  of  the  world,  and  in  every 
period  of  time.  "  Vegetables  spring  from  the 
same  seed,  germinate  by  the  same  means,  as- 
sume the  same  form,  sustain  the  same  qualities, 
exist  through  the  same  duration,  and  come  to  the 
same  end."  Animals,  too,  of  the  same  species, 
are  brought  into  existence  in  the  same  manner, 
exhibit  the  same  life  and  vital  functions,  display 
the  same  active  powers  and  instinct,  and  hasten 
to  the  same  dissolution.  Man  has  one  origin, 
one  general  form,  the  same  corporeal  structure, 
the  same  vital  functions,  the  same  system  of  in- 
tellectual faculties,  and  comes  to  the  same  termi- 
nation. All  the  elements  around  him,  and  every 
arrangement  in  this  sublunary  sphere,  are  made, 
in  one  regular  manner,  subservient  to  his  sensi- 
tive enjoyment,  and  are  evidently  fitted,  by  one 
design,  and  directed  by  one  agency,  to  promote 
his  happiness.  The  connexion  and  harmony 
which  subsist  between  the  animal  and  vegetable 
kingdoms,  plainly  evince  that  one  and  the  same 
Being  is  the  former  of  both,  and  that  in  his  con- 
trivances with  respect  to  the  one,  he  had  in  view 
the  necessities  of  the  other.  We  know,  that  dif- 
ferent sorts  of  plants,  herbs,  and  flowers,  are  ap- 
pointed for  food  to  the  several  tribes  of  animals. 
That  which  is  hurtful  to  one  species  is  salutary 
to  another.  One  creature  climbs  the  highest 
rocks  for  herbs,  another  digs  in  the  earth  for 
roots,  and  we  scarcely  know  a  plant  or  leaf  but 
what  affords  nourishment,  and  a  place  of  nativity 
to  some  species  or  other  of  the  insect  tribes. 
This  is  the  foundation  of  innumerable  relations 
and  connexions  between  these  two  departments 
of  creation,  which  show  the  work  to  be  one,  and 
the  result  of  the  same  Potoer  and  Intelligence. 
In  like  manner,  day  and  night  uniformly  return 
with  the  utmost  regularity,  and  by  the  operation 
of  the  same  cause,  and  with  the  saiue  regularity 


88 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


■ad  harmony  the  seasons  revolve  and  appear  in 
oonstanl  iiurco:itiion.  Tlio  coinposiiion  of  ihi; 
atmosphcrv  is  the  same  umlur  ov«ry  la;itu<lc,  ami 
li^t  and  heat  axv  diffuned  by  the  same  law  in 
every  region  of  tlie  earth.  One  law  ctunten  a 
■tone  to  fall  to  the  ground,  and  by  the  o|>cTation 
of  the  same  law,  the  moun  iii  retained  in  her 
orbit  around  the  earth,  the  planets  directed  in 
their  revolutions  round  the  sun,  attd  the  whole 
universe  compacted  into  one  harmonious  systom. 
In  short,  all  the  arrangements  and  operations  of 
nature,  so  far  as  our  knowledge  extends,  present 
to  our  view  a  single  design,  regularly  executed 
by  a  single  agency.  The  fair  inference,  there- 
fore, is,  that  every  part  of  the  world  in  whirh  we 
dwell,  and  every  department  of  ihe  solar  system, 
are  under  the  government  of  one  Intelligence, 
which  directs  every  movement  throughout  the 
universal  system.  And  the  more  extensively 
our  views  of  the  universe  are  enlarged,  the 
marks  of  unity  in  operation  and  design  become 
more  strikingly  apparent.  Now,  if  two  or  more 
intelligences  had  the  government  of  (he  universe 
in  their  hands,  and  if  they  had  equal  (>owcr  and 
contrary  designs,  their  purposes  would  clash, 
and  they  could  never  become  the  parents  of  that 
harmony  which  we  clearly  perceive  throughout 
the  system  of  nature.  Thus  the  operations  of 
the  visible  world  confirm  and  illustrate  the  decla- 
ration of  the  inspired  cnvcles,  that  "  there  i*  tune 
other  God  but  one." 

2.  A  scientific  investigation  of  the  material 
world  opens  to  us  innumerable  evidences  of 
Divine  IVisdom. 

Wherever  we  turn  our  eyes  in  the  visible 
world  around  us,  and  survey  with  attention  the 
various  processes  of  nature,  we  perceive  at  every 
step  the  most  striking  marks  of  intelligence  and 
design.  We  perceive  the  w  isdom  of  the  great 
Author  of  nature,  in  the  admirable  consiitutinn 
of  the  atmosphere,  and  the  wonderful  properties 
of  the  constituent  principles  of  which  it  is  com- 
posed,— in  the  motions  of  Hght,  the  mconceiva- 
ble  smaliness  of  its  particles  iis  adaptation  to 
the  eye,  and  the  odmirable  manner  in  which 
vision  if  performed, — in  the  nature  of  sound,  the 
laws  by  which  it  is  propagated,  and  the  various 
modifications  of  which  it  is  susceptible, — in  the 
procevs  of  evaporation,  and  the  rains,  dews,  and 
fertility  which  are  the  results  of  this  admirable 
part  of  the  economy  of  nature,— in  the  utility  of 
the  mountains  and  valleys  with  which  the  ear  h 
ia  diversified,  and  the  beautiful  colouring  whirh 
k  spread  over  the  fare  of  nature ,^n  the  morn- 
ing and  evenmg  twilight,  and  the  gradual  ap- 
proaches of  light  and  darkness, — m  the  vast 
expanse  of  the  ocean  and  its  numerous  priMJuc- 
tions,— in  the  grand,  and  picturesque,  and  beau- 
tiful landscapes  with  whirh  our  globe  is  adorned, 
— ^in  the  comp<i«ition  and  specific  gravity  of 
water,  and  in  the  peculiar  strunure  and  density 
«f  Ihe  solid  parts  of  the  earth, — in  the  expansion 


of  water  in  the  act  of  frecring,  and  the  nature 

and  projiertie.^  of  heat  and  flame, — in  the  (>ower 
of  Meam,  the  properties  of  the  panes,  the  quails 
tics  of  the  magnet,  and  the  agencies  of  the  gal- 
vanic and  electric  fluids,—  in  the  structure  of 
vegflablee,  the  adaptation  of  their  seeds,  roots, 
fibres,  vessels,  and  leaves  to  the  pur|>ose  if  veg»> 
tative  life,— the  curious  processes  which  are 
continually  going  on  in  their  internal  parts,  ;heir 
delicate  con'cxture  and  diversified  huen,  and 
the  important  purposes  they  serve  in  the  system 
of  nature, — in  the  structure  of  the  various  uni- 
mated  beingt  which  traverse  the  air,  the  waters, 
and  the  earth, — the  provision  made  for  the  con- 
tinuance of  the  species,  their  arehileclivc  farul- 
tics,  their  wonderful  instincts,  and  the  itjmiu 
diverxily  of  nrganizatinn  which  appears  among 
them,  suited  to  their  varinue  icanft  and  moilf  oj 
existence  — in  the  admirable  organisation  of  the 
human  frame,  the  ni.merous  bones,  museles, 
ligaments,  membranes,  arteries,  and  veins  w  hich 
enter  into  its  ronstruction,  the  apt  disposition  of 
all  its  parts,  the  means  ci>n  rived  for  ihe  rcrep- 
tion  and  distribution  of  nutriment,  the  etlect 
which  this  nutriment  produces  in  bringing  ihe 
body  to  its  full  growth  and  expansion,— its  >elA 
restoring  power  when  diseased  or  wo«  nded,  '_he 
provision  made  apainst  evil  accidrnts  aiid  inron- 
venienres,  the  variety  of  muscular  movements 
of  which  it  is  eusrepiible,  the  process  cfre;|,ira> 
tion,  the  circulation  of  the  blocd,  the  se|  araiion 
of  the  rhyle,  the  exquisite  structure  of  the  di& 
ferent  senses,  and  the  nice  adaptation  of  every 
organ  and  movement  to  the  ends  it  was  intended 
to  subserve.  The  same  wisdom  is  perre|'iible 
in  the  position  which  the  sun  holds  in  ll>e  »olar 
system,  in  order  to  a  di:e  di»trihulion  <  flight  and 
heat  to  surrounding  x^orlds  ;  in  the  distance  at 
which  the  earth  is  place-i  frrm  this  liminary. — 
in  the  order  and  harmoi>y  of  all  the  relestial  mo. 
tions,  and  in  the  wonderful  and  beaut ifiil  fcenery, 
invifible  to  the  unassisted  eye,  which  the  mirrt^ 
scope  di.<plays,  both  in  the  animal  and  vegetable 
world.  In  short,  there  is  not  an  olject  witl'.in 
us  or  around  us  in  the  morniain*  or  the  plains, 
in  the  air,  the  orean,  or  the  sky, — among  the 
animal  or  the  vegetable  tribes,  when  sleaHilj 
contemplated  in  all  its  a-'pects  and  relatirns,  but 
displays  to  the  eye  of  reason  and  devotion  the 
consummate  intelligenre  and  fkill  of  its  aln  i;  (tj 
Author,  and  calls  upon  ever)  intelligent  ag)  nt, 
in  silent  hut  emphatic  language,  to  praise  I  im 
"  who  made  the  earth,  'he  sea,  the  fruntains  of 
water  and  all  that  live  in  thrm,  lor  whose  plea« 
sure  they  »re  and  were  created." 

Let  us  just  sehct  one  example  out  of  the 
many  theuFamIs  which  might  be  hrought  for- 
ward on  this  subject.  This  example  shall  be 
taken  from  an  inrinMr  depanmeni  of  nature. 
In  consequence  of  modem  scientific  disrovry, 
i'  has  been  ascertained  that  the  a'mofpht-re.  or 
the  air  we  brcatlie,  is  compounded  of  two  invi« 


WISDOM  OP  THE  DEITY. 


89 


Bible  substances,  termed  oxygen  gas  and  nitro- 
gen gas.  Oxygen,  as  formerly  stated,  is  the 
principle  of  vitality  and  combustion,  nitrogen  is 
destructive  both  to  flame  and  animal  life.  Were 
We  to  breathe  oxygen  by  itself,  it  would  cause 
our  blood  to  circulate  with  greater  rapidity,  but 
it  would  soon  waste  and  destroy  the  human 
frame  by  the  rapid  accumulation  of  heat.  Were 
the  nitrogen  to  be  extracted  from  the  atmo- 
sphere, and  the  oxygen  left  to  exert  its  native 
energies,  it  would  melt  the  hardest  substances 
and  set  the  earth  on  flames.  If  the  oxygen  were 
extracted  and  the  nitrogen  only  remained,  every 
species  of  fire  and  flame  would  be  extinguished, 
and  all  the  tribes  of  animated  nature  instantly 
destroyed.  The  proportion  of  these  two  gases 
to  each  other  is  nearly  as  one  lo four.  Were 
this  proportion  materially  altered,  a  fluid  might 
be  produced  which  would  cause  a  btirnmg  pain 
and  instantaneous  suffocation.  The  speckle 
gravity  of  these  two  substances  is  nearly  as  37 
to  33,  that  is,  the  nitrogen  is  a  small  degree 
lighter  than  the  oxygen.  Were  this  proportion 
reversed,  or,  in  other  words,  were  the  oxygen 
of  the  atmosphere  a  small  degree  lighter  than 
the  nitrogen,  so  that  the  nitrogen  might  become 
a  little  heavier  than  common  air, — as  this  gas  is 
thrown  off  continually  by  the  breathing  of  men 
and  other  animals,  it  would  perpetually  occupy 
the  lower  regions  of  the  atmosphere,  and  be 
productive  of  universal  pestilence  and  death. 
Again,  oxygen  gas  is  separated  from  the  nitro- 
gen in  the  lungs ;  it  is  absorbed  by  the  blood, 
and  gives  it  its  red  colour,  and  is  the  source  of 
animal  heat  throughout  the  whole  system.  It 
forms  the  basis  of  all  the  acids  ;  it  pervades  the 
substance  of  the  vegetable  tribes,  and  enables 
them  to  perform  their  functions,  and  it  forms  a 
constituent  part  of  the  water  which  fills  our 
rivers,  seas,  and  oceans.  And  as  the  atmosphere 
is  daily  liable  to  be  deprived  of  this  fluid  by 
combustion,  respiration,  and  other  processes,  the 
leaves  of  trees  and  other  vegetables  give  out  a 
large  portion  of  it  during  the  day,  which,  uniting 
with  the  nitrogen  gas  thrown  off'by  the  breathing 
of  animals,  keeps  up  the  equilibrium,  and  pre- 
serves the  salubrity  erf*  the  air  in  which  we  move 
and  breathe. 

These  facts  demonstrate  the  infinite  know- 
ledge and  the  consummate  mtdam  of  the  Con- 
triver of  the  universe, — in  the  exquisitely  nice 
adjustment  of  every  minute  circumstance,  so  as 
to  preserve  the  balance  of  nature  and  secure  the 
happiness  of  his  sensitive  and  intelligent  off- 
spring. What  an  all-comprehensive  intelligence 
does  it  indicate  in  the  Divine  Mind,  to  cause 
one  single  principle  in  different  combinations 
to  produce  so  immense  a  variety  of  important 
effects!  What  dreadful  havoc  would  be  pro- 
duced throughout  the  whole  of  our  sublunary 
■ystem,  if  a  substance  like  oxygen  gas,  which 
pervades  every  part  of  nature,  voere  not  nic^ 


balanced  and  proportioned.  All  nature  might 
soon  be  thrown  into  confusion,  and  all  the  tribes 
of  the  living  world  either  be  reduced  to  misery, 
or  swept  into  the  tomb.  A  material  difl^erence 
in  the  proportion  of  the  two  airs  which  compose 
the  atmosphere,  might  be  productive  of  the  most 
dreadful  and  destructive  effects.  One  of  the 
most  corrosive  acids,  aquafortis,  is  composed  of 
75  parts  oxygen  and  25  parts  nitrogen.  Were 
this  the  proportion  of  these  fluids  in  tha  atmo- 
sphere, every  breath  we  drew  would  produce  the 
most  excruciating  pain,  and,  after  two  or  three 
inspirations,  the  vital  powers  would  be  over- 
come, and  life  extinguished.  Here  then  we  per- 
ceive an  admirable  adjustment  of  means  to  ends, 
and  an  evidence  of  that  comprehensive  know- 
ledge which  penetrates  into  the  energies  of  aD 
substances,  and  foresees  all  the  consequences 
which  can  follow  from  the  principles  and  laws 
of  nature,  in  every  combination  and  in  every 
mode  of  their  operation.  This  is  only  one  in- 
stance out  of  a  thousand  which  the  researches  of 
science  afford  us  of  the  admirable  economy  of 
the  wisdom  of  God.  From  ignorance  of  such 
facts,  the  bulk  of  mankind  are  incaj)able  of  ap- 
preciating the  blessings  they  enjoy,  under  the 
arrangements  of  infinite  wisdom,  and  unqualified 
for  renderig  a  grateful  homage  to  Him  "in 
whom  they  live  and  move,  and  have  their  being." 
3.  The  contemplation  of  nature  through  the 
medium  of  science,  affords  innumerable  displays 
of  the  benevolence  of  the  Deity.  Benevolence, 
or  goodness,  is  that  perfection  of  God  which 
leads  him,  in  all  his  arrangements,  to  communi- 
cate happiness  to  every  order  of  his  creatures. 
This  attribute,  though  frequently  overlooked  is 
so  extensively  displayed  lliroughout  the  scene 
of  creation,  that  we  feel  at  a  loss  to  determine 
from  what  quarter  we  should  select  instances 
for  its  illustration.  Wherever  we  find  evidences 
of  wisdom  and  design,  we  also  find  instances  of 
benevolence  ;  for  all  the  admirable  contrivances 
we  perceive  in  the  system  of  nature,  have  it  as 
their  ultimate  end  to  convey  pleasure,  in  one 
shape  or  another,  to  sensitive  beings.  If  there 
are  more  than  240  bones  in  the  human  body 
variously  articulated,  and  more  than  440  mus- 
cles of  different  forms  and  contextures,  such  a 
structure  is  intended  to  produce  a  thousand  mo- 
difications of  motion  in  the  several  members  of 
which  it  is  composed,  and  to  facilitate  every 
operation  we  have  occasion  to  perform.  If  the 
ear  is  formed  with  an  external  porch,  a  hammer, 
an  anvil,  a  tympanum,  a  stirrup,  and  a  labyrinth, 
this  apparatus  is  intended  to  convey  pleasure  to 
the  soul  by  communicating  to  it  all  the  modifi- 
cations of  sound.  If  the  eye  is  composed  of  three 
coats,  some  of  them  opaque  and  some  transpa- 
rent, with  three  humours  of  different  forms  and 
refractive  powers,  and  a  numerous  assemblage 
of  minute  veins,  arteries,  muscles,  nerves,  glands, 
and  lymphatics,  it  is  in  order  that  the  images  of 


90 


ON  TllK  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


objects  may  b«  accurately  depicted  on  the  re- 
tina, that  tlie  ball  of  the  eye  may  be  easily 
turned  in  every  direction,  and  that  we  may  enjoy 
all  the  cn:erlammcnu  of  vision.*  If  an  atmo- 
sphere is  thrown  around  the  earth,  it  is  for  the 
purpose  of  attempering  the  rays  of  the  sun,  giv- 
ing a  lucid  brightness  to  every  part  of  the  hea- 
vens, producing  the  morning  and  evening  twi- 
light, promoting  evaporation  and  the  respiration 
of  animals,  and  causing  the  earth  to  bring  forth 
abundance  of  food,  by  means  of  the  rains  and 
dews ;  all  which  effects  produce  happiness  in  a 
thousand  different  ways  to  every  sentient  being. 
If  this  atmosphere  presses  our  bodies  with  a 
weight  of  thirty  thousand  pounds,  it  is  in  order  to 
counterpoise  the  internal  pressure  of  the  circu- 
lating fluids,  and  to  preserve  the  vessels  and 
animal  functions  in  due  tone  and  vigour,  without 
which  pressure  the  elastic  fluids  in  the  finer  ves- 
sels would  inevitably  burst  ihem,  and  the  spark 
of  life  be  quickly  exiinguished.  Thousands  of 
examples  of  this  description,  illustrative  of  divine 
benevolence,  might  be  selected  from  every  part 
of  the  material  system  connected  with  our  world, 
all  of  which  would  demonstrate  that  the  commu- 
nication of  enjoyment  is  the  great  end  of  all  the 
contrivances  ofinfinite  wisdom. 

*  As  an  evlrtence  of  the  care  of  the  Creator  to  pro- 
mote our  enjoyment,  the  followtni?  instance  may  be 
selected  in  regard  to  the  tnu«c/fc«  of  the  eye.  Nothing 
ran  l>e  more  manifestly  an  evidence  of  contrivance 

Tig.  I. 


•Bd  deslirn.  and  at  the  same  time  of  benevolent  in- 
tention, ttuui  these  musries,  which  are  admirably 
tAnT"^  to  move  the  tall  of  the  eye  in  every  dlrec- 
ttoo,  uiiwards.  downwards,  to  the  rlrht  hand,  to  the 
left,  and  In  whatever  dlrenion  we  please,  to  as  to 
BTCsenre  that  parallelism  of  the  eve  whirh  Is  neces- 
sary to  distinct  vision.  In  flc.  1.  Is  exhibited  the  eye- 
Mi  with  lU  mui>cles;  a,  ^^  the  nptir  nerve;  b.  the 
mutculiu  trnchlearlt,  whIrh  turns  the  pupil  down- 
wards and  outwards,  and  enables  the  bnllof  the  eye 
to  roll  about  at  pleasure  ;  r.  Is  part  of  the  ntfrtmHt, 
to  wliUh  the  trochlea  or  pulley  l»  (l>ed,  lhnm(h 
which  d,  the  tendon  of  the  trochlearis.  passes  i  <,ls 
tbsasotouoOMN  forraUtoff  upUw(lataortka«/a: 


There  is  a  striking  dispky  of  beiMToleBM  • 
t)M  gratification  affordtd  ta  our  difierent  scnsta. 
As  the  eye  is  constructed  of  the  most  delicat* 
substances,  and  is  one  of  the  most  admirabh 
pieces  of  mechanism  connected  with  our  fram«, 
so  the  Creator  has  arranged  the  world  in  such  m 
manner  as  to  aflford  it  the  most  varied  and  de- 
lightful gratification.  By  means  of  ihe  solar 
light,  which  is  exactly  adapted  'o  the  structure 
of  this  organ,  thousands  of  objects  of  diversified 
beauty  and  sublimity  arc  presented  to  the  view. 
It  opens  before  us  the  mountains,  the  vales,  the 
woods,  the  lawns,  the  brooks  and  rivers,  the  fer- 
tile plains  and  flowery  fiekls,  adorned  with  every 
hue, — the  expanse  of  the  ocean  and  the  gloriM 
of  the  firmament.  And  as  the  eye  would  be 
dazzled,  were  a  deep  red  colour  or  a  briliiaiM 
white  to  be  spread  over  the  face  of  nature,  the 
divine  goodness  has  ck>thed  Ihe  heavens  with 
Uue  and  the  earth  with  grrrn,  the  two  colour* 
which  are  the  least  fatiguing  and  the  most  plea»' 
ing  to  the  organs  of  sight,  and  at  the  same  time 
one  of  these  colours  is  diversified  by  a  thousano 
delicate  shades  which  produce  a  delightful  varit^ 
upon  the  landscape  of  the  world.  The  ear  is  cu- 
riously constructed  for  the  perception  of  sounds, 
which  the  atmosphere  is  fitted  to  convey ;  and 
what  a  variety  of  pleasing  sensations  are  pro- 

n,  the  deprettor  ocuH,  for  pulllnir  the  elobe  of  the 
eye  down ;  /.  adducpjr  ocvli,  for  turning  the  eye 
towards  the  nose  ;  g,  abdvctcr  oculi,  for  D.ovinethe 
glot>e  of  tlie  eye  outwards,  to  the  right  or  left;  A, 
obUqtnu  inferior,  tor  drawing  the  globe  of  the  era 
forwards,  inwards,  and  downwards ;  (,  part  of  the 
Flf.«. 


topenor  maxillary  tMMie,  to  whirh  It  Is  flxed ;  k,  Qm 
eyeball.  FIs.  s.  represents  the  same  muscles  in  a 
different  point  of  view,  where  the  same  letters  reilir 
to  the  same  murrles. 

All  these  opposite  and  antagonist  musries  pra- 
serve  a  nire'equillbrlum,  which  Is  eflfected  partly  fcy 
their  equality  of  strenrth,  partly  by  their  peruUax 
orlifin,  and  partly  by  the  natuml  posture  of  the  body 
and  the  eye,  by  which  means  the  eye  can  be  turned 
Instantaneously  inwaids  any  object,  preserved  in 
perferl  steadiness, and  prevented  from  rolUnc  aboot 
in  hideous  roniortions.  This  Is  only  one  out  of* 
hundred  Instances  In  relation  to  the  eye,  in  whiifc 
tba  sauM  banevolcnt  dealgB  U  dliplayod. 


BENEVOLENCE  OF  THE  DEITY. 


91 


daeed  hy  thp  objects  of  external  nature  intended 
to  aHect  this  organ !  The  murmurings  of  the 
bra3ks,  the  whispers  of  the  gen'.le  breeze,  the 
hum  of  bees,  the  chirping  of  birds,  the  lowing 
of  the  herd.^,  the  melody  of  the  feathered  song- 
sters, the  roarings  of  a  stormy  ocean,  the  dash- 
ing? of  a  mighty  cataract,  and,  above  all,  the 
nu  nsrojs  molulatians  of  the  human  voice  and 
die  harmonies  of  mjsic,  produce  a  variety  of 
deiightfjl  emotions  which  increase  the  sum  of 
huTiia  enjayment.  To  gratify  the  sense  of 
tmsUitf,  the  air  is  perfumsd  with  a  variety  of 
delicious  odours,  exhaled  from  innumerable  plants 
and  flowers.  To  gratify  the  feeling,  pleasing 
sensations  of  various  descriptions  are  connected 
with  almost  every  thing  we  have  occasion  to 
touch  ;  and  to  gratify  the  sense  o(  taste,  the  earth 
is  covered  with  an  admirable  profusion  of  plants, 
herbs,  roots,  and  delicious  fruits  of  thousands  of 
different  qualities  and  flavours,  calculated  to  con- 
vey an  agreeable  relish  to  the  inhabitants  of 
every  clime.  Now,  it  is  easy  to  conceive,  that 
these  gratifications  were  not  necessary  to  our 
tmi»tence.  The  purposes  of  vision,  as  a  mere 
animal  sensation  for  the  use  of  self-preservation, 
might  have  been  answered,  although  every  trace 
of  beauty  and  sublimity  had  been  swept  from  the 
universe,  and  nothing  but  a  vast  assemblage  of 
dixmal  and  haggard  objects  had  appeared  on  the 
(ace  of  nature.  The  purpose  of  hearing  might 
have  been  effected  although  every  sound  had 
-been  grating  and  discordant,  and  the  voice  of  me- 
lody for  ever  unknown.  We  might  have  had 
■mell  without  fragrance  or  perfume ;  taste  with- 
out variety  of  flavour ;  and  feeling,  not  only 
without  the  least  pleasing  sensation,  but  accom- 
panied with  incessant  pain.  But,  in  this  case, 
the  system  of  nature  would  have  afforded  no 
direct  proofs,  as  it  now  does,  of  divine  benevo- 
lence. 

Tilt  remedies  which  the  Deity  has  provided 
a^ainU  the  etnls  U  which  we  are  exposed,  are 
likewise  aproof  of  his  benevolence.  Medicines 
are  provide!  for  the  cure  of  the  diseases  to  which 
we  are  liable;  heat  is  furnished  to  deliver  us 
fro  n  the  effects  of  cold;  rest  from  the  fatigues 
of  ;ab  iur  ;  sleep  from  the  languors  of  watching ; 
artificial  light  to  preserve  us  from  the  gloom  of 
absolute  darkness,  and  shade  from  tne  injuries 
of  itcorching  heat.  Goodness  is  also  displayed 
in  the  power  of  self-restoration  which  our  bodies 
possess,  in  recovering  us  from  sickness  and  dis- 
ease, in  healing  wounds  and  bruises,  and  in 
recovering  our  decayed  organs  of  sensation, 
without  which  power  almost  every  human  beino 
would  present  a  picture  ofdeE»rmity,  and  a  body 
full  of  scars  and  putrefying  sores.  The  pupil  of 
the  eye  is  so  constructed,  thai  it  is  capable  of  con- 
tracting and  dilating  by  a  sort  of  instinctive  power. 
By  this  means  the  organ  of  vision  defends  itself 
from  the  blindness  which  might  ensue  from  the 
admission  of  too  great  a  quantity  of  light;  while, 


on  the  other  hand,  its  capacity  of  expansion,  so 
as  to  take  in  a  greater  quantity  of  rays,  prevents 
us  from  being  in  absolute  darkness  even  in  the 
deepest  gloom,  without  which  we  could  scarcely 
take  a  step  with  safety  during  a  cloudy  night. 
Again,  in  the  construction  of  the  human  body, 
and  of  the  various  tribes  of  animated  beings, 
however  numerous  and  complicated  I  heir  organs, 
tiiere  is  no  mstance  can  be  produced  ihat  any 
one  muscle,  nerve,  Joint,  limb,  or  other  part,  is 
contrived  for  the  purpose  of  producing  pain. 
When  pain  is  felt,  it  is  uniformly  owing  in  some 
derangement  of  the  corporeal  organs,  but  is  never 
the  necessary  result  of  the  original  contrivance. 
On  the  other  hand,  every  part  of  the  construo 
lion  of  living  beings,  every  organ  an.l  function, 
and  every  contrivance,  however  delicate  and 
minute,  in  so  far  as  its  use  is  known,  is  found 
to  contribute  to  the  enjoyment  of  the  individual 
to  which  it  belongs,  either  by  facilitaiing  its 
movements,  by  enabling  it  to  ward  ofl"  dangers, 
or  in  some  way  or  another  to  produce  agreeable 
sensations. 

(n  short,  the  immense  multitude  of  human  beings 
which  people  the  earth,  and  the  ample  provinon 
which  is  made  for  their  necessities,  furnish  irre- 
sistible evidence  of  divine  goodness,  h  has 
been  ascertained,  that  more  than  sixty  thousand 
species  of  animals  inhabit  the  air,  the  earth,  and 
the  waters,  besides  many  thousands  whirh  hare 
not  yet  come  within  the  observation  of  the  natu- 
ralist. On  the  surface  of  the  earth  there  is  not 
a  patch  of  ground  or  a  portion  of  water,  a  single 
shrub,  tree,  or  herb,  and  scarcely  a  single  leaf 
in  the  forest,  but  what  teems  with  animated  b^ 
ings.  How  many  hundreds  of  nii'lions  have 
their  dwellings  in  caves,  in  the  clefts  of  rocks,  in 
the  bark  of  trees,  in  di'ches,  in  marshes,  in  the 
forests,  the  mountains  and  the  valleys!  What 
innumerable  shoals  of  fishes  inhabit  the  ocean 
and  sport  in  the  seas  and  rivers !  Wliat  mil- 
lions on  millions  of  birds  and  flying  insects,  in 
endless  variety,  wing  their  flight  thnmtfh  the 
atmosphere  above  and  around  us !  Were  we 
to  suppose  that  each  species,  at  an  average, 
contains  four  hundred  millions  of  individuals, 
there  would  be  24,000  000,000,000,  or  24  billions 
of  living  creatures  belonging  to  a' I  the  known 
species  which  inhabit  the  different  reaions  of 
the  world,  besides  the  multitudes  of  unknown 
species  yet  undiscovered, — which  is  thirti/  thou- 
sand times  the  number  of  all  the  human  beings 
that  people  the   globe.*     Besides  these,  there 

*  As  an  instance  of  the  immense  number  of  ani- 
mated l)elnfs,  ttie  following  facts  in  relation  to  two 
speoies  of  birds  may  be  stated.  Captiin  Flinders, 
in  his  voya?e  to  Australasia,  saw  a  compact  stream 
of  stormy  v)elrels.  which  was  from  50  to  80  yards 
deep  ami  300  yards  or  more  broid.  This  stream  for 
a  full  hour  and  a  half  continued  to  p  iss  without  in- 
terruption with  nearly  the  swiftness  of  the  piseon. 
Now,  tal<ln?  the  column  at  SO  yards  deep  hy  300  in 
breadth,  and  that  it  moved  30  miles  an  hour,  and 
allowing  nine  cubic  inches  of  space  loeacb  bird,  tba 


M 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


we  multitudes  oT  animated  beings  which  no  man 
can  number,  invisible  to  the  unassisted  eye,  and 
diapersed  through  every  region  of  the  earth,  air, 
and  seas.  In  a  small  stagnant  pool  which  in 
•ummer  appears  covered  with  a  green  scum, 
there  are  more  microscopic  animalcules  than 
would  outnumber  all  the  inhabitanU  oftho  earth. 
How  immense  then  must  be  the  collective  num- 


eats  26t  and  rejects  SI! ;  and  the  hog,  toon 
nice  in  its  taste  than  any  of  these,  eats  but  7S 
plants  and  rejects  all  the  rest.  Yet  such  is  tb« 
unbounded  munificence  of  the  Creator,  that  all 
these  counileks  myriads  of  sentient  beings  are 
amply  provided  for  and  nourished  by  his  bounty ! 
"  The  eyes  of  all  these  look  unto  Him,  and  be 
openeth  his  hand  and  satisfieth   the  desire  of 


ber  of  these  creatures  throughout  every  region  every  living  being."     He  has  so  arranged  the 

of  the  earth  and  atmosphere  !     It  surpasses  all  world,  that  every  place  aflfords  the  proper  food 

our  conceptions.     Now,  it  is  a  fact  that,  from  for  all  the  living  creatures  with  which  it  abounds, 

the  elephant  to  the  mite,  from  the  whale  to  the  He  has  furnished  them  with  every  organ  and  aj^. 

oyster,  and  from  the  eagle  (o  the  gnat,  or  the  paratus  of  instruments  for  the  gathering,  pr^ 

microscopic  animalcula,  no  animal  can   subsist  paring,  and  digesting  of  their  food,  and  has  eiK 

without  nourishment.     Every  species,  too,  re-  dowed  them  with  admirable  sagacity  in   finding 

quires  a  different  kind  of  food.     Some  live  on  out  and  providing  their  nourishment,  and  in  ei^ 

grass,  some  on   shrubs,  some  on  flowers,  and  abling  them   to  distinguish   between  what    ia 

some  on  trees.     Some  feed  only  on  the  roots  of  salutary  and  what  is  pernicious.     In  the  exercise 

vegetables,  some  on  the  stalk,  some  on  the  leaves,  of  these  faculties,  and  in  all  their  movements, 

some  on  the  fruit,  some  on  the  seed,  some  on  they  appear  to  experience  a  happiness  suitable 

the  whole  plant ;  some   prefer  one  species  of  to  their  nature.     The  young  of  all  animals  in 

grass,  some  another.     Linnxus  has  remarked,  the  exercise  of  their  newly  acquired  faculties,  the 

that  the  cow  eats  276  species  of  plant?  and  re-  fishes  sporting  in  the  waters,  the  birds  skimming 

jects  218  ;  the  goat  eats  449  and  rejects  126 ;  beneath  the  sky  and  warbling  in  the  thickets,  the 

the  sheep  eats  381  and  rejects  141 ;  the  horse  gamesome  cattle  browsing  in  the  pastures,  the 

wild  deer  bounding  through  the  forests,  the  ii^ 


number  would  amount  to  isi  millions  and  a  half. 
The  migratory  pigeon  of  the  United  States  files  in 
Still   more  amazing  multitudes.     Wilson,   in   his 
"American  Ornithology,"  says,  "Of  one  of  these 
Immense  flocl^s,   let  us  attempt  to  calculate  the 
numtMrs,  as  seen  in  passing  between  Frankfort  on 
the  Kentucky  and  the  Indian  territory.    If  we  sup- 
pose this  column  to  have  been  one  mile  In  breadth, 
and  I  believe  It  to  have  been  much  more,  and  that  It 
moved  four  hours  at  the  rate  of  one  mile  a  minute, 
the  time  it  continued  in  passing  would  make  the 
whole  length  240  miles.    Again,  supposing  that  each 
square  yard  of  this  moving  body  comprehended  three 
pigeons,  the  square  yards  multiplied  by  3  would 
five  ■i,33O,'272,0OO,"  that  Is,  two  thousand  two  hun- 
dred and  thirty  millions  and  two  hdnUred  and  se- 
Tenty-two  thousand,  nearly  three  times  the  number 
sf  all  the  human  inhabitants  of  the  elot)e,  but  which 
Mr.   Wilson  reckons  to  l>e  far  below  the  actual 
amount.    Were  we  to  estimate  the  number  of  ani- 
mals by  the  scale  here  aflTorded,  it  would  amount  to 
several  hundreds  or  thousands  of  times  more  than 
what  I  have  stated  in  the  text    For  if  a  single  flock 
Of  pigeons  now  alluded  to  in  only  one  district  of  the 
earth,  amounts  to  so  prodigious  a  numt>er,  how 
many  thousand  times  more  must  t>e  the  amount  of 
the  same  species  in  all  the  regions  of  the  glolie .'    In 
the  alwve  calculations,  It  is  taken  for  granted  that 
pigeons  fly  at  the  rateof  fromSOto  60  miles  an  hour, 
and  It  Is  found  by  actual  experiment  that  this  i!>  the 
case.    In  1830,  IIO  pigeons  were  brought  from  Brus- 
sels to  London,  and  were  let  fly  on  the  19th  July, 
at  a  quarter  Iwfore  nine  A.  M.    One  reached  Ant- 
werp. IM  miles  distance,  at  18  minutes  past  3,  or  In 
6  1-3  hours,  being  at  the  rate  of  34  mites  an  hour. 
Five  more  reached  the  same  place  within  eight  mi- 
nutes afterwards,  and  thirteen  others  in  the  course 
of  eight  hours  after  leaving  lA>nUoo.    Another  went 
from  London  to  Maestrichl,  9W  miles,  in  six  hours 
and  a  quarter,  being  at  the  rate  of  nearly  43  miles 
an  hour.    The  golden  eacle  sweeps  through  the  at- 
mosphere at  the  rate  of  W  miles  an  hour,  and  It  has 
been  computed  tint  the  Swift  flies,  at  ..n  average, 
SM  miles  a  day,  and  yet  flnds  time  to  fee<t,  to  clean 
Itself,  and  to  collect  materials  for  its  nest  with  ap- 
parent leisure.  Such  are  the  numbers  of  this  species 
ef  animated  beings,  and  such  the  powers  of  rapid 
motion  which  the  Creator  has  conferred  upon  them, 
^powers  which  man,  with  all  his  Intellectual  facul- 
ties and  Inventions,  hat  never  yet  been  ahlt  to  attain. 


sects  gliding  through  the  air  and  along  the 
ground,  and  even  the  earth-worms  wriggling  is 
the  dust, — proclaim,  by  the  vivacity  of  their 
movements  and  the  various  tones  and  gesticul^ 
tions,  that  the  exercise  of  their  powers  is  cof^ 
nected  with  enjoyment.  In  this  boundless  seen* 
of  beneficence,  we  behold  a  striking  illustratioa 
of  tlie  declarations  of  the  inspired  writers,  that 
"  the  Lord  is  good  to  all,"— that  "  the  earth  k 
full  of  his  riches,"  and  that  "  his  tender  roerciea 
are  over  all  his  works." 

Such  are  a  few  evidences  of  the  benevolenoB 
of  the  Deity  as  displayed  in  the  arrangements  ot 
the  material  world.  However  plain  and  obvious 
they  may  appear  to  a  reflecting  mind,  they  are 
almost  entirely  overlooked  by  the  bulk  of  ma»> 
kind,  owing  to  their  ignorance  of  the  facts  of  n^ 
tural  history  and  science,  and  the  consequent 
inattention  and  apathy  with  which  they  are  a^ 
customed  to  view  the  objects  of  the  visible 
creation.  Hence  they  are  incapacitated  for 
appreciating  the  beneficent  character  of  the 
Creator,  and  the  riches  of  his  munificence  ;  and 
incapable  of  feeling  those  emotions  of  admira- 
tion and  gratitude  which  an  enlightened  contem- 
plation of^  the  scene  of  nature  is  calculated  lo 
inspire. 

4.  An  enlightened  and  comprehensive  survey 
of  the  universe  presents  to  us  a  t-icic  of  the  uuM 
muUiplieit}/  of  conceptions  and  the  ii\finite  y  divert 
^fied  ideas  which  hav«  been  formed  in  the  Divine 
Mind. 

As  the  conceptions  existing  in  the  mind  of  an 
artificer  are  known  by  the  instruments  he  con- 
structs, or  the  operations  he  perform.^,  tt>  the 
idtas  which  have  existed  from  eternity  in  the 


VARIETY  OF  ANIMAL  FUNCTIONS. 


9S 


mind  of  the  Creator  are  ascertained  from  the 
objects  he  has  created,  the  events  he  has  pro- 
duced, and  the  operations  he  is  incessantly  con- 
ducting. The  formation  of  a  single  object  is  an 
exhibition  of  the  idea  existing  in  the  Creating 
Mind,  of  which  it  is  a  copy.  The  formation  of 
a  second  or  a  third  object  exactly  resembling  the 
first,  would  barely  exhibit  the  same  ideas  a 
second  or  a  third  time,  without  disclosing  any 
thing  new  concerning  the  Creator ;  and,  conse- 
quently, our  conceptions  of  his  intelligence  would 
not  be  enlarged,  even  although  thousands  and 
millions  of  such  objects  were  presented  to  our 
view, — just  as  a  hundred  clocks  and  watches, 
exactly  of  the  same  kind,  constructed  by  the 
same  artist,  give  us  no  higher  idea  of  his  skiU 
and  ingenmty  than  tlie  construction  of  one.  But, 
©very  variety  in  objects  and  arrangements  ex- 
hibits a  new  discovery  of  the  plans,  contrivances 
and  intelligence  of  the  Creator. 

Now,  in  the  universe  we  find  all  things  con- 
structed and  arranged  on  the  plan  of  boundless 
and  universal  variety.  In  the  animal  kingdom 
there  have  been  actually  ascertained,  as  already 
noticed,  about  sixty  thousand  different  species  of 
living  creatures.  There  are  about  600  species 
oi  mammalia,  or  animals  that  suckle  their  young, 
most  of  which  are  quadrupeds — 4000  species  of 
birds,  3000  species  otjishes,  700  species  of  rep- 
tiles, and  44,000  species  of  insects.*  Besides 
these,  there  are  about  3000  species  of  shell-Jish, 
and  perhaps  not  less  than  eighty  or  a  hundred 
thousand  species  of  animalcules  invisible  to  the 
naked  eye ;  and  new  species  are  daily  discover- 
ing, in  consequence  of  the  zeal  and  industry  of 
the  lovers  of  natural  history.  As  the  system  of 
animated  nature  has  never  yet  been  thoroughly 
explored,  we  might  safely  reckon  the  number  of 
species  of  animals  of  all  kinds,  as  amounting  to 
at  least  three  hundred  thousand.  We  are  next 
K>  consider,  that  the  organical  structure  of  each 
species  consists  of  an  immense  multitude  of 
parts,  and  that  all  the  species  are  infinitely  diver- 
sified— differing  from  each  other  in  their  forms, 
organs,  members,  faculties  and  motions. ^They 
are  of  all  shapes  and  sizes,  from  the  microscopic 
animilculum,  ten  thousand  times  less  than  a 
mite,  to  the  elephant  and  the  whale. — They  are 
different  in  respect  of  the  construction  of  their 
sensitive  organs.  In  regard  to  the  eye,  some 
have  this  organ  placed  in  the  front,  so  as  to  look 
directly  forward,  as  in  man  ;  others  have  it  so 
placed,  as  to  take  in  nearly  a  whole  hemisphere, 
as  in  birds,  hares  and  conies ;  some  have  it 
fixed,  and  others,  moveable ;  some  have  two 
^obes  or  balls,  as  quadrupeds ;  some  have /our, 
as  snails,  which  are  fixed  in  their  horns  ;  some 
have  eight,  set  like  a  locket  of  diamonds,  as 
spiders ;  some  have  several  hundreds,  as  flies 

•  Specimens  of  all  these  species  are  to  be  seen  In 
the  magnificent  collections  In  the  Museum  of  Na- 
tural HUtory  at  ParU. 


and  beetles,  and  others  above  twenty  thousand, 
as  the  dragon-fly  and  several  species  of  butter- 
flies. In  regard  to  the  ear, — some  have  it  large, 
erect  and  open,  as  in  the  hare,  to  hear  the  leaist 
approach  of  danger ;  in  some  it  is  covered  to 
keep  out  noxious  bodies ;  and,  in  others,  as  in 
the  mole,  it  is  lodged  deep  and  backward  in  the 
head,  and  fenced  and  guarded  from  external  in- 
juries. With  regard  to  their  clothing, — some 
have  their  bodies  covered  with  hair,  as  quadru- 
peds ;  some  with  feathers,  as  birds ;  some  with 
scales,  as  fishes ;  some  with  shells,  as  the  tor- 
toise ;  some  only  with  skin ;  some  with  stout  and 
firm  armour,  as  the  rhinoceros  ;  and  otiiers  with 
prickles,  as  the  hedgehog  and  porcupine — all 
nicely  accommodated  to  the  nature  of  the  animal, 
and  the  element  in  which  it  lives.  These  cover- 
ings, too,  are  adorned  with  diversified  beauties ; 
as  appears  in  the  plumage  of  birds,  the  feathers 
of  the  peacock,  the  scales  of  the  finny  tribes,  the 
hair  of  quadrupeds,  and  the  variegated  polish 
and  colouring  of  the  tropical  shell-fish — beauties 
which,  in  point  of  symmetry,  polish,  texture, 
variety,  and  exquisite  colouring,  mock  every  at- 
tempt of  human  art  to  copy  or  to  imitate. 

In  regard  to  respiration — some  breathe  through 
the  mouth  by  means  of  lungs,  as  men  and  quaJd- 
rupeds  ;  some  by  means  of  gills,  as  fishes  ;  and 
some  by  organs  placed  in  other  parts  of  their 
bodies,  as  insects.  In  regard  to  the  circulation 
of  the  blood,  some  have  but  one  ventricle  in  the 
heart,  some  two,  and  others  three.  In  some 
animals,  tlie  heart  throws  its  blood  to  the  re- 
motest parts  of  the  system ;  in  some  it  throws 
it  only  into  the  respiratory  organs ;  in  others, 
the  blood  from  the  respiratory  organs  is  carried 
by  the  veins  to  another  heart,  and  this  second 
heart  distributes  the  blood,  by  the  channel  of  its 
arteries,  to  the  several  parts.  In  many  insects, 
a  number  of  hearts  are  placed  at  intervals  on  the 
circulating  course,  and  each  renews  the  impulse 
of  the  former,  where  the  momentum  of  the 
blood  fails.  In  regard  to  the  movements  of  their 
bodies, — some  are  endowed  with  swill  motions, 
and  others  with  slow ;  some  walk  on  two  legs, 
as  fowls ;  some  on  four,  as  dogs  ;  some  on  eight, 
as  caterpillars;  some  on  a  hundred,  as  scolo- 
pendrae  or  millepedes ;  some  on  fifteen  hundred 
and  twenty  feet,  as  one  species  of  sea-star ;  and 
some  on  two  thousand  feet,  as  a  certain  species 
of  echinus.*  Some  glide  along  with  a  sinuous 
motion  on  scales,  as  snakes  and  serpents ;  some 
skim  through  the  air,  one  species  on  two  wings, 
another  on  four ;  and  some  convey  themselves 
with  speed  and  safety  by  the  help  of  their  webs, 
OS  spiders ;  while  others  glide  with  agility  through 
the  waters  by  means  oi"  their  tails  and  fins. — • 
But  it  would  require  volumes  to  enumerate  and 

•  See  Lyonet's  notes  to  Lesser's  In*ecto-Th»- 
logy,  who  also  mentions  that  these  EcMrU  haw 
1300  horns,  similar  to  those  of  snails,  which  they  SMI 
put  out  and  draw  in  at  pleasure. 


u 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


explain  all  the  known  varictieii  which  dirttinsiiixh 
the  diirerent  species  of  animated  beinjjH.  Besides 
the  varieties  of  the  species,  thoro  arc  not,  per- 
haps, of  all  the  hundreds  of  millions  which  com- 
pose any  one  species,  two  individuals  preciicly 
alike  in  every  point  of  view  in  which  they  may 
b«  coii:eraplated. 

Ai  an  example  of  the  numerous  parts  and 
functions  which  enter  into  the  cnnstruciion  of  an 
anim.U  frame,  it  may  be  stated,  that,  in  the  hu- 
man b>ly  there  are  445  bones,  each  of  them 
havin-'./iWy  distinct  scojics  or  intentions;  and 
246  in  isclei,  each  having  ten  several  intentions; 
•o  that  the  system  of  bones  and  muscles  alone 
includes  above  14,200  varieties,  or  different  in- 
tentions and  adaptations.  But,  besiJes  the 
bones  anrl  miscles,  there  are  hundreds  of  UndanM 
and  li^tmenU  for  the  purpose  of  connecting  them 
together  ;  hundreds  of  nervt*  ramified  over  the 
wtiole  body  to  convey  sensation  to  all  its  parts  ; 
thousands  of  arteries  to  convey  the  blood  to  the 
remo'est  extremities,  and  thousands  of  veins  to 
bring  it  back  to  the  heart ;  thousands  of  lacteal 
and  It/mphatie  vessels  to  absorb  nutriment  from 
the  f  >  >  1 ;  thousands  of  glands  to  secrete  hu- 
mour? from  the  blood,  and  of  emunetoriet  to 
throw  them  off  from  the  system — and,  besides 
many  other  parts  of  this  variegated  system,  and 
functions  with  which  we  are  unacquainted,  there 
are  more  than  tixteen  hundred  mUlionx  of  mem- 
branous cells  or  vtaides  connected  with  the 
IwngD,  more  than  tvoo  hundred  thouaamd  millions 
of  pores  in  the  skin,  through  which  the  perspira- 
tion is  incessantly  flowing,  and  above  a  thowiand 
imUiots  of  scales,  which  according  to  Leeuwen- 
hoek.  Biker,  and  others,  compose  the  cuticle  or 
outward  coveimg  of  the  body.  We  have  also  to 
take  into  the  account,  the  compound  organs  of 
life,  the  numerous  parts  of  which  they  consist, 
and  the  diversified  functions  they  perform ;  such 
as  the  hrain,  with  its  infinite  number  of  fibres 
and  numerous  functions  ;  the  heart,  with  its  au- 
ricles an  1  ventricles  ;  the  stomach,  with  its 
juices  and  muscular  coats ;  the  liver,  with  its 
lobes  an  1  glands  ;  the  spleen,  with  its  infinity  of 
cells  and  membranes ;  the  pancreas,  with  its 
juice  and  numerous  glands ;  the  kidneys,  with 
their  fine  capillary  tubes  ;  the  iiiiea(in««,  with  all 
their  turnings  and  convolutions  ;  the  organs  of 
senM,  with  their  multifarious  connexions  ;  the 
m«Mntery,  the  gall-bladder,  the  ureters,  the 
pylorus,  the  duodenum,  the  blood,  the  bile,  the 
lymph,  the  saliva,  the  chyle,  the  hairs,  the  nails, 
and  numerous  other  parts  and  substances,  every 
one  of  which  has  diversified  (iinctions  to  per- 
ibnn.  We  have  also  to  take  into  consideration 
Iht  number  of  idm*  imebuUd  in  the  arrangement 
mtd  eMMMnon  oTsD  tbesa  pvta,  and  in  the  man- 
per  in  which  they  are  egmpaelsd  into  one  system 
ef  mtall  dimensions,  so  as  to  afford  free  scope 
6r  all  the  intended  fimctions.  If,  then,  for  the 
■■k*  of  •  roile  calcuhuioa,  we  wer«  to  suppoee, 


in  addition  to  the  14  200  adapiatioai 
above,  that  there  are  lO.CCO  vein*  great  and  ] 
■mall,  10.000  arteries,  10000  nerves,*  1000  li-  i 
gamenu,  4000  lacteals  and  lymphatics,  100,000  ' 
glands,  1.600,000,000  vesicles  in  the  lungs, 
1,000,000000  scales,  and  SCO ,000  000  OCO  of 
pores,  the  amo«mt  would  be  202,600,149,200  dii^ 
fcrent  parts  and  adaptations  in  the  human  body ;  '' 
and  if  all  the  other  species  were  supposed  to  be  i 
differently  organised,  and  to  consist  of  a  simi- 
lar number  of  parts,  this  number  nuilli|ili<'d  by 
SOOOOO,  the  Kup|H>sL-d  numlxT  of  s|»Tii-s — iho 
product  would  amo<mtto60,760,044  760  OOO.COO, 
or  above  sixty  thouMii>d  billions,— the  number 
of  distinct  ideas,  conceptions  or  contrivances,  in 
relation  to  the  animal  world — a  number  of  which 
we  can  have  no  precise  conception,  and  which, 
to  limited  minds  like  ours,  sevms  to  approximate 
to  something  like  infinity  ;  but  it  may  tend  to 
convey  a  rude  idea  of  the  endless  multiplicity 
of  conceptions  which  pervade  the  Eternal  Mind. 
That  many  other  tribes  of  animated  nature 
have  an  organization  no  less  complicated  aixl 
diversified  than  tiiat  of  man,  will  appear  from 
the  following  statements  of  M .  Lyonet.  This 
celebrated  naturalist  i^-rote  a  treatise  on  one 
single  insect,  the  cosius  eaterpiUar,  which  lives  ; 

on  the  leaves  of  the  willow, — in  which  he  ha« 
shown,  from  the  anatomy  of  that  minute  animal, 
that  its  structure  is  almoet  as  complicated  as  thai 
of  the  human  body,  and  many  of  the  parts  which 
enter  into  its  organization  even  mote  numerous. 
He  has  found  it  necessary  to  employ  twenty 
figures  to  explain  the  organization  of  the  head, 
which  contain  228  different  muscles.  There  are 
1647  muscles  in  the  body,  and  2066  in  the  ii>- 
testinal  tube,  making  in  all  3941  muscles;  or 
nearly  nine  times  the  nimibcr  of  muscles  in  the 
human  body.  There  are  94  principal  nerve* 
which  divide  into  innitmerabU  ramifications. 
There  are  two  large  tracheal  arteries,  one  at 
the  right,  and  the  other  at  the  left  side  of  the 
insect,  each  of  them  commimicating  with  the  air 
by  means  of  nine  spiracula.  Round  each  spirit 
culum  the  trachea  pushes  forth  a  great  number 
of  branches,  which  are  again  divided  into  smaller 
ones,  and  these  further  subdivided  and  spread 
through  the  whole  body  of  the  caterpillar ;  they 
are  naturally  of  a  silver  colour,  and  make  a 
beautiful  appearance.  The  principal  trachael 
vessels  divide  into  1326  different  branches.  All 
this  complication  of  delicate  machinery,  with 
numerous  other  parts  and  organs,  are  com- 
pressed into  a  boidy  only  about  two  inches  in 
length.  \ 

*  The  amazing  extent  of  the  Tamlflcatlon  of  the 
veins  and  nerves  mar  be  Judged  of  from  thlsclrcuiiK 
st.incr,  thit  neither  the  point  of  the  smallest  needle, 
nor  tlic  Inflnitclr  finer  lance  of  a  xnat  can  pierce 
any  part  without  drawln;  blood, snd  raunlnc  sn  mw 
easy  sensMlon,  ronsequcntly  without  woundln?,  hy 
•o  small  a  piinrtiire,  hoth  a  nerre  and  a  vein:  utd 
therefore  the  number  of  these  vessels  here  i 
may  be  considered  as  far  bek>w  the  truth. 


VARIETY  IN  THE  VEGETABLE  KINGDOM. 


95 


Were  we  to  direct  our  attention  to  the  vegeta- 
ble kingdom,  we  might  contemjjlate  a  scene  no 
less  variegated  and  astonishing  than  what  ap- 
pears in  the  animal  world.    There  have  already 
been   discovered   more  \hdM  Jifty-six  thousand 
species  of  plants,  specimens  of  all  which  may  be 
seen   in  the   Museum  of  Natural    History  at 
Paris.     But  we  cannot  reckon  the  actual  num- 
ber of  species  in  the  earth  and  seas  at  less  than 
four  or  Jive  hundred  thousand.     They  are  of  all 
sizes,  from  the  invisible  forests  which  are  seen 
in  a  piece  of  mouldiness,  by  the  help  of  the  mi- 
croscope, to  the  cocoas  of  Malabar  fifty  feet  in 
circumference,  and  the  banians,  whose  shoots 
cover  a  circumference  of  five  acres  of  ground. 
Each  of  them  is  furnished  with  a  complicated 
system  of  vessels  for  the  circulation  of  its  juices, 
the  secretion  of  its  odours,  and  other  important 
functions  somewhat  analogous  to  those  of  ani- 
mals.    Almost  every  vegr-table  consists  of  a 
root,  trunk,  branches,  leaves,  skin,  bark,  pith, 
sap-vessels,  or  system  of  arteries  and  veins, 
glands  for  perspiration,  flowers,  petals,  stamina, 
farina,  seed-case,  seed,  fruit,  and  various  other 
parts  ;  and  these  are  different  in  their  construc- 
tion and  appearance  in  the  different  species. 
Some  plants,  as  the  oak,  are  distinguished  for 
their  strength  and  hardness  ;  others,  as  the  elm 
and  fir,  are  tall  and  slender ;  some  are  tall,  like  the 
cedar  of  Lebanon,  while  others  never  attain  to 
any  considerable  height ;  some  have  a  rough  and 
uneven  bark,  while  others  are  smooth  and  fine,  as 
the  birch,  the  maple,  and  the  poplar  ;  some  are  so 
slight  and  delicate  that  the  least  wind  may  over- 
turn them,  while  others  can  resist  the  violence 
of  the  northern  blasts ;  some  acquire  their  full 
growth  in  a  few  years,  while  others  grow  to  a 
prodigious  height  and  size,  and  stand  unshaken 
amidst  the  lapse  of  centuries;  some  drop  their 
leaves  in  autumn,  and  remain  for  months  like 
blighted  trunks,  while  others  retain  their  verdure 
amidst  the  most  furious  blasts  of  wiater ;  some 
have  leaves  scarcely  an  inch  in  length  or  breadth, 
while  others,  as   the  tallipot  of  Ceylon,  have 
leaves  so  large  that  one  of  them,  it  is  said,  will 
shelter  fifteen  or  twenty  men  from  the  rain. 

The  variety  in  the  vegetable  kingdom  in  re- 
spect o?  Jlowert,  is  apparent  even  to  the  least 
attentive  observer.  Every  species  is  different 
from  another  in  the  form  and  hues  which  it  exhi- 
bits. The  carnation  differs  from  the  rose,  the 
rose  from  the  tulip,  the  tulip  from  the  auricula, 
the  auricula  from  the  lily,  the  lily  from  the  nar- 
cissus, and  the  rununculus  from  the  daisy.  At 
the  same  time  each  rununculus,  daisy,  rose  or 
tulip,  has  its  own  particular  character  and  beauty, 
something  that  is  peculiar  to  itself,  and  in  which 
it  is  distinguished  from  its  fellows.  In  a  bed  of 
rununculuses,  or  tulips,  for  example,  we  shall 
scarcely  find  two  individuals  that  have  precisely 
(he  same  aspect,  or  present  the  same  assemblage 
*of  colours.    Some  flowers  are  of  a  stately  size. 


and  seem  to  reign  over  their  fellows  in  the  same 
parterre,  others  are  l<»wly  or  creep  along  the 
ground  ;  some  exhibit  the  most  dazzling  colours, 
others  arc  simple  and  blush  almost  unseen  :  some 
perfume  the  air  with  exquisite  odours,  while 
others  only  please  the  sight  with  their  beautiful 
tints.  Not  only  the  forms  and  colours  of  flowers 
but  their  perfumes,  are  different.  The  odour 
of  southernwood  differs  from  that  of  thyme,  that 
of  peppermint  from  balm,  and  that  of  the  daisy 
from  the  rose,  which  indicates  a  variety  in  their 
internal  structure,  and  in  the  juices  that  circu- 
late within  them.  The  Leaves  of  all  vegetables, 
like  the  skin  of  tlie  human  body,  are  diversified 
with  a  multitude  of  extremely  fine  vessels,  and 
an  astonishing  number  of  pores.  In  a  kind  of 
box-tree  called  Palma  Cerere^,  it  has  been  ob- 
served that  there  are  above  an  hundred  and  «e- 
venty-two  thousand  pores  on  one  single  side  of 
the  leaf.  In  short,  the  whole  earth  is  covered 
with  vegetable  life  in  such  profusion  and  variety 
as  astonishes  the  contemplative  mind.  Not  o/aly 
the  fertile  plains,  but  the  rugged  mountains,  the 
hardest  stones,  the  most  barren  spots,  and  even 
the  caverns  of  the  ocean,  are  diversified  with 
plants  of  various  kinds  ;  and,  from  the  torrid  to 
the  frigid  zone,  every  soil  and  every  climate  has 
plants  and  flowers  peculiar  to  itself.  To  attempt 
to  estimate  their  number  and  variety  would  be 
to  attempt  to  dive  into  the  depths  of  infinity. 
Yet,  every  diversity  in  the  species,  every  variety 
in  the  form  of  the  individuals,  and  even  every 
difference  in  the  shade  and  combination  of  co- 
lour in  flowers  of  the  same  species,  exhibits  a 
distinct  conception  which  must  have  existed  in 
the  Divine  Mind  before  the  vegetable  kingdom 
was  created. 

Were  we  to  take  a  survey  of  the  mtjiera/ king- 
dom, we  should  also  behold  a  striking  exhibition 
of  the  "  manifold  wisdom  of  God.''  It  is  true, 
indeed,  that  we  cannot  penetrate  into  the  inte- 
rior recesses  of  the  globe,  so  as  to  ascertain  the 
substances  which  exist,  and  the  processes  which 
are  going  on  near  its  central  regions.  Bat, 
within  a  few  hundreds  of  fathoms  of  its  surface, 
we  find  such  an  astonishing  diversity  of  mineral 
substances  as  clearly  shows,  that  its  internal 
parts  have  been  constructed  on  the  same  plan  of 
variety  as  that  of  the  animal  and  vegetable  king- 
doms. In  the  claisses  of  earllty,  saline,  inflam- 
mable, and  metaUic  fossils,  under  which  mine- 
ralogists have  arranged  the  substances  of  the 
mineral  kingdom,  are  contained  an  immense 
number  of  genera  and  species.  Under  the  earthy 
class  of  fossils  are  comprehended  diamonds,  chry- 
solites, menilites,  garnets,  zeolites,  corundums, 
agates,  jaspers,  opals,  pearl-stones,  tripoli,  clay 
slate,  basalt,  lava,  chalk,  limestone,  ceylanite, 
strontian,  barytes,  celesiine,  and  various  other 
substances.  The  »aZ»n«  class  comprehends  such 
substances  as  the  following,  natron  or  natural 
soda,  rock  salt,  nitre,  alum,  sal-ammoniaCj  Ep- 


90 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


■om  nit,  &c.  The  clan*  or  ii\/lammable  nub- 
ftlBCW  comprehends  aulphur,  carbon,  bitumen, 
cot],  amber,  cnarcoal,  naphiha,  petroleum,  oa- 
pbalt, caoutchouc,  minrral  tar,  &c.  Tho  metalke 
ciua  comiirehends  piaiina,  gold,  silver,  mercury, 
copper,  iron,  lead,  tin,  bismuth,  zinc,  antimony, 
cobalt,  nickel,  nianfrancse,  mulybdcnum,  arsenic, 
achcele,  menarhainte,  uian,  silvan  chromium, 
tungsten,  uranium,  titanium,  tellurium,  sodium, 
potassium,  &c.  All  these  mineral  substances 
are  distinguished  by  many  varieties  of  species. 
There  are  eight  genera  of  earthy  fossils.  One 
of  these  genera,  \hejlint,  contains  34  species, 
besides  numerous  varieties,  such  as  chrysube- 
ryls,  topazes,  agates,  beryls,  quartz,  emery, 
diamond  spar,  &c.  Another  genus,  the  day, 
contains  32  species,  such  as  opal,  pitch-stone, 
felspar,  black  chalk,  mica,  hornblende,  &c.  and 
another,  the  calc,  contains  20  species,  as  lime- 
stone, chalk,  slate,  spar,  fluor,  marie,  boracite, 
loam,  &c.  There  are  ten  species  of  st/ver,  five 
of  mercuiy,  seventeen  of  copper,  fourteen  of  iron, 
ten  of  lead,  six  of  antimony,  three  ofbismuth,  &c. 
All  the  bodies  of  the  mineral  kingdom  differ  from 
one  another  as  to  figure,  transparency,  hardness, 
lustre,  ductiUty,  texture,  structure,  feel,  sound, 
smell,  taste,  gravity,  and  their  magnetical  and 
electrical  properties ;  and  they  exhibit  almost 
every  variety  of  colour.  Some  of  those  sub- 
stances are  soft  and  pulverable,  and  serve  as  a 
bed  for  the  nourishment  of  vegetables,  as  black 
earth,  chalk,  clay,  and  marl.  Some  are  solid, 
as  lead  and  iron ;  and  some  are  fluid,  as  mer- 
cury, sodium,  and  potassium.  Some  are  brittle, 
aa  antimony  and  bismuth,  and  some  are  mallea- 
ble, as  silver  and  tin.  Some  are  subject  to  the 
attraction  of  the  magnet,  others  are  conductors 
of  the  electric  fire;  some  are  easily  fusible  by 
heat,  others  will  resist  the  strongest  heat  of  our 
common  fires.  Some  are  extremely  ductile,  as 
olatina,  the  heaviest  of  the  metals,  which  has 
been  drawn  into  wires  less  than  the  two  thou- 
sandth part  of  an  inch  in  diameter, — and  gold, 
the  parts  of  which  are  are  so  fine  and  expansi- 
ble, that  an  ounce  of  it  is  sufficient  to  gild  a  sil- 
ver wire  more  than  1300  miles  k>ng. 

In  order  to  acquire  the  moat  impressive  idea 
of  the  mineral  kingdom,  we  must  visit  an  exten- 
sive mincralogical  museum,  where  the  spectator 
will  be  astonished  both  at  tho  beauty  and  the 
infinite  diversity  which  the  Creator  has  exhibits 
ed  in  this  department  of  nature.  Here  it  may 
be  also  noticed,  that  not  only  tlie  external  axport 
of  minerals,  but  also  the  iii/*n"or  eofj^^Kro/ion  of 
many  of  them,  displays  innumerable  beauties 
and  nurieties.  A  rough  dark-looking  pebble, 
which  to  an  inctirious  eye  appears  only  like  a 
ftagment  ot  common  rock,  when  cut  asunder  and 
poltshed,  present*  an  assemblage  of  the  finest 
veins  and  moat  btiUiant  coloors.  If  we  go  into 
a  lapidary's  shop  and  take  a  leisurely  survey  of 
his  jaspers,  topazes,  cornelians,  agates,  garnets. 


and  other  stones,  we  cannot  fail  to  be  stnick  wi'ii 
admiration,  not  only  at  the  exquisite  poiith  ljmj 
tho  delicate  wavings  which  tlieir  surfaces  pre> 
sent,  but  at  the  variety  of  design  and  colouring 
exhibited  even  by  individuals  of  the  same  sp^ 
cics,  the  latent  beauties  and  diversities  of  «  hich 
require  the  assbtance  of  a  microscope  to  diK 
ccm,  and  are  beyond  tho  e'flbrta  of  the  most  ex- 
quisite pencil  fully  to  imitate. 

Not  only  in  the  objects  which  are  visible  lo 
the  unassisted  eye,  but  alro  m  lho»e  uhirk  can 
only  he  perceived  by  the  help  of  microicopei,  is  the 
characteristic  of  variety  to  b<r  seen.       In   the 
scales  of  fishes,  for  example,  we  perceive  an  m- 
finite   number  of  diversified  specimens  of  the 
most  curious  workmanship.     Some  of  these  are 
of  a  longish  form,  some  round,  some  triangular, 
some  square;  in  short,  of  all  imaginable  variety 
of  shapes.    Some  are  armed  with  shaqi  prickles, 
as  in  the  perch  and  sole  ;  some  have  smooth 
edges,  as  in  the  tench  and  cod-fish  ;    and  even 
in  the  same  fish  there  is  a  considerable  variety ; 
for  the  scales  taken  from  the  belly,  the  back,  the 
sides,  the  head  and  other  parts,  are  all  diflcrenl 
from  each  other.     In  the  scale  of  a  perch  we 
perceive  one  piece  of  delicate  meciianism,  in  the 
scale  of  a  haddock  another,  and  in  the  scale  of 
a  sole,  beauties  different  fit>m  both.     We  find 
some  of  them   ornamented  with  a   prodigious 
number  of  concentric  flutings,  too  near  each 
other  and   too  fine   to  be   easily    enumerated. 
These  flutings  are  frequently  traversed  by  others 
diverging  from  the  centre  of^  the  scale,  and  pr<v 
ceeding  from  thence  in  a  straight  line  to  the  cir^ 
cumference.    On  every  fish  there  are  many  thou- 
sands of  these  variepated  pieces  of  mechanism. 
The  hairs  on  the  bodies  of  all  animals  are  found, 
by  the  microscope,  to  be  composed  of  a  number 
of  extremely  minute  tubt*,  each  of  which  has  a 
round  bulbous  roof,  by  which  it  imbibes  its  pr<^ 
per  nourishment  from  the  adjacent  humoiirs,  and 
these  are  all  different  in  different  animals.  Hairs 
taken  from  the  head,  the  eye-brows,  the  noetrils, 
the  beard,  the  hand,  and  other  parts  of  the  body, 
arc  imlike  to  each  other,  both  in  the  constnio- 
tion  of  the  roots  and  the  hairs  themselves,  and 
appear  as  varied  as  plants  of  the  same  genus  IkiI 
of  different  species.     The  parts  of  which  the 
feathen  of  birds  are  composed,  afford  a  beauti- 
ful variety  of  the  most  exquisite  workmanship. 
There  is  scarcely  a  feather  but  contains  a  mil- 
lion of  distinct  parts,  every  one  of  them  regtilarly 
shaped.     In  a  small  fibre  of  a  gooee-<)uiU,  more 
than  1200  downy  branches  or  small  leaves  have 
been  counted  on  each  side,  and  each  appeared 
divided  into  16  or  18  small  joints.    A  small  part 
of  the  feather  of  a  peacock,  one-thinieth  of  an 
inch  in  length,  appears  no  less  beautiful  ilian  the 
whole  feather  does  to  the  naked  eye,  exhibiting 
a  multitude  of  bright  shining  parts,  reflecting  first 
one  colour  and  then  another  in  the  most  vivid 
manner.     The  wing»  of  all  kind  of  insects,  too. 


MISCROSCOPIC  ANIMALCULiE. 


97 


U'esent  an  infinite  variety,  no  less  captivating 
to  the  tnind  than  pleasing  to  the  eye.  They 
appear  strengthened  and  distended  by  the  finest 
bones,  and  covered  with  the  lightest  membranes. 
Some  of  them  are  adorned  with  neat  and  beau- 
tifal  feathers,  and  many  of  them  provided  with 
tli3  finest  articulations  and  foldings  for  the  wings, 
w)ien  they  are  withdrawn  and  about  to  be  folded 
up  in  their  cases.  The  thin  membranes  of  the 
wings  appear  beautifally  divaricated  with  thou- 
sands of  little  points,  like  silver  studs.  The 
wings  of  same  flies  are^Zwy,  as  the  dragon-fly ; 
others  liave  them  stuck  over  with  short  bristles, 
as  the  flesh-fly ;  some  have  rows  of  feathers 
along  their  ridges,  and  borders  round  their  edge, 
as  in  gnats ;  some  have  hairs  and  others  have 
hooks  placed  with  the  greatest  regularity  and 
order.  In  the  wings  of  moths  and  butterflies 
there  are  millions  of  small  feathers  of  different 
shapes,  diversified  with  the  greatest  variety  of 
hriglii  and  vivid  colours,  each  of  them  so  small 
as  to  be  altogether  invisible  to  the  naked  eye. 

The  leaves  of  all  plants  and  flowers  when  ex- 
amined by  the  microscope,  are  found  to  be  full 
of  iimuinerable  ramifications  that  convey  the 
perspirable  juices  to  the  pores,  and  to  consist  of 
barenchymous  and  ligneous  fibres,  interwoven 
in  a  curious  and  admirable  manner.  The 
smallest  leaf,  even  one  which  is  little  more  than 
ffisible  to  the  naked  eye,  is  found  to  be  thus  di- 
varicated, and  the  variegations  are  different  in 
Oie  leaves  ofdifferent  vegetables. — A  transverse 
fitction  of  a  plant  not  more  than  one-fourth  of  an 
inch  in  diitneter,  displays  such  beauties  and  vsl- 
rieties,  through  a  powerful  microscope,  as  can- 
not be  conceived  without  ocular  inspection. 
The  number  of  pores,  of  all  sizes,  amounting  to 
hundreds  of  thousands  (which  appear  to  be  the 
vessels  of  the  plant  cut  asunder,)  the  beautiful 
curves  they  assume,  and  the  radial  and  circular 
configurations  they  present,  are  truly  astonish- 
ing ;  and  every  distinct  species  of  plants  exhibits 
a  different  configuration.  I  have  counted  in  a 
Bmall  section  of  a  plant,  of  the  size  now  stated, 
5000  radial  lines,  each  containmg  about  250 
l>ore3,  great  and  small,  which  amount  to  one  mil- 
tion  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  of  these  va- 
riegated apertures. — Even  the  particles  of  sand 
on  the  sea-shore,  and  on  the  banks  of  rivers, 
•liff'er  in  the  size,  form,  and  colour  of  their  grains ; 
some  being  transparent,  others  opaque,  some 
havinj  rough  and  others  smooth  surfaces ;  some 
are  spherical  or  oval,  and  some  pyramidal,  co- 
nical or  prismatical.  Mr.  Hook,  happening  to 
view  some  grains  of  white  sand  through  his  mi- 
croscope, hit  upon  one  of  the  grains  which  was 
exactly  shaped  and  wreathed  like  a  shell,  though 
it  was  n  )  larger  than  the  point  of  a  pin.  "  It 
resembled  the  shell  of  a  small  water-snail,  and 
had  twelve  wreathinjs,  all  growing  proportiona- 
bly  one  less  than  the  other  towards  the  middle  or 
caotre  of  the  shell,  where  there  was  a  very  small 
13 


round  white  spot."  This  gives  us  an  idea  of 
the  existence  of  shell-fish  which  are  invisible  to 
the  naked  eye,  and,  consequently,  smaller  than 
a  mite. 

The  variety  of  forms  in  which  ardmal  life 
appears,  in  those  invisible  departments  of  crea- 
tion which  the  microscope  has  enabled  us  to  ex- 
plore, is  truly  wonderful  and  astonishing.  Micro- 
scopic animals  are  so  different  from  those  of  the 
larger  kinds,  that  scarcely  any  analogy  seems  to 
exist  between  them;  and  one  would  be  almost 
tempted  to  suppose  that  they  lived  in  conse- 
quence of  laws  directly  opposite  to  those  which 
preserve  man  and  the  other  larger  aiymals  in 
existence.  When  we  endeavour  to  explore  this 
region  of  animated  nature,  we  feel  as  if  we  were 
entering  on  the  confines  of  a  new  world,  and 
surveying  a  new  race  of  sentient  existence.  The 
number  of  these  creatures  exceeds  all  human 
calculation.  Many  hundreds  of  species,  all  dif- 
fering in  their  forms,  habits,  and  motions,  have 
already  been  detected  and  described,  but  we 
have  reason  to  believe,  that  by  far  the  greater 
part  is  unexplored,  and  perhaps  for  ever  hid  from 
the  view  of  man.  They  are  of  all  shapes  and 
forms  :  some  of  them  appear  like  minute  atoms, 
some  Uke  globes  and  spheroids,  some  like  hand- 
bells, some  like  wheels  turning  on  an  ajtis,  some, 
like  double-headed  monsters,  some  like  cylin- 
ders, some  have  a  worm-like  appearance,  some 
have  horns,  some  resemble  eels,  some  are  like 
long  hairs,  150  times  as  long  as  they  are  broad, 
some  like  spires  and  cupolas,  some  like  fishes, 
and  some  like  animated  vegetables.  Some  of 
them  are  almost  visible  to  the  naked  eye,  and 
some  so  small  tiiat  the  breadth  of  a  human  hair 
would  cover  fifty  or  a  hundred  of  them,  and 
others  so  minute,  that  millions  of  millions  of  them 
might  be  contained  within  the  compass  of  a 
square  inch.  In  every  pond  and  ditch,  and 
almost  in  every  puddle,  in  the  infusions  of  pepper, 
straw,  grass,  oats,  hay  and  other  vegetables,  in 
paste  and  vinegar,  and  in  the  water  found  in 
oysters,  on  almost  every  plant  and  flower,  and  in 
the  rivers,  seas  and  oceans,  these  creatures  are 
found  in  such  numbers  and  variety  as  almost 
exceed  our  conception  or  belief.  A  class  of 
these  animals,  called  MudustB,  has  been  found 
so  numerous  as  to  discolour  the  ocean  itself. 
Captain  Scoresby  found  the  number  in  the  olive- 
green  sea  to  bo  immense.  A  cubic  inch  contains 
sixty-four,  and  consequently  a  cubic  mile  would 
contain  23,888,000,000,000,000;  so  that,  if  one 
person  should  count  a  million  in  seven  days,  it 
would  have  required  that  80,000  persons  should 
have  started  at  the  creation  of  the  world  to  have 
completed  the  enumeration  at  the  present  time. 
Yet,  all  the  minute  animals  to  which  we  now 
allude  are  furnished  with  numerous  organs  of 
life  as  well  as  the  larger  kind,  some  of  their  in- 
ternal movements  are  distinctly  visible,  their 
motions  are  evidently  volurUary,  and  some  of 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


them  appear  to  be  poMcned  of  a  considerable 
degree  of  sagacity,  and  to  be  fond  of  each  other's 
Mciety.* 

In  short,  it  may  be  affirmed  without  the  least 
hesitation,  that  the  bvaiities  and  MirietieM  which 
exist  in  those  regions  of  creation  which  arc  in- 
visible to  the  unassisted  eye,  are  far  more  nu- 
merous than  all  that  appears  to  a  common  ob- 
server in  the  viwiblv  economy  of  nature.  How 
&r  this  scene  of  creatino  Power  an<l  Intelligence 
may  extend  beyond  the  range  of  our  microscopic 
inatniments,  it  is  impossible  for  mortals  to  deter- 
mine; for  the  finer  our  glasses  are,  and  the 
higher  the  magnifying  powers  we  apply,  the 
more  numerous  and  varied  are  the  objects  which 
they  exhibit  to  our  view.  And  as  the  largest 
telescope  is  insufficient  to  convey  our  views  to 
the  boundaries  of  the  great  universe,  so  we  may 
justly  conclude,  that  the  most  powerful  micros- 
cope that  has  been  or  ever  will  be  constructed, 
will  be  altogether  insufficient  to  guide  our  views 
to  the  utmost  limits  of  the  descending  scale  of 
creation.  But  vhat  we  already  know  of  these 
imexplored  and  incxplorable  regions,  gives  us  an 
amazing  conception  of  the  intelligence  and  wis- 
dom of  the  Creator,  of  the  immensity  of  his 
nature,  and  of  the  infinity  of  ideas  which,  during 
every  portion  of  past  duration,  must  have  t>een 
present  f>efore  his  All-Comprehensive  Mind. 
What  an  immense  space  in  the  scale  of  animal 
life  intervenes  between  an  arumalcult  which 
appears  only  the  sir.e  of  a  visible  point,  when 
magnified  500,000  times,  and  a  whale,  a  hun- 
dred feet  Ions  and  twenty  broad !  The  proportion 
of  bulk  between  the  one  of  these  beings  and  the 
other  is  nearly  as  34,560,000,000,000,000.000 
to  I.  Yet  all  the  intermediate  space  is  filled 
up  witli  animated  beings  of  every  form  and  order ! 
A  similar  variety  obtains  in  the  vegetable  king- 
dom. It  has  been  calculated,  that  some  plants 
which  grow  on  rou  leaves,  and  other  shrubs,  are 
■o  small  that  it  would  require  more  than  a  thou- 
sand of  them  to  equal  in  bulk  a  single  plant  of 
w»u ;  and  if  we  compare  a  stem  of  moss,  which  is 

*  The  foUowlns  extract  from  Mr.  Baker's  descrip- 
tion of  the  hair  like  tntimnlevle  will  Illustrate  some 
of  theve  |K>fiitiong.  A  sm.ill  quantity  of  ttie  matter 
cont.-uiiing  these  aninialruleii  having  tieen  put  Into 
a  Jar  of  water.  It  so  hapiioncMl,  that  one  part  went 
down  Iminnllalely  to  the  Iwttom,  while  the  other 
contlnuol  f1oa:lni;  on  the  top.  When  tlilnss  had 
remained  for  some  time  In  this  condition,  each  of 
Ibeie  swamis  of  animalcules  becan  to  erow  weary 
of  Its  tltiiatlun,  and  had  a  mind  to  change  Its  quar- 
ters Both  armies,  therefore,  set  out  at  the  !<aine 
tine,  the  one  proceeding  upwards  and  the  other 
tewnwanis;  so  that  after  sometime  they  met  In  the 
middle.  A  desire  of  knowlnx  how  they  would  l>e- 
kave  on  this  ucr.-ulon,  engaj^ed  th«  olwerver  to 
watch  theiri  carefully :  and  to  his  surt'rlse.  he  saw 
the  army  that  was  marchlne  uuwnnls,  0|>en  to  the 
riglit  and  left,  to  make  room  for  those  that  were 
dexcendln;.  Thus,  without  confusion  or  Intermix- 
ture, earti  tu-M  nn  Its  way ;  the  army  thnt  was  Roing 
ap  m:irrliiii_-  in  two  columns  to  the  lop,  and  ti>e 
Other  prorei'illng  In  one  column  tu  the  bottom,  as  if 
each  hatt  l)c«u  under  tite  direction  of  wise  leaders. 


generally  not  above  I-€Olhoraninch,with  i 
of  the  large  trees  in  Guinea  and  Brazil  of  twen- 
ty feet  diameter,  we  shall  find  the  bulk  of  the 
one  will  exceed  that  of  the  other  no  less  than 
2.985,984,000,000  times,  which  multiplied  by 
1000  will  produce  t  986,984,0CO,0C0,0CO,  the 
number  of  times,  which  the  large  tree  exceeds 
the  rose-leaf  plant.  Yet  this  immense  interval 
is  filled  up  w  ilh  plants  and  treeti  of  every  form  and 
size!  With  good  reason,  then,  may  we  adopt 
the  language  of  the  inspired  writers, — "  How 
tnani/oU  are  thy  works,  O  Lord!  In  wisdom 
hast  thou  made  them  all.  O  the  depth  of  the 
riches  both  of  the  wistlom  and  the  knowledge  of 
God  !  Marvellous  things  doth  He  which  we  caD> 
not  comprehend."* 


*  The  flfnires  of  microscopical  objects  contained 
in  the  cnmravlngs  Nos.  I.  and  It.,  will  convey  a  rude 
klea  of  some  of  the  objects  to  wliicb  I  have  now  aV 
luded. 

No.  I.  Fifr.  1.  represents  the  tcalt  of  a  trUfith  as 
It  appears  I  hrouf:h  a  pood  mlcroscoj*.  CDLf,  re- 
presents tlint  part  of  the  ."rale  which  ap|iears  on  the 
outside  of  the  fish,  and  AB(  D,  the  part  vthlrh  ad- 
heres to  the  skin,  l>oitie  furrowed,  that  It  may  hold 
the  faster-  It  is  Icrmlnatnl  by  pointed  spikes,  every 
alternate  one  lieing  lougcrthan  the  Interjacent  one» 
Fie.  2,  Is  the  scale  of  a  haddock,  which  appears  di- 
varicated like  a  piece  of  network.  Fie.  3.  repre- 
sents a  small  i)ortlon  or  fibre  ot  l\>e  feather  i/ a  pea- 
co(k,on\y  l  SOlhof  aninrh  In  extent,  as  It  appear*  la 
the  nilcro.'tcoiie.  The  small  fibres  of  these  feathers 
appear,  through  this  in.Mrumcnt,  no  less  IwautlftU 
than  the  wliole  feather  does  to  the  naked  eye.  Each 
of  the  sprigs  or  hairs  on  each  side  of  the  fibre,  as  CD, 
DC,  apiiears  to  consist  of  a  multitude  of  brleht  !.|ili>- 
Ing  parts  which  are  a  congeries  of  *inall  plates,  as 
eee,  &c.  The  under  sides  of  each  of  these  plates  are 
very  dark  and  opaque,  reflecting  all  the  ra>s  thrown 
upon  them  like  the  foil  of  a  looking  glass;  tint  their 
upper  sides  seem  to  coni'ist  of  a  multltudeof  exceed- 
ingly thin  plated  bodies,  lying  close  together,  which, 
by  various  |iosltlons  of  the  light,  reflect  first  one 
colour  and  then  another.  In  a  Rijst  vivid  and  sur- 
prising manner.  Fig.  4,  6,  C,  7,  represent  some  of 
the  dltrereiit  kmds  of  feathers  which  constitute  the 
dust  which  adheres  to  the  wlnj,B  of  moths  and  l>ut- 
tcrfiies,  and  which,  in  thcmlcroscopc,  appear  llneed 
with  a  variety  of  colours,  tlarh  of  these  fe.ilhcrs  is 
an  object  so  small  as  to  t>e  scarcely  perceptible  lo  the 
naked  eye. 

Krplanation  of  the  figvrtt  on  No.  J/.— Fig.  1.  re- 
presents a  mile,  which  has  eicht  legs,  with  five  or 
six  Joints  In  each,  two  feeler*,  a  fn.all  head  in  pro- 
portion to  Its  body,  a  sharp  snout  and  mouth  like 
that  of  a  mole,  and  two  little  eyes.  The  IxhIv  is  of  an 
oval  form,  with  a  nunitier  of  hairs  like  brisllct  Is* 
suing  from  It,  and  the  legs  lemilnale  in  two  hooked 
claws.  Fig.  «.  represents  a  microscopic  animal 
which  was  found  In  an  Infusion  of  arunumy.  The 
surface  of  Its  l>ack  Is  covered  with  a  tine  mask  In  the 
form  of  a  human  fate.  It  has  three  fiN-t  on  each  side, 
and  ■  tail  which  comes  out  from  under  the  niask. 
Fig.  3,  Is  an  animalcula  found  in  the  infusion  of  i.ld 
hay  A,  shows  the  held,  with  the  mouth  opened 
wide,  and  lli<  lips  furnl!<hett  with  numerous  hairs  ; 
B,  Is  Its  forked  tall.  I),  Its  intestines,  and  C,  lis  heart, 
which  may  l)e  seen  in  regular  motion.  T1>e  circum- 
ference of  the  body  appears  IndentH  like  the  teeth 
of  a  saw.  Fig.  4,  shows  the  Whtit  animal  or  Vcr- 
tictUa.  It  Is  found  in  rain  water  that  l>as  stood  some 
days  In  leaden  gutters,  or  In  hollows  of  lead  on  the 
to|(s  of  I  ouses.  The  most  remarkable  part  of  this 
■nimalculu  is  Its  wheel  irork,  which  consists  of  two 
semicircular  Instruments,  round  the  edges  of  which 
many  liltle  filirlllte  move  themselves  very  iTlskly 
soinciimei  with  a  kind  of  to(«uon,  and  someuows 


VARIETY  IN  THE   SYSTEM  OP  NATURE. 


99 


Even  the  external  aspect  of  nature,  as  it  ap- 
pears to  a  superficial  observer,  presents  a  scene 
of  variety.  The  ranges  of  mountains  with  sum- 
mits of  different  heights  and  shapes,  the  hills 
and  plains,  the  glens  and  dells,  the  waving 
curves  which  appear  on  the  face  of  every  land- 
scape, the  dark  hues  of  the  forests,  the  verdure 
of  the  fields,  the  towering  cliffs,  the  rugged  pre- 
cipices, the  rills,  the  rivers,  the  cataracts,  the 
lakes  and  seas  ;  the  gulphs,  the  bays  and  penin- 
sulas ;  the  numerous  islands  of  every  form  and 
size  which  diversify  the  surface  of  the  ocean, 
and  the  thousands  of  shades  of  colouring  which 
appear  on  every  part  of  sublunary  nature,  pre- 
sent a  scene  of  diversified  beauty  and  sublimity 
to  the  eye  of  every  beholder. — And  if  we  lift 
our  eyes  to  the  regions  of  the  firmament,  we 
likewise  behold  a  scene  of  sublimity  and  gran- 
deur mingled  with  variety.  The  sun  himself 
appears  diversified  with  spots  of  various  shapes 
and  sizes,  some  a  hundred,  some  a  thousand, 
and  sonje  ten  thousand  miles  in  diameter — indi- 
cating operations  and  changes  of  amazing  ex- 
tent— and  almost  every  new  revolution  on  his 
axis  presents  us  with  new  and  varied  clusters. 
Every  planet  in  the  solar  system  differs  from 


another  in  its  size,  in  its  spheroidal  shape,  in  its 
diurnal  rotation,  in  the  aspect  of  its  surface,  in 
the  constitution  of  its  atmosphere,  in  the  num- 
ber of  moons  with  which  it  is  surrounded,  in  the 
nature  of  its  seasons,  in  its  distance  from  the 
sun,  in  the  eccentricity  of  its  orbit,  in  the  period 
of  its  annual  revolution,  and  in  the  proportion 
it  receives  of  light  and  heat.  Every  comet,  too, 
differs  from  another  in  its  form  and  magnitude, 
in  the  extent  of  its  nucleus  and  tail,  in  the  period 
of  its  revolution,  in  the  swiftness  of  its  motion, 
and  in  the  figure  of  the  curve  it  describes  around 
the  sun ;  and  "  one  star  differeth  from  another 
star  in  glory."  But  could  we  transport  ourselves 
to  the  surfaces  of  these  distant  orbs,  and  survey 
every  part  of  their  constitution  and  arrange- 
ments, we  should,  doubtless,  behold  beauties 
and  varieties  of  divine  workmanship  far  more 
numerous,  and  surpassing  every  thing  that  ap- 
pears in  our  sublunary  system.  We  have  every 
reason  to  believe,  from  the  infinite  nature  of  the 
Divinity,  and  from  what  we  actually  behold, 
that  the  mechanism  and  arrangements  of  every 
world  in  the  universe  are  all  different  from  each 
other ;  and  we  find  that  this  is  actually  the  case, 
in  so  far  as  our  observations  extend.      The 


tn  a  trembling  or  vibratory  manner.  .Sometimes  the 
wheels  seera  to  be  entire  circles,  with  teeth  like 
those  of  the  balance-wheel  of  a  watch:  but  their 
figure  varies  according  to  the  degree  of  their  pro- 
trusion, and  seems  to  depend  upon  the  will  of  the 
animal  itself;  a,  is  the  head  and  heels;  6,  is  the  Aeorr, 
where  its  systole  and  diastole  are  plainly  visible,  and 
the  alternate  motions  of  contraction  and  dilatation 
are  performed  with  great  strength  and  vigour  in 
about  the  same  time  as  the  pulsation  of  a  man's  ar- 
tery. This  animal  assumes  various  shapes,  one  of 
which  is  represented  at  fig.  5,  and  becomes  occasion- 
ally a  case  for  all  the  other  parts  of  the  body. 

Kig.  6,  represents  an  insect  with  ttetlike  arms.  It 
Is  found  in  cascades  where  the  water  runs  very 
swift.  Its  body  appears  curiously  turne.l  as  on  a 
lathe,  and  at  the  tail  are  three  sharp  spines,  by 
which  it  raises  itself  and  stands  upright  in  the  water ; 
but  the  most  curious  apparatus  is  about  its  head, 
where  it  is  furnished  with  two  Instruments,  like 
fans  or  nets,  which  serve  to  provide  its  food.  These 
it  frequently  spreads  out  and  draws  in  again,  and, 
when  dr.iwn  up,  they  are  folded  together  with  the 
utmost  nicety  and  exactne.«s.  Wlien  this  creature 
does  not  employ  its  nets,  it  thrasts  out  a  pairof  sharp 
horns,  and  puts  on  a  different  appearance,  as  in  fig. 

7,  where  it  is  shown  magnified  about  400  times.  Fig. 

8,  is  the  represenution  of  an  unimalcula  found  in 
the  infusion  of  tlie  bark  of  an  oak.  Its  body  is  com- 
posed of  several  ringlets,  that  enter  one  into  another, 
as  the  animal  contracts  itself  At  a  b,  are  two  lips 
furnished  with  moveable  hairs  ;  It  pushes  out  of  its 
mouth  a  snrmt  composed  of  several  pieces  sheathed 
in  each  other,  as  at  e.  A  kind  of  horn,  d,  is  some- 
times prolnided  from  the  breast,  composed  of  furbe- 
Vows,  which  slide  Into  one  another  like  the  drawers 

.fa  pocket  telescope.  Fig.  9,  is  another  animalcula, 
tbund  in  the  same  infusion,  called  a  tortoise,  with  an 
umbilical  tail.  It  stretches  out  and  contracts  itself 
very  easily,  sometimes  assuming  a  round  figure, 
which  it  retains  only  for  a  moment,  then  opens  its 
mouth  to  asuri>rising  width,  forming  nearly  the  cir- 
cumference of  a  circle.  Us  motion  l.»  very  surprising 
and  singular.  Fig.  lO,  is  an  .-mimalcula,  called  great 
nunUh,  which  Is  found  in  several  infusions.  Its 
mouth  takes  up  half  the  length  of  its  body  ;  its  inside 
Is  filled  with  darkish  spot.s,  and  its  hinder  part  ter- 
Biinated  with  a  giugular  tall.    Pig.  1 1,  represents  Ui« 


proteus,  S'^  named  on  accotmt  of  its  assuming  a  great 
number  of  ditferent  shapes.  Its  most  common  shape 
bears  a  resemblance  to  that  of  a  swan,  and  it 
swims  to  and  fro  with  great  vivacity.  When  it  is 
alarmed,  it  suddenly  draws  in  its  long  neck,  trans- 
forming itself  into  the  shape  represented  at  wi,  and, 
at  other  times  it  puts  forth  a  new  head  and  neck 
with  a  kind  of  wheel  machinery,  as  at  n.  Fig.  12, 
exhibits  a  species  of  animalcula  shaped  like  bells 
with  long  tails,  by  which  they  fasten  themselves  to 
the  roots  of  duck  weed,  in  which  they  were  found. 
They  dwell  in  colonies,  from  ten  to  fifteen  in  num- 
ber. Fig.  13,  is  the  globe  animal,  which  appears  ex- 
actly globular,  having  no  appearance  of  either  head, 
tail  or  tins.  It  moves  in  all  directions,  forwards  or 
backwards,  up  or  down, either  rolling  over  and  over 
like  a  bowl,  spinning  horizontally  like  a  top,  or  glid- 
ing along  smoothly  without  turning  itself  at  aU. 
When  it  pleases,  it  can  turn  round,  as  it  were  upon 
an  axis  very  nimbly  without  removing  out  of  its 
place.  It  IS  transparent,  except  where  the  circular 
black  spots  are  shown  ;  it  sometimes  appears  as  if 
dotted  with  points,  and  beset  with  short  moveable 
hairs  or  bristles,  which  are  probably  the  iristruments 
by  which  its  motions  are  performed.  Fig.  14,  shows 
a  species  of  animalcuiae  called  soles,  found  in  infu- 
sions of  straw  and  the  ears  of  wheat ;  o,  is  the 
mouth,  which  is  sometimes  extended  to  a  great 
width,  p,  is  the  tail.  Fig.  IS,  represents  an  animal 
found  in  an  infusion  of  citron  flowers.  Its  head  is 
very  short,  and  adorned  with  two  horns  like  those 
of  a  deer;  its  body  appears  to  be  covered  with 
scales,  and  its  tail  long,  and  swift  in  motion.  Fig. 
16,  represents  the  uls  which  are  found  in  paste  and 
stale  vinegar.  The  most  remarkable  property  of 
these  animals  is,  that  they  are  viviparmts.  If  one 
of  them  is  cut  through  near  the  middle,  several  oval 
bodies  of  diflferent  sizes  issue  forth,  which  are  young 
anguiUoe,  each  coiled  up  in  its  proper  membrane. 
An  hundred  and  upwards  of  the  young  ones  have 
been  seen  to  issue  from  the  body  of  one  single  eel, 
which  accounts  for  their  prodigious  increase. 

It  may  not  be  improper  to  remark,  that  no  en- 
graving can  give  an  adequate  idea  of  the  objects 
referred  to  above,  and,  therefore,  whoever  wishes 
to  inspect  nature  in  all  her  minute  beauties  and 
varieties,  must  have  recourse  to  the  microscop* 
itself. 


100 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


moon  is  the  principal  orb  on  whose  surface  par- 
ticular observations  can  be  made ;  and  wc  lind 
thai  its  «rraji{;cnicnu  arc  materially  diffurcnt 
Croia  thoae  of  the  earth.  It  has  no  large  rivers, 
seas,  or  oceans,  nor  clouds  such  at  ours  to  di- 
versify its  aimosphcrc.  It  has  mountains  and 
plains,  hills  and  vales,  insulated  rocks  and  ca- 
\  ems  of  every  size  and  shape  ;  but  the  form  and 
arrangement  of  all  these  objects  are  altogether 
difierent  from  what  obtains  in  our  terrestrial 
gphere. — While,  on  our  globe,  the  ranges  of 
mountains  run  nearly  in  a  line  from  cast  to  west, 
or  from  narth  lo  south, — on  the  surface  of  the 
noon  they  are  formed  for  the  most  part  into  ctr- 
eular  riUges,  enclosing,  like  ramparts,  plains  of 
■I]  Jimcnsions,  from  half  a  mile  to  forty  miles  in 
diameter.  While  on  earth,  the  large  plains  are 
nearly  level,  and  diversified  merely  with  gentle 
wavings. — in  the  moon,  there  are  hundreds  of 
plains  of  various  dimensions  ntnk,  as  it  were, 
nearly  two  miles  below  the  general  level  of  its  aur- 
fact.  On  this  orb  we  behold  insulated  moun- 
tains, more  than  two  miles  in  elevation,  standing 
alone,  like  monuments,  in  the  midst  of  plains, — 
circular  basins  or  caverns,  both  in  the  valleys, 
and  on  the  summits  and  declivities  of  moun'ains, 
and  these  caverns,  again,  indented  wi.h  smaller 
ooes  of  a  similar  form,  at  the  same  time,  thete 
are  plains  far  more  level  and  extensive  than  on 
the  earth.  On  the  whole,  the  mountain-scenery 
OD  the  lunar  surface  is  far  more  diversified  and 
magnificcnl  than  on  our  globe,  and  differs  as 
much  from  terrestrial  landscapes  as  the  wastes 
and  wilds  of  America  from  the  cultivated  plains 
irf*  Europe.  In  short,  while  on  the  earth,  the 
highest  mountains  are  little  more  than  four  miles 
in  height,  on  some  of  the  planets  mounains 
have  been  discovered,  which  astronomers  have 
reckoned  to  be  twenty-two  miles  in  elevation. 

If  then,  it  is  reasonable  to  believe,  that  all 
the  worlds  in  the  universe  are  different  in  their 
construction  and  airangements,  and  peopled 
with  beings  of  diversified  ranks  and  orders- 
could  we  survey  only  a  small  portion  of  the  uni- 
versal system — what  an  amazing  scene  would 
it  display  of  the  conceptions  of  the  Divine  Mind 
and  of  "  the  manifold  witdam  of  G«>1 ."'  Such 
Tiews,  therefore,  of  the  variety  of  nature  are  evi- 
dently calculated  tu  expand  our  conceptions  of  the 
divine  character,  to  excite  us  to  admiration  and 
reverence,  to  extend  our  views  of  the  riches  ofdi- 
▼ine  beneficence,  and  to  enlarge  our  hopes  of  the 
glories  and  felicities  of  that  future  '  inheritance 
which  i«  incorruptible  and  which  fadeth  not  away .' 

6.  The  contemplation  of  nature,  through  the 
■tedium  of  science,  is  calculated  to  expand  ovr 
eoneeptioni  nf  the  power  of  the  Deity,  and  of  the 
utagiafieence  of  his  empire.  The  power  of  God 
M  manifested  by  its  effects  ;  and  in  proportion 
as  our  knowledge  of  these  effects  is  enlarged, 
irin  our  eonceptiona  of  this  attribute  of  the  Divi- 
■itj  be  expanded.     To  ertaU  a  tingle  object 


implies  an  exertion  of  power  which  snrpaaMM 
finite  comprehension  ; — how  much  more  the  crea« 
lion  and  arrangement  of  such  a  vast  multiplicity 
of  objects  as  those  to  which  we  have  just  now 
adverted!  For,  all  that  immense  variety  of 
beings  which  exists  in  the  animal,  vegetable, 
and  mineral  kingdoms,  and  in  the  invisible  r»> 
gions  which  the  microscope  has  explored,  evin* 
ccs  the  omnipotence  of  the  Deity,  no  less  than 
his  wisdom  and  intelligence.  But  the  magni» 
tude,  as  well  as  the  number  and  variety  of  the 
objects  of  creation,  displays  the  almighty  power 
of^thc  Creator.  In  this  {K>int  of  view,  the  die- 
coveries  of  modern  a-^tronomy  tend  to  aid  our 
conceptions  of  the  graixleur  of  this  perfection, 
and  to  extend  our  views  of  tlie  range  of  its  op^ 
rations  far  beyond  what  former  ages  couki  have 
imagined.  \V  hen  we  take  a  leisurely  survey 
of  the  globe  on  which  we  dwell,  and  consider  the 
enormous  masses  of  its  continents  and  island*, 
the  quantity  of  water  in  its  seas  and  oceans,  the 
lof\y  rangits  of  mountains  which  lise  from  its 
surface,  the  hundreds  of  majestic  rivers  w  hich 
roll  their  waters  into  the  ocean,  the  numerous 
orders  of  animated  beings  with  which  it  is  peo> 
pled,  and  the  vast  quantity  of  matter  enclosed 
in  its  bowels  from  every  part  of  its  circumference 
to  its  centre,  amounting  to  more  than  tuo  hun* 
dred  and  tixty  ihovtnnd  millions  of  cubical  miltM 
— we  cannot  but  be  astonished  at  the  greatness 
of  that  Being  who  first  launched  it  into  existence, 
who  "  measures  its  waters  in  the  hollow  of  his 
hand,  who  weighs  its  mountains  in  scales,  and 
its  hills  in  a  balance ;"  and  who  has  supported 
it  in  its  rapid  movements,  from  age  to  age.  But, 
how  must  out  conceptions  of  divine  power  be 
enlarged  wfien  we  consider,  that  this  earth, 
which  appears  so  great  to  the  frail  beings  which 
inhabit  it,  is  only  like  a  small  speck  in  creation, 
or  like  an  atom  in  the  immensity  of  space,  when 
compared  with  themyriadsofworkls  of  superior 
magnitude  which  exist  within  the  boundaries  of 
creation!  When  we  direct  our  views  to  the 
planetary  system,  wc  behold  three  or  four  globes, 
which  appear  only  like  small  studs  on  the  vault 
of  heaven,  yet  contain  a  quantity  of  matter  more 
than  two  thousaiMi  four  hundred  times  greater 
than  that  of  the  earth,  besides  more  than  twenty 
lesser  globes,  most  of  them  larger  than  our 
world,*  and  several  hundreds  of  amets,  of  va« 
rioiw  magnitudes,  moving  in  every  direction 
through  the  depths  of  space.  The  Sun  is  n 
b<idy  of  Huch  magnitude  as  overpowers  our  fee- 
ble conceptions,  and  611s  us  with  astonishment. 
Within  the  wide  circumference  of  this  luminary 
more  than  a  million  of  worlds  as  large  as  ours 
couki  be  contained.  His  body  fills  a  cubical 
spacr  equal  to  681, 472,CQ0,0C0.CC0.(X)0  miles, 
and  his  surfa-  e  more  than  'tO,0CO,0CO,0CO,  or 
forty  thousand  millions  of  square  miK.s.     At  th« 

'The  satclites  of  Jupiter,  Saluni  and  HerscbeV 
arc  all  reckoned  to  t>e  larfer  tkan  the  ICartb. 


MAGNITUDE  OP  THK  UNIVERSE. 


101 


ale  of  sixty  miles  a-day,  it  would  require  more 
than  :i  hundred  millions  of  years  to  pass  over 
every  square  mile  on  his  surface.  His  attrac- 
tive uniTgy  extends  to  several  thousands  of  mil- 
lions of  miles  from  his  surface,  retaining  in  their 
orbits  tiie  most  distant  planets  and  comets,  and 
dispensing  light  and  heat,  and  fructifying  intiu- 
ence  to  mire  than  a  hundred  worlds.*  What 
an  astonishing  idea,  then,  does  it  give  us  of  the 
power  of  Omnipotence,  when  we  consider,  that 
the  universe  is  replenished  with  innumerahle 
globes  of  a  similar  size  and  splendour!  For 
every  star  which  the  naked  eye  perceives  twink- 
ling on  the  vault  of  heaven,  and  those  more  dis- 
tant orbs  which  the  telescope  brings  to  view 
throughout  the  depths  of  immensity,  are,  doubt- 
less, Suns,  no  less  in  magnitude  than  that  which 
"  enlightens  our  day,''  and  surrounded  by  a  reti- 
nue of  revolving  worlds.  Some  of  them  have 
been  reckoned  by  astronomers  to  be  even  much 
larger  than  our  sun.  The  star  L^a,  for  exam- 
ple, is  supposed,  by  Sir  W.  Herschel,  to  be 
83,275,000  miles  in  diameter,  or  thirty-eight 
times  the  diantetet  of  the  sun  ;  and,  if  so,  its 
cubical  contents  will  be  36,842,932,671,875, 
000,000,000  miles,  that  is,  more  than  Jifty-four 
thousand  times  larger  than  the  sun.  The  num- 
ber of  such  bodies  exceeds  all  calculation.  Sir 
W.  Herschel  perceived  in  that  portion  of  the 
milky  way  which  lies  near  the  constellation 
Orion  no  less  than  50,000  stars  large  enough 
to  be  distinctly  numbered,  pass  before  his  tele- 
scope in  an  hour's  time ;  besides  twice  as  many 
more  w!iich  could  be  seen  only  now  and  then 
by  faint  glimpses.  It  has  been  reckoned  that 
nearly  a  hundred  millions  of  stars  lie  within  the 
range  of  our  telescopes.  And,  if  we  suppose 
as  we  justly  may,  that  each  of  these  suns  has  a 
hundred  worlds  connected  with  it,  there  will  be 
found  ten  thousand  millions  of  loorlds  in  that 
portion  of  the  universe  which  comes  within  the 
fange  of  human  observation,  besides  those  which 
lie  concealed  from  mortal  eyes  in  the  unexplored 
regions  of  space,  which  may  as  far  exceed  all 
(hat  are  visible,  as  the  waters  in  the  caverns  of 
the  ocean  exceed  in  magnitude  a  single  particle 
of  vapour! 

Of  such  numbers  and  magnitudes  we  can  form 
no  adequate  conception.  The  mind  is  bewil- 
dered, confounded,  and  utterly  overwhelmed 
when  it  attempts  to  grasp  the  magnitude  of  the 
universe,  or  to  form  an  idea  of  the  omnipotent 
energy  which  brought  it  into  existence.  The 
amplitude  of  the  scale  on  which  the  systems  of  the 
universe  are  constructed  tends  likewise  to  ele- 
vate our  conceptions  of  the  grandeur  of  the 
Deity.  Between  every  one  of  the  planetary 
bodies  there  intervenes  a  space  of  many  mil- 
lions of  miles  in  extent.     Between  the  sun  and 

*  The  planetary  system,  incliidins  the  comets 
V)R'.ain  more  tlian  a  hundred  bodies  dependant  on 
Uw  sun. 


the  nearest  star,  there  is  an  interval,  extendhtt 
in  every  direction,  of  more  than  twenty  billions 
of  miles ;  and,  it  is  highly  probable,  that  a  similar 
space  surrounds  every  other  system.  And,  if 
we  take  into  consideration  the  immense  forces 
that  are  in  operation  throughout  the  universe— 
that  one  globe,  a  thousand  times  larger  than  the 
earth,  is  flying  through  the  regions  of  immensity 
at  the  rate  of  thirty  thousand  miles  an  hour, 
another  at  the  rate  of  seventy  thou!:and,  and 
another  at  a  hundred  thousand  miles  an  hour, 
and  that  millions  of  mighty  worlds  are  thus  tra- 
versing the  illimitable  spaces  of  the  firmament-— 
Can  we  refrain  from  exclaiming  in  the  language 
of  inspiration,  "  Great  and  marvellous  are  thj 
works.  Lord  God  Almighty!  Who  can  by 
searching  find  out  God  ?  Who  can  find  out  the 
Almighty  to  perfection  ?  Who  can  utter  the 
mighty  operations  of  Jehovah  ?  V/ho  can  show 
forth  all  his  praise  ?" 

Such  a  scene  displays,  beyond  any  other  view 
we  can  take  of  creation,  the  magnificence  and 
extent  of  the  divine  empire.  Those  countless 
worlds  to  which  we  have  now  adverted,  are  not 
to  be  considered  as  scenes  of  sterility  and  deso> 
lation,  or  as  merely  diffusing  an  useless  splen- 
dour over  the  wilds  of  immensity,  nor  are  they 
to  be  viewed  as  so  many  splendid  toj-s  to  amuse 
a  few  astronomers  in  our  diminutive  world. 
Such  an  idea  would  be  altogether  mconsistent 
with  every  notion  we  ought  to  form  of  the  wis- 
dom and  intelligence  of  the  Deit}',  and  with 
every  arrangement  we  perceive  in  the  scenes 
of  nature  immediately  around  us,  where  we  be- 
hold every  portion  of  matter  teeming  with  in- 
habitants. These  luminous  and  opaque  globes 
dispersed  thraighout  the  regions  of  infinite 
space,  must,  therefore,  be  considered  as  the 
abodes  of  sensitive  and  intellectual  existence, 
where  intelligences  of  various  ranks  and  ordei^ 
contemplate  the  glory,  and  enjoy  the  bounty  of 
their  Creator.  And  what  scenes  of  diversified 
grandeur  must  we  suppose  those  mnumerable 
worlds  to  display  !  What  numerous  orders  and 
gradations  of  intellectual  natures  must  the  uni- 
verse contain,  since  so  much  variety  is  dis- 
played in  every  department  of  our  sublunary 
system  !  What  boundless  intelligence  is  implied 
in  the  superintendence  of  such  vast  dominions ! 
On  such  subjects  the  human  mind  can  form  no 
d^nUe  conceptions.  The  most  vigorous  ima- 
gination, in  its  loftiest  flights,  drops  its  wing 
and  sinks  into  inanity  before  the  splendours  of 
the  "  King  eternal,  immortal,  and  invisible,  who 
dwells  in  the  light  unapproachable,"  when  it 
attempts  to  form  a  picture  of  the  magnificence 
of  the  universe  which  he  has  created.  But  of 
this  we  are  certain,  that  over  all  this  boundless 
scene  of  creation,  and  over  all  the  ranks  of  be- 
ings with  which  it  is  replenished,  his  moral  go- 
vernment extends.  Every  motion  of  the  material 
system,  every  movement  among  the  ratioiMkl 


103 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


and  sentient  beings  it  contains,  and  every 
thought  and  |>(>rcn|ition  that  passes  through  the 
minds  of  the  unnumbered  intelligences  which 
people  all  worlds,  are  intiniaiely  known,  and  for 
ever  present  to  his  omniacient  eye,  and  all  di- 
rected to  acc()m)>lish  the  designs  of  his  universal 
providence  and  the  eternal  imrposcs  of  his  will. 
"  He  hath  prepared  his  throne  in  the  neavent,  his 
kingdom  ruleth  over  all,"  and  "  he  doth  accord- 
ing to  his  will  among  the  armies  of  heaven,*'  as 
w«A  as  "  among  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth." 
•♦Th«  host  of  heaven  worshippeih  him, — all  his 
works,  in  all  places  of  his  dominions,  praise  him. 
His  kingdom  is  an  everlasting  kingdom,  and  of 
his  government  there  shall  be  no  end."  At  the 
■ame  moment  he  is  displaying  the  glory  of  his 
power  and  intelligence  to  worlds  far  beyond  the 
reach  of  mortal  eyes, — presiding  over  the  coun- 
eila  of  nations  on  earth,  and  supporting  the  in- 
visible animalcula  in  a  drop  of  water,  "  In 
him"  all  beings,  from  the  archangel  to  the 
worm,  "  Uve  totd  move,"  and  on  him  they  de- 
pend for  all  that  happiness  they  now  possess, 
or  ever  will  enjoy,  while  eternal  ages  are  roll- 
ng  on. 

Such  views  of  the  omnipotence  of  the  Deity 
and  of  the  grandeur  of  his  empire,  are  calculated 
■ot  only  to  expand  our  conceptions  of  his  attri- 
butes, but  to  enliven  our  hopes  in  relation  to 
the  enjoyments  of  the  future  world.  For  we  be- 
hold a  prospect  boundless  as  immensity,  in 
which  the  human  soul  may  for  ever  expatiate, 
and  contemplate  new  scenes  of  glory  and  feli- 
city continually  bursting  on  the  view,  "  world 
without  end." 

Such  are  some  of  the  views  of  the  Deity  which 
the  works  of  nature,  when  contemplated  through 
the  medium  of  science,  are  calculated  to  unfold. 
They  demonstrate  the  unii^ofGod,  his  wudom 
and  intelligence, — his  boimdless  benevolence, — 
the  txtst  mtdtipUdty  of  ideat  which  have  ejitted 
m  hi*  ntind  from  eterniU/, — his  almighty  power, 
and  the  magnijlcence  of  his  empire.  These 
views  are  in  perfect  unison  with  the  declarations 
of  the  sacred  oracles  ;  they  illustrate  many  of 
the  aublime  sentiments  of  the  inspired  writers; 
they  throw  a  light  on  the  mural  government  of 
Qod,  and  elevate  our  conceptions  of  the  extent 
flf  hia  dominions ;  they  afford  a  mnfihU  repre- 
sentation of  the  infinity  and  immensity  of  the 
dtrine  nature,  in  so  far  as  finite  minds  are  ca- 
pable of  contemplating  such  perfections  ;  and, 
when  considered  m  connexion  with  the  scriptu- 
ral character  of  Deity  and  the  other  truths  of 
revelation,  are  calculated  "  to  make  the  man  of 
God  perfect  and  thoroughly  furnished  unto  every 
food  work."  A»  the  works  of G<m1  without  the 
■HMtance  oThis  word,  are  inso^cient  to  give  us 
4  mmplete  view  of  his  character  and  the  pnnci- 
ptaa  of  his  moral  government,  so  tlie  bare  read- 
Big  of  the  Scriptures  u  insufficient  to  convey  to 
our  minda  tiioae  diversified  and  expansive  con- 


ceptions of  the  Divinity  to  which  we  have  eA' 
verted,  unless  we  comply  with  the  requisitions 
of  tJie  sacred  writers,  to  "meditate  on  all  his 
works,  to  eoiutder  the  operations  of  his  hands,  to 
speak  of  the  glory  of  his  kingdom,"  and  to  talk 
of  his  "  power,"  in  order  that  we  may  be  quali- 
fied "  to  make  known  to  tlic  suns  of  men  his 
mighty  operations,  and  the  glorious  majesty  of 
his  kingdom." 

•  How  very  difTerent,  then,  from  the  views  now 
stated,  must  be  the  conceptions  formed  of  the 
Divinity,  by  those  whose  range  of  tJiought  is 
chiefly  confined  to  the  objects  that  lie  within  a 
few  miles  of  their  habitation,  and  how  limited 
ideas  must  they  entertain  of  divine  perfection ! 
For  the  view  that  any  one  entertains  of  the 
nature  and  attributes  of  God,  must,  in  some  de- 
gree,  correspond  to  tha  knowledge  he  has  ao 
quired  of  the  visible  effects  of  his  |K>wer,  wisdom, 
and  benevolence  ;  since  it  is  only  by  the  sensibte 
manifestations  of  Deity,  either  through  the  me- 
dium of  nature  or  revelation,  that  we  know  any 
thing  at  all  about  his  nature  and  pcrfectiona. 
And,  therefore,  if  our  views  of  the  manifeMta- 
tiom  of  the  Ehvinity  be  limited  and  obscure,  such 
will  Ukewise  be  our  views  of  the  Divinity  him- 
self. It  is  owing  to  the  want  of  attention  to  suck 
considerations,  that  many  worthy  Christian* 
are  found  to  entertain  very  confused  and  distort* 
ed  ideas  of  the  character  of  the  Deity,  of  the  r»» 
quisitions  of  his  word,  and  of  the  arrangementa 
of  his  universal  providence.  Aitd  is  it  not  as 
object  much  to  be  desired,  that  the  great  body  of 
mankind  should  be  more  fully  enlightened  in  tht 
knowledge  of  their  Creator  ?  The  knowledge 
of  God  lies  at  the  foundation  of  all  religion,  and 
of  all  our  prospects  in  reference  to  the  eternal 
world,  and  it  must  surely  be  a  highly  desirable 
attainment  to  ac<|uire  as  glorious  and  expansive 
an  idea  of  the  object  of  Mir  adoration,  as  the 
finite  ca(>acity  of  our  intellects  is  capable  of  com- 
prehending. Such  views  as  we  have  now  ex- 
hibited of  the  wisdom,  power,  and  beneficence  o( 
the  Deity,  and  of  the  magnificence  and  variety 
of  his  works,  were  they  communicated  to  the 
generality  of  mankind  and  duly  appreciated, 
would  not  only  interest  their  affections  and  in* 
crease  their  intellectual  enjoyment,  but  wouk) 
enable  them  to  understand  the  meaning  and  re- 
ferences of  many  sublime  (tasaages  in  the  volume 
of  inspiration  which  they  are  apt  either  to  over- 
look or  to  misinterpret.  Such  views,  likewise, 
would  naturally  inspire  them  with  rtverrnce  and 
ailornlton  of  the  Divine  Majesty,  with  gratitntU 
for  his  wise  and  benevolent  arrangements, — with 
eomplnemqf  m  his  administration  as  the  moral 
Governor  of  the  worW, — with  a  firm  reliance  on 
hu  provirtential  care  for  every  thing  requisite  to 
their  happiness,  and  with  an  earnest  desire  to 
yield  a  cordial  ohetbenee  to  his  righteous  laws. 
At  the  same  time,  they  would  be  ijualified  to  iV« 
dare  to  others  "  the  glorious  honour  of  bia 


INFLUENCE  OF  KNOWLEDGE  *6n  MORALS. 


103 


Majesty,  to  utter  abundantly  the  memory  of  his 
great  goodness,  and  to  speak  of  all  his  wonderful 
works." 


SECTION   VIL 

ON  THE  BENEFICIAL  EFFECTS  OF  KNOW- 
LEOOE  ON  MORAL  PRINCIPLE  AND  CON- 
DPCT. 

Knowledge  is  valuable  chiefiy  in  propor- 
tion as  It  is  practical  and  useful.  It  dispels  the 
darkness  which  naturally  broods  over  the  human 
understanding,  and  dissipates  a  thousand  super- 
stitious notions  and  idle  terrors  by  which  it  has 
been  frequently  held  in  cruel  bondage.  It  in- 
vigorates and  expands  the  intellectual  faculties, 
and  directs  them  to  their  proper  objects.  It 
elevates  the  mind  in  the  scale  of  rational  exist- 
ence, by  enlarging  its  views  and  refining  its 
pleasures.  If  gratifies  the  desire  of  the  soul 
for  perpetual  activity,  and  renders  its  acti- 
vities subservient  to  the  embellishment  of 
life  and  the  improvement  of  society.  It  un- 
veils the  beauties  and  sublimities  of  nature,  with 
which  the  heavens  and  the  earth  are  adorn- 
ed, and  sets  before  us  the  "  Book  of  God,"  in 
which  we  may  trace  the  lineaments  of  his  cha- 
racter and  the  ways  of  his  providence.  It  ag- 
grandizes our  ideas  of  the  omnipotence  of  Deity, 
and  unfolds  to  us  the  riches  of  his  beneficence, 
and  the  depths  of  his  wisdom  and  intelligence. 
And,  in  the  exercise  of  our  powers  on  such  ob- 
jects, we  experience  a  thousand  delightful  emo- 
tions and  enjoyments  to  which  the  unenlightened 
multitude  are  entire  strangers.  All  such  acti- 
vities and  enjoyments  may  be  reckoned  among 
the  practical  advantages  of  knowledge. 

But  there  is  no  application  of  knowledge  more 
interestinn  and  important  than  its  practical  bear- 
ings on  moral  principle  and  action.  If  it  were 
not  calculated  to  produce  a  beneficial  effect  on 
the  state  of  morals  and  the  intercourses  of  gene- 
ral society,  the  utility  of  its  general  diffusion 
might,  with  some  show  of  reason,  be  called  in 

Juestion.  But,  there  cannot  be  the  slightest, 
oubt,  that  an  increase  of  knowledge  would  be 
productive  of  an  increase  of  moral  order,  and  an 
improvement  in  moral  conduct.  For  truth,  in 
thought  and  sentiment,  leads  to  truth  in  actirm. 
The  man  who  is  in  the  habit  of  investigating 
truth,  and  who  rejoices  in  it  when  ascertained, 
cannot  be  inditterent  to  its  application  to  conduct. 
There  must  be  truth  in  his  actions  •,  tliey  must 
be  the  expression,  the  proof,  and  the  effect  of 
his  sentiments  and  affections,  in  order  that  he 
may  approve  of  them,  and  be  satisfied  that  they 
are  virtunus,  or  accordant  with  the  relations 
which  subsist  among  moral  agents.  There  must 
ikewise  bo  a  truth  or  harmony  between  his  ac- 


tions, so  that  none  of  them  be  incoherent  with 
the  rest.  They  must  all  be  performed  on  the 
same  principles,  with  the  same  designs,  and  by 
the  same  rule.  To  a  man  who  perceives  truth 
and  loves  it,  every  incongruity  and  every  want 
of  consistency  between  sentiment  and  action, 
produces  a  disagreeable  and  painful  sensation ; 
and,  consequently,  he  who  clearly  perceives  the 
rule  of  right,  and  acts  in  direct  opposition  to  it, 
does  violence  to  his  nature,  and  must  be  subject- 
ed to  feelings  and  remorses  of  conscience  far 
more  painful  than  those  of  the  man  whose  mind 
is  shrouded  in  ignorance.  It  is  true,  indeed, 
that  proficiency  in  knowledge  and  in  the  prac- 
tice of  true  morality,  do  not  always  proceed  with 
equal  pace.  But,  it  is  nevertheless  true,  that 
every  action  that  is  truly  virtuous  is  founded  on 
knowledge,  and  is  the  result  of  scrutiny  and 
choice  directed  by  truth;  otherwise,  what  is 
termed  virtue,  would  be  only  the  effect  of  ne- 
cessity, of  constraint,  or  of  mechanical  habits. 
We  need  not,  therefore,  fear,  that  the  dominirm 
of  virtue*  will  be  contracted,  or  her  influence 
diminished,  by  an  enlargement  of  the  kingdom 
of  light  and  kiiowledge.  They  are  inseparably 
connected,  their  empire  is  one  and  the  same, 
and  the  true  votaries  of  the  one  will  also  be  the 
true  votaries  of  the  other.  And,  therefore,  every 
one  that  sincerely  loves  mankind  and  desires 
their  moral  improvement,will  diffuse  light  around 
him  as  extensively  as  he  can,  without  the  least 
fear  of  its  ultimate  consequences ;  since  he 
knows  for  certain,  that  in  all  cases  whatever, 
wisdom  excels  folly,  and  light  is  better  thaa 
darkness.  The  following  observations  will  per- 
haps tend  more  particularly  to  comfirm  and  el»>" 
cidate  these  positions. 

I .  Ignorance  ix  one  principal  cause  of  the  want 
of  virtue,  and  of  the  immoralibes  which  abound 
in  the  world.  Were  we  to  take  a  survey  of  the 
moral  state  of  the  world,  as  delineated  in  the 
history  of  nations,  or  as  depicted  by  modem 
voyagers  and  travellers,  we  should  find  abundant 
illustration  of  the  truth  of  this  remark.  We 
should  find,  in  almost  every  instance,  that  igno- 
rance of  the  character  of  the  true  God,  and  false 
conceptions  of  the  nature  of  the  worship  and 
service  he  requires,  have  led  not  only  to  the 
most  obscene  practices  and  immoral  abomina- 
tions, but  to  the  perpetration  of  the  most  horrid 
cruehies.  We  have  only  to  turn  our  eyes  to 
Hindostan,  to  Tartary,  Dahomy,  Benin,  Ashan- 
tee,  and  other  petty  states  in  Africa ;  to  New 
Zealand,  the  Marquesas,  the  Sandwich  islands, 
and  to  the  Society  isles  in  the  Southern  Pacific, 
prior  to  their  late  moral  transformation,  in  order 


*  By  virtue,  fn  this  place,  and  wherever  the  term 
occurs,  I  understnnd,  conduct  regulated  hy  the  law 
of  God,  Including  both  the  external  action  and  the 
principle  whence  It  flows:  in  other  words,  Christ  l»n 
morality,  or  thai  fwiinets  which  the  Scriptures 
ei^joio. 


104 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


to  be  conTinced  oTthu  mplimcholy  truth.  The 
destruciion  of  new-bom  infants, — the  biimini^oT 
Krin^  women  upon  the  dead  bodies  of  their  hus- 
btixis, — the  drowning  of  aped  parents, — the 
offering  of  human  victims  in  sacrifice, — t'le  tor- 
Mring  to  death  of  prisoners  taken  in  battJe, — the 
■order  of  in^ls  and  the  obscene  abominations 
of  the  ■ocieties  of  the  Arreoy  in  Otahtitt  and 
Other  islands,  and  the  dreadful  effects  of  ambi- 
tioa,  treachery,  and  revenge,  which  so  fre- 
quently accompany  such  practices,  are  only  a 
ilw  >i|>erimensof  (he  consequeoces  of  ignorance 
oombined  with  human  depravity.  It  is  likewise 
toifnorance  chiefly  that  the  vices  of  the  ancient 
p«gan  world  are  to  be  attributed.  To  this  cause 
the  apostle  of  the  Gentiles  ascribes  the  immora- 
lities of  the  heathen  nations.  "  The  Gentiles," 
ways  Paul, "  having  the  understanding  darkened 
through  the  ignoranct:  that  is  in  them,  have 
given  themselves  over  unto  lasciviousness,  to 
work  all  manner  of  uncleanness  with  greedi- 
ness."'* And,  in  another  part  of  his  writings, 
he  declares,  "  Because  they  did  not  like  to  re- 
tain God  in  their  knowledge,  they  were  given 
ap  to  a  reprobate  mind,"  or  a  mind  vmd  of 
jud/fmeta ;  and  the  consequence  was,  "  they 
were  filled  with  all  imrighteousness,  fornication, 
wickedness,  covetousness,  maliciousness,  envy, 
HHiiJt,  deceit,  and  malignity ;"  they  were 
*  backbiters,  haters  of  God,  proud,  boasters,  in- 
ventors of  evil  things,  disobedient  to  parents, 
without  understanding,  without  n  itural  affection, 
implacable,  and  unmerciful."!  And,  if  we  turn 
our  eyes  to  the  state  of  society  around  us,  we 
riiall  find  that  the  same  cause  has  produced  the 
nme  effects.  Among  what  class  do  we  find 
■obriety,  temperance,  rectitude  of  conduct,  ho- 
nesty, active  beneficence,  and  abstinence  from 
Ae  grosser  vices  most  frequently  to  prevail  ?  Is 
it  among  ignorant  and  grovelling  minds  ?  Is  it 
not  among  the  wise  and  intelligent,  those  who 
have  been  properly  instructed  in  their  duty,  and 
in  the  principles  of  moral  action?  And,  who 
are  ihnae  that  are  found  most  frequently  engaged 
in  fi<.'hting,  brawling,  and  debauchery,  in  the 
oommiitsion  of  thef>  and  other  petty  crimes,  and 
in  rioting  in  low  houses  of  dissipation?  Are 
tJiey  not,  for  the  most  part,  the  rude,  the  igno- 
rant, and  untutored, — those  whose  instruction 
has  b<-en  neglected  by  their  parents  or  guardi- 
ans, or  whose  wayward  tempers  have  led  them 
to  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  the  reproofs  of  wisdom  ? 
From  all  the  investigations  which  of  late  have 
been  made  into  the  slate  of  immorality  and 
crime,  it  is  foumi,  that  gross  ignorance,  and  its 
■ecessary  concomitant,  grovelling  affections,  are 
the  gfiicral  characteristica  of  those  who  are  pi>- 
l^cd  in  criminal  pursuits,  and  most  deeply  sunk 
in  vicious  indulgence.  Now,  if  it  be  a  fart  that 
ignorance  is  one  principal  aource  oTimnKMality 


EitbM.  tr.  IS,  u. 


«  Bool  L  m.  k. 


and  crime,  M  appears  a  natural  and  necessaiy 
inference,  that  the  general  difTusion  of  know- 
ledge woumI  lend  to  counteract  its  influence  and 
operaiiona.  For  when  we  remove  the  cauae  of 
any  evil,  we,  of  course,  prevent  the  tfte{$ ;  and 
not  only  so,  bat  at  the  same  time  bring  inio  op^ 
ration  all  those  virtues  which  knowledge  has  a 
tendency  to  produce. 

2.  Knowledge  is  requisite  for  ascertaining  the 
true  principles  of  moral  action,  and  the  dutieo 
we  ought  to  perform.  Numerous  are  the  trea> 
tiscs  which  have  been  wxitten,  and  various  tiie 
opinions  which  have  been  entertained,  both  in 
ancient  and  modem  limes,  respecting  ihe  foui^ 
dation  of  virtue  and  the  rules  of  human  conduct 
And  were  we  to  investigate  the  difl^erent  theo> 
ries  which  have  been  formed  on  this  subject,  to 
weigh  the  arguments  which  have  been  brought 
fbrward  in  support  of  each  hypothesis,  and  to 
balance  the  various  conflicting  opinions  which 
different  philuttophers  have  maintained,  a  coiy- 
siderable  portion  of  human  life  would  be  wasted 
before  we  arrived  at  any  satisfactory  coacli>> 
sions.  But  if  we  take  the  s^ratem  oTrevelatieo 
for  our  guide  in  the  science  of  morals,  we  shall 
be  enabled  to  arrive,  by  a  short  process,  at  the 
nHMt  important  nnd  satisfactory  results.  We 
shall  find,  that,  after  all  the  theories  which  have 
been  proposed,  and  the  systems  which  hare 
been  reared  by  ethical  phikisopbers,  the  Siv 
preme  Lawgiver  has  comprised  the  essence  of 
true  morality  under  two  commands,  or  funda- 
mental principles,  "  Thou  shall  love  the  Lord 
thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,"  and  "  Thou  shall 
love  thy  neighbour  as  thyself."  On  these  two 
commandments  rests  the  whole  duty  of  man. 

Now,  although  the  leading  ideas  contained  in 
these  commands  are  simple  and  obvious  to  every 
one  who  considers  them  attentively,  yet  it  r^ 
quires  certain  habits  of  reflection  and  a  conside- 
rable portion  of  knowledge,  to  be  enabled  to 
trace  these  laws  or  principles  to  all  their  legi- 
timate consequences,  and  to  fblk>w  them  in  all 
their  ramifications,  and  in  their  bearings  on  hu- 
man conduct,  and  on  the  actions  of  all  atoral 
intelligences.  For,  it  can  easily  be  shown,  that 
these  laws  are  so  comprehensive  as  to  reach 
every  possible  moral  action,  to  prevent  every 
moral  evil,  and  to  secure  the  happiness  of  every 
moral  agent, — that  all  the  duties  inculcated  in 
the  Bible,  which  we  owe  to  God,  to  our  fellow- 
creatures,  and  to  ourselves,  are  comprehended 
in  them,  and  sre  only  so  many  ramifications  of 
these  general  and  fundamental  principles, — that 
they  are  equally  adapted  to  men  on  earth  and  to 
angels  in  heaven, — that  their  control  extends  to 
the  inhabitants  of  all  worlds,— that  they  form 
the  basis  of  the  order  and  happiness  of  the  whole 
intelligent  system — and  that  their  authority  and 
influence  will  extend  not  only  through  all  the 
revolutions  of  time,  but  through  ah  the  ages  a( 
eternity.    Here,  then,  we  hare  a  nibjecl  calc» 


KNOWLEDGE  INFLUENTIAL  ON  MORALS. 


105 


Istsd  to  exercise  the  highest  powers  of  intelli- 
gence, and  the  more  we  investigate  it  the  more 
shall  we  admire  the  comprehensive  nature  of 
that  "  law  which  is  exceeding  broad,"  and  the 
more  shall  we  bo  disposed  to  comply  with  its 
divine  requisitions.  But  unless  we  be,  in  some 
measure,  acquainted  with  the  first  principles  of 
moral  action,  and  their  numerous  bearings  upon 
life  and  conduct,  we  cannot  expect  to  make  rapid 
advances  in  the  path  of  virtue,  or  to  reach  the 
sublimer  heights  of  moral  improvement. 

3.  Knowledge,  combined  with  habits  of  think- 
ing, would  lead  to  inquiries  into  the  reasons  of 
those  moral  laws  which  the  Creator  has  pro- 
mulgated, and  the  foundations  on  which  they 
rest.  It  is  an  opinion  which  very  generally  pre- 
vails, even  among  the  more  respectable  portion 
of  mankind,  that  the  moral  laws  given  forth  to 
men  are  the  mere  dictates  of  Sovereignty,  and 
depend  solely  on  the  lot/i  of  the  Deity,  and,  con- 
sequently, that  they  might  be  modified,  or  even 
entirely  superseded,  were  it  the  pleasure  of  the 
Supreme  Legislator  to  alter  them  or  to  suspend 
their  authority.  But  this  is  a  most  absurd  and 
dangerous  position.  It  would  take  away  from 
tho  inhererd  excellence  of  virtue,  and  would  re- 
present the  Divine  Being  as  acting  on  princi- 
ples similar  to  those  of  an  Eastern  despot.  If 
such  a  position  were  true,  it  would  follow,  that 
all  the  immoralities,  cruelties,  oppressions,  wars, 
and  butcheries  that  have  taken  place  in  the 
world,  are  equally  excellent  and  amiable  as 
truth,  justice,  virtue,  and  benevolence,  and  that 
the  character  of  infernal  fiends  is  just  as  lovely 
and  praiseworthy  as  that  of  angels  and  archan- 
gels, provided  the  Deity  willed  that  stich  a  change 
should  take  place.  Were  such  a  change  possible, 
it  would  not  only  overturn  all  the  notions  we  are 
accustomed  to  entertain  respecting  the  moral 
attributes  of  God,  but  might  ultimately  destroy 
our  hopes  of  future  enjoyment,  and  endanger  the 
happiness  of  the  whole  moral  universe.  But, 
there  is  an  inherent  excellence  in  moral  virtue, 
and  the  Deity  has  willed  it  to  exist,  because  it  is 
essential  to  the  happiness  and  order  of  the  intel- 
ligent system.  It  might  be  shown,  that  not  only 
the  two  fundamental  principles  of  religion  and 
morality  stated  above,  but  all  the  moral  precepts 
which  flow  from  them,  are  founded  on  the  nature 
of  God,  and  on  the  relations  which  subsist 
among  intelligent  agents,  and  that,  were  they 
reversed,  or  their  influence  suspended,  misery 
would  reign  uncontrolled  through  the  universe, 
and  in  the  course  of  ages  the  whole  moral  and 
intelligent  system  would  be  annihilated.* 

Now,  if  men  were  accustomed  to  investigate 
the  foundations  of  morality,  and  the  reasons  of 


•For  a  full  Illustration  of  these  positions,  and  a 
Taricty  of  topics  coimected  with  them,  the  luthor 
be^  to  refer  his  readers  to  a  worlc  wiilch  he  lately 
published,  entitled  "  The  PhUotnphy  nf  Ri-ilg-lon,  or 
m*  RlustratUm  of  the  Moral  Law*  of  the  Univsrse." 
14 


those  moral  precepts  which  are  laid  before  them 
as  the  rule  of  their  conduct,  they  would  perceive 
a  most  powerful  motive  to  universal  obedience. 
They  would  plainly  see,  that  all  the  laws  of  God 
are  calculated  to  secure  the  happiness  of  every 
moral  agent  who  yields  obedience  to  them, — 
that  it  is  their  interest  to  yield  a  voluntary  sub- 
mission to  these  laws, — and  that  misery  both 
here  and  hereafter,  is  the  certain  and  necessary 
consequence  of  their  violation.  It  is  a  common 
feeling  with  a  considerable  portion  of  mankind, 
though  seldom  expressed  in  words,  that  the  laws 
of  heaven  are  too  strict  and  unbending, — that 
they  interfere  with  what  they  consider  their 
pleasures  and  enjoyments,  and  that  if  one  or 
more  of  them  could  be  a  little  modified  or  re- 
laxed, they  would  have  no  objections  to  attempt 
a  compliance  with  the  rest.  But  such  feelings 
and  sentiments  are  altogether  preposterous  and 
absurd.  It  would  be  inconsistent  not  only  with 
the  rectitude,  but  with  the  benevolence  of  the 
Deity,  to  set  aside  or  to  relax  a  single  requisi- 
tion of  that  law  which  is  "  perfect"  and  which, 
as  it  now  stands,  is  calculated  to  promote  the 
happiness  of  all  worlds.  Were  he  to  do  so,  and 
to  permit  moral  agents  to  act  accordingly,  it 
would  be  nothing  less  than  to  shut  up  the  path  to 
happiness,  and  to  open  the  flood-gates  of  misery 
upon  the  intelligent  universe.  Hence  we  are 
told  by  Him  who  came  to  fulfil  the  law,  that, 
sooner  may  "  heaven  and  earth  pass  away,"  or 
the  whole  frame  of  nature  be  dissolved,  than  that 
"  one  jot  or  one  tittle  can  pass  from  this  law." 
For,  as  it  is  founded  on  the  nature  of  God,  and 
on  the  relations  which  subsist  between  Him  and 
created  beings,  it  must  be  absolutely  perfect  and 
of  eternal  obligation  ;  and,  consequently,  nothing 
could  be  taken  from  it,  without  destroying  its 
perfection,  nor  any  thing  added  to  it,  without 
supposing  that  it  was  originally  imperfect. 
Were  the  bulk  of  mankind,  therefore,  capable 
of  entering  into  the  spirit  of  such  investigations, 
and  qualified  to  perceive  the  true  foundations  of 
moral  actions ;  were  they,  for  example,  clearly 
to  perceive,  that  truth  is  the  bond  of  society,  and 
the  foundation  of  all  delightful  intercourse  among 
intelligent  beings  in  every  world,  and  that,  were 
the  law  which  enjoins  it  to  be  reversed,  and  ra- 
tional creatures  to  act  accordingly,  all  confi- 
dence would  be  completely  destroyed, — the  in- 
habitants of  all  worlds  thrown  into  a  state  of 
universal  anarchy,  and  creation  transformed 
into  a  chaos, — such  views  and  sentiments  could 
not  fail  of  producing  a  powerful  and  beneficial 
influence  on  the  state  of  morals,  and  a  profound 
reverence  and  respect  for  that  law  "  which  is 
holy,  just,  and  good." 

4.  Knowledge,  in  combination  with  habits  of 
reflection,  uiouldleadto  self-examination  and  self- 
inspection.  The  indolent  and  untutored  mind 
shuns  all  exertion  of  its  intellectual  faculties,  and 
all  serious  reflecti(M>  on  what  passes  within  hf 


lOi 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


or  has  a  relation  to  moral  character  and  conducti 
It  ia  incapable  of  investigating  it*  own  powers, 
ofdotermining  the  manner  in  which  (hey  should 
operate,  or  of  ascertaining  the  secret  springs  of 
its  actions.     Yet,  without  a  habit  of  rcHeciion 
■od  selPoxamination,  we  cannot  aliain  a  know- 
ledge of  ourselves,  and,  without  sulf-knowludge, 
we  cannot  apply  aright  our  powers  and  capaci> 
ties,  correct  our  failings  and  defects,  or  advance 
to  higher  degrees  of  improveineni  in  knowledge 
and  virtue.     In  order  to  ascertain  our  state,  our 
character,  and  our  duty,  such  inquiries  as  the 
following  must  frequently  and  seriously  be  the 
subject  of  consideration.     What  rank  do  I  hold 
in  the  scale  of  being,  and  what  place  do  I  occupy 
in  the  empire  of  God  ?     Am  1  merely  a  sensi> 
tive  creature,  or  am  I  also  endowed  with  moral 
and  intellectual  powers  ?     In  what  relations  do 
I  stand  to  my  fellow-creatures,  and  what  duties 
do  I  owe  them  ?     What  is  my  ultimate  destina- 
tion ?     Is  it  merely  to  pass  a  few  years  in  eating 
■nd  drinking,  in  motion  and  rest,  like  the  lower 
animals,  or   am  I  designtd  for  another  and  a 
higher  sphere  of  existence  ?     In  what  relation 
do  I  stand  to  my  Creator,  and  what  homage, 
submission,  and  obedience  ought  I  to  yield  to 
him  ?     What  are  the    talents  and   capacities 
with  which  I  am  endowed,  and  how  shall  I  ap- 
ply them  to  the  purposes  for  which  they  were 
given  me  ?     What  are  the  weaknesses  and  de- 
ficiencies to  which  I  am  subject,  and  how  are 
they  to  be  remedied  ?     What  are  the  vices  and 
follies   to  which   I   am  incUned,   and  by  what 
means  may  they  be  counteracted  ?     What  are 
the  temptations  to  which  I  am  exposed,  and  how 
shall  they  be  withstood  ?     What  are  the  secret 
springs  of  my  actions,  and  by  what  laws  and 
motives   are  they  regulated?     What  are  the 
tempers  and  dispositions  which  I  most  frequently 
indulge,  and  are  they  accordant  with  the  rules 
of  rectitude  and  virtue?     What  are  the  preju- 
dices I  am  apt  to  entertain,  and  by  what  means 
may  they  be  subdued  ?  What  are  the  affections 
and  appetites  in  which  I  indulge,  and  are  they 
regulated  by  the  dictates  of  reason  and  the  law 
of  God  ?     What  are  my  great  and  governing 
views  in  life  ?     Are  they  correspondent  to  the 
will  of  my  Creator,  and  to  the  eternal  destina* 
tion  that  awaits  me  ?     AVherein  do  I  place  my 
highest  happiness  ?     In  the  pleasures  of  sense, 
or  in  the  pleasures  of  intellect  and  religion, — in 
the  creature  or  in  the  Creator?     How  have  I 
hitherto  employed  my  moral  powers  and  capa- 
cities ?    How  do  I  stand  affected  towards  ray 
brethren  of  mankind?     Do  I  hate,  or  envy,  or 
despise  any  of  them?     Do  I  grudge  them  pros- 
perity, wish  them  evil,  or  purposely  injure  and 
affront  them  ?    Or  do  I  love  them  as  brethren  of 
the  same  family,  do  them  all  the  good  in  my 
power,  acknowledge  their  excellencies,  and  re- 
joice in  their  happineaa  and  prosperity  ? 
8aeb  iaquiries  and  lelAexaminatMaf,  when 


seriously  conducted,  would  necessarily  lead  to 
the  most  beneficial  moral  results.  In  leading  ua 
to  a  knowledge  of  our  errors  and  defects,  ihe^ 
wooid  teach  us  the  excellency  of  tmmUity,  the 
reasonableness  of  this  virtue,  and  the  foutidatioo 
on  which  it  rests,  and  of  course,  the  fully  of 
pride,  and  of  all  those  haughty  and  supercilious 
tempers  which  are  productive  of  so  much  mi*> 
chief  and  unhappiness,  both  in  the  higher  and 
the  lower  spheres  of  life.  Pride  is  unif  irmly  the 
offspring  of  self-ignorance.  For,  if  a  man  wiU 
but  turn  his  eyes  within,  and  thoroughly  scruti- 
nize himself,  so  as  to  perceive  his  errors  and 
follies,  and  the  germs  of  vice  which  lodpe  in  his 
heart,  as  well  as  the  low  rank  he  holds  in  the 
scale  of  creation,  he  would  see  enough  to  teach 
him  humbleness  of  mind,  and  to  render  a  proud 
disposition  odious  and  detestable,  and  inconsis- 
tent with  the  relations  in  which  he  stands  to  his 
Creator,  to  his  fellow-creatures,  and  to  the  uni« 
verse  at  large.  Such  mental  investigations 
would  also  lead  to  self-possession,  under  affronts 
and  injuries,  and  amidst  the  hurry  and  disorder 
of  the  passions, — to  charity,  candour,  meekness, 
and  moderation,  in  regard  to  the  sentiments  and 
conduct  of  others,  to  Uie  exercise  of  self-denial, 
to  deconmi  and  consistency  of  character,  to  a 
wise  and  steady  conduct  in  life,  and  to  an  intel- 
ligent performance  of  the  offices  of  piety  and  the 
duties  of  religion.  But  how  can  we  ever  exped 
that  an  ignorant  uncultivated  mind,  unaccu^ 
tomed  to  a  regular  train  of  rational  thought,  can 
enter,  with  spirit  and  intelligence,  on  the  process 
of  self^xamination  ?  It  requires  a  certain  po»w 
tion,  at  least,  of  information,  and  a  habit  of  re- 
flection, before  a  man  can  be  qualified  to  engage 
in  such  an  exercise  ;  and  these  qualificaiioos 
can  only  be  attained  by  the  exercise  which  the 
mind  receives  in  the  acquisition  of  general  know- 
ledge.— If,  then,  it  be  admitted,  that  self-igno- 
rance is  the  original  spring  of  all  the  follies  and 
incongruities  we  behold  in  the  characters  of 
men,  and  the  cause  of  all  that  vanity,  censori- 
ousness,  malignancy,  and  vice  which  abound 
in  the  world  ;  and,  U*  self-knowledge  would  tend 
to  counteract  such  immoral  dispositions,  we 
must  endeavour  to  communicate  a  certain  poi^ 
tion  of  knowledge  to  mankind,  to  fit  them  for  tho 
exercise  of  self-examination  and  self-inspection, 
before  we  can  expect  that  the  moral  world  wil] 
be  renovated,  and  "all  iniquity,  as  ashamed, 
hide  its  head,  and  stop  its  mouth." 

&.  Knowledge,  by  expanding  the  mind,  will 
enable  it  to  take  a  clear  and  comprehensive  view 
of  the  motives,  bearings,  tendencies,  and  conse> 
quences  of  moral  actions.  A  man  possessed  at 
a  truly  enlightened  mind,  must  have  his  mora' 
sense,  or  conscience,  much  more  sensible  and 
tender,  and  more  judiciously  directed,  than  thai 
of  a  person  whose  understanding  is  beclouded 
with  ignorance.  When  he  has  to  choose  b^ 
tween  good  and  evil,  or  between  good  and  bet- 


ICNOWLEDGE  LEADS  TO  MORAL  ACTION. 


lOT 


»er,  or  between  any  two  actions  he  has  to  per- 
form, he  is  enabled  to  bring  before  his  mind 
many  more  arguments,  and  much  higher  and 
nobler  arguments  and  motives,  to  determine  the 
choice  he  ought  to  make.  When  he  is  about  to 
perform  any  particular  action,  his  mental  eye  is 
enabled  to  pierce  into  the  remote  consequences 
which  may  result  from  it.  He  can,  in  some 
measure,  trace  its  bearings  not  only  on  his 
friends  and  neighbours,  and  the  community  to 
which  he  belongs,  but  also  on  surrounding  na- 
tions, on  the  world  at  large,  on  future  genera- 
tions, and  even  on  the  scenes  of  a  fut  ire  eter- 
nity. For  An  action,  whether  good  or  bad,  per- 
formed by  an  individual  in  a  certain  station  in 
society,  may  have  a  powerful  moral  influence  on 
tribes  and  nations  far  beyond  the  sphere  in 
which  it  was  performed,  and  on  millions  who 
may  people  the  world  in  the  future  ages  of  time. 
We  know  that  actions,  both  of  a  virtuous  and 
vicious  nature,  performed  several  thousands  of 
years  ago,  tuid  in  distant  places  of  the  world, 
have  had  an  influence  upon  the  men  of  the  pre- 
sent generation,  which  will  redound  either  to  the 
honour  or  the  disgrace  of  the  actors,  "  in  that 
day  when  God  shall  judge  the  world  in  righte- 
ousness, and  reward  every  man  according  to  his 
works."  We  also  know,  that  there  are  certain 
actions  which  to  some  minds  may  appear  either 
trivial  or  indiflerent,  and  to  other  minds  bene- 
ficial, which  nevertheless  invoJve  a  principle 
which,  if  traced  to  its  remoter  consequences, 
would  lead  to  the  destruction  of  the  intelligent 
Creation.  Now,  it  is  the  man  of  knowledge  and 
of  moral  perception  alone,  who  can  recognise 
such  actions  and  principles,  and  trace  them  to 
a.11  their  natural  and  legitimate  results.  He 
alone  can  apply,  with  judgment  and  accuracy, 
the  general  laws  of  moral  action  to  every  parti- 
cular circumstance,  connect  the  present  with  the 
future,  and  clearly  discern  the  mere  semblance 
of  truth  and  moral  rectitude  from  the  reality. 

In  short,  the  knowledge  of  divine  revelation, 
and  a  serious  study  of  its  doctrines  and  pre- 
cepts, must  accompany  every  other  species  of 
information,  if  we  wish  to  behold  mankind  re- 
formed and  moralized.  It  is  in  the  sacred  ora- 
cles alone,  that  the  will  of  God,  the  natural  char- 
racter  of  man,  the  remedy  of  moral  evil,  the 
rules  of  moral  conduct,  and  the  means  of  moral 
improvement,  are  clearly  and  fully  unfolded. 
And  the  man  who  either  rejects  the  revelations 
of  heaven,  or  refuses  to  study  and  investigate 
the  truths  and  moral  requisitions  they  contain, 
can  never  expect  to  rise  to  the  sublime  heights 
<jf  virtue,  and  to  the  moral  dignity  of  his  nature. 
But,  were  the  study  of  the  scriptures  uniformly 
conjoined  with  the  study  of  every  other  branch 
ef  useful  knowledge,  we  should,  ere  long,  behold 
a.  wonderful  transformation  upon  the  face  of  the 
moral  world.  Pride,  selfiahness,  malice,  envy, 
«mbttion,  and  revenge,  would  gradually  b«  un- 


dermined. The  spirit  of  warfare  and  content 
tion  would  be  subdued ;  rioting,  drunkenness, 
and  debauchery,  would  be  held  in  abhorrence  by 
all  ranks ;  kindness  and  affection  would  unite 
the  whole  brotherhood  of  mankind  ;  peace,  har- 
mony, and  subordination  would  be  displayed  in 
every  department  of  social  life  ;  "  our  judges 
would  be  just,  and  our  exactors  righteous ;  wars 
would  be  turned  into  peace  to  the  ends  of  the 
earth,  and  righteousness  and  praise  spring  forth 
before  all  the  nations."  Were  moral  principle 
thus  diffused  among  the  different  classes  of  so- 
ciety, it  could  not  fail  of  producing  a  beneficial 
influence  on  the  progress  of  the  arts  and  sci- 
ences, and  on  every  thing  that  might  tend  to  me- 
liorate the  condition  of  our  fellow-creatures,  and 
to  promote  the  general  improvement  of  mankind. 
For,  in  endeavouring  to  promote  such  objects, 
we  meet  with  as  great  a  difficulty  in  the  moral 
as  in  the  intellectual  condition  of  mankind.  The 
principles  of  selfishneM,  pride,  ambition,  and 
envy,  and  similar  dispositions,  create  obstacles 
in  the  way  of  scientific  and  philanthropic  im- 
provements, tenfold  greater  than  any  which  arise 
from  pecuniary  resources  or  physical  impedi- 
ments. But  were  such  principles  undermined, 
and  a  spirit  of  good-will  and  affection  pervading 
the  mass  "f  society,  the  machinery  of  the  moral 
world  would  move  onward  with  smoothness  and 
harmony :  and  mankind,  acting  in  unison,  and 
every  one  cheerfully  contributing  to  the  good  of 
the  whole,  would  accomplish  objects,  and  bene- 
ficial transformations  on  the  physical  and  moral 
condition  of  society,  far  superior  to  any  thing 
that  has  hitherto  been  realized. 

To  what  has  been  now  stated,  with  regard  to 
the  influence  of  knowledge  on  moral  conduct,  it 
may,  perhaps,  be  objected,  that  many  instances 
occur  of  men  of  genius  and  learning  indulging  in 
dissolute  and  immoral  habits,  and  that  the  higher 
classes  of  society,  who  have  received  a  better 
education  than  the  lower,  are  nearly  as  immoral 
in  their  conduct.  In  replying  to  such  an  objec- 
tion, we  have  to  consider,  in  the  first  place,  vakat 
is  the  nature  of  the  education  such  persons  have 
received.  Most  of  the  higher  claisses  have  re- 
ceived a  grammar-shcool  education,  and,  per- 
haps, attended  a  few  sessions  at  an  academy  or  an 
university.  There  cannot,  however,  be  reckoned 
above  one  in  ten  who  pursues  his  studies  with 
avidity,  and  enters  into  the  spirit  of  the  instruo 
tions  communicated  at  such  seminaries  ;  as  it  is 
well  known  to  every  one  acquainted  with  the 
general  practice  of  such  students  in  colleges  and 
academies,  that  a  goodly  number  of  them  spend 
their  time  as  much  in  folly  and  dissipation,  as  in 
serious  study.  But,  although  they  had  acquired 
a  competent  acquaintance  with  the  different 
branches  to  which  their  attention  was  directed, 
what  is  the  amount  of  their  acquisitions  ?  A 
knowledge  of  the  Greek  and  Latin  Classica, 
and  of  pagan  mythology,  in  the  acquisitioQ  of 


168 


ON  THK  GENERAL  DIPKUSION  OP  KNOVVT.EDGE. 


Mvhich  five  yean  are  generally  spent  at  the 
gnunmor-achool,  ond  two  at  the  univeriity — and 
the  elements  of  logic,  clliics  and  tnathrmaticol 
philoaophy.  But  such  departments  of  know- 
ledge, tn  iht  u>ay  in  which  they  have  been  gentraUy 
tmght,  have  no  necessary  connexion  with  reli- 
fion  and  moral  conduct.  On  the  contrary,  by 
keeping  the  principles  of  Christianity  carefully 
out  of  view,  and  even  insinuating  objections 
againiit  them,  some  professors  of  these  sciences 
have  promoted  the  cause  of  infidelity,  and  con- 
•equently  impeded  tlie  progress  of  genuine  mo- 
rality. What  aid  can  be  expected  to  morality 
from  a  mere  grammar-school  education,  when 
the  acquisition  of  words  and  phrases,  and  the 
absurd  notions  and  impure  practices  connected 
with  Roman  and  Grecian  idolatry,  fonn  the  pro- 
minent objects  of  attention ;  and  when,  as  too 
frequently  happens,  no  instructions  in  Christi- 
anity are  communicated,  and  not  even  the  forms 
of  religion  attended  to  in  many  of  those  semina- 
ries ?  The  mere  acquisition  of  languages  is  not 
the  acquisition  of  useful  knowledge  :  they  are, 
at  best,  but  the  meant  of  knowledge  ;  and  al- 
though we  would  not  discourage  any  one,  who 
has  it  in  his  power,  from  prosecuting  such  stu- 
dies, yet  it  is  from  other  and  more  important 
branches  of  study  that  we  expect  assistance  in 
the  cause  of  moral  improvement. 

With  regard  to  men  of  learning  and  genius, 
we  have  likewise  to  inquire  into  the  nature  and 
tendency  of  their  literary  pursuits,  before  we  can 
ascertain  that  they  are  calculated  to  prevent  the 
influence  of  immoral  propensities  and  passions. 
Persons  are  designated  men  of  learning,  who 
have  made  proficiency  in  the  knowledge  of  the 
Greek,  Latin,  French,  German  and  other  lan- 
guages,— who  are  skilled  in  mythology,  antiqui- 
ties, criticism,  and  metaphysics,  or  who  are  pro- 
found students  in  geometry,  algebra,  fluxions, 
and  other  branches  of  the  mathematics.  But  it 
is  easy  to  perceive,  that  a  man  may  be  a  pro- 
found linguist,  grammarian,  politician,  or  anti- 
quarian, and  yet  not  distinguished  for  virtuous 
••ooduct ;  for  such  departments  of  lonming  have 
no  direct  bearing  upon  moral  principle  or  con- 
duct. On  the  contrary,  when  pmteeuUd  txdu- 
idvefy,  to  the  negUel  of  the  more  tuhstavtial  parts 
nf  knowledge,  and  under  the  it\fluenre  of  certain 
opiniom  and  prejudice*,  they  have  a  tendency 
to  withdraw  the  attention  from  the  great  objects 
of  religion,  and  consequently  from  the  most 
powerful  motives  which  excite  to  moral  action.— 
We  have  likewise  to  inquire,  whether  such  p«r- 
wns  have  made  the  Christian  revelation  one 
great  object  of  their  study  and  attention,  and 
whether  they  are  frequently  employed  in  serious 
contemplations  of  the  perfections  of  the  Creator, 
as  displayed  in  the  economy  of  the  universe.  If 
such  studies  be  altogether  overlooked,  we  need 
not  wander  that  such  characters  should  frequent- 
ly Me  fatto  the  paths  of  inSdelity  and  diaaip»> 


lion ;  since  they  neglect  an  attention  to  thoso 
departments  of  knowledge  which  alone  can  guide 
them  m  the  paths  of  rectitude.  We  may  ok  soon 
expect  to  gather  "grapes  from  thorns  or  figs 
from  thistles,"  as  to  expect  pure  morality  from 
those,  however  high  they  may  stand  in  literary 
acquirements,  who  either  neglect  or  oppose  the 
great  truths  of  religion. — We  do  not  mean,  how- 
ever, to  insinuate,  that  the  subjects  alli:ded  to 
above  are  either  trivial  or  unworthy  of  being 
prosecuted.  On  the  contrary,  we  are  fully  per- 
suaded, that  there  is  not  a  subject  whirh  has 
over  come  under  human  investigation,  when  pro- 
secuted with  proper  views,  and  in  connexion 
with  other  parts  of  knowledge,  but  may  be  ren- 
dered subservient,  in  some  way  or  another,  botli 
to  the  intellectual  and  the  moral  improvement  of 
man.  But,  when  we  speak  of  difTusmg  useful 
knowledge  among  the  mass  of  mankind,  we  do 
not  so  much  allude  to  the  capacity  of  being  able 
to  translate  from  one  language  into  another,  of 
knowing  the  sentiments  of  the  ancient  Greeks 
and  Romans,  and  the  characters  and  squabbles 
of  their  go<ls  and  goddesses,  or  to  the  faculty  of 
distinguishing  ancient  coins,  fragments  of  vases, 
or  pieces  of  armour — as  to  the  facts  of  history, 
science,  and  revelation,  particularly  in  their 
bearing  upon  the  religious  views  and  the  moral 
conduct  of  mankind.  And,  if  the  attention  of 
tlic  great  body  of  the  people  were  directed  to 
such  subjects,  from  proper  principles  and  mo> 
tives,  and  were  they  exhibited  to  their  view  in  a 
lucid  and  interesting  manner,  there  cannot  be  the 
smallest  doubt,  that  the  interests  of  virtue  and  of 
pure  and  unde filed  religion  would  be  thereby  prtv 
moted  to  an  extent  far  beyond  what  has  ever  yet 
been  realized. 


SECTION  VnL 

OR  THE  UTILITT   OF   X50WI.ED0E  Ttt  >EIJi- 
TIOH   TO   A    riTTUBK     WOELD. 

Maw  is  a  being  destined  for  eternity.  The 
present  world  through  which  he  is  travelling  is 
only  a  transitory  scene,  introductory  to  a  future 
and  an  immortal  existence.  When  his  corporeal 
frame  sinks  into  the  grave,  and  is  resolved  into 
its  primitive  elements,  the  intellectual  principle 
by  which  it  was  animated  shall  pass  into  another 
region,  and  be  happy  or  miserable,  according  to 
the  governing  principles  by  which  it  was  ac- 
tuated in  the  present  life.  The  world  in  which 
we  now  reside  may  be  considered  as  the  great 
nursery  of  our  future  and  eternal  existence,  as  a 
slate  of  probation  in  which  we  are  educating  for 
an  immortal  life,  and  as  preparatory  to  our  ei>> 
tering  on  higher  scenes  of  contemplation  and 
enjoyment.  In  this  point  of  view,  it  is  of  ia^ 
portance  to  consider,  that  our  present  views  imI 


KNOWLEDGE  OF  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


109 


rocolleclions  will  be  carried  along  with  us  into 
that  fjture  world,  that  our  virtues  or  vices  will 
oe.  aj  immortal  as  ourselves,  and  influence  our 
future  as  well  as  our  present  happiness,  and, 
consequently,  that  every  study  in  which  we  en- 
gage, every  disposition  we  now  cultivate,  and 
every  action  we  perform,  is  to  be  regarded  as 
painting  beyond  the  present  to  an  unseen  and 
eternal  existence. 

If,  then,  we  admit  that  the  present  state  is  con- 
nected with  the  future,  and  that  the  hour  of  death 
is  not  'hi  termination  of  our  existence,  it  must 
be  a  milter  of  the  utmost  importance,  that  the 
mind  of  every  candidate  fjr  immortality  be  tutor- 
ed in  those  departments  of  knowledge  which  have 
a  relation  to  th  3  future  world,  and  which  will 
tend  to  qualify  him  for  engaging  in  the  employ- 
ments, and  fjr  relishing  the  pleas  ires  and  enjoy- 
ments of  that  state.  The  following  remarks  are 
intended  to  illustrate  this  position. 

Wl'  nay  renirk,  in  the  first  place,  in  general, 
that  the  knowledge  acjuired  in,  the  present  state, 
whatever  be  i's  nature,  will  be  carried  along  with 
US  when  we  wing  our  JUghl  to  the  eternal  world. 
In  passing  into  that  world  we  shall  not  lose  any 
of  the  msn'.al  faculties  we  now  possess,  nor  shall 
we  lose  o;ir  identity,  or  consciousness  of  being 
the  sa  ne  persons  we  now  feel  ourselves  to  be  ; 
other.vise,  we  behoved  to  be  a  ditferent  order  of 
creatures,  and  consequently  could  not  be  the 
subjects  either  of  reward  or  of  punishment  for 
any  thin »  dine  in  the  present  state.  A  destruc- 
tion of  our  faculties,  or  a  total  change  of  them, 
or  the  loss  of  consciousness,  would  be  equivalent 
to  an  anniSilation  of  our  existence.  But,  if  we 
carry  int  >  the  future  state  alt  our  moral  and  in- 
tellectual powers,  we  must  aUo,  of  necessity, 
carry  alon^  with  them  all  the  recollections  of  the 
presen'  life,  and  all  the  kno^vlcdge,  both  physical 
and  m  »ral,  which  these  faculties  enabled  us  to 
acquire.  We  have  an  exemplification  of  this 
in  the  •>  rable  of  our  Sivioir  respecting  the  rich 
man  an  1  Lazarus,  where  Abraham  is  represent- 
ed as  allressing  the  fjrmsr  in  these  words; 
"  Son  remenSer,  that  thou  in  thy  lifeMme  re- 
ceive lit  thy  good  things,  and  likewise  Lazarus 
evil  thiits ;"  evidently  implying',  that  the  riih 
man  re'aimd  the  power  of  memory,  that  he  pos- 
eessc  I  a  consciousness  that  he  was  the  same 
thinkin ;  b  -in  r  that  existed  in  a  formsr  state,  and 
that  h  !  hn  1  a  perfect  recollection  of  the  conduct 
he  p'lrsue  I,  an!  the  scenes  in  w'lich  he  was 
placed  in  this  sublunary  world.  If,  then,  it  be 
admitte  1,  that  we  shall  be,  substantially,  the 
same  ii'ellectual  boings  as  at  present,  though 
placed  in  diTjrent  circumstances,  and  that  the 
ideas  an  I  moral  princi.oles  we  now  acquire  will 
passalonr  vith  us  into  futurity,  and  influence 
our  conlict  an  I  haopimss  in  that  s'a'e, — it  can- 
not be  a  matter  of  in  li  ference  whether  the  mini 
of  an  i-n  n ortal  being  be  left  to  grope  amidst  the 
raista  of  ignorance,  and  to  sink  into  immorality, 


or  be  trained  up  in  the  knowledge  of  every  thing 
that  has  a  bearing  on  its  eternal  destination. 
On  the  contrary,  nothing  can  be  of  higher  value 
and  importance  to  every  human  being,  coasider- 
ed  as  immortal,  than  to  be  trained  to  habits  of 
reasoning  and  reflection,  and  to  acquire  that 
knowledge  of  his  Creator,  of  himself,  of  his  duty, 
and  of  the  relations  in  which  he  stands  to  this 
world  and  to  the  next,  which  will  qualify  him  for 
the  society  in  which  he  is  hereafter  to  mingle, 
and  the  part  he  has  to  act  in  a  higher  scene  of 
action  and  enjoyment.     For,  as  gross  ignorance 
is  the  source  of  immoral  action,  and  as  immoral 
principles  and  habits  uri/it  the  tout  for  the  plea- 
sures and  employments  of  an  immortal  state,  the 
man  who  is  allowed  to  remain  amidst  the  natural 
darkness  of  his  understanding,  can  have  little 
hope  of  happiness  in  the  future  world  since  he 
is  destitute  of  those  qualifications  which  are  re- 
quisite in  order  to  his  relishing  its  enjoyments. 
Scientific  knowledge,  as  well  as  that  which  is 
commonly  designated  theological,  is  to  be  con- 
sidered as  having  a  relation  to  the  future  world. 
Science,  as  I  have  already  had  occasion  to  no- 
tice, is  nothing  else  than  an  investigation  of  the 
divine  perfections  and  operations  as  displayed 
in  the  economy  of  the  universe ;  and  we  have 
every  ground  to  conclude,  both  from  reason  and 
from  revelation,  that  such  investigations  will  be 
carried  forward,  on  a  more  enlarged  scale,  in 
the  future  world,  where  the  intellectual  powers, 
freed  from  the  obstructions  which  now  impede 
their  operation,  will  become  more  vigorous  and 
expansive,  and  a  more  extensive  scene  of  divine 
operation  be  presented  to  the  view.     There  are 
certain  applications  of  scientific  principles,  in- 
deed, which  may  have  a  reference  solely  to  the 
condition  of  society  in  the  present  life,  such  as, 
in  the  construction  of  cranes,  diving-bells,  speak- 
ing-trumpets, steam-carriages  and  fire-engines; 
but  the  general  principles  on  which  such  ma- 
chines are  constructed,  may  be  applicable  to 
thousands  of  objects  and  operations  in  other 
worlds  with  which  we  are  at  present  unacquaint- 
ed.    The  views,  however,  which  science  has 
opened  of  the  wisdom  and  benevolence  of  the 
Deity,  of  the  multiplicity  of  ideas  and  concep- 
tions which  have  existed  in  his  infinite  mind,  of 
his  almighty  power,  and  of  the  boundless  range 
of  .'lis  operations — will  not  be  lost  when  we  enter 
into  the  eternal  world.     They  will  prepare  the 
soul  for  higher  scenes  of  contemplation,  for  ac- 
quiring more  expansive  views  of  divine  perfec- 
tion, and  for  taking  more  extensive  and  sublime 
excursions  through  the  boundless  empire  of  Om- 
nipotence.    The  same  may  be  affirmed  of  the 
princi;)le3  of  arithmetic,  algebra,  geometry,  conic 
sections,  and  other  departments  of  the  mathe- 
matics, which  contain  truths  that  are  eternal  and 
unchangeable,  and  that  are  applicable  in  every 
mode  of  existence,  and  to  the  circumstances  of 
all  worlds.  Such  knowledge  may  form  the  ground 


no 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OP  KNOWLEDGE. 


work  of  all  our  future  improvements  in  tlio  world 
beyond  the  grav«%  ami  give  to  those  who  have 
acquired  it,  in  conjunction  with  the  cultivation 
of  moral  principle,  a  superiority  over  others  in 
the  employments  and  investi^^ations  peculiar  to 
that  higher  sphere  of  existence ;  and,  conse- 
quently, a  more  favourable  and  advantaf^ous 
outset  into  the  new  and  unknown  regions  of  the 
invisible  slate.  To  suppose,  that  the  leading 
principles  of  scientific  knowledge  are  of  utility 
only  in  the  present  world,  is  not  only  contrary  to 
every  enlightened  idea  we  can  form  of  the  future 
state,  either  from  reason  or  revelation,  but  would 
remove  some  of  the  strongest  motives  which 
•hould  induce  us  to  engage  in  the  prosecution  of 
useful  knowledge.  If  science  is  to  be  considered 
fts  altogether  confined  in  its  views  and  effects, 
to  the  transitory  scene  of  this  mortal  state,  its 
attainment  becomes  a  matter  of  comparatively 
trivial  importance.  To  a  man  hastening  to  the 
Terge  of  life,  there  could  be  no  strong  induce- 
ment to  listen  to  its  deductions  or  to  engage  in 
its  pursuits.  But,  if  the  principles  of  science, 
when  combined  with  the  truths  of  revelation,  ex- 
tend to  higher  objects  than  the  construction  of 
machinery  and  the  embellishment  of  human 
Kfe, — if  they  point  beyond  the  present  to  a  future 
world,  if  they  tend  to  expand  our  views  of  the 
attributes  of  the  Divinity,  and  of  the  grandeur 
of  his  kingdom, — and  if  they  prepare  the  mind 
for  entering  into  more  ample  views  and  profound 
investigations  of  his  plans  and  operations,  in  that 
state  of  immortality  to  which  we  are  destined, — 
it  must  be  a  matter  of  importance  to  every  hu- 
man being,  that  his  mind  be  imbued  with  such 
knowledge,  as  introductory  to  the  employments 
of  that  eternal  world  which  lies  before  him. — 
But,  we  may  remark  more  particularly 

In  the  second  place,  that  the  acquisition  of  ge- 
neral knowledge,  and  hahils  of  tnentnl  activity, 
vxntld  induce  penons  to  serious  inquiries  into  the 
evidences  of  a  future  stale.  Although  there  are 
few  persons,  in  a  Christian  country,  who  deny 
the  existence  of  a  future  world,  yet  we  have  too 
much  reason  to  believe,  that  the  great  majority 
of  the  population  in  every  country  are  not  tho- 
roughly convinced  of  this  important  truth,  and 
that  they  pass  their  lives  just  as  if  the  present 
were  the  ultimate  scene  of  their  destination. 
Notwithstanding  all  the  "  church-going"  which 
is  so  common  among  us,  both  among  the  higher 
and  the  lower  classes,  and  the  numerotis  ser- 
mons which  are  preached  in  relation  to  this  sub- 
ject, it  does  not  ap(>car,  that  the  one-half  of  our 
population  have  any  fixed  and  impressive  belief 
'^"  of  tJie  reality  of  an  eternal  world.  If  it  were 
Otherwise,  it  would  be  more  frequently  mani- 
fested in  their  general  temper,  conversation  and 
eondutt.  But  we  find  the  great  mass  of  society 
as  keenly  engaged  in  the  aH-engronsing  pursuit 
of  wealth  ami  honours,  as  if  the  enjoyments  of 
tUl  world  were  to  last  for  ever.    In  general 


conversation  in  the  social  cirde,  the  topic  of  ■ 
future  world,  and  our  relation  to  it,  is  studiousir 
avoided.     While  a  person  may  talk  with  the 
utmost  ease  about  a  projected  voyage  to  Ame- 
rica, the  East  Indies,  or  Van  Diemen's  Land, 
and  the  geographical  peculiarities  of  these  re- 
gions, and  be  listened  to  with  pleasure — were  he 
to  talk,  in  certain  respectable  companies,  of  his 
departure  to  another  world,  and  of  the  important 
realities  to  which  he  will  be  introduced  in  that 
state, — were  he  even  to  suggest  a  hint,  that  the 
scene  of  our  eternal   destination  ought  occa- 
sionally to  form  the  subject  of  conversation,— 
either  a  sarcastic  sneer  or  a  solemn    gloom 
would  appear  on  every  face,  and  he  woukl  be 
regarded  as  a  wild  enthusiast  or  a  sanctimo- 
nious hypocrite.     But  why  should  men  manifest 
such  a  degree  of  apathy  in  regard  to  this  topic, 
and  even  an  aversion  to  the  very  idea  of  it,  if 
they  live  under  solemn  impressions  of  their  cmh 
nexion  with  an  immortal  exisience  ?     Everyone 
who  admits  the  idea  of  a  future  world,  must  also 
admit,  that  it  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  and 
momentous  subjects  that  can  occupy  his  atten- 
tion, and  that  it  as  far  exceeds  in  importance  the 
concerns  of  this  life,  as  the  ages  of  eternity  ex- 
ceed the  fleeting  periods  of  time.     And,  if  so, 
why  should  we  not  appear  as  eager  and  inter- 
ested in   conversation   on  this  subject,  as  we 
sometimes  are  in  relation  to  a  voyage  to  some 
distant  land  ?     Yet,  among  the  majority  of  our 
fellow-men,  there  is  scarcely  any  thing  to  wliich 
their  attention  is  less  directed,  and  the  very  idea 
of  it  is  almost  lost  amidst  the  bustle  of  business, 
the  acquisition  of  wealth,  the  dissipations  of  so- 
ciety, and  the  vain  pageantry  of  fashionable  life. 
Among  many  other  causes  of  the  indifference 
which  prevails  on  this  subject,  ignorance  and 
mental  inactivity  are   none  of  the  least.     Im- 
mersed in  sensual  gratifications   and  pursuits, 
unacquainted  with  the  pleasures  of  intellect,  and 
unaccustomed   to   rational  trains  of  reflection, 
multitudes  pass  through  life  without  any  serious 
consideration  of  the  future  scene   of  another 
world,  resolved,  at  the  hour  of  dissolution,  to 
take  their  chance  with  the  generations  that  have 
gone  before  them.  But,  were  men  once  aroused 
to  mental  activity,  and  to  the  exercise  of  their 
reasoning  powers  on    im|K>rtant  objects,   they 
would  be  qualified  for  investigating    the   evi- 
dences which  demonstrate  the  immortality  of 
man,  which  could  ikA  fail  to  impress  their  mittds 
with  a  strong  conviction  of  the  dignity  of  their 
intellectual  natures,  and  of  their  high  destina- 
tion.    Those  evidences  are  to  be  found  in  the 
Christian  revelation  which  has   "  brought   life 
and  immortality  to  light,*'  and  thrown  a  radiance 
on  the  scenes  beyond  the  grave.   But,  even  iiide- 
pendenily  of  revelation,  the   evidences  which 
prove  the  immortal  destiny  "f  man,  from  the 
light  of  nature,  are  so  strong  and  powerful,  that, 
when  weighed  with  seriousness  and  impartiality* 


KNOWLEDGE  PREPARATORY  TO  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


Ill 


ihey  must  appear  satisfactory  to  every  candid 
and'  iii|uiring   mind.     When  we   consider  the 
universal  belief  of  tlie  doctrine  of  man's  immor- 
tality wtu;ti  has  prevai  ed  in  all  ages  and  na- 
tions—  *hen  we  consider  the  desire  of  future  ex- 
islence  Lnplan  eJ  in  the  human  brean — the  nible 
intetlectu  U  fitcullies  with  which  man  is  endowed, 
and  the  sirong  destre  of  knowledge  which  f  jrms  a 
part  of  lis  coniatution— the  capaeiti/  of  making 
perpeta  d  progress  ro.'ardi  intellectual  and  m  jral 
perfection— </ie  unlimiud  range  of  view  which  is 
opened   to  the  human  facul  ies  throughout  the 
immensity  of  *pace    and    duration — the    moral 
powers  jf  aci-ion  with  which  man  is  endowed, 
and  their  capacity  of  perpetual  expansion  and 
activit; — 'he  apprehensions  and  forebodings  of 
the  piind.  when  under  the  influence  of  remorse — 
th»  disordered  slate  of  the  moral  world  when  con- 
trasted with  the  systematic  order  of  the  mate- 
rial— the   unequal  distribution  of  rewards    and 
punishments  when  viewed  in  connexion  with  the 
justice  of  God — the  absurdity  of  admitting  tliat 
the  thinking  principle  in  men  will  ever  be  annihi- 
lated— and  the  blasphemous  and  absurd  conse- 
quences which  would  fjUow,  if  the  idea  of  a  fu- 
ture state  of  retribution  were  rejected ;  when 
we  attend  to  these  and  similar  considerations, 
we  perceive  an  assemblage  of  arguments,  which, 
when   taken  in  combina'ion   with   each  other, 
carry  irresistible  evidence  to  the  mind  of  every 
unbiassed  in.|uirer,  that  man  is  destined   to  an 
immortal  existence — an  evidence  amounting  to 
a  moral  demonstration,  and  no  less  satisfactory 
than  that  on  which  we  rest  our  belief  of  the  ex- 
istence of  the  Eternal  Mind.*     But  the  greater 
part  of  mankind,  in  their  present  untutored  state, 
are  incapable  of  entering  into  such  inquiries  and 
investigations.     For  want  of  maral  and  intel- 
lectual instruction,  they  may  be  said  to  "  have 
eyes,  b  it  see  not,  ears,  but  hear  not,  neither  do 
they  understand,"  and  hence,  they  pass  through 
the  scenes  of  mortality,  almost  unconscious  of 
their  relation  to  the  eternal  world,  and  altoge- 
ther unprepared  for  its  exercises  and  enjoyments. 
In  the  next  place,  the  acquisition  of  knowledge, 
in  connexion  with  the  cultiv  ttim  of  moral  prin- 
ciples antl  Christian  affections,  would  tend  to  pre- 
pare the  rmndfor  the  intercourse  ami  employments 
of  the  future  world.     From  divine  revelation,  we 
are  ass  I  red,  that  in  the  future  state  of  happiness, 
the  righteous  shall  not  only  join  the  company  of 
"  the  spirits  of  just  men  made   perfsct,"   but 
shall  also  be  admitted  into  "  the  general  assem- 
bly of  angels.     With  these  pure  and  superior 
intelligences,  and,  doubtless  too,  with  the  inha- 
bitants of  other  worlds,  shall  the  redeemed  in- 
habitants of  our  globe  hold  delightful  intercourse, 


•  For  a  full  Illustration  of  these  and  other  evl. 
dences  of  a  future  state,  alon?  with  v.triouii  topics 
eonnectel  with  this  sul)jer,t.  the  author  resnectfully 
refers  his  re  ulers  to  a  work  which  he  lately  pub- 
Uihed,  enUlIed  "  Thit  PhUosophyofaFuture  State." 


and  join  in  their  sublime  conversation  on  the 
most  exalted  subjects.  One  of  the  employments 
in  which  they  will  be  incessantly  engaged,  will 
be,  to  contemplate  the  divine  works  suid  admi- 
nistration, and  to  investigate  the  wonders  of 
crea  ing  power,  wisdom,  and  goodness,  as  dis- 
played throughout  the  universe.  For  such  are 
the  representations  given  in  scripture  of  the  ex- 
ercises of  the  heavenly  world.  Its  inhabitants 
are  represented  as  raising  the  following  song  of 
praise  to  their  Creator,  "  Great  and  marvellous 
are  thy  works.  Lord  God  Almighty!  Just  and 
true  are  thy  ways,  thou  King  of  saints,"  which 
evidently  implies,  that  both  the  wonders  of  his 
creation,  and  the  plan  of  his  moral  government, 
are  the  subjects  of  their  intense  study  and  inves- 
tigation. And,  in  another  scene  exhibited  in 
the  book  of  Revelation,  they  are  represented  in 
the  sublime  adorations  they  offer  to  "  Him  who 
liveth  for  ever  and  ever,"  as  exclaiming,  "  Thou 
art  worthy,  O  Lord,  to  receive  glory,  and  honour, 
and  power ;  for  thou  hast  created  all  things,  auid 
for  thy  pleasure  they  are  and  were  created," 
plainly  indicating,  that  the  scenes  of  the  mate- 
rial universe,  and  the  divine  perfections  as  dis- 
played in  them,  are  the  objects  of  their  ince»- 
santjconteTiplation. 

Now,  in  order  to  our  being  prepared  for  such 
intercourses  and  employments,  two  grand  quali- 
fications are  indispensably  requisite.  In  the 
first  place,  the  cultivation  of  moral  principle  and 
conduct,  or  in  other  words,  the  attainment  of 
that  holiness  which  the  scriptures  enjoin,  "  with- 
out which,"  we  are  assured,  "  no  man  can  see 
the  Lord,"  that  isj  can  hold  no  delightful  inter- 
course with  him  through  the  medium  of  his  works 
and  providential  dispensations.  Without  this 
qualification,  we  are  altogether  unfit  for  being 
introduced  into  the  assembly  of  angels  and  other 
pure  intelligences,  and  for  joining  with  them  in 
their  holy  services  and  sublime  adorations — as 
unfit  as  an  ignorant  Hotentot,  a  wild  Bosheman, 
or  the  lowest  dregs  of  society,  would  be  to  fake 
a  part  in  an  assembly  of  learned  divines,  states- 
men, or  philosophers.  In  order  to  a  delightful 
association  with  any  rank  of  mtelligences,  there 
must  exist  a  certain  congeniality  of  disposition 
and  sentiment,  without  which,  an  intimate  in- 
tercourse would  be  productive  of  happiness  to 
neither  party.  Persons  of  proud  anJ  revenge- 
ful dispositions,  and  addicted  to  vicious  indul- 
gence, could  find  no  enjoyment  in  a  society 
where  all  is  humility  and  affection,  harmony  and 
love ;  nor  could  pure  and  holy  beings  delight  in 
associating  with  them,  without  supposing  the 
moral  laws  of  the  Creator,  and  the  constitution 
of  the  intelligent  universe  entirely  subverted. 
Such  characters  are  as  opposite  to  each  other, 
as  light  and  darkness;  and,  therefore,  we  may 
as  soon  expect  to  make  the  East  and  West 
points  to  meet  tosether,  or  to  stop  the  planets  a 
their  career,  as  to  form  a  harmonious  unioa  kor 


lit 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OP  KNOWLEDGE. 


tween  tho  ignorant  and  vicious,  and  the  en- 
Ughleneti  ami  virtuoiiii  inhabitants  of  the  celes- 
tial world.  In  the  next  place,  a  knowledge  of 
the  character  of  God,  of  his  moral  dispensa- 
tions, and  of  his  works  of  creation,  musi  form  a 
preparation  for  the  exercises  of  the  heavenly 
«tate ;  since  these  are  some  of  the  subjects 
which  occupy  the  attention  of  "  the  innumer- 
Able  company  of  angels  and  the  spirits  of  just 
men  made  perfect."  But  how  could  we  be  sup- 
posed to  engage  in  such  studies,  and  to  relish 
■uch  employments,  if  we  remain  altogether  un- 
acquainted with  them  till  our  spirits  take  their 
flight  from  these  tabernacles  of  clay?  How 
could  a  man  whose  mind  is  continually  grovelling 
among  the  meanest  and  the  most  trivial  objects, 
whose  soul  never  rises  above  the  level  of  his 
daily  labours,  which  necessity  compels  him  to 
perform,  whose  highest  gratification  is  to  carouse 
with  hb  fellows,  to  rattle  a  set  of  dice,  or  to 
ahuffle  a  pack  of  cards,  and  who  is  incapable  of 
prosecuting  a  train  of  rational  thought — how 
could  such  a  one  be  supposed  qualified  for  enter- 
ing, with  intelligence  and  delight,  into  the  sub- 
lime investigations,  and  the  loAy  contemplations 
which  arrest  the  attention,  and  form  the  chief 
exercises  "  of  the  saints  in  light  ?"  There  is 
&n  utter  incongruity  in  the  idea,  thai  a  rude  and 
ignorant  mind  could  relish  the  enjoyments  of  the 
heavenly  world,  unless  it  be  enlightened  and 
transformed  into  the  image  of  its  Creator;  and 
we  have  no  warrant  from  revelation  to  conclude 
tiiat  such  a  transformation  will  be  effected,  after 
the  spirit  has  taken  its  flight  to  the  invisible 
•tate. 

But  it  is  easy  to  conceive  what  transporting 
pleasures  will  be  felt  by  an  enlightened  and 
virtuous  individual  when  he  is  ushered  into  a 
scene  where  his  prospects  will  be  enlarged,  his 
faculties  expanded,  and  the  causes  which  now 
obatruct  their  energies  for  ever  removed.  He 
will  feel  himself  in  his  native  element,  will  re- 
•ume  his  former  investigations  on  a  more  en- 
larged scale,  and  with  more  vigour  and  activity, 
and  enjoy  the  prospect  of  perpetually  advancing 
from  one  degree  of  knowledge  and  felicity  to 
another  throughout  an  interminable  succession 
of  existence.  Having  studied  the  moral  charac- 
ter of  God  as  displayed  in  his  word,  and  in  the 
^iapeDsalions  of  his  providence ;  having  ac- 
qtiired,  afler  all  his  researches,  only  a  faint  and 
imperfect  glimpse  of  his  moral  attributes  ;  hav- 
ing met  with  many  difficulties  and  labyrinths  in 
the  movements  of  the  divine  government  which 
he  was  altogether  unable  to  unravel,  which  pro- 
duced an  ardent  longing  aAer  a  more  enlarged 
tfhtn  of  vision — how  gratifying  to  s<>ch  a  mind 
■Mt  it  be,  to  contemplate  the  divine  character 
in  the  fulness  of  its  glory,  to  behold  the  apparent 
kaconsistencies  of  the  divine  government  recoct 
ciled,  its  intricate  mazes  unravelled,  its  wisdom 
■od  rectitude  displayed,  and  the  veil  which  coo- 


cealed  from  mortals  the  reasons  of  its  procedwt 
for  ever  withdrawn !  Having  taken  a  cursory 
survey  of  the  displays  oC  divine  wiwlofn  and 
goodness,  in  the  arrangtment  nf  o«ir  sublunary 
system,  and  in  the  coniitniotion  of  the  animal 
and  vegetable  tribes  with  which  it  is  ftiniirhrd; 
having  directed  his  views,  by  the  light  of  sci- 
ence, to  the  celestial  regions  ;  having  caught  a 
glimpse  of  the  astonishinf;  oprraiions  of  almighty 
power  in  the  distant  spacM  of  tht  firmament ; 
having  been  overwhelmed  with  wonder  and 
amazement  at  the  extent  and  grandeur  of  the 
divine  empire  ;  having  cast  man;  a  longing  \o6k 
towards  distant  worlds,  mingled  wiib  many  anx- 
ious inquiries  into  their  nature  and  lUstinatiait 
which  he  was  unable  to  resolve,  and  having  felt 
an  ardent  desire  to  learn  the  history  of  their 
population,  and  to  behold  the  scene  of  the  eni- 
verse  a  little  more  unfolded — what  transpor)ing 
joys  must  be  felt  by  such  an  individual,  «hea 
he  shall  enter  into  a  world  where  "  he  shall 
know  even  as  also  he  is  known  ;"  where  the  veil 
which  intercepted  his  view  of  the  wonders  of 
creating  power  shall  be  removed  ;  ^here  the 
cherubim  and  the  seraphim,  who  have  winged 
their  flight  through  regions  of  immensity  im- 
passable by  mortals,  shall  rehearse  the  history 
of  other  worlds;  where  the  sphere  of  vision  will 
be  enlarged,  the  faculties  invigorated,  and  the 
glories  of  divine  goodness,  wisdom  and  omnipo> 
tence  displayed  in  all  their  effulgence !  Having 
familiarized  such  objects  to  his  rrind,  during 
this  first  stage  of  his  existence,  he  will  enter  on 
the  prosecution  of  new  discoveries  of  divine 
perfection,  with  a  renovated  holy  ardour,  of 
which  rude  and  grovelling  minds  are  incapable, 
which  will  fill  his  soul  with  extatic  rapture- 
even  "  with  joy  unspeakable  and  f\jll  of  glory." 
Let  us  supfKise,  for  the  sake  of  illustration, 
two  individuals  of  opposite  citaracters  entering 
the  future  world  at  the  same  time— the  one  rtide, 
ignorant,  and  vicious,  and  the  other  "  renewed 
in  the  spirit  of  his  mind,"  and  enlightened  with 
all  the  knowledge  which  science  and  revelation 
can  fumi.'ih — it  is  evident,  that,  although  they 
were  both  ushered  into  the  same  locality,  their 
state  and  enjoyments  woold  be  altogether  diffe- 
rent. The  one  would  sink,  as  it  were,  to  hia 
natural  level,  following  the  principles,  propensi- 
ties and  passions  which  he  previously  indulged  ; 
and,  although  he  were  admitted  into  the  society 
of  pure  and  enlightened  spirits,  he  would  remain 
as  a  cheerless,  insulated  wretch,  without  intel- 
lectual activity,  and  destitute  of  enjoyment. 
Finding  no  pleasures  suited  to  his  benighted 
mind  and  his  grovelling  affectims,  he  would  be 
fain  to  flee  to  other  regions  and  to  more  conge- 
nial associates,  as  the  owl  flies  from  the  vocal 
grove  and  the  society  of  the  feathered  choir,  and 
prefers  the  shades  cf  night  to  the  beams  of  day. 
Like  this  gloomy  bird,  which  delights  in  obrcure 
retreats  and  nigged  ruins,  and  has  no  relish  for 


KNOWLEDGE  PREPARATOHY  TO  A  FtJTURE  STATE. 


113 


blooming  gardens  and  flowery  meads — the  unen- 
fightened  and  unsanctified  soul  would  feel  itself 
unhappy  and  imprisoned,  as  it  were,  even  amidst 
triumphant  spirits,  and  the  splendours  of  immor- 
tal dav.  Whereas  the  other,  having  ardently 
lOngeJ  for  such  a  state,  and  having  previously 
undergone  the  requisite  preparation  for  its  en- 
'oymeuts,  feels  himself  in  a  region  suited  to  his 
taste,  mingles  with  associates  congenial  to  his 
dispositim,  engages  in  exercises  to  which  he 
was  f)rmerly  accustomed,  and  in  which  he  de- 
lighted, heholds  a  prospect,  boundless  as  the 
universe,  rising  before  him,  on  which  his  facul- 
ties may  be  exercised  with  everlasting  improve- 
ment and  everlasting  delight,  and,  consequently, 
experiences  a  "  fulness  of  joy"  which  can  never 
be  interrupied,  but  will  be  always  increasing 
"  world  without  end." 

Such  are  the  views  we  must  necessarily 
adopt  respecting  the  state  and  enjoyments  of 
these  two  characters  in  the  life  to  come ;  and 
there  is  no  resisting  of  the  conclusion  we  have 
deduced  respecting  the  ignorant  and  vicious 
bidividual,  without  supposing  that  something, 
•equivalent  to  a  miracle,  will  be  performed  in 
his  behalf,  immediately  after  his  entrance  into 
the  invisible  world,  to  fit  him  for  the  employ- 
tnents  of  a  state  of  happiness.  But,  for  such 
an  opinion  we  have  no  evidence,  either  from 
scripture  or  from  reason.  It  would  be  contrary 
U- every  thing  we  know  of  the  moral  government 
of  God;  it  would  strike  at  the  foundation  cX  all 
religion  and  morality ;  it  would  give  encourage- 
ment to  ignorance  and  vice ;  it  would  render 
"nugatory  til  the  efforts  of  a  virtuous  character 
to  increase  in  knowledge  and  holiness  during 
the  present  life,  and  it  would  give  the  ignorant 
and  the  licentious  an  equal  reason  for  expecting 
eternal  happiness  in  the  world  to  come,  as  the 
most  profound  Christian  philosophers,  or  the 
most  enlightened  and  piaus  divines.  Besides, 
we  are  assured  by  the  "Faithful  and  True 
Witness,"  that,  as  in  the  future  world,  "he 
who  is  righteous  shall  remain  righteous  still," 
•o  "  he  who  is  unjust  shall  remain  unjust  still, 
and  he  who  is  filthy  shall  remain  filthy  still ;" 
which  expressions  seem  evidently  to  imply,  that 
no  more  opportunities  will  be  granted  for  reform- 
ing what  had  been  amiss,  and  recovering  the 
polluted  and  unrighteous  soul  to  purity  and  rec- 
titude. * 


•  'Whatever  opinion  we  may  form  as  to  the  doc- 
tTlne  of  Univemal  Re»torati(ni,—\t  will  be  admitted, 
even  by  the  abettors  of  that  doctrine,  that  an  unholy 
and  un^nllihteneil  soul  Is  unfit  for  celestial  happi- 
ness, on  ill  firnt  entrance  irtf)  thf.  future  world,  and 
thousands  or  millions  of  years,  or  a  period  equiva- 
lent to  what  is  Included  In  the  jihraae,  "  ages  of 
ages,"  may  elapse  before  it  is  fit  for  being  restored 
to  the  dignity  of  its  nature,  and  the  joys  of  heaven. 
Even  on  this  supposition,  (although  it  were  war- 
ranted by  Scripture)  the  preparation  of  human  be- 
ings in  the  present  life  for  a  elate  of  future  happl> 
ness.  must  be  a  matter  of  the  highest  importance, 
Mnce  tt  prevents  the  sufferings  denoted  by  "  de  vour- 
15 


If,  then,  it  appears,  that  we  shall  carry  the 
knowledge  and  moral  habits  we  acquire  in  thit 
life  along  with  us  into  the  other  world, — and  if  a 
certain  portion  of  rational  and  religious  informa- 
tion and  moral  principle  is  essentially  requisite 
to  prepare  us  for  the  employments  and  felicities 
of  that  state — by  refusing  to  patronise  every 
scheme  by  which  a  general  diffusion  of  know* 
ledge  may  be  promoted,  we  not  only  allow  our 
fellow-men  to  wander  amidst  the  mists  of  supei^ 
stition,  and  to  run  heedlessly  into  numerous  dan- 
gers, both  physical  and  moral,  we  not  only  de- 
prive them  of  exquisite  intellectual  enjoyments, 
and  prevent  the  improvement  of  the  arts  and 
sciences,  but  we  deprive  them,  in  a  certain  de- 
gree, of  the  chance  of  obtaining  happiness  in  a 
state  of  immortality.  For  as  ignorance  is  the 
parent  of  vice,  and  as  vicious  propensities  and 
indulgencer  necessarily  lead  to  misery,  both 
here  and  hereafter,  the  man  whose  mind  is  left 
to  grope  amidst  intellectual  darkness,  can  enjoy 
no  well-founded  hope  of  felicity  in  the  life  to 
come,  since  he  is  unqualified  for  the  associa- 
tions, the  contemplations,  and  the  employments 
of  that  future  existence.  As  in  the  material 
creation,  light  was  the  first  substance  created 
before  the  chaos  was  reduced  to  beauty  and 
order,  so,  in  the  intellectual  world,  knowledge, 
or  light  in  the  understanding,  is  the  first  thing 
which  restores  the  moral  system  to  harmony  and 
order.  It  is  -the  commencement  of  every  pro- 
cess that  leads  to  improvement,  comfort,  and 
moral  order  in  this  life,  and  that  prepares  us  for 
the  enjoyments  of  the  life  to  come.  But  igno» 
ranee  is  both  the  emblem  and  the  prelude  of 
"  the  blackness  of  darkness  for  ever."  This  is 
one  of  the  most  powerful  considerations  which 
should  induce  every  philanthropist  to  exert  every 
nerve,  and  to  further  every  scheme  which  has  for 
its  object  to  diffuse  liberty,  knowledge  and  moral 
principle  among  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth. 


SECTION  IX. 

OK  THE  CTTILITT  OF  OENEHAL  KNOWLEDOC 
IN  RELATTOM  TO  THE  STUDY  OF  DIVINE 
HEVELATION. 

Op  all  the  departments  of  knowledge  to  which 
the  human  mind  can  be  directed,  there  b  none 
of  greater  importance  than  that  which  exhibits 
the  real  character  and  condition  of  man  as  a 
moral  agent— his  relation  to  the  Deity — his  eter- 
nal destiny — the  way  in  which  he  may  bo  deli- 
vered from  the  effects  of  moral  evil — and  the 
worship  and  service  he  owes  to  his  Almighty 
Creator.     On   these   and  kindred    topics,  the 

Ing  Are,  weeptng,  walling  and  gnashing  of  teeth," 
during  the  indeflmte  and  lon«-conunued  period  oC 
"  ages  of  age»." 


n« 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


Chradsn  rerelation  affords  the  ino«t  clear  and 
Mtknctory  inf>H-iiMaion,  and  the  details  which  it 
Inuahea  on  these  subjvcta  are  of  the  highest 
noment,  and  deeply  interesting  to  every  inha- 
bitant of  the  globe.  But  ignorance,  leagued 
with  depravity  and  fo4ly,  lias  been  the  cause 
that  the  sacred  oracles  have  so  frequently  been 
treated  with  indifference  and  contempt;  and 
that  tliose  who  have  professed  to  recognise  them 
aa  the  in  imations  of  the  will  of  Deity  have  been 
prevented  from  studying  them  with  intelligence, 
and  contem;>lating  the  facts  they  exhibit  in  all 
their  consequences  and  relations. 

In  order  to  a  profitable  study  of  the  doctrines, 
&cts  and  prophecies  contained  in  the  Bible,  it 
is  requisite,  in  the  first  place,  that  a  deep  and 
thorough  conviction  be  produced  in  the  mind, 
that  tliey  are  indeed  the  revelations  of  heaven, 
addressed  to  man  on  earth  to  direct  his  views 
and  conduct  as  an  acccuntable  agent,  and  a 
eandi  late  for  immortality.  From  ignorance  of 
the  tvidences  on  which  the  truth  of  Christianity 
rests,  multitudes  of  thoughtless  mortals  have 
been  inluccd  to  reject  its  authority,  and  have 
^ideJ  down  the  stream  of  licentious  pleasure, 
''spor'inw  themselves  with  their  own  deceiv- 
ings,"  till  they  landed  in  wretchedness  and  ruin. 
The  religion  of  the  Bible  requires  only  to  be 
examined  with  care,  and  studied  with  humility 
and  reverence,  in  order  to  produce  a  full  coti- 
Tiction  of  its  celestial  origin ;  and  wherever 
such  di4posiiion.s  are  brought  into  contact  with 
a  calm  and  intelligent  investigation  of  the  evi- 
dences of  revelation,  and  of  the  facts  and  doc- 
trines it  discloses,  the  mind  will  not  only  discern 
its  superiority  to  every  other  system  of  religion, 
but  will  perceive  the  beauty  and  excellence  of 
its  discoveries,  and  the  absolute  necessity  of  their 
being  studied  and  promulgated  in  order  to  raise 
the  human  race  from  that  degradation  into 
which  they  have  been  so  long  immersed,  and  to 
promote  the  renovation  of  the  moral  world. 
And,  those  objections  and  difficulties  which  pre- 
viously perplexed  and  harassed  the  inquirer  will 
Gxltially  evanish,  as  the  mists  of  the  morning 
ore  the  orb  of  day. 

The  Mn<iene««  of  Christianity  have  been  ge- 
nerally distributed  into  the  external  and  the  in- 
tmwd.  The  external  may  a;ain  be  divided  into 
Sred  or  eoUatrral.  The  dirret  ervi  fences  are 
Mich  as  ari-ie  from  the  nature,  coiHistency,  and 
probability  of  the  facts  ;  and  from  the  simplicity, 
niformity,  competency  and  fidelity  of  the  te^ti- 
OMNiie*  bv  which  they  are  supported.  The  eel- 
UUral  evi  lences  are  those  which  art*e  from  the 
eoncurrent  testimonies  of  heathen  writers,  or 
Others,  which  corroborate  the  history  of  Chri«- 
liani;y  anl  establish  iu  leading  facts.  The 
MfrMo/  eviJonces  arise,  either  from  the  coo- 
fbrnrity  of  the  announcements  of  revelation  to 
the  known  character  of  God,  froin  their  aptitude 
to  the  frame  and  circunistaiKe*  oTman,  or  from 


those  convictions  impressed  upon  the  mind  hj 
the  agency  of  the  Divine  Spirit. 

In  regard  to  the  t*t«nuil  evidences,  the  fbt* 
lowing  propositions  can  be*supported  both  from 
the  testimonies  of  profane  writers,  the  Scrip* 
tures  of  the  New  Testament,  and  other  ancient 
Christian  writings  ;  viz.  I,  "  That  there  is  sa* 
tisfactory  evidence  that  many  professing  to  be 
original  witnesses  of  the  Christian  miracles, 
passed  their  lives  in  labours,  dangers,  and  suf- 
ferings, voluntarily  undergone  in  attestation  of 
the  accounts  which  they  delivered,  and  solely  in 
consequence  of  their  belief  of  those  accounts  ; 
and  that  they  also  submitted,  from  the  same 
motives,  to  new  rules  of  conduct."  And,  S, 
"  That  there  is  not  satisfactory  evidence,  that 
persons  pretending  to  be  original  witnesses  of 
any  other  miracles,  have  acted  in  the  same  man- 
ner, in  attestation  of  the  accounts  which  they 
delivered,  and  solely  in  consequence  of  their  b^ 
lief  of  the  truth  of  these  accounts."  These  pro* 
positions  can  be  substantiated  to  the  conviction 
of  every  serious  and  unbiassed  inquirer ;  ihey 
form  the  basis  of  the  external  evidence  of  the 
Christian  religion ;  and,  when  their  truth  ia 
clearly  discerned,  the  mind  is  irresistibly  led  to 
the  conclusion,  that  the  doctrines  and  facts  pro- 
mulgated by  the  first  propagators  of  Christianity 
are  true. 

The  following  propositions  can  also  be  sati»' 
factorily  proved,  viz.  That  the  Jewish  religior  ■ 
of  great  antiquity,  and  that  Moses  was  itsAu»> 
dor — that  the  books  of  the  Old  Tcstame««  were 
extant  long  before  the  Christian  era  •  •  Greek 
translation  of  them  havmg  been  laia  up  in  the 
Alexandrian  library  in  the  days  o.''PtoU'm_v  Phi» 
ladelphus — that  tliese  books  are  in  the  main  ge- 
nuine, and  the  histories  ihev  contain  wortliy  of 
credit — that  many  material  fscts  which  are  re- 
corded in  the  Old  Te8ta»"ent  are  also  mentioned 
by  very  ancient  heatJien  writers— that  Christi- 
anity is  not  a  mod-ni  religion,  but  was  professed 
by  great  multitudes  nearly  1800  years  ago — that 
Jesus  Christ,  the  founder  of  tlus  religion,  was 
crucified  at  Jerusalem  during  the  reign  of  Tib^ 
rius  Cesar — that  the  first  publishers  of  this  r^- 
lizion  wrote  books  containing  an  account  of  the 
life  and  doctrines  of  their  master,  several  of 
which  bore  the  names  of  those  books  which  now 
make  up  the  Neui  Testament — that  these  books 
were  frequently  quoted  and  referred  to  by  n»»- 
mrrous  writers  from  the  days  of  the  apostles  to 
the  fourth  century  and  downwards — that  they  are 
genuine,  or  written  by  the  authors  whose  names 
they  bear — that  the  histories  they  contain  Arc  in 
the  main  agreeable  to  those  facts  which  were 
asserted  by  the  first  preachers  and  received  by 
the  first  converts  to  Christianity — that  the  facts, 
whether  natural  or  supernatural,  which  they 
record,  are  transmitted  to  us  with  as  great  a  de. 
gree  of  evidence  (if  not  greater)  as  any  historW 
cat  fact  recorded  by  historiatts  of  allowed  dm* 


EVIDENCE  OF  MIRACLES. 


115 


ncter  and  reputation— and  that  these  books  were 
itiitten  under  a  superintendant  inspiration. 
These  and  a  variety  of  similar  propositions  inti- 
mately connected  with  them  can  be  fully  sub- 
stantiated ;  and  the  necessary  conclusion  of  the 
whole  is,  that  Christianity  is  a  revelation  from 
God  to  man,  suid  that  its  truths  are  to  be  believed, 
and  its  precepts  practised  by  all  to  whom  they 
are  addressed. 

Miracles  form  one  ,)art  of  the  external  evi- 
dence by  which  revealed  religion  is  supported. 
If  God,  in  compa-osion  to  our  benighted  and  be- 
wildereu  race,  has  thought  fit  to  communicate  a 
revelation  of  his  will,  there  is  no  conceivable 
mode  by  which  that  revelation  could  be  more 
powerfully  attested,  than  by  empowering  the 
messengers  whom  he  inspired  to  work  miracles, 
as  attestations  of  the  truth  of  the  doctrines  they 
declared.  Accordingly  we  find,  that  at  the  in- 
.troduction  both  of  the  Jewish  and  the  Christian 
dispensations,  a  series  of  uncontrolled  miracles 
was  exhibited  to  those  to  whom  the  messengers 
<ff  revelation  were  sent,  as  evidences  that  they 
.acted  under  the  authority  of  the  Creator  of  the 
universe.  Under  the  administration  of  Moses, 
who  founded  the  Jewish  economy,  the  waters  of 
Egypt  were  turned  into  blood,  darkness  covered 
all  that  country  for  three  days,  thunders  and  hail 
terrified  its  inhabitants  and  destroyed  the  fruits 
of  their  ground,  and  all  their  first-bom  were  slain 
by  a  celestial  messenger  in  one  night — the  Red 
Sea  was  parted  asunder,  the  tribes  of  Israel 
passed  in  safety  through  its  waves,  while  their 
enemies  "  sank  as  lead  in  the  mighty  waters ;" 
water  was  brought  from  the  flinty  rock,  manna 
from  heaven  was  rained  down  to  supply  the 
wants  of  two  millions  of  human  beings  in  a 
barren  wilderness;  mount  Sinai  was  made  to 
tremble  to  its  centre,  and  was  surrounded  with 
flames  and  smoke ;  Korah,  Dathan,  and  Abi- 
tam,  with  all  the  thousands  that  joined  their 
QDnspiracy,  were  by  a  miraculous  earthquake 
swallowed  up  in amoment ;  Jordan  was  divided 
when  its  waters  overflowed  its  banks,  and  at  the 
sound  of  horns  the  strong  walls  of  Jericho  fell 
prostrate  to  the  ground.  When  Jesus  Christ 
introduced  the  gospel  dispensation,  he  gave  in- 
controvertible proofs  of  hi-j  divme  mission,  by 
curing  diseases  of  every  description  merely  by 
his  word,  causing  the  lame  to  walk,  the  deaf  to 
hear,  the  dumb  to  speak,  and  the  blind  to  see  ; 
raising  the  dead  to  life,  stilling  the  tempestuous 
waves  and  the  stormy  wind ;  turning  water  into 
wine,  feeding  five  thousand  men  in  a  wilderness 
on  a  f^w  loaves  and  fishes ;  and,  particularly,  bv 
his  o  vn  resurrection  from  the  dead,  after  he  had 
been  "  crucified  and  slain."  These,  as  well  as 
the  miracles  wrought  by  Moses,  were  demon- 
strative evidences  of  the  agency  and  interfer- 
ence of  the  Most  High ;  they  were  completely 
beyond  the  power  of  mere  human  agency,  and 
were  altogether  different  from  the  tricks  of  jug- 


glers and  impostors.  They  were  performed  in 
the  open  face  of  day,  in  the  presence  of  multi- 
tudes of  persons  of  every  description;  they  were 
level  to  the  comprehension  of  every  man  whose 
faculties  and  senses  were  in  a  sound  state  ;  and 
the  conclusion  which  every  unbiassed  mind  be- 
hooved to  draw  from  them,  was,  that  "  no  man 
could  do  such  miracles  unless  God  was  with 
him;"  ar.d,  consequently,  that  the  truths  de- 
clared by  those  who  were  empowered  to  perform 
them,  are  the  revelations  of  heaven;  for  it 
would  be  inconsistent  with  the  nature  of  the  Di- 
vine Being  to  suppose,  that  he  would  interpose 
his  almighty  power  to  control  the  laws  of  nature, 
for  the  purpose  of  giving  his  sanction  to  false- 
hood or  imposture. 

Of  the  reality  of  the  miraculous  events  to 
which  I  have  alluded,  we  have  as  high  a  degree 
of  evidence  as  we  have  for  the  reality  of  any 
other  fact  recorded  in  the  scriptures  or  in  the 
history  of  the  world.  The  single  fact  of  the  re- 
surrection of  Chrixt,  a  fact  so  important  in  the 
Christian  system,  and  with  which  all  its  other 
facts  and  doctrines  are  essentially  connected, 
rests  upon  a  weight  of  evidence  so  great  that 
the  rejection  of  it  would  be  almost  equivalent  to 
the  adoption  of  universal  scepticism.  This  fact 
does  not  -est  upon  the  testimony  of  an  unknown 
individual,  or  even  of  an  unknown  multitude, 
but  on  the  twelve  apostles  who  had  been  pre- 
viously chosen  for  this  purpose,  who  had  accom- 
panied their  Master  in  all  his  journeys,  who  had 
been  the  witnesses  of  his  miracles,  sufferings, 
and  crucifixion,  and  who  affirmed,  without  the 
least  hesitation,  and  in  the  face  of  every  threat* 
ening  and  persecution,  that  they  had  seen  him 
alive  at  different  times,  and  held  intimate  coi>. 
verse  with  him  after  he  had  risen  from  the  dead. 
It  rests  likewise  on  the  testimony  of  the  seventy 
disciples,  and  .on  that  of  the  five  hundred  bre- 
thren who  had  seen  the  Lord  after  his  resurrec- 
tion. These  persons  had  full  opportunity  of  itt- 
formation  as  to  the  fact  they  asserted;  they 
could  not  be  deceived,  for  it  was  brought  within 
the  evidence  of  their  senses.  They  saw  the 
body  of  the  Lord  Jesus  after  he  had  been  cruci- 
fied and  laid  in  the  tomb — not  with  a  peissing 
glance,  but  at  different  times  and  in  divers 
places ;  they  had  an  opportunity  of  handbng  it 
to  convince  them  it  was  no  phantom ;  they  heard 
him  speak,  and  entered  into  intimate  conversa- 
tion with  him  on  the  subject  of  their  future  mi- 
nistry. They  saw  him,  not  only  separately,  but 
together ;  not  only  by  night,  but  by  day ;  not  at 
a  distance,  but  immediately  before  them.  And 
as  they  could  not  be  deceived  themselves,  they 
could  have  no  motive  for  deceiving  others ;  for 
they  were  aware  that,  by  so  doing,  they  exposed 
themselves  to  scorn,  persecution,  sufferings,  and 
death  itself,  without  the  most  distant  hope  of  re- 
compense cither  in  this  world  or  in  another. 
Their    character    and    coaduet   were  strictly 


IM 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDQB. 


WildMd  and  Krurinized.  Their  enemici  Imd 
taken  every  precaution  which  human  wisdum 
oould  dtiviio,  to  prevent  the  dead  body  of  their 
Maslor  from  b»in(;  removed  from  iho  sepuichro, 
•ither  by  fraud  or  by  violence,  and  to  accurc  the 
public  from  being  deluded  by  any  attempt  at 
MBp<nture.  And  yet,  only  a  few  days  afier  he 
was  b.iried,  and  in  the  very  place  where  he  was 
cruci^ifd,  his  resurrection  was  publicly  asserted 
and  |>r'>claimed ;  and  no  attempt  was  made  on 
the  part  of  the  Jewish  rulers  to  invalidate  the 
tMti'n  >ny  of  the  apostles,  by  producing  the  dead 
body  of  him  whom  they  had  crucified— on  whose 
tomb  :hey  had  set  a  seal  and  a  guard  of  Roman 
•oldiiirs.  For  it  is  evident,  that  if  his  body 
could  have  been  found,  they  would  have  pro- 
duce J  it  as  the  shortest  and  most  decisive  con- 
iiitati  >n  of  the  story  of  the  resurrection.  All 
these  ''ircumstances  being  considered,  to  sup- 
pose  that  the  apostles  either  were  deceived,  or 
attemited  to  deceive  the  world,  would  be  to  ad- 
mit a  rniracle  as  great  as  that  of  the  resurrec- 
tion i'self.  But  if  the  fact  of  Christ's  resurrec- 
tion bo  admitted,  the  truth  of  the  evangelical 
history  and  of  the  doctrines  of  Christianity  fol- 
lows as  a  necessary  consequence. 

Prophfey  fonns  another  branch  of  the  external 
0*idences  of  religion.  A<  God  alone  can  per- 
eoivK  with  certainty  the  future  actions  of  free 
a{;enis,  and  the  remote  consftquences  of  those 
laws  of  nature  which  he  himself  established — 
prophecy,  when  clearly  fulfilled,  affords  ihe  most 
conviiii-ing  evidence  of  an  intimate  and  super- 
natural communion  between  God  and  the  per- 
son who  uttered  the  prediction.  It  is  evident, 
however,  that  prophecy  was  never  intended  as 
an  evidence  of  an  original  revelation.  From 
its  very  n:iture  it  is  totally  unfit  for  such  a  pur- 
pose, because  it  is  impossible,  without  simie 
extrin  ic  proof  of  its  divine  origin,  to  ascertain 
wh«th>?r  any  prophecy  bn  true  or  false,  till  the 
perio  I  arrive  when  it  ought  to  be  accomplished. 
But  ivhen  ii  is  fulfilled,  it  aflbrds  complete  evi- 
denr»-,  that  he  who  uttered  it  spake  by  the  spirit 
of  Gil,  and  that  the  doctrines  he  taught  were 
dict^toil  by  the  same  spirit,  and,  consequently, 
true.  To  us,  therefore,  who  live  in  an  age  pos- 
terior to  the  fulfilment  of  many  of  the  ancient 
prophuries,  and  while  some  of  them  are  actually 
accomplishing,  the  fulfilment  of  these  predic- 
tions f  irtns  a  powerful  and  striking  eviilence  of 
the  di/ine  authority  of  the  writers  both  of  the 
Old  an  i  the  New  Testament. 

The  first  prophecy  which  was  given  forth  in 
the  ganlen  of  Eden,  that  "  the  seed  of  the  woman 
•ho<il  I  >>ruise  the  head  of  ihe  serpent,"  and  the 
predir  x-yn*  of  the  Jewish  prophets  respecting  the 
appearance,  the  miracles,  the  sufferings,  the 
death,  'emtrrection,  and  subsequent  glory  of  Mes- 
■iah,  ani  the  opp<Miiion  he  was  to  endure  from 
the  pe  iple  to  whom  he  was  sent,  were  literally 
•oooe«ptisb«d,  when  Jeaua  Christ  appeared  in 


tlie  world  ;  and  the  narrations  of  the  eraneerislk 
maybe  considered  as  a  commentary  upon  these 
anci.-.nt  prophecies.  The  deUverance  (if  tlie 
Jews  from  the  Babylonish  captivity,  and  its  ao* 
complishmeni  by  Cyrus, — ilie  conquest  of  Kgypl 
by  Nebuchailnezzar,  foretold  by  Jeremiah, — th« 
succession  of  the  Assyrian,  Persian,  Grecian, 
and  Roman  monircliies, — the  persfcution  of  tho 
Jews  under  Aiiliochus  Kpiphanes,  and  the  erec- 
tion of  the  papal  kingdom  foretold  by  Daniel,-— 
and  the  destruction  of  Jemsalem  atid  the  dread- 
ful miseries  which  shouM  befall  its  inhabitants, 
(bretold  by  Jesus  Christ,  have  all  received  iheif 
accomplishment,  according  to  the  spirit  and  im- 
port of  the  original  predictions,  and  this  arcoro- 
plishmeiit  is  embodied  in  the  history  of  nalions. 
But  there  are  prophecies  which  were  uttered 
several  thousands  of  years  ago,  of  the  accon^ 
plishment  of  which  we  have  »en*ibU  tvidene*  at 
the  present  moment,  if  we  look  around  us  and 
consider  the  state  of  the  nations  and  en)pircs  dt 
the  world.  For  example,  it  was  prophesied 
respecting  Ishmael,  the  son  of  Abraham,  "  that 
he  should  be  a  wild  man;  that  his  hand  should 
be  against  every  man,  and  every  man's  hand 
against  him  ;  that  he  should  dwell  in  the  pres- 
ence of  all  his  bretliren ;  that  he  should  be  mul- 
tiplied exceedingly,  beget  twelve  princes,  and 
become  a  great  nation."  This  prediction  has 
been  literally  accomplished  in  the  Araht,  the 
undoubted  descendants  of  Ishmael,  who,  for  tim« 
immemorial,  have  been  robbers  by  luiid  and  pw 
rates  by  sea ;  and  though  their  hands  have  been 
against  every  man,  and  every  man's  liand 
against  lliem,  they  have  always  dwelt,  and  al 
this  day,  siill  dwell,  in  "  the  presence  of  theit 
brethren,"  a  free  and  independent  people.  Th» 
greatest  conquerors  invhe  world  have  attempted 
to  subdue  them,  but  their  attempts  uniformlj 
failed  of  success.  When  they  appeared  on  tho 
brink  of  ruin,  they  were  signally  and  provideiv- 
tially  delivered.  Alexander  was  preparing  aa 
expedition  against  them,  when  he  was  cut  off 
in  the  flower  of  his  age.  Pompey  was  in  the 
career  of  his  conquest,  when  urgent  affairs  called 
him  to  another  quarter.  Gallius  had  penetra- 
ted far  into  their  country,  when  a  fatal  disease 
destroyed  great  numbers  of  his  men,  and  obliged 
him  to  return.  Trajan  besieged  their  capital 
city;  but  was  defeuted  by  thunder,  and  light- 
ning, and  whirlwinds.  Severus  besici;ed  the 
same  city  twice,  and  was  twice  repelled  from 
before  it.  Even  the  Turks  have  been  unable 
to  subdue  the  Arabs,  or  even  to  restrain  their 
depredations  ;  and  they  are  obliged  to  pay  them 
a  sort  of  annual  tribute  for  the  safe  pa!>.«aip!  at 
the  pilgrims  who  go  to  Mecca  to  pay  their  devo- 
tions. I'lie  curse  pronounced  upon  Ham ;  the 
father  of  Canaan,  co<ild  also  be  shown  to  have 
been  signally  accomplished  in  the  case  of  the 
Canaanites,  and  the  Africans,  their  descendants, 
who  have  been  literally  "  a  servant  of  servant* 


INTERNAL  EVIDENCES  OF  REVELATION. 


117 


to  their  brethren."  They  were  under  the  do- 
minion, first  of  the  Romans,  then  of  the  Sara- 
cens, and  now  of  the  Turks.  And  in  what 
ignorance,  barbarity,  slavery,  and  misery  do 
most  of  them  remain  ?  Many  thousands  of 
them  are  every  year  bought  and  sold,  like  beasts 
in  the  market,  and  conveyed  from  one  quarter 
of  the  world  to  do  the  work  of  beasts  in  another. 
The  present  state  of  Babylon  is  also  a  striking 
accomplishment  of  the  denunciations  of  ancient 
prophecy.  When  we  consider  the  vast  extent 
and  magnificence  of  that  ancient  city,  "  the  glory 
of  kingdoms  and  the  beauty  of  the  Chaldee's 
excellency,"  we  should  have  thought  it  almost 
impossible  that  it  should  have  become  "  an  utter 
desolation,"  that  "  the  wild  beasts  should  cry 
in  its  desolate  houses,  and  dragons  in  its  pleasant 
palaces,"  and  that  "  it  should  never  be  inhabited 
nor  dwelt  in  from  generation  to  generation,"  as 
the  prophet  Isaiah  had  foretold,  several  hundreds 
of  years  prior  to  its  destruction,  and  when  it  was 
flourishing  in  the  height  of  its  glory.*  Yet  we 
know  for  certain,  that  this  once  magnificent 
metropolis,  whose  hanging  gardens  were  reck- 
oned one  of  the  seven  wonders  of  the  world,  has 
become  so  complete  a  desolation,  that  the  besom 
of  destruction  has  left  scarcely  a  single  trace  of 
its  former  grandeur  ;  and  it  is  a  subject  of  dis- 
pute among  travellers,  whether  the  exact  site  on 
which  it  was  built  be  yel  ascertained. 

In  short,  the  present  state  of  the  Jews,  com- 
pared with  ancient  predictions,  is  one  of  the 
most  striking  and  convincing  proofs  of  the  literal 
fulfilment  of  the  Old  Testament  prophecies.  The 
following  prediction  respecting  them  was  uttered 
more  than  1700  years  before  the  commencement 
of  the  Christian  era  :  "The  Lord  shall  scatter 
thee  among  all  people  from  the  one  end  of  the 
earth  even  unto  the  other.  And  among  those 
nations  shalt  thou  find  no  ease,  neither  shall  the 
sole  of  thy  foot  have  rest,  but  the  Lord  shall  give 
thee  a  trembling  heart,  and  failing  of  eyes,  and 
sorrow  of  mind." — "  And  thou  shalt  become  an 
astonishment,  a  proverb,  and  a  by-word  among 
all  the  nations  whither  the  Lord  shall  lead  you."t 
The  whole  history  of  the  Jewish  nation  since  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem,  as  well  ais  the  present 
state  of  that  singular  people,  forms  a  striking  com- 
mentary upon  tliese  ancient  predictions,  and 
shows,  that  they  had  been  fully  and  literally  ac- 
complished. The  Jews,  it  is  well  known,  have 
been  dispersed  almost  over  the  whole  face  of  the 
globe  for  more  than  seventeen  hundred  years ; 
they  have  been  despised  and  hateJ  by  all  nations  ; 
they  have  suffered  the  most  cruel  persecutions ; 
"their  life  has  hung  in  doubt  before  fhem, 
and  they  have  feared  day  and  night,"  both  for 
their  property  and  their  lives ;  they  have  been 
■old  in  multitudes,  like  cattle  in  the  market ;  they 
hare  been  exposed  on  public  theatres,  to  exhibit 

■  Isaiah  xUl.  I»-SS. 
t  Deut.  oh.  zztUL 


fights,  or  be  devoured  by  wild  beasts.  So  strong 
were  popular  prejudices  and  suspicions  against 
them,  that  in  the  year  1348,  on  suspicion  of  their 
having  poisoned  the  springs  and  wells,  a  million 
and  a  half  of  them  were  cruelly  massacred.  In 
1492,  500,000  of  them  were  driven  out  of  Spain, 
and  160,000  from  Portugal,  and  even  at  the  pre- 
sent moment  they  are,  in  most  places,  subjected 
both  to  civil  incapacities  and  unchristian  severi- 
ties. Yet,  notwithstanding  the  hatred  and  con- 
tempt in  which  they  are  held,  wherever  they 
appear,  they  are  most  obstinately  tenacious  of 
the  religion  of  their  fatliers,  although  their  ances- 
tors were  so  prone  to  apostatize  from  it ;  and 
although  most  of  them  seem  to  be  utter  strangers 
to  piety,  and  pour  contempt  on  the  moral  precepts 
of  their  own  law,  they  are  most  obstinately  at- 
tached to  the  ceremonial  institutions  of  it,  burden- 
some and  inconvenient  as  they  are.  They  hare 
never  been  amalgamated  with  any  of  the  nations 
among  which  they  awelt ;  they  remain  a  distinct 
people,  notwithstanding  their  numerous  disper- 
sions ;  their  numbers  are  not  diminished ;  and, 
were  they  collected  into  one  body, they  would  form 
a  nation  as  numerous  and  powerful  as  in  the  most 
flourishing  periods  of  the  Jewish  commonwealth. 
The  existence  of  the  Jews  in  such  circumstances, 
as  a  diitinct  nation,  so  contrary  to  the  history  aC 
every  other  nation,  and  to  the  course  of  human 
affairs  in  similar  cases,  may  justly  be  considered 
as  a  standing  miracle  for  the  truth  of  divuie  re- 
velation. Such  a  scene  in  the  conduct  of  the 
divine  government,  cannot  be  paralleled  iii  the 
hbtory  of  any  other  people  on  the  face  of  the 
earth  ;  and  their  being  permitted  so  long  to  sar- 
vive  the  dissolution  of  their  own  state,  and  to 
continue  a  distinct  nation,  is  doubtless  intended 
for  the  accomplishment  of  another  important  pre- 
diction, viz.  that  "  they  may  return  and  seek  the 
Lord  their  Grod,  and  David  their  king,  and  fear 
the  Lord  and  his  goodness  in  the  latter  days."  In 
the  present  day,  we  perceive  a  tendency  towards 
this  wished-for  consummation.  Within  these 
last  thirty  years,  a  greater  number  of  Jews  has 
been  converted  to  the  profession  of  the  Christian 
faith  than  had  happened  for  a  thousand  years 
before:*  And  when  they  shall  be  collected  from 
all  the  regions  in  which  they  are  now  scattered, 
and  brought  to  the  acknowledgment  of  Jesus 
Christ  as  the  true  Messiah,  and  to  submissiin 
to  his  laws,  and  reinstated  either  in  their  own 
land  or  in  some  other  portion  of  the  globe,  such 
an  event  will  form  a  sensible  demonstration  of 
the  divinity  of  our  religion,  level  to  the  compre* 
hension  of  all  nations,  and  which  all  the  sneers 
and  sophisms  of  sceptics  and  infidels  will  never 
be  able  to  withstand. 

The  inUmal  evidences  of  Christianity  are 
those  which  are  deduced  from  the  nature  of  the 
facts,  doctrines  and  moral  precepts  which  it  re* 
veals,  and  from  the  harmony  and  consistency  at 
•11  its  parts.    The  Mowing  is  a  brief  summarr 


118 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OP  KNOWLEDGE. 


of  the  leading  riewa  which  may  be  taken  of  this 

I.  T%t  dignity  and  majtMty  of  the  ttylt  in 
irindi  many  portions  of  t)ic  S<-ripture8  are  writ- 
ten, and  the  mtbUmity  of  many  of  tht  idta*  ami 
mndmtnU  they  contain,  arc  strong  presumpiions 
of  their  divine  original.  This  is  strikingly  ex- 
hibited in  all  tiioec  cases  in  which  the  perfections 
and  operations  of  the  Deity  are  brought  into  view, 
as  in  such  passages  as  the  following, — "  He 
hangeth  the  earth  upon  nothing ;  he  bindeth  up 
the  water*  in  his  thick  clouds ;  he  hath  compass- 
ed the  waters  with  bounds,  until  the  day  and 
■ight  come  to  an  end ;  the  pillars  of  heaven 
tremble  and  are  astonished  at  his  reproof.  He 
divideth  the  sea  by  his  great  power ;  by  his 
spirit  he  hath  garnished  the  heavens.  Lo,  these 
are  only  parts  of  his  ways,  but  how  little  a  por- 
tion is  heard  of  him,  and  the  thunder  of  his  power 
who  can  comprehend  ?" — "  By  the  word  of  the 
Lord  were  the  heavens  made  ;  he  spake  and  it 
was  done,  he  conrunanded  and  it  stood  fast." 
"  Great  is  Jehovah  and  of  great  power,  his  great- 
ness is  unsearchable,  his  understanding  is  infi- 
nite ;  marvellous  things  doth  he  which  we  can* 
not  comprehend."  "  The  heaven,  even  the 
heaven  of  heavens  cannot  contain  him  ;  he  hath 
prepared  his  throne  in  the  heavens,  and  his  king- 
dom ruleth  over  all.  He  doth  according  to  his 
will  in  the  army  of  heaven  and  among  the  inha- 
bitants of  the  earth,  and  none  can  stay  his  hand, 
or  say  unto  him,  what  dost  thou  ?"  "  Who  hath 
measured  the  ocean  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand, 
and  meted  out  heaven  with  a  span,  and  com- 
prehended the  dust  of  the  earth  io  a  measure, 
and  weighed  the  mountains  in  scales  and  the 
hills  in  a  balance.  Who  hath  directed  the 
spirit  of  the  Lord,  or  being  his  counsellor  hath 
taught  him  ?  Behold,  the  nations  are  as  a  drop 
of  a  bucket,  and  are  counted  as  the  small  dusted 
the  balance.  Behold,  he  taketh  np  the  isles  as 
a  very  little  thin£.  All  nations  before  him  are 
as  nothing,  and  they  are  counted  to  him  less  than 
aolfaing  and  vanity."  These,  and  many  similar 
paasagea  to  be  found  in  the  sacred  writings,  far 
siapass,  in  dignity  of  language  and  sublimity  of 
sentiment,  every  thing  that  is  to  be  fouixl  in  the 
writings  of  the  most  celebrated  poets  and  philo- 
sophers of  Greece  and  Rome.  If  we  take  the 
BO«t  animated  poems  of  Homer,  Virgil,  or  Ho- 
race, and  read  them  in  a  proae  translation,  as  we 
d»  tiie  Scriptures,  they  appear  flat  and  jejune, 
and  their  spirit  is  almost  evaporated ;  and  the 
words  they  put  into  the  mouths  of  their  deities, 
and  the  actions  they  ascribe  to  them,  are  fre- 
<|aently  both  ridiculous  and  absurd,  calculated  to 
eicite  hatred  and  contempt,  instead  of  adoration 
and  revereiKe.  But  the  Scriptures  preserve 
ibeir  sublimity  and  glory  even  in  the  meet  literal 
Imislaliiiii.  and  such  a  translation  into  any  Ian- 
fasM  fa  alwajrs  found  to  be  the  best ;  and  it  has 
■Mimlj  happened,  that  tboM  who  have  pre* 


Bumed  to  heighten  the  expressioos  by  a  poetfec. 
translation  or  paraphrase,  have  failed  in  the  at' 
tempt.  It  indicates  an  utter  want  of  true  taste 
in  any  man  to  despise  or  undervalue  these  writ- 
ings. Were  it  not  that  the  sacred  penmen  lay 
claim  to  the  inspiration  of  the  Almighty,  and, 
consequently,  set  ihemsclvrs  in  direct  opposiliofl 
to  pride,  lajtciviousncss,  revenge,  and  every  olhe» 
unholy  principle  and  passion,  the  bible,  in  point 
of  the  beauty  and  sublimity  of  iis  sent  iments,  and 
the  variety  of  interesting  information  i(  conveys, 
would  be  prized  more  highly  by  every  man  of 
taste  than  all  the  other  writings  either  of  poets, 
philosophers  or  historians,  which  have  deiicended 
to  us  from  the  remotest  ages  of  antiquity. 

2.  The  Christian  religion  exkihiti  tht  mott  ro- 
tionai,  tublimt,  and  eonsurimt  vitus  of  the  Ihvine 
Being.  It  represents  him  as  self-existent  and 
independent,  and  as  "  the  high  and  lofiy  One 
who  inhabited  eternity,"  before  the  universe 
was  brought  into  existence,  in  whose  sight  "  a 
thousand  years  are  as  one  day,  and  one  day  as 
a  thousand  years."  It  represents  him  as  fiUing 
the  immensity  of  space  with  his  presence,  as 
having  the  most  intimate  knowledge  of  all  cre»> 
tures  and  events  throughout  the  vast  creation,  as 
the  Creator  of  heaven  and  earth,  as  possessed 
of  uncontrollable  power,  infinite  wisdom  and  iO' 
telligence,  boundless  benevolence  and  mercy, 
perfect  rectitude  and  holiness,  and  inviolable 
faithfubiess  and  truth.  It  represents  his  provi- 
dential care  as  extending  to  all  the  creatures  he 
has  formed,  and  to  all  their  movements,  however 
numerous  or  minute ;  animating  the  vegetable 
and  animal  tribes,  setting  boimds  to  the  raging 
billows,  "  thundering  marvellously  with  his  voice, 
sending  lightnings  with  rain,"  having  "  his  way 
in  the  whirlwind  and  the  storm,"  making  "the 
earth  to  quake  at  his  presence,"  shining  in  the 
stars,  glowing  in  the  sun,  and  moving  with  his 
hands  the  mighty  worlds  which  compose  the 
universe.  It  represents  him  as  governing  the 
universe  of  minds  which  he  has  formed,  as  hav^ 
ing  the  "  hearts"  and  puqmses  "  of  all  men  in  his 
hand,"  and  as  directing  all  the  mysterious  and 
wonderful  powers  of  knowledge  and  moral  action 
to  fulfil  his  purposes  throughout  the  whole  extent 
of  his  immen.<ie  and  eternal  empire.  Such  a 
being,  when  properly  contemplated,  is  calculated 
to  draw  forth  the  love  and  adoration  of  all  rational 
beings ;  and  wherever  Christianity  has  imparted 
a  knowledge  of  these  attributes  of  the  divinity, 
idolatry  and  superstition,  with  all  their  absurdi- 
ties, abominations,  and  horrid  cruelties,  have 
gradually  disappeared. 

S.  Christianity  has  given  us  full  assurance  of 
the  immortality  of  man  and  of  a  future  ttaU  of 
fttnishmenlt  and  reward*.  Nothing  can  be  of 
more  importance  to  every  htmian  being  than  to 
be  assured  of  his  eternal  destination.  Without 
the  discoveries  of  Christianity,  we  ran  attain  to 
no  absoiote  certainty  od  this  momcntoua  subtecti 


MORAL  LAWS  OF  REVELATION. 


119 


The  greatest  philosophers  of  the  heathen  world 
considered  the  arguments  in  favour  of  man's 
immortal  destiny  as  amounting  only  to  a  certain 
degree  of  probability,  and  their  minds  were  con- 
tinually hanging  in  doubt  and  uncertainty,  as  to 
what  might  befall  them  at  the  hour  of  dissolu- 
tion. The  most  powerful  arguments  in  proof 
of  a  future  retribution,  are  founded  on  the  justice, 
the  benevolence,  and  the  wisdom  of  the  Deity  ; 
but  it  is  questionable  whether  we  should  ever 
have  acquired  clear  conceptions  of  these  at- 
tributes of  the  Divinity  without  the  aid  of  the 
revelations  of  the  Bible.  On  this  most  important 
point,  however,  Christianity  dissipates  every  ob- 
scurity, dispels  every  doubt,  and  sets  the  doctrine 
of  "  life  and  immortality"  beyond  the  grave,  in 
the  clearest  light,  not  by  metaphysical  reasonings, 
unintelligible  to  the  bulk  of  mankind,  but  by  the 
positive  declarations  of  him  who  hath  "  all  power 
in  heaven  and  on  earth."  It  gives  full  assurance  to 
all  who  devote  themselves  to  the  service  of  God, 
and  conform  to  his  will,  that  "  when  their  earthly 
tabernacles  are  dissolved,  they  have  a  building 
of  God,  an  house  not  made  with  hands,  eternal 
in  the  heavf  ns  ;"  and  that  "  the  afflictions  "  to 
which  they  are  now  exposed  "  work  out  for 
them  an  eternal  weight  of  glory."  And,  to  con- 
sole them  in  the  prospect  of  dropping  their  bo- 
dies into  the  grave,  they  are  assured,  that  the 
period  is  approaching,  when  their  mortal  frame 
"shall  put  on  immortality," and  when  "all  who 
are  in  their  graves  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the 
Son  of  God,  and  shall  come  forth,  they  that 
have  done  good  to  the  resurrection  of  life,  and 
they  that  have  done  evil  to  the  resurrection  of 
condemnation." 

4.  Christianity  clearly  jxnnte  out  the  way  by 
which  pardon  of  sin  may  be  obtained  by  the  guilty. 
Reason  discovers  that  man  is  guilty,  and  at  the 
same  time  perceives  that  a  sinner  deserves 
punishment.  Hence,  the  remorse  and  the  fears 
with  which  the  consciences  of  sinners  in  every 
age  have  been  tormented.  "  Wherewithal  shall 
I  come  before  the  Lord  f  Shall  I  come  with 
thousands  of  burnt  offerings  ?  Shall  I  offer  my 
first-born  for  my  transgressions,  the  fruit  of  my 
body  for  the  sin  of  my  soul  ?"  are  the  anxious 
inquiries  of  every  sinner  who  feels  conscious 
that  he  has  violated  the  laws  of  Heaven.  Hence, 
the  numerous  modes  by  which  Pagan  nations 
have  attempted  to  appease  the  wrath  of  their 
deities;  hence,  their  sacrifices,  their  burnt-ot 
{brings,  their  bodily  tortures,  their  human  vic- 
tims, and  the  rivers  of  blood  which  have  flowed 
in  their  temples  and  upon  their  altars.  But 
reason  could  never  prove,  that  by  any  of  these 
modes  sin  could  be  expiated,  and  the  Deity  ren- 
dered propitious.  Christianity  alone  unfolds 
the  plan  of  redemption,  and  the  way  by  vvhich 
guilty  men  may  obtain  forgiveness  and  accep- 
tance in  the  sight  of  him  whose  laws  they  have 
violated.    It  declares,  "  that  Christ  Jesus  died 


for  our  offences,  and  rose  again  for  our  justifi- 
cation ;"  that  "  God  hath  set  him  forth  as  a 
propitiation  to  declare  his  righteousness  in  the 
remission  of  sins,"  and  that,  having  made  so 
costly  a  sacrifice  for  the  sins  of  the  world,  he 
will  refuse  nothing  that  can  contribute  to  the 
present  and  everlasting  happiness  of  the  believer 
in  Jesus.  "  He  who  spared  not  his  own  Son, 
but  delivered  him  up  for  us  all,  how  shall  he  not 
with  him  also  freely  give  us  all  things  ?'.'  Such  de- 
clarations, when  cordially  received,  are  sufficient 
to  allay  all  the  fears  of  a  guilty  conscience,  to 
inspire  the  soul  with  holy  love  and  gratitude, 
and  to  produce  "  a  peace  of  mind  that  passeth 
all  understanding." 

6.  Christianity  inculcates  thepurext  and  most 
comprehensive  system  of  morality.  Its  moral  re- 
quisitions are  all  comprehended  under  the  two 
following  rules  or  principles,  "  Thou  shalt  love 
the  Lord  thy  God  with  ail  thy  heart,"  and  "  thou 
shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as  thyself,"  which  di- 
verge into  numberless  ramifications.  It  could 
easily  be  shown,  that  these  principles  are  suffi- 
cient to  form  the  basis  of  a  moral  code  for  the 
whole  intelligent  creation,  that  they  are  calculat- 
ed to  unite  the  creature  to  the  Creator,  and  all 
rational  beings  with  one  another,  wherever  they 
may  exis*  throughout  the  boundless  empire  of 
the  Almigh^  ;  and  that  peace,  order,  and  happi- 
ness would  De  the  invariable  and  necessary  re- 
sults wherever  their  influence  extended.  If  the 
love  of  God  reigned  supreme  in  every  heart, 
there  would  be  no  superstition  or  idolatry  in  the 
universe,  nor  any  of  the  crimes  and  abominations 
with  which  they  have  been  accompanied  in  our 
world, — no  blasphemy  or  profanation  of  the 
name  of  Jehovah, — no  perjury,  hypocrisy,  arro- 
gance, pride,  ingratitude,  nor  murraurings  under 
the  allotments  of  Divine  Providence.  And,  if 
every  moral  intelligence  loved  his  fellow-creatures 
as  himself,  there  would  be  no  rivalships  and  an- 
tipathies between  nations,  and,  consequently,  no 
wars,  devastation,  nor  carnage, — no  tyranny, 
haughtiness,  or  oppression  among  the  great,  nor 
envy,  discontent,  or  insubordination  among  the 
lower  classes  of  society, — no  systems  of  slavery, 
nor  persecutions  on  account  of  religious  opinions, 
— no  murders,  thef\s,  robberies,  or  assassina- 
tions,— no  treacherous  friendships,  nor  fraud  and 
deceit  in  commercial  transactions, — no  impla- 
cable resentments  among  friends  and  relatives, 
and  no  ingratitude  or  disobedience  among  child- 
ren or  servants.  On  the  other  hand,  meekness, 
long  suffering,  gentleness,  humility,  temperance, 
fidelity,  brotherly  kindness,  and  sacred  joy, 
would  pervade  every  heart,  and  transform  our 
world  from  a  scene  of  contention  and  misery  to 
a  moral  paradise.  The  comprehensive  nature 
of  these  laws  or  principles,  and  their  tendency 
to  produce  universal  order  and  happiness  among 
all  intelligences,  form,  therefore,  a  strong  pre- 
suroptiv*  argtunent  of  their  divine  origioaL 


ISO 


ON  THE  OfiNERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNCWLEDGE. 


There  are  certain  ChrUtian  precepii,  dif- 
(ereat  from  all  that  were  ever  taught  by  ilie  atgc* 
or  the  Pajan  world,  and  in  direct  opposition  to 
their  moat  favourite  maxima,  which  mi^ht  be 
•hown  to  hare  the  aame  beneficial  tendency. 
For  example,  it  ia  one  of  the  precepta  laid  down 
hy  (be  Pounder  of  our  religion,  "  Reaiat  not  evil, 
kot  whoaoever  ahall  amite  thee  on  the  right 
cheek,  turn  to  him  the  other  alao,"  bx, ;  and  in 
aecordance  with  this  precept  he  prnpoiindi  the 
ibllowing, "  Love  your  enf  mies,  do  good  to  them 
that  hale  you,  and  pray  fur  them  who  deapite- 
fiiU/  Mae  you  and  persecute  you."  And  he  en- 
fbrcaa  it  \ty  one  of  the  most  sublime  and  beautiful 
■Mlivea,  "  That  ye  may  be  the  children  of  your 
Father  who  is  in  heaven,  tor  he  maketh  the  sua 
to  rise  on  the  evil  and  on  the  good,  and  sendelh 
iminon  tlie  just  and  on  the  unjust."  Now,  these 
precepts  of  morality  are  not  only  original,  and 
peculiar  to  the  Christian  system,  but  they  are  in 
<lirect  oppoeition  to  all  the  virtues  generally  de- 
Boninated  Aerotc,  and  which  are  ko  much  cele- 
brated  by  the  poets,  philosophers,  and  historians 
of  antiquity.  While  the  annals  of  history  pro- 
claim, that  the  exercise  of  the  heroic  virtues 
(among  which  are  classed  implacability  and  re- 
venge,) has  banished  peace  from  the  world,  and 
covered  the  earth  with  devastation  and  bloodshed, 
it  could  easily  be  shown,  that,  wtue  the  virtues 
inculcated  by  our  Saviour  universally  practised, 
there  would  not  be  an  enemy  on  the  face  of  the 
flofce,  wars  would  cease  to  the  ends  of  the  earth, 
and  the  whole  world  would  form  one  vast  com- 
Bunity  of  friends  and  brethren.  Whereas,  were 
the  oppoeiie  dispositions  univer$al,  an  uncon- 
trolled by  any  counteracting  principle,  they 
would  produce  a  scene  of  universal  contention 
and  misery  throughout  the  moral  universe. — 
Another   disposition   peculiar  to  the  Christian 

rem,  and  which  is  enforced  throughout  both 
Old  and  the  New  Tesument,  is  humility. 
fik>  little  was  thi<  disposition  regarded  by  the 
ancient  heathen  world,  that,  in  the  classical  lan- 
guagea  of  Greece  and  Rome,  there  is  no  word  to 
ilenote  the  virtue  of  humility.  It  is  a  quality, 
however,  which  results  so  naturally  out  of  thero 
latioQ  in  which  man  stands  to  his  Maker,  and  is 
ao  eorreapondent  tn  the  low  rank  which  be  holds 
ia  the  acaleof  universal  being,  that  the  religion 
which  so  powerfully  enjoins  it  may  be  said  to 
have  "  a  sign  from  heaven"  that  it  proceeds  from 
God.  And,  in  his  intercourses  in  society,  a  man 
will  at  fvaya  find,  that  there  is  a  far  higher  degree 
«f  quiet  and  satisfiiction  to  be  enjoyed,  by  hum- 
bling himself,  than  by  endeavouring  to  humble 
others;  for  every  arrogant  and  haughty  spirit 
will  onifemily  aanrt  under  the  feelings  of  wound- 
ed pride,  and  dieappointed  ambition. 

The  Christian  virtues  to  which  I  have  now 
adverted,  ought  not  to  be  considered  as  the  cha- 
ncieriatica  of  a  mean  and  unmanly  spirit,  or  as 
ocatiary  to  the  dignity  and  energy  of  the  human 


character.  The  apostle*  and  first  Christian*, 
who  uniformly  practised  these  virtues,  were  di»> 
tinguijhed  by  undaunted  fortitude  and  almost 
unparalleled  intrepidity.  They  advocated  their 
cause,  before  princes  and  rulers,  with  the  utmoet 
dignity  and  coin|tosure  ;  they  were  ready  to  kUP 
fer  (he  greatest  iiersecutioos,  and  even  the  meal 
excruciating  torments,  rather  than  betray  the  sa- 
cred cause  in  which  they  had  embarked  ;  and  one 
of  them  had  the  boldneas,  when  brought  before 
the  Roman  governor  as  a  prisoner,  to  arraign 
the  very  vices  (jr  which  he  wa-i  notorious,  and  to 
make  the  profligate^udge  tremble  in  his  presence.* 
80  far  from  these  virtues  being  mean  or  unmanly, 
they  are  the  princi|>al  qualities  that  are  justly  en- 
titled to  the  epithet  ^ote;  for  they  are  the  most 
difficult  to  be  acquired  and  sustained,  as  they  rtui 
couater  to  ihe  general  current  of  human  passion 
and  feeling,  and  to  all  the  corrupt  propensities  of 
the  nature  of  man.  A  man  may  liave  sufficient 
heroism  to  bombard  a  town,  or  to  conquer  an 
army,  and  yet  be  altogether  unable  to  regulate 
his  temper,  or  subdue  his  boisterous  passions. 
But,  "  he  that  is  slow  to  anger,  is  better  than  the 
mighty,  and  he  that  ruleth  his  spirit  than  he  that 
taketh  a  city."  In  the  oue  case,  we  strive  against 
the  corrupt  affections  of  our  nature,  in  the  other, 
(as  in  giving  vent  to  implacability  and  revenge,) 
we  give  loose  reins  to  our  malignant  passions. 
In  the  one  case,  we  struggle  against  the  stream, 
in  order  to  obtain  safety  and  repose  ;  in  the  other, 
we  allow  ourselves  to  be  hurried  along  with  the 
current,  regardless  of  the  rocks  against  which  we 
may  be  dashed,  or  the  whirlpools  in  which  we  may 
be  engulfed.  In  proportion,  then,  as  the  Chris* 
tian  virtues  prevail  in  any  community,  willquar< 
rels  and  contentions,  and  every  thing  destructive 
of  human  enjoyment,  be  effectually  prevented, 
and  happiness  diffused  among  all  ranks  of  so- 
ciely. 

In  short,  Christianity,  in  its  moral  requisitions, 
enjoins  every  relative  and  reciprocal  duty  be- 
tween parents  and  children,  masters  and  servants, 
husbands  and  wives,  governors  and  subjects , 
and,  not  only  enforces  the  practice  of  justice  and 
equity  in  all  such  relations,  but  inspires  the  meet 
sublime  and  extensive  charity,— a  boundless  and 
disinterested  effusion  of  tenderness  for  the  whole 
species,  which  feels  (or  their  distress,  and  ope- 
rates for  (heir  relief  and  improvement.  It  pre- 
scribes  no  self-denial,  except  with  regard  to  sinful 
lusts  and  depraved  passions;  no  mortification, 
except  of  evil  affections;  it  gives  full  scope  to 
every  feeling  that  contributes  to  the  real  enjoy- 
ment of  life,  while  it  guards,  by  the  most  awfij] 
aanctions,  every  duty  the  obaervance  of  which  i« 
necessary  for  our  present  and  future  happiness. 
It  extends  our  views  beyond  the  limits  of  the 
present  Slate,  and  shows  us,  that  the  future  ha|^ 
pioeas  of  man  is  connected  with  hia  present  coa> 

•  AcUxxiv.jW. 


BENKFIOIAL  EFFECTS  OF  CHRISTIAJSTITT. 


131 


duct,  and  that  everj'  action  of  our  lives  should 
have  a  reference  to  that  immorial  existence  to 
which  we  are  destined.  But  it  never  insinuates, 
thai  earth  and  heaven  are  opposed  to  each  olher, 
as  to  their  duties  and  enjoyments,  or  that  we 
must  be  miserable  here,  in  order  to  be  happy 
hereaf  er.  For  while  it  prescribes  rules  which 
have  for  their  ultimate  object  our  happiness  in  a 
future  world,  the  observance  of  these  rules  is  cal- 
culated lo  secure  our  highest  enjoyment  even  in 
the  present  life  ;  and  every  one  who  has  devoted 
himself  to  the  practice  of  genuine  Christianity 
has  uniformly  found,  that  "godliness  is  profitable 
unto  all  things,  having  the  promise  both  of  the 
life  that  now  is,  and  of  that  which  is  to  come." 
On  the  characteristics  of  the  moral  code  of  Chris- 
tianity, then,  I  should  scarcely  hesitate  to  rest 
almost  the  whole  of  the  internal  evidence  of  its 
divine  original.  For  laws,  which  have  a  tendency 
to  unite  in  a  bond  of  affectionate  union  the  whole 
intelligent  creation, — which,  if  practbed,  would 
undermine  every  species  of  moral  evil,  and  pro- 
mote peace  and  happiness  over  all  the  earth,  and 
which  are  equally  calculated  to  produce  true  en- 
joyment in  this  world,  and  to  prepare  us  for  the 
higher  felicities  of  the  world  to  come, — must 
have  had  their  origin  in  the  mind  of  that  Al- 
mighty Being  whose  omniscient  eye  perceives  all 
the  effects  of  every  principle  of  action,  and  all 
the  relations  which  subsist  throughout  the  moral 
universe. 

fi  Ohri^tianify  i>xp)ains  certain  moral  phe- 
nomena, which  would  otherwise  have  been  inex- 
plicable, and  affords  strong  consolation  under  the 
evils  of  life.  It  throws  a  light  on  the  origin  of 
eril,  and  the  disorders  both  of  the  physical  and 
moral  world,  by  informing  us,  that  man  has  lost 
his  original  happiness  and  integrity,  that  the  earth 
has  been  defiled  by  his  sin  and  rebellion,  and 
that  it  is  no  longer  the  beautiful  and  magnifi- 
cent fabric  which  it  appeared  during  the  period 
of  primeval  innocence.  On  the  same  ground,  it 
discovers  the  reason,  why  death  has  been  permit- 
ted to  enter  our  terrestrial  system,  and  the  cause 
of  all  those  afflictions  and  calamities  to  which 
mankind  are  subjected.  It  presents  before  us 
principles,  sufficient  to  explain  most  of  the  ap- 
parent irregularities  and  mysterious  operations 
which  appear  in  the  moral  government  of  the  Al- 
mighty.— why  storms  and  tempests,  earthquakes 
and  volcanoes  are  permitted  to  produce  their  rav- 
ages,— why  the  wicked  so  frequently  enjoy  pros- 
perity, while  the  virtuous  groan  under  the  pres- 
sure of  adversity, — why  tyranny  is  established 
and  vice  enthroned,  while  virtue  is  despised,  and 
love  to  truth  and  riohteousness  sometimes  ex(>o- 
ses  its  votary  to  intolerable  calamities.  All  such 
occurrences,  under  the  government  of  God,  are 
accounted  for  on  these  general  principles, — that 
they  fulfil  his  counsel, — that  they  are  subservient 
to  the  accomplishment  of  some  higher  designs  of 
•rhich  we  are  partly  ignorant,  and  that  the  justice 
16 


and  equity  of  his  procedure  will  be  fully  display- 
ed and  vindicated  in  the  future  world,  where 
"  every  man  will  be  rewarded  according  to  his 
works.*'  And  as  Christianity  explains  the  cause 
of  the  physical  and  moral  evils  which  exist  in  our 
world,  so  it  affords  strong  consolation  to  the  mindi$ 
of  its  votaries  under  the  afflictions  to  which  they 
are  now  exposed.  For,  what  is  death  to  that 
mind  which  considers  immortality  as  the  career 
of  its  existence?  What  are  the  frowns  of  for- 
tune to  him  who  claims  an  eternal  world  as  his 
inheritance  ?  What  is  the  loss  of  friends  lo  that 
heart  which  feels  that  it  shall  quickly  rejoin 
them  in  a  more  intimate  and  permanent  inter- 
course than  any  of  which  the  present  life  is  sus- 
ceptible? What  are  the  changes  and  revolutions 
of  earthly  things  to  a  mind  which  uniformly  an- 
ticipates a  state  of  unchangeable  felicity  ?  As 
earth  is  but  a  point  in  the  universe,  and  time  but 
a  moment  in  infinite  duration,  such  are  the  hopes 
of  the  Christian  in  comparison  of  every  sublunary 
misfortune. 

7.  Revelation  communicates  to  us  a  know- 
ledge of  facts  and  doctrines  which  we  could  not 
otherwise  have  acquired.  It  informs,  us  that 
the  Deity  existed  alone  innumerable  ages  before 
Time  began — that  the  material  universe  was 
brought  into  existence,  at  his  command,  and  by 
the  exertion  of  his  Almighty  power — and  that 
the  earth,  in  its  present  form,  had  no  existence 
at  a  period  seven  thousand  years  beyond  the 
present.  It  informs  us  of  the  manner  in  which 
this  globe  was  first  peopled,  of  the  primeval 
state  of  its  first  inhabitants,  of  their  fall  from  tli« 
stale  of  innocence  and  purity  in  which  they 
were  at  first  created,  of  the  increase  of  wicked- 
ness which  followed  the  entrance  of  sin  into  the 
world,  of  the  Deluge  which  swept  away  its  in- 
habitants, and  of  which  the  most  evident  traces 
are  still  visible  on  the  surface,  and  in  the  bowels 
of  the  earth, — and  of  the  manner  in  which  Noah 
and  his  family  were  preserved  from  this  uni- 
versal destruction,  for  the  re-peopling  of  the 
world.  It  informs  us  of  the  time,  manner  and 
circumstances  in  which  the  various  languages 
which  now  exist  had  their  origin — a  subject 
which  completely  puzzled  all  the  ancient  philoso- 
phers, which  they  could  never  explain,  atid  on 
which  no  other  history  or  tradition  could  throw 
the  least  degree  of  light.  It  unfiilds  to  us  views 
of  the  state  of  society  in  the  ages  that  succeeded 
the  deluge,  of  the  countries  into  which  mankind 
were  dispersed,  and  of  the  empires  which  they 
foimded.  It  records  the  history  of  Abraham, 
the  legisl.ition  of  Moses,  the  dtliverance  of  the 
tribes  of  Israel  from  Egypt,  their  passage 
through  the  Red-sea,  their  journeyinzs  through 
the  deserts  of  Arabia,  under  the  guidance  of  the 
pillar  of  cloud  and  of  fire,  and  their  conquest  of 
the  land  of  Canaan.  It  informs  us  of  a  succes- 
sion of  prophets  that  were  raised  up  to  announce 
the  coming  of  Messiah,  and  to  foretel  the  moat 


193 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


nmarkable  event*  (h«l  were  to  take  place  in  the 
fiilara  ages  of  the  woritt— of  the  app<rarance  oC 
Jmiu  Chriti,  of  the  promulKstion  of  hit  (tospel, 
•ad  the  miraculixM  etfrots  with  which  il  waa 
•ecompaniad.  All  which  events,  as  explained 
sod  illus' rated  in  i)ie  Sacred   History,  form  one 

trand  series  of  dis|ienuiliuns  which  is,  in  (he 
i{he<t  decree,  illustrative  of  the  Power,  Wi». 
dom,  GtxMiness  and  Rectitude  of  the  Supreme 
BeinK,— and  oC  which  no  other  records  can  give 
W  any  certain  information. 

8.  TV  ben^eial  ^ecU  which  Chrutianitt/  ha* 
fndtieed  in  the  world  conslilule  a  most  power- 
ful evidence  of  its  divinity.  One  striking  effect 
it  has  produced,  is,  the  superior  light  it  has 
thrown  on  the  great  objects  of  religion,  and  the 
knowledge  it  has  comrounicated  respecting  its 
moral  requisitions.  Wherever  it  has  been 
received,  it  hax  completely  banished  the  absurd 
systems  of  polytheism  and  pagan  idolatry,  with 
•U  the  cruel  and  obscene  riles  with  which  they 
were  accom|tanied  :  and  in  their  place,  has  sub- 
stituted a  system  of  doctrine  and  practice,  not 
only  pure  and  rational,  but  level  to  the  compre- 
hension of  the  lowest  class  of  society.  A  me- 
chanic or  peasant,  instructed  in  the  leading 
principles  of  Revelation,  now  entertains  more 
just  and  consistent  notions  oTGod,  of  his  perfec- 
tions, his  laws,  and  the  plan  of  his  universal 
providence,  than  the  most  renowned  philoso- 
phers of  ancient  times  ever  acquired.  Chris- 
tianity has  produced  an  influence  even  on  the 
progress  of  the  arts  and  of  rational  sciMnoo  ;  for 
wherever  it  has  been  established,  they  have 
uniformly  folk>wed  in  its  train ;  and  the  latest 
discoveries  in  philosophy,  so  far  from  being 
repugnant  to  its  doctrines  and  facts,  are  in  per- 
fect consistency  with  all  its  revelations,  and 
tend  to  illustrate  many  of  its  sublime  annuiicia- 
tioos.  With  regard  lo  practice — it  has  intro- 
duced many  virtues  which  were  altogether 
unknown  in  the  heathen  world.  Instead  of 
sottish  idolatry,  lasciviousness,  unnatural  lusts, 
pride,  ostentation,  and  ambition,  it  has  intro- 
duced, among  all  who  submit  to  its  authf>rity, 
ralioftal  piety,  humility,  moderation,  self-denial, 
charity,  meekness,  patience  untler  affronts  .ind 
{■juries,  resignation  to  the  will  of  God,  brotherly 
kiiidness,  and  active  beneficence.  In  the  first 
a^esof  Christianity,  such  virtues  were  eminent- 
ly oonspiciiout.—"  See,"  said  the  heathen,  "  how 
these  Christians  love  one  another."  Lactanti- 
08,  one  of  the  early  Apolo|(ists,  was  able  to  say, 
in  the  fiice  of  his  antagonists,  "  Give  me  a  man 
who  u  wrathful,  malicious,  revengeful,  and,  with 
a  few  words  of  God,  1  will  make  him  calm  as  a 
lamb ;  give  me  one  that  is  a  covetous,  niggard- 
\f  mis«r,  and  I  will  give  you  him  a^ain  lib<-ral, 
boOBliful,  and  dealing  out  of  his  money  by  hand- 
filb;  give  me  one  that  is  fearful  of  pain  and  death, 
•ad  immediately  be  shall  despise  racks   and 


crosses,  and  the  roost  dreadful  punishments  yoo 
can  invent." 

Its  influence  on  communities  and  nations  is 
no  lets  evident,  in  the  changes  it  has  introduced 
in  the  circumstance*  of  domestic  life,  and  the 
barbarous  practices  it  has  completely  abolished. 
When  It  made  its  way  through  the  Romnn  em- 
pire, il  abolished  the  unnatumi  practice  of  p<Jy- 
gamy  and  concubinage,  reduced  the  number  of 
divorces,  and  mitigated  the  rigmir  <>f  servitude, 
which,  among  the  Riimant,  was  cruel  and  severe 
— masters  being  often  so  inhuman  as  lo  remove 
aged,  sick  or  infirm  slaves  into  an  island  in  the 
Tiber,  where  they  suffered  them  to  perish  with- 
out pity  or  assistance.  Polished  and  polite,  as 
the  Romans  have  been  generally  considered,  they 
indulged  in  the  most  barbarous  enleriainnients. 
They  delighted  lo  behold  men  combating  with 
wild  beasts  and  with  one  another  ;  and  we  are  in- 
forme<l  by  respectable  historians,  that  the  fights 
of  gladiators  sometimes  deprived  Europe  of 
twenty  thousand  lives  in  one  month.  Neither 
the  humanity  of  Titus,  nor  the  wisdom  and  vir- 
tue of  Trajan,  could  abolish  these  barbarous  spec- 
tacles, till  the  gentle  and  humane  spirit  of  the 
gospel  put  a  final  period  to  tuch  sava<.'e  pra^ 
tices,  and  they  can  never  again  he  resumed  in 
any  nation  where  its  light  is  difltised,  and  its 
authority  acknowledged.  Il  humanized  the  barw 
barous  hordes  that  overturned  the  Roman  empire, 
and  softened  their  ferocious  tempers,  as  soon  as 
they  embraced  its  principles  and  yiekJed  to  its 

influonco.      It   civilixed,  and   iai»«~d   fiotii   iiiut«l 

and  intellectual  degration,  the  wild  Irish,  and 
our  forefathers  the  ancient  Britons,  who  were 
classed  among  the  rudest  of  barbarians  till  the 
time  when  they  were  converted  to  the  religion  of 
Jesus ;  so  that  the  knowledge  we  now  see  diffused 
around  us,  the  civilization  to  which  we  have  ad- 
vanced, the  moral  order  which  prevails,  the 
beauties  which  adorn  our  cultivated  fiekls,  the 
comforts  and  decorations  connected  with  our 
cities  and  towns,  and  ihe  present  improved 
state  of  the  arts  and  sciences,  may  all  be  consi- 
dered as  so  many  of  the  beneficial  eflfects  which 
the  Christian  religion  has  produced  among  us. 

In  our  own  times,  we  have  beheld  effects  no  less 
powerful  and  aMonishing,  in  the  moral  revolutica 
whirj)  Christianity  has  lately  produced  in  Tahiti, 
and  the  adjacent  islands  in  the  Southern  ocean. 
In  this  instance,  we  behold  a  peofile  who,  a  few 
years  ago,  were  among  the  most  degraded  of  ihs 
human  race — who  were  under  the  influence  if  the 
most  cruel  superstitions  and  idolatries — who  ador- 
ed the  most  despicable  idols — who  sacrificed  oo 
their  ahars  multitudes  of  human  victims,  and 
were  plunged  into  all  the  vices  and  debauche- 
ries, and  vile  abomination*  which  can  debase  the 
character  of  man — we  behold  them  now  trans- 
formed into  civilized  and  Christian  societies — 
their  minds  enlightened  in  the  knowledge  of  tha 


BENEFICIAL  EFFECTS  OF  CHRISTIANITY* 


123 


Iroo  God,  their  tempers  moulded  into  the  spirit  of 
the  religion  of  Jesus, — their  savage  practices 
abolished, — industry,  peace  and  moral  order 
spreadino  their  benign  influence  on  all  around, 
and  mu  I  tiiudes  rejoicing  in  the  prospect  of  a  bless- 
ed immoriality.  Where  barrenness  and  desola- 
tion formerly  prevailed,  and  where  only  a  few  sa- 
vage huis  appeared,  open  to  the  wind  and  rain, 
beautiful  villages  are  now  arising,  furnished  with 
all  the  comforts  and  accommodations  of  civilized 
life.  Where  pagan  altars  lately  stood,  and  hu- 
man victims  were  cruelly  butchered,  spacious 
temples  are  now  erected  for  the  worship  of  "  the 
Sod  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  and 
seminaries  for  the  literary  and  religious  instruc- 
tion of  the  young.  Where  sanguinary  batdes 
were  fjught,  amidst  the  furious  yells  of  savage 
combatants,  who  cruelly  massacred  every  prison- 
er of  war — the  voice  of  rejoicing  and  of  thanks- 
giving is  now  heard  ascending  to  Heaven  from 
the  peaceable  "  dwellings  of  the  righteous," — all 
which  effects  have  been  produced,  within  less 
than  twenty  years,  by  the  powerful  and  benign 
agency  ofthe- Gospel  of  peace.* 

Even  war  itself— the  most  disgraceful  and  dia- 
bolical practice  in  which  mankind  have  indulged, 
and  which  will  affix  an  eternal  stigma  on  the  hu- 
man character — even  war  has  assumed  something 
ofthe  spirit  of  mildness  and  humanity,  compared 
with  the  savage  ferocity  with  which  it  was  con- 
ducted during  the  reign  of  heathenism.  Prison- 
ers are  no  limger  massacred  in  cold  blood  ;  the 
conquered  are  spared,  and  their  liberty  frequent- 
ly restored  ;  and,  were  the  principles  of  Christi- 
anity recognised,  and  universally  acted  upon  by 
professing  Christian  nations,  the  spirit  of  warfare 
would  soon  be  wholly  exterminated,  and  Peace 
would  extend  its  benign  influence  over  all  the 
kingdom?  and  families  of  the  earth.  The  cele- 
brated Montesquieu,  in  his  "  Spirit  of  Laws," 
has  observed,  "The  mildness  so  frequently  re- 
commended in  the  gospel  is  incompatible  with 
the  despotic  rage  with  which  an  arbitrary  tyrant 
punishes  his  subjects  and  exercises  himself  in 
cruelty.  It  is  the  Christian  religion  which,  in 
spite  ofthe  extent  of  empire  and  the  influence  of 
climate,  has  hindered  despoiism  from  being  esta- 
blished in  Eihionia,  and  has  carried  into  Africa 
the  manners  of  Europe.  The  heir  to  the  throne 
of  Ethio()ia  enjoys  a  principality,  and  gives  to 
other  subjects  an  example  of  love  and  obedience. 
Not  far  from  hence  may  be  seen  the  Mahometan 
shutting  up  the  children  ofthe  king  ofSenaar,  at 
whose  death  the  council  sends  to  murder  them  in 
favour  of  the  prince  who  ascends  the  throne." — 
"Let  us  set  before  our  eyes,  on  the  one  hand, 
the  continual  massacres  of  the  kings  and  generals 
ofthe  Greeks  and  Romans,  and  on  the  other,  the 

•  For  a  particular  account  of  this  moral  revolution 
which  has  recently  taken  place  In  the  oociety  and 
other  Islands  of  the  Pacific,  the  reader  Is  referred 
to  "Ellis'  Polynesian  Researches,"  2  vols.  8vo. 


destruction  of  prople  and  cities  by  the  &mou3  con- 
querors Timur  Beg,  and  Jenghis  Kan,  who  ravag- 
ed Asia,  and  we  shall  perceive,  that  we  owe  to 
Christianity  in  government  a  certain  political  law, 
and  in  war  a  certain  law  of  nations,  which  allows 
to  the  conquered  the  great  advantages  of  liberty, 
laws,  wealth,  and  always  religion,  when  the  con- 
queror is  not  blind  to  his  own  interest." 

But  Christianity  has  not  only  abolished  many 
barbarous  practices,  it  has  likewise  given  birth 
to  numerous  benevolent  institutions  and  establish- 
ments altogether  unknown  in  Pagan  countries. 
Let  us  consider  the  numerous  schools  for  the  in- 
struction of  youth  in  useful  knowledge  and  in  the 
principles  of  religion,  which  are  erected  in  all 
towns  and  villages  in  Christian  countries,  the  nu- 
merous churches  and  chapels  devoted  to  the  wor- 
ship of  God,  and  to  the  instruction  and  comfort  of 
individuals  of  every  condition,  age,  and  sex, — the 
colleges  and  caademies  which  have  been  founded 
for  imparting  knowledge  in  literature,  and  in  arts 
and  sciences, — the  numerous  philanthropic  soci- 
eties which  have  been  formed  for  the  relief  of  the 
aged,  the  inflrm,  and  the  destitute  sick, — the  edu- 
cation of  the  deaf  and  dumb, — the  reformation  of 
the  criminal  code, — the  improvement  of  prison 
discipline, — the  reforngation  of  juvenile  oflTend- 
ers, — the  aiding  ofthe  friendless,  the  orphan,  and 
the  widow, — the  literary  and  moral  instruction 
of  the  children  of  the  poor, — the  relief  of  desti- 
tute imprisoned  debtors, — the  improvement  of 
the  domestic  condition  ofthe  labouring  classes,— 
the  promotion  of  permanent  and  universal  peace, 
— the  diffusion  ofthe  knowledge  ofthe  Christian 
religion  throughout  every  region  of  the  globe, 
and  for  various  other  benevolent  purposes,  all 
calculated  to  alleviate  the  distresses  of  suffering 
humanity,  to  extend  the  blessings  of  knowledge, 
and  to  communicate  enjoyment  to  all  ranks  oi 
mankind  ;  and  we  may  challenge  the  enemies  of 
our  relision  to  point  out  similar  institutions  in 
any  pagan  country  under  heaven  that  has  never 
felt  the  influence  of  Christianity.  And  if  such 
beueficent  effects  are  the  native  result  of  the  be- 
nevolent and  expansive  spirit  of  Christianity, 
they  form  a  strong  presumptive  evidence,  inde- 
pendently of  any  other  consideration,  that  it  de- 
rived its  origin  from  that  Almighty  Being  who 
is  good  to  all,  and  whose  "  tender  mercies  are 
over  all  his  works." 

In  fine,  Christianity  is  adapted  to  every  coun- 
try and  every  clime.  Its  doctrines  and  precepts 
are  equally  calculated  to  promote  the  happiness 
of  princes  and  subjects,  statesmen  and  philoso- 
phers, the  high  and  the  low,  the  rich  and  the 
poor.  It  is  completely  adapted  to  the  nature 
and  necessities  of  man  ;  its  rites  are  few  and 
simple,  and  may  be  observed  in  every  region  of 
the  globe.  It  forbids  the  use  of  nothing  but 
what  is  injurious  to  health  of  body  or  peace  of 
mind,  and  it  has  a  tendency  to  promote  a  friendly 
and  affectionate  intercourse  among  men  of  all 


Ml 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


And,  as  it  it  calculated  for  being  uni- 
T«reaMy  rxtendeil,  so  iu  prophets  have  foretold 
that  its  blessings  shall  ultimately  be  enjoyed  by 
•U  nations.  In  the  period  in  which  we  live,  we 
behold  inich  predictions  more  rapidly  accomplish- 
iav  than  in  former  times,  in  consequence  of  the 
iftrit  of  missionary  enterprise  which  now  per- 
Ttdea  the  religious  world.  And  wht-n  it  shall 
InTe  extended  a  little  farther  in  iu  progress,  and 
riiall  have  brought  a  few  more  kinifdoms  and 
iliands  under  its  authority,  its  beneficent  effects 
will  be  more  clearly  discerned,  and  the  eviden- 
CMof  its  celestial  origin  will  appear  with  a 
force  and  power  which  its  most  determined  ad- 
trersaries  will  not  be  able  to  gainsay  or  resist. 

In  protmrtion  as  the  physical  sciences  advance , 
and  the  system  of  nature  is  explored,  will  the 
harmony  between  the  operations  of  the  Creator 
in  the  material  world  and  the  revelations  of  his 
word,  become  more  strikingly  apparent.  Ever 
irince  philosophy  began  to  throw  aside  its  hypo- 
thetical assumptions  and  theoretical  reasonings, 
ind  to  investigate  nature  on  the  broad  basis  of 
inthtrtion,  its  discoveries  have  been  found  com- 
pletely accordant  with  the  Scriptures  of  truth, 
•od  illusirotive  of  many  of  the  sublime  senti- 
I0«nia  they  contain.  Geology,  when  in  its  in- 
&ncy,  was  eagerly  brought  forward  by  a  few 
sceptical  nnd  superficial  minds,  to  subserve  the 
cause  of  infidelity.  A  few  pretended  facts,  of  an 
tittulaled  nature,  were  triumphantly  exhibited,  as 
insuperable  objections  to  the  truth  of  the  Mosaic 
history  and  chronology.  But  later  and  more 
accurate  researches  have  completely  disproved 
the  allegations  of  such  sceptical  philosophers,  and 
were  they  now  alive,  they  would  feel  ashamed 
of  their  ignorance,  and  of  the  fallacious  state- 
ments  by  which  they  attempted  to  impose  on  the 
credulity  of  mankirid.  As  geology  advances  in 
its  investigations,  along  with  its  kindred  scien- 
ces, the  facts  which  it  is  daily  disclosing  appear 
more  and  more  corroborative  of  the  description 
giren  in  the  Bible  of  the  original  formation  and 
arrangement  of  our  globe,  and  of  the  universal 
daluge.  And,  therefore,  we  have  every  reason 
lOOoncliide,  that  when  science  and  art  shall  have 
arrived  at  a  still  higher  point  of  perfection,  nnd 
oar  terrestrial  system  shall  have  been  more  tho- 
raaghly  cxpk)red  throughout  all  iu  departments, 
arguments  will  be  derived  from  philo«o|ihy  itself 
in  iuppnrt  of  the  divinity  of  our  religion,  which 
wflt  carry  irresistible  conviction  to  every  mind. 

Buch  is  a  very  brief  nummary  of  the  internal 
evidences  of  the  Christian  religion.  It  it  distin- 
gniahed  by  the  dignity  and  sublimity  of  the  style 
aad  •emiinenis  of  the  writings  which  contain  its 
ligf^ii,N„i, — it  exhibits  the  moat  rational  and 
eenaitteni  views  of  the  attributes  of  the  Divine 
Baing,— it  givet  us  full  assurance  of  a  future 
tftale  of  imm<niality,— it  poinU  out  (he  way  by 
ffhidl  pardon  of  tin  and  deliverance  from  moral 
•Vfiniaj  be  obuioedr-it  axhiMta  the  pttretl  and 


most  comprehensive  system  of  morality, — it  ex> 
plains  certain  roormi  phenomena  which  wouM 
otherwise  have  been  inexplicable. — it  aflurda 
strong  consolation  under  the  evil*  of  life,^t  com- 
municates the  knowledge  of  interesting  facta  and 
doctrines  which  can  be  found  in  no  other  record, 
— it  has  produced  the  most  beneficial  effects  on 
the  sUle  of  society  wherever  it  has  been  recvir> 
ed, — it  is  completely  adapted  to  the  necessities 
of  man,  and  calculated  for  being  universally  ex- 
tended over  the  world  ; — to  which  we  might 
have  added,  that  it  is  consistent  in  all  its  parts, 
when  viewed  through  the  medium  of  enlightened 
criticism,  and  harmonises  with  the  principles  of 
sound  reason,  and  the  dictates  of  an  enlightened 
conscience.  These  are  characteristics  which 
will  apply  to  no  other  system  of  religion  that  waa 
ever  proposed  to  the  world  ;  and  if  Christianity, 
accompanied  with  such  evidences,  is  not  divine 
in  its  original,  we  may  boldly  affirm  that  there  is 
no  other  religion  known  among  men  that  can  lay 
claim  to  this  high  prerogative.  But  we  do  not 
think  it  possible  that  the  mind  of  man  can  receive 
a  more  convincing  detmHnlration  of  the  truth  of 
Christianity  than  is  set  before  us  in  the  authen- 
tic facts  on  wnich  it  rests,  in  its  tendency  to  pr(^ 
duce  universal  happiness,  and  in  the  intrinsic 
excellence  for  which  it  is  distinjtuished.  That 
man,  therefore,  by  whatever  appellation  he  may 
be  distinguished,  who  sets  himself  in  opposition 
to  the  spirit  of  this  religion,  and  endeavours  to 
counteract  its  progress,  must  be  considered  aa 
not  only  destitute  of  true  taste  and  of  moral  ex- 
cellence, but  as  an  enemy  to  the  happiness  of 
his  species.  If  the  religion  of  the  Bible  is  dis- 
carded, we  are  left  completely  in  the  dark  with 
regard  to  every  thing  that  is  most  interesting  to 
man  aa  an  intellectual  being,  and  as  a  moral 
and  accountable  agent.  Wo  should,  in  this 
case,  have  the  most  imperfi-ct  conceptions  of  the 
attributes  of  Deity,  and  should  know  nothing  of 
his  designs  in  giving  us  existence,  and  placing 
us  in  this  part  of  his  empire,— we  should  remain 
in  ignorance  whether  the  world  had  a  beginning 
or  h  d  existed  from  eternity,  or  whether  we  shall 
ever  have  an  opportunity  of  beholding  the  grand 
system  ofthe  universe  a  little  more  unfolded,— 
we  shouM  be  destitute  of  any  fixed  moral  laws  to 
direct  us  in  our  social  transactions  and  inter- 
courses,— we  should  be  entirely  ignorant  ofthe 
principles  and  objecU  ofthe  moral  government  of 
the  Almighty, — %ve  should  be  destitute  of  any 
consolation  under  the  afflictions  and  calamities  of 
life, — we  shmild  hang  continually  in  doubt  wheth- 
er death  it  to  put  a  final  termination  to  our  being, 
or  convey  us  to  another  and  an  eternal  slate  of 
existence  ;  nnd,  at  length,  we  should  be  plunged 
into  the  gulf  of  universal  scepticism,  into  which 
every  rejecter  of  revelation  ultimately  sinks. 

It  may  not  be  improper  to  remark,  that  the  re- 
ligion to  whose  characteristics  I  have  now  ad« 
rerted,  it  not  to  be  considered  aa  precisely  that 


EVIDENCES  OE  CHRISTIANITY  INCREASlNtS. 


125 


sforiti  of  Christianity  which  has  been  established 
in  Iialy,  in  Germany,  in  Russia,  or  in  Britain  ; 
or  as  ic  is  |irofessed  by  Episcopalians,  Presbyie- 
Tians,  la.lependents,  or  any  other  sectary  :  or  as 
it  is  exjMiiinded  in  the  catechisms,  confessions,  or 
systems  of  divinity,  which  have  been  published 
by  the  diiferent  denominations  of  the  Christian 
world.  In  all  these  cases,  its  true  glory  has  been 
•obscured,  its  beauty  defaced, andits  purity eon- 
taminaied,  by  passing  ihroagh  the  atmosphere  of 
human  folly  and  corruption  ;  and  opinions  and 
practices  have  been  incorporated  with  its  leading 
principles  altogether  repugnant  to  the  liberal  and 
expansive  spirit  for  which  it  is  distinguished.  It 
is  to  the  Ctaintianity  of  the  Bible  alone  to  uifdek  I 
refer.  It  is  there  alone  that  it  is  to  be  seen  in 
its  native  purity,  simplicity,  and  glory;  and  he 
who  neglects  to  study  the  Scriptures,  unfettered 
by  the  trammels  of  human  systems,  will  never  be 
able  fully  to  perceive  or  to  ap[)reciate  the  true 
excellence  of  that  religion,  which  is  "  pure  and 
peaceable,  full  of  mercy  and  good  fruits,"  and 
which  breathes  "  good  will  towards  men?'  For, 
in  some  of  the  forms  which  Christianity  has  as- 
sumed in  certain  countries,  it  has  been  so  much 
blended  with  human  inventions,  as  to  be  scarcely 
distinguishable  from  heathenism ;  and,  conse- 
quently, in  such  cases,  it  has  seldom  been  ac- 
companied with  those  beneficial  effects  which  it 
b  calculated  to  produce.  And,  among  almost 
all  the  sectaries  in  every  country,  either  some  of 
its  distinguishing  features  have  been  overlooked, 
or  its  doctrines  mixed  up  with  metaphysical  dog- 
mas, or  its  practical  bearings  disregarded,  or  opin- 
ions respecting  its  forms  and  circumstantials  set 
in  competition  with  its  fundamental  truths  and 
moral  requisitions.  "  Nevertheless,  the  founda- 
tion of  Gtwl  standeth  sure," — and  the  Divine 
fabric  of  Christianity  will  remain  unshaken  and 
unimpaired,  so  long  as  the  Scriptures  are  preserv- 
ed unconiaminated  and  entire. 

The  evidences  to  which  I  have  now  adverted 
are  continually  increasing  Tn  their  clearness  and 
force.  Tune,  which  is  gradually  undermining 
the  foundation  of  error,  is  enlarging  the  bulwarks 
of  truth,  and  adding  to  their  strength  and  stabil- 
ity. 0[iposition  has  tended  only  to  clear  away 
the  rubbish  which  has  been  thrown  around  the 
Christian  fabric,  but  is  has  shown  its  foundations 
to  be  firm  and  impregnable.  The  historiceU  evi- 
dence has  been  gaining  strength  ever  since  the 
days  of  the  apostles,  and  since  the  time  when 
Herbert.  Chubb,  Tindal,  Morgan,  and  other  in- 
fidel writers  attempted  to  undermine  the  cause 
of  revealed  religion.  The  defences  which  were 
published  by  Grotius,Stillingfleet,Butler,Lelaiid, 
Watson,  Paley,  and  others,  have  shown,  that  the 
more  the  arguments  f<7r  Christianity  have  been 
opposed,  sifted,  and  examined,  the  more  irresisti- 
ble have  they  appeared,  and  the  more  have  they 
shone  with  increasing  brightness  ;  so  that  no  in- 
Mel  has  ever  atleo^ted  to  meet  them  on  iair 


grounds.-^The  evidence  from  prophecy,  from  it* 
very  nature,  is  continually  progressive ;  and,  in 
pntportion  as  Scripture  predictions  are  studied 
with  judgment  and  intelligence,  and  compared 
with  the  history  of  past  ages  and  the  present  state 
of  the  nations,  will  a  new  light  be  thrown  on  the 
prophetical  writings, which  will  cause  the  evidence 
of  their  divinity  to  shine  forih  with  a  brighter, 
lustre,  and  enable  every  intelligent  observer  to 
read,  in  passing  events  and  in  the  revolutions  (X 
empires,  the  faithfulness  of  the  Almighty  in  ac- 
complishing those  declarations,  which,  "  at  sun* 
dry  times  and  divers  manners,  he  spake  to  the 
fathers  by  the  prophets.''— The  internal  evidence, 
which  has  been  more  overlooked  than  it  ought  to 
have  been,  is  likewise  increasing,  and  will  conti- 
nue to  increase,  in  proportion  as  the  Scriptures 
are  perused  with  judgment  and  care,  as  nat-ure  k 
contemplated  with  humility  and  reverence,  and 
as  useful  knowledge  is  diffused  over  the  world* 
When  the  holy  principles  of  our  religion  shaH 
have  acquired  a  greater  influence  over  the  tem- 
pers and  conduct  (*f  its  professors  ;  when  the  de- 
liberations of  statesmen  and  the  conduct  of  states 
and  empires  shall  be  directed  by  its  maxims  and 
laws  ;  when  Christianity  shall  be  divested  of  the 
false  drapery  with  wliich  its  pretended  friends 
have  attempted  to  adorn  it,  and  freed  from  the 
corruptions  which  human  folly  has  incorporated 
with  its  institutions;  when  all  who  recognise  its 
leading  doctrines,  throwing  aside  parly  disputes 
and  animosities,  shall  form  themselves  into  one 
grand  and  harmonious  association  ;  when  a  few 
more  portions  of  the  heathen  world  shall  have 
been  brought  into  subjection  to  the  Prince  of 
Peace,  and  when  the  general  happiness  result- 
ing from  such  events  shall  be  felt  and  acknow<> 
ledged — then,  all  who  behold  such  blessed  trans^ 
formations  will  be  enabled  to  read,  in  characters 
that  cannot  be  mistaken,  that  the  Creator  of  the 
universe  is  the  original  author  of  Christianity, 
and  that  the  promotion  of  the  best  interests  of 
mankind  is  the  great  end  of  ftli  its  revelations. 


My  intention  in  giving  the  preceding  summary 
of  the  evidences  of  Christianity  is,  to  show,  that, 
without  habits  of  rational  thinking  and  a  certain 
portion  of  general  information,  these  evidences 
cannot  be  thoroughly  investigated,  nor  their 
weight  and  importance  duly  appreciated.  For, 
how  can  a  mind  unaccustomed  to  reading  and  re- 
flection be  !<upposed  capable  of  entering  into  all 
the  topics  and  considerations  requisite  to  be  at- 
tended to  in  such  investigations, —  of  balancing 
arguments,— of  comparing  prophecies  with  their 
accomplishment  in  the  history  of  nations,— of 
detecting  sophisms,  or  of  feeling  the  force  of  rea- 
sonings, however  clear  or  powerful  ?  It  is  des- 
titute of  thoee  fundamental  principles  and  general 
ideas  on   which  all   moral    ratiocinatioos  art 


m 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OP  KNOWLEDGE. 


groundi'd.  On  such  a  mind,  the  niont  weighty 
argumcni!!  and  the  most  cn(;pnt  reasonings  make 
no  MMKibln  impreiwinn.  It  may  be  ■usccpiibie 
of  being  biassed  af.inst  religion  by  the  sneers 
ind  sarrasms  of  jovial  comtianions,  and  the  ri- 
dicule wiih  which  they  may  treat  the  tniihs  of 
revelaiKMi,  but  it  is  unqualified  piiher  to  rebut 
■uch  im|tertinences,  or  to  a|ipreciate  the  exceU 
leocies  nf  Christianity,  the  fuundaiion  on  which 
it  rests,  and  the  benignant  lendt-ncy  of  its  doc- 
trines  and  precepis.  And  if,  in  the  present  day, 
a  man  ha«  no  acquaintance  with  the  grounds  and 
reason!)  of  revealed  religion,  and  the  evidences 
oo  which  its  truth  and  tSviniiy  rest,  he  will  not 
only  be  indifTereni  to  the  observance  of  its  pre- 
cepts, and  destitute  of  its  supports  and  consola* 
tions,  but  will  be  constantly  liable  to  be  turned 
aside  to  the  paths  of  folly  and  iniemperance,  and 
to  become  the  prey  of  unthinking  fouls  and  scoff- 
ing infi<luls.  Whereas,  when  a  man  can  give  a 
reason  tJC  the  hope  that  is  in  him,  his  religion  be- 
comes a  delightful  and  a  rational  service,  and  he 
is  enabled  to  put  to  silence  the  scoffs  and  vain 
oavillings  of  foolish  and  unreasonable  men. 

Besides  assisting  us  in  investigating  the  evi- 
dences of  religion — a  certain  portion  of  general 
informal  ion  is  highly  useful,  and  even  necessary 
/in  enahling  u*  to  understand  the  Sacred  writingg. 
It  is  true,  indeed,  that  the  leading  doctrines  of 
revelation,  respecting  the  attributes  of  God,  the 
mediation  of  Christ,  the  way  in  which  salvation 
is  to  be  obtained,  the  grand  principles  of  moral 
action,  and  the  duties  connected  with  the  several 
relations  of  life,  are  detailed  with  such  plainness 
and  perspicuity  as  to  be  level  to  the  comprehen* 
■ion  uf  every  reflecting  mind,  however  imskilled 
in  literature  or  science.  But  there  are  certain 
portions  of  Revelation,  necessary  "  to  make  the 
man  oV  God  perfect,"  the  study  of  which  requires 
the  exertion  of  all  our  faculties,  and  the  applica- 
tion of  every  branch  of  human  knowledge  we 
can  poosibly  acquire.  This  arises  from  the  very 
nature  of  the  subjects  treated  of,  and  from  the  It- 
aiil«d  faculties  of  the  human  mind.  To  illus- 
trate this  idea  is  the  object  of  the  following  re- 
Barks. 

1.  A  considerable  portion  of  Scripture  is  oc- 
mpied  with  prophetical  deelaratii>nt,—  in  refe- 
rence to  events  which  have  long  since  taken 
place,  to  those  which  are  now  happening,  and  to 
tiioee  which  will  hereafter  happen  in  the  future 
ages  of  the  wr>rkl.  It  contains  a  series  nf  pre- 
dictions which  embrace  the  leading  ou'lines  of 
tlM  his'ory  of  the  world,  from  its  commencement 
IB  ili  final  consummalioo.  Now,  in  order  to  trace 
Aa  aenoinpiishmeni  of  these  predictions,  and  to 
perceive  dearly  the  events  to  which  they  refer, 
k  minute  acquaiDlance  with  ancient  and  modem 
hutory  is  indispensably  requisite :  fur  it  is  in 
kislory.  either  sacred  or  civil,  that  their  accom- 
piisltment  is  recorded.  And,  couU  we,  with 
MM  comprehensive  glance,  lake  a  surrey  of  aU 


the  leading  events  which  the  histoty  of  the  world 
records,  we  should  be  enabled,  when  reading  Uie 
prophetical  writings,  tu  perceive,  at  every  step, 
the  ideas  and  purposes  of  that  AlUCumprrhrn- 
sive  Mind  that  "  knuweih  the  eiwl  from  the  be- 
ginning," and  his  faithfulness  in  accomplishing 
the  pnMnises,  and  executing  ihe  ihreaienings  of 
his  word. — A  knowledge  of  Chronology  is  also 
requisite,  in  order  to  ascertain  the  lime  in  whicli 
predictions  were  uttered,  and  the  periods  to 
which  they  refer — and  of  Ancient  Geography, 
to  determine  the  localities  of  those  tribes  ur  na- 
tions to  which  the  profihecies  have  a  reference, 
and  their  relative  p<wition8  with  regard  to  each 
oilier. — In  particular,  it  is  necessary  to  l>e  ao> 
quainted  with  the  figurative  style  in  which  pro- 
phecy is  conveyed,  in  order  to  understand  the 
writings  of  the  ancient  prophets.  These  writ- 
ings, in  common  with  thuae  of  roost  of  the  Ea»- 
tern  nations,  are  highly  pr>etical,  and  abound  in 
Allegories,  Parables  and  Metaphors.  The  M- 
legory  u  that  mode  of  speech  in  which  the  writ- 
er or  speaker  means  to  convey  a  different  idea 
from  what  the  words  in  their  primary  signification 
bear.  Thus,  "  Break  up  your  fallow-ground, 
and  sow  not  among  thorns,"*  is  to  be  under- 
stood, not  of  tillage,  but  of  repentance ;  and  these 
words,  "  Thy  rowers  have  brought  thee  into 
great  waters,  the  east  wind  hath  broken  thee  in 
the  midst  of  the  seas,"f  allude,  not  to  the  fate 
of  a  ship,  but  to  the  fate  of  a  city. — Of  all  the 
figures  used  by  the  prophets,  the  mo«t  frequent  is 
the  Metaphor,  by  which  words  are  transferred 
from  their  plain  and  primary,  to  their  figurative 
and  secondary  meaning.  One  of  the  most  co- 
pious sources  of  those  metaphors  to  which  the 
sacred  writers  resort,  is  the  scenery  of  Mature, 
The  Sun,  Moon,  and  Stars,  the  highest  and 
roost  splendid  objects  in  the  natural  world,  figu- 
ratively represent  kings,  queens,  and  princes  or 
rulers,  the  highest  in  the  political  world,  as  in 
the  following  passages,  "  The  moon  shall  be 
confounded,  and  the  sun  ashamed. "|  "  I  will 
cover  the  heavens,  and  make  the  stars  thereof 
dark  ;  I  will  cover  the  sun  with  a  cloud,  and  the 
moon  shall  not  give  her  light. "§  Light  and 
darkness  are  used  figuratively  (or  joy  and  sor- 
row, prosperity  and  adversity  ;  as,  "  We  wail 
(or  light,  but  behold  obscurity,  for  brightness, 
but  we  walk  in  darkness  ;"|1 — and  likewise  for 
knowledge  and  ignorance  ; — "  The  people  that 
walked  in  darkness  have  seen  a  great  light,"  &c. 
Immoderate  rains,  hail,  floods,  torrents,  inun- 
dations, fire  and  storms,  denote  judgments  and 
destruction;  Lebanon  remarkable  for  Tts  height 
and  Its  stately  cedars,  is  used  as  an  image  of 
majesty  and  strength  ;  Carmel,  which  abounded 
in  vines  and  olives,  as  an  image  of  fertility  and 
beauty  ;   and  buQocks  of  Bashan,  rams,  lions. 


•  Jer.  It.  s.       *  Esek.  xxirll.  M.       t  Isaiah  atf 
n.       {Esek.zzzU.r.      |  Isaiah  Uz.*. 


KNOWLEEKSE  OF  SCRIPTURE  HISTORT. 


127 


•«e^es,  9nd  sea-monsters,  as  images  of  cruel  and 
•oppressive  conquerors  and  tyranis.  Metaphors 
■are  likewise  borrowed  from  hUlory,  from  the  sce- 
nery of  the  temple  and  its  various  ut<^nsils  and 
services,  and  from  the  ordinary  customs  and  ec- 
cupaiions  of  life — the  meaning  and  application 
of  which  require  to  be  distinctly  understood,  in 
order  to  (lerceive  ihe  spirit  and  references  of  an- 
cient prophecy.  Those  whe  would  wish  to  stu- 
dy this  subject  with  intelligence,  would  do  well 
to  consult  the  works  of  Lowth,  Hurd,  Sherlock, 
Kennicot,  Newcome,  and  particularly  "New- 
ton's Dissertations  on  the  Prophecies." 

.2,  In  studying  the  historical  parU  of  Scripture— 
a  knowledge  of  ancient  history,  and  even  of  Pa- 
gan Mythology,  tends,  in  many  instances,  to 
throw  light  on  the  narratives  of  the  Sacred  wri- 
ters.    We  find,  frona  heathen  writers,  who  were 


With  regard  to  the  deluge,  we  find  most  of  the 
Greek  and  Roman  writers,  Ovid,  Lucian,  Be- 
rosus  the  Chaldean,  Abydenus  the  Assyrian,  and 
many  others  referring  to  that  great  event,  and 
detailing  the. particular  circumstances  connected 
with  it,  in  language  nearly  similar  to  that  of  the 
Sacred  historian ;  such  as,  the  preservation  of 
Noah,  the  ark  in  which  he  was  preserved,  the 
mountain  on  which  it  rested,  the  dove  and  tbo 
raven  which  he  is  said  to  have  sent  out,  and  the 
wickedness  of  the  Antediluvians,  as  the  cause  of 
that  dismal  catastrophe.  We  find,  also,  that  tha 
whole  mythology  of  India  is  full  of  allusions  to 
the  general  deluge,  which  appears  to  be  the 
commencement  of  their  present  era ;  and  that  ac- 
counts of  the  same  event  are  to  be  met  with  in 
China  and  Japan.* 

An  acquaintance  with  ancient  history  is  nece»> 


stranuers  to  the  Jewish  religion,  that  the  most  **'")'  ^or  enabling  us  to  fill  up  the  blanks  left  by 
ancient  tradition  of  all  nations,  respecting  the  'he  Sacred  historians.  From  the  time  of  Ezra 
■early  history  of  the  world,  is  exactly  agreeable  to  *"'^  Nehemiah  to  the  birth  of  Christ,  there  is  an 
the  relation  of  Moses,  though  expressed  in  a  interval  of  about  four  hundred  and  fifty  years,  of 
more  abstruse,  doubtful  and  imperfect  manner,  'he  events  which  happened  during  which  wo 
The  description  of  the  origin  of  the  world,  in  the  have  no  account  iu  any  part  of  the  inspired  writ- 
ancient  Phenician  history,  translated  by  P/ti/o  ings.  A  knowledge  of  the  events  which  happen- 
Biblius  from  Sunchoniathon's  collection,  and  *<1  during  this  iaterval  is  necessary,  in  order  to 
transmitted  to  us  by  Eusebiwi,  is  materially  the  complete  our  views  of  the  scheme  of  Divine  Pro- 
same,  with  that  which  is  recorded  in  the  Book  of  vidence,  and  to  unfold  to  us  the  series  of  God's 
Oenesis,  when  separated  from  the  fabulous  no-  dispensations  in  relation  both  to  the  Jews  and 
tions  with  which  it  is  blended.  The  Egyptians,  'he  surrounding  nations.  During  this  period, 
according  to  Laeriius,  acknowledged,  "  that  ori-  '*<>>  many  of  the  predictions  of  Daniel  and  the 
ginally  the  world  was  a  confused  chaos,  from  other  prophets  received  their  accomplishment,— 
Whence  the  tour  elements  were  separated,  and  pariicularly  tliusc  whicli  relate  to  the  Mcdes  and 
living  creatures  made  ;  and  that  the  world  had  a  Persians,  the  Macedonian  empire,  the  times  of 
beginning,  and  consequently  would  have  an  end."  Alexander  the  Great,  Ptolemy  Philadelphusy 
■Hesiod,  the  most  ancient  writer  whose  works  Antiochus  Epiphanes,  Philip  of  Macedon,  and 
have  rvaehed  us,  says,  that  "  all  things  had  'he  persecutions  in  the  days  of  the  Maccaboeft 
their  origin  from  a  rude  chaos  ;"  and  Ovid,  in  Ii  order,  therefore,  to  obtain  a  clear  and  compre- 
the  first  book  of  his  "Metamorphoses,"  tells  us,  hensive  view  of  the  ways  of  Providence  during 
"  that  hefjre  the  seas,  and  the  land,  and  the  ca-  'his  interval,  such  works  as  Shuckford's  "  Con- 
oopy  o(  heaven  existed,  there  was  one  appear-  nexion  of  Sacred  and  Profane  History,"  an4 
■ance  throughout  the  whole  of  nature,  which  Prideaux's  "  Connexions  of  the  Old  and  New 
they  called  chaos — a  rude  and  indigested  mass,  Testament,"  require  to  be  studied  with  care,  ia 
in  which  earth  and  air,  fire  and  water  were  in-  many  parts  of  which  will  be  seen  a  running  cota- 
discriminately  mixed.^'  In  short,  Thales,  mentary  on  Daniel's  vision  of  the  "  Ram  and 
Anaxagoras,  Aratus,  Virgil  and  Hooter,  speak  He-Goat,"  and  of  "  the  things  noted  in  the 
of  the  original  of  all  things,  comformable  to  the  Scripture  of  truth;"  which  have  a  reference, 
account  given  by  Moses,  though  in  a  different  among  other  things,  to  the  kings  of  Persia,  to 
phra«e<ilogy  ;  and  we  learn  from  Josephus,  Philo,  Alexander  and  his  successors,  and  the  warlike 
Tibullu<,  Clemens  Alexandrinus,  and  Lucian,  expeditions  in  which  they  were  engaged.  For 
that  the  memory  of  the  six  days  work  was  pre-  *«>  elucidation  of  the  general  train  of  events  from 
served,  not  only  among  the  Greek?  and  Italians,  'he  Mosaic  creation  to  the  establishment  of 
by  honouring  the  seventh  day,  but  also  among  Christianity,  "  Siai;khouse's  History  of  the 
the  Cel'E  and  Indians,  who  all  measured  their  Bible,"  in  six  volumes  8vo,  or  in  three  volumes 
time  by  weeks. — Manetho,  who  wrote  the  his-  4lo,  with  the  additional  notes  and  dissertations 
■tory  of  the  Egyptians,  Berosus,  who  wrote  the  of  Bishop  Gleig,  will  be  found  an  invaluable  trea- 
Chatde:in  history,  Hiorom,  who  wrote  the  his-  sure,  and  will  amply  repay  the  reader  who  gives 
tory  of  Phenicia,  and  Hecatseus,  Hlllanicus  and  •'  *  diligent  perusal.'f 
Ephoriis,  who  wrote  the  history  of  Greece,  all 

agree  in  asserting,  "  that  those  who  descended  *  See  Maurice's  "Indian  AntloulUes,"  and  Btf 

'rom  thi  first  men,  in  Ihe  first  ages  of  the  world,  ""'^  System  of  Mythology." 

Ji»ed  many  of  them  nearly  a  thousand  years."—  .  illr^^J^Jr'.f  "J.^!^^'  *''"'°'!  orstackhouse's  Histom 

■'                          '                      /•«...  along  and  useful  dissertation,  entitled,  ••  Aa  Apf*" 


118 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


S.  A  KiMWiodg*  oflhe  manners  and  ciintoms, 
dimiir  and  mmwom,  artit  and  ■cirncr*  oT  the 
Eaut'Ti)  nAtiiiaM,  i««Meniially  requiiiie,  in  many 
inai.iMr:  '<.  in  order  to  nmleraiatid  the  allusiims  of 
the  ■-•.■.  »riterii,  and  ihe  mraning  nf  variuuf 
porn  lis  f  Scripiuru.  For  exHmple,  when  an 
antii''>-i  <l  reailer  peruurt  thr  nrcotmi  ^iven  in 
tb«  Kv.tn^'li.ifi  uTihe  cure  of  the  paraly'ic  who 
wu  >M' '  M  ^l  bv  f>HJr  men  on  a  bed,  and  who,  find- 
ing I'  >friii'»-?til>le  10  pa«a  through  the  throng,  a»- 
oeO'it'l  '■'  ihetoi  of  the  house  in  which  Jesui 
«U,  Hii'l  li-;  him  down  bed  and  all,  "  through 
Uw  liliri.'."  into  the  very  room  where  he  was 
■iltitii; — he  i«  apt  to  entertain  a  very  ronfiised 
aad  «Tri<i,c<iu!<  idea  of  the  circumstances  of  the 
case,  wiirii  his  attention  is  directed  solely  to  the 
mod<'  "I  liiiildin);  in  this  country.  Bui,  when  he 
is  inrr'iv-il.  ili.it  the  houses  in  the  country  of 
Judea  ■■■.■re  low-buili  and  flat>r<Kifed,  and  sur- 
rouni  '  i  %\ith  a  parapet  breast-hit;h,  that  there 
wax  i'  ..licr  or  pair  of  stairs  which  U'd  to  the 
top  oi  i  '  iir>ii»e  from  the  outside,  ami  a  trap-door 
or  h«'  'ia:iv  in  the  miditle  of  the  roof — he  will 
•oon  Kiuire  a  clear  idea  of  the  circumstances 
staipii  in  ilii-'  and  other  parts  oflhe  Evangelical 
hislorv.  dihI  of  iheeaxe  with  which  the  paralytic 
man  m  jiit  be  conveyed  to  the  top  uf  the  build- 
ing an  '  let  down  through  the  roof.  The  same 
fact"  I  k.'wi^e  illustrate  the  circums'ance  of 
Peter's  j;oinu  to  the  top  of  the  house  to  prny,  and 
th«  cii-tiim  of  making  proclamations  from  the 
1mmx>— I'll'.  In  which  ihprn  are  Mtvnral  alliisinn* 
ia  Scr  (.'lire. — A  knowledge  of  the  weather  and 
sea«i>iis  .if  Judea,  is  frequently  of  use  to  illustrate 
the  firci-  of  certain  expressions  of  the  sarred  wri- 
ters. It  may  seem  to  us  nothing  ex'raordinary 
that  liwre  should  be  "  thunder  and  ratn  in  har- 
vesl,*"  -ir  in  the  months  of  June  and  July,  when 
Samiifl  ««id,  "  Is  it  not  wheat  harvett  to  day  ? 
1  will  rail  un'o  the  Lord,  and  he  shall  send  thun- 
der aixl  rain."*  But  Jerome,  who  lived  in  Ju- 
dea niinv  years,  says,  it  never  rained  there  at 
that  s.'B.on ;  so  that  the  thunder  nnd  rain  which 
happen"  I  at  the  ntercession  of  Samuel  were 
truly  iMi  aculoiis,  and  as  such,  "  the  people  greatly 
feared  lie  Lord  and  Samuel."— Aeain,  in  Luke 
xii.  65.  II  is  said,  "  When  ye  see  the  smi'h  wind 
blow,  .<-  «av  there  will  be  heat,  and  il  comelh  to 
paas."  In  iMir  climate,  where  the  aouth  wind  sel- 
domh  >'v<  ihis  mnv  not  bealwavslhecase.  But 
in  Svr  I.  R;v|it,  Judea  and  ihe  adjacent  coun- 
tries, Uie  effect  here  mentioned  ia  striking  and 

ratns  in  the  History  of  the  Bible,"  has  been  left  out, 
withoiii  my  renson  lieinc  asilitned  for  the  omission. 
In  oti  1  '  resi>f«-is  the  orlclnal  work  npiieiirs  to  !« 
eomi'l"'''  RIshop  Qleic's  improvements  rnnslst 
chlet1>  <<>  ti'ineiiit  forwsnt  thediwoverlesof  mcxlem 
•cieni  •  '..r  ilir  purpose  of  eltirldittlnt  rertain  Scrlp- 
tuml  f  iru,  rm.l  ret'elllnx  the  oltlertlnns  of  lnfl<1rla — 
and  ill  V  ri.' 14  illiaertallont  on  someof  the  lesctlnjt 
diM'  Mstorlral  farts  of  rrvelatlon,  which 

Itu  «lilltlon*  to   the  ortclnal   work  ot 

>.  -  -iee  also  Uon%tft  buntutHoH,  ttc 

"^vn.  ».i.  17. 


uniform.  When  the  south  wind  begin*  to  blow, 
t)ie  sky  herumea  dark  and  heavy,  tl)«  air  grey 
and  thick,  and  the  whole  atmosphere  aasuroea  a 
most  alarming  aspect.  The  heal  |>roduced  bj 
these  southern  winds  has  been  compared  to  that 
of  a  huge  oven,  at  the  moment  of  drawing  out 
the  bread,  and  to  that  of  a  flame  blown  upon  the 
face  of  a  fierson  standing  near  the  fire  that  ei» 
cites  it. 

Thousands  of  illiistrationt  ufSacrH  Scripture 
may  be  derived  from  such  sources  ;  and  he  who 
is  unacqiiaint'd  with  them  must  remain  a  stran- 
ger to  the  beauties  oflhe  style  of  the  inspired 
writers,  and  to  the  precise  meaning  of  many 
portions  both  of  the  historical  and  the  prophetical 
writings.  The  manners  and  customs  of  ihe  EosW 
em  nations  have  remained  nearly  the  same  tat 
several  thousand  years  ;  so  that  those  which  are 
found  existing  in  the  present  day  are  exactly,  or 
nearly  the  same,  as  those  which  prevailed  in  the 
times  when  the  books  of  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ments were  written.  Modern  oriental  travdlera, 
in  their  descriptions  of  the  arts,  sciences  and 
manners  of  the  East,  have  furnished  us  with  a 
mass  of  invaluable  materials  (or  the  elucidation  of 
holy  writ,  and  they  have  proved,  m  many  case*, 
unintentionally,  better  commentators  than  the 
most  profound  critics  and  philologists.  Many  of 
their  insulated  remarks  of  ihis  kind  have  latelj 
been  classified  and  arranged  by  various  writer*, 
particularly  by  Harmer,  in  his  "  Observations," 
Riirder  in  his  •*  Oriental  Ciistonw,"  Paxtno  io 
his  "  Illustrations,"  and  Taylor,  the  late  learned 
editor  of  the  new  editions  of  Calmet's  Dictionary^ 
in  his  Fragmenta,  appended  to  that  work, 
which  contains  an  immense  number  of  such 
observations,  illtutrated  with  a  great  variety  of 
engravings. 

4.  An  acquaintance  with  Ancient  Geographf, 
especially  Ihat  part  of  it  which  relates  to  the 
Eastern  countries,  would  enable  a  person  to  p^ 
ruse  many  portions  of  Scripture  with  much  greater 
interest  and  intelligence,  than  if  he  were  alto- 
gether ignorant  of  this  brunch  of  knowledge.  In 
the  history  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  in  the 
Prophetical  writings,  there  are  frequent  references 
ant<  allusions  to  Mesopotamia,  Idumea,  Egypt, 
Assyria,  Chaldea,  Arabia,  Ethiofiia,  Lybia 
Purihia,  Scyihia,  Persia,  and  other  countriee— 
to  the  ciiitss  of  Jerusalem,  Babylon,  Nineveh, 
Damascus,  TaHmor,  Tyre,  Sid<in.  &c. — to  the 
great  Sea.  or  the  Mediterranean,  the  De»d  Sea, 
the  Sea  of  Tiberias,  the  Red  Sea — the  isle*  of 
Chittim  Cyprus,  Crete,  Melita — the  rivers  Jor- 
dan, Kishon,  Jahbok,  Euphrates,  Hidilekel,  Pi- 
son.  Ulai,  Ahana,  Phari>ar,  &c. — Now,  a  know- 
ledge of  the  positions  of  such  places  with  respect 
to  the  country  of  Judea,  their  relative  sitiiatiooe 
with  regard  to  each  other,  and  oflhe  outlines  of 
their  history,  and  of  the  warlike  achievement* 
and  commerce  of  their  inhabitants — is  frequent* 
ly  necessary,  in  order  to  attain  a  clear  and  coai 


m- 


SCIENCE  ILLUSTRATIVE  OP  SCRIPTURE. 


139 


prehensive  view  of  tne  passages  in  which  there 
are  allusions  to  such  locaiilies. — In  reading  the 
Evangelists,  it  is  highly  expedient  toi  know,  for 
example,  the  position  of  Samaria,  Galilee,  the 
lake  of  Gennesareth,  and  the  river  Jordan,  with 
respect  to  that  portion  of  the  Holy  Land,  denomi- 
nated Judea — the  situations  of  Bethlehem,  Na- 
zareth, Jericho,  Nain,  Sychar,  Bethsaida,  Cana, 
Tyre  and  Sidon,  with  respect  to  Jerusalem,  and 
their  respective  distances  from  that  rnetroplis— 
and  the  characteristics  of  the  inhabitanis  of  these 
places ;  fur,  upon  a  knowledge  of  such  circum- 
stances, our  perception  of  the  beauty  and  appro- 
priateness of  our  Saviour's  discourses,  and  of  the 
propriety  of  his  actions,  will,  in  a  great  measure, 
depend. — In  reading  the  history  of  the  journeyings 
of  the  Apostles,  it  is  no  less  expedient  that  we 
have  lying  before  us  mapsof  Asia  Minor,  of  An- 
cient Greece,  of  Palestine,  of  the  Eastern  parts 
of  Africa,  and  of  the  islands  of  the  Mediterrane- 
an, and  that  we  have  some  accquaintance  with 
the  history  and  character  of  the  tribes  which  in- 
habited these  countries  in  the  days  of  the  Apos- 
tles. Without  such  knowledge  and  assistances, 
we  must,  in  many  instances,  read  their  narratives 
without  ideas — and  shall  be  unable  to  appreciate 
their  labours,  the  long  journeys  they  undertook, 
the  fatigues  they  endured,  the  dangers  to  which 
they  were  exposed  by  sea  and  land,  and  the  allu- 
sions made  to  such  circumstances  in  the  Aposto- 
lic Epistles.* 

6.  An  acquaintance  with  the  facts  of  Natural 
History  and  Science,  and  with  the  general  pheno- 
mena of  Nature,  would  tend  to  throw  a  light  on 
many  passages  of  Scripture,  and  would  enable 
persons  to  perceive  a  beauty  and  an  emphasis  in 
certain  expressions,  which  they  would  otherwise 
be  apt  to  overlook.  For  example,  in  the  begin- 
ning of  the  hundred  and  thirty-fifih  psalm,  the 
servants  of  God  are  exhorted  to  "  praise  the  name 
of  Jehovah  ;"  and  in  the  sequel  of  the  Psalm  va- 
rious reatons  are  assigned  why  we  should  engage 
in  this  exercise.  One  of  these  reasons  is,  that 
"  He  cauaeth  the  vapours  to  ascendfrom  the  ends 
of  the  earth,"  Many  persons  who  read  or  who 
may  sing  this  portion  of  sacred  poetry,  would  be 
apt  to  overlook  the  circimistance  now  stated  as  an 
argument  of  very  inferior  importance.  But  if 
we  examine  the  subject  attentively,  we  shall  find, 
that  this  physical  operation  of  the  Almighty  is 
not  only  very  wonderful  in  its  nature,  but  that 
upon  it  most  of  our  comforts,  and  even  our  very 
existence,  depend.  Evaporation  is  a  process  by 
which  water  and  other  liquids  are  converted  Into 
vapour.  The  matter  of  heat,  combining  with 
water,  renders   it  specifically  lighter,  by  which 


•  The  student  of  ancient  sreography  win  be  assist- 
ed In  his  researches  by  a  perusal  of  Wells'  "  Set  of 
Maps  of  Ancient  Geography,"  twenty-three  In  num- 
ber—anil Wells'  "  Sacred  Geography,"  modernized 
by  the  EMitor  of  Calmet's  Dictionary,  which  is  one  of 
the  most  accurate  and  complete  works  of  the  Uml 


17 


means  it  rises  and  mixes  with  the  atmosphere, 
where  it  remains  either  invisible,  or  assumes  the 
appearance  of  clouds.  In  this  state  it  occupies 
a  space  fourteen  hundred  times  greater  than  \n  its 
ordinary  liquid  state,  and  consequently  is  much 
lighter  than  the  atmospheric  air  into  which  it 
rises.  It  has  been  calculated,  that,  from  an  acre 
of  ground,  during  twelve  hours  of  a  summer's 
day,  more  than  1600  gallons  of  water  have  been 
drawn  up  into  the  air  in  the  form  of  vapour.  From 
the  whole  surface  of  the  ocean  there  arisf ,  every 
twelve  hours,  no  less  than  30,320,500  000  000  or 
more  tlian  thirty  millions  of  millions  of  cubic  feet 
of  water,  which  is  more  than  sufficient  to  supply 
all  the  rivers  that  intersect  the  four  quarters  of 
the  globe.  This  immense  body  of  vapour  is  form* 
ed  into  clouds,  which  are  carried  by  the  winds 
over  every  part  of  the  continents ;  and,  by  a 
process  with  which  we  are  still  unacquainted,  is 
again  condensed  into  rain,  snow  or  dews,  which 
water  and  fertilize  the  earth.  Now,  if  this  won- 
derful and  extensive  process  of  nature  were  to 
cease — we  might  wash  our  clothes,  but  centuries 
would  not  dry  them,  for  it  is  evaporation  alone 
that  produces  this  effect — there  would  be  no  rains 
nor  dews  to  fertilize  our  fields,  and  the  conse* 
quence  would  be,  the  earth  would  be  parched, 
and  the  vegetable  productions  which  aff<)rd  us 
subsistence  would  wither  and  decay, — the  riv- 
ers would  swell  the  ocean,  and  cause  it  to  over- 
flow a  portion  of  the  land,  while,  at  the  same  time, 
their  sources  would  soon  be  completely  exhaust- 
ed, and  their  channels  dried  up.  In  such  a  state 
of  things,  the  whole  system  of  terrestrial  nature 
would  be  deranged,  and  man,  and  all  the  other 
tribes  of  animated  nature— deprived  of  those  com- 
forts which  are  essential  to  their  existence- 
would,  in  a  short  time,  perish  from  the  earth.  So 
that  it  forms  a  powerful  and  impressive  motive  to 
excite  us  to  praise  the  name  of  Jehovah,  when  we 
call  to  remembrance,  that  it  is  He  "  whocauseth 
the  vapours  to  ascend  from  the  ends  of  the  earth," 
and  thus  preserves  the  harmony  of  nature,  and  se- 
cures to  all  living  creatures  the  blessings  ihef 
now  enjoy. 

Again,  we  are  informed  by  Solomon,  (Ec- 
cles.  i.  7.)  that  "  all  the  rivers  run  into  the  sea; 
yet  the  sea  is  not  full ;  unto  the  place  from  whence 
the  rivers  come,  thither  they  return  again."  It 
appears,  at  first  sight,  somewhat  unaccountable, 
that  the  ocean  has  not  long  ere  now  overflown 
all  its  banks,  when  we  consider  that  so  many 
majestic  streams  are  incessantly  rolling  into  its 
abyss,  carrying  along  with  them  into  its  caverns 
no  less  than  thirteen  thousand  six  hundred  cubi- 
cal miles  of  water  every  year.  Solomon  partly 
solves  the  difficulty,  by  informing  us,  that,  "  to 
the  place  whence  the  rivers  come,  thither  (hey 
return  again."  But  how  do  they  return  ?  Many 
expositcrs  of  Scripture  attempt  to  explain  this 
circumstance,  by  telling  us  that  ike  waters  of  the 
ocean  percolate  through  the  earth,  and  in  some 


tm 


ON  THB  GENERAL  DIPRUBION  OP  HNOWLBrxSE. 


wajror  violher,  arrire  ntv  the  top*  ofmouniains, 
where  nprini^s  genermlly  Abound.  Bui  such  a 
•uppoxiiion  i*  not  only  highly  impmbable,  when 
we  cuaiider  the  vaat  mas*  of  earth  atxl  rucks, 
aeveral  hundreds  of  miles  in  thickness,  through 
which  the  waters  would  have  to  percolate,  but 
directit/  contmry  to  the  known  lawn  of  nature  ; 
for  nojhiid  can  rite  in  a  tube  above  the  level  of  iM 
murvt,  which  in  this  case  it  buhoved  to  do.  Mo- 
dem ozperimenta  and  discoveries,  however,  have 
ntis&ciorily  Recounted  for  this  fact,  on  ihu  prin- 
ciple of  sBqaorofa'on,  to  which  I  have  just  now 
adverted.  From  the  surface  of  the  ocean  and  of 
the  rivers  themselves,  there  is  carried  up  into 
the  atmosphere,  in  the  form  of  vapiur,  nearly 
three  rimes  the  quantify  of  water  sufficient  to  re- 
plenish the  sources  of  all  the  river*  in  the  world. 
The  vapour  thus  raised  is  carried  by  the  winds, 
ai  the  form  of  clouds,  over  every  region  of  the 
globe,  and  falls  down  in  rains  to  carry  on  the  va- 
rious processes  of  nature.  One  part  falls  into  the 
■ea,  another  on  the  lowlands,  and  the  remaining 
part  is  sufficient  to  replenish  the  sources  of  all 
the  rivers.  So  that  the  assertion  of  Solomon  is 
strictly  and  philosophically  correct,  that  "  to  the 
place  whence  the  rivers  come,  thither  they  return 
again."  They  first  fall  iiKo  the  ocean ;  a  por- 
tion of  their  waters  is  then  raised  by  evaporation 
into  the  atmosphere  ;  this  portion  of  vapour,  af^ 
ter  traversing  the  regions  of  the  air,  falls  down 
in  rain,  mists,  and  dews,  and  supplies  the  nuroe- 
lous  springs  "  which  run  among  the  hills." 

Such  illustrations,  which  might  be  indefinitely 
flztended,  not  only  throw  alight  on  the  meaning 
of  the  sacred  writers,  but  tend  likewise  lo  show 
%»  harmony  that  subsists  between  the  discovo- 
riea  of  science  and  the  truths  of  revelation.  As 
the  Author  of  Chrialianity  and  the  Author  of  the 
■ystem  of  nature  is  one  and  the  same  Being, 
ibvn  must  exist  a  harmonious  correspondence 
between  truth  in  the  one,  and  fact  in  the  other ; 
•ad  the  more  they  are  studied  with  intelligence, 
and  m  coimexion  with  each  other,  the  more  will 
their  harmony  be  apparent. 

It  is  a  circumstance  that  has  frequently  forced 
Haelf  upon  my  attention,  that  whatever  scene  of 
■ature  we  contemplate,  and  however  brilliani  and 
•amtpected  the  discoveries  which  modem  science 
baa  brought  to  light, — however  far  they  have 
carried  our  views  into  the  wonder*  of  the  minute 
parts  of  creation,  and  into  the  immeasurable  re- 
giooaof  apaoa,  where  myriads  of  suns  are  li|>ht- 
adnp«— aad  however  much  ihe  mind  may  be 
Itat  ia  attewiahmem  and  wonder,  at  the  magnifl- 
Mat  Maaw  which  they  disclose, — we  shall  find 
••■tiBHela  and  expressions  in  Scripture  adequate 
to  aipieea  every  emotion  of  the  soul  when  en- 
fifcd  ia  aaeh  contemplaiiora. — Are  weconiem- 
|luinf  the  expanse  of  the  ocean,  and  the  vast 
■Hn  of  waters  which  fill  its  mighty  caverns  7  and 
4o  we  wish  to  raise  our  thoafhts  in  adoration  of 
Ae  power  of  that  Almtghij  Being  who  formed  it 


by  his  word?  We  are  presented  by  the  inspired 
penmen  with  eapreesions  in  which  lo  veni  our 
emotions.  "  He  holds  it*  waiers  in  the  hollow 
of  his  haitd  ;  he  takeih  up  its  isles  as  a  very  lit- 
tle thing."  "  He  gaihereth  the  waters  of  ihe  sea 
together  as  a  mass  ;  he  layeth  up  the  depth  as  in 
•torehousea.''  "  He  divideth  ihe  sea  by  his 
power;  he  hath  compassed  the  waters  witli 
bounds,  until  the  day  and  night  come  to  an  end." 
"  Thou  coveredst  the  earth  with  the  deep  aa 
with  a  garment ;  the  waiers  stood  above  ibe 
mountains  :*  At  thy  rebuke  they  fled ;  at  tiM 
voice  of  ihy  thunder  they  hasted  away.  Thou 
hast  set  a  boundary  that  ihey  may  not  pass  over, 
that  they  turn  not  again  to  cover  the  earth.** 
"  He  hath  placed  the  sand  for  the  bounds  of  iIm 
•ea,  by  a  perpetual  decree,  that  it  cannot  pua 
it ;  and  though  the  waves  thereof  (o«s  tnenv^ 
selves,  yet  they  cannot  prevail ;  ihougK  ihey 
roar,  yet  can  ihey  not  pass  over  it."  He  haih 
said  lo  its  rolling  billows,  "  Hitherto  shall  Ihou 
come,  and  no  farther  ;  and  here  shall  thy  proud 
waves  be  stayed." — Are  we  speciaior*  of  storms 
and  tempests,  especially  in  ihe  terrific  grandeur 
they  display  in  southern  climes?  Our  emotions 
will  be  expressed  with  the  greatest  emphasis  io 
the  language  of  inspiration,  in  which  we  are 
uniformly  directed  to  view  the  agency  of  God  in 
such  phenomena.  "  Clouds  and  darkness  are 
round  about  him  ;  He  hath  his  way  in  the  whirl- 
wind and  the  storm,  and  the  clouds  are  the  dust 
of  his  feet."  "  When  he  utiereth  his  voice, 
there  is  a  sound  of  waters  in  the  heavens ;  he 
eauseth  the  vapours  lo  ascend  from  the  ends  of 
the  earth  ;  he  maketh  lightnings  with  rain,  and 
brinpeth  forth  the  winds  out  of  his  treasuries." 
"  The  God  of  glory  ihuodereth  ;  the  voice  of  the 
Lord  is  full  of  majesty ;  the  voice  of  the  Lord 
divideth  the  flames  of  fire  ;  yea,  the  Lord  break- 
eth  the  cedars  of  Lebanon."  "  Who  can  stand 
before  his  indication  7  The  mountains  quake 
before  him,  the  hills  melt,  androdu  are  shivered 
at  his  presence." 

Again,  when  we  contemplate  the  immense 
number  and  variety  of  animated  beings  which 
glide  through  the  waters,  move  along  the  earth, 
and  wing  ihetr  flight  through  the  air ;  together 
with  the  ample  provision  which  is  made  frr 
their  accommodation  and  subsistence, — where 
can  we  find  language  more  appropiaie  to  exprear 
oar  feelings  than  in  these  words  of  the  Psalmist  7 
"  How  manifold  are  thy  works,  O  Lord  !  In 
wisdom  hast  thou  made  them  all ;  the  earth  i* 
(bll  of  thy  rich':s  ;  so  is  the  great  and  wide  aea, 
wherein  are  things  creeping  innumerable, 
both  small  and  great  beasts.  These  all  wait 
upon  thee,  that  thou  mayeat  give  them  their  meat 
in  due  season.  Thou  |<iveit  them, — they  gv 
ther ;  thou  openest  thine  hand,— they  are  filled 
with  good." — When  wo  stmrey  the  strxiclure  o» 

*  MefenrlBff  to  tbe  atAom 


TIARMONY  OF  SCIENCE  AND  REVELATION. 


131 


the  human  frame,  and, consider  the  vast  niitnber 
ofbones,  muscles,  veins,  arteries,  lacteals,  lym- 
phatics, and  other  parts,  all  curiously  combined, 
and  calculated  to  facilitate  every  motion  of  our 
bodies,  and  lo  produce  sensitive  enjoyment,— 
along  with  the  organs  of  sense,  the  process  of 
respiration,  and  the  circulation  of  the  blood 
through  the  whole  frame  every  four  minutes, — 
can  we  refrain  from  adopting  the  expressive 
language  of  the  Psalmist  ?  '*  I  will  praise  thee, 
for  1  am  fearfully  and  wonderfully  made  !  mar- 
vellous are  thy  works.  My  substance  was  not 
hid  from  thee  when  I  was  made  in  secret,  and 
curiously  wrought,"^-or  variegated  like  needle- 
work,— "  in  my  mother's  womb.*  Thine  eyes 
did  see  my  substance  when  it  was  yet  imperfect ; 
and  in  thy  book  all  my  members  were  written, 
which  in  continuance  were  fashioned  when  as 
yet  there  was  none  of  them.  How  precious  are 
thy  thoughts  (or,  thy  wonderful  contrivances) 
concerning  me,  O  God !  How  great  is  the  sum 
of  them !  If  I  should  count  them,  they  are  more 
in  number  than  the  sand."  "  To  which  may  be 
added  the  words  of  Job,  "  Thine  hands  have 
made  and  fashioned  me  ;  thou  hast  clothed  me 
with  skin  and  flesh,  and  hast  fenced  me  with 
bones  and  sinews;  and  thy  visitation  preserveth 
my  spirit." — When  we  contemplate  the  minute 
wonders  of  creation,  and  are  struck  with  aston- 
ishment at  the  inconceivable  smallness  of  certain 
animated  beings, — how  can  we  more  appropri- 
ately express  our  feelings  than  in  the  language 
of  Scripture,  "  He  is  wonderful  in  counsel,  and 
excellent  in  working ;  his  wisdom  is  unsearch- 
able, his  understanding  is  infinite  ;  marvellous 
things  doth  ho  which  we  cannot  comprehend. 
There  is  none  like  unto  thee,  O  Lord,  neither 
are  there  any  works  like  unto  thy  works.     Thou 

•  In  our  translation,  the  beauty  and  emphasis  of 
this  passaze  are  partly  lost.  The  expression,"  curi- 
ously wrought,"  literally  translated,  signifies  "flow- 
ered with  a  needle."  The  process  of  the  formation 
of  the  human  body  in  the  womb  is  compared  to  that 
in  a  piece  of  delicate  work  wrought  with  a  fine 
needle,  or  fashioned  with  peculiar  art  In  the  loom ; 
which,  with  all  Its  beaut  ful  proportion  of  figure 
and  variety  of  colouring,  rises  by  ilegrees  to  perfec- 
tion under  the  hanil  of  the  artist,  from  a  rude  mass 
of  silk  or  other  materials,  and  according  to  a  pattern 
Vying  before  him.  In  accordance  with  this  idea,  tlje 
Divine  Being  is  here  represented  as  working  a 
shapeless  mass,  after  a  plan  delineated  in  his  book. 
Into  the  most  curious  texture  of  muscles,  bones, 
veins,  ligaments,  membranes,  lymphatics,  &c.  most 
skilfully  Interwoven  and  connected  with  each  other, 
tHI  It  becomes  a  structure  with  all  the  parts,  linea- 
ments, and  functions  of  a  man,— no  one  of  which  is 
to  be  seen  at  first,  any  more  thaui  the  figures  in  a 
tall  of  silk,  before  it  is  fashioned  with  the  needle. 
The  wonders  of  this  workmanship  are  fiirther  en- 
hanced from  the  consideration,  that,  while  human 
artificers  require  the  clearest  liglit  for  accomplish- 
ing their  work,  the  Divine  Artist  performs  It  "  in 
tecrel,"  within  the  dark  and  narrow  recess  of  the 
womb.  The  expression,  "How  precious  are  thy 
thoughts  tn  me,"  should  ho  rendered, "  How  precious 
are  thy  contrimncf*  reapecting  me,"  namely,  in 
reference  to  the  exquisite  structure  and  organala- 
tion  of  the  corporeal  frame,  on  which  the  Psalmist 
and  fixed  his  meditations. 


art    great,  and  dost  wondrous  things ;  thou  art 
God  alone." 

When  we  contemplate  the  amazing  structure 
of  the  heavens — the  magnitude  of  the  bodies 
which  Compose  the  planetary  system,  and  the 
numerous  orbs  which  adorn  the  nocturnal  sky- 
when  we  penetrate  wiih  the  telescope  into  the 
more  distant  regions  of  space,  and  behold  ten 
thousand  times  ten  thousand  more  of  these  bright 
luminaricJs  rising  to  view  from  every  region  of  the 
firmament — when  we  consider  that  each  of  these 
twinkling  luminaries  is  a  sun,  equal  nr  Riiperior 
to  our  own  in  size  and  in  splendour,  and  surround- 
ed with  a  system  of  revolving  worlds — when  we 
reflect,  that  all  this  vast  assemblage  of  suns  and 
worlds,  forms,  in  all  probability,  but  a  very  small 
portionuf  Jehovah's  empire,  and  when  our  minds 
are  bewildered  and  astonished  at  the  incompre- 
hensible grandeur  of  the  scene — where  shall  we 
find  language  to  express  our  emotions  more  ener- 
getic and  appropriate  than  in  such  passages  as 
these  ?  "  Canst  thou  by  searching  find  out  God  ? 
Canst  thou  find  out  the  Almighty  to  perfection  ? 
He  is  glorious  in  power,  his  understanding  is  in> 
finite,  his  greatness  is  unsearchable.  The  hea- 
vens declare  the  glory  of  Jehovah,  and  the  firma- 
nent  showeth  his  handy-work.  All  nations  before 
him  are  as  nothing,  and  they  are  counted  to  him 
as  less  than  nothing  and  vanity.  He  meteth 
out  the  heavens  with  a  span,  and  compre- 
hendeth  the  dust  of  the  earth  in  a  measure.  Be- 
hold !  the  heaven  and  the  heaven  of  heavens 
cannot  contain  him.  By  the  word  of  the  Lord 
were  the  heavens  made,  and  all  the  host  of  them 
by  the  spirit  of  his  mouth.  He  spake,  and  it 
was  done ;  he  commanded,  and  it  stood  fast. 
He  doth  great  things  past  finding  out,  and  won- 
ders without  number.  Great  and  marvellous 
are  thy  works,  Lord  God  Almighty !  Touching 
tho  Almighty  we  cannot  find  him  out ;  he  is 
excellent  in  power,  and  his  glory  is  above  the 
earth  and  the  heavens.  Who  can  utter  the 
mighty  operations  of  Jehovah  ?  Who  can  show 
forth  all  his  praise  ?" 

Are  we  led,  from  the  discoveries  of  modern 
astronomy ,  to  infer,  that  numerous  worlds  besides 
our  own  exist  throughout  the  universe?  This 
idea  will  be  found  embodied  in  numerous  passa- 
ges of  Scripture,  such  as  the  following ; — 
"  Through  faith  we  understand  that  the  world* 
M;ere /ranterf  by  the  word  of  God."  "In  these 
last  days  he  hath  spoken  to  us  by  his  Son,  whom 
he  hath  appointed  heir  of  all  things,  by  whom 
also  he  made  the  worlds."  "  Thou  hast  made 
heaven,  the  heaven  of  heavens,  with  all  their  hoM, 
and  thou  preservest  them  all,  and  the  host  ofheo' 
ven  viorshippeih  thee."  "  He  sitteth  upon  the 
circle  of  the  earth,  and  the  inhabitants  thereof 
are  as  grasshoppers.  All  the  inhabitants  of  the 
earth  are  reputed  as  tiothtng  in  hit  sight.  The 
nations  are  as  the  drop  of  a  bucket;  and  he 
doth  according  to  his  will  in  tht  armies  ef  I 


199 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


and  amonf;  ilw  inhabiianU  of  the  earth."  "  He 
bath  prrparrd  hi5  thront  in  the  hcnvcna,  and  Au 
ktHgtiom  ruUth  over  aU."  '*  When  I  consider 
thy  heavena — what  is  man,  that  thou  art  mind- 
full  oThini  7"  Ii  would  be  easy  to  show,  were  it 
expedient  in  the  present  case,  that  all  such  ex- 
pressions and  representations,  en)bo(<y  in  them 
the  idea  ofa  plurnlUy  of  tcorida,  without  which 
they  would  appear  either  inexplicable,  or  as 
a  species  of  bombast,  unworthy  of  the  character 
of  inspired  writers.  So  tliat,  to  whatever  de- 
partment of  nature  we  direct  our  contemplations, 
w«  perceive  its  correspondence  with  the  senti- 
ments expressed  in  the  sacred  writings,  and  find 
in  these  writings  the  most  sublime  and  appropr  - 
ate  language  in  which  to  express  those  emotions 
which  the  divcr^ifiud  scenes  of  the  material  world 
are  calculated  to  inspire. 

We  may  now  ask,  if  such  an  assertion  can  be 
made,  in  truth,  with  regard  to  any  other  writ- 
ings, ancient  or  modem,  whose  sentiments  have 
not  been  derived  from  the  sacred  oracles  ?  Can 
we  find  in  the  writings  of  all  the  poets,  philoso- 
phers and  orators  of  Greece  and  Rome,  senti- 
ments so  dignified,  appropriate  and  sublime,  in 
relation  to  the  objects  to  which  we  have  alluded  ? 
Do  not  such  writers  frequently  misrepresent  and 
even  caricature  the  system  of  nature  ?  Are  not 
their  descriptions  of  the  gods,  and  the  actions 
they  attribute  to  them,  in  many  instances,  mean, 
ridiculous,  unworthy  of  the  character  of  superior 
bein^,  and  even  in  the  highest  degree  inunoral 
and  profane  ?  And,  if  we  tuni  to  the  literature 
and  the  sacred  books  of  the  Chinese,  the  Per- 
sians, the  Hindoos  or  the  Japanese,  shall  we  find 
any  thing  superior?  And  is  not  the  circumstance 
to  which  we  have  adverted,  a  strong  prestunptive 
evidence  that  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New 
Testament  were  written  under  the  inspiration  of 
(he  Almighty  ;  and  consequently,  that  they  are 
"  profitable  fur  doctrine,  for  reproof,  and  for  in- 
struction in  righteousness,  that  the  man  of  God 
maybe  made  perfect,  and  thoroughly  furnished 
unto  all  good  works  7" 

Such  is  a  brief  view  of  some  of  the  advania- 
gfl*  which  may  be  derived  from  history  and  gene- 
ral science  in  the  study  of  the  Scriptures. 
Tlwra  ia,  inleed,  scarcely  a  branch  of  useful 
kwwkdge,  of  wfaaterer  description,  but  may  be 
readafMJ  in  mmm  way  or  another,  subaervient  to 
(h*  aiaeidalioo  o(  the  sacred  oradea,  and  in  ena- 
btiBf  oa  to  lake  a  wide  and  oomprehensive  view 
«f  the  facts  and  doctrines  they  declare.  Were 
tbe  great  body  of  mankind,  therefore,  inslrticted 
ia  general  knowledge,  and  aocustomed  to  ratio- 
nal inraatigBtioas,  they  wouU  be  enabled  to  atudy 
the  Scripturea  with  murh  greater  interest  and 
intelligence  than  they  can  now  be  supposed  to  do. 
Tbey  vouU  pvrceive  the  beauty  and  sublimity 
of  their  Isnguage,  the  dignity  and  rxcellnnce  of 
the  sentiments  they  contain,  the  purity  of  their 
doctriaea,  and  tbe  beneficent  tendency  of  their 


moral  precepts ;  and,  by  familiariaiflg  their  miniit 
with  the  numerous  and  multifarious  (iicl<<  they  ex- 
hibit, and  contfiaring  them  with  the  history  of  na- 
tions, and  with  passing  events,  they  would  gra- 
dually acquire  an  enlightened  nod  comprehensive 
view  of  God's  superintending  providence.  The 
study  of  iho  Scriptuies,  in  their  native  simplicity, 
with  the  helps  now  alluded  to,  and  without  inter- 
mixture of  the  technical  language  of  theologiana, 
and  of  party  opinions,  would  be  of  vast  import 
ance  in  religion.  It  woukl  convince  the  unbiaa^ 
ed  inquirer  how  little  foundation  there  is  in  tbe 
Scriptures  themselves,  fur  ntany  of  those  nume> 
rous  disputes  about  metaphysical  dogmas,  which 
have  rent  the  Christian  world  into  a  number  of 
shreds  and  patches,  and  produced  jealousy  and 
animosity,  where  love  and  affection  shoukl  have 
appeared  predominant.  He  would  soon  be  ena- 
bled to  perceive,  that  the  system  of  Revelation 
chiefly  consists  of  a  series  of  important /ocis, 
connected  with  the  dispensations  oTGod  towards 
our  race,  and  interwoven  with  a  variety  of  practi> 
cal  and  interesting  iVuths ;  and  that  the  grand 
design  of  the  whole  is  to  counteract  the  effects  of 
moral  evil,  to  display  the  true  character  of  Deity, 
to  promote  love  to  God  and  man,  to  inculcate  the 
practice  of  every  heavenly  virtue,  and  to  form 
mankind  into  one  harmonious  and  affectionate 
society.  He  would  find  none  of  the  technical 
terms  and  phraseology  which  the  schoolmen  and 
others  have  introduced  into  their  systems  of  th»> 
ology ;  nor  any  of  those  anathemas,  which  one 
sectary  has  so  frequently  levelled  at  another,  ap- 
plied to  any  one,  excepting  to  those  "  who  love 
not  our  Lord  Jesus  in  sincerity."  He  wouU 
naturally  be  led  to  the  conclusion,  that  what  is 
not  clearly  and  explicitly  stated  in  the  Scriptures, 
or  but  obscurely  hinted  at,  in  reference  to  the 
external  government  of  the  church  or  any  other 
subject,  cannot  be  a  matter  of  primary  import* 
ance,  and  consequently,  ought  never  to  be  tbe 
subject  of  virulent  dispute,  or  the  cause  of  di»> 
sension  or  separation  among  Christians — and 
that  those  things  only  are  to  b«  considered  as  tbe 
prominent  and  distinguishing  truths  of  religioo 
which  are  the  most  frequently  reiterated,  and  ex> 
pressed  with  such  emphasb,  and  perspicuity,  that 
"  he  who  runs  may  read  them." 

Again,  such  an  intelligent  study  of  the  Scri|K 
tures  as  would  accompany  the  acquisition  of  ge»> 
eral  knowledge,  woukl  have  a  tendency  to  pr«>» 
mote  tbe  union  of  tlie  Christian  church.  Ignorance 
and  distorted  views  of  the  truths  of  revelation 
are  almost  uniformly  accompanied  with  illiberal- 
ity  and  self-conceit ;  and  where  these  prevail, 
silly  prejudices  are  fostered,  and  party  opinions 
tenaciously  adhered  to,  and  magnified  into  undue 
importance.  But  an  enlightened  mind, — the 
farther  it  advances  in  the  path  of  knowledge  and 
in  the  study  of  the  Sacred  Oracles,  the  more  will 
it  perceive  the  limited  nature  of  itsfacul'ies,and 
the  difficulty  of  deciding  on  certain  mysterious 


MISCELLANEOUS  ADVANTAGES  OP  KNOWLEDGE, 


1S3 


doctrines  ;  and  consequently,  ihe  more  will  it  be 
disposed  to  grant  to  every  oiher  mind  a  liberty  of 
thought  on  subordinate  religious  subjects,  and  to 
make  every  allowance  for  those  educational  pre- 
judices and  other  causes  which  have  a  tendency 
to  warp  the  mind  to  certain  favourite  opinions. 
And,  when  such  a  disposition  more  generally  pre- 
vails, and  is  accompanied  with  the  exercise  of 
Christian  love  and  moderation — the  spirit  of  party 
will  he  gradually  undermined,  and  all  who  recog- 
nise the  grand  and  essential  features  of  genuine 
Christianity  will  unite  in  one  lovely  and  harmo- 
nious society.  But,  so  long  as  ignorance  and 
habits  of  mental  inactivity  prevail  among  the 
great  body  of  the  population,  such  a  happy  con- 
summation cannot  be  expected.* 

In  short,  were  the  Sacred  writings  studied  with 
reverence  and  attention,  and  those  departments 
of  knowledge  to  which  I  have  alluded  brought 
forward  to  assist  in  their  investigation,  Infidelity 
would  soon  feel  ashamed  of  its  ignorance  and 
impertinence,  and  hide  its  head  in  retirement  and 
obscurity.  It  is  owing,  in  a  great  measure,  to 
ignorance  of  the  Scriptures,  that  so  many  avow- 
ed intidels  are  to  be  found  in  society.  "  They 
speak  evil  of  the  things  which  they  know  not ;" 
"  their  mouth  speaketh  great  swelling  words  "  of 
T&nity  against  truths  which  they  never  investi- 
gated, and  which,  of  course,  they  do  not  under- 
stand. Even  some  of  those  who  have  attempted 
to  write  against  revelation  are  not  ashamed  to 
avow,  that  they  have  never  either  read  or  studied 
the  writings  it  contains.  Paine,  one  of  the  most 
virulent  adversaries  of  Christianity,  had  the  ef- 
frontery to  affirm,  that,  when  he  wrote  the  first 
part  of  his  "  Age  of  Reason."  he  was  without  a 
Bible.  "  Afterwards,"  he  tells  us,  in  schoolboy 
language,  "  I  |)rocured  a  Bible  and  a  Testament." 
Who,  but  an  arrant  fool  would  have  made  such  a 
declaration,  and  thus  have  proclaimed  his  own 
impertinence  and  folly  ?  and  who  would  have  lis- 
tened with  patience  to  such  an  impudent  avowal, 
had  it  been  made  in  relation  to  any  other  subject? 
For,  to  attempt  to  answer  a  book  which  one  had 
not  read,  is  surely  the  height  of  presumption  and 
impudence,  and  plainly  indicates,  that  the  mind 
was  previously  prejudiced  against  it,  and  deter- 
mined to  oppose  its  sentiments.  Others  have 
looked  into  the  Bible,  and  skimmed  over  its  con- 
tents, with  the  express  purpose  of  finding  faults 
and  contradii:tions.  Emerson  the  mathemati- 
cian, having  imbibed  a  disrelish  for  the  Scrip- 
tures, endeavoured  to  satisfy  his  mind  that  they 
were  not  divine,  by  picking  out  a  number  of  in- 
sulated passages,  which  he  conceived  to  be  con- 
tradictions, and  set  them,  one  opposite  to  anoth- 
er, in  two  separate  columns,  and  then  was  bold 
enough  to  aver  that  he  had  proved  the  Bible  to 
be  an  imposture.     Is  it  any  wonder  that  men 


*  For  a  more  ftiU  Ulostiatlon  of  this  topic,  see  Sec* 
tlonV. 


vvho  presume  to  act  in  this  manner  should  never 
come  to  the  knowledj;e  of  the  truth  ?  What 
book  in  the  world  would  stand  such  an  ordeal  ? 
There  is  no  treatise  on  any  subject  whatever, 
which,  if  treated  in  this  manner,  might  not  be 
made  to  appear  a  mass  of  absurdities  and  con- 
tradictions. If  the  Bible  is  to  be  read  at  all,  it 
must  be  perused  both  with  reverence  and  with  in. 
telligencc ;  and  there  is  no  one  who  enters  on  the 
study  of  it,  in  such  a  slate  of  mind,  but  will  soon 
perceive,  that  it  contains  "  the  witness  in  itself," 
that  it  is  from  God,  and  will  feel,  that  it  is  ".quick 
and  powerful"  in  its  appeals  to  the  conscience, 
and  a  "  searcher  of  the  thoughts  and  intents  of 
the  heart."  But  he  who  reads  it  either  with 
scorn,  with  negligence,  or  with  prejudice,  needs 
not  wonder  if  he  shall  find  himself  only  confirm- 
ed in  his  folly  and  unbelief.  "For  a  scorner 
seeketh  wisdom,  and  findeth  it  not ;  but  know- 
ledge is  easy  unto  him  that  hath  understanding. 
I  have  dwelt,  at  considerable  length,  on  the  to- 
pic of  Christianity,  because  it  is  a  subject  of  pe- 
culiar interest  and  importance  to  every  individual. 
If,  in  systecns  of  education,  and  in  the  means  by 
which  mankind  at  large  may  be  enlightened  and 
improved,  the  knowledge  of  religion  be  overlook- 
ed, and  its  moral  requisitions  disregarded,  more 
evil  than  good  may  be  the  result  of  the  dissemi- 
nation of  general  and  scientific  knowledge.  Wo 
have  a  proof  of  this  in  the  scenes  of  anarchy, 
licentiousness  and  horror  which  succeeded  the 
first  French  revolution,  when  revealed  religion 
wa«  publicly  discarled,  and  atheism,  infidelity 
and  fatalism,  accompanied  with  legalized  plun- 
dering, became  "  the  order  of  the  day."  If 
knowledge  is  not  consecrated  to  a  moral  purpose, 
and  prosecuted  with  a  reference  to  that  immortal 
existence  lo  which  we  are  destined,  the  utility 
of  its  general  difTusion  might  be  justly  called  in 
question.  Bui,  when  prosecuted  in  connexion 
with  the  important  discoveries  of  revelation,  it 
has  a  tendency  to  raise  man  to  the  highest  dig- 
nity of  which  his  nature  is  susceptible,  and  to 
prepare  him  for  more  exalted  pursuits  and  enjoy- 
ments in  the  life  to  come. 


SECTION  X. 

Miicdlanwiu  Advantage*  of  Knowledge  br^fly 
slated. 

In  this  section,  I  shall  briefly  advert  to  seve- 
ral advantages  which  would  flow  from  a  general 
diflusion  of  knowledge,  not  directly  included  in 
those  which  have  already  been  staled. 

I.  Minds  tutored  in  knowledge  and  habits  of 
reflection,  would  be  led  to  form  just  estimates  of 
human  character  and  enjoyment. 

The  bulk  of  mankind  are  apt  to  form  a  false 
estimate  of  the  cbaracters  of  men,  from  consider 


134 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OP  KNOWLEDGE. 


ing  only  thoae  adrentiiiouf  circunisiancps  in 
which  they  aro  placed,  and  lho*e  exirrnal  trap- 
ping* wilh  which  thtj  are  adtimed.  Wherever 
wealth  and  aplrndour,  and  liij{h-soiindinf;  lilies 
hare  taknn  up  iheir  residence,  Ihe  miilliiude  fail 
down  and  worship  at  (heir  shrine.  Thr  gauiral 
and  acquinsl  endowments  of  the  mind  are  seldom 
appreciated  and  rmperted,  unless  ihey  ar<>  cloth- 
ed Willi  a  da7j;ling  exterior.  A  man  of  genius, 
oTvirliif  and  ufpiely,  is  not  distinguished  from 
the  Ri>nimon  herd  of  mankind,  unless  he  ran  a,f- 
Ibrd  to  live  in  an  elegant  mansion,  to  entertain 
Convirial  parties,  and  to  mingle  wilh  the  fushion- 
ablu  aiMl  polite.  The  poor  and  ignorant  peasant 
looks  up  wilh  a  kind  of  venera'ion  to  my  lord  and 
my  lady,  as  if  diey  were  a  species  of  superior 
beings,  though,  perha|>8,  with  the  exception  of  a 
few  (rirtini;  accomplishments,  thi-y  are  scarcely 
raiseil  above  the  level  of  the  vulgar  whom  they 
despise,  in  respect  to  intellectual  attainments ; 
and  they  are  ofien  far  beneath  them  in  those  mo- 
ral accomplishments  which  constitute  the  true 
glory  of  man, — being  too  frequently  the  slaves  of 
many  foolish  caprices  and  unhallowed  passions. 
To  pay  homage  to  mere  titles,  rank  or  riches, 
has  a  temleiicy  to  degrade  the  human  mind,  and 
has  been  the  source  of  all  that  vassalage,  slavery 
and  despotism  which  have  prevailed  in  ihe  world. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  man  of  rank  and  fashion 
looks  down  with  a  species  of  disdain,  and  con- 
siders as  unworthy  of  his  notice,  the  man  of  ta- 
lent, or  the  rational  inquirer  after  truth,  if  he  is 
clad  in  a  homely  dress,  and  possessed  of  only  a 
•mall  share  of  wealth  ;  because,  forsooth,  he  is 
unqualified  to  accompany  him  to  horse-races, 
assemblies,  masquerades,  and  other  fashionable 
Mitertaininents.  Many  an  individual  of  siiperla- 
Ure  worth  and  merit  has  been  thus  overlooked  by 
his  superiors  in  rank,  and  even  by  the  great  body 
of  his  fellow-men,  and  has  passed  through  the 
world  almost  unnoticed  and  unknown,  except  by 
a  few  minds  congenial  to  his  own.  For  the  beau- 
ties and  excellencies  of  mind  can  only  be  perceiv- 
ed and  appreciated  by  those  whose  mental  facul- 
ties have  been,  in  some  degree,  enlightened 
and  improved,  and  who  are  Qualified  to  estimate 
theralue  of  a  jewel,  although  its  casket  may  be 
fermed  of  coarve  materials,  and  besmeared  with 
•and  and  mud. 

The  multitude  form  no  less  erroneous  esti- 
mates in  regard  to  human  happiness.  Having 
felt  little  other  misery  than  that  which  arises 
from  poverty,  want, or  excessive  labour,  they  are 
apt  lo  imagine,  that  where  riches  abound,  and  the 
atrenues  lo  every  sensitive  enjoyment  are  free 
and  iiaobitructed,  there  miserv  can  scarely  gain 
aidmiitan<-e,  and  the  greatest  vhare  of  human  hap- 
piM«  most  be  f<Mind  ;  that  where  there  is  wealth 
llMre  eaa  be  little  aorrow,  and  that  ihoee  who 
glide  alon<!  in  splendour  and  affluence  can  scarcely 
be  acquainted  with  the  cares  and  anxieties  whirii 
press   so  heavilj  upon  the  test  of    mankind. 


Hrnce  the  ruling  passion,  which  distingtjishaa 
the  majority  of  mankind,  lo  aspire  afier  elevated 
station  and  rank,  and  to  accumulate  riches,  al- 
though it  should  be  at  the  expense  of  trampling 
under  foot  every  social  duty,  and  erery  moral 
principle,  and  even  at  the  risk  of  endangering 
life  itself.  Hence,  the  idle  and  the  vicious  are 
led  to  imagine,  that  if  they  can  but  lay  hokl  ot 
wealth,  whether  by  fraud,  by  deceit,  «r  by  open 
violence,  they  will  be  able  to  administer  nutri- 
ment to  those  desires  which,  when  gratified,  will 
complete  their  happinesf. 

It  is  evident,  that  nothing  can  be  supposed 
more  effectual  for  counteracting  such  fallacious 
tendencies  of  the  human  mind,  than  the  cultiva- 
tion of  reason,  the  expanding  o(  the  intellectual 
faculties,  and  the  habit  of  applying  the  princi- 
ples of  knowledge  to  the  diversified  phenomena 
of  human  character  and  conduct.  The  man 
whose  mind  is  accustomed  to  investigation,  and 
to  lake  an  extensive  range  through  the  regions  ot 
science,  and  who  considers  his  mental  powers  as 
the  chief  characteristic  by  which  he  is  distill 
guished  in  the  scale  of  animal  existence,  will  na- 
turally be  guided  in  his  esiimates  of  human  chi^ 
racier,  by  morai  and  inteUeetual  considerations. 
His  eye  will  easily  penetrate  through  the  thin 
veil  of  exterior  and  adventitious  accompaniments, 
and  appreciate  what  alone  is  worthy  of  regard  in 
the  characters  of  men,  whether  they  be  suriound- 
ed  by  wealth  and  splendour,  or  immersed  in  po- 
verty orobscuri'y.  And  with  respect  to  human 
happiness,  a  |>erson  of  this  description  will  easilj 
enter  into  such  a  train  of  reasoning  as  the  follow- 
ing, and  feel  its  force : — That,  in  respect  of 
wealth,  what  we  cannot  reach  may  very  well  be 
forborne  ;  that  the  inequality  of  happiness  on  this 
account  is,  for  the  most  part,  much  less  than  it 
seems ;  that  the  greatness  which  we  admire  at 
a  distance,  has  much  fewer  advnntages,  and 
much  less  splendour,  when  we  are  suffered  to 
approach  it ;  that  the  happiness  which  we  ima- 
gine to  be  found  in  high  life,  is  much  alloyed 
and  diminished  by  a  variety  offoolish  passions 
and  domestic  cares  and  anxieties,  of  which  we 
are  generally  ignorant  ;  and  that  the  apparent  in- 
felicity of  the  lower  stations  in  society  is  fre- 
quently moderated  by  various  moral  and  domestic 
comforts,  unknown  to  many  of  those  who  occupy 
the  highest  ranks  of  social  life.  There  is  a  cer- 
tain portion  ofextemal  enjoyment  without  which 
no  man  can  be  happy  ;  and  there  is  a  certain 
portion  of  wealth  to  procure  this  enjoyment 
which  every  rank  of  society  ooght  to  possess,  and 
which  even  the  lowest  ranVs  wouM  obtain,  were 
the  movements  of  the  social  machine  properly 
conducted.  But,  to  pursue  riches,  wilh  all  the 
violence  of  passion,  as  the  chief  end  of  our  being, 
is  not  only  dejrrading  to  our  intellectual  natures, 
and  tends  to  block  up  the  avenues  to  tranquil  en- 
joyment, but  is  fraught  with  toil  and  anxiety 
and  innumerable  hazards.     "  Wealth,"  says  a 


PUBLIC  INSTRUCTIONS. 


1S5 


C<>rtain  moral  writer,  "  is  nothing  in  itself;  it  is 
not  useful  but  when  it  departs  from  us ;  its  value 
is  found  only  in  that  which  it  can  purchase, 
which,  if  we  suppose  it  put  to  its  best  use  by 
those  that  possess  it,  seems  not  much  to  deserve 
the  desire  or  envy  of  a  wise  man.  It  is  certain, 
that  with  regard  to  corporeal  enjoyment,  money 
can  neither  open  new  avenues  to  pleasure,  nor 
block  up  the  passages  of  anguish.  Disease  and 
infirmity  still  continue  to  torture  and  enfeeble, 
perhaps  exasperated  by  luxury,  or  promoted  by 
softness.  With  respect  to  the  mind,  it  has  rare- 
ly been  observed,  that  wealth  contributes  much 
to  quicken  the  discernment,  enlarge  the  capa- 
city, or  elevate  the  imagination  ;  but  may,  by 
hiring  flattery,  or  laying  diligence  asleep,  confirm 
eu-ror  and  harden  stupidity." 

Such  are  some  of  the  views  and  principles  by 
which  an  enlightened  mind  will  naturally  esti- 
mate the  characters  and  enjoyments  of  mankind. 
Were  the  great  body  of  the  population  in  every 
country  qualified  to  enter  into  such  reasonings, 
and  to  feel  the  force  of  such  considerations,  it 
could  not  fail  of  being  accompanied  with  many 
beneficial  efTecis.  It  would  temper  that  foolish 
adulation  which  ignorance  and  imbecility  so  fre- 
quently offer  at  the  shrine  of  wealth  and  splen- 
dour ;  and  would  undermine  those  envious  and 
discontented  dispositions  with  which  the  lower 
ranks  are  apt  to  view  the  riches  and  possessions 
of  the  great.  As  moral  principles  and  conduct, 
associated  with  intelligence,  are  the  only  proper 
objects  of  respect  in  the  human  character,  it 
would  lead  persons  to  form  a  judgment  of  the 
true  dignity  of  man,  not  by  the  glitter  of  affluence, 
or  the  splendour  of  equipage,  but  by  those  moral 
and  intellectual  qualities  and  endowments,  which, 
in  every  station,  demands  our  regard,  and  which 
constitute  the  real  glory  of  the  human  character. 
It  would  tend  to  counteract  the  principle  of  Ava- 
rice, which  has  produced  so  many  miseries  and 
mischiefs  in  society,  and  to  promote  that  Con- 
tentmeit  under  the  allotments  of  Divine  Provi- 
dence in  which  consists  the  chief  part  of  the 
happiness  of  mankind.  And  while  it  would 
counteract  the  tendency  to  foolish  and  immoral 
pursuits,  it  would  direct  to  those  rational  pur- 
suits and  enjoyments  which  are  pure  and  per- 
manent, and  congenial  to  the  high  dignity  and 
destinaiioD  of  man.  In  short,  were  the  attention 
of  tlie  higher  and  influential  classes  turned  away 
from  hounding  and  horse-racing,  masquerades, 
gambling,  and  such  like  frivolous  amusements, 
and  directed  to  the  study  of  useful  science,  we 
might  expect  to  behold  them  patronising  philan- 
trophic  and  scientific  characters  in  their  plans 
and  investigations,  and  devoting  a  portion  of 
their  wealth  to  carry  forward  those  improve- 
ments by  which  the  comforts  of  mankind  would 
be  increased,  and  science  and  art  carried  nearer 
to  perfection.  The  twentieth  (>art  of  that  wealth 
which  ia  too  frequently  spent  in  fashionable  fbUies, 


were  it  devoted  to  such  purposes,  would  be  of  in- 
calculable service  to  the  interests  both  of  hu- 
manity  and  of  science. 

II.  The  acquisition  of  general  knowledge 
would  enable  persons  to  profit  by  their  attendance 
on  public  inslruciions. 

In  the  present  day,  lectures  on  popular  philoso- 
phy, astronomy,  chemistry,  geology, and  political 
economy  are  occasionally  delivered  in  the  princi- 
pal cities  and  towns  of  Great  Britain  ;  but,  out 
of  a  population  of  thirty  or  forty  thousand,  it  fre- 
quently happens,  that  scarcely  thirty  or  forty  in- 
dividuals can  be  collected  to  listen  to  instructions 
on  such  subjects.  This,  no  doubt,  is  partly  ow- 
ing to  the  fee  demanded  for  admission,  which  is 
sometimes  beyond  the  reach  of  many  intelligent 
persons  in  the  lower  walks  of  life.  But  it  is 
chiefly  owing  to  the  want  of  taste  for  such  branch- 
es of  knowledge — to  ignorance  of  the  elements  of  * 
general  science — and  to  unacquaintance  with  the 
terms  which  require  to  be  used  in  the  explanation 
of  such  subjects,  arising  from  the  want  of  intel- 
lectual instruction  in  early  life.  Even  of  the  few 
who  generally  attend  such  lectures,  there  is  not 
perhaps  the  one  half  who  can  enter  with  intelli- 
gence into  the  train  of  reasoning  and  illustration 
brought  forward  by  the  lecturer,  or  feel  much  in- 
terest in  the  discussions,  excepting  when  their 
eyes  are  dazzled  with  some  flashy  experiment. 
Hence  it  follows,  that  very  little  knowledge  com- 
paratively can  be  communicated  in  this  way  to 
the  population  at  large,  owing  to  the  deficiency  of 
previous  instruction, — and  that  systems  of  intel- 
lectual education,  more  extensive  and  efficient 
than  those  which  have  hitherto  been  in  operation, 
require  to  be  adopted,  before  the  great  body  of  the 
people  can  be  supposed  to  profit  by  attendance  on 
courses  of  lectures  on  any  department  of  know- 
ledge. 

The  same  remark  will  apply,  with  a  few  mo 
difications,  to  the  instructions,  delivered  by  the 
teachers  of  religion.  For  want  of  a  proper  foun- 
dation being  previously  laid,  in  the  exercise  of  |p 
the  rational  faculty,  and  the  acquisition  of  genera 
al  information,  comparatively  little  advantage  is 
derived  from  the  sermons  and  expository  lectures 
delivered  by  the  ministers  of  the  Gospel.  Of  a 
thousand  individuals  which  may  compose  a  wor- 
shipping a-sembly  where  religious  instructions 
are  imparted,  there  are  seldom  above  two  hnndred 
(and  most  frequently  much  fewer)  that  can  give 
any  intelligent  account  of  the  train  of  thought 
which  has  been  pursued,  or  the  topics  which  have 
been  illustrated  in  the  discourses  to  which  they 
have  professed  to  listen.  This  may  be  owing,  in 
many  instances,  to  the  dry  and  abstract  method  by 
which  certain  preachers  construct  their  discours- 
es, and  to  the  want  of  energy,  and  the  dull  and 
monotonous  manner  in  which  they  are  delivered. 
But,  io  the  majority  of  instances,  it  is  obriousiy 


186 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OP  KNOWDEDGE. 


owin|[to  htbils  tidnaUmtum  to  RuhjvcU  oTan  iiv> 
t«llectual  natur« — to  an  incapariiy  for  rullowing 
a  train  of  illustraliun  or  r<!««oning— and  lo  ihe 
want  orarqiMiniance  with  the  meaning  of  many 
tanns  which  theological  instructors  ftiid  it  expe- 
dient to  use  in  the  consiructionofiheir  discuura- 
M— and  such  drficiencies  are  to  be  ascribed  to  the 
mental  faculiies  not  having!  been  exercised  from 
infancy  in  the  pursuit  ofknowledge  and  in  ration- 
al investiKAtions. 

This  di-ficiency  of  knowledge  and  intellectual 
culture  seems  to  be  virtually  acknowledged  by  the 
ninisiers  nf  religion  ;  since,  in  their  general  di»> 
courses,  they  confine  themselves,  (or  the  most 
part,  lothe  elucidation  of ihe^frstprtnctpiesof  re- 
ligion. Instead  of  exhibiiing  a  luminous  and 
eomprehensive  view  of  the  whole  scenery  ofdi- 
Tine  revelation,  and  illustrating  its  various  parts 
from  the  history  of  nations,  the  system  of  nature, 
and  thi?  scenes  of  human  life— they  generally  con- 
fine their  discussions  to  a  few  topics  connected 
with  what  are  termed  the  fundamental  doctrines 
of  the  Gos(»el.  Instead  of"  going  on  to  perfec- 
tion," a;)  the  Apostle  Paul  exhorts,  by  tracing  the 
elements  of  Christianity  in  all  their  bearings  on 
moral  conduct  and  Christian  contemplation,  luid 
endeavouring  to  carry  forward  the  mind  to  the 
noet  enlarged  views  of  the  perfections  of  God  and 
the  "  glory  of  his  kingdom" — they  feel  them- 
■elres  under  the  necessity  of  recurring  again  and 
acainto"thc  first  principles  of  the  doctrine  oi 
^iJhrist" — feeding  their  hearers  "  with  milk"  in- 
«tead  of"  strong  meat."  And  the  reason  assign- 
ed for  waiving  the  considera'ion  of  the  more 
sublime  topics  of  natural  and  revealed  religion, 
and  thus  limiting  the  subject  of  tneir  discussions, 
is  that  their  heaters  are  unqualified  lo  follow  ihem 
in  the  aruiiments  and  illustrations  which  behoved 
to  be  brought  forward  on  such  subjects— that  such 
an  attempt  would  be  like  speaking  to  the  winds 
or  beating  the  air,  and  would  infallibly  mar  their 
edification.  If  this  reason  be  valid  (and  that  it 
is  partly  so  there  can  be  little  doubt)  it  implies, 
that  some  glaring  deficiency  must  exist  in  the 
Omental  cuhure  of  the  great  body  of  pi^essing 
Christians,  and  that  it  ought  lo  be  remedied  by 
every  (irorter  mean,  in  order  that  they  may  be 
qualified  to  advance  in  the  knowledge  of  the  at- 
tributes, the  works,  and  the  ways  of  God,  and  to 
"  go  on  unto  p«*rfection." 

Jit  is  f 'retold  in  the  sacred  oracles,  that  "  men 
Aall  speak  of  the  might  of  God's  terrible  arts." 
that  "  his  saints  shall  speak  of  the  s;lo/y  of  hi* 
kmgdom  and  talk  of  his  power,  to  make  known  to 
the  sons  of  men  his  mighty  o|>eralions  and  the  g\o- 
ffloas  majesty  of  his  kingdom  "  This  prediction 
hn  oever  yet  been  fulfilled  in   reference   lo  the 

rat  boHv  of  the  Christian  church.  For,  where 
we  find  one  o«it  of  twenty  amone  the  hearers 
of  the  Go«pel  caiMible  of  reheari<ine  the  "  ter- 
rible acts"  of  God,  either  in  his  moral  or  his 
physical  operatiuos    of  tracii>|  the  dispensatioos 


of  his  providsnce  towards  nations  and  commoni' 
ties,  in  a  connected  leiies,  from  the  commence* 
ment  of  tune,  through  the  successive  periods  of 
history — ud  of  comparing  the  desolai  ions  of  ci- 
ties and  i9  ruii  of  empires  with  the  declara- 
tions «if  ancient  prophecy  ?  Where  do  we  find 
one  out  of  a  hufiidred  ca|)able  of  expatiating  <in 
the  "  power  "  of  Jehovah,  and  on  the  most  strik- 
ing displays  of  this  perfection  which  are  exhi- 
bited throughout  the  vast  creation?  Or  where 
shall  we  find  those  who  are  qualified  lo  display 
the  magnificence  of  that  empire  which  is  "  es- 
tablished in  ihe  heavens,"  embracing  within  its 
boundaries  thousands  of  nins  and  ten  th<iusands 
of  worlds— or  "  to  speak,"  with  intelligence,  "  (A 
the  glory  of  that  kingdom  which  ruleih  over  all," 
and  thus  "  to  make  known  to  others  the  miiihty 
ojierations"  carried  on  by  Jehi-vah,  "and  the 
glorunu  majeMty  of  hi!<  kingdom?"  It  is  obvious 
that  no  such  qualifications  yei  exist  among  the 
majority  of  members  which  compose  the  virible 
church.  And  yet  the  predictions  to  which  we 
refer  must  6e  rra/i'zetf,  at  some  period  or  another, 
in  the  history  of  ihe  divine  dispensations.  And 
is  it  not  desirable  that  they  should,  in  some  de- 
gree, be  realized  in  our  owniimes  ?  And,  if  so, 
ought  we  not  to  exert  all  our  influence  and  ener- 
gies in  endeavouring  to  accomplish  so  important 
and  desirable  an  object  ?  Antl,  in  what  manner 
are  our  energies  in  this  respect  to  be  exerted, 
but  in  concerting  and  executing,  without  delay, 
plans  for  the  univeriial  intellectual  instruction  of 
mankind?  For,  without  the  comnituiiraiion  of 
knowledge  to  a  far  greater  extent,  and  much  more 
diversified  than  what  has  even  yet  been  considered 
necessary  for  ordinary  Christians,  we  can  never 
expect  to  behold  in  the  visible  church  "  sainis" 
endowed  with  such  sublime  qualifications  as  those 
to  which  we  have  alluded,  or  the  approach  of 
that  auspicious  era  when  "  all  shall  know  ihe 
Lord,"  in  the  highest  sense  of  the  expression, 
"  from  the  least  even  to  the  grealest." 

To  obtain  a  comprehensive,  and  as  far  as  pos- 
sible, a  eompUle  view  of  the  system  of  revelation 
in  all  its  parts  and  bearings,  and  lo  be  enabled  lo 
comply  with  all  its  requiiements,  is  both  the  dulj 
and  the  interest  of  every  man.  But,  in  order 
to  this  attainmint,  there  muKt  be  acquired  a  cer- 
tain habit  of  thinking  and  of  meditating.  In 
vain  does  a  person  turn  over  whole  volumes,  and 
attempt  to  peruse  catechisms,  bodies  of  divinity, 
or  even  the  Scrip'  ures  themselves, — he  can  never 
comprehend  the  dependencies,  connexions  and 
bearings  of  divine  truth,  and  the  farts  they  ex- 
plain and  illustrate,  unless  he  acquire  a  habit  of 
arranging  ideas,  of  laying  down  principles,  and 
deducing  conclusions.  But  this  habit  cannot  be 
acquired  without  a  continued  series  of  in»tnic- 
tions,  especially  in  the  early  part  of  life,  accom- 
panied with  serious  attention  and  proCnind  appli- 
cation. For  want  of  such  prc-reqnisites  the 
great  bodjr  of  Christians  do  wA  reap  half  the  be* 


CRUELTY  AND  FOLLY  OP  PERSECUTION. 


197 


tiefil  the}^  otherwise  might  from  the  preaching  of 
the  Gospel  ;  and  "  when  for  the  time  ihey  ought 
to  be  reactiersof  others,  they  have  still  need  that 
one  leach  them  again,  which  be  the  first  princi- 
ples of  the  oracltfs  of  God."  "  Hence  it  is,"  says 
a  celebrdied  preacher,  "  that  the  greatest  pan  of 
our  sermons  produce  so  little  fruit,  because  ser- 
mons are,  at  least  they  ought  to  be,  connected 
dbcourses,  in  which  the  principle  founds  the  con- 
sequence, and  iho  consequeni;e  follows  the  princi- 
ple: all  which  supposes  in  the  hearers  a  habil  of 
niediiaiion  and  attention.  For  the  same  reason, 
we  are  apt  to  be  offended  when  any  body  attempts 
to  draw  us  out  of  the  sphere  of  our  prejudices, 
and  are  not  only  ignorant,  but  ignorant  from  gra- 
vity, and  derive,  I  know  not  what  glory  from  our 
own  stupidity.  Hence  it  is,  that  a  preacher  is 
seldom  or  never  allowed  to  soar  in  his  sermons, 
to  rise  into  the  contemplation  of  some  lofty  and 
rapturous  objects,  but  must  always  descend  to  the 
first  princip'.et  of  religion,  as  if  he  preached  for 
the  first  time,  or  as  if  his  auditors  for  the  first 
time  heard.  Hence  our  preachers  seem  to  lead 
us  into  obscure  paths,  and  to  lose  us  in  abstract 
speculations,  when  they  treat  of  some  of  the  at- 
tributes of  God,  such  as  his  faithfulness,  his  love 
of  order,  his  regard  for  his  intelligent  creatures. 
It  is  owing  to  this  that  we  are,  in  some  sense, 
well  aoquiinted  with  some  truths  of  religion, 
while  we  remain  entirely  ignorant  of  others. 
Hence  also  it  is,  that  some  doctrines  which  are 
true  in  themselves,  demonstrated  in  our  Scrip- 
tures, and  essential  to  religion,  become  errors, 
yea  sources  of  many  errors  in  our  mouths,  be- 
cause we  consider  them  only  in  themselves,  and 
not  in  connexion  with  other  doctrines,  or  in  the 
proper  places  to  which  they  belong  in  the  system 
of  religion." 

Were  we  then,  without  delay,  to  set  on  foot 
plans  of  universal  instruction,  on  a  rational  prin- 
ciple— were  the  yocng  generation  to  be  univer- 
sally trained  up  in  rational  exercises  and  habits 
of  reflection,  first  at  Infant  Schools,  and  after- 
wards at  seminaries  of  a  higher  order,  conducted 
on  the  same  intellectual  principle,  and  this  sys- 
tem of  tuition  continued  to  the  age  of  manhood, 
we  should,  ere  long,  behold  a  wonderful  change 
in  the  state  of  society,  in  the  intelligence  of  the 
Christian  people,  and  in  the  illustrations  of  re- 
ligion which  would  be  introduced  into  the  pulpit. 
We  should  behold  thousands  of  intelligent  wor- 
shippers crowding  our  religions  eissemblies, 
with  minds  prepared  for  receiving  instruction, 
mnd  eagerly  listening  to  arguments  and  illustra- 
tions in  reference  to  the  most  sublime  and  im- 
portant subjects.  We  should  behold  our  preach- 
ers explaining  the  first  principles  of  religion  with 
such  clearness  and  energy,  that  they  should  sel- 
dom need  to  recur  'o  the  subject,  "  soaring  in 
their  sermons,"  rising  into  "  the  contempla- 
tion of  some  lofty  and  rapturous  objects" — 
displaying  the  majesty  and  supremacy  of  God  in 

18 


the  operation  of  his  moral  goremment  among 
the  nations,  descanting  on  his  glorious  aitribuiesi 
exhibitinu  his  wi!<dom  in  the  arrangements  of  na- 
ture and  the  movements  of  his  providence,  illus- 
trating his  omnipotence  and  grandeur  from  the 
glories  of  the  firinaiiient,  and  the  magnitude  of 
the  universe— directing  their  hearers  to  the  con- 
templation of  the  works  ef  his  hand  as  illustr»« 
lions  of  the  declarations  of  his  word^-demon- 
strating  the  truth  of  revelation  from  its  powerful 
and  beneficient  effects — ^nfbnting  theholy  tem- 
pers and  the  duties  whichreiigion  requires  from 
every  rational  and  scriptural  motive— illustrating 
the  effects  of  moral  evil  from  the  history  of  na- 
tions and  the  miseries  in  which  it  has  involved 
individuals  and  societies— expatiating  on  schemes 
of  philanthropy  for  the  improvement  of  mankind, 
and  the  conversion  of  the  heathen,  and  dis- 
playing the  love  and  mercy  of  God  towards  our 
race,  and  the  connexions  and  bearings  of  the 
work  of  redemption,  in  its  relation  to  the  angelic 
tribes  and  other  beings,  and  in  its  glorious  and 
happy  consequences  on  unnumbered  multitudes 
of  mankind,  throughout  the  ages  of  eternity. 
In  such  a  state  of  Christian  society  we  should 
have  no  dull  monotonous  preachers,  skimming 
over  the  surface  of  an  abstract  subject,  in  a 
twenty  i.iinutes'  sermon,  and  leaving  their  hear- 
ers as  dull,  and  lifeless,  and  uninformed  as  they 
found  them  ;  but  all  our  public  services  would  be 
conducted  with  life,  and  energy,  and  pathos, 
and  by  men  of  sanctified  dispositions  and  en- 
lightened understandings,  "  not  given  to"  idl^ 
ness  and  "  filthy  lucre,"  but  having  their  whole 
faculties  absorbed  in  the  study  of  the  word,  the 
ways,  and  the  works  of  God.  And,  in  order  to 
expand  the  minds  of  the  Christian  people,  and 
to  prepare  them  for  listening  with  intelligence  to 
such  instructions,  we  should  have  Courses  of 
Lectures  on  Natural  History,  Philosophy,  As- 
tronomy, and  General  History,  attended  by  thou- 
sands of  anxious  inquirers,  instead  of  the  tena 
which  can  now  be  induced  to  attend  on  such 
means  of  ins'ritction.  For  knowledge,  when  it 
is  clearly  exhibited,  and  where  a  previous  desire 
has  been  excited  for  its  acquisition,  is  a  source 
of  enjoyment  to  the  human  mind  in  every  stage 
of  its  progress,  from  the  years  of  inCincy  to  the 
latest  period  of  mortal  existence. 

in.  Such  a  diffusion  of  knowledge  as  that  to 
which  we  have  now  adverted,  would  introduee  a 
spirit  of  tolerance  and  moderation,  and  prevent 
the  recurrence  of  those  persecutions  for  conscience 
sake,  which  have  so  much  disgrac^  the  world. 

It  is  a  striking  and  most  melancholy  fact  in 
the  history  of  man,  that  the  most  dreadful  suffer- 
ings and  tortures  ever  felt  by  human  beings,  have 
been  inflicted  on  account  of  differences  of  opin- 
ion respecting  the  dogmas  and  the  ceremonies 
of  religion.     Men  have  been  suffered  to  remaia 


w 


IS» 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


villaiM,  clwmU  and  robberi,  deceiirul,  proflipiia 
and  proTute,  lo  invade  ihe  lerrituries  of  ihoir  un- 
oAsoding  neighbour!,  lo  burn  citien  and  luwni, 
to  lay  wa«le  provitioea,  and  ilaughter  thousand* 
oTlheir  ^lluw-creatures,  and  to  paaa  with  impu- 
nitjr ;  while,  in  numcro«n  insiancr*,  the  most 
ptoua,  upriKht,  and  philanthropic  charaetera  have 
bec«  hurried  like  criminal*  to  yialies,  gibbeu, 
radu,  aiid  flame*,  merely  for  holdinjr  an  opinion 
difierent  from  their  luperiurs  respecting  a  doc- 
triae  inrt.li){ion,  or  the  mamier  in  nrhic!i  iheDi- 
via*  Being  ought  to  be  worshipped.  In  the 
Mrly  age*  of  Christianity,  under  the  emperor 
Nero,  the  Christians  were  wrapped  up  in  the 
akin*  of  wild  beasts,  and  tome  of  them  in  this 
state  Worried  and  devoured  by  doj;s ;  others  were 
crucified,  and  others  dressed  in  shirts  made  stiff 
with  wax,  fixed  to  axle  trees,  and  set  on  fire,  and 
conautned  in  the  gardens  at  Rome.  Such  dread- 
ful persecutions  continued,  under  the  heathen 
emperors,  with  a  few  intervals,  to  the  time  of 
Oooatantine,  a  period  ornMre  than  two  hundred 
aad  thirty  years.  It  might  not  be  so  much  to 
ke  wonderud  at  that  pagans  should  persecute  the 
IbUowers  of  Christ ;  but  it  was  not  long  before 
pretended  Christians  began  to  persecute  one 
another  i>n  account  of  certain  shades  of  diflfer- 
•oce  in  their  religious  opinioos.  The  persecii- 
tioaa  to  which  tbie  Waldenses  and  Albigenses 
were  subjected  by  the  Popish  church,  and  strang- 
ling and  burning  of  supposed  heretics,  and  the 
tortures  inflicted  on  those  suspected  of  favouring 
the  doctrines  of  Protestantism  by  the  Spanish 
inquisitioii-'a  court  wlwse  h.Mory  is  written  in 
iames,  and  in  characters  of  blood,— exhibit  a 
aeries  of  diabolical  cruelties,  the  recital  of  which 
is  enough  to  make  "  the  ears  of  every  one  to 
tingle,"  and  to  make  him  feel  as  if  he  were  de- 
graded in  belonging  to  a  race  of  intelligences  ca- 
pable of  perpetrating  such  dreadful  enormities. 

Even  in  the  Briti^  isles  such  persecutions  have 
raged,  and  such  cruelties  have  been  perpetrated, 
aid  that,  too,  in  the  name  of  the  benevolent  reli- 
gioa  of  Jesus  Christ.  In  our  times,  the  more 
appalling  aad  horrific  forms  which  persecution 
femerly  aaaumed,  have  been  set  aoide  by  the 
aivil  laws  of  the  country,  but  it$  tpirit  iliU  rt- 
maim»,  and  manifests  itself  in  a  variety  of  diP 
lerent  shaiies.  What  other  name  can  be  given 
to  a  power  which  prevents  a  numerous  and  re- 
^MCtaUe  body  of  men  from  holding  certain  civil 
oAeas  and  emoluments,  because  they  do  not  be- 
laag  to  an  established  church,  and  yrl  comptU 
dMoi  to  contribute  lo  the  irMint«nanee  of  the 
■aaistsra  of  that  church,  although  they  do  not 
reoofnite  them  as  their  religious  inMructon? 
Aatdemea  to  a  dissenter,  or  his  children,  the 
|tif  liege  of  being  interred  in  what  is  eall«d  con- 
1  ground,  and  refuses  lo  aUow  a  bail  to  be 
I  at  their  fmeraU  7 — that,  in  Scotland  fe- 
>a  persoa,  however  divtingumhed  for  moraJ 
t  and  iaistteGtiial  aoQuireaMais«  from 


being  eligible  as  teacher  of  a  parochial  schoeC,  if 
he  is  not  connected  with  Ihe  established  church  f 
and  in  miiny  other  ways  attempts  lode^iu/eihow 
sands  of  individual*  on  sccdunt  of  their  I:  mki&g 
and  anting  according  to  the  dictates  of  thrir  cua- 
science  7  It  is  true,  indeed,  that  (ires,  and  rackSf 
and  tortures,  aad  gibbets,  and  thumb-screws  are 
nu  longer  applied  as  punishments  K>r  diflerences 
of  opinion  in  religion,  for  the  strong  haiid  of  the 
civil  law  interpowii  to  prevent  tnem.  But  wfre 
no  such  power  interp'tsed,  the  principle  which 
sanctions  such  deprivations  as  those  now  men- 
tioned, if  carriedout  to  all  its  legitimate  omse^ 
qnences,  might  soon  lead  to  as  dreadful  per«^ci>- 
tions  as  those  which  have  already  entailed  idelible 
disgrace  on  the  race  of  man. 

Such  a  spirit  of  imoleraitce  and  persecution  is 
directly  opposed  to  every  rational  principle,  lo 
every  generous  and  humane  Aiding,  to  every  pn- 
cept  of  Christianity,  and  to  every  disposition  in- 
culcated by  the  relitnon  of  Jestis.  Ititttuhdgkl 
of  abturdity  to  tnforoe  belief  in  any  doctrine  cr 
tenet,  by  the  application  of ph^$iealpomer,  for  it 
never  can  produce  the  intended  rfTeci ;  it  may 
harden  and  render  persons  more  obstinate  in 
their  opinions,  bat  it  can  never  convey  con- 
viction to  the  understanding.  And  if  men  had 
not  acted  like  fools  aad  idiots,  as  well  as  like  de- 
mons, such  a  force,  iii  such  cases,  would  never 
have  been  applied.  And,  as  such  an  attempi 
is  irrational,  so  it  is  criminal  in  the  highest  d^ 
gree,  lo  aim  at  producing  conviction  by  the  ap- 
plication of  flames,  or  by  the  point  of  the  sword  ; 
being  at  direct  variance  both  with  ihe  preeepU 
anH  the  practice  of  the  Benevolent  Founder  of 
our  holy  religion. 

We  have,  therefore,  the  stronfeat  reason  to 
conclude,  that  were  the  light  of  science  and  of 
Christianity  universally  diffused,  the  hydra  of 
persecution  would  never  dare,  in  any  shk|>e,  to 
lift  up  its  heads  again  in  the  world.  As  it  was 
during  the  dark  ages  that  it  raged  in  its  most 
horrific  forms,  so  the  light  of  intelligence  wouk) 
force  it  back  lo  the  infernal  regions  whence  it 
arose,  as  the  wild  beasts  of  ihe  forests  betake 
themselves  to  their  dens  and  thickets  at  the  ap- 
proach of  the  rising  sun.  Wherrver  reason 
holds  its  ascendancy  in  the  mind,  ai>d  the  bene- 
votsnce  of  Chrbtianily  is  the  great  princi|>le  of 
human  action,  persecution  will  never  be  resorted 
to,  either  for  extirpating  error  or  enforcing  belief 
in  any  opinions.  An  enlightened  mind  will  at 
once  perceive,  that  in  punishing  erroneous  opin- 
ions by  fines,  imprisonment,  racks,  and  flames, 
thert  it  noJ!tne$»  between  the  pmni^tment  and  the 
sup(M>sed  crtmr.  The  crime  is  a  mental  error, 
but  penal  laws  have  no  internal  operation  on  the 
mind,  except  to  exasperate  its  Idlings  against 
the  power  that  enforces  them,  and  to  confirm  it 
more  sironglv  in  the  opinions  it  has  embraced. 
Errors  of  judgment,  whether  religious  or  poUlih 
cal,  can  only  be  overtnraed  hj  orgumenU  aW 


CONTENTIONS  AMONG  MANKIND. 


1S9 


calm  reasoning,  and  all  the  civil  and  ecclesiasti- 
cal despots  on  earth,  with  all  their  edicts,  and 
bulls,  and  tortures,  will  never  be  able  to  extir- 
pate ihem  in  any  other  way.  For  the  more  that 
Torce  is  resorted  to  to  compel  belief  in  any  sys- 
tem of  opinions,  the  more  will  the  mind  revolt  at 
such  an  attempt,  and  the  more  will  it  be  con- 
vinced, that  such  a  system  is  worthless  and  un- 
tenable, since  it  requires  such  irrational  meas- 
ures for  its  support.  It  can  only  tend  to  pro- 
duce dissimulation,  and  to  increase  the  number  of 
hypocrites  and  deceivers.  An  enlightened  mind 
will  also  perceive,  that  such  conduct  is  no  less 
irreligious  than  it  is  irrational  ;  for,  where  per- 
secution begins  religion  ends.  Religion  pro- 
claims "  peace  on  earth  and  good  will  to  men;" 
all  its  doctrines,  laws,  and  ordinances  are  in- 
tended to  promote  the  happiness  of  mankind, 
both  in  "  the  life  ihat  now  is  and  that  which  is  to 
come."  But  actions  which  tend  to  injure  men 
in  their  persons,  liberty,  or  property,  under  the 
pretence  of  converting  them  from  error,  must  be 
directly  repugnant  to  the  spirit  of  that  religion 
which  is  "  pure,  and  peaceable,  gentle,  and  easy 
to  be  entreated,"  and  to  the  character  of  that 
Benevolent  Being  whose  "  tender  mercies  are 
over  all  his  works."  If  our  religion  required  for  its 
establishment  in  the  world,  the  infliction  of  civil 
pains  and  penalties  on  those  who  oppose  it,  it 
would  be  unworthy  of  being  supported  by  any 
rational  being;  and  it  is  a  sure  evidence  that  it 
is  not  the  genuine  religion  of  the  Bible,  but  error 
and  human  inventions,  under  the  mask  of  Chris- 
tianity, that  are  intended  to  be  established,  when 
such  means  are  employed  for  its  propagation  and 
support.  It  requires  very  little  reflection  to 
perceive,  that  religion  does  not  consist  in  mere 
q>inions  or  ceremonial  observances,  but  in  the 
Oiltivation  and  excercise  of  those  heavenly  vir- 
tues and  dispositions  which  tend  to  cement  the 
family  <>f  mankind  in  brotherly  afllsction,  and  to 
prepare  them  for  the  intercourses  and  employ- 
men's  of  the  celestial  world ;  and  if  these  are 
waniinw  or  disregarded,  religion  becomes  a 
mere  inanity,  and  it  is  of  little  consequence 
what  opinions  men  profess  to  entertain  respect- 
ing it. 

In  short,  in  an  enlightened  state  of  soriety, 
men  wmild  be  disposed  to  allow  the  utmost  free- 
dom of  thought  on  every  suliject,  not  inconsistent 
with  the  good  order  of  society,  and  would  never- 
theless hold  the  most  friendly  intercourse  with 
each  other.  They  would  clearly  discern,  that 
the  best  way  to  reclaim  the  vicious,  and  to  con- 
ve.1  the  erroneous,  is,  n'>t  to  rail  and  to  threaten, 
but  to  be  affa'ile  and  gentle,  to  bring  forward  co- 
gent arsjumenls,  and  "  in  meekness  to  instruct 
those  who  oppose  themselves  to  the  truth."  They 
wouM  .see,  that  many  of  those  opinions  and  dog- 
mas, in  regard  to  religion,  which  have  created 
beart- burnings  and  dissensions,  are  comparative- 
ly of  trivial  importance, — (hat  the  doctrines  in 


which  all  Christians  agree  are  much  more  nume- 
rous, and  of  far  greater  importance,  than  those 
about  which  they  differ, — that  there  are  subjects 
on  which  the  limited  faculties  of  huntan  beings 
are  unable  to  form  any  clear  or  decisive  opin- 
ions,— that  the  mind  must  form  its  opinions, — in 
accordamce  with  the  limited  or  the  expansive 
range  of  its  intellectual  vision, — that  where  its 
mental  view  is  narrowand confined, its  conclusions 
must  be  somewhat  different  from  those  which  are 
deduced  by  a  mind  qualified  to  take  in  a  more 
extensive  field  of  vision, — ihat  the  philosopher 
whose  mind  takes  in  at  a  grasp  the  general  system 
of  the  world,  and  the  diversified  phenomena  uf  the 
universe,  must  have  ideas  and  modes  of  think- 
ing materially  different  from  those  of  the  peasant, 
whose  views  are  limited  chiefly  to  the  confines  nt 
his  parish,  and  the  objects  immediately  around 
him, — that  there  are  are  few  men  unlfuily  erro- 
neous, and  that  ignorance  and  vice  are  the  prin- 
cipal causes  of  false  and  untenable  opinions,— 
that  due  allowance  ought  always  to  be  made  for 
educational  biasses,  local  prejudices,  soc  al  in* 
fluence,  and  the  range  of  thought  to  which  indi- 
viduals have  been  accustomed, — that  the  exen- 
cise  of  love  towards  God  and  man  is  of  infinitely 
greater  importance  than  mere  coincidence  in 
opinion,  and  that  a  complete  unanimity  of  opin- 
ion on  every  subject  is  not  to  be  expected  in  the 
present  slate,  perhaps  not  even  in  the  future 
world.  Were  such  considerations  taken  into 
account,  (and  they  would  be  all  rea)gnised  in  an 
enlightened  state  of  society,)  those  contentions 
and  animosities  which  now  rankle  in  the  Chris- 
tian church,  and  separate  the  difl'erent  sectaries, 
would  be  laid  to  rest,  persecution  in  every  shape 
would  beheld  in  universal abhoricnce, and |>eace, 
moderation,  and  candour  would  distinguish  the 
friends  of  religion  and  all  classes  of  society. 

IV. — A  universal  diffusion  of  knowledge 
would  vanquish  the  antipathies  of  nations,  and 
tend  to  produce  union  and  harmony  among  man- 
kind. 

"  God  hath  made  of  one  blood  all  nations  of 
men,  for  to  dwell  on  all  the  face  of  the  earth." 
But  although  they  are  all  the  offspring  of  one 
Almighty  Being,  and  descended  from  one  origi- 
nal human  pair,  they  have  hitherto  lived,  for  the 
most  part,  in  a  slate  of  strife  and  variance,  of 
contentioQ  and  warfare.  The  history  of  the 
world  con'ains  little  else  than  details  of  the  dis- 
sensions of  nations,  the  feuds  of  chieftains,  "  the 
tumuiis  of  the  people,"  the  revolution.s  of  em- 
pires, and  the  scenes  of  devastation  and  carnage 
which  have  followed  in  their  train.  If  we  go  aa 
far  back  in  our  researches  as  the  earliest  histori- 
cal records  can  carry  us,  we  shall  find  that  wars 
have  prevailed,  almost  without  intermission,  in 
every  age,  in  every  country,  and  among  every 
tribe.    No  sooner  has  one  series  of  bailies  ter- 


140 


ON  THB  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


■inaled  than  preparatiow  have  been  made  fur 
WkMhur;  ami,  in  iiiich  cttiiteaix,  magulftccnl  ri- 
tie!i  liave  tH-t-n  Itiniblrd  into  ruiux,  pn>vinceN  de- 
■oialeii,  kin);(i<inis  rem  asdnier,  and  ihousandiof 
tb<Mi«<in(i'<  or  human  h«-inga  ■lau(;htcred  wiih  all 
Hm  ft-rociiy  of  infernal  demom.  Ii  i»  no!  beyond 
1b«i  bo'iitdii  of  (irobabiliiy  to  suppose,  that,  in 
thnoe  iicciies  of  warfare,  theeifrhih  pari  of  the  hu- 
■lan  rai'o.  in  every  ajjo,  has  been  dt-siroyed,  or,  a 
mmher  of  mankind  amounting  to  nearly  twenty 
thmwnui  miUutna,  which  is  eijual  lo  iwenty-five 
time:*  the  number  of  inhabitants  presently  exist- 
inn  in  the  world.  And  the  leaders  in  such  dia- 
bolical exploits,  so  far  from  repenting  of  their  at- 
trociiies,  have  generally  been  disposed  to  glory  in 
their  crimes. 

Hence  the  jealousies,  the  antipathies,  and  the 
hatred  which  have  subsisted,  and  which  mill 
•ub^iftt,  between  neighbourini;  nations.  The 
Turks  hale  the  Greek;!,  and,  as  far  as  in  their 
power,  infli  t  upon  I  hem  every  species  of  cruelty 
and  irijtiMttce.  The  Chinese  hate  the  Europe- 
ans, cheat  them  if  (hey  can,  and  pride  them- 
selves in  their  fancied  su|>eriority  over  all  other 
■Mions.  The  Moors  of  Africa  hate  the  negroes, 
plunder  their  Tillages,  and  reduce  them  to  slave- 
ry; the  King  of  Dahomey  wages  alrnost  conti- 
Bual  war  with  the  neighbouring  tribes,  and  aJorns 
the  waiU  of  his  palace  with  the  skulls  of  prison- 
ers taken  in  battle.  The  Algerines  and  the  em- 
perors of  Morocco  live  in  a  state  of  continual 
warfare  with  Christian  nations,  seize  upon  their 
ships,  and  reduce  their  crews  to  slavery.  The 
lUonueabott,  who  inhabit  the  inland  part  of  Ma- 
lacca, live  at  variance  with  all  around  them,  and 
never  (ail  to  set  fire  to  the  ripening  grain  in  every 
field  that  is  tinprotected  and  uninclosed.  The 
Arabians  are  set  against  every  other  nation,  and 
roam  through  their  deserts,  attacking  caravans 
and  iravcllors  of  every  description.  The  inha- 
hitanu  of  one  part  of  New  Zealand  are  almo-^t 
in  a  continual  state  of  enmi'y  against  ihose  of 
another,  and  the  natives  of  almo:<t  evrrv  island 
in  the  In<lian  and  Pacific  oceans,  if  not  rngaged 
in  actual  contests,  are  in  a  slate  of  warlike  atti- 
tude with  regard  to  each  other.  Even  nations 
advanretl  to  high  degrees  of  civilization,  are 
feun>l  indulging  the  meanest  and  most  unreason- 
able jealoti^ie*  and  amipaihies  in  relation  to  one 
another.  The  French  and  the  Ertglish,  whom 
nature  l,as  separated  only  hy  a  narrow  channel 
t/t  the  «ea.and  who  are  diviiinipiished  above  all 
Other  naii<ins  for  their  di«coverie!*  ami  improve- 
■wn'x  in  the  arts,  have,  for  centuries,  fostered  a 
■piril  •■fjealotwy  and  rivaUhip  wliir.h  han  produ- 
ced pfiliiical  animositieit,  hatr^,  wars,  and  ruin 
toibe  financial  and  commerc  al  inicresto  of  both 
nalioni.  During  the  wars  which  succeeded  the 
French  revolution,  this  spirit  of  haired  and  en- 
■ity  rn«e  lo  such  a  pilch,  that  a  lar^e  portion  of 
Mdknaiioo  wouU  have,  with  pleasure,  beheld 


the  other  hurled  with  fury  into  (ha  infernal  ra- 
gi<«n».* 

lit  there  no  prospect,  then,  that  such  anlip^ 
thies  shall  ever  be  eitirpaied,  and  harmony  re- 
stored to  the  distracted  nations?  Shall  the  earth 
be  for  ever  swept  with  the  bestjinof  desiriirtion? 
Shall  war  continue  its  ravages  without  inlermie- 
si'Mi?  Shall  hatred  still  rankle  among  all  natiooa, 
and  Peace  never  wave  its  olive  branch  over  the 
world  ?  Are  we  to  sit  do  vr  in  hopeless  despair, 
that  a  union  among  the  nations  will  ever  be  tf- 
ferted,  be<  ause  wars  have  continued  since  the 
beginning  of  the  world  ?  No, — we  have  no  re^ 
son  lo  despair  of  ultimate  success,  when  the  mo 
ral  machinery,  calculated  to  eiTectuate  the  ob- 
ject, shall  be  set  in  motion.  As  ignorance  is  the 
parent  of  vice,  the  nurse  of  |«ride.  avarice,  ai^ 
bition,  and  fHher  unhallowed  passions,  fntm 
whirii  wars  derive  their  origin,  so,  when  the 
strongholds  of  ignorance  shall  be  demolished, 
and  the  li^ht  of  intelligence  shall  shed  its  influ- 
ence over  the  world,  and  the  opposite  principles 
of  humility,  moderation,  and  benevolence  shall 
pervade  the  minds  of  men,  the  foundations  of  the 
sjratem  of  warfare  will  be  shaken,  and  a  basis 
laid  l<>r  the  establishment  of  universal  peace. 
However  long  the  ravages  of  war  have  desolated 
and  ronvuliied  the  worM,  it  is  announced  in  the 
decree  of  heaven. that  a  ptrriod  shall  arrive  "  when 
wart  i/iall  eeait  unto  the  eiuU  of  the  earth."  And 
the  era  when  warriors  "  shall  beat  their  swords 
into  ploughshares  and  their  spears  into  pruning 
hooks,  and  learn  the  art  of  war  no  more,"  b  cor- 
ral with  the  period  foretold  in  ancient  prophecy, 
when  "  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord  shall  cover  the 
earth,  and  when  all  shall  know  him  from  i1|b 
least  lo  the  greatest." 

Knowledge  has  a  tendency  to  unite  the  hearts 
of  all  who  are  engaged  in  its  pursuit ;  it  forms  a 
borMi  of  union  among  i's  votaries  more  firm  and 
permanent  than  that  which  unites  princes  and 
statesmen ;  especially  if  it  is  con|oined  with 
ChriMiian  principles  and  virtuous  difpositioos 
Congeniality  of  senlimetiis,  and  similarity  of 
piirimiis,  gradually  weaken  the  force  of  vulgar 
prejudices,  and  tend  lo  demolish  those  barrierb 
which  the  jealousies  of  nations  have  thrown 
around  each  other.  True  philosophers,  whether 
English,  Swedish,  Riisxian.  Swiss,  German,  or 
Italian,  maintain  an  iniimaie  and  affertionate 
enrrespondenre  wilh  each  other  on  every  subject 
of  literature  and   science,  notwithstanding  the 

*  nnrlnr  the  wars  a1l>i<1e'*  to,  a  Renllcman,  (eon- 
rerslnR  with  the  author  on  the  snbiert.)  who  was 
uttering  the  most  virulent  Invcrllve*  af  ninxt  the 
rrenrh,  ronrlndcrt  by  SHytnx.  "After  nil  I  wish  no 
great  evil  lo  the  French,  I  onfy  vish  Ihry  trrrt  alt 
tafrly  limied  in  A«7t>rfi,"  plainly  tntlmallnr,  that  lie 
considered  them  unworthy  to  live  ujion  the  earth, 
atwl  that  the  sooner  they  were  rut  off  from  It  aiM) 
sent  lo  ilie  other  world,  so  raurh  the  tieller,  whether 
their  file  should  be  in  dwell  In  the  shatles  Of  Ta^ta 
nu  or  the  abeilssof  Elysium. 


ANTIPATHIES  OF  NATIONS  UNDERMINED. 


!4! 


mtipalhies  of  their  respective  nations.  During 
the  late  long-continued  and  destructive  warfare 
between  the  French  and  English,  which  was 
carried  on  with  unprecedented  hostility  and  ran- 
cour, the  naturalists,  mathematicians,  astrono- 
mers, and  chemists  of  the  two  countries,  held  the 
most  friendly  correspondence  in  relation  to  the 
subjects  connected  with  their  respective  depart- 
ments, in  so  far  as  the  jealousies  of  their  politi- 
cal rulers  would  permit.  In  the  communication 
of  the  French  and  English  philosophers  respect- 
ing the  progress  of  scientific  discovery,  we  find 
few  traces  of  nationality,  and  should  scarcely  be 
able  to  learn  from  such  communications  that  their 
respective  nations  were  engaged  in  warfare,  un- 
less when  they  lament  the  obstructions  which 
interrupted  their  regular  correspondence,  and 
their  injurious  effects  on  the  interests  of  science. 
It  is  a  well  known  fact,  that,  during  the  late  war, 
when  political  animosities  ran  so  high,  the  Na- 
tional Institute  of  France  announced  prizes  for 
the  discussion  of  scientific  questions,  and  invited 
the  learned  in  other  nations,  not  even  excepting 
the  English,  to  engage  in  the  competition;  and 
one  of  our  countrymen,  Sir  Humphrey  Davy,  ac- 
tually obtained  one  of  the  most  valuable  and  dis- 
tinguished of  these  honorary  awards. 

When  knowledge  is  conjoined  with  a  recogni- 
tion of  the  Christian  precept,  "  Thou  shalt  love 
ihy  neighbour  as  thyself,"  its  possessor  will  easi- 
ly be  made  to  enter  into  such  considerations  as 
the  following,  and  to  feel  their  force  : — That  all 
men,  to  whatever  nation  or  tribe  they  belong,  are 
the  children  of  one  Almighty  Parent,  endowed 
with  the  same  corporal  organs,  the  same  intellec- 
tual powers,  and  the  same  lineaments  of  the  Di- 
vine image — that  they  are  subject  to  the  same 
animal  and  intellectual  wants,  exposed  to  the  same 
accidents  and  calamities,  and  susceptible  of  the 
same  pleasures  and  enjoyments— that  they  have 
the  same  capacities  for  attaining  to  higher  de- 
grees of  knowledge  and  felicity,  and  enjoy  the 
same  hopes  and  prospects  of  a  blessed  immortal- 
ity—that God  distributes  among  them  all,  thou- 
sands of  benefits,  embellishing  their  habitations 
with  the  same  rural  beauties,  causing  the  same 
sun  to  enlighten  them,  the  same  vital  air  to  make 
their  lungs  play,  and  the  same  rains  and  dews  to 
irrigate  their  ground,  and  ripen  their  fields  to 
harvest — that  they  are  all  capable  of  performing 
noble  achievements,  heroic  exploits,  vast  enter- 
prises; of  displaying  illustrious  virtues,  and  of 
making  important  discoveries  and  improvements 
—that  they  are  all  connected  together  by  nu- 
merous ties  and  relations,  preparing  for  each 
other  the  bounties  of  Nature  and  the  production^ 
of  art,  and  conveying  them  by  sea  and  land  from 
one  country  to  another ;  one  nation  furnishing 
tea,  another  sugar,  another  wine,  another  silk, 
another  cotton,  and  another  distributing  its  ma- 
nufactures in  both  hemispheres  of  the  globe— in 
short,  that  they  are  all  under  the  moral  govern- 


ment of  the  same  Omnipotent  Being,  who  "  hath 
made  of  one  blood  all  nations  of  men  to  dwell  oa 
the  face  of  all  the  earth,  who  hath  determined 
the  boundaries  of  their  habitations,"  who  carries 
them  yearly  around  the  centre  of  light  and  heat, 
and  who  "  gives  them  rain  from  heaven  and 
fruitful  seasons,  filling  their  hearts  with  food  and 
gladness."  How  various,  then,  the  ties,  how 
sacred  and  indissoluble  the  bonds,  which  shouk! 
unite  men  of  all  nations  !  Every  man,  whether  h« 
be  a  Jew  or  a  Greek,  a  Barbarian  or  a  Scythian, 
a  Turk  or  a  Frenchman,  a  German  or  a  Swede,  a 
Hottentot  or  an  Indian,  an  Englishman  or  a  Chi- 
nese, is  to  be  considered  as  our  kinsman  and  our 
brother,  and,  as  sech,  ought  to  be  embraced  with 
benevolence  and  affection.  In  whatever  regioa 
of  the  globe  he  resides,  whatever  customs  or 
manners  he  adopts,  and  to  whatever  religious 
system  he  adheres,  he  is  a  member  of  the  same 
family  to  which  we  all  belong.  And  shall  we  feel 
indifferent  to  our  breihren,  shall  we  indulge  re» 
sentment  and  hostility  towards  them,  because 
they  are  separated  from  us  by  a  river,  by  a  chan 
nel,  by  an  arm  of  the  sea,  by  a  range  of  moun- 
tains,  or  by  an  arbitrary  line  drawn  by  the  jeai* 
lousy  of  despots,  or  because  their  government 
and  policy  are  different  from  ours  ?  Ought  we 
not,  on  the  contrary,  to  take  a  cordial  interest  in 
every  thing  that  concerns  them — to  rejoice  io 
their  prosperity,  to  feel  compassion  on  account 
of  the  ravages,  desolation,  and  misery  which  er- 
ror andfolly,  vice  and  tyranny  may  have  produced 
among  them  ;  and  to  alleviate,  to  the  utmost  oC 
our  power,  the  misfortunes  and  oppressions  under 
which  they  groan?  Reason,  as  well  as  Chris* 
tianity,  spurns  at  that  narrow-minded  patriotism 
which  confines  its  regards  to  a  particular  coun> 
try,  and  would  promote  its  interests  by  any 
means,  although  it  should  prove  injurious  to  every 
other  nation.  Whatever  tends  to  the  general  good 
of  the  whole  human  family,  will  ultimately  be 
found  conducive  to  the  prosperity  and  happiness 
of  every  particular  nation  and  tribe  ;  while,  on 
the  other  hand,  a  selfish  and  ungenerous  cotiduct 
towards  other  communities,  and  an  attempt  to  in- 
jure or  deorade  them,  will  seldom  fail  to  deprive  us 
ofthe  benefits  we  wished  to  secure,  and  to  expose 
us  to  the  evils  we  intended  to  avert.  Such  appear 
in  fact  to  be  the  principles  of  God's  moral  govern- 
ment among  the  nations,  and  such  the  sanctions  by 
which  the  laws  of  natural  justice  are  enforced. 

Were  such  sentiments  universally  recognised 
and  appreciated,  the  antipathies  of  nations  wouU 
speedily  be  vanquished,  and  union  and  harmony 
prevail  among  all  the  kindreds  of  the  earth.  And 
what  a  multitude  of  advantages  would  ensu&^ 
what  a  variety  of  interesting  scenes  would  bo 
presented — what  an  immense  number  of  delight- 
ful associations  would  be  produced,  were  such  a 
union  effected  among  mankind!  Were  men 
over  all  the  globe  living  in  peace  and  harmony, 
every  sea  would  be  navigated,  every  region  ex- 


142 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEIXSE. 


plorwJ,  iU  wovamtj  deacribed,  ill  prodiiciions 
eollectad,  itiboUuiieal  peculiariiir^  ascrrtain«d, 
mm)  iu  goolofcical  (inicium  invriitigatKH.  Tlie 
gm^phjr  oTihe  gluba  wiHild  be  briiu|;ht  to  prr- 
viciion  ;  its  beauties,  harmnnit^,  and  Kiiblimiiies 
displayed,  and  the  useful  productions  of  every 
dime  transported  to  every  country,  ar»d  culti- 
vated in  oveiy  land.  Science  wou4<l,  of  course, 
be  improved,  and  its  boundaries  enlarged  ;  new 
physical  facts  would  be  dii>ci>vere<l  for  confirming 
tnd  illustrating  its  principleo,  and  a  broad  foun- 
dation laid  fur  carrying  it  to  (lerfection.  While, 
at  present,  every  traveller  in  quest  of  scientific 
knowledge  in  foreign  lands,  is  limited  in  his  ex- 
cursions, and  even  exposed  to  imminent  danger, 
by  the  rancour  of  savage  tribes  and  the  jealousy 
of  despotic  govemment»~iR  such  a  stale  of 
things,  every  facility  would  be  given  to  his 
Ntearehea,  and  all  the  documents  of  history,  an4 
the  treasures  of  nature  and  art,  laid  open  to  his 
inspection.  He  would  be  conducted,  as  a  fritnd 
tod  brother,  through  every  city  and  rural  scene ; 
the  processes  of  arts  and  manufactures,  the 
enrioailies  of  nature,  and  the  archives  of  litera- 
ture and  science,  would  be  laid  open  to  his  view ; 
and  he  would  return  to  his  native  land  loaded 
with  whatever  is  curious  and  useful  in  nature 
snd  art,  and  enriched  with  new  accessions  to 
his  treasures  of  knowledge.  The  icnowledge 
and  arts  of  one  country  would  thus  be  quickly 
transported  toanoiher;  agricultural,  manufactur- 
ing and  mechanical  improvemenis  would  be 
gradually  introduced  into  every  region  ;  barren 
wastes  would  be  cultivated,  forests  cut  down, 
marshes  drained,  cities  founded,  temples,  schools 
and  academies  erected,  modes  of  rapid  comnmi- 
Bication  between  distant  countries  established, 
mutual  interchanges  of  aiTection  promoted,  and 
"  the  once  barren  deserts  made  to  rejoice  and 
Wossoni  as  the  rose." 

We  should  then  behold  the  inhabitants  of 
distant  countries  arriving  on  our  shores— not 
with  tomahawks,  clubs,  spears,  muskets,  and 
•(her  hostile  weapons,  but  with  the  symbols  of 
peace  and  the  productions  of  their  respective 
dimes.  We  should  behold  the  Malayans,  the 
Chinese,  the  Cambodians,  the  Burmese,  the 
Persians  and  the  Ja|>anese,  unfurling  their  ban- 
ners on  our  coasts  and  rivers,  unloading  their 
MTfoos  of  tea,  coffee,  silks,  nankeens,  em- 
broideriea,  carpets,  pearls,  diamonds,  and  gold 
and  silver  ornaments  and  utensils — traveling 
our  streets  and  squares  in  the  costume  of  their 
rwpective  countries,  gazing  at  our  shops  and 
edifices,  wondering  at  our  manners  and  customs, 
■ungling  in  our  assemblies,  holding  intercourse 
with  our  artists  and  philoeophers,  attending  our 
•eientific  lectures  and  experiments,  acquiring  a 
hDOwledge  of  our  arts  and  sciences,  and  retun>- 
iag  to  their  nathr*  <1Amui»  to  report  to  their  coun- 
Irjnea  the  informal  ion  they  had  received,  and 
to  introduce  among  tb«m  our  discovories  and 


improvements.  "  We  should  behold  the  tawnf 
Ifidians  of  Southern  Aoia  forcing  their  way 
up  its  mighty  riven  in  their  leathern  canoes,  to 
the  extremities  of  the  north,  and  displaying  on 
the  frozen  shores  of  the  icy  sea,  the  riches  of  the 
Ganges ;  the  Laplander  covered  with  warm  fur 
arriving  in  souihern  markets,  in  his  sledge  drawn 
by  rein-deer,  and  exposing  fur  sale  the  sable  skins 
and  furs  of  Siberia ;  and  the  copper-coliiured 
American  Indian  traversing  the  AntilU-s,  and 
conveying  from  isle  to  isle  his  gold  and  cmerakia.* 
We  should  occasionally  behold  numerous  cara- 
vans of  Arabians,  mountvd  on  thsir  dromedaries 
and  camels,  and  tribes  of  Tartars,  Bedouins,  and 
Moors  visiting  the  civilized  countries  of  Europe, 
laden  with  the  rarities  and  riches  of  their  re»> 
prctive  countries,  admiring  the  splendour  of  oar 
citips  and  public  edifices,  learning  our  arts  and 
manufactures,  acquiring  a  knowledge  of  our 
literature  and  sciences,  purchasing  our  commo- 
dities, procuring  specimens  of  our  philosophical 
instruments,  steam-engines,  and  mechanical 
powers — inviting  agriculturists,  artists,  mechan- 
ics, teachers,  ministers  of  religion,  mathemati- 
cians and  philosophers,  to  settle  among  them,  for 
the  purpose  of  improving  ■  heir  system  of  husband- 
ry, rearing  cities,  towns  wnA  villages,  disseminat- 
ing useful  knowledge,  and  introducing  the  arts  and 
enjoyments  of  civilized  society — at  the  same 
time  inviting  them  to  contract  marriages  with 
their  sisters  and  daughters,  and  thus,  by  new 
alliances,  to  reunite  the  hranchtt  of  the  huma* 
focndly,  which,  though  descended  from  one  com- 
mon parent,  have  been  so  long  disunited, — and 
which  disunion,  national  prejudices  and  antipa- 
thies, as  well  as  climate  and  complexion,  have 
tended  to  perpetuate.  And,  while  we  were  thus 
instrumental  in  imparting  knowledge  and  im- 
provements to  other  nations,  we  ourselves  shouM 
reap  innumerable  advantages.  Our  travellers 
and  navigators,  into  whatever  regions  they  might 
wish  to  penetrate,  wouW  feel  secure  from  every 
hostile  attack,  and  would  recognise  in  every  on* 
they  met  a  friend  and  a  brother,  ready  to  relieve 
their  necessities,  to  contribute  to  their  comfort, 
and  to  direct  them  in  their  mercantile  arrange 
ments  and  scientific  researches.  Our  merchants 
and  manufacturers  would  find  numerous  empo- 
riums for  their  goods,  and  new  openings  for 
commercial  enterprise,  and  would  import  from 
other  countries  new  conveniences  and  comforts 
for  the  use  of  their  countrymen  at  home. 

From  such  friendly  intercourses  we  should 
learn,  more  particularly  than  we  have  yet  done, 
the  history  of  other  nations,  and  the  peculiar 
circumstances  in  which  they  have  existed,  pw 
ticularly  of  those  tribes  which  have  been  consN 
dered  as  moving  beyond  the  range  of  civilized 
society.  All  that  we  at  present  know  of  the 
history  uf  many  foreign  nations,  consists  of  a 
few  insulated  sketches  and  anecdotes,  picked 
up  at  random  by  traveller*  who  paasod  only  a  few 


.t 


UNION  IN  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 


143 


ihtys  or  weeks  in  the  countries  they  describe, 
who  were  beheld  with  suspicion,  and  were  im- 
perfectly acquainted  with  the  languages  of  the 
inhabiiants.  But,  from  a  familiar  and  confiden- 
tial intercourse,  we  should  become  acquainted 
with  ihe  whole  series  of  their  history,  so  far  as 
it  is  known,  which  might  not  only  be  curious 
and  interesting  in  itself,  but  might  throw  a  light 
on  the  records  of  other  nations,  on  the  facts  of 
sacred  history,  and  on  the  general  history  of  the 
world.  We  might  thus  know  something  of  the 
circumstances  which  attended  the  early  disper- 
sion of  mankind, — the  motives  which  determined 
each  tribe  to  choose  its  separate  habitation  in  an 
unknown  region,  and  which  induced  them  to 
cross  unknown  arms  of  the  sea,  to  traverse  moun- 
tains which  presented  no  path,  juid  rivers  which 
had  not  yet  received  a  name,  and  whose  com- 
mencement and  termination  were  alike  un- 
known. The  information  which  distant  tribes 
refuse  us,  when  we  approach  them  like  warlike 
adventurers  or  ambitious  merchants,  would  be 
freely  communicated,  when  we  mingled  with 
them  as  friends  and  benefactors,  and  especially, 
after  we  had  been  instrumental  in  meliorating 
their  physical  and  moral  condition,  and  in  com- 
municating to  them  our  improvements. 

And,  in  the  name  of  all  that  is  sacred  and  be- 
nevolent, what  should  hinder  such  harmonious 
and  affectionate  intercourses  between  nations 
from  being  universally  realized  ?  Are  we  not  all 
brethren  of  one  family?  Have  we  not  all  one 
Father?  Has  not  one  God  created  us  ?  Does  not 
the  same  planet  support  us,  and  the  same  atmos- 
phere surround  us  ?  Does  not  the  same  sun  cheer 
and  enlighten  us  ?  Have  we  not  the  same  physi- 
cal organization,  the  same  mental  powers,  and 
the  same  immortal  destination  ?  And  is  it  not  the 
interest  of  every  individual  of  the  human  family 
that  such  a  friendly  intercourse  should  be  esta- 
blished ?  Are  there  any  insuperable  obstructions, 
any  impassable  barriers,  any  natural  impossibili- 
ties, that  prevent  such  a  union  among  the  na- 
tions? No, — knowledge,  combined  with  moral 
principle  and  true  religion,  if  universally  diffused, 
would  speedily  effectuate  this  wonderful  trans- 
formation. Enlighten  the  understandings,  direct 
the  moral  powers  of  man,  extend  the  knowledge 
of  Christianity  through  the  world,  and  a  broad 
foundation  will  be  laid  for  universal  improvement, 
and  universal  friendship  among  all  nations. 

But,  in  order  that  we  may  be  instrumental  in 
preparing  the  way  for  so  desirable  an  event,  our 
conduct  towards  other  nations,  and  particularly 
towards  uncivilized  tribes,  must  be  very  different 
from  what  it  has  generally  been  in  the  ages  that 
are  past.  We  must  become,  not  ihe  plunderers 
and  destroyers,  but  the  instructors  and  the  bene- 
factors of  mankind.  Instead  of  sending  forth  the 
artillery  of  war,  for  the  subjugation  of  distant  na- 
tions, we  must  uniformly  display  the  banner  of 
love  and  the  branch  ofPeace ;  instead  of  despatch- 


ing crowds  of  needy  adventurers,  fired  with  the 
cursed  love  of  gold,  to  plunder  and  to  kill,  like  the 
Spaniards  in  their  conquest  of  Mexico  and  Peru, 
— we  must  send  forth  armies  of  enlightened  be- 
nefactors, to  traverse  the  benighted  nations,  to 
carry  the  knowledge  of  divine  truth  within  the 
rcuion  of  Pagan  darkness,  to  impart  to  them  the 
blessings  of  instruction,  and  the  comforts  and 
conveniences  of  civilized  life.  Instead  of  landing 
on  their  shores  swords  i\nd  spears  and  musketry, 
— ploughshares,  pruning  hooks,  and  every  other 
agricultural  implement,  must  be  plentifully  sup- 
plied to  all  ihe  inhabitants.  Instead  of  carrying 
into  slavery  their  children  and  relatives,  and  ira- 
biltering  their  lives  with  cruel  treatment,  like  the 
Spaniards  and  the  Poi  luguese,  in  reference  to  the 
African  negroes,  we  must,  proclaim  "  liberty  to 
the  captives,  and  the  opening  of  the  prison-doors 
to  them  that  are  bound."  In  short,  our  conduct 
must  be  almost  diametrically  opposite  to  that 
which  political  intriguers  have  generally  pursued 
towards  other  states,  if  we  would  promote  union 
among  the  nations.  Our  selfishness  must  be 
changed  into  beneficence,  our  pride  into  humilitjr, 
our  avarice  into  generosity,  and  our  malignity 
into  kindness  and  benevolence.  Kindness  and 
benevolent  attentions  will  sometimes  subdue  even 
the  most  ferocious  animals,  and  will  seldom  fail  to 
soften  the  breast  of  the  most  savage  people,  and 
to  win  their  affections.  There  is  scarcely  an  in- 
dividual within  the  range  of  the  human  species, 
or  even  within  the  range  of  animated  nature,  but 
is  susceptible  of  the  impressions  of  love  ;  and  if 
such  principles  and  affections  were  to  direct  the 
future  intercourses  of  nations,  we  might  expect, 
ere  long,  to  behold  the  commencement  of  that 
happy  era,  when  "  the  wikferness  and  solitary 
place  shall  be  glad,  when  nation  shall  no  longer 
lift  up  sword  against  nation,  when  righteousness 
and  praise  shall  spring  forth  before  all  the  na- 
tions, and  when  there  shall  be  nothing  to  hurt 
or  destroy"  among  all  the  families  of  the  earth. 

V. — A  general  diffusion  of  knowledge  would 
be  one  general  mean  of  promotiHg  union  in  t)u 
Christian  Church. 

It  is  a  lamentable  fact,  that  throughout  the 
whole  world,  there  is  no  system  of  religion,  the 
votaries  of  which  arc  subdivided  into  so  many 
sectaries  as  those  who  profess  an  adherence  to 
the  Christian  faith.  Within  the  limits  of  Great 
Britain,  there  are  perhaps  not  much  fewer  than 
a  hundred  different  denominations  of  Christians 
belonging  to  the  Protestant  church.  We  have 
Calvinists,  Arminians,  Baxterians,  Antinomi- 
ans,  Arians  and  Unitarians,  Episcopalians, 
Presbyterians,  Methodists,  Baptists,  and  Inde- 
pendents,— Seceders,  Brownists,  Sandcmanians, 
Q.uakers,  Moravians,  Swedenborgians,  Mille- 
narians,  Sabbatarians,  Universalists,  Sublapsa- 
rians,   Supralapsarians,  Dunkers,  Kilbamite% 


144 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OP  KNOWLEDGE. 


Shaken,   &c.      Of  ■ome  of  these  there  are 
•everal  lubdiviRionM.     Thus,  (here  are  three  or 
four  denoininati<ins  of  Secedcis,  four  or  five  of 
Baptists,  three  or   four  of  Methodists,  and  two 
or  three  of  Glassiies  or  Sandemaniaiu.     Most 
of  these   denominations   recognise    the  leading 
truths  of  divine  revelation,— the    natural    and 
moral  attributes  of  the  Deity,— (he  fall  of  man, 
— the  necessity  of  a  Saviour, — the  incarnation 
of  Christ, — the  indispensable  duty  of  faith   in 
him  for  the  remission  of  sinn, — the  necessity  of 
regeneration,  and  of  holiness  in   principle   and 
practice, — the  obligation  of  the  moral  law, — the 
doctrine  of  a  resurrection  from  the  dead,  and  of  a 
future    state  of  rewards   and  punishments, — in 
•hort,  every  thing   by  which  Christianity  is  dis- 
tinguished from  Mahomedanism,   Pagan  idola- 
tary,  and  all  the  other  systems  of  religion   that 
prevail  in   the  world.     Vet,  while  agreeing  in 
the  leading   doctrines  of    the  Christian   faith, 
they  continue  in  a  state  of  separation  from  each 
other,  as  if  they  had  no  common  bond  of  union, 
and,  as  rival  sects,  are  too  frequently  in  a  state 
of  alienation,  and  even  of  open  hostility.      The 
points  in  which  they  differ  are  frequently  so  mi- 
nute as  to  be  incapable  of  being  accurately  de- 
fined, or  rendered  palpable  to  an   impartial  in- 
quirer.    Where  the  difference  is  most  apparent, 
it  consists  chiefly  in  a  diversity  of  opinion  res- 
pecting   such   questions    as    the    following : — 
Whether  the  election  of  man   to  eternal  life  be 
absolute  or   conditional, — whether  Christ  died 
for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world,  or  only  for  a  li- 
mited number, — whether  there  be  a  gradation 
or  an  equality  among  the  ministers  of  the  Chris> 
tian  church, — whether  every  particular  society 
of  Christians  has  power  to  regulate  its  own  af^ 
fairs,  or  ought  to   be   in   subjection  to   higher 
courts  of  judicature, — whether  the  ordinance  of 
the  Lord's  Supper  should  be  received  in  the  pos- 
ture of  sitting  or  of  kneeling, — whether  Baptism 
should  be  administered  to  infants  or  adults,  or  be 
performed  by  dipping  or  sprinkling,  &c.      Such 
are  some  of  (he  points  of  dispute,  which   have 
torn   the  Christian    church  into   a   number  of 
shreds,  and  (jroduced  among  the  different  secta- 
ries jealousies,  recriminations  and  contentions. 
When  we  consider  the  number  and  the  impor- 
tance of  the  leading  (acts  and  doctrines  in  which 
they  all  agree,  it  appears  somewhat  strange  and 
even  absurd,  that  they  should  stand  aloof  from 
each  other,  and  even  a«ume  a  hostile  attitude, 
Ml  Mooant  of  meh  comparatively  trivial  diffcr- 
«wes  of  opinion,  especially  when  they  all  pro- 
tam  to  be    promoting  the  tame  grand  object, 
travelling   to  the  same  heavenly  country,  and 
cspect,  ere  loagi  to  sit  down  in  harmony  in  the 
oMUHiona  above.     The  grand  principles  of  hu- 
man action,  which  it  is  the  chief  object  of  Re- 
velation to  establish,  and  the  precepta  of  morality 
which  ought  to  govwn  the  affaotieai  and  conduct 
of  vnrj  Chriatna,  ar«  rBrogifawH  by  all ;  and 


why  then  shouki  they  separate  from  each  othcfi 
and  remain  at  variance  on  account  of  maitera  uf 
" doubtfiil  disputation  7" 

The  evtit  which  flow  from  siKh  a  dividea 
slate  of  Christian  society,   are  numerous  and 
much  to  be  deploti-d.      A  seciarian  spirit  haa 
burst  asunder  the  bonds  of  Christian  love,  and 
prevented  that  harmonious  and  affectionate   io* 
tercourse  among  Christiana  which  is  one  of  the 
chief  enjoyments  of  social   religion.     It  has  iiH 
fused  jealousies,  fanned  the  flame  of  animoaity 
and  discord,  set  friends,  brethren  and  families  at 
variance,  and  shattered  even  civil  communitiea 
into  factions  and  parties.     It  has  kindled  con« 
tentions  and  heart-burnings,  produced  envyings, 
animosites,  and  hatred  of  brrihren,  burst  a«ui>« 
der  the  strongest  ties  of  natural  affection,  and 
has    led    professed    Christians    to    violate    th« 
plainest  dictates  of  humanity  and  of  natural  jus* 
tice.     It  has  excited  a  fuverish  zeal  for  the  pe- 
culiarities of  a  sectary,  while  the  distinguishing 
features  of  Christianity  have  either  been  over- 
looked or  trampled  under  foot.     It  has  wasted 
money  unnecessarily  in  erecting  separate  places 
of  worship,  which  might  have  been  devoted  to  the 
promotion  of  the  interests  of  our  common  Christi- 
anity.    It  has  even  corrupted  our  very  pratfen, 
infused  into  them  human  passions,  and  a  spirit  of 
party,  and  confined  them  to  the  narrow  limits  of 
our  own  sectary,  as  if  ihe  Omnipotent,  whom  we 
profess  to  adore,  were  biassed  by  Ihe  same  pre* 
judices  as  ourselves,  and  dispensed  his  favours 
according  to  our  contracted  views.     Could  we 
fly  with  the  swiftness  of  an  angelic  messenger 
through  the  various  assemblies  convened  on  the 
Christian  Sabbath,  while   they  are  offering  up 
their  prayers  to  heaven,  what   a  repulsive  and 
discordant  scene  would  present  itself,  when  ws 
beheld  the  leaders  of  certain  sectaries  confining 
their  petitions  to  their  own  votaries,  imploring  a 
tpedal  blessing  upon  themselves,  as  if  they  were 
the  chief  favourites  of  heaven,  lamenting  the 
errors  of  others,  throwing  out  inuendos  against 
rival  sectaries,  taking  credit  to  themselves  as 
the  chief  depositories  of  gospel  truth,  and  lhank« 
ing  God  for  their  superior  attainments  in  Chris- 
tian perfection  !     How  unlike  the  noble,  bene* 
volent  and  expaiwive  spirit  which  Christianity 
inculcates  ! — Nay,  the  intolerance  which  the  di- 
visions of  the  Christian  church  have  engendered, 
has  established  Inquisitions  for  the  purpose  ol 
torturing  and  burning  supposed  heretics,— has 
baniithed,  imprisoned,   plundered,  hanged    and 
committed  to  the  flames,  thousands  and  ten  thou- 
sands, on  account  of  their  religious  opinkmt ;  and 
many  eminent  characters,  illustrious  for  piety 
and  virtue,  have  fallen  victims  to  such  unchris- 
tian barbarities. 

In  partiailar,  the  divisions  and  contentions  of 
Christians  have  been  one  of  the  chief  causes  of 
tki  progTtat  of  h^dttity.  The  truth  and  excel* 
ienoc  of  otir  reHf  ion  can  only  be  exhibited  to  the 


EVILS  OF  SECTARIANISM. 


145 


world  by  its  effects.  And  when,  instead  of  love, 
union  and  harmony  among  its  professors,  we  bo- 
hold  bitter  envyings,  schisms,  confeniions  and 
animosities,  there  appears  nolhini;  to  allure  vi- 
cious and  unthinking  minds  to  examine  its  evi- 
dences, and  to  give  it  an  impartial  hearing. 
"  First  agree  among  yourselves,"  infidels  reply, 
"  and  then  we  will  consider  the  truth  and  impor- 
tance of  your  opinions."  Such  a  mode  of  rea- 
sonin<;  and  conduct  is  indeed  both  absurd  and 
unfair,  when  the  genuine  doctrines  and  requisi- 
tions of  Christianity  are  clearly  stated  in  its  ori- 
ginal records,  and  which  they  ought  to  examine 
for  themselves  ;  but  it  is  a  circumstance  much  to 
be  deplored,  that  Christians,  by  their  sectarian 
animosities,  should  throw  a  stumbling-block  in 
the  way  of  rational  investigation  into  the  truths 
an;!  foundations  of  religion,  and  cause  thousands 
to  stumble  and  fall  to  their  destruction.  But,  what 
is  perhaps  worst  of  ail,  it  has  greatly  retarded,  and 
still  retards,  the  universal  propagation  of  Chris- 
tianity through  the  world.  Something  has  indeed 
been  effected,  of  late  years,  by  various  sections 
of  the  Christian  church,  in  the  different  Mis- 
sionary enterprises  which  they  have  conducted, 
in  their  separate  capacities ;  but  it  is  not  too 
much  to  afRrm,  that,  had  they  acted  in  combina- 
tion and  in  harmony,  in  the  missionary  cause, 
ten  times  more  good  would  have  been  effected 
than  has  ever  yet  been  accomplished.  Besides, 
in  our  present  mode  of  propagating  the  Gospel 
among  the  heathen,  we  are  to  a  certain  extent, 
sowing  the  seeds  of  those  unhappy  dissensions 
which  have  so  long  prevailed  among  ourselves. 
And,  therefore,  till  the  different  religious  deno- 
minations, in  this  and  other  Christian  lands,  be 
brought  into  a  more  general  and  harmonious 
union,  we  cannot  expect  to  behold  a  rapid  and 
extensive  propagation  of  primitive  Christianity 
throughout  the  Pagan  world. 

Such  are  some  of  the  evils  which  a  sectarian 
spirit  has  produced  in  the  Christian  Church.  It 
is  almost  needless  to  say,  that  they  do  not  origi- 
nate in  the  genius  of  the  Gospel,  which  is  direct- 
ly opposed  to  such  a  spirit,  but  in  the  corruption 
of  human  r»tiire,  and  the  perversion  of  true  re- 
ligion. They  have  their  rise  in  ignorance. — in 
ignorance  both  of  the  revelations  of  the  Bible, 
considered  as  one  whole,  and  of  those  truths  of 
history,  philosophy,  and  general  science,  which 
have  a  tendency  to  liberalize  and  to  enlarge  the 
capacity  of  the  human  mind.  This  ignorance 
naturally  leads  to  self-conceit,  and  an  obstinate 
attachment  to  preconceived  opinions  and  party 
prejudices,  to  attaching  an  undue  importance  to 
certain  subordinate  and  favourite  opinions,  and 
overlooking  the  grand  essentials  of  the  Chris- 
tian scheme  ;  and  thus  prevents  ihe  mind  from 
expanding  its  views,  and  taking  a  luminous  and 
compre'iensive  ssuvey  of  the  general  bearings 
and  distinguishing  features  of  the  religion  of  the 
Bible.  And,  if  such  numerous  and  serious  evils 
19 


have  followed  &om  the  divisions  of  Christians,  it 
becomes  an  important  inquiry,  whether  they  have 
ever  been  productive  of  advantages  sufficient  to 
counterbalance  such  pernicious  effects.  Is  an 
obscure  question,  in  relation  to  church-govern- 
ment, to  be  set  in  competition  with  Christian 
union  ?  Is  a  metaphysical  opinion  about  the 
sovereignly  of  God,  and  his  councils  during  eter- 
nity past,  to  be  obstinately  maintained,  although 
the  strongest  bonds  of  Christian  love  should  ther^> 
by  be  burst  asunder  ?  Is  the  rigid  adherence  to 
an  opinion  respecting  dipping  or  sprinkling  in 
baptism,  or  the  maintenance  of  a  dogma  in  refe- 
rence to  the  extent  of  Christ's  redemt)tion,  under 
pretence  of    bearing  a  testimony    in    behalf  of  j 

Divine  truth,  to  be  considered  as  sufficient  to 
counterbalance  the  numerous  evils  which  have 
flowed  from  a  sectarian  spirit  ?  Can  we  suppose, 
that  He  whose  law  is  love,  who  hath  commanded 
us  to  "  keep  the  unity  of  the  Spirit  in  the  bond 
of  peace,"  and  who  hath  declared,  again  and 
again,  in  the  most  explicit  terms,  "  By  this  shall 
all  men  know  that  ye  are  my  disciples,  if  ye  love 
one  another :"  are  we  to  suppose,  that  He  will 
consider  the  maintenance  of  such  opinions,  un- 
der such  pretences,  as  a  warrant  for  the  infringe- 
ment of  the  law  of  charity,  or  the  breach  of  Chris-  ) 
tian  union,  or  that  he  sets  a  higher  value  on  in-  i 
tellectua!  subtleties  and  speculative  opinions,  than 
on  the  practical  requisitions  of  his  word,  and  the 
manifestations  of  Christian  temper  and  conduct? 
To  answer  these  questions  in  the  affirmative, 
would  be  little  short  of  offering  an  insult  to  the 
King  of  Zion.  Whatever  is  not  so  clearly  re-  , 
vealed  in  Scripture,  that  every  rational  and  se-  \ 
rious  inquirer  does  not  plainly  perceive  it  to  be 
truth  or  duty,  can  scarcely  be  supposed  to  be  of 
such  importance,  as  to  warrant  the  breach  of  the 
unity  of  the  church.  For  the  inspired  writers, 
who  were  the  vehicles  of  a  revelation  from  hea- 
ven, can  never  be  supposed  to  have  used  vague 
or  ambiguous  language  in  explaining  and  enfor- 
cing matters  of  the  first  importance. 

If  we  consider  the  temper  and  conduct  of  many 
of  those  who  are  sticklers  upon  phrases,  and 
zealous  about  matters  of  mere  form,  we  shall  bo 
convinced  how  few  beneficial  practical  effects  are 
the  result  of  a  narrow  sectarian  spirit.  While 
they  appear  fired  with  a  holy  zeal  lest  the  purity 
of  divine  ordinances  should  be  tainted  by  ud- 
washen  hands,  you  will  sometimes  find  them  iin-  * 

mersed  in  the  grossest  sensualities  and  immorali- 
ties of  conduct.  While  they  are  severe  stick- 
lers for  what  they  conceive  to  be  the  primitive 
form  and  order  of  a  Christian  church,  you  will 
not  unfrequently  find  disorder  reigning  in  their 
families,  the  instruction  of  their  children  and 
servants  neglected,  and  a  sour  and  boisterous 
spirit  manifested  in  all  their  intercourses  with 
their  domestics.  Yea,  you  will  find,  in  numer- 
ous instances,  that  they  scruple  not  to  praciiaa 
fraud*  in  the  course  of  their  business,  and  that  ] 


146 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


jrou  can  have  laaa  dep«ndance  on  their  promisra 
than  on  ihoscoT  (he  mm  of  the  world,  who  make 
no  pri'ience*  lo  rflif(ion.  As  an  exrvlleni  writer 
has  well  otxcrved.  "  An  anient  tempeianient 
converts  ih*-  entlmsiam  into  a  zealot,  who,  while 
be  is  laborious  in  winning  proselytes,  discharges 
common  duties  very  remisaly,  and  is  found  lo  be 
a  morn  punctilious  observer  of  his  creed  than  of 
his  word.  Or,  if  his  imagination  is  fertile,  he 
becomes  a  visionary,  who  lives  on  better  lerms 
with  angels  and  with  seraphs,  than  with  his 
children,  servants,  and  neijihbours ;  or,  he  is  one 
who,  while  he  reverences  the  '  thrones,  domi- 
nions, and  powers' of  the  invisilile  world,  vents 
his  spleen  in  railing  on  all  *  dignities  and  [lOwers 
on  earth.'  "♦ 

WIliI  are  the  remedies  then,  which  may  be 
applied  for  healing  the  unhappy  divisions  which 
have  arisen  in  the  Christian  church?  It  is  evi- 
dent, in  the  first  place,  that  we  must  discard  the 
greater  (>art  of  llioae  human  systems  of  divinity, 
and  those  polemical  writings  and  controversies, 
which  have  fanned  the  flame  of  animosity,  and 
which  have  so  frequently  been  substituted  in  the 
room  of  the  oracles  of  God.  We  must  revert  to 
the  Scriptures  as  the  sole  standard  of  every  reli- 
gious opinion,  and  fix  our  attention  chiefly  on 
those  mutters  of  |>aramount  im|>ortance  which  are 
obvious  to  every  attentive  reader,  and  which  enter 
into  the  essence  of  the  Christian  system.  For, 
to  maintain,  that  the  Scriptures  are  not  suffici- 
ently clear  and  explicit  in  regard  lo  every  thing 
that  has  a  bearing  on  the  present  comfort  and  the 
everla.oting  happiness  of  mankind,  is  nothing  short 
of  a  libel  on  the  character  of  the  sacred  writers, 
and  an  indignity  offered  to  Him  by  whose  Spirit 
they  were  inspired.  We  must  also  endeavour  to 
discard  the  "  vain  janglings,"  the  sophistical 
reaaoiiings,  and  the  metaphysical  refinements  of 
the  schools,  and  the  technical  lerms  of  polemical 
theoloav.suchasfn'n.'ty,  t/postatioal  union,  nacra- 
mentt,  &c.  and,  in  our  discussions,  especially  on 
mysterious  or  doubtful  subjects,  adhere  as  nearly 
u  possible  to  the  language  of  the  inspired  writ- 
er*. In  particular,  more  attention  ought  to  be 
paid  to  the  manifestation  of  Christian  love,  and 
the  practice  of  religion,  than  to  a  mere  coinci- 
dence of  view  with  regard  lo  certain  theological 
dogmas.  For  it  is  easy  to  conceive,  that  a  man 
may  be  animated  by  holy  principles  and  disposi- 
tion, although  he  may  have  an  obscure  concep- 
tion, or  may  even  entertain  an  erroneous  opinion, 
oTsome  of  the  doctrines  of  religion ;  and  we  know 
by  experience,  tliat  men  may  contend  sealously 
for  what  are  considered  orthodox  doctrines,  and 
yet  be  desiiluieof  the  apirit  ofrelision.  and  tram- 
ple on  its  most  important  practical  re«|iiiremenls. 
And,  were  the  spirit  of  our  holy  religion  thorwigh- 
ly  to  pervade  the  different  sections  of  the  church 
— were  Christian  qffeclion  more  generally  maoi- 

*  Katural  Bist.  of  Enthostaam,  p.  14. 


fetled  among  all  who  bear  the  Christian  nana, 
and  the  practical  injunctions  of  Christianity  uni- 
furnily  exemplified  in  their  conduct,  we  shwild 
soon  behold  a  general  coincidence  of  opinion  on 
every  thing  that  can  be  deemed  important  in  re- 
ligion, and  a  mutual  candour  and  forbearaiice,  in 
regard  to  all  subordinate  o|>inions,  that  do  not 
enter  into  the  essence  of  religion  and  which 
ought  to  be  left  to  the  private  judgment  of  every 
inquirer. 

But  I  entertain  little  hope  that  such  measures 
will  be  adopted,  and  an  object  so  desirable  acconn 
pliahed,  while  so  much  ignorance  still  pervades 
the  minds  of  the  majority  of  Christians,  and  while 
the  range  of  their  intellectual  views  is  so  much 
contracted.  It  is  only  when  the  effects  of  a  gene- 
ral diffusion  of  knowledge  shall  be  more  exten- 
sively felt,  that  a  more  general  and  cordial  union 
of  the  Christian  world  is  tobeexpecled.  Light  m 
the  understanding  is  the  source  of  all  reformations, 
the  detector  of  all  evils  and  abuses,  the  correc- 
tor of  all  errors  and  misconceptions,  and  th« 
stimulus  to  every  improvement.  It  dispels  the 
mists  which  prevented  our  distinct  vision  of  the 
objects  of  our  contemplation,  discovers  the  stumb- 
ling-blocks over  which  we  had  fallen,  points  out 
the  devious  ways  into  which  we  had  wandered, 
and  presents  before  us  every  object  in  its  just 
magnitude  and  proportions.  The  knowledge  to 
which  I  allude  consists,  in  the  first  place,  in  a 
clear  and  comprehensive  view  of  the  whole  system 
of  divine  revelation,  in  all  its  connexions  and 
bearings, — and,  in  the  next  place,  in  an  acijiiaiD- 
tance  with  all  those  historical,  geographical,  and 
scientific  facts  which  have  a  tendency  lo  expand 
the  capacity  of  the  mind,  and  to  enlarge  ourcoiv> 
ceptions  of  the  attributes  of  Gud,and  of  the  ways  of 
his  providence.  Wherever  the  mind  is  inorough- 
ly  enlightened  in  the  knowledge  of  such  subjects, 
the  tendency  to  bigotry  and  sectarianism  will 
quickly  be  destroyed,  and  the  partition  walla 
which  now  separate  the  diflferent  sections  of  the 
church  will  gradually  be  undermined  and  crumble 
into  dust.  This  might  be  illustrated  from  the 
very  nature  of  the  thing.  A  man  w-hose  mind 
is  shrouded  in  comparative  ignorance,  ia  like  a 
person  who  lands  on  an  unknown  country  in  the 
dusk  of  the  evening,  and  forms  his  opinion  of  its 
scenery  and  inhabitants  from  the  obscure  and 
limited  view  he  is  obliged  to  lake  of  them,  during 
the  course  of  a  few  hours, — while  he  whose  mind 
is  enlightened  in  every  department  of  human  aiMJ 
divine  knowledge,  is  like  one  who  has  taken  a 
minute  and  comprehensive  survey  of  the  same 
country,  traversed  its  length  and  tirradth,  min- 
gled with  every  class  of  iis  inhabitants,  visited  ita 
cities,  towns,  and  villagea,  and  studied  its  arts 
and  sciences,  its  laws,  ctistoms,  and  antiquities. 
The  one  can  form  but  a  vei^  imperfect  arid  inao> 
curate  conception  of  the  country  he  has  visited, 
and  could  convey  only  a  similar  conception  to 
others, — the  other  fau  acquired  a  correct  idea  Oi 


BENEFICIAL  EFFECTS  OF  CHRISTIAN  UNION. 


147 


the  scene  he  has  surveyed,  and  can  form  an  accu- 
rate judorment  of  the  nature,  the  tendency,  and 
bearings  of  the  laws,  institutions,  and  political 
economy  which  have  been  the  subject  of  his  inves- 
tigations. So  that  the  accounts  given  by  these 
two  visiters,  of  the  same  country,  behoved  to  be 
materially  different.  The  sectarian  bigot  is  one 
who  has  taken  a  partial  and  limited  view  of  one 
or  two  departments  of  the  fieldof  revelation,  who 
fixes  his  attention  on  a  few  of  its  minute  objects, 
and  who  overlooks  the  sublimity  and  the  grand 
bearings  of  its  more  magnificent  scenery.  The 
man  of  knowledge  explores  it  throughout  its  length 
and  breadth,  fixes  his  eye  upon  its  distinguishing 
features,  and  brings  all  the  information  he  has 
acquired  from  other  quarters,  to  assist  his  concep- 
tions of  the  nature,  the  bearings,  and  relations  of 
the  multifarious  objects  presented  to  his  view. 
The  luminous  views  ho  has  taken  of  the  leading 
objects  and  design  of  revelation,  and  the  expansive 
conceptions  he  has  acquired  of  the  perfections  of 
Him  by  whom  it  was  imparted, — will  never  suf- 
fer him  to  believe,  that  it  is  agreeable  tu  the  will 
of  God  that  a  Christian  society  should  be  rent 
asunder  in  the  spirit  of  animosity,  because  one 
party  maintains,  for  example,  ihaidipping  is  the 
true  mode  of  performing  baptism,  and  the  other, 
that  it  should  be  administered  by  sprinkling,  while 
they  both  recognise  it  as  a  divine  ordinance,  and 
symbolical  of  spiritual  blessings,— or  that  such 
conduct  can  have  a  tendency  to  promote  the 
glory  of  God,  and  the  best  interests  of  men.  He 
can  never  believe  that  that  incomprehensible  Be- 
ing who  inhabiteth  eternity,  who  superintends  the 
affairs  often  thousand  worlds,  and  who  hath  ex- 
hibited in  his  word  the  way  to  eternal  life  in  the 
clearest  light — should  attach  so  great  a  degree  of 
importance  to  such  questions,  that  either  the  one 
party  or  the  other  should  be  considered  as  exclu- 
sive supporters  of  divine  truth,  while  they  in- 
fringe the  law  of  Christian  love,  and  forbear  "  to 
keep  the  unity  of  the  spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace." 
For,  in  reference  to  the  example  now  stated,  a 
few  drops  of  water  are  equally  a.symbol  or  emhtem 
as  the  mass  of  liquid  in  a  mighty  river  ;— and  to 
consider  the  Almighty  as  beholding  with  appro- 
bation such  speculations,  and  their  consequent 
effbcts,  would  be  little  short  of  affixing  a  libel  on 
his  moral  character.  The  man  of  knowledge  is 
dis|>osed  to  view  in  the  same  light,  almost  all  the 
minute  q<iestions  and  circumstantial  opinions, 
which  have  been  the  cause  of  separating  the 
church  of  Christ  into  its  numerous  compartments. 
If  we  attend  to  facts,  we  shall  find,  that,  in 
ninety-nine  cases  out  of  a  hundred,  the  man  who 
is  a  violent  party- partisan,  is  one  whose  ideas  run 
in  one  narrow  track,  and  who  has  taken  a  very 
limited  and  partial  survey  of  the  great  objects  of 
religion.  He  is  generally  unacquainted  with  the 
range  of  history,  the  facts  of  science,  the  philo- 
sophy of  nature,  and  the  physical  and  moral  state 
of  distant  nations.    His  mind  naver  ranges  orer 


the  globe,  nor  contemplates  the  remote  wonders 
of  the  Creator's  empire.  His  reading  is  chiefly 
confined  to  the  volumes  and  pamphlets  publish- 
ed by  the  partisans  of  his  own  sect;  he  can  run 
over  the  scriptures  and  arguments  which  sup- 
port his  opinions,  like  a  racer  in  his  course,  but, 
if  you  break  in  upon  his  train  of  thought,  and  re- 
quire him  to  prove  his  positions,  as  he  goes 
along,  he  is  at  a  stand,  and  knows  not  how  to 
proceed.  While  he  magnifies,  with  a  microsco- 
pic eye,  the  importan'"eofhi3  own  peculiar  views, 
he  almost  overlooks  the  grand  and  distinguishing 
truths  of  the  Bible,  in  which  all  true  Christians 
are  agreed.  On  the  other  hand,  there  is  scarcely 
one  instance  out  of  a  hundred,  of  men  whose 
minds  are  thoroughly  imbued  with  the  truths  of 
science  and  revelation,  being  the  violent  abettors 
of  sectarian  opinions,  or  indulging  in  party  ani- 
mosities ;  for,  knowledge  and  liberality  of  senti- 
ments almost  uniformly  go  hand  in  hand.  While 
we  ought  to  recognise  and  appreciate  every  por- 
tion of  divine  truth,  in  so  far  as  we  perceive  its 
evidence, — it  is,  nevertheless,  the  dictate  of  an 
enlightened  understanding,  that  those  truths  which 
are  of  thx  first  importance,  demand  our  first  and 
chief  attention.  Every  controversy,  agitated 
among  Christians  on  subjects  of  inferior  import- 
ance, has  a  direct  tendency  to  withdraw  the  at- 
tention from  the  great  objects  which  distinguish 
the  revelations  of  the  Bible;  and  there  cannot  be 
a  more  absurd  or  fatal  delusion,  than  to  acquire 
correct  notions  on  matters  comparatively  unim- 
portant, while  we  throw  into  the  shade,  or  but 
faintly  apprehend,  those  truths  which  are  essen- 
tial to  religion,  and  of  everlasting  moment.  Every 
enlightened  Christian  perceives  the  truth  and 
importance  of  this  position  ;  and  were  it  to  be 
universally  acted  upon,  sectarian  divisions  and 
contentions  would  soon  cease  to  exist ;  for  they 
have  almost  uniformly  taken  place  in  conse- 
quence of  attaching  too  great  a  degree  of  import- 
ance to  matters  of  inferior  moment. 

Were  the  minds  ofthe  members  of  I  he  Christian 
church,  therefore,  thoroughly  enlightened,  and 
imbued  with  the  moral  principles  of  the  religion 
of  Jesus,  we  should  soon  behold,  among  all  deno- 
minations, a  tendency  to  union,  on  the  broad  ba- 
sis of  recognising  the  grand  essential  truths  of 
Christianity,  which  formed  the  principal  subjects 
of  discussion  in  the  sermons  of  our  Saviour  and 
his  apostles — and  a  spirit  of  forbearance  mani- 
fested in  regard  to  all  opinions  on  matters  of  infe- 
rior importance.  Were  this  period  arrived — 
and,  from  the  signs  of  our  times,  its  approach 
cannot  be  very  distant — it  would  be  attended 
with  a  train  of  the  most  glorious  and  auspicious 
effects.  A  merging  of  party  differences,  and  a 
consequent  union  of  enlightened  Christians, 
Would  dissipate  that  spirit  of  trifling  in  religion 
by  which  so  much  time  has  been  absorbed  in  dis- 
cussing sectarian  opinions,  to  the  neglect  of  the 
great  objects  of  the  Christian  faith  ;  for  when 


141S 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWI.EDGE. 


tririal  eontroreraies  ore  quuhed.tho  time  and 
attentiim  ihi^  abtorbed  woukl  be  devoted  to  mure 
aublime  and  important  investigation*.  It  would 
hare  a  jMiMrerrul  influence  on  the  prupaf^aiion  uf 
Chrinianily  ihrimghuut  the  huathen  world  ;  for 
the  whole  Chrisiian  world  would  then  become 
one  grand  MlMionary  Society,  who«e  operations 
would  be  conducted  with  more  efficiency  and 
•kill,  wh'ise  fiindi  would  be  much  more  ample, 
and  whose  Missionaries  would  be  better  educat- 
ed than  I  hey  now  are — and  thuee  sectarian  differ- 
ences  of  opmion,  which  now  produce  so  many 
unhappy  dissensions,  for  ever  prevented  from 
disturbini!  the  harmony  of  converts  in  distant 
lands.  It  would  cherish  the  principle  of  Chris- 
tian love,  detach  it  from  every  unholy  jealousy, 
and  rendi-r  it  more  ardent  and  ezpaniiive  in  its 
philanthropic  operations.  It  would  produce  a 
powerful  and  beneficial  influence  upon  the  men 
of  the  world,  and  even  upon  infidels  themselves  ; 
it  would  snatch  from  them  one  of  their  most  pow- 
erful ar^imenls  against  the  religion  of  the  Bible, 
and  wouM  allure  them  to  the  investigation  of  its 
ovidenres,  by  the  exhibition  it  gave  of  its  harmo- 
nious an  t  happy  effects.  It  would  have  an  influ- 
ence on  the  minds  of  the  Roman  Catholics,  in 
leading  ihem  to  an  unbiassed  inquiry  into  the 
grounds  on  which  the  Protestant  church  is  esta- 
blished. At  present,  when  called  upon  to  ex- 
amine the  doctrines  of  Protestantism,  they  retort 
Upon  us — "  You  are  divided  into  a  hundred  dif- 
leront  sectaries,  and  are  at  variance  among 
^rourselves  ;  ."how  us  which  of  these  sects  is  in 
possession  of  the  truth,  and  we  will  then  examine 
your  pretensions,  and  perhaps  come  over  to  your 
standard."  It  would  have  an  influence  on  the 
Jewish  people,  in  removing  their  prejudices 
a^inst  the  religion  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  espe- 
cially, wtTR  it  followed,  as  it  likely  would  be, 
with  a  rt'peal  of  all  those  statutes  which  have 
imposed  upon  them  disabilities,  deprived  them 
of  the  ri:.'his  of  citizenship,  and  subjected  them  to 
unchrisiiin  severities.  In  short — in  connexion 
with  the  ^'t-neral  manifestation  of  Christian  prin- 
ciple—it  Nvoiild  produce  a  benign  influence  on 
■arroun<liiig  nations,  and  on  the  world  at  large. 
Per  a  b.j-lv  of  Christians,  in  such  a  country  as 
oun,  foriiit^il  into  one  grand  association,  andaci- 
faif  in  harnony,  must  exert  a  powerful  influence 
on  the  CM^inci!i  of  the  nation  ;  and  our  political 
iDtercotir4>-«  with  other  states,  being  conducted 
on  the  btt<.i<  of  Christian  principles  and  laws, 
would  invite  their  attention  to  a  religion  pro- 
ductive of  no  much  harmony  and  so  many  ben»- 
fieial  efr<'irts.  Peace  and  unity  in  the  church 
vould  have  a  tendency  to  promote  peace  and 
friendsh'M  nmong  nations  ;  the  cause  of  univer- 
sal rdm-.i  >n  wotild  be  promoted,  without  thoae 
obatrucii  114  which  now  arise  from  sectarian  pre« 
;  aiid  a  general  diffusion  of  useful  know- 
would  1000  be  effected  throughout  every 
uf  the  ciTiUsed  world,  tiU  the  knowledge 


of  Jehovah  should  cover  the  earth  as  (be  watctv 
cover  the  channels  of  the  seas. 

The  disunicn  of  the  Christian  church  it  not  to 
be  perpetual.  We  are  rertain,  that  a  period  is 
hastening  on,  when  its  divisions  shall  be  healed, 
when  its  boundaries  shall  be  enlar::ed,  and  when 
"  the  nam*  qf  Jefuivah  thall  bt  ont  throughout  all 
the  earth,"  At  tome  period  or  other,  therefore, 
in  the  lapse  of  time,  a  movement  towards  such  a 
union  must  commence.  It  cannot  take  place  be- 
fore the  attention  of  the  religious  workJ  in  direct- 
ed to  this  object.  And  why  shoukl  not  such  a 
movement  commence  at  the  present  moment? 
Why  should  we  lose  another  year,  or  even  ano- 
ther month,  before  we  attempt  to  concert  mea- 
sures, in  order  to  bring  about  a  consummation  no 
devoutly  to  be  wished  ?  The  present  eventful 
period  is  peculiarly  auspicioi>s  for  this  purpose  ; 
when  the  fourtdations  uf  tyranny  injustice,  and 
error  are  beginning  to  be  shaken  ;  when  know- 
ledge is  making  progress  among  every  order  of 
society  ;  when  reforms  in  the  state,  and  in  every 
subordinate  department  of  the  community,  are 
loudly  demanded  by  persons  of  every  character 
and  of  every  rank ;  when  the  evils  attached  to 
our  ecclesiastical  institutions  are  publicly  d^ 
nounccd  ;  when  the  scriptures  are  translating 
into  the  languages  of  every  tribe  ;  and  when  mis- 
sionary enterprises  are  carrying  forward  in  every 
quarter  of  the  habitable  globe.  To  attempt  a 
union  of  all  true  Christians,  at  the  present  crisia, 
would,  therefore,  be  nothing  more  than  falling  in 
with  the  spirit  of  the  age,  and  acting  in  harmony 
with  those  multifarious  movements,  w  hich  are 
destined  to  be  the  means  of  enlightening  and 
renovating  the  human  race  ;  and  at  no  period 
since  the  Reformation  could  such  an  attempt 
have  been  made  with  more  sanguine  expecta- 
tions, and  greater  proicpects  of  success.  All  eyes 
are  now  turned  towards  some  eventful  and  aus- 
picious era,  when  the  light  of  science  shall  shine 
refulgent,  when  abuses  shall  be  corrected,  evils 
remedied,  society  meliorated,  and  its  various 
ranks  brought  into  more  harmonious  a!<sociation. 
And  shall  Christians  alone  remain  shut  up  in 
their  little  homesteads,  apart  from  each  other, 
stickling  about  phrases,  and  contending  about 
forms,  without  ever  coming  forth  to  salute  each 
other  in  the  spirit  of  union,  and  to  give  an  iro« 
puNe  to  the  moral  machinery  that  is  hastening 
forward  the  world's  improvement  and  regenera- 
tion ?  Such  a  surmise  cannot  be  indulged  :  it 
woukj  be  a  libel  on  the  Christian  world,  and  a 
reproach  on  the  religion  of  which  they  profess 
themselves  the  votaries.  I  trust  there  are  thou« 
sands  in  every  department  of  tho  church,  who 
are  ardently  longing  to  break  down  the  walls  of 
partition,  which  separate  them  from  their  bre- 
thren, and  anxiously  waiting  for  an  opportunity 
of  expressing  their  sentiments,  and  of  giving  th« 
right  hand  of  fellowship  **  to  all  who  love  oat 
Lord  Jesus  in  sincerity." 


CONNEXION  OF  SCIENCE  AND  RELIGION. 


149 


tn  any  attempts  that  may  be  made  to  promote 
Ihis  great  object,  mutual  concessions  behoved  to 
be  made  hy  aU  partie*.  One  general  pfinciple, 
that  requires  lo  be  recognised,  is  this : — that  eve- 
ry opinion  and  practice  be  set  aside,  tbhich  is  ac- 
knowledged on  all  hands  to  have  no  direct  founda- 
tion in  scripture,  but  is  a  mere  human  fabrication, 
introduced  by  accident  or  whim ;  stich  as,  the 
observance  uf  fast  and  preparation  days  pre- 
vious to  the  participation  of  the  Loi'd's  Supper, 
kneeling  in  the  act  of  partakmg  of  ih^t  ordinance, 
^epeatin!^  the  Athanasian  Creed  in  the  regular 
services  o(  the  church,  &c.  &c.  It  is  a  striking 
and  remtrkable  fact,  that  the  chief  points  about 
which  Christians  are  divided,  are  points  on 
which  the  volume  uf  inspiration  is  silent,  and 
which  the  presumption  and  perversity  of  men 
have  attached  to  the  Christian  system,  and  in- 
terwoven with  the  (ruths  and  ordinances  of  reli- 
gion; and,  therefore,  were  the  line  of  distinction 
Clearly  drawn  between  mere  human  opinions  and 
Ceremonials,  and  the  positive  dictates  of  revela- 
tion, and  the  one  separated  from  the  other,  the 
way  would  be  prepared  for  a  more  intimate  and 
hairmonious  union  in  the  church  of  Christ.  As  a 
preparative  measure  to  such  a  union,  a  friendly 
intercourse  between  the  different  sectaries* 
should  be  solicited  and  cherisHed.  Enlightened 
ministers  uf  different  denominations  should  occa- 
sionally exchange  pulpits,  and  officiate  for  each 
other  in  the  public  exercises  of  divine  worship. 
This  would  tend  to  show  to  the  world,  and  to 
each  other,  that  there  is  no  unholy  jealousy  or 
hostile  animosity  subsisting  between  them,  which 
their  present  conduct  and  attitude  too  frequently 
indicate.  It  would  also  be  productive  of  many 
conveniences,  in  rhe  case  of  a  minister  being  in- 
disposed, or  absent  from  home,  as  his  place  could 
frequently  be  supplied,  without  the  least  expense 
or  inconvenience,  by  his  brethren  of  other  denomi- 
nations. It  would  likewise  show  to  the  mass  of 
professing  Christians,  that  the  doctrines  promul- 
gated, and  the  duties  enforced,  by  ministers  of 
different  denominations,  are  substantially  the 
same.  What  a  disgrace  to  the  Christian  name, 
that  such  a  friendly  intercourse  has  never  yet 
been  established ;  or,  when  it  occasionally  hap- 
pens, that  it  should  be  considered  as  an  extraor- 
dinary and  unlooked-for  phenomenon !  What  a 
strange  and  unexpected  report  must  be  received 
by  Christian  converts  in  heathen  lands,  when  they 
are  told,  ihat  Christian  ministers  in  this  country, 
who  were  instrumental  in  sending  missionaries 
to  communicate  to  them  the  knowledge  of  salva- 
tion, are  actuated  by  so  much  jealousy,  and  stand 
80  much  aloof  from  each  other,  that  even  at  the 


•  By  seetaries.  In  this  place,  and  elsewhere,  I  un- 
derstand, not  only  the  different  denominatinnB  of 
Ditsenterf,  t)ut  the  Church  of  Enzland,  the  Church 
of  Scotland,  ajvl  all  other  natinn;\l  churches,  which 
are  all  so  many  sectaries,  ordifferentcompartments 
t>f  the  univers  U  Christian  cbuich. 


very  time  they  are  planning  missionary  enterpri- 
ses, they  will  refuse  their  pulpits  lo  each  other, 
for  the  purpose  uf  addressing  their  fellow -men  on 
subjects  connected  with  their  everlasting  interests, 
and  refrain  from  joining  in  unison  in  the  ordinan- 
ces of  religion,  although  many  of  them  expect,  ere 
long,  to  join  in  harmony  in  the  services  of  the 
sanctuary  above  !  It  is  to  be  hoped,  that  such  a 
disgrace  to  the  Christian  cause  will  soon  be  wip- 
ed away,  and  its  inconsistency  clearly  perceiv- 
ed by  all  who  are  intelligent  and  "  right^hearted 
men." 

Such  a  friendly  intercourse  and  correspon- 
dence as  now  suggested,  would  be  far  more  effi- 
cient in  preparing  the  way  for  a  cordial  union 
of  Christians,  than  the  deliberations  and  discu»- 
sions  of  a  thousand  doctorsof  divinity,  delegated 
to  meet  in  councils  to  settle  the  points  in  disH 
pule  between  the  different  sectaries.  This  object, 
I  presume,  will  never  be  accomplished  by  theo- 
logical controversy,  or  by  any  attempt  to  con- 
vince the  respective  parties  of  the  futility  or 
erroneousness  of  their  peculiar  opinions  ;  but,  on 
the  ground  of  their  being  brought  nearer  »o  each 
other,  and  more  firmly  uniteil  in  the  mutual  ex- 
ercise of  the  Christian  virtues,  and  in  the  bonds 
of  Christian  affection.  And,  when  such  a  har- 
monious intercourse  shall  be  fully  effected,  it 
will  form  a  more  glorious  and  auspicious  era  in 
the  history  of  the  Christian  church,  than  has 
ever  occurred  since  the  "  good  tidings  of  great 
joy"  were  proclaimed  in  the  plains  of  Bethlehem, 
or  since  the  day  of  Pentecost,  when  "  the  whole 
multitude  of  them  that  believed  were  of  one  heart, 
and  of  one  soul,  and  had  all  things  common."* 


SECTION  XI. 

On  tht  importance  of  connecting  Science  teidk 
Rdigion. 

In  several  of  the  preceding  sections,  I  hare 
exhibited  sketches  of  the  outlinfts  of  some  of  the 
branches  of  science,  and  of  the  objects  towards 
which  its  investigations  are  directed.  1  have 
all  along  taken  it  fur  granted,  that  such  knowledgo 
and  investigations  ought  to  be  combined  with 
just  views  of  religion,  and  an  attention  to  its 
practical  acquirements,  and  have  occasionally 
interspersed  some  remarks  on  this  topic.  But 
as  the  subject  is  of  peculiar  importance,  it  may 
not  be  inexpedient  to  devote  a  section  to  its  more 
particular  elucidation. 

Of  late  years,  knowledge  has  increased,  among 
the  middle  and  lower  ranks  of  society,  with 
greater  rapidity  than  in  any  preceding  age,  and 
Mechanics'  Institutions,  and  other  association*, 
have  been  formed,  to  give  an  impulse  to  the  re* 

*  See  Appendtx,  Note  XL 


ISO 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OP  KNOWLEDGE. 


mwed  vigour  of  the  human  mind,  and  to  graiify 
thede«trea  which  are  now  excitod  fur  inlulleciual 
pieaaurri  and  acquirement*.  Ueaaon  ii  arous* 
ing  from  the  ■lumber  of  age*,  and  appear*  duier- 
mined  tn  make  afgrea*ion«  on  the  world  of  aci- 
•ace,  and  to  employ  it*  faculties  on  every  object 
which  comt-s  within  the  r*n|;e  of  human  inves* 
tigation.  The  labourer,  ttie  mechanic  and  arti- 
nn, — no  Ioniser  confined  to  trudge  in  the  same 
baMen  track  in  their  respective  professions,  and 
to  the  limiied  range  of  thought  which  distinguish- 
•d  their  predecemors  in  former  generations- 
aspire  after  a  knowledge  of  the  princi|>les  on 
wbkh  their  respective  arts  are  founded,  ai>d  an 
ftcquainiance  with  tliose  scieniihc  subjects, 
which  were  formerly  confined  to  the  cloisters  of 
colleges  and  the  higher  orders  of  society.  Lec- 
tive*  have  been  delivered  in  most  of  our  towns 
and  even  villages,  on  the  practice  of  the  art* 
■ad  the  principles  of  the  physical  sciences, 
which  have  extended  their  intellectual  ^icws,  and 
given  them  a  higher  idea  of  the  Doblen<-ss  and 
nblimity  of  the  ntental  faculties  with  which  ihey 
■re  eikiowed.  This  excitement  to  rational  in- 
<|uiry  has  partly  arisen  from  the  spirit  of  the  age, 
and  the  politi<»l  movements  which  have  distin- 
gabbed  our  times ;  but  it  ha*  alm>  been  produced 
by  the  exertions  of  men  of  erudition,  in  concert- 
iag  plans  for  the  diffusion  of  knowledge,  in  giving 
a  popular  form  to  works  of  science,  and  dive:<t' 
faig  it  of  that  air  of  mystery  which  it  formerly  as* 
ramed.  And,  should  such  excitement  be  pro- 
perly directed,  it  cannot  fail  to  raise  the  lower 
ranks  of  the  community  from  intellectual  degra- 
dation, and  to  prevent  them  from  indulging  in 
intemperance,  and  other  sensual  vices,  which 
have  so  lung  debased  our  rational  nature.  At 
ao  former  fieriod  has  the  spirit  of  science  been  so 
fiilly  awakened,  and  so  generally  disseminated. 
On  every  side  the  boundaries  of  knowledge  have 
bem  extended,  the  system  of  itature  explored, 
the  labours  of  philosophy  withdrawn  from  hy|)o> 
thetical  speculations  to  the  investigation  offsets, 
wd  the  liberal  and  mechanical  art*  carried  to  a 
^tch  oTperfrciion,  hitherto  waltained. 

But,  amidst  all  the  intellecluai  movement* 
■round  u*.  it  is  matter  of  deep  regret,  that  the 
kaowledgeof  (rue  religion,  and  the  practice  of 
Ha  moral  precept*,  have  not  kept  pace  with  the 
Bnprovemeni*  and  the  difluaion  of  science.  Not 
a  few  of  those  who  have  lately  entered  on  the 
prosecution  of  scientific  pursuits, — bteause  their 
idea*  have  not  been  expanded  a  little  beyond  the 
ttmiled  range  of  thought  to  which  they  were 
formerly  confined— seem  now  to  regard  revealed 
rrligion  as  Utile  else  than  a  vulgar  auperstition, 
or,  at  most,  a*  a  matter  of  inferior  moment. 
BeoaiMO  their  forefathers  thought  that  the  earth 
IMS  the  largoat  body  in  nature,  and  placed  in  a 
quinarnnt  state  in  the  centre  of  the  universe, 
and  that  the  star*  were  merely  brilliant  apangie* 
fixed  in  the  eoaoaro  of  the  dty,  to  diversify  the 


firmament— which  notions  are  now  proved  (e  be 
erroneous— therelure  they  are  apt  to  cumiise, 
that  the  religioo  they  (irofesoed  rested  on  no  bet- 
ter a  foundation.  Because  their  ntjtions  of  that 
religion  were  blended  with  erroneous  opinion* 
and  foolish  suftcrstitiuns,  they  would  be  dis|>o*- 
ed  to  throw  aside  the  whole,  as  unworthy  of  the 
attention  of  men  of  enlightened  under*ianding*, 
whose  minds  have  been  emancipated  fiom  the 
*hackle*  of  vulgar  prejudice  an<i  priestly  domina- 
tion. Such  irreligiou*  propmsilies  have  their 
origin,  for  the  moat  part,  in  a  principle  of  uanify 
and  Hlf-conotU,  in  that  spirit  of  pruU  congenial 
to  human  nature,  which  leads  the  person  in 
whom  it  predominates  to  vaunt  himself  on  hi* 
8U|>eriurity  to  vulgar  opinions  and  fears — and, 
in  the  want  of  discriminating  between  what  i* 
of  e*seniial  importance  in  religion,  and  the 
ialae  and  distorted  notions  whicli  have  been  incor- 
porated with  it  by  the  igiMrance  and  perversity 
of  men. 

This  tendency  to  irreligion  ha*  likewi*e  been 
promoted  by  the  modes  in  which  scientific  know- 
ledge has  been  generally  communicated.  In  the 
greater  part  of  the  best  elementary  treatises  on 
science,  there  seldom  occurs  any  distinct  refer- 
ence to  the  perfections  and  the  agency  of  that 
Omnipotent  Being,  under  whose  su(ierintendence 
all  the  processes  of  nature  are  conducted.  In- 
stead of  directing  the  young  and  untutored  mind 
to  rise  "  from  nature  up  to  naiore's  God" — it  ia 
considered  by  many,  as  unpkUotophical,  when 
explaining  natural  phenomena,  to  advert  to  any 
but  proximate  causes,  which  reason  or  the  sense* 
can  ascertain  ;  and  thus  a  veil  i*  ai tempted  to 
be  drawn  between  the  Deity  and  his  vi*ible 
operations,  so  as  to  conceal  the  agency  of  Him 
whose  laws  heaven  and  earth  obey.  In  the  aca- 
demical prelections  on  physical  science,  in  most 
of  our  colleges  and  imiversities,  there  appear*  a 
studied  anxiety  to  avoid  every  reflection  that 
wears  the  semblance  of  religion.  From  the  first 
annoimcemrnt  of  the  properties  of  matter  and  the 
laws  of  motion,  through  all  their  combinatiooa 
in  the  system  of  nature,  and  their  apglicaliona 
to  dynamics,  hydrostatics,  pneumatics,  optic*, 
electricity,  and  magnetism,  the  attention  of  the 
student  is  kept  cooslantly  fixed  on  secondary 
cause*  and  physical  laws,  a*  if  the  universe  were 
a  self-existent  and  independent  piece  of  mecha- 
nism ;  and  it  ia  seldom  that  the  least  reference 
is  made  to  that  Almiyhty  Being  who  brought  it 
into  existence,  and  whose  laws  and  operaiiooa 
are  thu  sub)ect  of  investigation.  It  is  almost 
needles*  to  add,  that  the  harmony  which  subeista 
between  the  works  of  God,  and  the  revelation* 
of  his  word— the  mutual  light  which  they  reflect 
upon  each  other — the  view*  which  they  open  ol 
the  plan  of  the  Divine  government, — and  the 
moral  effect*  which  the  contemplation  of  nature 
ought  to  produce  upon  the  heart — are  never,  ao 
(ar  a*  we  have  learaed,  introduced,  ia  aask 


POLLY  OP  OVERLOOKING  RELIGION. 


151 


seminaries,  as  subjects  which  demand  particular 
attunuon.  Thus  the  Daily  is  carefully  kept  out 
of  view,  and  banished,  as  it  were,  from  his  own 
creaiii)n  ;  and  the  susceptible  mind  of  the  youth- 
ful sludbnt  prevented  from  feeling  those  impres- 
sions of  avve  and  reverence,  of  love  and  gratitude, 
which  the  study  of  the  material  world,  when 
properly  conducted,  is  calculated  to  produce. 

The  same  principles  and  defects  are  percepti- 
ble in  the  instructions  communicated  in  most  of 
the  Mechanics'  Institutions,  which  have  been 
lately  formed  for  the  improvement  of  the  middle 
and  lower  classes  of  society.  It  has  been  public- 
ly annoimced,  in  the  speeches  of  gentlemen  of 
science  and  erudition,  who,  with  a  laudable  zeal, 
took  a  part  iu  the  organization  of  these  institu- 
tions,— and  the  aimouncement  has  been  re-echo- 
ed in  every  similar  association,  and  transcribed 
into  every  literary  j<ximal, — that,  "  Hencefor- 
ward the  discussions  of  science  are  to  be  complete- 
ly/ separated  from  religion."  I  do  not  mean  to 
accuse  the  highly  respectable  characters  alluded 
to,  as  being  hostile  either  to  natural  or  revealed 
religion,  from  the  circumstance  of  their  having 
made  this  announcement ;  as  I  presume  they 
only  intended  by  it  to  get  rid  of  those  sectarian 
disputes  about  unimportant  points  in  theology, 
which  have  so  long  disturbed  the  peace  of  the 
diurch  and  of  the  world.  But,  when  I  consider 
the  use  that  will  be  made  of  it  by  certain  cha- 
racters and  societies,  and  the  bearing  it  may  have 
on  the  mole  of  communicating  scientific  know- 
ledge, I  am  constrained  to  pronounce  the  decla- 
ration as  no  less  unphilosophical,  than  it  is  impi- 
ous and  immoral  in  its  general  tendency.  It  is 
rmphilofophical ;  for  science,  when  properly 
considered  in  relation  to  its  higher  and  ultimate 
objects,  is  nothing  else  than  an  investigation  of 
the  power,  wisdom,  benevolence,  and  superin- 
tending providence  of  the  Almighty,  as  displayed 
In  the  structure  and  movements  of  the  universe, 
—of  the  relation  in  which  we  stand  to  this  Great 
Being, — and  of  the  duties  which  we  owe  him. 
To  overlook  such  objects,  is  evidently  contrary 
to  the  pliinesl  dictates  of  reason  and  philosophy. 
Is  it  possible  that  an  intelligent  mind  can  contem- 
plate the  admirable  and  astonishing  displays  of 
divine  perfection  and  munificence,  throughout 
every  p  irt  of  creation,  and  not  be  excited  to  the 
exerci-ie  of  love,  and  gratitude,  and  reverential 
adoration?  Such  feelings  and  emotions  lie  at 
the  foundiition  of  all  true  religion, — and  the  man 
who  can  walk  through  the  magnificent  scene  of 
the  universe,  without  feeling  the  least  emotion  of 
reverence  and  adoration,  or  of  gratitude  for  the 
wise  and  benevolent  arrangements  of  nature, 
may  be  pronounced  unworthy  of  enjoying  the 
beneficence  of  his  Creator.  It  was  doubtless  for 
this  end  among  others,  that  the  Almighty  open- 
ed to  our  view  such  a  magnificent  spectacle  as 
the  univt^rse  displays,  and  bestowed  upon  us 
laculties  capable  of  investigating  its  structure, — 


that  we  might  acquire,  from  the  contemplatioa 
of  it,  enlarged  conceptions  of  the  attributes  of  his 
nature,  and  the  arrangements  of  his  providence, 
and  be  excited  to  "  give  unto  nim  the  glory  due 
to  his  name."  And,  if  we  derive  such  impres- 
sions from  our  investigations  of  the  material 
system,  shall  it  be  considered  as  inconsistent 
with  the  spirit  of  true  philosophy,  to  endea- 
vour to  communicate  the  same  impressions  to 
the  minds  of  those  whom  we  arc  appointed  to 
inslmct?  There  can  be  little  doubt,  that  the 
practice  of  setting  aside  all  references  to  the  cha- 
racter and  perfections  of  the  Deity,  in  physical 
discussions,  has  tended  to  foster  a  spirit  of  irreli- 
gion  in  youthful  minds,  and  to  accelerate  their 
progress  towards  the  gulf  of  infidelity  and  scep- 
ticism. 

Again,  philosophy,  as  well  as  religion,  re- 
quires that  the  phenomena  of  nature  be  traced 
up  to  their  ^st  cause.  There  are  no  causes 
cognizable  by  the  senses,  which  will  account  for 
the  origin  of  the  universe,  and  the  multifarious 
phen<>mena  it  exhibits ;  and  therefore  we  must 
ascend  in  our  investigations  to  the  existence  of 
an  invisible  and  eternal  Cause,  altogether  impal- 
pable to  the  organs  of  sense,  in  order  to  account 
for  the  existence  and  movements  of  the  material 
world.  To  attempt  to  account  for  the  harmony 
and  order,  and  the  nice  adaptations  which  appear 
throughout  creation,  merely  from  the  physical 
properties  of  matter,  and  the  laws  of  motion,  is 
to  act  on  the  principles  of  atheism ;  and  is  clearly 
repugnant  to  every  dictate  of  reason,  which  de- 
clares, that  to  every  effect  we  must  assign  an 
adequate  cause.  And,  if  in  our  physical  inves- 
tigations, we  are  necessarib/  led  to  the  admissioa 
of  a  self-existent  and  eternal  Being,  the  original 
source  of  life  and  motion,  it  must  be  deeply  in- 
teresting to  every  one  of  us  to  acquire  as  much 
information  as  possible  respecting  his  perfec- 
tions, and  the  character  of  his  moral  government. 
From  Him  we  derived  our  existence,— on  Him 
we  depend  every  moment  "  for  life,  and  breath, 
and  all  things."  Our  happiness  or  misery  is  in 
his  hands,  and  our  eternal  destiny,  whether  cod- 
nected  with  annihilation  or  with  a  state  of  con- 
scious existence,  must  be  the  result  of  his  sove- 
reign and  eternal  arrangements.  Our  comfort  in 
the  present  life,  and  our  hopes  and  prospects  in 
relation  to  futurity,  are  therefore  essentially  con- 
nected with  the  conceptions  we  form  of  the  At- 
tributes of  Him  who  made  and  who  governs  the 
universe ;  and,  consequently,  that  philosophy 
which  either  overlooks  or  discards  such  views 
and  considerations,  is  unworthy  of  the  name, — is 
inconsistent  with  the  plainest  deductions  of  rea- 
son, and,  wherever  it  is  promulgated,  must  prove 
inimical  to  the  best  interests  of  mankind.  To 
regard  science  merely  in  its  applications  to  the 
arts  of  life,  and  to  overlook  its  deductions  in  re- 
ference to  the  Supreme  Disposer  of  events,  is 
preposterous  and  absurd,  and  unworthy  of  the 


159 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OP  KNOWLEDOK. 


cfaarader  of  th«  man  whotMume*  to  hirMelflhe 
■M*- of  •  |>hil<i«o(ihrr;  for,  in  doing  so,  he  vio- 
htaa  the  rules  Mrhich  guide  him  in  all  hia  other 
fweartihiM,  and  Kts  inoonsiaienily  with  the 
■UMu,  ihni  the  moM  interesiin^t  and  important 
thjer:*  deiiiitndour  first  and  chirf  aitenlion. 

B«it  the  e»il  to  which  1  h*»e  now  adverted,  ii 
■Ot  ilieiHklyone  of  whirh  we  have  reason  to 
WNnftlain.  While  the  deductions  of  natural  r»- 
tigioti  are  but  slightly  adverted  to  in  physical 
4mcu->n|'Miii,  and  in  many  instances  altojieihcr 
overlo  >k^il, — Uie  truth*  of  ChriHianity  are  virtu- 
tUjftt  uai'U  ;  and  it  seems  to  be  considered  by 
Mine  as  iiicunHisteni  with  the  dignity  of  science, 
tomikf  the  slightest  reference  to  the  declara- 
tions -f  the  sacred  oracles.  In  many  of  our 
grammar  schools,  academies,  and  colleges,  where 
the  f.>.>)i.«h  and  immoral  rites  of  pagan  mytholo- 
gy are  often  detailed,  no  instructions  are  impart- 
ed, to  counteract  the  baneftil  influence  which 
beathifi  m^iims  and  idolatry  may  produce  on 
Ibe  you  hful  mind.  The  superior  etrellence  of 
the  Chrijiiiaa  religioa,  and  the  tendency  of  ita 
principles  and  preeepla  to  produce  happineaa, 
both  h«r«  and  beresfter,  are  seldom  exhibited  ; 
and  in  too  many  instances  the  recognition  of 
a  Supreme  Being,  and  of  our  continuaf  depend- 
•Bce  upon  him,  and  the  duty  of  imploring  hia 
direciiiHi  and  assisiancu,  are  set  aside,  as  incon- 
siateni  with  the  spirit  of  the  age,  and  with  the 
■lode  of  conducting  a  fashionable  education. 
The  8U|ierinienden)8  of  mechanics'  institutions, 
fcllowinv  the  prevailing  mode,  have  likewise 
agreed  lo  banish  from  their  institutions  and  dis- 
eiusioiis,  all  references  to  religir>n,  and  lo  the  pe- 
ouliariiies  <if  the  Christ  Ian  system. 

Now,  we  maintain,  that  Christianity  in  every 
point  of  view  in  which  its  revelations  may  be 
considered,  is  a  tuhject  of  paramount  importanoe. 
It  is  every  thing,  or  it  is  nothing.  It  must  reign 
•oprcfne  over  every  human  pursuit,  over  every 
departmi^nt  of  science,  over  every  passion  and 
affecii'iii,  or  be  discarded  altogether,  as  to  its 
authority  over  man.  It  will  admit  of  no  compro- 
mises; ftr  the  authority  with  which  it  professes 
to  be  invested,  is  nothing  leas  than  the  will  of  the 
Sternal,  whose  sovereign  injunctions  the  inhabi- 
tants of  earth  and  the  hosts  of  heaven  are  bound 
to  obey.  If  its  claims  to  a  divine  origin  can  be 
dispri>ved,'hen  it  may  beset  aside  as  unworthy 
of  o<ir  regard,  and  ranked  along  with  the  other 
rcligi  iris  which  have  prevailed  in  th"  world. 
Bttt,  if  it  i«  admitted  to  he  a  revelation  fnrn  tJie 
Crtat'ir  of  the  wiuoerse  to  man  on  earth,  its  c  aims 
an  irmsKtible,  it  cannot  be  rejected  with  impii- 
■fcy,  and  its  divine  principles  and  maxims  04ight 
la  be  imerwovea  with  all  our  pursuits  and  asso- 
daiions. 

The  impoftanee  of  Christianity  mav  be  evin- 
tai  by  such  considerations  as  the  following: — It 
floamuiiirates  to  us  the  only  certain  information 
wa  possBse  of  the  character,  attributes,  and  pur- 


poaaa  of  the  Creator,  to  wiMiaa  laws  aad  nMral 
govemmeol  we  are  all  amenable.  It  disc'ioaea 
lo  ua  our  state  and  condition,  as  depraved  cre»> 
turet  aiid  violators  of  his  righteous  laws,  and  the 
doom  which  awaits  the  finally  impenitent  in  the 
world  to  come.  It  informs  us  of  the  only  method 
by  which  we  may  obtain  forgiveness  of  sin,  and 
complete  deliverance  from  all  the  maseriea  and 
moral  evils  to  which  we  are  exposed.  It  incul- 
cates those  divine  principles  and  moral  precepta 
which  are  calculated  lo  unite  the  whole  human 
rare  in  one  harmonious  and  affectionate  society, 
and  to  iHTomote  the  ha|ipiness  of  every  individual, 
both  in  "  the  life  that  now  is,  and  in  that  which  ia 
to  come."  It  presents  before  us  sourcef  of  co»- 
aolation,  to  cheer  and  support  the  mind,  amidst 
the  calamities  and  afflictions  to  which  we  are 
subjected  in  this  mortal  state.  It  unfokb  to  us, 
in  part,  the  plan  of  God's  moral  government  of 
the  workj,  and  the  reasons  of  certain  dispensa^ 
tions  and  moral  |)henomena,  which  would  other* 
wise  have  remained  inexplicable.  In  short,  it 
proclaims  the  doctrine  of  a  resurrection  from  the 
dead,  and  sets  in  the  dearest  light  the  certainty 
of  a  Allure  stale  of  punishments  and  rewards  suIh 
jects  in  which  every  individual  of  the  bum&n  race 
is  deeply  interested — giving  full  assurance  lo  all 
who  comply  with  ita  requisitions,  that  when  their 
corporeal  framea  ve  diwolved,  they  "  shall  hav» 
a  building  of  God,  an  house  not  made  with  hands, 
eternal  in  the  heavens,"  where  they  shall  inherit 
"  fulness  of  joy  and  pleasures  fir  everroore." 

These  are  only  some  of  the  important  revels 
tions  which  Christianity  unfoMs.  And,  if  it  be 
a  truth  which  cannot  be  denied,  that  we  are  n^ 
turally  ignonuit  of  God,  can  we  be  happy  without 
being  acquainted  with  his  moral  attributea,  puf<> 
poses,  and  laws  ?  If  we  be  guilty  and  depraved 
— which  the  whole  history  of  our  race  clearly  d*- 
monstrates— can  we  feel  true  enjoyment,  if  our 
guilt  is  not  cancelled,  and  our  depravity  not 
counteracted  ?  Is  it  a  matter  of  indifference, 
whether  we  acquire  a  knowledge  of  those  moral 
principles,  which  will  guide  us  in  the  path  to 
wisdom  and  felicity,  or  be  hurried  along  by  heed- 
less passions,  in  the  devious  ways  of  vice  and 
folly  f  Is  it  of  no  importance,  whether  we  ob- 
tain irformation  respecting  our  eternal  destiny, 
or  remain  in  uncertainty  whether  death  shaH 
transport  us  to  another  world,  or  finally  terminate 
our  existence  ?  Can  any  man,  who  calls  himself 
a  philosopher,  maintain,  with  any  show  af  rear 
son,  that  it  is  unphilotophieal,  or  contrary  to  the 
dictates  of  an  enlightened  understanding,  that 
such  subjects  should  form  one  great  object  of  our 
attention — hat  they  should  be  interwoven  with  all 
our  studies  and  active  employments— and  that 
they  should  constitute  the  basis  of  all  those  io- 
stnictiona,  which  are  intended  for  tl^e  melioration 
and  improvement  of  mankind  7  To  maintain 
such  a  position,  would  be  to  degrade  philosophy 
in  the  eyes  of  every  inuUigenl  inquirsr,  aad  t« 


EFFECTS  OP  DISCARDING  CHRISTIANITY. 


15S 


render  it  unworthy  of  the  patronage  of  every  one 
who  has  a  regard  to  the  happiness  of  his  species. 
That  philosophy  which  truly  deserves  the  name 
will  at  once  admit,  that  concerns  of  the  highest 
moment  ought  not  to  be  set  aside  for  matters  of 
inferior  consideration  ;  but  that  every  thing 
should  be  attended  to  in  its  proper  order,  and  ac- 
cording to  its  relative  importance.  If  such  con- 
siderations have  any  weight,  they  prove,  beyond 
dispute,  that  there  is  a  glaring  deficiency  in  our 
methods  of  education,  where  a  foundation  is  not 
laid  in  the  truths  of  Christianity,  and  where 
its  authority  is  overlooked,  and  its  claims  disre- 
garded. 

Let  us  consider  for  a  moment  what  would  be 
the  natural  etfects  of  a  complete  teparation  be- 
tween science  and  religion — between  the  general 
diffusion  of  knowledge  and  the  great  objects  ol 
the  Christian  faith.  Science  might  still  continue 
to  prosecute  discoveries,  to  enlarge  its  bounda- 
ries, and  to  apply  its  principles  to  the  cultivation 
of  new  arts,  and  to  the  improvement  of  those 
which  have  hitherto  been  practised.  Its  studies 
might  give  a  certain  degree  of  polish  to  the  mind, 
might  prevent  certain  characters  from  running 
the  rounds  of  fashionable  dissipation,  and,  in  every 
gradation  in  society,  might  counteract,  to  a  certain 
degree,  the  tendency  to  indulgence  in  those  mean 
and  ignoble  vices  to  which  the  lower  ranks  in 
every  age  have  been  addicted.  But,  although 
the  standard  of  morals  would  be  somewhat  raised, 
and  the  exterior  of  life  polished  and  improved,  the 
latent  principles  of  moral  evil  might  still  remain 
rankling  in  the  breast.  Pride,  ambition,  avarice, 
and  revenge,  receiving  no  counteraction  from  re- 
ligious principle,  might  be  secretly  harboured  and 
nourished  in  (he  heart,  and  ready  to  burst  forth, 
on  every  excitement,  in  all  the  diabolical  energies 
in  which  they  have  so  frequently  appeared  amidst 
the  contests  of  communities  and  nations.  The 
recognition  of  a  Supreme  intelligence,  to  whom 
we  are  accountable,  would  soon  be  considered  as 
unnecessary  in  scientific  investigations,  and  his 
natural  perfections  overlooked  ;  and,  consequent- 
ly, all  the  delightful  affections  of  love,  gratitude, 
admiration,  and  reverence,  which  are  inspired  by 
the  view  of  his  moral  attributes,  and  the  trans- 
cendent excellence  of  his  nature,  would  be  under- 
mined and  annihilated.  There  would  be  no 
reliance  on  the  superintending  care  of  an  un- 
erring Providence,  ordaining  and  directing 
•every  event  to  the  most  beneficial  purposes,  and 
no  consolation  derived,  amidst  the  ills  of  life, 
from  a  view  of  the  rectitude  and  benevolence  of 
the  Divine  government.  The  present  world 
would  be  considered  as  the  only  scene  of  action 
and  enjoyment ;  the  hope  of  immortality,  which 
supports  and  gladdens  the  pious  mind,  would  be 
exterminated,  and  every  thing  beyond  the  shadow 
of  death  involved  in  gloom  and  uncertainty.  The 
only  true  principles  of  moral  action,  which  reveal- 
ed religion  inculcates,  being  overlooked  or  dis> 
20 


carded,  every  one  would  consider  himself  as  at 
liberty  to  act  according  as  his  humour  and  pas> 
sions  might  dictate  ;  and,  in  such  a  case,  a  scene 
of  selfishness,  rapacity,  and  horror,  would  quickly 
ensue,  which  would  sap  the  foundation  of  social 
order,  and  banish  happiness  from  the  abodes  oT 
men. 

Such  would  be  the  necessary  effects  of  a  com- 
plete renunciation  of  revealed  religion,  and  such 
a  state  of  things  our  literary  and  scientific  mode 
of  education  has  a  ;ia/ura^  tendency  to  pnxluce, 
in  so  far  as  the  trtiths  of  Christianity  are  set  aside, 
or  overlooketl,  in  our  plans  of  instruction.  Where 
should  our  youths  receive  impressions  of  the  De- 
ity, and  of  the  truth  of  religion,  unless  in  those 
seminaries  where  they  are  taught  the  elements  of 
general  knowledge?  Shall  they  be  left  to  infer, 
that  religion  is  a  matter  of  trivial  importance, 
from  tne  circumstance,  that  it  is  completely  over- 
looked throughout  the  whfJe  range  of  their  instruc* 
tions  ?  It  may  be  said,  that  they  have  opportuni- 
ties of  receiving  Christian  instruction  elsewhere, 
particularly  from  the  ministers  of  religion  ;  but 
will  their  minds  be  better  prepared  for  relishing 
such  instructions,  because  the  religion  of  the 
Bit)lc  has  been  carefully  kept  out  of  view  in  the 
other  departments  of  tuition?  Will  they  not  rai- 
thercome  to  such  instructions,  with  their  minds 
biassed  against  the  truths  of  revelation ;  espe> 
cially  when  we  consider,  that,  in  almost  every  in- 
stance, w{.ere  religion  is  discarded  in  the  process 
of  secular  instruction.  Pagan  maxims  are  intro- 
duced, and  insinuations  occasionally  thrown  out 
hostile  to  the  interests  of  genuine  Christianity  ?• 
Notwithstanding  all  that  I  have  stated  in  the  pre- 
ceding pages,  respecting  the  beneficial  effects 
of  a  universal  diffusion  of  knowledge,  lam  fully 
persuaded,  that,  unless  it  be  accompanied  with  a 
diffusion  of  the  spirit  of  the  Christian  religion, 
and  a  corresponding  practice,  it  will  completely 
fail  in  promoting  the  best  interests  of  mankind. 
If  scriptural  views  of  the  character  of  the  Deity— 
if  the  promotion  of  love  to  God  and  to  man — if 
the  ctJtivation  of  heavenly  tempers  and  disposi- 
tions, and  the  practice  of  Christian  morality,  be 
entirely  overlooked  in  seminaries  devoted  to  the 
instruction  of  the  great  body  of  the  community- 
such  institutions,  instead  of  being  a  blessing, 
would  ultimately  become  a  curse  to  the  human 
species  ;  and  we  should  soon  behold  a  vast  as- 
semblage of  intelligent  demons,  furnished  with 
powers  and  instruments  of  mischief  superior  to 
any  that  have  hitherto  been  wielded,  and  which 
might,  ere  long,  produce  anarchy,  injustice,  and 
horror  throughout  every  department  of  the  moral 
world. 

That  these  are  not  mere  imaginary  forebodingS| 
might  be  illustrated  from  the  scenes  which  were 
lately  exhibited  in  a  neighbouring  nation.  The 
first  revolution  in  France  in  1789,  was  a  revolu- 
tion not  merely  in  politics  and  government,  but  in 
religion,  in  manners,  in  moral  principle,  and  la 


1S4 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWXEXX3E. 


the  common  feelingi  of  human  ntture.  Th«  way 
far  Mich  a  revolution  waa  pre(>arad  by  the  writ> 
inct  oTVollaire,  Mirabeau,  Diderot,  Melvetiua, 
D  Alembi-rt,  Coiidorcei,  Rou««au,  aiid  others 
of  the  same  stamp—in  which,  along  with  some 
useful  discussions  on  the  subfect  of  civil  and  re- 
ligioua  liberty,  they  endeavoured  to  disseminate 
princi|iles  subversive  both  of  natural  and  revealed 
religion.  Revelation  waa  not  only  impugned, 
but  entirely  set  aside ;  the  Deity  was  banished 
from  the  univetse,  and  an  imaginary  phantom, 
under  the  name  of  the  Goddess  of  Reason,  sub- 
stituted in  his  place.  Every  thing  was  reduced 
to  a  system  of  pure  materialism;  the  celestial 
•park  of  intelligence  within  us  was  assimilated 
to  a  piece  of  rude  matter,  and  the  (air  prospects 
of  immortality,  which  Christianity  presents, 
transformed  into  the  gloom  of  an  eternpl  night. 
Every  previous  standard  of  morals  was  discard- 
ed; every  one  was' left  to  act  as  selfishness, 
avarice,  and  revenge  might  dictate  ;  religion  of 
every  description  fled  from  the  torch  of  tlie  pre- 
railing  philosophy ;  and,  while  "  justice  and  mo- 
rality" were  proclaimed  as  "  the  order  of  the 
day,"  every  moral  principle,  and  every  human 
feeling,  were  trampled  under  foot.  It  is  slated, 
on  good  authority,  that  a  little  before  the  revolu- 
tion, a  numerous  assembly  of  French  Uterati, 
being  asked,  in  turn,  at  one  of  their  meetings,  by 
their  president,  "  Whether  there  was  any  such 
thing  as  moral  obligation,"  answered,  in  every 
instance,  tbot  there  vxu  not.  Soon  after  that 
revolution,  the  great  body  of  French  infidels,  who 
then  ruled  the  nation,  not  only  denied  all  llie  ob- 
ligations which  bind  us  to  truth,  justice,  and  kind- 
ness, but  pitied  and  despised,  as  a  contemptible 
wretch,  the  man  who  believed  in  their  existence. 
Atheism  was  publicly  preached,  and  its  mon- 
strous doctrines  disseminated  among  the  mass  of 
the  people,  an  occurrence  altogether  novel  in  the 
history  of  man.  A  professor  was  even  named  by 
Chaumette,  to  instruct  the  children  of  the  slate 
in  the  mysteries  of  Atheism.  De  la  Metherie, 
the  author  of  a  Philosophical  Journal,  when  dis- 
CUMing  the  doctrine  of  crystallization,  made  the 
wild  and  hideous  assertion,  "  that  the  highest  and 
■Mt  perfect  form  of  crystallization  is  that  which 
»  vuifarb)  called  God."  In  the  National  Con- 
Tention,  Gobet,  archbishop  of  Paris,  the  rector 
Vangirard,  and  several  other  priests,  abjured  the 
Christian  religion;  and  for  this  abjuration  they 
neeived  applause*  and  the  fraternal  Idu.  A  priest 
from  Melun  slated,  that  there  is  no  true  religion 
but  that  of  nature,  and  that  all  ihe  mummery  with 
which  they  had  hitherto  been  amused,  is  only 
otd  wives'  fables  ;  and  he  wa*  heard  with  loud 
tj^laute.  The  Convention  decreed,  that  "  all 
the  churches  and  temples  of  religious  worship, 
known  to  be  in  Paris,  should  be  instantly  shut 
op,  and  that  every  person  requiring  the  opening 
oft  church  or  temple  shoukJ  be  put  under  arrest, 
m  •  suspected  pcrsoo,  and  an  eoemv  to  the 


state."  The  carved  work  of  all  religioiu  bvlisf 
and  OMral  practice  was  boldly  cut  down  by  Car- 
not,  Robespierre,  and  their  atheistical  associates, 
and  the  following  inacripiion  was  ordered  to  bs 
displayed  in  all  the  public  bury ing-itruunds— 
"DeathitonlyoMtUmaltltep;"  tothn  the  dyinf 
need  no  longer  be  afraid  to  step  out  of  eiisience. 
Nature  was  investigated,  by  these  pretended 
philosophers,  only  with  a  view  to  darken  ibe 
mind,  to  prevent  mankind  from  considering  *ny 
thing  as  real  but  what  tJie  hand  could  grasp  or 
the  corporeal  eye  perceive,  and  to  subvert  tlie  e^ 
tablislied  order  of  Society . 

The  consequences  of  the  operation  of  such 
principles  were  such  as  might  have  been  expecN 
ed.  They  are  written  in  characters  of  blond, 
and  in  crimes  almost  unparalleled  in  the  history 
of  nations.  A  scene  of  inhumanity,  cruelty, 
cold-blooded  malignity,  daring  impiety,  and  ii^ 
satiable  rapacity,  was  presented  to  the  workl, 
which  excited  in  the  mind  of  every  virtuous 
spectator  amazement  and  horror.  Savage  aircv 
cities  were  per|>etrated  which  would  have  been 
shocking  in  the  moat  barbarous  and  uneulighte»> 
ed  age  ;  and,  perhaps,  at  no  era  has  there  been 
more  wretchedness  occasioned  by  licentious 
principles  and  moral  degeneracy.  The  lies  ol 
friendship  were  cut  asunder,  the  claims  of  coo> 
sanguinity  disregardtxl,  and  a  cold-blooded  sel^ 
ishness  pervaded  the  great  mass  of  society. 
"  The  kingdom  appeared  to  be  changed  into  one 
great  prison;  the  inhabitants  converted  into 
felons,  and  the  common  doom  of  man  commuted 
for  the  violence  of  the  sword,  and  the  bayonet, 
and  the  stroke  of  ihe  guillotine."  Such  was  the 
rapidity  with  which  the  work  of  destriiciion  was 
carried  on,  that,  within  the  short  space  of  tea 
years,  not  less  than  three  millions  of  human  be- 
ings (one  half  more  than  the  whole  population 
of  Scotland)  are  supposed  to  have  perished  in 
that  country  alone,  chiefly  through  the  influence 
of  immoral  principles,  and  the  seductions  of  a 
false  philosophy.  The  following  is  a  briet 
sketch  of  some  of  the  scenes  to  which  we  allude, 
drawn  by  one  who  was  an  eye-wiiness  of  the 
whole,  and  an  actor  in  several  parts  of  that  hoi^ 
rid  drama.  "  There  were,"  says  this  writer, 
'*  muhiptied  cases  of  suicide ;  prisons  crowded 
with  innocent  persons  ;  permanent  guillotines  \ 
perjuries  of  all  classes  ;  parental  authority  set  at 
nought ;  debauchery  encouraged  by  an  allowsDce 
to  those  called  unmarried  mothers ;  nearly  six 
thousand  divorces  in  the  city  of  Paris  within  a 
little  more  than  two  years ;  in  a  word,  whatever 
is  most  obscene  in  rice  and  most  dreadful  in 
ferocity."* 

Notwithstanding  the  incessant  shouts  of 
*'  Liberty  and  Equality,"  and  the  boasted  illu> 
minations  of  philosophy,  the  most  barbarous  per» 
secutions  were  carried  on  against  those  wboae 


EFFECTS  OP  IRRELIGION  IN  FR^ANCE, 


155 


wHgions  opinions  differed  from  the  system 
adopted  by  the  state.  While  infidelity  was 
enthroned  in  power,  it  wielded  the  sword  of  ven- 
geance with  infernal  ferocity  against  the  priests 
of  the  Romish  church,  who  were  butchered 
wherever  found — hunted  as  wild  beasts — fre- 
quently roasted  alive,  or  drowned  in  hundreds 
together,  without  either  accusation  or  trial.  At 
Nantz,  no  less  than  360  priests  were  shot,  and 
460  drowned.  In  one  night,  68  were  shut  up  in 
a  barge,  and  drowned  in  the  Loire.  Two  hun- 
dred and  ninety-two  priests  were  massacred 
during  the  bloody  scenes  of  the  10th  August, 
and  the  2d  September,  1792  ;  and  1135  were 
guillotined  under  the  government  of  the  Na- 
tional Convention,  from  the  month  of  September 
1792,  till  the  end  of  1795,  besides  vast  numbers, 
hunted  by  the  infidel  republicans,  like  owls  and 
partridges,  who  perished  in  different  ways, 
throughout  the  provinces  of  France. 

Such  were  some  of  the  dismal  effects  which 
flowed  from  the  attempt  to  banish  religion  from 
science,  from  government,  and  from  the  inter- 
courses and  employments  of  society.  Were 
such  principles  universally  to  prevail,  the  world 
would  soon  become  one  vast  theatre  of  mischief 
and  of  misery — an  immense  den  of  thieves  and 
robbers — a  sink  of  moral  pollution — a  scene  of 
impiety,  injustice,  rapine,  and  devastation ;  a 
Golgotha,  strewed  with  carcasses  and  "  dead 
men's  bones."  All  confidence  and  friendship 
between  mtelligent  beings  would  be  destroyed  ; 
the  dearest  and  most  venerable  relations  would 
be  violated  by  incestuous  pollutions;  appetite 
would  change  every  man  into  a  swine,  and  pas- 
sion into  a  tiger  ;  jealousy,  distrust,  revenge, 
murder,  war,  and  rapine  would  overspread  the 
earth,  and  a  picture  of  hell  would  be  presented 
wherever  the  eye  roamed  over  the  haunts  of  men. 

During  the  period  when  the  atrocities  to  which 
we  are  adverting  were  perpetrating,  the  ruffians 
who  bore  rule  in  France  were  continually  imput- 
ing to  the  illumination  of  philosophy,  the  ardour 
which  animated  them  in  the  cause  of  liberty  ;  and, 
it  is  a  truth,  that  science  was  enlarging  its  boun- 
daries even  amidst  the  horrors  with  which  it  was 
surrounded.  Chemistry  was  advancing  in  its 
rapid  career  of  discovery,  and  the  celebrated 
Lavoisier,  one  of  its  most  successful  cultivators, 
was  inter-'tpted  in  the  midst  of  some  interesting 
experiments,  and  dragged  to  the  guillotine,  where 
he  suffered  in  company  with  28  farmers-general, 
merely  because  he  was  rich.  Physical  astrono- 
my, and  the  higher  branches  of  the  mathematics 
were  advancing  under  the  investigations  of  La 
Place  ;  geodeiical  operations  were  carrying  for- 
ward, on  an  extensive  scale ;  and  the  physical 
sciences,  in  general,  under  the  hands  of  nume- 
rous cultivators,  were  going  on  towards  perfec- 
tion. But,  while  this  circumstance  shows,  that 
science  may  advance  in  the  midst  of  irreligion— 
it  proves,  at  the  same  time,  that,  teithout  being 


combined  with  religion,  it  cannot,  of  itself,  melio- 
rate the  morsJs  of  mankind,  or  counteract  the  li- 
centiousness of  society.  Though  it  may  be  con- 
sidered as  a  ray  of  celestial  light  proceedinn  from 
the  original  Source  of  intelligence,  yet  it  will 
fail  in  producing  its  most  beneficial  effects,  un- 
less it  be  combined  with  "  the  light  of  the  know- 
ledge of  the  glory  of  God,"  as  it  shines  in  the 
word  of  Divine  Revelation*  Had  such  a  con- 
nexion been  formed  between  science  and  religion, 
certain  it  is,  that  the  bonds  which  unite  the  social 
system  would  never  have  been  burst  asunder, 
nor  the  foundations  of  morality  overturned  by 
such  a  violent  explosion  as  happened  at  the 
French  revolution.  And,  although  I  am  aware, 
that  a  variety  of  political  causes  combined  to 
produce  that  great  convulsion,  and  the  effects- 
which  flowed  from  it,  yet  it  cannot  be  denied, 
that  the  principles  of  atheism,  and  a  false  philo- 
sophy which  had  thrown  off  its  allegiance  to 
Christianity,  were  the  chief  causes  which  produc- 
ed the  licentiousness  and  impiety  which  charac- 
terized the  rulers  and  citizens  of  France,  under 
"  the  reign  of  terror." 

Xt  is  therefore  to  be  hoped,  that  those  wno  now 
patronise  the  intellectual  improvement  of  man- 
kind, and  who  wish  to  promote  the  best  interests 
of  society,  will  take  warning  from  the  occurren- 
ces which  so  lately  happened  in  the  French  na- 
tion, during  the  reign  of  infidel  philosophy  and 
impiety,  and  not  suffer  religion  to  be  dissevered 
from  those  pursuits  which  should  lead  the  mind  • 
to  the  contemplation  of  a  Supreme  Intelligence, 
and  of  the  glories  of  an  immortal  existence.  The 
moral  Governor  of  the  world  has  set  before  us 
the  horrid  scenes  to  which  we  have  alluded,  as  a 
beacon  to  guard  us  from  similar  dangers,  that  so- 
ciety might  not  again  be  exposed  to  a  shipwreck 
so  dreadful  and  appalling.  We  have,  surely,  no 
reason  to  repeat  the  experiment,  in  order  to  as- 
certain the  result.  It  is  written  in  characters 
conspicuous  to  every  eye,  and  legible  even  to  the 
least  attentive  observer,  and  may  serve  as  a 
warning  both  to  the  present  age,  and  to  every 
future  generation.  Its  effects  are  felt  even  at 
the  present  moment,  in  the  country  where  the 
experiment,  was  tried,  in  the  irreligion  and  pro- 
fligacy which,  in  its  populous  cities,  still  abound, 
especially  among  the  middle  and  higher  ranks  of 
society.  Its  effects  are  apparent  even  in  our 
own  country ;  for  the  sceptical  principles  and  im- 
moral maxims  of  the  continental  philosophy 
were  imported  into  Britain,  at  an  early  period  of 
the  French  Revolution,  when  the  Bible  was 
discarded  by  multitudes,  as  an  antiquated  impos- 
ture, and  committed  to  the  flames  ;  and  it  is, 
doubtless,  owing  ^  part,  to  the  influence  of  these 
principles,  that,  in  organizing  institutions  for 
the  diffusion  of  knowledge  among  the  lower  ranks, 
attempts  have  been  made  to  separate  science 
from  its  references  to  the  Creator,  and  from  all 
its  comiexions  with  revealed  religion.    It  iM, 


IS8 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


Ihvrefore,  the  dutjr  oT  every  man  who  lovei  his 
•pwiea,  and  who  has  a  regard  for  the  welfare  and 
procporily  of  hit  country,  to  uie  his  influrnce  in 
•odearouring  to  establish  the  literary  and  scien- 
tific instruction  of  the  community  on  the  bruad 
basis  of  the  doctrines  of  revelation,  and  uf  those 
moral  laws  which  have  been  promulgated  by  the 
Uithority  of  the  Governor  of  the  universe,  which 
ara  calculated  to  secure  the  moral  order,  and  to 
prooKXe  the  happiness  of  intelligent  agents, 
throughout  every  province  of  the  Divine  empire. 

"  When  we  look  at  plans  of  education,"  (says 
to  intelligent  writer)  "  matured,  or  in  progress, 
which  are  likely  to  concentrate  the  national  in- 
UOeel,  and  form  the  national  taste,  and  engross 
the  daily  leisure  of  the  peasant  or  artisan,  on 
principles  of  virtual  exclusion  to  every  thing  spe- 
cifically Christian,  when  we  see  this  grievous 
and  deadly  deficiency  attaching  to  schemes  of  be* 
DOToieDce,  which  are  otherwise  pure  and  splen- 
did, receiving  the  sanction  of  public  recognition, 
countenanced  or  winked  at  by  the  mightiest  of 
■cholars,  and  most  illustrious  of  statesmen,  and 
thus  put  in  condition  for  traversing  the  land, 
from  the  one  end  to  the  other,  we  do  feel  alarmed, 
in  no  ordinary  degree,  at  the  efi«ct8  that  are 
likely  to  follow  it ;  and  could  we  influence  the 
consultations  in  which  the  whole  originates,  would 
entreat  its  projectors  to  pause  and  deliberate, 
lest  they  stir  the  elements  of  a  latent  impiety, 
instead  of  dispensing  a  national  blessing.  We 
dread  not  the  light  of  science,  nor  any  light  of 
any  kind  which  emanates  from  Go<l  to  man. 
On  the  contrary,  we  hail  it  u  a  precious  acqui- 
sition, provided  it  be  mingled  and  seasoned  with 
that  which  is  revealed,  as  "  the  true  light  which 
lighteth  every  man  that  cometh  into  the  world  ;" 
but,  in  a  state  of  separation  from  this  better  light, 
and  unatieropered  by  its  restoring  influence,  we 
are  constrained  to  dread  it,  by  all  the  concern  we 
ever  felt  for  the  eternal  well-being  of  our  human 
kindred."* 

To  prevent  any  misconceptions  that  may  arise 
respecting  our  views  of  the  connexion  of  science 
tnd  religion,  it  may  be  proper  to  remark,  in  the 
firat  place, — that  we  would  consider  it  prepos- 
terous in  the  highest  degree,  to  attempt  the  in- 
troduction of  sectarian  opinions  in  religion  into 
the  discussions  connected  with  science  and  phi- 
losophy. It  would  be  altogether  irrelevant  to 
the  objects  of  scientific  associations,  to  introduce 
the  subjects  of  dispute  between  Calviniats  and 
Arminians,  Presbyterians,  Episcopalians,  and 
Independents ;  and  we  are  of  opinion,  that  the 
sooner  such  controversies  are  banished,  even 
from  IhioUgjf,  and  from  the  Christian  world  at 
large,  so  much  the  belter  ;  t^  they  have  with- 
drawn the  minds  of  thousands  from  the  tmntial* 
to  the  mere  eircumtlantiaU  of  religion  ;  and,  in 

*  Her.  D.  Yowut— Introdaetory  Eanj  to  0tr  M. 
Bales'  Contenplations. 


too  many  instances,  have  ttifoaud  the  Christiar. 
world  to  the  sneers  uf  intidelt,  and  Ihe  scofls  of  tlie 
profane.— Nor,  in  the  next  place,  would  we  con* 
sider  it  as  eiihrr  judicious  or  <-x|>cdient,  to  at- 
temiH  to  fulst  in  even  the  essential  doctrines  of 
Chrisiianiiy,  on  every  occasion,  when  the  sub- 
ject of  diicuskion  did  not  naturally  and  directly 
lead  to  their  introduction,  or  to  some  allusioiw  to 
them.  Such  ailempis  grneially  frustrate  the  end 
intended,  and  are  equally  displeasing  to  the  man 
of  taste,  and  to  the  enlightene<j  Christian. — What 
we  understand  by  connecting  science  with  reli> 
gion,  will  appear  in  the  following  observations  :— 

I.  As  science  has  it  for  one  of  its  highest  oh* 
jects  to  investigate  the  works  of  the  Creator)^ 
an  opportunity  'hmUl  be  taken,  when  imptrtinc 
scientific  instructions,  of  adverting  to  the  attr^ 
butet  of  the  Doty  a*  ditplayed  i«  hi*  operationa. 
The  character  of  the  Divine  Being,  and  the  pei^ 
fections  he  displays,  are,  in  every  point  of  view, 
the  most  interesting  of  all  human  investigations. 
The  system  of  nature,  in  all  its  parts  and  process- 
es, exhibits  them  to  our  view,  and  forces  them, 
as  it  were,  upon  our  atieniion,  if  we  do  not  wil- 
fully shut  our  eyes  on  the  light  which  emanates 
from  an  invisible  Divinity  through  his  visible 
operations.  The  contemplation  of  this  system, 
even  in  its  most  prominent  and  obvious  appeai> 
ances,  has  a  natural  tendency  to  inspire  the  moM 
profound  emotions  of  awe  and  reverence,  of  gra- 
titude and  admiration,  at  the  astonishing  displays 
it  exhibits  of  Omnipotent  energy,  unsearchable 
wisdom,  and  boundless  beneficence.  Such  stu- 
dies, when  properly  directed,  are  calculated  to 
make  a  powerful  and  interesting  impression  on 
the  minds  of  the  young  ;  and  it  is  doing  them  an 
incalculable  injury,  when  their  views  are  never 
elevated  above  proximate  causes  and  physical 
laws,  to  the  agency  of  Him  who  sits  on  the 
throne  of  the  universe. — "  If  one  train  of  think- 
ing," says  Paley,  "  be  more  desirable  than  an- 
other, it  is  that  which  regards  the  phenomena  of 
nature,  with  a  constant  reference  to  a  supreme 
intelligent  Author.  To  have  made  this  the  nil- 
ing,  the  habitual  sentiment  of  our  minds,  is  to 
have  laid  the  foundation  of  every  thing  which  is 
religious.  The  world  from  henceforth  becomes 
a  temple,  and  life  itself  one  continued  act  of  ado- 
ration. The  change  is  no  less  than  this,  that 
whereas  formerly  God  was  sekjom  in  our 
thoughts,  we  can  scarcely  look  upon  any  thing 
without  perceiving  its  relation  to  him."  And  is 
such  a  train  of  thinking  to  be  considered  as  un- 
philosophical  ?  Is  it  not,  oo  the  contrary,  the 
perfection  of  philosophy  to  ascend  to  a  cause  that 
will  account  lor  every  phenomenon — to  trace  its 
incessant  agency,  and  to  acknowledge  the  per- 
fections it  displays  7  Bishop  Watson  has  well 
observed,  "  We  feel  the  interference  of  the  Deity 
everywhere,  but  we  cannot  apprehend  the  nairm 
of  his  agency  anywhere.    A  blade  of  grass  cam- 


PHYSICO-THEOLOGICAL  WRITINGS. 


157 


not  spring  up,  a  tfropof  rain  cannot  fall,  a  ray  of 
light  cannot  be  emitted  from  the  sun,  nor  a  [)arti- 
cleofsall  be  united,  with  a  never-failing  sympa- 
thy to  its  fellow,  without  him ;  every  secondary 
cause  we  discover,  is  but  a  new  proof  df  the 
necessity  we  are  under  of  ultimately  recurring 
to  him,  as  the  one  primary  cause  of  every  thing." 
Illustrations  of  the  position  for  which  we  are 
now  contending  will  be  found  in  such  works  as 
the  following  : — Ray's  "  Wisdom  of  God  in  the 
Creation," — Bovle's  "  Philosophical  and  Theo- 
logical works," — Derham's  Astro  and  Physico- 
Theologv,"* — Nieuwenlyt's  Relijiious  Philoso- 
pher,"— Le  Pluche's  "  Nature  Displayed," — 
Baxter's  "  Matho,"  or  the  principles  of  natural 
religion  deduced  from  the  phenomena  of  the  ma- 
terial world, — Lesser's  Insecto-Theology,  or  a 
demonstration  of  the  Being  and  Attributes  of 
God,  from  the  structure  and  economy  of  insects, 
with  notes  by  Lyonet, — Bonnet's  "  Contempla- 
tion of  Nature," — Euler's  "  Letters  to  a  German 
Princess,"  Iranslated  by  Hunter, — Pierre's 
"  Studies  of  Nature," — "  Paley's  Natural  The- 
ology,''— Adam's  "  Lectures  on  Natural  Philoso- 
phy,"— Parkes'  "  Chemical  Catechism,"  and 
several  others.  The  chief  ooject  of  Ray  is  to 
illustrate  the  wisdom  of  the  Deity  in  the  figure 
and  construction  of  the  earth,  in  the  structure  and 
symmetry  of  the  human  frame,  and  in  the  econo- 
my of  the  animal  and  vegetable  tribes.  The  ob- 
ject of  Derham,  in  his  Astro-Theoloijy,  is  to  dis- 
play the  wisdom  and  nmni|)0tence  of  Deity,  as 
they  appear  in  the  structure,  arrangement,  and 
motions  of  the  heavenly  bodies ;  and  his  Physieo- 
Theology,  a  work  of  much  greater  extent,  demon- 
strates the  being  and  attributes  of  God  from  the 
constitution  of  the  earth  and  atmosphere, — the 
senses — the  structure,  motions,  respiration,  food, 
and  habuations  of  animals — ihe  body  of  man — 
the  econ<)my  of  insects,  reptiles,  and  fishes,  and 
the  structure  of  vegetables.  Though  this  excel- 
lent work  is  now  considered  as  somewhat  anti- 
quated, yet  we  have  no  modern  work  that  can 
fully  supply  its  place.  Paley's  Natural  Theolo- 
gy, however  excellent  in  its  kind,  does  not  em- 
brace the  same  extensive  range  of  objects.  Nieu- 
wentyt  enters  into  a  minute  anatomical  investi- 
gation of  the  structure  of  the  human  body,  which 
occupies  the  greater  part  of  his  first  volume;  and 
in  the  two  remaining  volumes,  illustrates  the  Di- 
vine perfr-ctions  from  a  survey  of  the  atmosphere, 
meteors,  water,  earth,  fire,  birds,  beasts,  fishes, 
plants,  the  physical  and  chemical  laws  of  nature, 
ihe  inconceivable  smallness  of  the  particles  of 
matter,  and  the  structure  of  the  starry  heavens. 

•  An  edition  of  Derham's  Physico-Theoln/ry,  in 
two  vols.  8vo.  (which  is  not  very  stenerally  known) 
was  pubiisheil  In  London  In  1798,  which  contains 
addUwnainnt<is\\\\xs\rMve  of  modem  discoveries,  a 
translation  of  the  Oreek  and  Latin  (luot.itlons  of  the 
original  work,  a  life  of  the  author,  ami  sixteen  oop- 
perpl.ite  en^ravinss.  Illustrative  of  m.iny  curious 
Eubjects  In  the  animal  and  vegetable  kingdoms. 


The  voluminous  work  of  ie  Pluche  compre- 
hends interesting  descriptions  of  quadrupeds, 
birds,  fishes,  insects,  plants,  flowers,  gardens, 
olive-yaids,  cornfields,  woods,  pasture-grounds, 
rivers,  mountains,  seas,  fossils^  minerals,  the  at- 
mosphere, light,  colours,  vision,  the  heavenly 
bodies,  globes,  telescopes,  microscopes,  the  his- 
tory of  navigation,  systematic  physics,  &e. — in- 
terspersed with  a  variety  of  beautiful  reflections 
on  the  Wisdom  and  Beneficence  of  the  Deity  in 
the  arrangements  of  nature.  Euler's  Letters 
comprehend  popular  descriptions  of  the  most  in- 
teresting subjects  connected  with  natural  philo- 
sophy and  ethics,  interspersed  with  nooral  reflec- 
tions, and  frequent  references  to  Ihe  truths  of  re- 
velation. Condorcet,  in  his  French  translation 
of  this  work,  carefully  omitled  almost  all  the  pi- 
ous and  moral  reflections  of  this  profound  and 
amiable  Philosopher,  as  inconsistent  wiih  the  in- 
fidel and  aiheistical  philosophy  which  then  pre- 
vailed. "  The  retrenchments,"  says  he  "  affect 
reflections  which  relate  less  to  the  sciences  and 
philosophy,  than  to  theology,  and  frequently  even 
to  the  peculiar  doctrines  of  that  ecclesiastical 
communion  in  which  Euler  lived.  It  is  unne- 
cessary to  assign  a  reason  for  omissions  of  this  de- 
scriptijny  These  omissions  were  supplied,  and 
the  passages  alluded  to  restored,  by  Dr.  Hunter, 
in  his  English  translation,  but  they  have  been 
again  suppressed  in  the  late  edition,  published  in 
Edinburgh,  in  two  volumes,  12mo.* 

It  is  much  to  be  regretted,  that  we  have  no 
modern  Rays,  Derhauis,  Boyles,  or  Nieuwen- 
tyts,  to  make  the  light  of  our  recent  discoveries 
in  science  bear  upon  the  illustration  of  the 
perfections  of  the  Deiiy,  and  the  arrangements 
of  his  providence.  Since  the  period  when  those 
Christian  philosophers  left  our  world,  many  of 
the  sciences  which  they  were  instrumental  in 
promoting,  have  advanced  to  a  high  degree  of 
perfection,  and  have  thrown  additional  light  on 
the  wisdom  and  intelligence  of  the  Divine  mind, 

•  As  a  specimen  of  the  omissions  to  which  we  al 
lude,  the  following  passage  may  suffice  .- — "  But  the 
eye  which  the  Creator  has  formed,  is  subject  to  no 
one  of  all  the  imperfections  under  which  the  Imagi- 
nary construction  of  the  freethinker  labours.  In 
this  we  discover  thetrue  re  ison  why  infinite  wisdom 
has  employed  several  transparent  suhstarces  in  the 
formation  of  the  eye.  It  is  thereby  secured  against 
all  the  defects  which  characterize  every  work  of  man. 
Whit  a  noble  subject  of  contemplation !  How  perti- 
nent that  question  of  the  Psalmist !  He  whofnrmed 
the  rye,  shall  he.  not  are  7  and  He.  whn  planted  the  ear, 
shall  he  n/:t  hear?  The  eye  alone  being  a  master- 
piece that  far  transcends  the  human  understanding, 
what  an  exalted  idea  must  we  form  of  Him  who  has 
bestowed  tl.is  wonderful  ?ift,  and  that  in  the  highest 
perfection,  not  on  man  only,  but  on  the  brute  crea- 
tion, n.iy  on  the  vile.st  of  insects !"  The  Frencn 
philosopher  and  statesman  seems  to  feel  ashamed  of 
the  least  alliance  between  philosophy  and  religion, 
when  he  is  induced  to  discard  such  reflections.  He 
seems  apprehensive,  as  Dr.  Hunter  remarks,  that  a 
single  drop  of  water  from  Scripture  would  contami- 
nate the  whole  mass  of  philosophy.  We  would  hope 
our  British  philosophers  are  not  yet  so  deeply  tine- 
lured  with  the  spirit  of  infidelity. 


158 


ON  THK  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


and  tlw  economy  of  (he  universe.  Natural  hi*> 
tory  has  widely  enhircftl  ilN  boundaries ;  our 
viewa  of  the  range  of  the  planetary  sysicm  have 
been  extended  ;  the  distant  regions  of  the  starry 
firmament  have  been  more  minutely  explored, 
ud  Denr  objecia  of  magnificence  bro«ight  within 
dM  reach  of  our  observation.  The  nature  of 
lifht  has  been  more  accurately  investigated,  the 
Composition  of  the  atmosphere  discovered,  the 
properties  of  the  diflVreni  gases  ascertamed,  the 
powra  of  electricity  and  galvanism  detected,  and 
diaaiiMrjr — a  science  completely  new  modelled 
— hu  opened  up  the  secret  springs  of  nature's 
operations,  and  thrown  a  new  light  on  the  econo- 
my of  Divine  wisdom  in  the  varioat  processes 
which  are  going  on  in  the  material  system.  It 
it  not  unaccountable,  then,  that  no  nKMJern  sys- 
tem of  PAystco-TAeofo^,  embracing  the  wiiole 
f&nge  of  m.  dern  discoveries,  should  have  pro- 
ceeded from  the  pens  of  some  one  or  other  of  our 
most  distinguished  philosophers  ?  Does  this  cir- 
cumsiance  seem  to  indicate,  that,  since  the  early 
part  of  the  last  century,  the  piety  of  philosophers 
has  been  declining,  and  the  infidel  principles  of 
the  continental  school  gaining  the  ascendency? 
Infidelity  and  fatalism  very  generally  go  hand  in 
hand.  When  the  truths  df  Revelation  are  once 
discarded,  a  species  of  univcmal  scepticism,  dif- 
fering little  or  nothing  from  atheism,  lakes  pos- 
session of  the  mind  ;  and  hence  wc  find,  that  in 
the  writings  of  such  men  as  Buffon,  Diderot, 
and  La  Place,  there  is  not  the  slightest  reference 
to  Final  Causes,  or  to  the  agency  of  an  All-per- 
Tading  Mind  that  governs  the  universe. 

That  the  connexion  between  science  and  theo- 
logy, we  have  been  recommending,  is  not  a 
Tague  or  enthusiastic  idea,  appears  from  the 
■entiments  which  have  been  expressed  on  this 
subject  by  the  most  eminent  philosophers. 
Throughout  the  whole  of  the  works  of  the  immor- 
tal Newton,  we  perceive  a  constant  attention  to 
Pinal  causes,  or  to  the  great  purposes  of  the 
Deity.  It  was  the  firm  opinion  of  this  philoso- 
pher, "  that,  as  we  are  everywhere  encountered 
in  our  researches  by  powers  and  eflects,  which 
are  uniccouniable  upon  any  principles  of  mere 
mechanism,  or  the  combinations  of  matter  and 
notion,  we  must  for  ever  resort  to  a  Supreme 
power,  whose  influence  etiends  over  all  Nature, 
and  who  accnmplishea  the  wisest  and  most  bene- 
volent ends  by  the  best  possible  means."  Mac- 
laurin,  the  friend  of  Newton,  and  the  commen- 
ialor  on  his  Priiudpia,  expresses  the  following 
sentiments  on  this  subject,  in  his  "  Account  of 
Sir  I.  Newton's  Discoveries."  "  There  is 
nothing  we  meet  with  more  frequently  and  con- 
■tanily  in  Nature,  than  the  traces  of  an  all- 
governing  Deity.  And  the  philnnopher  who 
overlooks  these,  contenting  himself  with  the 
appearances  of  the  material  universe  only,  and 
iha  moehani'-al  laws  of  motion,  nerlecia  what  is 
■MMt  aiiwllent ;  and  prefers  what  is  imperfect  to 


what  it  supremely  perfect,  finilude  to  infinity, 
what  is  norniw  and  weak  to  what  is  unlimited 
and  almighty,  and  what  is  perishing  to  what  ei^ 
duret  fur  ever.  Such  who  attend  not  to  so  mani- 
fest indications  oT  suprsme  wisdom  and  good- 
ness, perpetually  appearing  bel<>re  them  wherever 
they  lum  their  views  or  inquiries,  too  much  re- 
semble those  ancient  philosophers  who  made 
Night,  MatUr,  and  Cham,  the  original  of  all 
things."  Similar  sentiments  were  expressed  by 
the  late  Professor  Robison,  one  of  the  moKt  pro- 
fuuixl  mathematicians  and  philosophers  of  his 
age.  "  So  far  from  banishing  the  consideration 
of  final  causes  from  our  discussions,  it  would  kiok 
more  like  philosophy,  more  like  the  love  of  trtie 
wisdom,  and  it  would  taste  less  of  an  idle  curi- 
osity, were  we  to  multiply  our  researches  in  thoM 
departments  of  nature  where  final  causes  are  the 
chief  objects  of  our  attention — the  sliuntire  and 
economy  of  organized  bodies  in  the  animal  and 
vegetable  kingdoms." — "  It  is  not  eapy  to  ac- 
count for  it,  and  perhaps  the  explanation  would 
not  be  very  agreeable,  why  many  naturalists  so 
fastidiously  avoid  such  views  uf  nature  as  tend 
to  lead  the  mind  to  the  thoughts  of  its  Author. 
We  see  them  even  anxious  to  weaken  every 
argument  for  the  appearance  of  design  in  the 
constrtjction  and  operations  of  nature.  One 
would  think,  that,  on  the  contrary,  such  appear- 
ances would  be  most  welcome,  and  il.at  no- 
thing would  be  more  drevy  and  comf<>rtle>s  than 
the  belief  that  chance  orfate  rules  all  thf  events 
of  nature." — Elements  of  Medianical  PhUoto- 
phy,  vol.  i.  pp.  681-2.  We  know  not  whether 
such  sentiments  were  inculcated  from  the  chair 
of  Natural  Philosophy,  which  Dr.  Robiston  so 
long  oca. pied,  by  the  distinguished  philosopher 
who  has  lately  deceased. 

II.  Besides  the  deductions  of  natural  religion, 
to  which  we  have  now  adverted — in  our  scienti- 
fic instructions  there  ought  to  be  a  reference,  oD 
every  proper  occasion,  to  the  leading  truths  <£ 
revelation.  There  are  many  scientific  inquirers 
who  would  have  no  objections  occasionally  to  ad- 
vert to  final  causes,  and  the  wisdom  of  the  Deity, 
who  consider  it  altogether  irrelevant,  in  the  dis- 
cussions of  science,  to  make  the  slightest  refer- 
ence to  the  facts  and  doctrines  detailed  in  the 
Sacred  Oracles.  The  expediency,  or  the  im- 
propriety of  such  a  practice,  must  depend  on  the 
views  we  take  of  the  nature  of  the  communica- 
tions which  ihe  Scriptures  contain.  If  the  Bible 
is  acknowledged  at  a  reveUUion  from  God,  its 
truths  must  harnxtnize  with  the  system  of  nature, 
— (hey  must  throw  a  mutual  light  on  each  other,— 
and  the  attributes  of  the  Divinity  they  respec- 
tively unfokl  must  be  in  perfect  accordance ;  and 
therefore  it  can  never  be  irrelevant,  when  en- 
gaged in  the  study  of  theone,  to  refer  for  illustra- 
tions to  the  other.  On  (he  contrary,  to  omit  do- 
ing so,  from  a  fastidious  compliance  with  what 
hat  too  king  been  the  established  practice,  wouU 


MORAL  TENDENCY  OF  SCIENCE. 


159 


be  a  piece  of  glaring  inconsistency,  either  in  ihe 
theologian  on  the  one  hand,  or  the  philosopher 
Ml  Ihe  other.  We  have  too  much  reason  lo  sus- 
pect, that  the  squeamishness  of  certain  scientific 
characters,  in  omiitino  all  references  lo  the 
Christian    system,  arises  either   from  a  secret 


human  mind  is  almost  overpowered  with  such  a 
thought.  When  ihe  soul  is  filled  with  such  con- 
ceptions of  the  extent  of  created  nature,  we  can 
scarcely  avoid  exclaiming,  '  Lord,  what  then  is 
man,  that  thou  art  mindful  of  him  ''  Under 
such   impressions,  David  shrunk  into  nothing, 


disbelief  of  its  authority,  or  from  a   disrelish  of  and  feared  that  he  should  be  forgotten  among  so 

the  truths  and  moral  principles  ii  inculcates.  many  great  objects    of  the  Divine  attention. 

Taking  for  granted,  then,  what  has  never  yet  His  comfort  and  ground  of  relief  from   this  4b- 

been  disproved,  that  Christianity  is  a  revelation  jecting  thought  are  remarkable.     '  But,'  says  he, 

from  heaven,  and  recollecting,  that  we  live  in  a  '  thou  hast  made  man  but  a  little    lower  than 


country  where  this  religion  is  professed,  it  follows, 
as  a  matter  ot  comistency  as  well  as  of  duty,  that 
all  our  systems  of  instruction,  whether  literary  or 
scientific,  whether  in  colleges,  academies,  me- 
chanics' institutions,  or  initiatory  schools,  ought 
to  be  founded  on  the  basis  of  the  Christian  reve- 
lation— that,  in  the  instructions  delivered  in  such 
seminaries,  its  leading  doctrines  should  be  recog- 
nised, and  that  no  dispositions  or  conduct  be 
encouraged  which  are  inconsistent  with  its 
moral  principles. 

More  particularly,  in  describing  the  processes 
or  phenomena  of  nature,  an  opportunity  should 
frequently  be  taken  of  quoting  the  sublime  and 
energetic  sentiments  of  the  inspired  writers,  and 
of  referring  to  the  facts  they  record,  when  they 
are  appropriate,  and  illustrative  of  the  subject  in 
hand.  This  would  tend  to  connect  the  operations 
of  nature  with  the  agency  of  the  God  of  nature  ; 
and  would  show  to  the  young,  that  their  instruct- 
ors felt  a  veneration  for  that  Book  which  has 
God  for  its  Author,  and  our  present  and  future 
happiness  as  the  great  object  of  its  revelations. 
Why  should  the  Bible  be  almost  the  only  book 
from  which  certain  modern  philosophers  never 
condescend  to  borrow  a  quotation  ?  They  feel 
no  hesitation — nay,  they  sometimes  appear  to 
pride  themselves  in  being  able  to  quote  from 
Plato,  Aristotle,  and  Zeno,  or  from  Ovid,  Virgil, 
and  Lucretius.  They  would  feel  ashamed  to  be 
considered  as  unacquainted  with  the  works  of 
Bacon,  Galileo,  Newton,  Halley,  Huygens, 
Boscovich,  Black,  Robison,  BufTon,  or  La  Place, 
and  unable  lo  quote  an  illustrative  sentiment 
from  their  writings  ;  but  ihey  seem  lo  feel,  as  if  it 
would  lessen  the  dignity  of  science  to  borrow 
an  illustration  of  a  scientific  position  from 
Moses  or  Isaiah,  and  to  consider  it  as  in  nowise 
disrespectful  to  appear  ignorant  of  the  contents 
of  the  Sacred  Volume.  Such  were  not  the  sen- 
timents and  feelings  of  the  philosophers  to  whose 
works  I  lately  referred,  which  abound  with 
many  beautiful  and  appropriate  sentiments  from 
the  inspired  writings.  Such  were  not  the  feel- 
ings of  the  celebrated  Euier,  whose  accomplish- 
ments in  science  were  admired  by  all  the  philoso- 


the  angels,  and  hast  crowned  him  with  glory  and 
honour.'  David  corrected  himself,  by  calling  to 
mind  how  high  he  stood  in  the  scale  of  God's 
works.  He  recognised  his  own  divine  original, 
and  his  alliance  to  the  Author  of  all.  Now, 
cheered  and  delighted,  he  cries  out,  '  Lord,  how 
glorious  is  thy  name !' " — ElemerUa  of  Me- 
chanical Philosophy,  vol.  i.  p.  565. 

Again,  every  proper  opportunity  should  be 
taken  of  illustrating  the  harmony  which  subsists 
between  the  system  of  revelation  and  the  sys- 
tem of  nature — between  the  declarations  of  the 
inspired  writers  and  the  facts  which  are  found  to 
exist  in  the  material  universe.  This  subject 
presents  an  extensive  field  of  investigation  which 
has  never  yet  been  thoroughly  explored,  and 
which  adn<its  of  the  most  extensive  and  diversi- 
fied illustrations.  The  facts  of  geology — some 
of  which  were  formerly  set  in  array  against  the 
records  of  revelation — are  now  seen  to  be  corro- 
borative of  the  facts  stated  in  the  Mosaic  his- 
tory ;*  and  in  proportion  as  the  system  of  na- 
ture is  minutely  explored,  and  the  physical  sci- 
ences in  general  approximate  to  perfection,  the 
more  striking  appears  the  coincidence  between 
the  revelations  of  the  Bible  and  the  revelations 
of  Nature.  And  one  principal  reason  why  this 
coincidence  at  present  does  not  appear  complete^ 
is,  that  the  Scriptures  have  never  yet  been  tho- 
roughly studied  in  all  their  references,  nor  the 
system  of  the  material  world  thoroughly  explored. 
The  facts  of  modem  science,  of  which  many  of 
our  commentators  were  ignorant,  have  seldom 
been  brought  to  bear  upon  the  elucidation  of  the 
inspired  writings,  and  the  sentiments  of  the  sa- 
cred writers  have  seldom  been  illustrated  by  an 
appeal  to  the  discoveries  of  science. — The  views 
which  the  system  of  nature  exhibits  of  the  plan 
and  principles  of  the  divine  government,  the 
reasons  of  the  operation  of  those  destructive 
agents  which  frequently  exert  their  energy  with- 
in the  bounds  of  our  sublunary  system,  and  the 
connexion  which  subsists  between  physical  and 
moral  evil,  might  also  form  occasional  subjects 
of  investigation-,  as  they  are  all  deeply  interest- 
ing to  man  consiilered  as  a  moral  agent,  and  as 


phers  of  Europe  ;  nor  were  such  the  feelings  of  the  subject  of  the  moral  administration  of  the 

the  late  Dr.  Robison,  who  wm  scarcely  his  infe-  Governor  of  the  Universe, 
rior.     When  describing  the  numerous  nebula  in 

the  distant  regions  of  the  heavens,  he  closes  his        ♦  „     ,.,  _.    .,         ....,         ,., ,._  „_,_ 

I         ■  L    i_    r  11                 a     .•           «  mi.  T  For  Illustrations  of  thls  position,  SCO  Dr.  Ojrt 

f  emarks  wUh  the  following  reflection : — "  The  QtoU)n>  Parkinson's  Organic  Remains,  Ice. 


100 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DlFFUSluN  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


In  Um  next  place,  we  hold  it  m  •  matter  of 
particular  imporunce,  that  the  inMtniciiniu  of 
■cieoce  be  conducted  in  lurh  a  manner  as  to 
nake  a  mvral  impremion  xtyton  the  heart.  An 
objection  tiaj  frMjuenily  bern  raised  by  reli|;ioufl 
people  against  the  study  of  science,  from  its  lei>- 
<leitcy  to  produce  a  spirit  of  intellectual  pride  ; 
and  il  can  scarcely  be  denied  that  there  is  some 
ground  for  the  objection,  when  the  pursuits  of 
general  knowledge  are  entirely  spparated  from 
relii;ion.  But  the  objects  of  science,  vihtn  pro- 
perly exhibited,  and  aeaampanitd  with  appropriate 
r^JUctions  have  a  very  different  tendency.  When 
we  consider  the  numberless  multitudes  of  beings 
which  exist  in  the  universe,  and  the  immense 
Tmriety  of  processes  incessantly  going  forward 
in  every  department  of  nature ;  when  we  con- 
aider  the  infinite  wisdom  (uid  intelligence,  far 
surpassing  human  comprehension,  which  they 
display ;  when  we  consider  the  immense  maeni- 
tude  and  extent  of  the  universal  system  of  created 
beings,  and  the  probability  that  man  stands  near 
the  lower  part  of  the  scale  of  rational  existence, 
and  is  only  like  an  atom  in  the  immeniiity  of 
creation,^we  perceive  the  most  powerful  mo- 
tives for  humility  and  self-abasement.  When 
we  consider  the  benevolent  arrangements  in  the 
elements  around  us,  and  in  the  structure  and 
functions  of  animated  beings,  and  the  provision 
made  (i>r  their  subsistence,  it  has  a  natural  ten- 
dency to  inspire  the  heart  with  gratitude  and  af- 
fection towards  Him  from  whom  all  our  comforts 
flow.  And  when  we  reflect  on  the  grandeur  of 
the  Deity  as  displayed  in  the  magnificence  of 
his  empire,  and  in  his  incessant  agency  through- 
out all  its  provinces,  should  it  not  inspire  us 
with  reverence  and  adoration,  and  with  a  lively 
hope,  that  a  period  will  arrive  when  we  shall 
beboM  the  wonders  and  glories  of  his  creation 
more  dearly  unfolded  7  Such  sentiments  and 
Amotions,  the  works  of  God,  when  rightly  con- 
templated, are  fitted  to  produce  ;  and  to  overlook 
them  in  our  instruction  to  the  young,  is  to  de- 
prive them  of  some  of  rtie  purest  enjoyments, 
and  some  of  the  greatest  advantages,  which  flow 
firwn  acieniific  knowledge.  When  their  minds 
ara  deeply  impressed  with  such  emotions,  they 
ara  in  tome  measure  prepared  for  listening  with 
nmrenoe  to  the  declarations  of  the  inspired 
Tolome,  and  for  perceiving  the  force  and  subli- 
mity of  the  description  it  gives  of  the  character 
oTOod. 

It  would  perhaps  excite  a  smile  of  contempt 
IB  aome,  who  woukl  spurn  at  the  idea  of  being 
raakad  in  the  class  of  infidels,  were  I  to  insinuate, 
tkatour  scientific  meetings  and  lectures  should 
kaopened  with  prayer,  and  adoration  of  the  Di- 
viae  Being.  It  might  indeed  admit  of  a  doobt, 
whether  it  wtnild  be  expedient  to  attempt  such  a 

Cice  in  the  prtunt  mat*  of  toeiety.     But  I 
no  hesitation  in  affirming,  that,  to  acknow- 
ledge God  in  all  oiv  pursuiu,  and  to  pay  Him  a 


tribute  of  adoration,  are  dictate*  of  natural  ■■ 
well  as  of  revealed  religion,  and  that  a  demt.  were 
he  to  act  in  consisteiK-y  with  his  avoweJ  pfinci* 
pies,  would  engage  in  daily  prayer  to  ilie  Great 
Author  of  his  existence.  It  b  ex|>resi>ly  injuined 
in  the  Scriptures,  "  In  all  thy  waysacknoMiedge 
God,  and  he  shall  direct  thy  steps  ;"  and  ii  is  <te> 
dared  tu  be  onenf  ihecharacierislicsofihewicko 
ed  man,  "  that  God  is  not  in  all  his  iho«i^lit*," 
and  that,  "  through  the  pride  of  his  couniriiance 
he  will  not  call  upon  God."  If  we  firml\  believe 
there  is  a  God,  we  must  al«o  believe  tha'  he  is 
present  in  all  places,  and  privy  to  all  uur  thviit^htai 
that  all  our  circumstances  and  wants  are  open  to 
his  Omniscient  eye,  and  that  "  he  is  able  to  do 
for  us  above  all  that  we  can  ask  or  thiiik.''  Al- 
though we  are  ignorant  of  the  precise  physical 
connexion  between  prayer  and  the  besiim  nient 
of  a  favour  by  God,  yet  we  ought  to  en^fnge  in 
this  duty,  because  il  is  accordant  with  the  idea  of 
a  Supreme  Being  on  whom  weareever)  ni'Xiient 
dependent,  and  has  therefore  been  acknuwl*  ilged 
by  the  untaught  barbarian,  as  well  as  by  ilie  en- 
lightened Christian  ;  because  it  is  posinvrly  en- 
joined;  because  there  is  aconncxioii  eslMllll^'hed 
by  the  Creator  between  oMking  and  receiving  ; 
because  it  tends  to  fix  our  thoughts  on  the  Uiiini* 
presence  of  the  Divine  Mind,  to  inipr«>!i  oar 
hearts  with  a  sense  of  the  blessings  of  wlurh  we 
stand  in  need,  and  lo  excite  earnest  desiren  aAer 
them;  and,  because)  it  is  one  way  in  which  we 
may  hold  a  direct  intercourse  with  our  Creator. 
I  wouW  not  envy  the  Christian  feelings  of  that 
man  who  can  habitually  engage  in  literary  i  om- 
posiiionsor  scientific  discussions,  without  a^ 
knowledging  his  Maker,  and  imploring  his  (tireo> 
tion  and  assistance.  Religion  deger.jrales  into 
something  approaching  to  a  mere  inanity,  when 
its  spirit  and  principles  are  not  carried  into  every 
department  of  human  life  and  society,  nor  iis  re- 
quisitions attended  to  in  every  secuZor  business  ia 
which  we  engage.  Till  the  iirinciple*  uf  Chris- 
tianity be  made  to  bear  in  all  their  force  on  every 
de|iartinent  of  human  actions,  and  especially  on 
the  business  of  education,  we  can  scarcelv  e^ 
pect,  that  its  benign  tendency  will  be  generally 
appreciated,  or  that  society  will  reap  all  the  be>- 
nefils  which  it  is  calculated  to  impart. 

There  are,  liowever,  certain  descriptions  of 
literary  characters,  who,  although  they  consider 
il  expedient  lo  pey  an  occasional  compliment  to 
Christianity,  would  consider  such  reniaiks  aa 
bordering  on  sup<^nitition  or  fanaticism.  When 
we  talk  lo  them  about  the  Christian  revelation, 
in  general  terms,  ihey  do  not  choose  to  sav  any 
tliini!  directly  against  its  excellence  ordivine  au- 
thority ;  but  if  we  descend  into  particulars  and 
expatiate  on  any  of  its  fundamental  doctrines,  or 
attempt  to  reduce  to  practice  its  holy  requisition*, 
we  are  frequently  met  with  a  coniempiuo«is  vtieer, 
or  a  cry  of  enihuiiiasm,  and  sometimes  hi  Ii  an 
harangue  against  the  follies  of  Methodism,  ur  of 


IMPORTANCE  OP  RELIGIOUS  TRUTHS. 


161 


'Bible  and  Missionary  Societies.  We  are  thus 
led  to  infer,  with  some  degree  of  reason,  ihat  such 
characters  iiave  no  impressive  belief  of  the  Di- 
vine origin  of  the  Christian  system  ;  and  it  would 
be  much  raorelionourable  and  consistent,  at  once 
to  avow  their  infidelity,  than  to  put  on  the  mask 
of  dissimulation  and  hypocrisy.  No  individual 
ought  to  be  subjected  to  any  civil  penalties  on 
account  of  the  opinions  he  holds,  as  for  these  he 
is  accountable  only  to  his  Maker ;  nor  should 
any  opinions  be  attempted  to  be  extirpated  by  any 
other  weapons  than  the  strength  of  reason  and 
the  force  of  arguments.  But,  at  the  same  time, 
it  is  requisite,  that  society  should  know  the  lead- 
ing principles  of  any  one  who  proposes  himself  as 
a  public  instructer  of  his  fellow-men,  in  order 
that  they  may  judge  whether  it  would  be  proper 
to  place  their  relatives  under  the  instructions  of 
one,  who  might  either  overlook  Christianity  al- 
together, or  oc(5asionally  throw  out  insinuations 
against  it.  To  act  the  hypocrite,  to  profess  a 
decent  respect  for  the  Christian  religion,  while 
the  principles  of  infidelity  are  fixed  in  the  mind, 
accompanied  with  a  secret  wish  to  undermine  its 
foundations,  is  vtean  and  contemptible,  unworthy 
of  the  man  who  wishes  to  be  designated  by  the 
title  of  philosopher.  Yet  such  hypocrisy  is  not 
at  all  uncommon  ;  it  was  particularly  displayed 
by  the  sceptical  philosophers  on  the  continent, 
prior  to  the  French  revolution,  and  avowed  to 
their  most  intimate  associates. 

Bxiffm,  the  natural  historian,  who  appears  to 
have  been  an  atheist,  was  also,  according  to  his 
own  confession,  a  consummate  hypocrite.  In  a 
conversation  with  M.  HerauU  SechelUs,  in  1785, 
about  four  years  before  his  death,  and  when  he 
was  in  the  seventy-eighth  year  of  his  age,  he  de- 
clared, "  In  my  writings  I  have  always  S|>oken  of 
the  creator ;  but  it  is  easy  to  eflface  that  word,  and 
substitute  in  its  place,  the  pmoers  of  nature, 
which  consist  in  the  two  grand  laws  of  attraction 
and  repulsion.  When  the  Sarbonne*  become 
troublesome  to  me,  I  never  scruple  to  give  them 
every  satisfaction  they  require.  It  is  but  a 
mrund,  and  men  are  foolish  enough  to  be  content- 
ed with  it.  Upon  this  account,  if  I  were  ill,  and 
found  my  end  approaching,  I  should  not  hesitate 
to  receive  the  sacrament.  Hdvetivs  was  my  in- 
timate friend,  and  has  frequently  visited  me  at 
Montbart.  I  have  repeatedly  advised  him  to 
use  similar  discretion  ;  and,  had  he  followed  mv 
advice,  he  would  have  been  much  happier." 
"  My  first  work  (continued  he)  appeared  at  the 
same  time  with  IJ Esprit  des  Ltois.  Montesquieu 
and  myself  were  tormented  by  the  Sorbonne. 
The  president  was  violent.  '  What  have  you 
'to  anmoer  for  yourself?^  says  he  to  me,  in  an  angry 
tone.  '  Nothing  at  aU.^  was  my  answer,  and  he 
was  silenced  and  perfectly  thunderstruck  at  my 
''iadifference."    In  perfect  accordance  with  saeh 

*  The  faculty  of  Tbeotogy  at  Paiii. 
21 


a  system  of  hypocrisy,  Buffon  kept  a  father  con- 
fessor almost  constantly  with  him,  to  whom  he 
was  in  the  habit  of«m/>»«ing-,  in  the  same  apart- 
ment where  he  liad  developed  the  Principles  qf 
Afaterialiim,  which,  according  to  his  system,  was 
an  abnegation  of  immortality.  He  also  regularly 
attended  mass  on  Simdays,  unless  prevented  by 
indisposition,  and  communicated  in  the  Chapti 
of  the  Glory,  every  Whitsuntide.  Though  ho 
heartily  despised  his  priestly  confessor,  he  flat* 
tered  and  cajoled  him  with  pompous  promises, 
and  condescending  attentions.  "  I  have  seen 
this  priest  (says  Sechelles,)  in  the  absence  of  the 
domestics,  hand  over  a  towel  to  the  count,  set  the 
dining  table  before  him,  and  perform  such-like 
menial  services.  Buffon  rewards  these  attea» 
tions  with,  /  thank  you  my  dear  child."  Such 
Was  the  habitual  hypocrisy  of  this  philosopher; 
and,  said  he,  *'  it  has  been  observed  by  me  in  aft 
my  writings  :  I  have  published  the  one  after  the 
other  in  such  a  manner,  that  men  of  vulgar  capa> 
cities  should  not  be  able  to  trace  the  chain  of  my 
thoughts*."  His  intolerable  vanity  and  pompo- 
sity, his  breach  of  promises,  the  grossness  of  his 
conversation,  and  his  numerous  amours  and  in> 
trigues,  were  in  perfect  correspondence  with  such 
principles,  and  the  natural  result  of  them.  "  His 
pleasantries  (saysSechelles)  were  so  void  of  d» 
licacy,  that  the  females  were  obliged  to  quit  the 
room."*  What  a  scene  of  moral  anarchy  would 
be  introduced,  were  such  principles  to  be  uni- 
versally inculcated  and  acted  upon  in  soci»> 
ty!  All  confidence  between  man  and  man 
would  be  shaken,  and  the  foundations  of  the  80» 
ciol  system  undermined  and  destroyed.  Yet 
such  was  the  morality  which  almost  universally 
prevailed  among  the  continental  philosophers,  ia 
consequence  of  the  sceptical  and  atheistical  prin- 
ciples they  had  imbibed.  Truth,  sincerity,  m<>> 
desty,  humility,  and  moral  obligation,  formed  no 
partof  the  code  of  their  morality;  and  such,  ia 
all  probability,  would  soon  be  the  result  in  our 
own  country,  were  the  pursuits  of  science  and  phi- 
losophy to  be  completely  dissevered  from  reli« 
gion. 

In  the  last  place,  there  are  several  topics  con<- 
nected  with  religion,  which  might  occasionally 
be  made  the  subjects  of  discussion  in  scientific 
associations  :  such,  for  example,  are  the  eviden- 
ces and  importance  of  the  Christian  Revelation— 
the  physical  and  moral  facts  to  which  it  occasion* 
ally  adverts — the  attributes  of  the  Divinity— the 
general  principles  of  moral  action — the  lawi 
which  the  Creator  has  promulgated  for  preserv- 
ing the  order  of  the  intelligent  system,  and  the 
foundation  on  which  they  rest — the  evidences  for 
the  immortality  of  the  soul,  and  the  eternal  desti- 
ny of  man.     These,  and  similar  topics  might,  on 

*  See  an  account  of  some  particulars  In  the  private 
life  of  Buffon,  by  M.  Seclielles,  one  of  his  admirer^ 
in  the  Monthly  Mafazine  for  July  17(7,  supple 
tary  No.  vol.  8,  pp.  «93— 501. 


16t 


ON  TKfE  OEN1SRAL  DIFFUSION  OP  KNOWLEtKSE. 


certain  occttiont,  become  subjects  of  investigk- 
tion,  M  they  can  be  ilhistraletl  wiihmit  entering  on 
the  arena  of  iheoiogical  controversy,  or  descend- 
ing; within  the  hsoits  ofsectarian  opinions.  I  do 
not  in<>an  to  say,  that  they  should  be  discussed 
accordinjtothe  mcth<M)orFnrrn<>ic  disputations, 
by  op[KMiie  parties  taking  difTerent  sides  of  a 
question— a  fnode  of  communicating  knowledge, 
lb«  tendency  of  which  is  very  questiooable— but 
that  certain  positions  in  reference  to  them  should 
b«  proved  and  illustrated,  in  a  direct  manner,  in 
th«  form  of  essaya,  lectures,  or  oral  instructions. 
The  topics  now  specified,  and  those  which  are 
intimately  related  to  them,  are  subjects  of  the 
deepest  interest  and  importance  to  every  indivi- 
dual of  the  human  race  ;  and,  therefore,  no  valid 
reason  can  be  assigned  why  such  subjects  should 
not  be  occasionarlly  elucidated  in  literary  and 
■ciemific  seminaries,  if  it  be  one  object  of  such 
institutions  to  promote  the  happiness— and  what 
is  essentially  requisite  to  it — the  moral  improve- 
ment of  mankind. 

For  example,  is  it  not  in  the  highest  degree 
important  to  every  human  being,  that  he  should 
be  convinced  of  his  immortal  destiny,  and  have 
bis  mind  impressed  with  the  realities  of  a  future 
world — that  he  should  ascertain  whether,  at  death, 
he  is  to  be  reduced  for  ever  into  the  same  siiua- 
tioo  as  the  clods  of  the  valley,  or  transported  to 
a  more  expansive  sphere  of  existence  ?  Take 
away  from  man  the  prospect  of  immortality,  and 
you  throw  a  veil  of  darkness  and  mystery  over 
all  the  scenes  of  creation ;  you  reduce  the  moral 
world  to  a  scene  of  confusion,  and  involve  the 
ways  of  Providence  in  a  dark  inextricable  maze  ; 
you  inwraf  the  character  of  the  Deity  in  awful 
obscurity,  and  terminate  every  prospect  of  bo- 
coming  more  fully  acquainted  with  the  magnifi- 
cence of  the  universe ;  you  reduce  man  to  an 
enigma— to  the  most  inexplicable  phenomenon 
in  creatiun,  and  annihilate  ihe  strongest  motives 
to  the  practice  of  virtue.  But  this  is  not  all,  you 
remove  the  most  powerful  motives  to  the  pursuit 
of  scientific  knowledge ;  for,  in  this  case,  you 
confine  its  beneficial  results  merely  to  the  promo- 
tion of  the  comforts  and  cnnveniencies  of  the  pre- 
sent trarraitory  life  ;  and  the  di«cuvcrie8  of  the 
order  and  extent  of  the  universe  it  unfolds,  and 
the  spcculaiiuns  to  which  they  lead,  tend  only  to 
bewilder  and  [>erplex  the  mind,  wht-n  it  is  ctil  off 
from  all  hopes  of  prosecuting  its  inquiries  beyond 
the  grave,  and  of  beholding  the  mysterious  scenes 
of  creation  more  fully  displayed.  On  this 
gnNiad,  a  man  who  is  exhorted  to  cultivate  an 
■eqaaintance  with  acience,  might,  with  some 
rSMon,  exclaim,  "  Of  what  avail  is  it,  to  upend 
anxious  days  and  sleepless  nights  in  acquiring 
■cientific  knowledge,  when  it  may  tm  tM  lost  be- 
fore to-morrow'a  dawn,  or,  at  the  farthest,  after 
the  lapse  of  a  few  short  years,  when  my  intel- 
lectual faculties  khall  be  annihilatrd  7  I  can 
Moube  but  a  few  scattered  (ragnteats  of  H  at 


most,  although  I  werr  to  prosecute  my  research* 
es  as  far  as  the  most  distinguished  geniuses 
have  ever  advanced  ;  and  I  must  quit  the  field 
of  investigation  before  the  ten  thousandth  part  of 
it  is  half  explored.  Had  I  a  prospect  of  enlar^ 
ing  my  faculties  and  resuming  my  researclies  in 
a  future  statu  of  being,  I  might  engage  in  them 
with  some  degree  of  interest  and  vigour ;  but  to 
one  who  is  uncertain  whether  his  connexion  witlr 
the  intelligent  universe  shall  be  continued  for 
another  day,  it  appears  quite  prrpostemus,  and 
tends  to  deprive  me  of  mOny  sensitive  gratifica* 
tions  which  I  find  essential  to  my  present  enjoy-- 
ment."  What  is  affirmed  of  happiness,  in  ge- 
neral, may  be  applied  to  knowledge,  one  of  its 
ingredirnu,  that  the  expectation  o(  its  permaneiwf 
is  indispensably  requisite  to  its  perfection.  It 
is  the  pro8|>cct  of  science  being  prosecuted  in  ai 
future  world  and  carried  to  perfection,  that  con- 
fers a  dignity  on  its  objects,  and  forms  the  most 
powerful  motive  to  engage  in  its  pursuits;  and, 
in  this  point  of  view,  it  may  be  considered  aa 
forming  a  part  of  that  training  which  is  requisite 
to  prepare  us  for  the  activities,  the  contempl»> 
tions,  and  enjoyments  of  that  higher  sphere  ot 
existence.  But  where  no  such  hopes  are  indulg- 
ed, intellectual  pursuits  are  deprived  of  their 
chief  excellence  and  importance,  and  the  be^t  at 
fections  of  th»!  heart  of  their  sublimest  objects  and 
most  exalted  pleaijures  ;  and  the  more  the  power* 
of  the  mind  have  been  exercised  and  improved, 
and  the  more  it  feels  itself  prepared  for  a  series  of 
rational  enjoyments,  the  more  chagrined  and  dis- 
appointed must  it  feel  when  years  roll  away  and 
it  approaches  the  point  where  it  is  to  sink  into 
eternal  oblivion.  Without  the  hopes  of  admis- 
sion to  future  sources  of  enjoyment,  at  the  hour 
of  dissolution,  we  may  assume  an  air  of  compo- 
sure, because  we  are  unable  to  resist,  or  an  air 
of  fortitude  from  the  last  efforts  of  pride  ;  but, 
in  point  of  fact,  we  can  await  the  extinction  of 
our  being  only  with  a  mournful  and  melancholy 
gloom. 

This  representation  has  frequently  be«<n  realis- 
ed, in  the  case  of  men  of  cultivated  minds,  who- 
had  thrown  aside  the  obligations  of  religion  and 
Ihe  idea  of  a  future  work!,  when  they  approached 
the  confines  of  the  tomb, — of  which  the  following 
instances  may  suffice  :  Fo/*»tre,  when  approach- 
ing his  dissolution,  looked  back  upon  protracted 
years  with  remorse,  and  forward  with  dismay. 
He  wished  for  annihilation,  through  the  dread  ci 
something  worse.  He  attempted  to  unburdea 
his  troubled  mind  by  confiessing  to  a  priest;  and 
he  placed  bin  hopes  of  peace  with  heaven,  in  an 
eager  conformity  to  those  rituals  which  he  inces- 
santly treated  with  contempt.  In  a  previous  in- 
disposition, he  insisted  upon  sending  lor  a  priest, 
contrury  to  the  warmest  remonstrances  of  -his 
friends  and  attendants.  On  recovery,  he  wa» 
ashamed  of  his  conduct,  and  ridiculed  his  own 
pusillanimky.      This   pusillanimity,  bowerer. 


GfLOOMY  PROSPECTS  OF  INPTDEajTY. 


16% 


^  returned  upon  a  relapse  ;  and  he  had  again  re- 
'  -course  to  the  miserable  remedy.  He  acknow- 
ledged to  Dr.  Tronchin,  his  [ihysician,  the  ago- 
nies of  his  mind,  and  earnestly  enireated  him  to 
procure  for  his  perusal  a  treatise  written  against 
the  eternity  of  future  punishment.  The>e  facts 
were  communicaied  to  Dr.  Cogan,  by  a  gentle- 
man highly  respected  in  the  philosophical  world, 
who  received  them  directly  from  Dr.  Tronchin; 
and  they  concur  with  many  others,  in  demon- 
strating the  impossibility  of  enjoying  permanent 
felicity  without  the  hopes  and  consolations  of 
religion.  M.  Sechelles,  to  whose  narrative  I 
lately  referred,  relates,  that,  in  one  of  his  conver- 
sations with  Buffon,  the  Count  declared,  "  I 
hope  to  live  two  or  three  years  longer,  to  indulge 
my  habit  of  working  in  literary  avocations.  I 
am  iTKit  afraid  of  death,  and  am  consoled  by  the 
thought,  that  my  name  will  never  die.  I  feel 
myself  fully  recorap»nsed  for  all  ray  labours,  by 
the  respect  which  Europe  has  paid  to  my  talents, 
and  by  the  flattering. letters  i  have  received  from 
the  most  exalted  personages."  Such  were  the 
consolations  which  this  philosopher  enjoyed  in 
the  prospect  of  the  extinction  of  his  being.  His 
name  would  live  when  he  himself  was  for  ever 
blotted  out  from  that  creation  which  it  was  the 
object  of  his  writings  to  describe !  But,  that 
his  mind  was  not  altogether  reconciled  to  the 
idea  of  sinking  into  eternal  oblivion,  may  be  in- 
ferred from  another  anecdote,  related  by  the 
same  gentleman.  "  One  evening  I  read  to  Buf- 
fon the  verses  of  Thotmu  on  the  immortality  of 
the  soul.  He  smiled.  ''Par  dieu'  says  he, 
'  religion  voovid  be  a  valuable  gift  if  all  this  were 
trne.'  "  This  remark  evidently  implied,  that  the 
system  he  had  adopted  was  not  calculated  to  pre- 
.-•ent  so  cheerful  a  prospect  of  futurity  as  the 
system  of  Revelation. 

Gibbon,  the  celebrated  historian  of  the  Rise 
and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Empire,  had  his  mind 
early  tinctured  with  the  principles  of  infidelity  ; 
and  his  historical  writings  are  distinguished  by 
several  insidious  attacks  on  Christianity,  by  un- 
fair and  unmanly  sneers  at  the  religion  of  his 
country,  and  by  the  loose  and  disres|)ectful  man- 
ner in  which  he  mentions  many  points  of  morali- 
ty regarded  as  importiint,  even  on  the  principles 
of  natural  religion.  Such  appears  to  have  been 
his  eagerness  in  this  cause,  that  he  stooped  to 
the  most  despicable  pun,  or  to  the  most  awkward 
perversion  of  language,  for  the  pleasure  of  turn- 
ing the  Scripture  into  ribaldry,  or  calling  Jesus 
an  impostor.  Yet  he  appears  to  have  been  ac- 
tuated by  the  same  spirit  of  hypocrisy  which 
distinguished  Buffon  and  his  philosophical  asso- 
ciates; for,  notwithstandini  his  aversion  to 
Christianity,  he  would  have  felt  no  scruple  in 
accepting  an  office  in  the  church,  provided  it  had 
contributed  to  his  pecuniary  interests.  On  the 
occasioa  <^  bis  father  having  been  obliged  to 


mortgage  part  of  his  estate,  he  thira  expresses 
himself:  "  I  regret  that  I  had  not  embraced  the 
lucrative  pursuits  of  the  law  or  of  trade,  the 
chances  of  civil  office  or  India  adventure,  or  even 
the  fat  dvmbere  of  the  church."  Such  is  toe 
frequently  the  morality  displayeii  by  infidels, 
and  there  is  reason  to  suspect  that  the  church  is 
not  altogether  |>urged  of  them  even  in  the  pre- 
sent day.  That  Gibbon's  principles  were  not 
sufficient  to  support  his  mind  in  the  prospect  of 
dissolution,  appears  from  many  expressions  in 
the  collection  of  his  letters  published  by  Lord 
Sheffield,  in  which  are  to  be  traced  many  in- 
stances of  the  high  value  which  he  placed  upon 
existence,  and  of  the  regret  with  which  he  per- 
ceived his  years  to  be  rapidly  passing  away. 
His  letter  on  the  death  of  Mrs.  Posen,  bears 
every  mark  of  the  despondent  state  of  his  mind 
at  the  idea,  that,  "  all  is  now  lost,  firudly,  irr^ 
coverably  lost  P'  He  adds,  "I  will  aaree  with 
my  lady,  that  the  immortality  of  the  smd  is,  at 
some  timss,  a  very  comfortable  doctrine."  The 
announcement  of  his  death,  in  the  public  prints, 
in  January  1794,  was  accompanied  with  this 
remark,  "  He  left  this  worU  in  gloomy  despon- 
dency, without  those  hopes  and  con  olations 
which  cheer  the  Christian  in  the  pros|>ect«  of 
immortaliiy." — Dr.  A.  Smith,  in  the  account  he 
gives  of  the  last  illness  of  Hume,  the  historian^ 
seems  to  triumph  in  the  fortitude  which  he  ma- 
nifested in  the  prospect  of  his  dissolution,  and  he 
adduces  a  playfulness  of  expression  as  an  evi- 
dence of  it,  in  his  jocular  allusion  to  Chartm 
and  his  boat.  But,  as  Dr.  Cogan,  in  his  treatise 
on  the  passions,  very  properly  remarks,"  A  mo- 
ment of  vivacity,  upon  the  visit  of  a  friend,  will 
not  Conduct  us  to  the  recesses  of  the  heart,  or 
discover  its  feelings  in  the  hours  of  solitude.** 
It  is,  indeed,  altogether  unnatural  for  a  man  who 
set  so  high  a  value  upon  his  literary  repuiation« 
and  certainly  very  unsuitable  to  the  momentous 
occasion,  to  indulge  in  such  childish  pleasantries, 
as  Hume  is  represented  to  have  done,  at  the 
moment  when  he  considered  himself  as  just  about 
to  be  launched  into  non-existence  ;  and,  therefore, 
we  have  some  reason  to  suspect,  that  his  appa- 
rent tranquillity  was  partly  the  efiect  of  vanity 
and  afTeciation.  He  has  confessed,  says  Dr. 
Cogan,  in  the  most  explicit  terms,  that  his  prin- 
ciples were  not  calculated  to  administer  consola- 
tion to  a  thinking  mind.  This  appears  from  the 
following  passage  in  his  treatise  on  Human 
Nature.  "  I  am  affrighted  and  confounded 
with  that  forlorn  solitude  in  which  I  am  placed 
by  my  philosophy.  When  I  look  abroail,  I  fore- 
see, on  every  side,  dispute,  contradiction,  aiMl 
distraction.  When  I  turn  my  eye  inward,  I  find 
nothing  but  doubt  and  ignorance.  Where  am  I, 
or  what  ?  From  what  causes  do  I  derive  my 
existence,  and  to  what  condition  shall  I  return? 
I  am  confounded  with  these  questions,  and  b^ 


194 


ON  THE  GENERAL  DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE. 


;gin  to  fancy  myMlfin  the  most  deplorable  condi- 
'tion  imaKinablo,  environed  with  the  deepest 
sUrkneM."* 

Didirot,  one  of  tho  French  philoaophistc,  was 
4t  maD  of  very  considerable  acquircmenta  in 
Jiterature  and  in  the  phyaical  sciences.  The 
■fintt  publication  by  which  h«  attracted  public 
'notice,  wa«  a  volume  written  ajcaiiist  the  Chris- 
'tian  reli^'ion,  entitled  Pentdti  Phitoiopfaqutt. 
Afterwards,  in  company  with  Voltaire  and 
iD'Alembert,  he  conducted  the  publication  of  the 
'Dietionnaire  Encyclopidiq\u,  the  secret  object  of 
'Which  wa4  to  sap  the  foundations  of  all  religion, 
'While  the  reader,  at  the  same  time,  was  present* 
'  ed  with  the  most  splendid  articles  on  the  Belles 
'Lettrus,  mathematics,  and  thedilferent  branches 
'  of  physical  science.  Whilst  a  weak  divine,  to 
whom  the   theological  department  of  the  work 

■  was  committed,  was  supporting,  by  the  best 
arguments  he  could  devise,  the  religion  of  his 

■  country,  Diderot  and  D' Alembert  were  overturn- 
ing th(Me  arguments  under  titles  which  properly 
allowed  of  no  such  disquisitions  ;  and  that  the 
object  of  these  digressions  might  not  pass  unno- 
ticed by  any  class  of  readers,  care  was  taken  to 
refer  to  them  from  the  articles  where  the  ques- 
tion was  discussed  by  the  divine.  Here  was  an 
example  of  that  hypocrisy  to  which  I  have  alrea- 
dy  adverted,  as   characteristic  of  the  sect   of 

'infidel  philosophers  ;  and  the  following  anecdote 
ia  illustrative  of  similar  disingenuity,  coupled 
with   almost  unparalleled    impudence.      In  the 

•  course  of  his  correspondence  with  the  late  Em- 
press of  Russia,  Diderot  mentioned  his  own  li- 

'brary,  as  one  of  the  most  valuable  in  Europe, 
although  it   is  supposed  not  to  have  contained 

-above  a  hundred  volumes.  Wiien  Catharine 
wanted  to  purchase  it  and  make  him  librarian,  he 

•said,  that  his  constitution  could  not  support  the 
cold  climate  of  Petersburgh.  She  offered  to  let 
him  keep  it  during  his  lifetime  at  Paris  ■,  and  the 
library  was  sold  for  an  immense  price.  When 
lier  ambassador  wanted  to  see  it,  after  a  year  or 
two's  payments,  and  tlie  visitation  could  no  long- 
er be  put  off,  he  was  obliged  to  run  in  a  hurry, 
through  all  the  booksellers'  shops  in  Germany, 

■to  fill  his  empty  shelves  with  old  volumes.  It 
was  customary  for  Diderot  and  D'Alembert  to 

■frequent  the  coffee-houses  of  Paris,  and  to  en'er 
with  keenness  into  religious  disputes,  the  former 
attacking  Christianity,  and  the  latter,  under  the 
mask  of  piety,  defending  it,  but  always  yiekling 
lo  Itie  arguments  of  his  opponent.  This  practice 
wa*  put  a  stop  to  by  the  police ;  and  Didirot, 
when  reproached  by  the  lieutenant  for  preaching 
atheism,  replied,  "  It  is  true,  I  am  an  atheist, 
and  I  glory  in  it."  But  such  principles  will 
not  always  support  the  mind,  nor  did  ihey  sup- 
port the  mind  of  Diderot,  when  his  dissolution 
approached.     When    he    perceived  that  death 

•  Tr»aUa«  en  Human  Ifatora.  toI  I  p-  «H. 


was  at  no  |reat  distance,  he  d^ired  that  a  priaat 
might  be  brought,  and  the  Cure  de  St.  Sulpice 
was  introduced  lo  him.  He  saw  this  ecclesias- 
tic several  limes,  and  was  preparing  lo  make  a 
public  recantation  of  his  errors,  but  Ciiodorcet 
and  the  other  adepts  now  crowded  about  him, 
persuaded  him  that  his  case  was  not  dangerous, 
and  that  country  air  wouM  restore  him  to  health. 
For  some  time  he  resisted  Iheir  attempts  lo 
bring  him  back  lo  atheism,  but  thoy  secretly  hur- 
ried him  to  the  country,  where  he  died,  and  a 
report  was  spread  that  he  died  suddenly  on  ria* 
ing  from  the  table,  without  remorse,  and  with 
his  atheism  unshaken. 

Such  are  the  native  effects  of  the  highest  in^ 
tellectual  accomplishments,  and  the  most  brilliant 
acquirements  in  science,  when  unaoompanied 
with  the  spirit  of  true  religion  and  uf  Christian 
morality.  They  cannot  improve  the  moral  order 
of  society  ;  they  cannot  procure  for  their  possess 
ors  substantial  enjoyment,  even  in  the  present 
life,  and  they  are  altogether  inadequate  to  Bup- 
port  and  tranquillize  the  soul  in  the  prospect  of 
the  agonies  of  dissolving  nature.  Notwithstand* 
ing  the  rational  gratifications  such  persons  may 
have  occasionally  enjoyed  in  philosophical  pur- 
suits, they  must  be  obliged  to  confess,  that  thej 
have  acquired  no  equivalent  for  those  joys  which 
frequently  animate  the  hearts  of  the  most  illite- 
rate, who  are  sometimes  enabled  to  look  forward 
to  the  king  of  terrors  without  disntay,  and  to  de- 
part in  peace  with  hopes  full  of  immortality,— 
when  the  philosophist  is  obliged  to  exclaim,  "All 
is  now  lost,  finally  and  irrecoverably  lo«t."  Yet 
such  is  the  tendency  of  the  principles  which  arc 
now  in  operation  in  our  literary  and  scientifia 
seminaries,  and  such  the  result  to  which  we  must 
ultimately  look  forward,  should  the  principles  ot 
religion  be  discarded  from  the  pursuits  of  know- 
ledge. 

It  is  therefore  to  be  hoped,  that  all  who  hara 
a  sincere  regard  fur  the  promotion  of  science,  (ot 
the  interests  of  religion,  and  for  the  welfare  ol 
their  country,  will  devote  a  portion  of  their  atten- 
tion to  this  important  subject,  and  set  their  facea 
in  opposition  to  the  spirit  of  that  sceptical  phik>- 
sophy  which  has  so  long  debased  and  demoralized 
the  continental  philosophists.  Were  all  the  instruc- 
tions delivered  in  our  seminaries,  from  infant 
schools,  through  all  the  gradations  of  grammat 
and  parochial  establishments,  mechanics'  institu- 
tions, academies,  and  iiniversilies,  judiciously 
amalgamated  with  the  principles  of  pure  Mnd  und»> 
filed  religion,  it  would  doubtless  be  accompanied 
with  a  variety  of  pleasing  and  beneficial  effrcts.  It 
would  lend  to  remove  the  prejudices  which  n  consi- 
derable portion  of  the  religious  worlds  ill  entertain 
against  the  pursuits  of  science,— it  wuuM  lead  to 
corrwl  and  rational  views  of  ihe  Chrisi  ian  tiystem, 
and  trnd  to  dixsipntj  those  foolish  and  8(i|>er*tiiioua 
notions  which  htve  too  frequently  been  grafted 
upon  it, — it  woukl  promote  the  interesu  of genuint 


IGNORANCE  OP  THE  DARK  AGES. 


165 


morality  among  society  at  large, — it  would  fit  derive  their  origin, — it  woirid  introducell  general 
the  inferior  ranks  of  the  community  for  taking  a  spirit  of  philanthropy,  and  give  efficacy  to  the 
part  in  the  elective  franchise  aud  government  of  means  employed  for  promoting  the  knowledge  of 
their  country,  and  the  higher  ranks  for  promoting  Christianity  throughout  the  world,  and  would,  ere 
the  enactment  of  laws  congenial  to  the  spirit  of  long,  usher  in  the  period  foretold  in  ancient  pro- 
true  religion,  and  promotive  of  the  best  interests  of  phecy,  when  "  the  knowledge  of  Jehovah  shall 
the  nation, — it  would  tend  to  secure  the  peace  and  cover  the  earth,  as  the  waters  cover  the  channels 
tranquillity  of  nations  by  undermining  the  ma-  oflhe  deep,"  and"  when  righteousness  and  praise 
lignant  passions  from  which  wars  and  contentions  shall  spring  forth  before  all  nations. 


APPENDIX. 


No.  I. — Ignoranee^jf  the  Bark  Ages.  Pagel2. 

The  following  facts,  chiefly  extracted  from  Dr. 
Robertson's  hisiory  of  Charles  V.,  will  show  the 
low  state  of  literature,  and  the  deplorable  igno- 
rance which  characterized  the  period  to  which 
the  text  refers.  In  the  ninth  century,  Herbaud 
Comes  Palatii,  though  supreme  judge  of  the  em- 
pire, by  virtue  of  his  office,  could  not  subscribe 
his  name.  As  late  as  the  fourteenth  century, 
Du  Guesclin,  constable  of  France,  the  greatest 
man  in  the  state,  could  neither  read  nor  write. 
Nor  was  this  ignorance  confined  to  laymen, — the 
greater  part  even  of  the  clergy  were  not  many 
degrees  superior  to  them  in  science.  Many  dig- 
nified ecclesiastics  could  not  subscribe  the  ca- 
nons of  those  councils  of  which  they  sat  as 
members.  One  of  the  questions  appointed  by 
the  canons  to  be  put  to  persons  who  were  candi- 
dates for  holy  orders  was  this — "  Whether  they 
could  read  the  Gospels  and  Epistles,  and  explain 
the  tenor  of  them,  at  least  literally?" — Alfred  the 
Great  complained,  that  from  the  Humber  to  the 
Thames,  there  was  not  a  priest  who  understood 
the  liturgy  in  his  mother  tongue,  or  who  could 
translate  the  exsiest  piece  of  Latin ;  and  that 
from  the  Thames  to  the  sea,  the  ecclesiastics 
were  still  more  ignorant.  The  ignorance  of  the 
clergy  is  quaintly  described  by  Alanus,  an  author 
of  the  dark  ages,  in  the  following  words: — "  Po- 
tiits  dediti  guise  quam  glossse;  potius  colligunt 
libras  quam  legunt  libros ;  libentius  intuentur 
Mar'ham  quam  Marcum  ;  malunt  legere  in  Sal- 
mone  quam  in  Solomone,**!.  e.  They  gave  them- 
selves more  willingly  to  the  pleasures  of  gluttony 
than  to  the  learning  of  languages ;  they  chose 
rather  to  collect  money  than  to  read  books  ;  they 
looked  upon  Martha  with  a  more  affectionate  eye 
than  upon  Mark,  and  they  found  more  delight  in 
leading  in  Salmon  than  in  Solomon. 

One  of  the  causes  of  the  universal  ignorance 
which  prevailed  during  that  period,  was  thescar- 
city  of  books,  alona  with  their  exorbitant  price, 
and  the  difficulty  of  rendering  them  more  com- 
mon.   The  Romans  wrote  their  books  either  on 


parchment,  or  on  paper  mideof  the  Egyptian  pa- 
pyrus. The  latter  being  the  cheapest,  was,  of 
course,  the  most  commonly  used.  But  after  the 
communication  between  Europe  and  Egypt  was 
broken  oft",  on  account  of  the  latter  having  been 
seized  upon  by  the  Saracens,  the  papyrus  was  no 
longer  in  use  in  Italy  and  other  European  coun- 
tries. They  were  obliged,  on  that  account,  to 
write  all  their  books  upon  parchment,  and  as  its 
price  was  high,  books  became  extremely  rare,  and 
of  great  value.  We  may  judge  of  the  scarcity  of 
the  materials  for  writing  them  from  one  circum- 
stance. There  still  remain  several  manuscripts 
of  the  eighth,  ninth,  and  following  centuries,  writ- 
ten on  parchment,  from  which  some  former  writ- 
ing had  been  erased,  in  order  to  substitute  a  new 
composition  in  its  place.  In  this  manner,  it  is 
probable,  several  works  of  the  ancients  perish- 
ed. A  book  of  Livy,  or  of  Tacitus  might  be 
erased,  to  make  room  for  the  legendary  (ale  of  a 
saint,  or  the  superstitious  prayers  of  a  missal. 
Many  circumstances  prove  the  scarcity  of  books 
during  these  ages.  Private  persons  seldom  pos- 
sessed any  books  whatever.  Even  monasteries  of 
considerable  note  had  only  one  missal.  Lupus,  al>> 
hot  of  Ferriers,  in  a  letter  to  the  Pope,  A.  D.  855, 
beseech  eshim  to  send  him  a  copy  of  Cicero  Oe 
Oratore,  and  Q,uintilian's  "  Institutions,"  "  for," 
says  he,  "  although  we  have  part  of  those  books, 
there  is  no  complete  copy  of  them  in  all  France." 
The  price  of  books  became  so  high,  that  persons 
of  a  moderate  fortune  could  not  afford  to  purchase 
them.  The  Countess  of  Anjou  paid  for  a  copy 
of  the  Homilies  of  Haimon,  bishop  of  Alberstadt, 
two  hundred  sheep,  five  quarters  of  wheat,  and 
the  same  quantity  of  rye  and  millet.  Even  so 
late  as  the  year  1471,  when  Louis  XI.  borrowed 
the  works  of  Racis,  the  Arabian  physician,  from 
the  faculty  of  medicine  in  Paris,  he  not  only  de- 
|>osited  in  pledge  a  considerable  quantity  of  plate, 
but  was  obliged  to  procure  a  nobleman  to  join 
with  him  as  surely  in  a  deed,  binding  hi ms^  un- 
der a  great  forfeiture  to  restore  it.  When  any 
person  made  a  present  of  a  book  to  a  church  or 
monastery,  in  which  were  the  only  libraries  dur- 


r66 


APPENOrX. 


inf  wveral  a|^,  it  waa  dMmed  >  donatWe  of 
auch  vuliif,  ihat  he  offered  it  on  the  aliar  pro  r«- 
«MiU«'jnim««ii«,  in  order  lo  obtain  the  fttrKive- 
■bm  ofuxt  Mini.  In  the  eleventh  ceniiiry,  the  art 
ofmak^iii;  piper,  in  the  manner  now  bvcome 
vnivvr^al,  was  inrented;  by  mean*  of  which,  nol 
veij  the  n.imber  of  maniMcripi*  incrraxed,  but 
ihe  Mttdy  of  the  tciencea  waa  wonderfully  facili- 
l&ted. 

No.  II. — F\>olah  and  Svpertititiom  Opiniont  re- 
specting Comet*  and  Eclip»e».  P.  18. 

Ativtoile  held  comet*  to  be  fiery  exhalation*, 
riain^  frcmi  the  lower  almoephere  to  the  upper  or 
fiery  ri')(>'>n,  condensing  during  their  rapid  de- 
scent, kindling  on  their  near  approach  to  the 
Empyreimi,  and  burning  until  exhausted.  I^eo- 
■nard  Digge»,Kt\  Almanack  maker  of  the  four- 
teenth century,  affirmed  of  comets— "  That  they 
■ignifie  corruption  of  the  ayre  ;  they  are  signesof 
earthquake,  of  warre8,chaunging  of  kingdomes, 
great  dearth  of  come,  yea  a  common  death  of  man 
and  foeasi." — B«din  supposed  them  spirits, which, 
having  lived  on  the  earth  innumerable  ages,  and 
haring  at  last  completed  their  term  of  existence, 
eelebrate  their  last  triumphs,  or  are  recalled  to 
heaven  in  the  form  of  shining  stars.  In  the  re- 
eords  of  f<»rmer  ages,  we  read  of  a  comet  "  com- 
ing out  from  an  opening  in  the  heavens,  like  to  a 
4ragon  with  blue  feet,  and  a  head  covered  with 
snakes."  Ami  we  are  told,  that  "  in  the  year 
1SS7,  about  four  in  the  morning,  not  only  in  the 
Palatinate  of  the  Rhine,  but  nearly  over  all  Eu- 
rope, appeared  for  an  hour  and  a  quarter,  a  most 
horrible  comet  in  this  sort.  In  its  length  it  was  of 
abloody  colmir,  inclining  to  saffron.  From  the 
top  of  its  train  appeared  a  bended  arm,  in  the 
hand  whereof  was  a  huge  sword,  in  the  instant 
peature  of  striking.  At  the  point  of  the  sword 
was  a  star.  From  the  star  proceeded  dusky  rays, 
like  a  hairy  tail ;  on  the  side  of  them  other  rays 
Un  javelins,  or  leaser  snords,  as  if  imbrued  in 
Wood;  between  which  appeared  human  faces  of 
the  coliMir  of  blackish  clouds,  with  rough  hair  and 
beards  Ail  these  moved  with  such  terrible  spark- 
ling and  brightness,  that  many  spectators  swoon- 
ed with  fear." — Roiienbwgi  "  Exampla  Cotne- 


Tbe  comet  of  1454,  seen  at  Constantinople, 
•eeoMd  there  to  be  moving  in  the  firmament,  from 
west  to  east,  and  to  present  the  aspect  of  a  flam- 
taf  sword.  Proffl  its  great  magnitude,  it  is  said 
•Ten  tb  have  eclipsed  the  moon,  and  created 
among  the  Turks  the  utmost  consternation,  as 
it  was  thought  to  prognosticate  nothing  less  than 
a  crusade  from  all  the  kingdoms  of  Christendom, 
and  forboile  the  certain  overthrow  of  the  cr»- 
•eent.  Only  two  yean  afterwards,  when,  not- 
withstanding these  direfiil  omens,  the  Turicish 
araa  had  proved  eminently  victorious,  and  were 
liag  dismay  over  all  Europe,  Halley's  co« 


met,  in  1456,  with  a  long  tail  ttirned  toward*  the 
east,  crrated  reciprocal  and  still  greater  alarma 
on  the  pan  uf  the  Christians.  Pope  Calit'iis  b^ 
lieved  it  to  be  at  once  the  sign  and  instrument  ol 
divine  wrath;  he  ordered  public  prayers  to  be 
offered  up,  and  decreed,  that,  in  every  town,  the 
bells  should  be  tolled  at  mid-day,  to  warn  the  pe<^ 
pie  to  supplicate  the  mercy  and  forgtvennaa  of 
heaven  :  "  ul  oinnes  de  precibus  contra  Turca* 
mm  tyrrannidem  fuiHirndis  admonereniur." 
That  all  pcopln  may  be  admoniohed  to  pour  out 
supplications  against  the  tyranny  of  the  Turks.— 
See  M  ilne's  Essay  on  Comets. 

Even  in  modem  times,  many  foolish  and  pre- 
posterous opinions  have  been  enterlatned  rospeeW 
ing  these  anomalons  bodies.  In  a  late  periods 
cal  publication,  the  wriier  ofan  article  on  comets, 
when  alluding  lothe  comet  of  1811,  proceeds  lo 
state  "  some  singular  changes  and  circumsiai^ 
ces,"  which  its  influence  occasioned.  "  The 
winter,"  says  he,  "  was  very  mild,  the  spring 
was  wet,  the  summer  cool,  and  very  little  ap- 
pearance of  the  sun  to  ripen  the  produce  of  the 
earth  ;  yet  (he  harvest  was  not  deficient,  and 
some  fruits  were  not  only  abundant,  but  delicious- 
ly  ripe,  such  as  figs,  melons,  and  wall-fruit.  Ve- 
ry few  wasps  appeared,  and  the  flies  became 
blind,  and  disappeared  early  in  the  season.  No 
violent  storms  of  thurtder  and  lightning,  and  little 
or  no  frost  and  snow  the  ensuing  winter.  Veni- 
son,  which  has  been  supposed  to  be  indebted  fo* 
its  flavour  to  a  dry  and  parched  summer,  was  by 
no  means  deficient  in  fat  or  in  flavour.  Bui 
what  is  very  remarkable,"  continues  this  sage 
observer,  "  in  the  metropolis,  and  about  it,  was 
the  number  of  females  who  produced  twins  ;  some 
had  more ;  and  a  shoemaker's  wife,  in  White- 
chapel,  produced  four  at  one  birth,  all  of  whom," 
&c.  &c.  And  all  such  "  singalar  changes  and 
circumstances,"  it  would  appear,  according  to 
thti  fancy  of  this  sapient  Essayist,  "  were  occa^ 
sioned  by  the  influeitce  of  the  comet  which  a(^ 
peared  in  the  autumn  of  1811  !  !" 

The  poets,  likewise,  by  their  bombastic  de- 
scriptions, have  tended  to  perpetuate  supersti- 
tious feelings.  The  following  is  Du  Baita's 
description  of  one  of  these  visiters. 

"  Here,  in  the  night,  appears  a  flaming  spire, 
There.aflerce  ilraenn,  foIdHiull  on  Are; 
Herewith  longbhxxlylialnt,  a  Mating  star 
Threatens  the  world  with  Tamlnc,  pla^e,aDd  war; 
To  prinios  derith,  to  kinedoms  many  crosses; 
Tl  .ill  est  ttes  Inevlt.ihle  losses  ; 
To  henlsmcn  rut,  to  plouf^hmen  hapless  seaaoos; 
To  sailors  storms,  to  cities  cIvU  tieasous." 

The  following  extract  from  "  Tully'*  Lettem 
from  Tripoli,"  contains  a  picturesque  descrip- 
tion of  a  mlar  edipu,  and  the  eflecta  it  produced 
on  the  inhabitants  of  Barbery. 

"  I  cannot  here  omit  describing  what  an  extra* 
ordinary  impression  an  eclipse  makes  on  the  tm* 
inlbmied  part  of  the  inhabitant*  of  this  countfj 


ABSURDITIES  OF  ASTROLCXJY. 


167 


Of  this  we  had  ocular  proof  during  the  great 
eclipse  of  the  sun,  on  the  4th  of  this  month, 
which  was  almost  total,  and  occasioned,  for 
some  minutes,  a  gloomy  darkness,  reseiuhling 
that  of  midnight.  The  beginning  of  the  eclipse 
was  seen  at  Tripoli,  at  half  past  seven  in  the 
morning  ;  at  half  past  eight,  when  it  was  at  the 
height,  ihe  face  of  nature  was  changed  from  day 
to  night.  The  screech-owl,  not  long  retired  to 
its  rest,  re-appeared,  and  disturbed  the  morning 
with  its  shrieks.  Lizards  and  serpents  were 
seen  prowling  about  the  terraces ;  and  flights  of 
evening  birds,  here  called  marabats,  and  held  sa- 
cred by  the  Moors,  flew  about  in  great  numbers, 
and  increased  the  darkness.  The  noisy  flitting  of 
their  wings  roused  the  Moor,  who  had  beenstupi- 
fied  by  fear ;  and,  when  one  of  these  heavy  birds 
(which  often  drop  to  the  ground  by  coming  in 
contact  with  each  other)  chanced  to  fall  at  his 
feet,  the  African  woukl  start  aghast,  look  at  it 
with  horror,  and  set  up  a  hideous  howl.  About 
eight  o'clock,  when  the  lustre  of  the  morning  was 
completely  faded,  the  common  Moors  were  seen 
assembling  in  clusters  in  the  streets,  gazing 
wildly  at  the  sun,  and  conversing  very  earnestly. 
When  the  eclipse  was  at  its  height,  they  ran 
about  distracted,  in  companies,  firing  volleys  of 
muskets  at  the  sun,  to  frighten  away  the  monster 
or  dragon,  as  they  called  it,  by  which  they  sup- 
posed it  was  being  devoured.  At  that  moment, 
the  Moorish  song  of  ^eath  and  walliah-woo,  or 
the  howl  they  make  for  the  dead,  not  only  re- 
sounded from  the  mountains  and  valleys  of  Tri- 
poli, but  was  undoubtedly  re-echoed  throughout 
the  continent  of  Africa.  The  women  brought 
into  the  streets  all  the  brass  pans,  kettles,  and 
iron  utensils,  they  could  collect;  and,  striking  on 
them  with  all  their  force,  and  screaming  at  the 
same  time,  occasioned  a  horrid  noise,  that  was 
heard  for  miles.  Many  of  these  women,  owing 
to  their  exertions  and  fears,  fell  into  fits,  or  faint- 
ed. The  distress  and  terror  of  the  Moors  did 
not  in  the  least  abate,  till  near  nine  o'clock,  when 
the  sun  assured  them,  by  his  refulgent  beams,  that 
all  his  dangers  were  passed. 

"  During  the  morning  and  the  day,  the  atmos- 
phere was  uncommonly  clear,  even  for  a  Barba- 
ry  sky,  which  rendered  the  effects  of  this  great 
eclipse  more  striking.  We  learned,  from  Hadgi 
Abderrahman,  who  paid  us  a  visit  when  it  was 
over,  that  the  first  ladies  in  the  place  had  trembled 
at  the  event,  and  several  were  seriously  ill.  The 
ladies  of  his  own  family,  he  said,  had  suffered 
much  less  at  the  appearance  of  the  eclipse,  from 
the  circumstance  of  his  being  at  home  with  them; 
fer,  though  he  considered  it  would  be  useless  to 
enter  into  a  philosophical  account  of  it  to  them, 
yet  he  assured  ihem  that  the  moon  went  occa- 
sionally to  see  the  sun ;  and  when  they  met,  by 
their  being  so  close  together,  the  moon  always 
interrupted  more  or  less  of  his  light.  This  ac- 
count, he  8«id,  the  truth  oCwhich  they  were  con- 


vinced of  by  his  great  earnestness,  considerably 
abated  their  fears.  To  the  ambassador  it  was  a 
serious  case,  as  Lilla  Amnani  is  in  a  very  deli- 
cate s.ate  of  health  ;  but  the  account  he  gave  her 
of  the  phenomenon  entirely  pacified  her." 

The  above  description  presents  a  melancholy 
picture  of  the  gross  ignorance  even  of  the  ladies 
of  modern  Barbary,  and  of  the  consequent  shal- 
lowness of  their  understandings  ;  since  their  fa- 
thers and  husbands  considered  it  useless  to  enter 
into  a  rational  account  of  the  phenomenon,  and 
since  they  ware  pleased  with  such  an  absurd  and 
extravagant  explanation  of  it.  And,  since  the 
higher  ranks,  in  that  country,  are  so  grossly  ig- 
norant of  the  order  of  nature,  and  of  the  causes 
of  so  common  phenomena,  in  what  a  state  of 
mental  darkness  must  the  lower  classes  of  soci- 
ety be  placed !  Nor  is  Barbary  the  only  country 
in  which  such  ignorance  prevails.  Among  the 
middling  and  lower  ranks,  in  many  European 
countries  supposed  to  be  in  a  moderate  state  of 
civilization,  a  similar  degree  of  intellectual  de- 
basement will  be  found  to  exist.  The  Croa- 
tians,  who  inhabit  a  certain  district  of  the  Austri- 
an empire,  meke  the  whole  of  their  religion  con- 
sist in  the  hearing  of  mass  and  the  observance  of 
Lent ;  and  robbery  or  murder  are  considered  as 
more  venial  crimes,  titan  to  eat,  during  Lent, 
with  a  spoon  that  has  been  dipped  in  broth.  The 
Morlacchi,  who  occupy  another  district  of  the 
same  empire,  are  described  by  geographers,  as 
extremely  superstitious  in  their  religious  opinions, 
and  as  firmly  believing  in  ghosts  and  witches, 
in  sorceries  and  enchantments,  and  in  every 
species  of  supernatural  agency,  while  they  are  ig- 
norant of  the  causes  of  the  most  common  pheno- 
mena of  nature. 

No.  III. — Absurdities  of  Astrology.  P.  19,  he. 

Mr.  Varley's  "  Zodiacal  Physiognomy,"  re- 
ferred to  in  a  note,  p.  19,  pretends  to  decide,  that 
the  various  signs  of  the  zodiac  create  a  great  di- 
versity in  the  features  and  complexions  of  humaa 
beings ;  and  have,  in  fact,  such  influence  over 
the  destinies  of  the  human  race,  that  the  system 
may  be  fairly  styled,  "  the  phrenology  of  the 
skies."  The  following  extracts  exhibit  a  few 
specimens  of  the  positions  maintained  by  this 
profound  and  erudite  writer.  "  It  has  been  dis- 
covered," says  Mr,  Varley,  "  that  each  sign  con- 
fers a  specific  style  of  countenance,  feature,  and 
complexion,  by  which  appearances,  alone,  the 
sign  which  was  rising  at  the  east,  at  birth,  can, 
often  without  any  other  help,  be  ascertained." — 
"  The  fiery  trigon,  consisting  of  Aries,  Leo,  and 
Sagittarius,  contains  the  spirited,  generous,  mag- 
nanimous, and  princely  natures.  The  earthy 
trigon,  Taurus,  Virgo,  and  Capricorn,  contain 
the  careful,  sordid,  and  pernicious  qualities ;  the 
aerial  trigon,  Gemini,  Libra,  and  Aquarius,  coih 
tain  the  humane,  harmonious,  and   courteous 


168 


APPENDIX. 


principles;  and  th«  waterj  Irijion,  Cancer, 
Seorpio,  and  PiacM,  th«  cold,  prolific,  cauiioui, 
and  wrere  qualitiea."  "  Sagittarius,  the  house 
of  Jupiter,  IS  the  only  sikh  under  which  no  per- 
sons are  bom  havini;  black  or  dark  hair,  eyes, 
and  eye-brows."  "  I  have  always  uniformly 
Ibund,"  says  the  author,  *'  those  bom  undi-r  Sa- 
gittarius, to  be  Tery  fair,  with  gray  eyes,  and,  in 
general,  of  a  lively,  forgiving-hearted,  and  free 
dispositions."  Again,  "  Five  minutes'  diflfer- 
ance  of  the  time  of  their  birth,  renders  the  mem- 
bars  of  the  same  family  red-haired,  or  black-hair- 
•d,  blue-eyed  or  black-eyed,  sordid  or  generous.'' 
— "  Saturn,  at  any  periud  of  life,  passing  through 
the  ascendant,  which  he  does  every  thirty  years, 
causes  dulness  or  melancholy,  for  a  few  weeks, 
to  the  native,  and  when  Jupiter  passes  over  it, 
the  party  feels  cheerful  and  healthy  ;  and  should 
a  party  of  antiquarians,  hundreds  of  years  after  a 
person's  death,  discover  his  grave,  there  must  be 
some  planet  or  the  sun  in  conjunction,  or  some 
other  aspect  with  his  ascendant." — "  Jupiter  in 
the  third  house  gives  safe  inland  journeys,  and 
agreeable  neighbours  or  kindred.  The  moon  in 
this  bouse  will  give  constant  trudging  from  one 
place  to  another,  and  is  often  so  posited  in  the 
nativities  of  postmen  and  travellers.  Jupiter  in 
the  fourth,  with  Venus,  gives  fixed  or  landed  pro- 
perty, and  a  house  ornamented  with  matters  of 
taste,  or  of  the  fine  arts.  Jupiter  in  the  fifth, 
gives  a  family  of  good  or  clever  children,and  much 
pleasure  in  life  and  its  amusements.  In  the 
sixth,  he  signifies  good  servants  and  assistants, 
good  health,  and  that  the  native  will  be  fortimate 
in  small  cattle  and  animals.  Jupiter  in  the  se- 
yenth,  signifies  a  good  wife  or  husband,  and 
agreeable  dealings  with  mankind  in  making  good 
bargains,"  &c.  "  Children  bom  under  Mars  have 
well  formed  chtnt, — under  Aquarius,  are  fair  and 
amiable, — under  Scorpio,  are  dark  with  aquiline 
notes,  and  greenish  or  gray  eyes."  "  Lord  Byron, 
who  was  born  under  Scorpio,  received  enough  of 
the  reflected  Taurus  principle  to  prevent  his 
noae  from  being  aquiline,  and  to  give  to  his  cha- 
racter a  degree  of  perverseness  or  eccentricity." 
"  Peraona  born  under  Aries,  with  Jupiter  in  the 
first  house,  are  likely  to  succeed  and  be  appreci- 
ated in  England  :  If  he  be  posited  in  Taurus,  the 
native  is  likely  to  succeed  well  in  Ireland  ;  if  in 
Gemini,  in  London,  of  which  this  sign  is  the  sig- 
nificator.  Jupiter  in  Cancer  will  give  him  suc- 
cess in  Scotland  or  Holland,  or  concerns  connect- 
ed with  the  water,  unless  Jupiter  shouU  be  af- 
flicted by  any  fnaUvoUmtplaiut,  or  be  in  coinbus- 
tioo  by  being  too  near  the  sun." 

By  this  time  the  reader  will  be  sufficiently 
satiated  with  the  sage  doctrines  of  Mr.  John 
Varley,  in  reUlionto  "  Zodiacal  Physiognomy" 
and  the  Phrenology  of  the  heavens.  If  he  has 
a  desire  to  pick  up  any  more  of  such  precious 
fragments  of  wisdom,  he  will  be  abundantly  gra* 
tiftad  ia  perusing  the  work  itself,  where,  among 


other  iroique  and  precious  relics,  he  will  be  pr»> 
sented  with  an  engraving  of  the  Ghottofa  Fie*, 
together  with  an  accoun;  of  the  nianner  in  which 
it  appeared  to  Mr.  Blake  the  artist,  who  drew  it, 
and  of  its  astrological  correspondency  and  sig- 
nification. That  such  absurdities  should  be 
published  by  the  first  b<iokselling  establishment 
in  London,  in  the  twenty-eighth  year  of  the 
nineteenth  century,  and  be  purchased  by  hun- 
dreds, perhaps  by  thousands,  is  a  proof,  that 
strong  rffurts  are  still  requisite  to  extirpate  the 
superstitions  (>f  astrology  fioro  the  minds  of  many 
of  our  countrymen. 

No.  lY.— Proofs  of  the  hdirfvotdekit  dm  atUiA' 
ed  tothe  doetrinet  of  Astrology ,  and  of  theptr- 
nicious  ^ects  it  prodMes.     P.  1 9, 

That  the  predictions  of  astrologers  are  still 
believed  by  many  of  our  countrymen  in  the  mid- 
dling ranks  of  life,  appears  from  the  following  re- 
cent occurrences. 

On  the  2d  September,  18S9,  Joseph  Hyatt,  a 
journeyman  printer,  was  summoned  before  Sir 
Peter  Laurie,  at  the  Guiklhall,  London,  charged, 
with  assaulting  his  wife,  Philips,  on  the  preced- 
ing Saturday.  In  his  defence,  Hyatt  declared, 
that  all  their  unhappiness  proceeded  from  his 
wife  (a  pretty  young  woman  of  eighteen  years,) 
continually  haunting  the  fortune-tellers,  and  pay- 
ing attention  to  their  predictious.  He  produced 
a  paper  he  had  recently  found,  written  by  an  as- 
trologer, to  whom  his  wife  had  applied.  After 
laying  down  the  position  of  the  planets  on  the 
third  of  June,  at  the  moment  she  applied  to  him, 
the  astrologer  proceeds,  "  The  querant  must  not 
expect  any  thing  to  be  very  kind  to  her  until  late 
in  this  year,  say  October  next.  This  day  will 
not  prove  any  thing  kind  or  pleasant.  The  88th 
day  of  ibis  month  also  will  not  be  friendly.  July 
Sd,  mind  your  phunny,  and  take  no  journey,  and 
trust  to  no  relative.  The  eighth  day  will  not 
be  unkind  I  hope.  Look  to  it.  The  thirteenth 
day  also  promises  you  pleasure  and  also  profit. 
Attend  it ;  and  avoid  all  dark  sallow  persons. 
(Her  husband  nearly  answered  this  description.) 
From  such  your  disappointments  must  come. 
August  t,  6,  23,  avoid  them  days — may  be  qua- 
lified to  give  you  vexation, — avoid  them.  Sept. 
I,  6,  will  be  unkind,  but  pray  avoid  15,  20. 
October  4,  avoid  it,  may  be  vexatious.  The  20, 
21,  27,  28,  29,  30,  will  be  more  kind,  pray  at- 
tend to  them  and  make  good  use  of  them,  they 
will  not  be  unkind."  The  husband  said,  this 
fellow  had  predicted  their  separation  for  three 
months ;  what  other  things  he  had  put  in  her 
head  he  did  not  know,  but  he  led  a  miserable 
life  with  her. — Morning  Chromcle,  Sept.  Sd, 
1829. 

On  the  same  day  as  above  stated,  (Sept.  t 
1829)  Ann  Wheeler,  a  servant  girl,  was  brought 
to  the  MansUmhouM,  charged  with  having  at 


WITCHCRAFT. 


169 


tempted  1o  enter  the  house  of  her  master,  at  two 
c'clock  in  the  morning,  over  the  rails.  She  was 
exquisitely  dressed,  and  wore  an  elegant  satin 
oonnet,  which  belonged  to  her  mistress,  and  put 
on  her  curls  and  finery,  in  order  to  attend  a  "  hop" 
m  the  neighbourhood,  and  acknowledged  that  she 
had  been  walking  for  an  hour  or  two  up  and  down 
the  streets  in  conversation  with  her  friend.  In 
the  course  of  the  investigation  it  was  stated,  that 
there  was  found  in  the  corner  of  her  box ,  wrapped 
up  carefully,  a  document  which  might  have  led  to 
those  unseasonable  and  unfortunate  assignations, 
which  at  last  terminated  in  her  being  brought  to 
the  watch-house.  A  paper  was  handed  to  the 
Lord  Mayor,  in  which  was  folded  a  card,  oa 
which  was  written  the  following  words, — 

"  Mrs.  Smith,  No.  49,  Wentworth  Street, 
Dress  Maker." 

"  Lawful  questions  resolved." 
The  paper  was  an  answer  to  the  question, 
"  What  sort  of  a  husband  shall  I  have,  and  how 
soon  shall  I  have  him  ?"  It  stated,  that  the 
"  interrogator  should  have  a  nice  respectable 
tradesra%n,  who  should  be  a  most  tender  husband, 
and  be  the  father  of  six  children,  of  which  she 
should  be  the  happy  mother ; — that  certain 
planets  toere  msible  at  their  birth,  and,  in  conjunc- 
tion at  the  time,  a  symptom  that  betokened  felicity , 
and  that  the  union  should  take  place  as  surely  as 
he  or  s'lO  (the  |»er9on  who  wrote  the  paper)  had 
the  powrr  of  predicting." — Morning  Chronicle, 
Sept.  3d,  1829. 

The  above  are  only  specimens  of  many  similar 
occurrences  which  are  occasionally  recorded  in 
the  daily  papers.  The  pernicious  tendency  of 
astrological  predictions  on  those  who  are  weak 
enough  to  give  them  credit,  is  sufficiently  appa- 
rent in  the  cases  now  stated  ;  having  in  the  one 
case  alienated  the  affections  of  a  young  woman 
from  her  husband,  and  produced  contention  and 
family  discord ;  and  in  the  other,  tantalized  a 
vain  young  female,  and  brought  her  into  suspi- 
cious and  disgraceful  circumstances,  which  may 
lay  the  foundation  of  her  ruin,  and  render  her 
miserable  for  life. 

No.  V. — Illustrations  of  some  of  the  opinions  and 
practices  of  our  ancestors  in  rdation  to  witch- 
craft.    P.  22. 

By  witchcraft  was  generally  understood, — a 
supernalural  power,  of  which  persons  were  sup- 
posed to  obtain  the  possession,  by  entering  into 
a  compact  with  the  devil.  They  gave  them- 
selves up  to  him,  b'ldy  and  soul ;  and  he  engag- 
ed that  ihey  shoud  want  f«)r  nothing,  and  that  he 
would  avenge  them  upon  all  their  enemies.  As 
■oon  as  the  bargain  was  concluded,  the  devil  de- 
livered to  the  witch  an  imp,  or  familiar  spirit, 
to  be  ready  at  a  call,  and  to  do  whatever  it  was 
directed.  By  the  assistance  of  this  imp,  and  of 
the  devil  together,  the  witch,  who  was  almost 
always  an  old  woman,  was  enabled  to  transport 
22 


herself  through  the  air,  on  a  broomstick,  or  a  spit, 
to  distant  places  to  attend  the  meetings  of  the 
witches.  At  these  meetings  the  devil  always 
presided.  They  were  enabled  also  to  transform 
themselves  into  various  shapes,  particularly  to 
assume  the  forms  of  cats  and  hares,  in  which 
they  most  delighted  ;  to  inflict  diseases  on  whom- 
soever they  thought  proper,  and  to  punish  their 
enemies  in  a  variety  of  ways.  Witchcraft  was 
universally  believed  in  Europe,  till  the  sixteenth 
century,  and  maintained  its  ground  with  tolerable 
firmness  till  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth,  nay, 
in  some  countries  on  the  continent,  till  the  mid- 
dle of  the  eighteenth  century.  Vast  numbers  of 
reputed  witches  were  convicted  and  condemned 
to  be  burnt  every  year.  The  methods  of  dis- 
covering them  were  various.  One  was  to  weigh 
the  supposed  criminal  against  the  church  Bible, 
which,  if  she  was  guilty,  would  preponderate; 
another,  by  making  her  attempt  to  say  the  Lord's 
Prayer, — this  no  witch  was  able  to  repeat  en- 
tirely, but  would  omit  some  part,  or  sentence 
thereof.  It  is  remarkable,  that  all  witches  did 
not  hesitate  at  the  same  part, — some  leaving  out 
one  part,  and  some  another.  Teats,  through 
which  the  imps  sucked,  were  indubitable  marks 
of  a  wifh  ;  these  were  always  raw,  and  also 
insensible,  and,  if  squeezed,  sometimes  yielded  a 
drop  of  blood.  A  witch  could  not  weep  more 
than  three  tears,  and  that  only  out  of  the  left  eye. 
This  want  of  tears  was,  by  the  witch-finders, 
and,  even  by  some  judges,  considered  as  a  very 
substantial  proof  of  guilt.  Swimming  a  witch 
was  another  kind  of  popular  ordeal  generally 
practised.  For  this  she  was  stripped  naked, 
and  cross-bound, — the  right  thumb  to  the  left  toe, 
and  the  left  thumb  to  the  right  toe.  Thus  pre- 
pared,  she  was  thrown  into  a  pond  or  river,  in 
which,  if  guilty,  she  could  not  sink;  for  hav- 
ing, by  her  compact  with  the  devil,  renounced 
the  benefit  of  the  water  of  baptism,  that  ele- 
ment, in  its  turn,  renounced  her,  and  refused  to 
receive  her  into  its  bosom.  There  were  two 
other  ordeals  by  Jire,  by  which  witches  were 
discovered  ;  the  first  by  burning  the  thatch  of  the 
house  of  the  suspected  witch, — the  other,  by 
burning  any  animal  supposed  to  be  bewitched  by 
her,  as  a  hog  or  an  ox.  These,  it  was  held,  would 
force  a  witch  to  confess. 

The  trial  by  the  stool  was  another  method  used 
for  the  detection  of  witches.  It  was  thus  ma- 
naged : — Having  taken  the  suspected  witch,  she 
was  placed  in  the  middle  of  a  room,  upon  a 
stool,  or  table,  cross-legged,  or  in  some  other  un- 
easy posture ;  to  which,  if  she  did  not  submit,  she 
was  then  bound  with  cords, — there  she  was 
watched,  and  kept  without  meat  or  sleep  for 
twenty-four  hours,  (for,  they  said,  that  within 
that  time  ihey  should  see  her  imp  come  and 
suck.)  A  little  hole  was  likewise  made  in  the 
door  for  imps  to  come  in  at,  and,  lest  it  should 
come  in  some  less  discernible   shape,  they  thai 


170 


APPENDIX. 


w«tcb«l  were  Uught  to  be  ertr*nd  anon  (weep- 
ing the  room,  and,  if  ih«y  mw  any  FpiJi-n  or 
fliea,  ID  kill  ihcm, — if  tht-y  could  not  kill  them, 
then  they  might  be  etire  they  were  impx.  If 
witckcK,  unHer  examination  or  lorluro,  would  not 
CMifi'M,  all  ihcir  a[>parcl  was  changed,  and  every 
Juir  oflheir  body  shaven  off  wiih  a  sharp  razor, 
lest  they  ihould  secret  magical  charms  to  prevent 
their  coofeaaing.  It  was  a  maxim,  too,  in  these 
proceedings,  that  witchea  were  most  apt  to  con- 
feai  on  Pridta/*.  By  such  trials  as  these,  and 
by  the  accusations  of  children,  old  women,  and 
fools,  were  ihowsands  of  imhappy  women,  coiv- 
demned  for  wiichcran,  and  burned  at  the  stake. 

A  work,  written  by  M  TItoert,  was  published 
a  few  years  ago  at  Meniz,  entitled,  "The  His- 
tory of  Magic,  Demons,  Sorcerers,"  &c.  which 
contains  an  affecting  narrative  of  the  numbers 
thai  have  suffered  for  the  pretended  crime  of 
magic  and  witchcraft.  The  cases  enumerated 
are  proved  from  unequivocal  authority.  In  these 
-axceines  of  the  magistrates,  it  appears,  that  fe- 
male sorcerers  have  been  the  greatest  sufferers. 
Among  other  curious  articles  in  the  collection,  we 
learn,  thai  Christopher  de  Runtzow,a  genileman 
of  Holstein,  whose  heated  imagination  had  misled 
bis  understanding,  evruigned  eighteen  penons  to 
thejiames  at  one  lime,  the  victims  of  a  merciless 
superstition.  In  a  village  called  J.indheim,  con- 
taining about  six  hundred  inhabitants,  not  leas 
than  thirty  were  destroyed  by  fire,  in  the  narrow 
interval  between  the  years  1661  and  1665,  mak- 
ing a  twentieth  part  of  the  whole  population  con- 
sumed in  four  years.  In  this  inhuman  conduct 
towards  an  unhappy  class  of  persons,  the  author 
points  out  Wurlzburg  as  having  frequently  been 
•ubject  to  well-merited  reproach.  It  appears 
from  the  Acta  Magica  of  Naubers,  that  between 
the  years  1627  and  1629,  one  hundred  and  twen- 
ty-seven individuals  perished  in  similar  instances 
of  cruelty  practised  by  iheir  brother  men.  The 
principal  objects  of  such  nefarious  dealings  were 
old  women,  or  travellers,  and  frequently  poor 
children,  from  nine  to  ten  years  of  age.  Occa- 
•ionally  such  outrages  have  been  perpetrated  on 
persons  of  some  consequence,— proficients  in 
knowledge  above  the  general  standard  of  the 
%ge,  or  auch  as  had  acquired  property  by  Iheir 
industry  and  genius.  Among  mtuiy  others  in 
these  shocking  details,  are  the  respectable  names 
of  fourteen  vicars,  two  young  gentlemen,  some 
counsellors,  the  largest  or  most  corpulent  man 
in  Wurtzburg,  and  his  wife,  the  handsomest 
woman  in  the  city,  and  a  student  or  scholar  ei>- 
gagi^  in  the  study  of  foreign  languages.  Those 
innocent  sufferers  were  frequently  put  to  the  tor- 
ture. But  what  must  our  feelings  and  prinri- 
plea  incline  ua  to  think  of  an  enormity  here 
brMight  to  our  recollection,  in  the  instance  of  a 
poor  girl,  Maria  Renala,  who  suffered  ao  late  as 
io  the  year  1749! 

Tba  axtenl  of  the  judicial  murders  ibr  witch- 


craA  is  far  groBtar  than  moat  ptncm,  who  Ww 
not  studied  the  history  of  deroooolofy,  can  fbm 
any  idea.  From  the  period  in  which  Pope  lo- 
nocent  VIII.  in  1484,  issued  his  bull  against 
witchcraft,  to  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  oei^ 
tury,  if  we  believe  the  testimonies  of  conlem|>o- 
rary  historians,  Europe  was  little  better  than  a 
large  suburb  or  outwork  of  Pandemonium,  one 
half  of  the  population  being  either  bewitching  or 
bewitched.  Dt-lrio  tells  us,  that  6ve  hundred 
witches  were  executed  in  Geneva,  in  three 
months,  about  the  year  1515.  "  A  thouaamd" 
says  Bartholomeus  de  Spina,  "  were  executed 
in  one  year,  in  ttie  diocese  of  Ci>aio,  and  they 
went  on  burning  at  the  rate  of  a  hundred  per 
annum  for  some  time  after.  In  Lorraine,  from 
1580  to  1595,  Remigiu*  boasts  of  having  burnt 
nine  hundred.  In  France,  the  executions  4br 
the  same  crime  were  fifieen  hundred  and  twaotj. 
In  Wurlzburg  and  Treves,  the  amount  of  exeoi^ 
tions  in  the  course  of  the  century  preceding 
1628,  is  reckoned  to  be  15,700.  It  has  beaa 
calculated  that  in  Germany  alone,  the  number  of 
victims  that  perished,  from  the  date  of  Inniicent's 
bull  to  the  eighteenth  century,  considerably  ex- 
coeds  one  hundred  thmtmmd.  The  execution 
were  at  first  confined  to  crazt^  old  women,  or 
unhappy  foreigners,  bul-at  length  the  witchcraft 
phrenzy  rose  to  such  a  pitch,  and  spread  so  ex- 
tensively, that  the  lives  of  more  exalted  victims 
were  threatened.  Noblemen  and  abbots,  presi- 
dents  of  courts  and  professors,  began  to  swell  the 
catalogue,  and  no  man  felt  secure  that  he  might 
not  suddenly  be  compelled,  by  torture,  to  bear 
witness  against  his  own  innocent  wife  and  chil- 
dren. In  the  Catholic  canton  of  Glarut,  in 
Switzerland,  it  is  said,  that  a  witch  was  burnt, 
even  so  late  as  the  year  1786  !  It  is  impossible 
for  any  rational  and  humane  mind  to  peruse  such 
a  list  as  the  above,  without  shuddering  and  hor- 
ror. How  dreadful  the  results  to  which  igix^ 
ranee  and  superstition  have  lea! — and  how  aa- 
toniahing  the  consideration, — that  judges,  law- 
yers, ministers  of  religion,  nobles,  and  persoiMuf 
all  ranks  should  have  given  their  sanction,  with- 
out the  least  remorse,  to  such  cruelties  and  legal- 
ized murders  ! 

In  Pitcaim's  '•  Criminal  Trials,"  referred  to 
in  the  text,  a  variety  of  curious  documents  is  coi>> 
tamed,  respecting  ihe  proceedings  of  the  Justi- 
ciaryCoiirt  in  Scotland  against  witchcraft,  sorce- 
ry, and  incantation.  One  of  these  trials  relates 
to  a  gentleman  of  family,  Mr.  Hector  Monro 
of  Fowies,  who  was  "  indytit  and  accusii  "  of 
"sorcerie,  incantationnis,  or  wichecraft."  This 
trial  contains  a  complete  specimen  of  the  supe^ 
stition  of  the  age.  Mr.  Hector,  it  would  appear, 
had  sent  for  "  Johne  M'Connielly-gar  and  his 
wyffes,  and  Johne  Bunes  wyffe,  in  Lyiell  Alieis, 
thre  notorious  and  commoune  witches."  They 
had  been  sent  for  to  assist  in  restoring  the  health 
of  Robert  Monro,  a  brother  of  the  said  Mr. 


PREVALENT  BELIEF  IN  DEMONOLOGY. 


171 


Hector,  who  entertained  them  for  five  days.  It 
is  said  in  the  indictment,  that  they  "  poillit  the 
hair  of  Robert  Monro,  his  brotheris  head,  and 
plait  the  naillis  of  his  fingeris  and  lais,"  and 
"  socht  be  thair  develisch  raeanes  to  have  cureit 
him  of  his  sickness  ;"  but  it  would  appear,  that 
the  weird  sisters  were  by  no  means  successful, 
and  were  compelled  to  decamp,  for  "  they  wald 
haif  vsit  furth  the  rest  of  thair  develisch  craft  was 
nocht  they  ferit  to  tarie  wiih  him  (Hector  Mon- 
ro) be  ressone  of  his  fader,  quha  wald  haif  ap- 
prehendit  ihame ;  and  they  declarit  to  him  that 
he  was  owre  lang  in  sending  for  thame,  swa 
that  they  cald  do  na  guid  to  the  said  Robert 
Monro."  Mr.  Hector,  however,  fell  sick  him- 
self, and  had  recourse  to  the  hags  for  a  cure ; 
and  as  he  had  an  eye  to  the  patrimony  of  his 
father,  to  which  he  could  not  succeed  as  he  was 
a  younger  son,  he  began  some  incantations,  in 
concert  with  the  hags,  to  deprive  his  elder  bro- 
ther, George  Monro,  of  life,  and  for  this  he  was 
"  delatit,"  also  of  "  slaughter."  The  indict- 
ment, which  is  a  most  remarkable  document,  is 
too  long  for  insertion.  Jonett  Grant,  Jonett 
Clark,  and  Bessie  Roy,  nurse  to  the  "  Laird  of 
Boquhave,"  are  the  three  next  ladies  who  were 
called  to  account  for  being  "fylit"  of  witchcraft. 
The  two  Jonetts  seem  to  have  been  in  partner- 
ship ;  and  if  the  indictments  are  to  be  credited, 
thuy  were  guilty  of  no  fewer  than  six  "  crewal 
murthers,"  by  witchcraft,  of  the  "  slavchter  and 
destructionne  of  saxtene  heid  of  nolt,  of  raising 
the  devil,  of  making  men  eunttchsby  witchcraft," 
&c.  For  such  hardened  sinners  as  the  two 
Jonetts,  no  mercy  was  to  be  expected,  and  ac- 
cordingly they  were  condemned  to  be  ''  tane  to 
the  Castle  hill  of  Edinburg,  and  there  werriet 
at  ane  siaik,  and  their  body  to  be  burnt  to  assis." 
Bessie  Roy,  however,  came  off  with  flying  co- 
lours, although  she  was  also  indicted  as  '*  ane 
commoune  thief,"  by  means  of  the  "  enchant- 
ment and  slicht  of  the  diuill." — The  following  is 
the  title  of  a  pamphlet  republished  by  Mr.  Pit- 
cairn,  containing  a  most  extraordinary  narrative. 
*'  Newes  from  Scotland,  declaring  the  damnable 
life  of  Doctor  Fean,  a  notable  sorcerer,  who  was 
burned  at  Edinburg  in  Janurie  last,  1691,  which 
doctor  was  register  to  the  deuill,  that  sundrie 
times  preached  at  North  Barrickekirk,  to  a  num- 
ber of  notorious  witches,"  &c.  The  poor  wo- 
man who  was  most  cruelly  treated  was  Euphane 
Mackalsane,  a  notable  witch,  who  appears  to 
have  been  so  notorious  as  to  be  "  bouiid  to  ane 
staik,  and  brunt  to  assis,  quick  to  the  death." 
•'  This,"  says  Mr.  Pitcairn,  "  was  the  severest 
sentence  ever  pronounced  by  the  court,  even  in 
the  most  atrocious  cases,"  but  poor  Euphane 
died,  nevertheless,  with  all  the  heroism  and 
devotedness  of  a  martyr.  See  E£n.  Ut.  Oaz. 
July  1829. 

To  attempt  a  serious  refutation  of  the  doc- 
trines of  witchcraft,  would  be  altogether  superflu- 


ous and  even  ridiculous.  That  there  ever  were 
witches,  tlial  is,  persons  endowed  with  such 
powers  as  are  usually  ascribed  to  witches,  is 
what  no  rational  and  enlightened  mind  can  for  a 
moment  admit.  The  actions  imputed  to  them 
are  either  absurd  or  impossible.  To  suppose 
an  ignorant  old  woman,  or  indeed  any  human 
being,  capable  of  transforming  herself  into  a  cat 
or  a  hare,  is  to  suppose  her  capable  of  counter- 
acting the  laws  of  nature,  which  is  competent  to 
none  but  the  Supreme  Ruler  of  the  world.  We 
might  almost  as  soon  believe  that  such  a  being 
is  capable  of  creating  the  universe.  It  presents 
a  most  humiliating  picture  of  the  imbecility  of 
the  human  mind,  that  such  absurdities  should 
ever  have  been  believed  ;  and  certainly  conveys 
no  very  favourable  idea  of  the  humanity  of  our 
ancestors,  when  they  inflicted,  wiiiiout  remorse, 
so  many  shocking  cruelties,  especially  on  the 
tender  sex,  for  such  fancied  crimes.  Yet,  absurd 
as  the  doctrine  of  witchcraft  certainly  is,  it  is  a 
lamentable  fact,  that  vast  multitudes  of  our  fellow- 
men,  both  in  our  own  country  and  in  other  lands, 
are  still  believers  in  sorcery  and  witchcraft,  oi 
which  an  instance  or  two  is  stated  in  the  follow- 
ing  note. 

No.  VI.  -Proofs  that  the  belief  in  voitchcraft  is 
still  prevalent  among  certain  classes  of  society. 

Notwithstanding  the  degree  of  information 
which  prevails  in  the  nineteenth  century,  it  is  a 
melancholy  consideration  that  superstition,  and 
a  belief  in  the  efficacy  of  certain  incantations, 
still  prevail  to  a  considerable  extent,  even  in  the 
most  enlightened  countries.  The  following  re- 
cent occurrences  will  tend  to  corroborate  this 
position,  and  at\he  same  time  show  the  perni- 
cious consequences  which  frequently  result  from 
such  a  belief. 

On  the  2d  September  1829,  Laurent  Raim- 
boult,  a  farmer  in  the  hamlet  of  Redoire,  Com* 
mune  of  Champtre,  in  France,  spent  the  day  ia 
measuring  wheat  at  the  house  of  Poirier,  his 
brother-in-law.  About  eight  o'clock  in  the  even- 
ing, he  left  to  go  to  his  own  house,  which  was 
about  half  a  league  from  Poirier's  house.  He 
carried  a  bag  containing  the  measure  he  had 
been  using,  and  a  box  holding  his  dinner,  which 
he  had  not  opened ;  for  he  had  slated  his  inten- 
tion not  to  eat  till  he  returned  home.  The 
next  morning  his  corpse  was  found  in  a  meadow, 
bordered  by  a  wood,  and  not  very  far  from  his 
own  house.  His  body  was  horribly  mutilated, 
his  clothes  stained  with  blood,  and  there  was  a 
large  wound  on  the  back  part  of  his  head.  All 
the  wounds  showed  that  he  had  been  struck  bj 
several  persons  armed  with  conlusive  weapons. 
Near  him  the  ground  had  not  been  trod  upon  ;  his 
bag  and  the  things  it  contained  were  carefully 
laid  by  his  side  :  all  proved  that  he  had  not  been 
robbed.    Poirier,  who  has  always  had  a  good 


17<I 


APPENDIX, 


ebanustar  in  that  part  of  the  country,  was  on  vcry 
bail  tarma  with  Kaimboiilt,  who  paaaod  for  a  »or- 
90W.  Some  time  Ago,  ihe  wife  of  Poirier  had 
&ll«n  sick,  aa  well  as  several  oThis  cattle.  Poi* 
ri«r  did  not  doubt  Cir  anmstant,  that  these  sick- 
■eaaes  were  the  eflTert  of  sorcery.  He  came  to 
Angers,  and  consulted  a  pretended  diviner,  a 
nianmble  victim  of  monomania,  who  gave  him 
a  full  water-bottle,  and  tuld  him  to  take  it  home 
with  him,  and  put  it  in  the  very  best  place  of  his 
bouse.  "  At  such  an  hour,''  said  the  diviner, 
"you  slmuld  recite  such  and  such  prayers  before 
my  water-boitle,  and  then  you  will  see  in  the 
water  it  contaiiM,  the  likeness  of  him  who  has 
bewitched  your  wife  and  your  cattle."  Poirier 
followed  these  orders  precisely ;  and  it  is  only 
too  probable  that  his  imagination  being  pre-oc- 
cupind  with  the  idea,  this  wretched  man  fancied 
he  saw  his  brother-in-law  in  the  water-bottle  of 
the  guilty  diviner,  and  thought  he  was  doing  a 
service  to  his  country  in  delivering  i*.  from  a  being 
whom  he  regarded  as  the  friend  and  favourite  of 
the  devil. — Copiedjrom  a  Paris  jxiptr,  in  Monir- 
hug  Ckron.  Sept.  23,  1829. 

The  following  occurrence,  in  another  Depart- 
ment of  France,  happened  nearly  about  the  same 
time  as  the  precediag. 

"  It  appears  that  in  the  department  of  Lot 
and  Garonne,  and  particularly  in  some  of  the 
communes  of  the  district  of  Marraande,  (he 
belief  of  sorcery  i«  common  among  the  people. 
John  Sabathe,  a  peasant,  with  plenty  of  money, 
living  in  the  vicinity  of  Clairac,  had  a  sick 
daughter:  medicine  had  failed,  which  is  nothing 
extraordinary;  but  there  remained  magic,  and 
Sabathe  greatly  relied  upon  it.  He  a|>plied  to 
Rose  Peres,  who  enjoyed  ihe  reputation  of  being 
a  witch.  He  stated  the  condirion  of  his  daugh- 
ter;— the  witch  replied,  she  would  go  and  visit 
her.  She  went  the  next  morning  lo  Sabathe's 
residence,  saw  the  sick  girl,  and  declared  she 
was  bewitched.  [Perhaps  she  was  not  sb  far 
wrong  either,  for  some  witnesses,  who  were  no 
doubt  very  spiteful,  g«>«  it  as  their  opinion  that 
lore  had  entereti  a  little  into  this  affdir.]  VVhat- 
•rer  was  the  cause  of  her  illness,  the  witch  prf>- 
miaed  to  relieve  her,  and  said,  that  the  thing  was 
not  without  a  remedy.  She  told  them  to  light 
a  great  fire,  and  they  would  see  why  afterwards. 
Little  as  we  are  initialed  into  the  seerets  of 
magic,  wo  know  that  odd  numbers,  especially 
the  number  three,  have  singular  virtues  ;  there- 
fore S  multiplied  by  S  must  be  a  number  prodi- 
giously powerful.  It  was  apparently  for  this 
raaaon  that  the  witch  required  ninr  large  pebble 
Moaet,  which  she  put  inio  the  fire,  and  kept  there 
tin  they  were  red  hot :  she  then  threw  them  into 
•  kettle  full  of  water,  and  the  mysterious  vapour 
ibat  aroee  served  to  perfume  the  pntient  that  was 
Ijrini  over  it.  But  this  was  only  the  preamble 
oToefemoniea  much  more  important.  She  had 
a  table  brought  to  her ;  it  waa  covered  with  a 


cloth,  and  two  lighted  candles  placed  on  it ;  there 
was  even  en  end  of  wax  that  had  been  usrd  in 
the  church;  a  hammer  was  placed  symmeirioaU 
ly  between-the  two  candles, and  on  one  side  ot  the 
table  the  witch  laid,  with  a  grave  and  mysierioua 
air,  the  formidable  book  of  msgic,  so  well  known 
by  the  name  of  Little  Alb<-ri.  She  still  Mauled 
one  thing;  it  was  a  plate  hlled  wiih  water,  in 
which  a  sum  of  400  francs  (W.  sterling)  was  to 
be  depnaited.  The  plate  was  brn<ig{il  ; — as  tc 
the  sum,  we  may  remark,  how  difficult  magic 
must  be  to  practise,  and  what  aiieniion  is  r<qui> 
siie  to  its  details.  Crown  pieces  of  six  frvics 
were  about  to  be  (Hit  into  the  water,  when  the 
witch  called  out, '  Take  care  what  you  are  d(K 
ing ;  it  is  crown  pieces  oX  Jiut  francs  that  are 
warned.'  She  was  insiantly  obeyeil, — the  crowns 
of  five  francs  are  at  the  bottom  of  the  plate. 

"  Things  being  in  this  siaie,  every  body  leA 
the  house.  The  witch  remained  alone  for  about 
half  an  hour ;  she  then  re-opened  the  doors,  and 
said  they  might  re-enter.  She  added,  ihut  all 
had  succeeded,  but  that  the  malignant  spiriiihat 
had  appeared  had  carried  away  the  400  francs  on 
withdrawing.  The  witch's  husband  then  arri- 
ved ;  his  wife  told  him  that  the  assembly  was 
made.  '  It's  all  well,'  said  he  ;  'but  thy  sister 
is  at  thy  house,  and  she  wants  lo  see  you,  and  we 
must  go  there.  They  went  accordingly  ;  Saba- 
the and  his  family  a  little  siupified,  and  the  pa- 
tient in  the  same  state  as  before. — These  were 
the  facts  which  were  made  known  to  ihe  Court 
by  indirect  evidence,  for  these  good  folks  look 
care  to  make  no  complaint, for  fear  of  ihe  vt  itches. 
The  Court  sentenced  her  to  imprisonment  fbi 
three  years,  and  a  fine  of  fifiy  francs.  She  had 
been  charged  beftce  the  Roval  Court  i>f  Agen  for 
swindling.under  pretence  of  practising  wiich<:raft. 
— Some  years  ago,  the  same  Court  rentrnced 
to  close  imprisonment  ihreeor  four  women,  living 
in  the  neighbourhood -of  Villereal,  for  having  put 
on  the  fire  and  half-burned  a  pretended  witch, 
who  wo«ild  not  cure  them  of  a  disease  she  had 
given  them." — OaxtUedri  Trihunaux,  as  quoted 
in  Mom.  Chron  Sept.  28  1829. 

In  both  the  above  cases  we  perceive  an  im- 
plicit belief  in  the  |K>wers  of  divination  and  soi^ 
eery,  a  belief  which  appears  to  be  general  among 
the  lower  ranks  of  society  ;  and  it  would  ap|M>ar 
that  the  profession  of  witch  or  sorcerer  is  pn-lty 
common  in  the  prirKipal  townf  in  France.  In  the 
one  instance  this  belief  led  tc  a  most  atrocious 
murder,  and  in  the  other  to  a  dexterous  robbery  ; 
and,  in  this  latter  case,  it  wouki  seem,  that,  not- 
withstanding the  palpable  imponiure  that  was 
practised  on  Sabathe  and  his  family,  these  sim- 
ple people  still  believed  in  the  supernatural  pow. 
era  of  ihe  sorceress  who  had  so  barefacolly  nib- 
bed them,  for  "  they  took  care  lo  make  no  cnni^ 
plaint,  for  fear  of  the  voitchet." — Nearly  akin  to 
the  notions  under  consideration,  is  the  following 
superstition  relating  to  6ms. 


PREVALENT  BELIEF  IN  DEMONOLOGfT. 


ITS 


The  practice  of  informing  bees  of*any  death 
that  takes  place  in  a  family,  is  well  known,  and 
-still  prevails  among  the  lower  orders  In  England. 
The  disastrous  consequences  to  be  apprehended 
from  non-compliance  with  this  strange  custom 
is,  that  the  bees  will  dwindle  and  die.  The  man- 
ner of  communicating  the  intelligence  to  the  lit- 
tle community,  with  due  form  and  ceremony,  is 
this — to  take  the  key  of  the  house,  and  knrx:k 
with  it  three  times  against  the  hive,  telling  the 
inmates,  at  the  same  time  that  their  master  or 
Aiistress,  &c.  (as  the  case  maybe)  is  dead! 
Mr.  Loudon  says,  when  in  Bedfordshire  lately, 
we  were  informed  of  an  old  man  who  sung  a 
psalm  last  year  in  front  of  some  hives  which 
were  not  doing  well,  but  which,  he  said,  would 
thrive  in  consequence  of  that  ceremony. — Ma- 
gazine of  Nat.  Hist,  for  1828. 

The  Constitutionnel  (January  1828)  states, 
fliat  under  the  influence  of  the  Jesuits,  and  with 
the  countenance  of  the  authorities,. &c.  the  most 
brutifying  tales  of  superstition  and  fanaticism  are 
printed  and  circulated  in  the  provinces  of  France. 
One  of  the  ridiculous  narratives  to  which  it  al- 
ludes, details  the  iate  of  a  blaspheming  baker, 
who,  being  infected  with  the  heresies  of  the  Re- 
volution, had  addicted  himself  to  the  commission 
of  every  kind  of  impiety.  While  his  oven  one 
day  was  heated,  and  he  was  about  to  put  the 
bread  into  it,  he  vented  his  usual  oat^s  in  the 
presence  of  two  neighbours  ;  when,  lo !  the  dough 
miraculously  refused  to  enter,  and  the  baker  was 
seized  with  a  cold  shivering,  of  which  he  died  in 
two  days.  In  his  will  he  left  600  francs  to  the 
church,  conf3s.sed  his  enormities,  and  besought 
the  prayers  of  his  friends. — In  another,  we  are 
told  of  the  discovery  of  a  miraculous  image,  which 
will  be  a  permanent  source  of  ecclesiastical  reve- 
nue. This  image  is  that  of  a  saint,  which  has 
been  for  the  last  two  centuries  concealed  in  a 
rock.  It  was  discovered  by  means  of  a  little 
white  bird  perched  upon  a  brilliant  crucifix,  which 
guarded  the  spot.  Since  the  discovery,  the  lame 
walk,  the  sick  are  healed,  and  the  blind  recover 
their  sight,  by  resorting  to  the  consecrated 
ground. 

It  is  not  above  fifteen  or  sixteen  years  ago  since 
the  late  Alexander  Davidson,  A.  M.,  lecturer  on 
experimental  philosophy  and  chemistry,  when  in 
Ireland,  wais  much  annoyed  by  the  superstitious 
belief  in  necn)mancy  and  infernal  agency  which 
still  prevails  among  a  large  portion  of  the  lower 
orders  in  that  country.  When  delivering  a 
course  of  lectures  in  a  small  town  not  far  from 
Londonderry,  the  rumour  of  the  experiments  he 
performed  spread  among  the  body  of  the  people, 
many  of  whom  had  listened  at  the  outside  of  the 
hall  in  which  he  lectured,  to  the  loud  detonations 
produced  by  electrical  and  other  experiments, 
particularly  the  explosions  of  hydrogen  gas.  The 
great  majority  of  the  inhabitants  believed  he  was 
an  astrologer  and  necromancer,  and  considered 


it  dangerous  to  have  the  slightest  intercourse 
with  his  family,  even  in  the  way  of  buying  and  sell- 
ing. One  morning  his  servant-maid  was  sent 
out  for  bread  and  groceries  for  brenkiiist.  Afler 
a  considerable  time,  she  returned  with  a  pitiful 
countenance  and  a  heavy  heart,  and  declared  that 
not  an  article  of  any  description  could  be  obtain- 
ed. "  What,"  says  Mr.  D.,  "  is  there  no  tea, 
sugar,  or  bread  in  the  wliole  village?"  "Oyes," 
replied  the  maid,  "  there  is  plenty  of  every  thing 
we  want,  but  nobody  will  sell  us  an  article;  thcj 
say  we  are  all  witches  and  wizards  and  necro- 
mancers, and  tt'.«  no  -canny  to  tak  ony  •'  your 
money."  Mr.  Davidson  and  family,  in  this  case, 
might  have  starved,  had  he  not  bethought  himself 
of  employing  the  servant  of  an  acquaintance,  who 
was  one  of  his  auditors,  to  procure,  in  her  mas- 
ter's name,  the  requisite  provisions ;  and  this 
plan  he  was  obliged  to  adopt  during  the  remain- 
der of  his  stay  in  that  plane.  Atanotheriime  his 
boots  requfi-ed  to  be  repaired  ;  the  servtuit  took 
them  to  a  shoemaker,  and  they  were  received 
by  one  of  the  female  branches  of  his  family  ;  but 
when  the  shoemaker  understood  to  whom  they 
belonged,  he  stormetl,  and  was  indignant  at  their 
receiving  any  thing  from  such  a  dangerous  indi- 
vidual. The  servant  soon  after  returned  to 
inquire  if  tae  boots  were  repaired.  "  Is  the  astrO' 
loger^a  boots  mendit  ?"  one  of  the  family  vocif^ 
rated.  "  No,''  was  the  reply,  "  they  are  not 
mendit,  nor  do  we  intend  to  mend  them,  or  have 
any  thing  to  do  with  them."  The  shoemaker's 
wife  desired  the  servant  to  come  in,  and  lifi 
the  boot*  herself;  "  for,"  said  she,  "  I  will  not 
toxtch  them ;"  and  it  appears  that  both  the  shoe- 
maker and  his  family  had  been  afraid  even  to  put 
their  fingers  upon  them,  and  doubtless  imagined 
that  the  very  circumstance  of  their  having  been 
received  into  the  house  would  operate  as  an  evU 
omen. — On  the  day  previous  to  his  leaving  that 
place,  he  sent  his  servant  to  engage  a  chaise  to 
carry  them  to  the  next  town.  The  servant  told 
the  landlady  of  the  inn  (which  was  the  only  one 
from  which  a  carriage  could  be  procured)  that  her 
master  wished  to  hire  a  chaise  for  to-morrow  to 

carry  them  to  N .     The  landlady  told  her  it 

could  not  be  granted.  "  For  what  reason  ?"  said 
the  maid.  "  You  hnnm  very  voell  what  is  the  rea- 
son," said  the  landlady ,  in  a  very  cmphatical 
tone.  After  the  servant  returned  with  this  reply, 
Mr.  Davidson  himself  went  to  the  inn,  when  the 
following  dialogue  took  place  between  him  and 
the  Ian  Jady : — "  Well,madam,canyougivemea 
chaise  to-morrow  to  carry  mc  to  Newry  ?"  "  No ; 
for  our  horses  are  very  tired,  as  they  have  been 
out  all  day,  and  they  cannot  go  to-morrow."  "  O 
dear,  madam,  is  that  the  only  reason  ?  You  know 
very  well  I  can  make  them  go."  The  landlady, 
putting  on  a  grave  countenance,  replied  with  em- 
phasis, "  fVe  aH  know  thnt  very  well.  We  know 
that  you  could  sink  the  town,  if  you  chose  to  do  it. 
But!  shall  give  you  the  chaise,  to  cany  you  oat 


174 


APPENDIX. 


of  the  place,  and  make  the  town  rid  oTjou  :  butit 
ia  more  for/Mr  oTyuu  than  love  to  yuu  ihai  I  con- 
tent lograni  you  my  chaise." — Such  were  the  ab- 
■nrd  and  miperstiiiuua  notions  prevalent  among 
the  lower  clan  of  the  Irish  in  1814  or  1815  ;  and 
theae  were  not  the  only  instances  in  which  they 
were  manifested,  but  only  specimens  of  what  fre* 
quently  occurred  in  other  parts  of  that  country. 

However  clearly  persons  of  education  and  in- 
telligence may  perceive  the  absurdity  and  futility 
of  the  supersiiiious  notions  and  practices  to  which 
I  have  now  referred, — it  is  a  fact,  well  known  to 
those  who  have  been  conversant  among  the  lower 
orders  of  society,  that  they  still  prevail  to  a  very 
considerable  extent  among  the  untutored  ranks, 
even  of  our  own  country.  Nothing  but  a  more 
assiduous  cultivation  of  the  rational  powers,  and 
a  universal  ditTusion  of  useful  knowledge  among 
the  inferior  classes  of  society,  can  be  expected 
thoroughly  to  undermine  and  eradicate  such  opi- 
nions, and  to  prevent  the  baneful  and  pernicious 
consequences  to  which  they  lead. 

No.  VII. — Cireunutances  toMch  have  oeeasion- 
ally  led  to  the  beli^  of  Spectre*  and  Appari- 
dona.    P.  23. 

It  is  certain,  that  indistinct  vision  and  optical 
illusions  have,  in  many  instances,  been  the  sour- 
ces of  terror,  and  have  produced  a  belief  of  su- 
pernatural appearances.  When  we  have  no 
other  mode  of  judging  of  an  unknown  object  but 
by  the  angle  it  forms  in  the  eye,  its  magnitude 
will  uniformly  increase  in  proportion  to  its  near- 
ness. If  it  appeau-s,  when  at  the  distance  of 
forty  or  fifty  paces,  to  be  only  a  few  feet  high,  its 
height,  when  within  three  or  four  feei  of  the 
eye,  will  appear  to  be  above  forty  times  greater, 
or  many  fathoms  in  dimension.  An  object  of 
this  kind,  must  naturally  excite  terror  and  asto- 
nishment in  the  spectator,  till  he  approaches  and 
recognises  it  by  actual  feeling  ;  for  the  moment 
a  man  knows  an  object,  the  gigantic  appearance 
h  assumed  in  tiie  eye,  instantly  diminishes,  and 
its  apparent  magnitude  is  reduced  to  its  real 
dimensions.  But  if,  instead  of  approaching  such 
mn  object,  the  spectator  flies  from  it,  he  can  have 
BO  other  idea  of  it,  but  from  the  image  which  it 
formed  in  the  eye;  and  in  this  case,  he  may  af- 
firm with  truth,  that  he  saw  an  object  terrible  in 
lis  aspect,  and  enormous  in  its  size.  Such  illu- 
aions  frequently  occur,  when  persons  are  walking 
4tfOUgh  diiMert  and  unfrequented  tracts  of  country, 
Mrrounded  with  a  fog,  or  in  the  dusk  of  the 
evening,  when  a  solitary  tree,  a  bush,  an  old 
wall,  a  cairn  of  stones,  a  sheep  or  a  cow,  may 
appear  as  phantoms  of  a  laoastroii*  size.  The 
writer  of  an  article  in  the  "  Enoyck>pedia  Bri- 
tannica,"  states,  that "  he  was  passing  the  Frith 
of  Forth  at  Q,ueensferry,  one  morning  which  was 
astremely  foggy.  Though  the  watt-r  is  only  two 
bUm  broad  the  boat  did  not  get  within  sight  of 


the  southeni  shore,  till  it  approached  very  near  M ; 
he  then  saw  to  his  great  surprise,  a  large  per* 
pendicular  rock,  where  be  knew  the  shore  was 
low  and  almost  flat.  As  the  boat  advanced  a 
little  nearer,  the  rock  seemed  to  split  perpendi- 
cularly into  portions,  which  separated  at  little 
distances  from  one  another ;  he  next  saw  ihese 
perpendicular  divisions  move,  and  upon  approach- 
ing a  little  nearer,  found  it  was  a  number  of 
people  standing  on  the  beach,  waiting  the  arrival 
of  the  ferry  boat." 

Spectre*  art  frequently  occaeioned  by  opium, 
Gassendi,  the  philosopher,  found  a  number  of 
people  going  to  put  a  man  to  death  for  having 
intercourse  with  the  devil,  a  crime  which  the 
(>oor  wretch  readily  acknowledged.  Gasetndi 
begged  of  the  people,  that  they  would  permit  him 
first  to  examine  the  wizard,  before  pu  ting  him 
to  death.  They  did  so,  and  Gassendi,  upon  ex- 
amination, found,  that  the  man  firmly  believed 
himself  guilty  of  this  impossible  crime;  he  even 
offered  to  Gassendi  to  introduce  him  to  the  devil. 
The  philosopher  agreed,  and  when  midnight 
came,  the  man  gave  him  a  pill,  which  he  said  it 
was  neces.sary  to  swallow  before  setting  off. 
Gassendi  look  the  pill,  but  gave  it  to  his  dog: 
The  man  having  swallowed  his,  fell  into  a  pro- 
found sleep,  during  which  be  seemed  much 
agitated  by  dreams ;  the  dog  was  affected  in  a 
similar  manner.  When  the  man  awoke  he  con- 
gratulated Gassendi  on  the  favourable  reception 
he  had  met  wiili  from  his  sable  highness.  It 
was  with  difficulty  Gassendi  convinced  him  that 
the  whole  was  a  dream,  the  effect  of  soporific 
medicines,  and  that  he  had  never  stirred  from 
one  spot  during  the  whole  night. 

Drunkennesa  ha*  also  tlie  power  of  creating  ap- 
parition*. Drunkenness  seldom  or  never  excites 
fear;  and,  therefore,  it  may  at  first  sight  seem 
strange,  that  persons  should  imagine  ihey  see 
ghosts  when  under  the  influence  of  inioxicati<in. 
But  it  is  observable,  that  the  ghosts  which  the 
drunkard  imagines  he  sees,  he  beholds  not  with 
the  same  terror  and  alarm,  as  men  that  are  sober ; 
he  is  not  afraid  of  them;  he  has  ihe  courage  to 
converse  with  them,  and  even  to  fight  them,  if 
they  give  him  provocation.  Like  Bums'  "  Tam 
o'  Shanter,"  give  him  "  lair  play — he  cares  na' 
de'ils  a  bodle."  A  man  returning  home  intoxicat- 
ed, affirmed,  that  he  had  met  with  the  devil ;  and 
that,  after  a  severe  encounter,  he  had  vanquished 
him,  and  brought  him  to  the  ground,  to  which  he 
had  nailed  him  fast,  by  driving  his  staff  through 
his  body.  Next  morning,  the  staff  was  found 
stuck  with  great  violence  into  a  heap  of  turfs  ! 

Dreams  may  hecontidered  a*  another  tource  of 
apparition*.  While  the  mind  is  under  the  influ- 
ence of  a  dream,  it  considers  it  as  much  a  reality, 
as  it  does  any  particular  action  when  awake ; 
and,  therefore,  if  a  person  of  a  weak  superstitious 
mind  should  have  a  very  lively  dream  which  Lop 
terests  his  passions,  it  may  make  so  deep  an  im- 


CAUSES  OF  APPARITIONS. 


ITS 


^w«8sion,  that  he  may  be  firmly  convinced  he  has 
actually  seen  with  his  eyos,  what  has  only  pass- 
ed before  his  imagination  ;  especially  when  we 
consider,  that  there  are  liriies  of  slumber  when  we 
are  not  sensible  of  being  asleep.  On  this  prin- 
ciple, some  have  endeavoured  to  account  for  the 
spectre  which  is  said  to  have  appeared  to  Brutus. 
It  IS  related,  that  at  Philippi,  the  night  before  he 
gave  battle  to  Augustus  Csesar,  he  saw  a  fearful 
apparition ;  it  was  in  the  dead  of  night,  when 
the  whole  camp  was  perfectly  quiet,  that 
Brutus  was  employed  in  his  tent,  in  reading  by 
a  lamp  that  was  just  expiring  ;  on  a  sudden  he 
thought  he  heard  a  noise  as  if  somebody  entered, 
and  looking  towards  the  door,  he  perceived  4t 
open;  a  gigantic  figure  with  a  frightful  aspect, 
stood  before  him,  and  continued  to  gaze  upon 
him  with  silent  severity.  At  last,  Brutus  had 
courage  to  speak  to  it :  "  Art  thou  a  demon  or  a 
mortal  man  ?  and  why  oomest  thou  to  me  ?" 
The  phantom  is  said  lo  have  replied,  "  Brutus, 
I  am  thy  evil  genius,  thou  shalt  see  me  again  at 
Philippi."  "Well  then,"  answered  Brutus, 
without  being  discomposed,  "  we  shall  meet 
again  ;"  up«n  which  the  phantom  vanished,  and 
Brutus,  calling  to  his  servants,  asked  them  if 
they  had  seen  any  thing ;  to  which  replying  in 
<he  negative,  he  again  resumed  his  studies. 
This  circumstance  is  related  by  historians  as  a 
vuton,  hut  considering  tho  circumsiances,  one 
may  easily  judge  it  to  have  been  but  a  short 
dream  ;  for,  sitting  in  his  tent,  pensive  and  trou- 
bled with  the  horror  of  his  late  rash  act,  it  was 
not  hard  for  him,  slumbering  in  the  cold,  lo  dream 
of  that  which  most  affrighted  him ;  which  fear, 
as  by  degrees  it  made  him  wake,  so  it  must  have 
made  the  apparition  by  degrees  to  vanish  ;  and 
having  no  assurance  that  he  slept,  he  could  have 
no  cause  to  think  it  a  dream,  or  any  thing  else 
than  a  vision.  Whatever  may  be  said  as  to 
this  solution  of  the  case,  certain  it  is,  that  vivid 
dreams  in  certain  states  of  mind,  have  been 
mistaken  for  real  apparitions,  of  which  various 
instances  could  be  adduced,  did  our  limits  permit. 
F^ar  is  another  fertile  source  ofSpectres.  As 
partial  darkness  and  obscurity  are  the  most  com- 
mon circumstances  by  which  the  sight  is  deceiv- 
ed, so  night  is  the  season  in  which  apparitions 
are  most  frequently  said  to  be  seen.  The  state 
of  the  mind  at  that  time,  especially  when  a  person 
is  alone,  pre^iares  it  for  the  admi^^sion  of  such 
delusions  of  the  imagination.  The  fear  and  cau- 
tion which  night  naturally  inspires,  the  opportu- 
nity it  affords  for  ambuscades,  robberies,  and  as- 
sassinations, the  deprivation  of  social  intercourse, 
and  the  interruption  of  many  pleasing  trains  of 
ideas  which  objects  in  the  light  never  fail  to  pro- 
duce, are  all  circumstancesof  terror,  and  favour- 
able to  the  illusions  of  a  timid  imagination;  and 
therefore,  it  is  by  no  means  strange,  that  an  igno- 
rant person  with  a  mind  uncultivated  and  unin- 
formed, and  with  all  the  prejudices  of  thenunery 


about  him,  should  imagine  he  sees  ghosts  in  those 
places  where  he  believes  they  hover,  e8|>«*cially 
at  the  hour  of  midnight,  when  the  slightest  aid  of 
the  iniaginaiion  can  transform  a  cow  into  a  iiion- 
etrous  phantom,  and  the  reflection  of  the  beams  of 
the  moon  from  a  little  water  into  a  ghost  with  a 
winding-sheet ;  or  a  sound  which  is  near,  such  as 
the  rustling  of  the  leaves  of  a  tree,  the  noise  of 
falling  waters,  or  the  scre^ams  of  animals,  when 
referred  to  a  great  distance,  may  be  mai<nified 
into  horrid  and  unearthly  voices ;  for,  in  such 
cases,  a  timid  and  untutored  mind  seldom  stops  to 
inquire  into  the  cause  of  its  alarms.  The  cele- 
brated historian  -De  Thou,  had  a  very  singular 
adventure  at  Saiimur,  in  the  year  1598,  which 
shows  the  happy  effects  of  a  calm  inquiry  into  the 
cause  of  any  alarming  or  extraordinary  appear- 
ance. One  night,  having  retired  lo  rest  very 
much  fatigued,  while  he  was  enjoying  a  sound 
sleep,  he  felt  a  very  extraordinary  weight  u|K)n 
his  feet,  which,  having  made  him  turn  suddenly, 
fell  down  and  awakened  him.  At  first  he  ima- 
gined that  it  had  been  only  a  dream,  but  bearing 
soon  after  some  noise  in  his  chamber,  he  drew 
aside  the  curtains,  and  saw,  by  the  help  of  the 
moon,  which  at  that  time  shone  very  bright,  a 
large  white  figure  walking  up  and  down,  and  at 
the  same  time  observed  upon  a  chair^ome  rags, 
which  he  thought  belonged  to  thieves  who  had 
come  to  rob  him.  The  figure  then  approaching 
his  bed,  he  had  the  courage  to  ask  it  what  it  was. 
"  I  am  (said  the  figure)the  Queen  of  Heaven." 
Had  such  a  figure  appeared  to  any  credulous  i^ 
norant  man,  he  would,  doubtless,  have  trembled 
with  fear,  and  frightened  the  whole  nei>>hbouiw 
hood  with  a  marvellous  description  of  it.  But  De 
Thou  had  too  much  understanding  to  be  so  im- 
posed upon.  On  hearing  the  words  which  dro|>> 
ped  from  the  figure,  he  immediately  cimciuded 
that  it  was  some  mad  woman,  got  up,  called  bia 
servants,  and  ordered  them  to  turn  her  out  of 
doors  ;  after  which  he  returned  lo  bed  «nd  fell 
asleep.  Next  morning,  he  found  that  he  had  not 
been  deceived  in  his  conjecture,  and  that  having 
forgot  to  shut  his  door,  this  female  figure  had  es- 
caped from  her  keepers,  and  entered  bis  apart- 
ment. The  brave  Schomberg,  to  whom  De  Thou 
related  his  adventure  some  days  after,  confessed 
that  in  such  a  case  he  would  not  have  shown  so 
much  courage.  The  King  likewise,  who  was 
infi)rmed  of  it  by  Schomberg,  made  the  same  ac- 
knowledgment.— See  Ency.  Brit.,  Art.  Spectre. 
The  following  relation  contains  a  description 
of  an  apparition  of  a  different  kind,  no  less  appal- 
ling. Mr.  Schmidt,  mathematical  teacher  at 
the  school  of  Pforte,  near  Naumburg,  which  had 
formerly  been  a  cloister,  once  happened  to  awake 
suddenly  as  the  morning  began  to  dawn.  On 
opening  his  eyes,  he  beheld  with  asionisliment  a 
monk  standing  at  the  fool  of  his  bed.  Looking 
at  him  steadfastly,  he  appeared  to  be  well-fed; 
and  his  head,  far  from  small,  was  aunk  a  Utile 


176 


APPENDIX. 


between  a  pair  of  rery  broad  thoulders.  The 
ehuinber  wu  sufficiently  secured  ;  Mr.  Schmidt 
alone  slept  in  it ;  and  he  was  very  certain  that 
no  one  would  attempt  to  put  a  trick  upon  him  in 
eat.  He  knew  also,  that  no  pari  of  his  clothes  or 
any  thing  else  was  han(;ing  at  his  bed's  foot. 
The  figure  exactly  resembled  that  of  a  monk, 
clothed  in  a  white  surplice,  the  falling  fukls  of 
which  were  very  clearly  to  be  distinguished.  Had 
an  ignorant  and  timid  man  beheld  this  a()pear- 
ance.  he  wouM  probably  have  covered  himself  up 
with  the  bed  clothes,  and  firmly  maintained  that 
the  ghost  of  a  monk  had  appeared  to  him.  As 
the  school  had  formerly  been  a  cloister,  many 
monks  had  been  buried  both  in  the  church  and 
church-yard,  and  it  was  currently  reported  among 
the  vulgar  that  the  place  war  haunted.  Mr. 
Schmidt,  however,  was  neither  ignorant  nor  ti- 
mid, and  he  immediately  conjectured  that  his  eyes 
were  deceived,  though  he  could  not  imagine  in 
what  manner.  He  raised  himself  up  a  little  in 
his  bed,  but  the  apparition  did  not  move,  he  only 
saw  somewhat  more  of  it,  and  the  folds  of  the 
surplice  were  still  more  conspicuous.  After  a 
little  while  he  moved  towards  the  right,  yet  the 
apparition  remained,  and  he  seemed  to  have  in 
part  a  side  view  of  it ;  but  as  soun  as  he  had 
moved  his  head  so  far  as  to  have  a  slight  glimpse 
of  the  bed's  foot,  the  apparition  retreated  back- 
ward, though  still  with  its  face  to  the  bed.  Fol- 
lowing the  apparition  quickly  with  his  eyes,  it  re- 
treated with  speed,  swelled  as  it  retreated  to  a 
gigantic  form,  a  rustling  noise  was  heard,  and 
at  once  the  apparition  was  changed  into  the 
gothic  window  with  while  curtains  which  was 
opposite  the  bed's  foot,  and  about  six  or  seven 
feet  distance  from  it.  Several  times  after  this 
Mr.  Schmidt  endeavoured  when  he  awoke  to  see 
the  same  appearance,  but  to  no  purpose,  the  win- 
dow always  looking  like  a  window  only.  Some 
weeks  after,  however,  on  awakening,  as  the  day 
began  lo  dawn,  he  again  perceived  the  monk's 
apparition  at  the  bed's  foot.  Being  now  aware 
what  occasioned  it,  he  examined  it  narrowly. 
The  great  arch  of  the  window  formed  the  monk's 
■boulders,  a  smaller  arch,  in  the  centre  of  this, 
his  head,  and  the  curtains  the  surplice.  The 
folds  of  these  appeared  much  stronger  than  they 
did  at  the  same  distance  by  day-light.  Thus  the 
figure  of  the  monk  appeared  plainer,  nearer,  and 
■mailer,  than  the  window  would  have  done.  This 
apparition,  therefore,  like  hundreds  of  others, 
was  merely  an  optical  deception.  The  reader 
will  find  a  more  particular  description  of  it,  with 
an  optical  and  mathematical  explanation  of  the 
phenomenon,  in  vol.  i.  of"  The  Pleasing  Pre- 
eepior,"  translated  from  the  German  of  Gerhard 
Vlrich  Anthony  Vieth. 

Another  cau*«t  of  apparitions,  and  of  the  belief 
in  supernatural  appearances,  is  to  be  fuuiKl  in 
tk»  mti^eet  ami  ecUutioHM  of  impmtort,  and  Uu 
tritiuuftht  toagjiJt.    Dr.  Plot,  in  his  Natural 


History  of  Oxfordshire,  relates  a  marrelloiis  stety 
which  will  illuntrate  this  (>osition.  Soon  after 
the  murder  of  King  Charles  I.,  a  comroiMioa  waa 
appointed  to  survey  the  King's  house  at  Wood* 
stock,  with  the  manor,  park,  woods,  and  oibar 
demesnes  belonging  to  that  manor.  One  Co*' 
lins,  under  a  feigned  name,  hired  himself  aa 
secretary  lo  the  commissioners,  who,  upon  the 
13th  October  1649,  met,  and  took  up  their  reei* 
dence  in  the  King's  own  rooms.  His  majesty's 
bed-chamber  they  made  their  kitchen,  the  couo- 
cil-hall  their  pantry,  and  the  presence-chamber 
was  the  place  where  they  met  for  the  despatch  at 
business.  His  majesty's  dining-room  they  made 
their  wood-yard,  and  stored  it  with  the  wood  oS 
the  famous  royal  oak  from  the  High  Park,  which, 
that  nothing  might  be  left  with  the  name  of  King 
about  It,  they  had  dug  up  by  the  roots,  and  split 
and  bundled  up  into  fagots  for  their  firing. 
Things  being  thus  prepared,  thoy  sat  on  the  I6th 
for  the  despatch  of  business  ;  and,  in  the  midst  of 
their  first  debate,  there  entered  a  large  black  dog 
(as  they  thought)  which  made  a  dreadful  howW 
ing,  overturned  two  or  three  of  their  chairs,  and 
then  crept  under  a  bed  and  vanished.  This  gare 
them  the  greater  surprise,  as  the  doors  were  kepi 
constantly  locked,  so  that  no  real  dog  couM  get  in 
or  out.  The  next  day  their  surprise  was  ii>> 
creased,  when  sitting  at  dinner  in  a  lower  room, 
they  heard  plainly  the  noise  of  persons  walking 
over  their  heads,  though  they  well  knew  the 
doors  were  all  locked,  and  there  could  be  nobody 
there.  Presently  after,  they  heard  also  all  th* 
wood  of  the  King's  oak  brought  by  parcels  froqi 
the  dining-room,  and  thrown  with  great  violeoca 
into  the  presence  chamber,  as  also  all  the  chaira) 
stools,  tables,  and  other  furniture  forcibly  hurled 
about  the  room ;  their  papers,  containing  the 
minutes  of  their  transactions,  were  torn,  and  the 
ink-glass  broken.  When  all  this  noise  bad 
ceased,  Giles  Sharp,  their  secretary,  proposed  to 
enter  first  into  these  rooms  ;  and  in  preseiKe  of 
the  commissioners,  iroro  whom  he  received  the 
key,  he  opened  the  doors,  and  ibund  the  wood 
spread  about  the  room,  the  chairs  tossed  about 
and  broken,  the  papers  torn,  but  not  the  least 
track  of  any  human  creature,  nor  the  leant  reason 
to  suspect  one,  as  the  doors  were  all  fast,  and  the 
keys  in  the  custody  of  the  commissioners.  It 
was  therefore  unanimously  agreed  that  the  power 
that  did  this  mischief  must  have  entered  at  the 
key-hole.  The  night  following.  Sharp,  iliesecre- 
tary,  with  two  (^  ihe  commissioners'  servants, 
as  they  were  in  bed  in  the  same  room,  which 
room  was  contiguous  to  that  where  the  commis- 
sioners lay,  had  their  beds'  feel  lifted  up  so  much 
higher  than  their  heads,  that  they  expected  CD 
have  their  necks  broken,  and  then  they  were  let 
fall  at  once  with  so  much  violence  as  shook  the 
whole  House,  anu  more  tnan  ever  terrified  the 
commissioners.  O:  the  night  of  the  19ib,  aa 
they  were  all  '..j  oed  in  the  the  same  room  ba 


CAUSES  OF  APPARITIONS. 


177 


greater  safety,  and  lights  burning  by  them,  the 
candles  in  an  instant  went  out  with  a  sulphurous 
smell,  and  that  moment  many  trenchers  of  wood 
were  hurled  about  the  room,  which  next  morning 
were  fo(md  to  be  the  same  their  honours  had 
eaten  out  of  the  day  before,  which  were  all  remov- 
ed from  the  pantry,  though  not  a  lock  was  found 
opened  in  the  whole  house.  The  next  night  they 
fared  still  worse  ;  the  candles  went  out  as  before, 
the  curtains  of  their  honours'  beds  were  rattled  to 
and  fro  with  great  violence,  they  received  many 
cruel  blows  and  bruises  by  eight  great  pewter 
dishes,  and  a  number  of  wooden  trenchers  being 
thrown  on  their  beds,  which,  being  heaved  off, 
were  heard  rolling  about  the  room,  though  in  the 
morning  none  of  these  were  to  be  seen. 

The  next  night  the  keeper  of  the  king's  house 
and  his  dog  lay  in  the  commissioners'  room,  and 
then  they  had  no  disturbance.  But  on  the  night 
of  the  22d,  though  the  dog  lay  in  the  room  as  be- 
fore, yet  the  candles  went  out,  a  number  of  brick- 
bats fell  from  the  chimney  into  the  room,  the 
dog  howled  piteously,  their  bed-clothes  were  all 
stripped  off,  and  their  terror  increased.  On  the 
24th  they  thought  all  the  wood  of  the  king's  oak 
was  violently  thrown  down  by  their  bed-sides  ; 
they  counted  64  billets  that  fell,  and  some  hit 
and  shook  the  beds  in  which  they  lay  ;  but  in  the 
morning  none  was  found  there,  nor  had  the  door 
been  opened  where  the  billet-wood  was  kept. 
The  next  night  the  candles  were  put  out,  the 
curtains  rattled,  and  a  dreadful  crack  like  thun- 
der was  heard  ;  and  one  of  the  servants  running  in 
haste,  thinking  his  master  was  killed,  found 
three  dozen  of  trenchers  laid  smoothly  under  the 
quilt  by  him.  But  all  this  was  nothing  to  what 
succeeded  afterwards.  The  29th,  about  mid- 
night, the  candles  went  out,  something  walked 
majestically  through  the  room,  and  opened  and 
shut  the  windows ;  great  stones  were  thrown 
violently  into  the  room,  some  of  which  fell  on 
the  beds,  others  on  the  floor ;  and  at  about  a 
quarter  after  one,  a  noise  was  heard  as  of  forty 
cannon  discharged  together,  and  again  repeated  at 
about  eight  minutes  interval.  This  alarmed  and 
raised  all  the  neighbourhood,  who  coming  into 
their  honours'  room,  gathered  up  the  great  stones, 
fourscore  in  number,  and  laid  them  by  in  the 
corner  of  a  field,  where,  in  Dr.  Plot's  time,  they 
were  to  be  seen.  This  noise,  like  the  discharge 
of  cannon,  was  heard  over  the  country  for  several 
miles  round.  During  these  noises  the  commis- 
sioners and  their  servants  gave  one  another  over 
for  lost  and  cried  out  for  help;  and  Giles  Sharp, 
snatching  up  a  sword,  had  well  nigh  killed  one 
(/their  honours,  mistaking  him  for  the  spirit,  as 
he  came  in  his  shirt  from  his  own  room  to  theirs. 
While  they  were  together  the  noise  was  continu- 
ed, and  part  of  the  tiling  of  the  house  was  strip- 
ped off,  and  all  the  windows  of  an  upper  room 
were  taken  away  with  it.  On  the  30th,  at  mid- 
night, ajmething  walked  into  the  chamber  tread- 
23 


ing  like  a  bear ;  it  walked  many  times  about, 
then  threw  the  wamiing-pan  violently  on  tlia 
floor;  at  the  same  time  a  large  quantity  of  broken 
glass,  accompanied  with  great  stones  and  horse 
bones,  came  pouring  into  the  room  with  uncom- 
mon force.  On  the  1st  of  November  the  most 
dreadful  scene  of  all  ensued.  Candles  in  every 
part  of  the  room  were  lighted  up,  and  a  great  fire 
made;  at  midnight,  the  candles  all  yet  burning,  a 
noise  like  the  bursting  of  a  cannon  was  heard  in 
the  room,  and  the  burning  billets  were  tossed 
about  by  it  even  into  their  honours'  beds,  who 
called  Giles  and  his  companions  to  their  relief, 
otherwise  the  house  had  been  burnt  to  the  ground ; 
about  an  hour  after,  the  candles  went  out  as 
usual,  the  crack  as  of  many  cannon  was  heard, 
and  many  pailfuls  of  green  stinking  water  were 
thrown  upon  their  honours'  beds,  great  stones 
were  also  thrown  in  as  before,  the  bed-curtains 
and  bedsi;eads  torn  and  broken,  the  windows 
shattered,  and  the  whole  neighbourhood  alarmed 
with  the  most  dreadful  noises ;  nay,  the  very  rab- 
bit-stealers,  that  were  abroad  that  night  in  the 
warren,  were  so  terrified,  that  they  fled  for  fear, 
and  left  their  ferrets  behind  them.  One  of  their 
honours  this  night  spoke,  and,  in  the  name  of 
God,  (uked  what  it  was,  and  why  it  disturbed 
them  M  ?  No  answer  was  given  to  this ;  but 
the  noise  ceased  for  a  while,  when  the  spirit 
came  again ;  and,  as  they  all  agreed,  brought 
with  it  seven  devils  worse  than  itself.  One  of  the 
servants  now  lighted  a  large  candle,  and  set  it  in 
the  doorway  between  the  two  chambers,  to  see 
what  passed ;  and  as  he  watched  it,  he  plainlj 
saw  a  hoof  striking  the  candle  and  candlestick 
into  the  middle  of  the  room,  and  afterwards, 
making  three  scrapes  over  the  snuff,  scraped  it 
out.  Upon  this  the  same  person  was  so  bold  as 
to  draw  a  sword,  but  ha  had  scarce  got  it  out 
when  he  felt  another  invisible  hand  holding  it 
too,  and  pulling  it  from  him,  and  at  length  pre- 
vailing, struck  him  so  violently  on  the  head  with 
the  pummel,  that  he  fell  down  for  dead  with  the 
blow.  At  this  instant  was  heard  another  burst 
like  the  discharge  of  the  broadside  of  a  ship  of 
war,  and  at  the  interval  of  a  minute  or  two  be- 
tween each,  no  less  than  19  such  discharges. 
These  shook  the  house  so  violently  that  they  ex- 
pected every  moment  it  would  fall  upon  their 
heads.  The  neighbours  being  all  alarmed,  flock- 
ed to  the  house  in  great  numbers,  and  all  joined 
in  prayer  and  psalm-singing;  during  which  the 
noise  continued  in  the  other  rooms,  and  the.  dis- 
charge of  cannons  was  heard  as  from  without, 
though  no  visible  agent  was  seen  to  discharge 
them.  But  what  was  the  most  alarming  of  all, 
and  put  an  end  to  their  proceedings  effectually, 
happened  the  next  day,  as  they  were  all  at  dinner, 
when  a  paper,  in  which  they  had  signed  a  mu- 
tual agreement  to  reserve  a  part  of  the  premises 
out  of  the  general  survey,  and  afterwards  to  share 
it  equally  among  themselves,  (which  paper  thejr 


I7» 


APPENDIX. 


kad  hid  for  the  preaem  under  the  ekrth  in  a  pot 
in  one  comer  of  ihe  roam,  ami  in  whioli  an  orange 
tree  grew,)  waa  constiioed  in  a  wnmlcrful  man- 
ner by  ihe  oarlh'a  taking  (ire  with  wltich  ihe  (tot 
waa  6lled,  and  burning  violently  wtih  a  blue 
flante  and  an  intolerable  stench,  an  thai  they  were 
all  driven  o<il  of  the  house  to  which  tliry  could 
nevpr  be  a^ain|>revailed  upon  '.o  return. 

This  slory  haa  been  somewhat  abridged  frtmt 
the  Encyclopaedia  Britianiiica,  where  it  is  quoted 
fixKn  Dr.  Plot's  history.  If  I  recollect  right,  it 
is  emboilicd  in  the  book  entitled  "  Satan's  Invi- 
fible  World  Discovered,"  and  the  extraordinary 
occurrences  it  relates  ascribed  to  Satanic  influ- 
ence. A<  the  time  they  happened,  they  were 
viewed  as  the  eflects  of  supernatural  powers  ; 
■nd  even  Dr.  Plot  seems  disposed  to  ascribe 
them  to  this  cause.  "  Though  many  tricks," 
•ays  the  Doctor,  "  have  been  often  played  in 
•fiairs  of  this  kind,  many  of  the  things  above  re- 
lated are  not  reconcileable  with  juggling  ;  such  as 
die  loud  noises  beyond  the  powers  of  man  to 
Bake  without  such  insliumentsas  were  not  there; 
the  tearing  and  breaking  the  beds;  the  throwing 
about  the  Are  ;  the  hoof  treading  out  the  candle ; 
and  the  striving  for  the  sword  ;  and  the  blow  the 
■MO  received  from  the  pummel  of  it ."  [t  was  at 
length  ascertained,  however,  that  this  wonderful 
contrivance  was  all  the  invention  of  the  memora- 
ble Joseph  Collins  of  Oxford,  otherwise  called 
fmmjf  Joe,  Yiho,  liaving  hired  himself  as  secre- 
tary under  the  name  of  OiUt  Sharp,  by  knowing 
the  private  traps  belonging  to  the  house,  and  by 
the  help  of  Pulvu  Fulminant,  and  other  chemical 
preparations,  and  letting  his  fellow-servants  into 
the  scheme,  carried  on  the  deceit  without  dis- 
covery to  the  very  last. 

VentrUoquUm  is  another  aource  whence  a  belief 
^apparition*  haa  been  induced.  By  this  art,  cer- 
tain persons  can  so  modify  their  voice  as  to  make 
it  appear  to  the  audience  to  proceed  from  any  dis* 
taDce,  and  in  any  direction,  and  by  which  impos- 
tan  kave  lometinies  acoompliahed  their  nefa- 
riooa  daaigne,  of  which  the  following  are  instan- 
9m. 

Louis  Brahant,  a  dexterous  ventriloqui8t,valel- 
d»-ohambre  to  Francis  I.,  had  fallen  desperately 
in  k>ve  with  a  young,  handsome,  and  rich  heir- 
ess; but  was  rejected  by  the  parents  as  an  un- 
■uitaMe  match  for  their  daughter,  on  account  of 
tiie  lowness  of  his  circumstances.  The  young 
latly's  father  dying,  he  made  a  visit  to  the  widow, 
who  was  totally  ignorant  of  his  singular  talent. 
SwMenly,  on  his  first  appearance  in  open  day,  in 
ber  own  house,  and  in  the  presence  ofseveral  per- 
■oos  who  were  with  her,  she  heard  herself  accost- 
ed in  a  voice  perfectly  resembling  that  of  her  dead 
hnsband.and  which  seened  to  proceed  £roa  above, 
•iKiaimiBg,  "  Qive  my  daofhter  in  marriage  to 
Ltwis  BrahanU  He  is  a  maa  oTgraat  (brlune  and 
«Caa  excelUnt  character.  I  now  ■ufier  the  inex- 
ptewihW  tanaeou  of  purgatory  for-  having  re- 


fused her  to  him.  If  yow  obey  this  admonition 
I  shall  soon  be  delivered  from  liiis  place  of  tor- 
ment. YiHi  will  at  the  same  lioae  provide  a 
worthy  husband  for  your  daughter,  and  procure 
everlasting  repose  to  the  soul  of  your  poor  litie> 
band.'*  The  widow  cotild  not  fur  a  moment 
resist  this  dreadful  summons,  which  had  not  the 
most  distant  appearance  of  proceeding  from 
Louis  Brahant,  whose  coantenance  exhibited  no 
visible  change,  and  whose  lips  were  close  and 
moiioiiless  during  the  delivery  of  it.  Accurdin|^ 
ly,  she  consented  immediately  to  receive  him  far 
her  son-in-law.— Louis's  finances,  however, 
were  in  a  very  low  situation,  and  the  formalities 
attending  the  marriage-contract  rendered  it  n^ 
cessary  for  him  to  exhibit  some  show  of  riches, 
and  iioi  to  give  the  ghost  the  lie  direct.  He,  ac> 
cordingly,  went  to  work  on  a  fresh  subject,  one 
Cormi,  an  old  and  rich  banker  at  Lyons,  who  had 
accumulated  imnoense  wealth  by  usury  and  ex- 
tort  ion,  and  was  known  to  be  haimted  by  remorse 
of  conscience,  on  account  of  the  manner  in  which 
he  had  acquired  it.  Having  contracted  an  inti- 
mate acquaintance  with  this  man,  he,  one  day, 
while  they  were  sitting  together  in  the  usurer's 
little  back  parlour,  artfully  turned  the  conversa^ 
tion  on  religious  subjects,  on  demons,  and  spec- 
tres, the  pains  of  purgatory,  and  the  torments  of 
hell.  During  an-  interval  of  silence  between 
them,  a  voice  washeard,  which,  to  the  astonished 
banker,  seemed  to  be  that  of  his  deceased  father, 
complaining,  as  in  the  former  case,  of  his  dread- 
ful situation  in  purgatory,  and  calling  upon  him 
to  deliver  him  instantly  from  thence,  by  putting 
into  the  hands  of  Louis  Brahant,  then  with  him, 
a  large  sum  for  the  redemption  of  Christians 
then  in  slavery  with  the  Turks  ;  threatening  him, 
at  the  same  time,  with  eternal  damnation,  if  he 
did  not  take  this  method  to  expiate,  likewise, 
his  own  sins.  Louis  Brahant,  of  course,  at- 
fccted  a  due  degree  of  astonishment  on  the  aoc»- 
sion ;  and  further  promoted  the  deception  by  ac- 
knowledging his  having  devoted  himself  to  the 
proser:uiiun  of  the  charitable  design  imputed  to 
him  hy  the  ghost.  An  oU  usurer  is  naturally 
suspicious.  Accordingly,  the  wary  banker  made 
a  second  appointment  with  the  ghost's  delegate 
for  the  next  day  :  and,  to  render  any  design  of 
imposing  upon  him  utterly  abortive,  took  him 
into  the  open  fiekls,  where  not  a  house  or  a  tree, 
or  even  a  bush,  or  a  pit  were  in  sight,  capable  ef 
screening  ar^y  supposed  confederate.  This  ex- 
traordinary caution  excited  the  ventriloquist  to 
exert  all  the  powers  of  his  art.  Wherever  the 
banker  conducted  him,  at  every  step,  his  ears 
were  saluted  on  all  sides  with  Ihe  oomplainle, 
and  groans,  not  only  of  his  father,  but  of  all  his 
decMsed  relations,  imploring  him  for  the  love  of 
God,  and  in  the  name  of  every  saint  in  the  caleiv 
der,  to  have  mercy  on  his  own  soul  and  theirs, 
by  eflecttially  seconding  with  his-purse  the  inten- 
tions of  his  worthy  companion.    Comu  could  ne 


APPARITIONS  CAUSEO  BY  VENTRILOdUISM. 


179 


longer  resist  the  voice  of  heaven,  and,  accord- 
ingly, carried  his  guest  home  with  him,  and  paid 
him  down  ten  thousand  crowns  ;  with  which  ihe 
honest  ventriloquist  returned  to  Paris,  and  mar- 
ried his  mistress.  The  catastrophe  was  fatal. 
The  secret  was  afterwards  blown,  and  reached 
the  usurer's  ears,  who  was  so  much  affected  by 
the  loss  of  his  money,  and  the  mortifying  raille- 
ries ofhis  neighbours,  that  he  took  to  his  bed  and 
died. 

Another  trick  of  a  similar  kind  was  played  off 
about  sixty  or  seventy  years  ago,  on  a  whole  com- 
munity, by  another  French  ventriloquist.  "  M. 
St.  Gill,  the  ventriloquist,  and  his  intimate  friend, 
returning  home  from  a  place  whither  his  busi- 
ness had  carried  him,  sought  for  shelter  from  an 
approaching  thunder-storm  in  a  neighbouring 
convent.  Finding  the  whole  community  in 
mourning,  he  inquired  the  cause,  and  was  told 
that  one  of  the  body  had  died  lately,  who  was  the 
ornament  and  delight  of  the  whole  society.  To 
pass  away  the  time,  he  walked  into  the  church, 
attended  by  some  of  the  religiou.s,  who  showed 
him  the  tomb  of  their  deceased  brother,  and  spoke 
feelingly  of  the  scanty  honours  they  had  bestowed 
on  his  memory.  Suddenly  a  voice  was  heard, 
apparently  proceeding  from  the  roof  of  the  choir, 
lamenting  the  situation  of  the  deftinct  in  purga- 
tory, and  reproaching  the  brotherhood  with  their 
lukewarmness  and  want  of  zeal  on  his  account. 
The  friars,  as  soon  as  their  astonishment  gave 
them  power  to  speak,  consulted  together,  and 
agreed  to  acquaint  the  rest  of  the  community 
with  this  singular  event,  so  interesting  to  the 
whole  society.  M.  St.  Gill,  who  wished  to  car- 
ry on  the  joke  a  little  farther,  dissuaded  them 
Grom  taking  this  step,  telling  them  that  they 
would  be  treated  by  their  absent  brethren  as  a 
set  of  fools  and  visionaries.  He  recommended 
to  them,  however,  the  immediately  calling  the 
whole  community  into  the  church,  where  the 
ghost  of  their  departed  brother  might  probably 
reiterate  his  contplaints.  Accordingly,  all  the 
friars,  novices,  lay-brothers,  and  even  the  do- 
mestics of  the  convent,  were  immediately  sum- 
moned and  called  together,  In  a  short  time  the 
voice  from  the  roof  renewed  its  lamentations  and 
reproaches,  and  the  whole  convent  fell  oa  their 
faces,  and  vowed  a  solemn  reparation.  As  a 
first  step,  they  chanted  a  Dtprofundit  in  a. full 
choir ;  during  the  intervals  of  which  the  ghost 
occasionally  expressed  the  comfort  he  received 
from  their  pious  exercises  and  ejaculations  on 
his  behalf.  When  all  was  over,  the  prior  enter- 
ed into  a  serious  conversation  with  M.  St.  Gill ; 
and  on  the  strength  of  what  had  just  passed,  sa- 
gaciously inveighed  against  the  absurd  increduli- 
ty of  our  modern  sceptics  and  pretended  philoso- 
phers, on  the  article  of  ghosts  or  apparitions. 
M.  St.  Gill  thought  it  high  time  to  disabuse  the 
good  fathers.  This  purpose,  however,  ho  found 
k  eztremuly  difficuk  to  effect,  till  he  had  prevail- 


ed upon  them  to  return  with  him  into  the  church, 
and  there  be  witnesses  of  ihe  manner  in  which 
he  had  conducted  this  ludicrous  deception."  Had 
not  the  ventriloquist,  in  this  case,  explained  the 
cause  of  the  deception,  a  whole  body  of  men  might 
have  sworn,  with  a  good  conscience,  that  they 
had  heard  the  ghost  of  a  departed  brother  address 
them  again  and  again  in  a  supernatural  voice. 

It  is  highly  probable,  that  many  of  those  per- 
sons termed  witches  and  necromancers  in  ancient 
times,  who  pretended  to  be  invested  with  super- 
natural powers,  performed  their  deceptions  by 
the  art  of  ventriloquism.  The  term  literally 
means,  speaking  from  the  belly  ;  and,  in  accord- 
ance with  this  idea,  we  find  that  the  Pythoness, 
or  witch  of  Endor,  to  whom  Saul  applied  for 
advice  in  his  perplexity,  is  designated  in  the  Sep- 
tuagint  translation  of  the  Old  Testament,  "  a 
woman  that  speaks  from  her  belly  or  stomach," 
as  most  njagicians  affected  to  do  ;  and  some  au- 
thors have  informed  us,  that  there  were  women 
who  had  a  demon  which  spake  articulately  from 
the  lower  part  of  their  stomachs,  in  a  very  loud, 
though  hoarse  tone.  Umbrae  cum  sagani  reso- 
narent  triste  et  acutum.     Hor.  Sat.  viii.  lib.  i. 

Our  English  translation  "  familiar  spirit,"  in 
Hebrew,  signifies  "  the  spirit  of  Ob  or  Oboth," 
The  word  Ob  in  its  primitive  sense,  denotes  a 
bottle  or  vessel  of  leather^  wherein  liquors  were 
put ;  and  it  is  not  unlikely  that  this  name  was 
given  to  witches,  because,  in  their  fits  of  enthu- 
siasm, they  swelled  in  their  bellies  like  a  bottle. 
The  occa.<>ion  of  this  swelling  is  said  by  some 
authors  to  proceed  from  a  demon's  entering  into 
the  sorcerers  per  partes  genitales,  and  so  ascend- 
ing to  the  bottom  of  her  stomach,  from  whence, 
at  that  time,  she  uttered  her  predictions ;  and 
for  this  reason,  the  Latins  call  such  persons  Fien- 
triloqtd,  and  the  Greeks  Eyyatrrpi/ivflot,  that  is, 
people  who  speak  out  of  their  bellies.  Cselius 
Rhodiginus  (Antiq.  lib.  8.  c.  10.)  says,  m  refer- 
ence to  such  castes,  "  While  I  am  writing  con- 
cerning ventriloquous  persons,  there  is,  in  ray  own 
country,  a  woman  of  a  mean  extract,  who  has  an 
unclean  spirit  in  her  belly,  from  whence  may  be 
heard  a  voice,  not  very  strong  indeed,  but  very 
articulate  and  intelligible.  Multitudes  nf  people 
have  heard  this  voice,  as  well  as  myself,  and  all 
imaginable  precaution  has  been  used  in  examin- 
ing into  the  truth  of  this  fact :" — "  duando  futuri 
avida  portentus  mens,  saepe  accersitum  ventrilo- 
quam,  ac  pxutam  amictu,  ne  quid  fraudis  occul- 
taret,  inspectare  et  audire  concupivit."  The 
author  adds,  "  This  demon  is  called  Cindnnatu^ 
lus,  and  when  the  woman  calls  upon  him  by  his 
name,  he  immediately  answers  her." — Several 
ancient  writers  have  informed  us,  that  in  the 
times  of  Paganism,  evil  spirits  had  communion 
with  these  ventriloqtuB  per  partes  secretiortt. 
Chrysostom  says, — "  Traditur  Pythia  foemina 
fuisse,  qu>B  in  Tripodes  sedens  expansa  malignum 
spiritom  per  interna  immisstim,  et  per  genitaU* 


180 


APPENDIX. 


partM  tobeuiitein  excipieoa,  furore  replrretur, 
ipMque  resoluii*  crinibui  baccharetur,  px  ore 
■pumam  emiiiens,  e(  lic  furorif  verb*  loqueba- 
lur,"  &c. 

Spectres  have  alto  hem  produced  by  tuch  opli- 
eal  exhibiiiona  om  the  pharUatmagoria.  By  meanR 
of  this  instniment,  a  spectre  can  be  made  appa- 
rently to  start  lip  from  a  white  mist,  and  to  rush 
forward  towards  the  spectator  wiih  a  horrific  as- 
pect. If  a  thin  screen  were  placed  in  a  dark 
room,  and  the  lantern  of  the  phantasmagoria, 
with  its  lif^ht  properly  concealed,  the  most  terri- 
fic phantoms  might  be  exhibited,  which  would 
confound  and  appal  every  one  previously  unac- 
quainted with  the  contrivance,  especially  if  the 
exhibition  was  sixldenly  made  at  the  dead  hour  of 
■ight.  By  means  of  such  exhibitions,  combined 
with  the  art  of  ventriloquism,  and  the  assistance 
oft  confederate,  almost  every  thing  that  has  been 
recorded  respecting  spectres  and  apparitions 
might  be  realized. 

I  shall  conclude  these  illustrations  of  appari- 
tions, by  presenting  the  reader  with  a  description 
of  the  ghost  of  a  J!<a,  by  Mr.  Varley,  formerly 
alluded  to,  as  a  specimen  of  the  folly  and  super- 
liitioa  that  still  degrade  the  present  age. 

"  With  respect  to  the  vision  of  the  ghost  of  the 
flea,  as  seen  by  Mr.  Blake,  it  agrees  in  counte> 
nance  with  one  class  of  people  under  Gemini, 
which  sign  is  the  significator  of  the  flea,  whose 
brown  colour  is  appropriate  to  the  colour  of  the 
eyes,  in  some  full-toned  Gemini  persons,  and  the 
neatness,  elasticity,  and  tenseness  of  the  flea,  are 
si|^ificant  of  the  elegant  dancing  and  fencing  sign 
Gemini.  The  spirit  visited  his  imagination  in 
■uch  a  figure  as  he  never  anticipated  in  an  insect. 
As  I  was  anxious  to  make  the  most  correct  inves- 
tigation in  my  power  of  the  truth  of  these  visions, 
oo  bearing  of  this  spiritual  apparition  of  a  flea,  I 
ariwd  him  if  he  could  draw  for  me  the  resem- 
blance of  what  he  saw.  He  instantly  said, '  I  see 
him  now  before  me.'  I  therefore  gave  him  paper 
and  a  pencil  with  which  he  drew  the  portrait,  of 
which  a  fac-simile  is  given  in  this  number.  I  felt 
convinced  by  his  modeof  proceeding,  that  he  had 
a  real  image  before  him  ;  for  he  left  off  and  be- 
gan on  another  part  of  the  paper,  to  make  a  se- 
parate drawing  of  the  mouth  of  the  flea,  which 
the  spirit  having  opened,  he  was  prevented  from 
proceeding  with  the  first  sketch,  till  he  had  closed 
it.  During  the  time  occupied  in  completing  the 
drawing,  the  flea  told  him  that  all  fleas  were  in- 
habited by  the  souls  of  such  men  as  were  by  na- 
ture blood-thirsty  to  excess,  and  were,  therefore, 
providentially  confined  to  the  size  and  form  of 
■uch  insects ;  otherwise,  were  he  himself,  for  in- 
■lance,  the  size  of  a  horse,  he  woukj  depopulate 
a  great  part  of  the  country.  He  added,  that,  *  if 
ia  attempting  to  leap  from  one  island  to  another, 
be  should  fall  into  the  sea,  be  couU  swim,  and 
eoald  not  be  loet.'    This  spirit  ailerwards  ap- 


peared to  Blake,  and  afforded  him  a  view  «f  bif 
whole  figure,  an  engraving  of  which  I  snail  give 
in  this  work." 

N.  B. — Blake,  who  died  only  two  or  three 
years  ago,  was  an  ingenious  artist,  who  illustral- 
ed  Blair's  Grave,  and  other  works,  and  was  so 
much  of  an  ertthutiatt,  that  he  imagined  hecouM 
call  up  from  the  vasty  deep,  any  spirits  or  corpo- 
real fuims.  Were  it  not  a  fact,  that  a  work 
entitled  "  Zodiacal  Physiognomy,"  written  by 
John  Parley,  and  illustrated  with  engravings,  wns 
actually  published  in  the  year  1828,  by  Longman 
and  Co.,  weshouU  have  deemed  it  almost  impos- 
sible, th.tt  amidst  the  light  of  the  present  age,  any 
man  capable  of  writing  a  grammatical  sentence, 
would  sen'ouii(y  give  such  a  description  as  that 
quoted  above,  and  attach  his  belief  lo such  absur- 
dity and  nonsense.  But  amidst  all  our  boasted 
scientific  improvements  and  discoveries,  it  a|^ 
pears,  that  the  clouds  of  ignorance  and  supersti- 
tion still  hang  over  a  large  body  of  our  population, 
and  that  the  light  of  the  millennial  era,  if  it  have 
yet  dawned,  is  still  far  from  its  meridian  splendour. 


After  what  has  been  now  stated  respecting  the 
circumstances  which  may  have  led  to  the  popular 
belief  of  spectres  and  apparitions,  it  would  be  al- 
most needless  lo  spend  time  in  illustrating  the 
futility  of  such  a  belief  There  is  one  strong  ol>- 
jection  against  the  probability  of  apparitions,  and 
that  Is, — that  they  scarcely  appear  to  be  intelli- 
gent creatures,  or  at  least,  that  they  possess  so 
small  a  degree  of  intelligence,  that  they  arena- 
qualified  to  act  with  prudence,  or  to  use  the 
means  requisite  to  accomplish  an  end.  Ghosts 
are  said  often  to  appear  in  order  to  discover 
some  crime  that  had  been  committed  ;  but  they 
never  appear  to  a  magistrate,  or  some  person 
of  authority  and  intelligence,  but  to  some  illite- 
rate clown,  who  happens  to  live  near  the  place 
where  the  crime  was  committed,  to  some  per- 
son who  has  no  connexion  at  all  with  the  a^ 
fair,  and  who,  in  general,  is  the  most  improper 
person  in  the  world  for  making  the  discovery. 
Glanville,  who  wrote  in  defence  of  witchcraft  and 
apparitions,  relates,  for  instance,  the  following 
story  :  "  James  Haddock,  a  farmer,  was  married 
to  Elenor  Welsh,  by  whom  he  had  a  son.  After 
the  death  of  Haddock,  his  wife  married  one 
Davis  ;  and  both  agreed  to  defraud  the  son  by  the 
former  marriage,  of  a  lease  bequeathed  to  him  by 
his  father.  Upon  this  the  ghoet  of  Haddock  ap- 
peared to  one  Francis  Tavemer,  the  servant  of 
Lord  Chichester,  and  desired  him  to  go  to  Elenor 
Welsh,  and  to  inform  her  that  it  was  the  will  of 
her  former  husband  that  their  son  slwuld  enjoy 
the  lease.  Tavemer  did  not  at  first  execute  this 
commission,  but  he  was  continually  haunted  by 
the  apparition  in  the  most  hideous  shapes,  which 
even  threatened  to  tear  him  in  pieces,  till  at  last 
he  delivered  the  message."  Now,  bad  ibis  spectre 


EXPLOSION  OF  STEAM-ENGINES. 


181 


possessed  the  least  common  sense,  it  would  have 
appeared  first  to  Elenor  Welsh,  anil  her  husband 
Ddvis,  and  frightened  them  into  compliance  at 
once,  and  not  have  kept  p<x)r  Taverner,  who  had 
no  concern  in  the  matter,  in  such  constant  dis- 
quietude and  alarm. 

Another  odd  circumstance  respecting  appari- 
tions, is,  that  they  have  nopowerto  speak,  till  they 
are  addressed.  In  Glanville's  relations,  we  read 
of  an  old  woman,  that  appeared  ofien  to  David 
Hunter,  a  neat-herd,  at  the  house  of  the  Bishop 
of  Down.  Whenever  she  appeared,  he  found 
himself  obliged  to  follow  her;  and,  for  three  quar- 
ters of  a  year,  poor  David  spent  the  whole  of  al- 
most every  night  in  scampering  up  and  down 
through  the  woods  after  this  old  woman.  How 
long  this  extraordinary  employment  might  have 
continued,  it  is  impossible  to  guess,  had  not 
David's  violent  fatigue  made  him  one  night  ex- 
claim, "  Lord  bless  me! — would  I  were  dead!— 
shall  I  never  be  delivered  from  this  misery  ?"  On 
which  the  phantom  replied,  "  Lord  bless  me  too ! 
— Il  was  happy  you  spoke  first,  for  till  then  I 
had  no  power  to  speak,  though  I  have  followed 
you  so  long  !"  Then  she  gave  him  a  message  to 
her  two  sons,  though  David  told  her  he  remem- 
bered nothing  about  her.  David,  it  seems,  ne- 
glected to  deliver  the  message,  at  which  the  old 
beldam  was  so  much  provoked,  that  she  returned 
and  hit  him  a  hearty  blow  on  the  shoulder,  which 
made  him  cry  out  and  then  speak  to  her.  Now, 
if  she  could  not  speak  till  David  addressed  her, 
why  might  she  not  have  applied  this  oratorial 
medicine,  the  first  time  she  appeared  to  him  ?  It 
would  have  saved  both  herself  and  htm  many  a 
weary  journey,  and  certainly  David  would  much 
rather  have  had  half  a  dozen  blows  from  her  chop- 
py fists,  than  have  wanted  so  many  nighls'  sleep. 
To  complete  the  story,  it  must  be  added,  that 
when  David's  wife  found  it  impossible  to  keep  him 
from  following  the  troublesome  visiter,  she  trudged 
aAer  him,  but  was  never  gratified  with  a  sight  of 
the  enchantress. — See  Ency.  Brit.  Art.  Spectre. 

What  imaginable  purpose  can  be  served  by 
such  dumb  spef-.tres  that  cannot  speak  till  they  are 
addressed,  or  by  sending  apparitions  from  the 
invisible  world  i hat  appear  destitute  of  common 
sense  ?  It  is  remarked  by  Glanville,  that  ghosts 
are  generally  very  eager  to  bi  gone;  and,  indeed, 
they  are  frequently  so  much  so,  that  like  children 
and  thoughtless  fiols,  they  do  not  stay  lo  tell 
their  errand.  It  appears  altogether  inconsistent 
with  any  rational  or  scriptural  ideas  of  the  over- 
ruling providence  of  the  Almighty,  to  suppose 
that  such  beings  would  be  selected  for  adminis- 
tering the  affairs  of  his  kingdom,  and  for  main- 
taining an  intercourse  between  the  visible  and 
invisible  worlds.  It  is  also  slated  lo  be  one  pe- 
culiarity of  spectres  that  they  appear  only  in  the 
night.  But  if  thev  are  sent  to  this  sublunary 
region  on  affairs  of  importance,  why  should  they 
be  afraid  of  the  light  of  the  sua  ?    In  the  light 


of  day  their  message  would  be  delivered  witL  as 
much  ea.«e,  and  with  more  chance  of  success. 
As  it  would  excite  less  fear,  it  would  be  listened  to 
with  more  calmness  and  attention;  and  were 
they  to  exhibit  themselves  before  a  number  of 
intelligent  witnesses  in  the  full  blaze  of  day,  the 
purposes  for  which  they  were  sent  would  be  more 
speedily  and  securely  accomplished.  The  ce- 
lestial messengers  whose  visits  are  recorded  in 
Scripture,  appeared  roost  frequently  during  the 
light  of  day,  and  communicated  their  messages, 
in  many  instances,  to  a  number  of  individuals  at 
once — messages,  which  were  of  the  utmost  im- 
portance to  the  individuals  addressed,  and  even 
to  mankind  at  large.  To  give  credit,  therefore, 
to  the  popular  stories  respecting  ghosts  and  ap- 
paritions, embodies  in  it  a  reflection  on  the  cha- 
racter of  the  All-wise  Ruler  of  the  world,  and 
a  libel  on  the  administrations  of  his  moral  go- 
vernment. . 

No.   VIII. — Explosions  of  Sieam-Engines. 
Pp.  33, 76, 

As  steam-engines  are  now  applied  to  the  pur- 
pose of  impelling  vessels  along  seas  and  rivers, 
as  well  as  to  many  important  manufacturing  pro- 
cesses, and  are  capable  of  still  more  extensive 
applications,  and  of  higher  improvements  than 
they  have  yet  attained — it  is  of  the  utmost  in^ 
portance  that  every  circumstance  should  be  care- 
fully guarded  against,  which  has  the  remotest 
tendency  to  endanger  the  bursting  of  the  boiler, 
— and  that  no  person  be  intrusted  with  the  di- 
rection of  such  engines  who  is  not  distinguished 
for  prudence  and  caution,  or  who  is  unacquainted 
with  their  construction  and  the  principle  of  their 
operation.  For,  to  ignorance  and  imprudence 
are  to  be  ascribed  many  of  those  accidents  which 
have  happened  from  the  bursting  of  the  boilers 
of  these  engines.  This  remark  is  strikingly  U- 
lustrated  by  the  following  and  many  other  tragical 
occurrences : — 

In  (he  munlh  of  August  1815,  the  following 
melancholy  accident  happened  at  Messrs.  Ne^- 
ham  and  Go's  colliery  at  Newbottle.  The  pro- 
prietors had  formed  a  powerful  locomotive  steam- 
engine  for  the  purpose  of  drawing  ten  or  twelve 
coal  wagons  to  the  staith  atone  time:  and  on  the 
day  it  was  to  be  put  in  motion,  a  great  number 
of  persons  belonging  to  the  colliery  collected  to 
see  it;  but,  unfortunately,  just  as  it  was  going  off, 
the  boiler  of  the  machine  burst.  The  engine- 
man  was  dashed  to  pieces,  and  his  mangled  re- 
mains blown  1 14  yards.  The  top  of  the  boiler, 
nine  feet  square,  weighing  nineteen  hundred 
weight,  was  blown  100  yards,  and  the  two  cy- 
linders 90  yards.  A  little  boy  was  also  thrown  to 
a  great  distance.  By  this  accident  fifty-seven 
persons  were  killed  and  wounded,  of  whom  eleven 
died  on  Sunday  night ;  several  remaining  dan- 
gerously ill.     The  cause  of  the  accident  is  ac- 


182 


APPENDIX. 


counted  fbrufol'.owt: — Tbo  engine-man  laid, 
"  At  tktn  are  uveral  mtmtr$  mnd  vinotri  here,  I 
wiU  make  her  (ihe  en);tri<-)  go  in  grand  ttylc;" 
•nd  he  had  scarcely  got  ii|x>ii  tin;  twiler  to  Uxjse 
the  vcrew  of  the  safely  valv<-,  but,  tx-inc  over- 
healed,  it  explode<l. — Monthly Magaxtne,  vol.40, 
p.  181. 

From  what  is  here  staled,  it  appears,  that  (his 
tragical  accident  was  occasionod  by  a  conibiiia- 
lion  of  vaniiy,  ignorance,  and  imprudence  in  the 
person  to  whom  the  direriion  of  the  engine  was 
committed. — The  following  accident  which  hap- 
pened to  ihe  lVa*kington  steam-boat,  belonging 
lo  Wheeling, 'S.  America,  is  attributed  to  %, 
somewhat  similar  cause. 

•'  This  boat  staried  from  Wheeling  on  Mon- 
day, Juno  lOih,  1816,  and  arrived  atMarietia  on 
Tuesday  evening  at  7  o'clock,  and  came  safely 
to  anchor,  where  she  remained  till  Wednesday 
morninu.  The  fires  had  been  kindled  and  the 
boilers  sufficiently  hot,  preparatory  lo  her  depar* 
ture,  when  the  anchor  was  weighed  and  the 
helm  put  to  larboard,  in  order  to  wear  her  in  a 
position  lo  start  hor  machinery ;  but  only  having 
one  of  her  rudders  shipped  at  the  lime,  its  influ- 
ence was  not  sufficient  to  have  thedesired  effect, 
and  she  immediately  shot  over  under  the  Virgi- 
nia shore,  where  it  was  f  lund  expedient  lo  throw 
over  the  kedge  at  the  stem  to  effect  it.  This 
being  accomplished,  the  crew  were  then  required 
to  haul  il  on  board,  and  were  nearly  all  collected 
in  the  quarter  for  that  purpose.  At  this  ui>- 
happy  fatal  moment,  the  end  of  the  cylinder  to- 
wards the  stem  exploded,  and  threw  the  whole 
contents  of  hot  water  among  them,  and  spread 
death  and  torture  in  every  direction.  The  captain, 
mate,  and  several  seamen  were  knocked  over- 
board, but  were  saved,  with  the  exception  of 
one  man,  by  boats  from  the  town,  and  by  swim- 
ming to  the  shore.  The  whole  town  was  alarm- 
ed by  the  explosion,  and  all  the  physicians,  with 
a  number  of  citizens,  went  immediately  to  their 
rdief.  On  going  on  board,  a  melancholy  and 
4nily  horrible  scene  was  presented  to  view.  Six 
or  eight  persons  were  nearly  skinned  from  head 
to  foot,  and  others  scalded,  making  in  the  whole, 
■evenleen.  In  stripping  off*  their  clothes  the 
ikin  pealed  off*  with  them  to  a  considerable  depth. 
Added  to  this  melancholy  sight,  the  ears  of  the 
pitying  spectators  were  pierced  by  the  screams 
•nd  groans  of  ihe  agonizing  sufferers,  rendering 
tho  scroe  horrible  beyond  description. 

"The  cause  of  this  melancholy  catastrophe 
mkj  be  accounted  farby  the  cylinder  not  having 
veni  through  the  safely  valve,  which  was  firmly 
■topped  by  the  weight  which  himg  on  the  lever, 
having  been  unfortunately  slipped  lo  its  extreme, 
tnthout  its  being  noticed,  and  the  length  of  time 
oeeupied  in  wearing  before  her  machinery  could 
bo  set  in  motion,  whereby  the  force  of  the  steam 
would  have  been  expended ;  these  two  causes 
united,  confined  the  steam  till  the  strengili  of  the 


cylinders  coul4  no  longer  coattun  il,  and  gave 
way  with  great  violence.  Six  of  the  unfortunate 
sufferers  d.ed  on  Wednesday  night,  and  one  or 
two  others  are  no(ex|>ected  to  survive." — Loto- 
Mami  Qaxetle  and  New  Orleans  MtrcantiU  Ad- 
vertuer,  July  8th,  1 816. 

Since  tin  above  accidents  happened,  many 
others  of  a  similar  nature  have  occurred,  which 
have  ultimately  been  ascertained  to  have  been 
owing  either  to  ignorance,  or  to  carelessness  and 
inattention,  which  are  the  natural  results  of 
ignorance.  As  steam-boats  are  now  navigat- 
ing all  our  Friths  and  rivers,  and  even  ploughing 
the  ocean  itself;  and  as  steam  carriages,  are 
likely  soon  to  come  into  general  use  for  the  coi^ 
veyance  of  passengers  and  goods,  it  is  of  the 
utmost  importance  to  their  success,  and  to  the 
safety  of  the  public,  that  every  precaution  bo 
adopted  lo  prevent  those  explosions,  and  disai^ 
rangements  of  the  machinery,  which  might  bo 
attended  with  fatal  effects.  But,  although  s-cienco 
and  art  may  accomplish  all  that  seems  requisite 
for  the  prevention  of  danger,  unless  persons 
of  prtidence  and  intelligence  be  obtained  for  the 
superintendence  and  direction  of  such  machines, 
the  efforts  of  their  projectors  to  prevent  accidents 
may  prove  abortive.  And  until  the  tone  of  ii>> 
tellect,  among  the  middling  and  lower  orders,  be 
somewhat  more  elevated  than  it  is  at  present,  it 
may  be  difficult  to  obtain  persons  for  this  purpose 
of  the  requisite  qualifications. 

The  following  recent  accidents  from  steam- 
boat expiations,  in  all  probability  originated  from 
causes  similar  to  those  to  which  I  have  now 
alliided. 

The  boiler  of  the  steam- boat  Caledonia,  ply- 
ing on  the  Mississipi,  exploded  on  the  1 1th 
April  1830.  killing  and  wounding  about  fifteen  of 
the  passengers  and  seven  of  the  crew,— seven  or 
eight  of  whom  were  blown  overboard  and  lost. 
It  was  expected  that  some  of  the  wounded  would 
recover,  although  badly  scalded.  The  boiler 
burst  in  the  side  while  the  boat  was  under  weigh, 
and  about  two  hours  afier  being  wooded.  There 
were  on  board  about  400  deck,  and  sixty  cabin 
passengers,  besides  the  crew,  being  altogether 
about  600  souls.  The  hull  of  the  boat  was  un- 
injured. It  is  said  that  the  accident  arose 
from  the  passengers  crowding  to  one  side  of  the 
boat,  by  which  one  side  of  the  boiler  was  expos- 
ed to  the  direct  action  of  the  fire,  and  when  the 
boat  righted,  a  quantity  of  steam  was  suddenly 
generated  greater  than  the  safety  valve  could 
carry  off. — The  number  of  persona  who  have  lost 
their  lives  by  explosions  in  America,  since  the 
commencement  of  the  season  (1830,)  is  not  much 
short  of  one  hundred, — sixty  in  the  Helen  Mac- 
gregor,  four  in  the  Huntreu,  nine  in  the  Justice 
MarthaU,  and  fourteen  in  the  Caledtnia.  be- 
sides  those  of  the  latter,  who,  it  was  feared, 
would  not  recover  from  the  injuries  they  had 
sustained. 


INVENTION  OF  THE  SAFETY  LAMP. 


I8S 


In  these  and  other  instances,  it  is  more  than 
probable,  that  a  want  of  attention  to  the  natural 
laws  of  the  universe,  anJ  to  the  obvious  etTects 
which  an  enlightened  mind  should  foresee  they 
would  produce,  was  the  chief  cause  of  the  de- 
struction of  so  many  human  beings,  and  of  (he 
sutTerings  of  those  whose  lives  were  preserved. 
The  same  remark  may  be  applied  to  the  cir- 
cumstances connected  with  a  late  fatal  accident 
which  happened  on  the  Liverpool  and  Manches- 
ter rail- road. 

On  Friday  afternoon,  February  1,  1833,  as 
the  second-class  train,  which  leaves  Liverpool  at 
three  o'clock,  was  proceeding  over  Parr  Moss,  a 
little  on  the  other  side  of  Newton,  one  of  the 
tubes  which  passes  longitudinally  through  the 
boiler,  burst.  The  conse(iuence  was,  that  a 
quantity  of  water  fell  into  the  fire,  steam  was 
generatei  in  abundance,  and  the  engine  stopped. 
Several  of  the  passengers  alighted  to  see  what 
was  the  matter,  and  they  incautiously  got  upon  the 
line  of  rail-way  taken  by  the  trains  in  going  to 
Liverpool, — the  contrary  to  that  on  which  the  dis- 
abled engine  stood.  While  they  were  in  this 
situation,  a  train  of  wagons  from  Bolton,  pro- 
ceeding to  Liverpool,  came  up.  The  persons 
who  had  alighted  did  not  see  the  advancing  train, 
being  enveloped  in  a  dense  cloud  of  vapour;  and, 
from  the  same  cause,  they  were  by  the  conduct- 
or also  unse<5n.  They  accordingly  came  upon 
them  with  fearful  violence  ;  several  were  knocked 
down,  and  the  wheels  of  the  train  passed  over  four 
of  them.  Three  of  the  unfortunate  party  were 
killed  upon  the  spot ;  their  bodies  being  dread- 
fully crushed  ;  the  fourth  survived,  and  was  taken 
forward  to  the  infirmary,  but  his  recovery  was 
considered  hopeless.  Two  of  the  three  killed 
were  elderly  persons,  whose  names  were  un- 
known ;  the  third,  an  interesting  young  man, 
who  had  formerly  been  in  the  employ  of  the  Com- 
pany as  a  fireman,  and  who  was  married  only  three 
weeks  before.  The  survivor  was  a  boy  about 
sixteen  years  of  age,  who  was  proceeding  from 
Belfast  to  Halifax,  where  his  parents  reside.— 
The  casualty,  which  was  the  occasion  of 
this  serious  result,  was  itself  but  trifling,  as  the 
train  went  forward  to  Manchester  after  a  short 
delay. 

This  shocking  catastrophe  was  evidently  caus- 
ed by  rashness  and  imprudence— ^y  not  foresee- 
ing what  might  probably  arise  from  a  certain 
combination  of  circumstances — or,  in  other 
words,  by  inattention  to  certain  natural  laws, 
both  on  the  part  of  those  who  were  connected 
with  the  Liverpool  train  of  wagons,  and  of  those 
who  conducted  the  Bulton  train.  In  regard  to 
the  passengers  in  the  Liverpool  train,  it  was 
highly  improper  that  they  should  have  leJl  their 
soats  on  the  carriage.  The  accident  which  befel 
the  unfortunate  Mr.  Huskisson,  at  the  opening 
of  the  rail-way,  should  have  operated  as  an  im- 
pressive warning  against  such  a  practice,    la 


the  next  place,  it  was  most  imprudent  to  venture 
upon  the  oilier  line  of  rail-way,  more  especiallj 
when  a  cloud  of  steam  prevented  them  from  se^ 
ing  what  was  passing  around  them. — In  regard  to 
the  person  who  had  the  command  of  the  Boltoo 
train,  it  was  incautious  and  imprudent  in  the 
highest  degree,  to  urge  his  machinery  forward, 
when  he  beheld  a  volume  of  smoke  immediately 
before  him ;  the  least  consideration  must  have 
convinced  him,  that  some  accident  must  have 
happened,  and  that  the  cloud  of  steam  would  pre-  - 
vent  those  enveloped  in  it  from  perceiving  the 
approach  of  his  vehicle ;  and,  therefore,  he  ought 
immediately  to  have  abated  his  speed,  so  as  to 
have  acquired  a  complete  command  of  the  en- 
gine by  the  lime  it  arrived  at  the  spot  where  the 
steam  was  floating.  Hence  the  importance — in 
conducting  steam-engines  and  other  de|>artments 
of  machinery — of  having  as  superintendents,  men 
of  prudence  and  of  enlightened  minds,  capable  of 
foreseeing  the  probable  effects  of  every  combina- 
tion of  circumstances  that  may  happen  to  occur. 
For  Ignorance  is  generally  proud,  obstinate, 
incautious,  precipitate  in  its  movements,  and 
regardless  of  consequences  ;  so  that,  through  its 
heedlessness  and  folly,  the  most  splendid  inven- 
tions are  often  impeded  in  their  progress,  and 
their  valu".  and  utility  called  in  question. 

The  Liverpool  and  Manchester  Rail-way, 
and  the  locomotive  powers  of  the  machinery  and 
engines  which  move  along  it,  constitute  one  of 
the  most  splendid  and  useful  improvements  of 
modern  times.  From  the  last  half-yearly  Re- 
port of  the  Directors,  from  June  30  to  December 
31, 1832,  it  it  satisfactorily  proved,  that  this  rail- 
way is  completely  efficient  and  applicable  to  all 
the  great  objects  for  which  it  was  designed.  Dur- 
ing the  period  now  specified,  there  were  carried 
along  the  rail-way  86,842  tons  goods,  39,940  tons 
coals,  and  182,823  passengers,  which  is  73,498 
fewer  than  in  the  corresponding  six  months  of 
1831,  owing  to  the  prevalence  of  cholera  in  Dul^ 
lin,  and  in  the  towns  of  Manchester  and  Liveiw 
pool.  Were  this  rail-way  continued  to  London, 
it  is  calculated,  that  the  journey  from  Liverpool 
to  the  Metropolis,  a  distance  of  more  than  200 
miles,  might  be  performed  in  eight  or  ten  hours. 

No.  TX. — CircumMancea  which  led  to  the.  tntwn- 
tion  of  the  Safety  Lamp.     Pp.  27,    81. 

This  lamp,  by  means  of  which  hundreds  ot 
lives  have  been  preserved,  was  invented  in  the 
autumn  of  1815.  Sir  Humphry  Davy,  the  inven- 
tor, was  led  to  the  consideration  of  this  subject, 
by  an  application  from  Dr.  Gray,  now  Bishop 
of  Bristol,  the  chairman  of  a  society  established 
in  1813,  at  Bi.«hop-Wearmouth,  to  consider  and 
promote  the  means  of  preventing  accidents  by 
fire  in  coal-pits.  Being  then  in  Scotland,  he 
visited  the  mines  on  his  return  southward,  and 
was  supplied  with  specimens  <^ fire-damp,  wbicb| 


184 


APPENDIX. 


OQ  reaching  Loodoa,  k*  proceeded  to  examine 
and  aoalyxe.  He  avoa  diacovered  that  the  car- 
burretted  hydrogun  gaa,  called  6re-diimp  by  the 
miner*,  would  not  explode  when  mixed  with  less 
than  six,  or  more  than  fourteen  times  its  volume 
•f  air;  and,  further,  that  ilie  explosive  mixture 
could  not  be  fired  in  lubes  of  small  diameters  and 
proportional e  lengths.  Gradually  diminishing 
these,  he  arrived  at  the  conclusion,  that  a  tissue 
of  wire  in  which  tlie  meshes  do  not  e.fceed  a 
certain  small  diameter,  which  may  be  cunsidured 
a*  the  ultimate  limit  of  a  aeries  of  such  tubes,  is 
impervious  to  the  inflamed  air ;  and  that  a  lamp 
covered  with  such  tissue  may  be  used  with  per- 
fect safety,  even  in  an  explosive  mixture,  which 
takes  6re  and  burns  within  the  cage,  securely 
cut  olf  from  the  power  of  doing  harm.  Thus, 
when  the  atmosphere  is  so  impure  that  the  flame 
of  a  lamp  itself  cannot  be  noainiained,  the  Davy 
still  bupplies  light  to  the  miner,  and  turns  his 
worst  enemy  into  an  obedient  servant.  This  in- 
Teotion,  thd  certain  source  of  large  profil,  he 
presented  with  characteristic  liberality  to  the 
public.  The  words  are  preserved  in  which, 
when  pressed  to  secure  to  himself  the  benefit  of 
a  patent,  he  declined  to  do  so,  in  conformity  with 
the  high-minded  resolution  which  he  formed, 
upon  acquiring  independent  wealth,  of  never 
making  his  scientific  eminence  subservient  to 
gain.  "  I  have  enough  for  all  my  views  and 
purposes,  more  wealth  might  be  troublesome, 
and  distract  my  attention  from  those  pursuits 
in  which  1  delight.  More  wealth  could  not 
increase  my  fame  or  happiness.  It  might  un- 
doubtedly enable  me  to  put  four  horses  to  my  car- 
riage, but  what  would  it  avail  me  to  have  it  said, 
that  Sir  Humphry  drives  his  carriage  and  four  ?" 
Gallery  qf  PortraitM. 

No.  X. — On  the  Utility  of  the  Remarka  and 
Obtervationt  of  Jiechamcs  and  Manufac- 
twrert.  P.  81. 

That  the  remarks  of  experienced  artists  and  la- 
bourers, may  frequently  lead  to  useful  discoveries, 
may  be  illustrated  by  the  following  facts : — "  A 
soap  manufacturer  rema'ked  that  the  residuum 
of  his  ley,  when  exhausted  of  the  alkali  for  which 
he  employed  it,  produced  a  corrosion  of  his  cop- 
per boiler  for  which  he  could  not  account.  He 
put  it  into  the  hand*  of  a  scientific  chemist  for 
analysis,  and  the  result  was  the  discovery  of  one 
of  the  roost  singular  and  important  chemical  ele- 
ments, iodine.  The  properties  of  this,  being 
studied,  were  found  to  occur  most  appositely  in 
illustiation  and  support  of  a  variety  of  new,  curi- 
ous, and  instructive  views,  then  gaining  ground  in 
rhnwistry  and  thus  exercised  a  marked  influence 
OTsr  the  whole  body  of  that  science.  Curiosity 
was  excited  ;  the  origin  of  the  new  substam-o  was 
IrMod  to  the  s«a-planu  from  whose  ashes  th« 
principal  ingrwlisat  of  soap  ia  obuinod,  and  ulti- 


mately to  the  sea-water  itself.  It  was  ih 
bunted  through  nature,  discovered  in  salt  mines 
and  springs,  and  puisued  into  all  budie*  which 
have  a  marine  origin;  among  the  rest,  into 
sponge.  A  medical  practitioner  then  called  to 
mind  a  reputed  remedy  for  the  cure  of  one  of  the 
most  grievous  and  unsightly  disorders  to  which 
the  human  species  i*  subject — the  ^ oilre — which 
infiwts  the  uhabiiants  of  mountainous  disti  icts  to 
an  extent  which  in  this  favoured  land  we  have 
happily  no  experience  of,  and  which  was  said  to 
have  been  originally  cured  by  the  ashes  of  burnt 
sponge.  Led  by  this  indication,  he  tried  the  cA 
feet  of  iodine  on  that  complaint,  and  thr  rrsuh 
established  the  extraordinary  fact,  that  this  sin- 
gular substance,  token  as  a  medicine,  acts  with 
the  utmost  promptitude  and  energy  on  goitre,  dis» 
sipating  the  largest  and  most  inveterate  in  a  short 
time,  and  acting  (of  course  with  occasional  fail- 
ures, like  all  other  medicines)  as  a  specific  or 
natural  antagonist,  against  that  odious  deforiiiitj. 
It  is  thus  that  any  accession  to  our  knowledge  of 
nature  is  sure,  sooner  or  later,  to  make  itself  felt 
in  some  practical  application,  and  that  a  benefit 
conferred  on  science,  by  the  casual  obeervaiioo 
or  shrewd  remark  of  even  an  unscientific  or  illite- 
rate person,  infallibly  repays  itself  with  interest, 
though  often  in  a  way  that  could  never  have  been 
at  first  contemplated."* 

Iodine  was  aecidenlally  discovered  (as  above 
stated)  in  1812,  by  M.  De  Courtois,  a  nianufio- 
tiirer  of  saltpetre  at  Paris,  and  derived  iis  first 
illustrations  from  M.  Clement  and  M.  Desor- 
mes.  Its  name  literally  signifies  a  violet  colour.  Its 
specific  gravity  is  about  4.  It  becomes  a  violet- 
coloured  gas  at  a  temperature  below  tliat  of  boiling 
water;  it  combines  with  the  metals,  with  pho*. 
phorus  and  sulphur,  with  the  alkalis  and  metallic 
oxides,  and  forms  a  detonating  compound  with 
ammonia.  Dr.  Coindet  of  Geneva  first  recouv* 
mended  the  use  of  it,  in  the  form  of  tincture,  for 
the  euro  of  goitres.  Some  readers  may  perhaps 
require  to  be  informed  that  the  goiire  is  a  large 
fleshy  excreoceoce  that  grows  from  the  throat, 
and  sometimes  incrcaseN  to  an  enormous  size. 
The  inhabitants  of  certain  parts  of  Switzerland| 
especially  those  in  the  republic  of  KtWais,  are 
particularly  subject  to  this  shocking  deformity. 

No.  XI  — Liberality  of  Religioui  Sectarie*  M 
Amerioa,  contraMted  with  British  bigottjf. 
P.  149. 

The  following  sketches  are  taken  (rom  Stuart's 
"  Three  Yearn  in  North  America."  When  at 
Avon,  a  village  in  tlie  north-west  part  of  the  State 
of  New  York,  Mr.  Stuart  went  to  attend  a  church 
about  a  mile  distant,  of  which  he  gives  the  follon^ 
ing description. — "  The  horses  and  carriages  wctr* 
tied  up  in  great  sheds  near  the  church-doors,  duv 

*  Herschei's Prelim.  IMsooturte  to  NaL  Phil. 


XIBERALITY  OF  SECTARIES  IN  AMERICA. 


185 


ing  (he  time  of  service.  The  day  was  hot,  and 
ihe  precentor,  as  usual,  in  the  centre  of  th;  front 
gallery,  opposite  to  the  minister,  officiated,  not 
only  without  a  gown,  but  without  a  coat  upon  his 
back.  There  was  some  sort  of  instrumental 
music — hautboys  and  bassoons,  I  think,  against 
which  there  are  no  prejudices  in  ihis  country. 
The  clergyman,  a  very  unatTected,  sincere-look- 
ing person,  delivered  a  plam  sensible  discouFse, 
in  which  he  introduced  the  names  of  Dr.  Erskine 
and  Dr.  Chalmers,  whir.h  sounded  strange  to  us, 
considering  where  we  were,  on  the  western  side 
of  the  Atlantic,  not  very  far  from  the  falls  of  Ni- 
agara. At  the  close  of  his  sermon,  he  addressed 
his  hearers  in  some  such  terms  as  these, — '  My 
friends,  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  supper  is  to 
be  dispensed  here  this  evening.  This  is  a  free 
diurch,  open. to  all — Presbyterians,  Methodists, 
Baptists,  and  all  other  denominations  of  Chris- 
tians. This  is  according  to  our  belief.  All  are  in- 
vited ;  the  risk  is  theirs.'  Such  liberality  is,  we 
find  on  inquiry,  not  unusual  among  the  clergymen 
and  congregations  of  different  sects,  with  the  ex- 
ception in  general  of  Unitarians.  I  observe  an 
Sample  recorded  in  Hosack's  Life  ofClint»n ; 
and  as  it  relates  to  the  great  Father  of  the  United 
States,  and  is  of  unquestionable  authority,  I  think 
it  of  sufficient  interest  for  insertion.  '  While  the 
American  army,  under  the  command  of  Wash- 
ington, lay  encamped  in  the  vicinity  of  Morris- 
town,  New-Jersey,  it  occurred  that  the  service  of 
the  communion  (then  observed  semi-annually 
only)  was  to  be  administered  to  the  Presbyterian 
church  in  that  village.  In  a  morning  of  the  pre- 
vious week,  the  General,  after  his  accustomed 
inspection  of  the  camp,  visited  the  house  of  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Jones,  then  pastor  of  that  church,  and, 
after  the  usual  preliminaries,  thus  accosted  him  : 
— •  Doctor,  I  understand  that  the  Lord's  supper 
is  to  be  celebrated  with  you  next  Sunday.  I  would 
learn,  if  it  accords  with  thecanonsof  your  church 
to  admit  communicants  of  another  denomination.' 
The  Doctor  rejoined,  '  Most  certainly.  Ours  is 
not  the  Presbyterian  t£j)te,  General,  but  the 
Lord's  table,  and  we  hence  give  the  Lord's  invi- 
tation to  all  his  followers,  of  whatever  name.' 
The  General  replied,  '  I  am  glad  of  it ;  that  is  as 
it  ought  to  be,  but  as  I  was  not  quite  sure  of  the 
fact,  I  thought  I  would  ascertain  it  from  yourself, 
as  I  propose  to  join  with  you  on  that  occasion. 
Though  a  member  of  the  church  of  England,  I 
have  no  exclusive  partialities.'  The  Doctor  re- 
assured him  of  a  cordial  welcome,  and  theGene- 
ral  was  found  seated  with  the  communicants  the 
next  Sabbath. 

"  During  my  residence  in  the  United  States, 
subsequent  to  this  period,  I  was  frequently  wit- 
ness to  the  good  understanding  which  generally 
prevails  among  clergymen  professing  different 
opinions  on  church  forms  and  doctrinal  points, 
in  this  country ;  and  I  occasionally  observed 
4KticQS  in  the  newspapers  to  the  same  purport. 

24. 


The  two  following  I  have  preserved  : — ■  The 
corner-stone  of  a  new  Baptist  church  was  laid  at 
Savannah  in  Georgia,  and  the  ceremonial  ser- 
vices were  performed  by  clergyeten  of  the  Metho- 
dist, German,  Lutheran,  Presbyterian,  E  piscopal, 
and  Baptist  churches.'  '  The  sacrament  of  the 
Lord's  supper  was  administered  in  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Post's  church  (Presbyterian  church  at  Washing- 
ton) and,  as  usual,  all  members  of  other  churches 
in  regular  standing  were  invited  to  unite  with 
the  members  of  that  church,  in  testifying  their 
faith  in,  «nd  love  to,  their  Lord  and  Saviour. 
The  invited  guests  a.osembled  around  the  table; 
and  it  so  happened  that  Mr.  Grundy,  a  senator 
from  Tennessee, and  twoCherokee  Indians,  were 
seated  side  by  side.'  Nothing  is  more  astound- 
ing in  the  stage-coach  intercourse  with  the  peo* 
pie  of  this  country,  as  well  as  in  the  bar-rooms 
where  travellers  meet,  than  the  freedom  and 
apparent  sincerity  of  their  remarks,  and  the  per- 
fect feehng  of  equality  with  which  the  conversa- 
tion is  maintained,  especially  on  religious 
matters.  I  have  heard  the  most  opposite  creeds 
maintained,  without  any  thing  like  acrimonious 
discussion  or  sarcastic  remark,  by  persons  in  the 
same  stage,  professing  themselves  undisguisedly, 
Calvinists,  Episcopalians,  Methodists,  and 
Unitarians,"  &c. 

If  such  are  the  liberal  views  entertained  in 
America  on  religious  subjects,  and  if  such  disp<^ 
sitions  are  more  congenial  to  the  spirit  of  the 
Christian  system,  than  the  fiery  and  uuhallowed 
zeal  and  unholy  jealousies  which  many  religioi^ 
ists  display — why  are  they  not  more  frequently 
manifested  in  our  own  country  ?  For,  the  differ- 
ence  of  localities  and  customs  cannot  alter  the 
nature  and  obligation  of  moral  principles  and 
actions.  What  a  striking  contrast  to  the  scenes 
now  exhibited  are  such  facts  as  the  following;— 
"  The  Rev.  J.  T.  Campbell,  rector  of  Tilston, 
in  the  diocese  of  Chester,  has  been  suspended 
from  his  clerical  function,  for  twelve  months, 
with  a  sequestration  of  his  benefice,  for  that  time, 
for  preaching  in  a  methodist  meeting-house  in 
Nantwich,  and  in  other  similar  places  within 
the  diocese."  "  The  Rev.  Dr.  Rice,  curate  of 
St.  Lukes,  London,  who  made  himself  conspicu- 
ous the  other  day,  at  Mr.  Wakely's  dinner,  and 
who,  in  consequence  of  the  liberal  sentiments  he 
then  expressed  on  the  subject  of  Church  Reform, 
has  fallen  under  the  censure  of  his  diocesan." 
Both  these  notices  appeared  in  most  of  the 
newspapers  in  January  1833,  and  were  never 
contradicted  !  If  such  conduct  in  the  rulers  of 
the  church  were  warranted  by  the  doctrines  or 
precepts  of  the  New  Testament,  Christianity 
would  be  unworthy  of  any  man's  attention  or 
support.  If  the  principles  and  persecuting 
spirit  involved  in  such  decisions,  were  coun- 
tenanced and  supported  bv  the  laws  of  the  state, 
we  should  soon  be  subjected  to  all  the  burniugs, 
hangings,  maimings,  tortures,  and  horrid  cruel* 


180 


APPENDIX. 


ties,  which  diaiinguithed  (h«  dark  age*  of  Pope- 
ry, and  the  procccdin|!i  of  the  Star  Chamber. 
How  loiiK  will  it  be  ere  profeMed  Chriiiian* 
display  a  Cfaiitian  tpirill  and  what  is  the  utility 
of  Chri«liani(y  to  the  world,  unless  candour, 
forbearance, /one,  meekness,  and  other  Christian 
virtues,  be  (he  characteristics  of  its  professed 
votaries  !  Wo  dare  any  person  to  bring  forward 
a  sinjile  instance  of  a  man's  being  converted  lo 
the  faith  of  our  holy  religion,  by  the  display  of 
unhallowed  zeal,  furious  bigotry,  sectarian  con- 
tentions, or  the  manifestation  of  a  domineering 
and  persecuting  spirit.  But,  thousands  of  in- 
stances could  be  produced  of  such  dispositions 
being  the  means  of  recruitinj;  the  ranks  of  infi- 
delity and  licentiousness.  The  followmg  state- 
ment, sent  to  the  Editor  of  the  Liverpool  Mercu- 
ry, Feb.  14th,  1833,  displays  the  liberality  of 
certain  British  clergymen,  in  the  thirty-third 
year  of  the  nineteenth  century.  "  I  have  been 
recently  called  on  by  death  to  part  with  one  of 
my  children.     I  waited  upon  the  Rev.  —— 

of church  (where  I  buried  a  child  a  short 

time  ago,)  to  arrange  with  him  about  its  inter- 
ment near  the  other.  '  But,  to  what  place  of 
worship  do  you  go  V  inquired  most  seriously  the 
Reverend  divine.  '  The  Methodists,  Sir,  of  the 
New  Connexion,'  I  replied.  '  As  you  do  not 
attend  n«y  church,  I  cannot,  therefore,  bury  your 
child. — Where  was  your  child  baptized  ?'  was 
his  second  inquiry.  '  At  the  church  of  which  I 
am  a  member,'  I  answered.  '  How  can  you 
tbink,'  exclaimed  (he  liberal  and  pious,  but  indig- 
nant minister, '  that  I  shall  bury  your  child, 
which  has  been  baptized  by  a  Dissenter  ?  Take 
your  child  to  be  buried  where  it  was  baptized.' — 
'  Bat,  Sir,  we  have  no  burial-ground  connected 
with  our  chapel.'  '  No  matter ;  the  church- 
wanlens  of  my  church  have  determined  not  to 
bury  any  that  do  not  belong  to  the  church.     Go,' 

said  the  minister, '  to ,  and  arrange  with 

him.' — So  saying,  he  turned  his  back  and  left  me. 
R.  Emery." 

The  EHike  of  Newcastle— so  notorious /or  do- 
ing uihat  he  pleatei  vnth  hi*  oum — has  the  follow- 
ing clause  introduced  into  certain  leases  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Nottingham  : — "  Thai  in  none 
qfthehoiue$  to  be  built,  shall  be  held  prayer-meet- 
ingt,  nr  any  conventicles  for  the  diffusion  of  senti- 
ments contrary  to  the  doctrine*  of  the  Church  of 
England."  A  fine  specimen,  truly,  of  Chris- 
tian liberality  in  (he  nineteenth  century  !  If  his 
Grace  the  Duke  of  Newcastle  attended  to  his 
prayers  ufrei/uently  tjiii  fervently  as  the  Liturgy 
enjoins,  he  would  be  disposed  to  display  a  Hide 
more  candour  in  reference  to  the  '■  prayer-meet- 
ings" of  his  dissenting  brethren.  With  regard 
to  the  leading  doctrines  of  the  Church  of  England, 
there  are  few  dissen(ers  disposed  (o  find  much 
fiiult  wi(h  (hem.  But  what  will  his  Grace  say 
of  the  indolence  and  avaricious  conduct  of  many 
of  the  minisierf  of  that  church,  which  have  been 


the  cause  of  the  rapid  increase  oTDisaentenf 
The  Vicar  of  Pcvensry  in  Sussex  (as  appew 
from  a  petition  of  the  parishionerii,  dated  Febru»' 
ry  1,  1833)  derives  an  tncome  from  the  parish  of 
about  1200/.  a-year,  and  yet  has  never  once  per- 
formed divine  service,  since  his  induction,  about 
Beventeen  year*  ago.  He  h8«  another  living  at 
Guestling,  abcNit  fifteen  miles  distant,  from  which 
he  derives  a  revenue  ot400l.  per  annum.  Whe- 
ther he  does  duty  (here  is  not  known  ;  but  it  ia 
not  absurd  lo  suppose,  that  a  parson  who  will  not 
so  much  as  read  prayers  for  1200/.  is  not  very 
likely  to  preach  for  400/. — R.  Hodgson,  Dean 
of  Carlisle,  is  also  Vicar  of  Burg-on-Sands,  Re^ 
tor  of  St.  Georges  in  Hanover  Square,  Vicar  of 
Hcllington,  and  yet  at  none  of  these  places  is  h« 
found  officiating.  The  tithes  received  by  the 
Dean  and  Chapter  for  Heshet,  amotmt  (o  lOOOL 
or  1500/.  a-year  ;  (hey  pay  (he  curate  (ha(  doea 
the  duty  18/.  5s.,  or  at  the  rate  of  one  shilling 
a-day — (he  wages  of  a  bricklayer's  labourer.  In 
We(heral  and  Warwick,  (he  Dean  and  Chapter 
draw  abou(  1000/.  a-year  for  (i[hes,  and  1000/. 
a-year  from  the  church  lands,  and  (hey  pay  (ho 
working  minister  (he  sum  of  50/.  a-year.  The 
tithes  of  the  parish  of  SL  Cuthberts  and  St.  Ma- 
ry amount  to  about  1500/.  a-year  ;  and  the  two 
curates,  who  do  the  duty,  receive  each  the  sum 
of  2/.  13s.  4d.  a-year  !  !  Three  bro(hers  of  th« 
name  of  Gnodenough,  monopolize  thirteen  piecet 
of  church  preferment.  One  of  them  is  Prebend 
of  Carlisle,  Westminister  and  ^  ork.  Vicar  of 
Wath  AII-Sain[8on  Dearn,  chaplain  of  Adwick, 
and  chaplain  of  Bramp(on  Bierlow.  Those  pre- 
ferments produce,  of  course,  several  thousands, 
for  which  (he  incumbents  perform  absolutely  no- 
thing. And  ye(,  one  of  the  persons  above  allu(^ 
ed  to,  had  lately  the  effrontery  to  come  (o  Carl- 
isle and  preach  up  "  the  Church  is  in  danger," 
because  these- shocking  enormities  are  now  ex- 
posed (o  public  reprobation.  See  Time*  (lew^ 
paper  for  March  7,  8,  1833.  It  would  be  do 
great  breach  of  charity  to  suppose,  that  it  is  such 
doctrines  and  practice  as  those  now  stated,  (hat 
(he  Duke  of  Newcasde  is  determined  to  support 
with  such  a  degree  of  persecuting  zeal — and  (hat 
pure  Christianity,  detached  from  its  connexions 
with  (he  sta(e,  is  the  object  of  his  hatred  and  con- 
tempt. 

As  a  corroboration  of  Mr.  S(uart's  statement* 
respecting  the  liberality  of  Religious  Sectaries 
in  America,  (he  following  ex(rac(  of  a  letter, 
dated  18ih  February  1833,  which  tho  author 
received  from  the  Rev.  Dr.  S  '  ,  a  learned 
and  pious  Presbyterian  minister  in  the  State  of 
New  York,  may  be  here  inserted — 

"  I  deeply  regre(  to  hear  that  so  much  of  tha 
spirit  of  sectarianism  prevails  among  the  differ- 
ent religious  denominations  of  your  country. 
We,  too,  have  enough  of  i( ;  but  it  is  here  mani- 
festly on  (he  decline.  You  may  possibly  think  il 
■n  unreasonable  stretch  of  liberality  when  I  taB 


EFFECTS  OF  INFIDEL  PHILOSOPHY. 


187 


««u,  that  within  a  few  weeks,  I  sutTered  an 
Episcopalian  to  preach  in  my  pulpit,  and  to  use 
his  own  farms  of  prayer.  But  such  is  the  state 
of  Ajeling  in  my  congregation,  that,  though  such 
a  thing  had  never  bafore  occurred  among  them, 
yet  it  met  with  their  universal  and  unqualified 
approbation.  On  the  other  hand,  I  expect,  in 
the  course  of  a  week  or  two,  to  preach  a  charity 
sermon  here  in  one  of  our  Episcopal  c)mrchf>s, 
and  to  perform  the  whole  service  in  my  own  way. 
This,  it  must  be  confessed,  is  a  little  uncommon 
«ven  in  this  country ;  but  every  thing  indicates, 
that  such  expressions  of  good  will,  even  between 
Presbyterians  and  Episcopalians,  will  soon  be- 
come frequent.  Independents  and  Presbyte- 
rians here  occupy  n«arly  the  samo  ground.  They 
ore  indeed  distinct  denominations,  but  are  repre- 
sented in  each  other's  public  bodies."  The  au- 
thor has  perused  an  excellent  sermon  of  the  cler- 
gyman now  alluded  to,  which  was  preached  in 
an  Independent  church  v,rhen  iniroducing-an  In- 
dependent minister  to  his  charge  immediately  after 
ordination,  which  shows  that  we  have  still  much 
to  learn  from  our  transatlantic  brethren,  in  relation 
ta  a  friendly  and  afiectionate  intercourse  with 
Christians  of  ditFerent  denominations. 

No.  XII. — On  the  Demoralizing  ^ffMi^oJlnfi- 
del  Philoaoph/.  P.  153—156. 

With  the  view  of  corroborating  and  illustrating 
more  fully  the  statements  made  in  the  pages  re- 
ferred to,  the  following  facts  may  be  stated  in  re- 
lation to  the  moral  character  of  the  inhabitants  of 
France  particularly  those  of  Paris. 

In  the  first  place,  the  vice  of  gangling  pre- 
vails in  the  capital  of  France  to  an  extent  un- 
known in  almost  any  other  country.  The  Pa- 
lais RoyaU  is  the  grand  focus  of  this  species  of  in- 
iquity, which  is  the  fertile  source  of  licsntious- 
ness,  and  of  almost  every  crime.  Mr.  J.  Scott, 
who  visited  Paris  in  1814,  thus  describes  this 
sink  of  moral  pollution.  "  The  Palais  Royale 
presents  the  most  characteristic  feature  of  Paris ; 
it  is  dissolute,  gay,  wretched,  elegant,  paltry, 
busy,  and  idle — it  suggests  recollections  of  atro- 
city, and  supplies  sights  of  fascination — it  dis- 
plays virtue  and  vice  living  on  easy  terms,  and 
in  immediate  neighbourhood  of  each  other.  Ex- 
citements, indulgences,  and  privations — art  and 
vulgarity — science  and  ii;norance — artful  con- 
spiracies atid  careless  debaucheries — all  mingle 
here,  forming  an  atmosphere  of  various  exiiala- 
tions,  a  whirl  of  the  most  lively  images — a  sti- 
oiulatins  melange  of  what  is  most  healing,  in- 
toxicating, and  subduing."  Sir  W.  Scott,  who 
■visited  Paris  in  1815,  gives  the  following  de- 
scription of  this  infamous  establishment.  "  The 
Palais  Royale,  in  whose  saloons  and  porticoes 
vice  has  established  a  public  and  open  school  for 
gambling  and  licentiousness,  should  be  levelled 
*o  the  ground  with  all   its  accursed  brothels  and 


gambling  houses — repdezvouses  the  more  seduc- 
tive to  youth,  as  being  free  from  some  of  those 
dangers  which  would  alarm  timidity  in  places  of 
avowedly  scandalous  resort.  In  the  SaUon  des 
Strangers,  the  most  celebrated  haunt  of  this 
Dom-Daniel,  which  I  had  the  curiosity  to  visit, 
the  scene  was  decent  and  sileiit  to  a  degree  of 
solemnity.  An  immense  hall  was  filled  with 
gamesters  and  spectators.  Those  who  kept  the 
bank,  and  managed  the  affairs  of  the  establish- 
ment, were  distinguished  by  the  green  shades 
which  they  wore  to  preserve  their  eyes ;  by  their 
silent  and  grave  demeanour,  and  by  'he  paleness 
of  their  countenances,  exhausted  by  their  con- 
stant vigils.  There  was  no  distinction  of  per- 
sons, nor  any  passport  required  for  entrance, 
save  that  of  a  decent  exterior;  and,  on  the  long 
tables,  which  were  covered  with  gold,  an  artisan 
was  at  liberty  to  hazard  his  week's  wages,  or  a 
noble  his  whole  estate.  Yeuth  and  age  were 
equally  i^elcome,  and  anyone  who  chose  to  play 
within  the  limits  of  a  trifling  sum,  had  only  to 
accuse  his  own  weakness,  if  he  was  drawn  into 
doeper  or  more  dangerous  hazard.  Every  thing 
appeared  to  be  conducted  with  perfect  fairness. 
The  only  advantage  possessed  by  the  bank 
(which  is  however,  enormous)  is  the  extent  oP 
the  funds.,  by  which  it  is  enabled  to  sustain  any 
reverse  of  fortune;  whereas,  most  of  the  indi- 
viduals who  play  against  the  bank,  are  in  cir» 
cumstances  to  be  ruined  by  the  first  succession 
of  ill  luck;  so  that,  ultimately,  the  small  ventures 
merge  in  the  stock  of  the  principal  adventuren^ 
as  rivers  run  into  the  sea.  The  profits  of  the 
establishment  must,  indeed,  be  very  large,  to 
support  its  expenses.  Besides  a  variety  of  at- 
tendants, who  distribute  refreshments  to  the 
players  gratis,  there  is  an  elegant  entertainment, 
with  expensive  wines,  regularly  prepared,  about 
three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  for  those  who 
choose  to  partako  of  it.  With  such  temptations 
around  him,  and  where  the  hazarding  an  insigni- 
ficant sum  seems  at  first  venial  or  innocent,  it  is 
no  wonder  that  thousands  feel  themselves  grado> 
ally  involved  in  iho  vortex,  whose  verge  is  so  lit" 
tie  distinguishable,  until  they  are  swallowed  up, 
with  their  time,  talents,  fortune,  and  frequently 
also  both  body  and  soul. 

"  This  is  vice  with  her  fairest  vizard;  but  the 
same  unhallowed  precinct  contains  many  a  s»> 
cret  ceWfar  the  most  hideous  and  unhrurd  of  de- 
baucheries ;  many  an  open  rendezvous  of  infarayi 
and  many  a  den  of  usury  and  treason ;  the  whole 
mixed  with  a  Vanity  Fair  of  shops  for  jewels, 
trinkets,  and  baubles ;  that  bashfulness  may  not 
need  a  decent  pretext  for  adventuring  into  the 
haunts  of  infamy.  It  was  here  that  the  preach- 
ers of  revolution  found,  amidst  gamblers,  despe- 
radoes, and  prostitutes,  ready  auditors  of  their 
doctrines,  and  aciivo  hands  to  labour  in  their 
vineyard.  It  was  here  that  the  plots  of  the 
Buonapcirtists  were  aci^usied ;  and  fresa  hence 


188 


APPENDIX. 


the  Mdiiced  toidien,  inflamed  with  many  a  bum- 
per to  iho  huallh  of  the  exile  of  Elba,  under  ihe 
myaiic  name*  of  Jean  de  VEpet,  and  Corporal 
ViuJel,  were  dismissed  tu  spread  thenrwsof  his 
approaching  return.  In  short,  from  ihui  central 
pit  of  Acheron,  in  which  are  openly  assembled 
UMJ  mingled  those  characters  and  occupations 
which,  in  cUl  other  eapUalt,  are  driven  to  shroud 
themselves  in  separate  and  retired  recesses  ;  from 
this  focus  of  vice  and  treason  have  flowed  forth 
those  waters  of  bitterness  of  which  France  has 
drunk  so  deeply." 

The  iiaU  of  marriage  in  this  country  since  the 
revolution  is  likuwise  the  fertile  source  of  im- 
morality and  crime.  Marriage  is  little  else  ihan 
a  state  of  legal  concubinage,  a  mere  temporary 
connexion,  from  which  the  parties  can  loose  them- 
selves when  they  please ;  and  women  are  a 
species  of  mercantile  commodity.  Illicit  ror>- 
nexions  and  illegitimate  children,  especially  in 
Paris,  are  numerous  beyond  what  is  known  in 
any  oilier  country.  The  following  statement  of 
the  affairs  of  the  French  capital,  for  the  year 
endin<!  22<i  September  1903,  ^iven  by  the  Pre- 
fect of  Police  to  the  Grand  Judge,  presents  a 
most  revolting  idea  of  the  state  of  public  morals  : 
— During  this  year  490  men  and  167  women 
committed  suicide  ;  81  men  and  69  women  were 
murdered,  of  whom  55  men  and  52  women  were 
foreigners :  644  divorces ;  155  murderers  exe- 
cuted ;  1210  persons  condemned  to  the  galleys, 
&c. ;  1626  persons  to  hard  labour,  and  64  mark- 
ed with  hot  irons  ;  12,  076  public  women  were 
registered ;  large  sums  were  levied  from  these 
wretched  creatures,  who  were  made  to  pay  from 

5  to  10  guineas  each  monthly,  according  to  their 
rank,  beauty,  or  fashion  ;  1552  kept  mistresses 
were  noted  down  by  the  police,  and  380  brothels 
licensed  by  the  Prefect.  Among  the  criminals 
executed  were  7  fathers  for  poisoning  their 
children  ;  10  husbands  for  murdering  their  wives; 

6  wives  that  had  murdered  their  husbands  ;  and 
16  children  who  had  poisoned  or  otherwise  de- 
stroyed their  parents. 

The  glaring  profanation  of  the  Sabbath  is  an- 
other striking  characteristic  of  the  people  of 
France,  especially  ad  displayed  in  the  capital. 
Entering  Paris  on  the  Sabbath,  a  Briton  is 
shocked  at  beholding  all  that  reverence  and  so- 
lemnity with  which  that  sacred  day  is  generally 
kept  in  Christian  countries,  not  only  set  aside, 
but  ridiculed  ami  contemned,  and  a  whole  people 
apparently  loei  to  every  impression  of  religion. 
The  shops  are  all  alive,  the  gaming-houses  fill- 
«d,  the  theatres  crowded,  the  streets  deafened 
with  ballad-singers  and  mountebanks;  persons 
of  all  ages,  from  the  hoary  granHsire  to  the  child 
of  four  or  five  years,  engaged  in  balls,  routs,  and 
dancings, — the  house  of  Qod  alone  deserted,  and 
the  voice  of  religion  alone  unheard  and  despised. 
The  Sabbath  was  the  day  appointed  for  cele- 
brating the  return  of  Buonaparte  from  Elba  in 


1815.  In  the  grand  square  there  were  slalionad 
two  theatres  of  dancers  and  ro|>e-danccrs :  two 
theatres  of  amusing  physical  experiments  ;  s£t 
bands  for  dancing  ;  a  theatre  of  singers ;  adisplay 
of  fire-works ;  a  circus  where  Franconc's  Iruopa 
were  to  exhibit  ;  and  above  all,  that  most  deleo' 
table  sport  called  Malt*  de  Cocagne.  The  Mattt 
de  Cocagne  consists  of  two  long  poles,  near  the 
tope  of  which  are  suspended  various  articles  of 
cookery,  such  as  roast  beef,  fowls,  ducks,  h.G, 
The  poles  are  soaped  and  rendered  slippery 
at  Ihe  bottom  ;  and  the  Kport  consists  in  the  lu- 
dicrous failures  of  those  who  climb  to  reach  the 
eatables.  Two  Matts  de  Cocagne  were  also 
erected  in  the  square  Marjury  ;  as  also  four  bands 
for  dancing,  a  theatre  of  rope-dancers  ;  a  theatre 
of  amusing  experiments  ;  a  theatre  of  singers, 
&c. ;  and  fire- works.  These  amusements  were 
to  commence  at  2  o'clock,  P.  M .  and  to  last  tiQ 
night.  Along  the  avenue  of  the  Champ  de  Ely- 
tee*,  there  were  erected  36  fountains  of  wine,  IS 
tables  for  the  distribution  of  eatables,  such  as 
pies,  fowls,  sausages,  &c.  The  distribution  of 
the  wine  and  eatables  took  place  at  three  o'ckick. 
At  nine  o'clock  there  was  a  grand  fire-work  at 
the  Place  de  Concorde,  Immediately  after- 
wards a  detonating  balloon  ascended  from  the 
Champ  de  Elysees.  The  detonation  took  place 
when  the  balloon  was  at  the  height  of  500  toisee, 
or  above  3000  feet.  In  the  evening  all  the  the- 
atres were  opened  gratis,  and  all  the  public  edi> 
fices  were  illuminated.  Such  was  the  mode  in 
which  the  Parisians  worshipped  the  "  goddess  oT 
Reason  "  on  the  day  appointed  for  the  Christian 
Sabbath. 

That  such  profanation  of  the  Sabbath  is  still 
continued,  and  that  it  is  not  confined  to  the  citj 
of  Paris,  but  abounds  in  most  of  the  provincial 
towns  of  France,  appears  from  the  following  e^ 
tract  of  a  letter  inserted  in  the  Eevangelical 
Magazine  for  January  1833,  from  a  gentleman 
who  recently  resided  in  different  parts  of  that 
country  : — "  Could  every  pious  reader  of  this 
letter  be  awakened,  on  the  morning  of  that  sacred 
day,  as  I  have  been,  by  the  clang  of  the  anvil, 
and,  on  his  entrance  into  the  streets  and  markets, 
observe  business  prosecuted  or  suspended  accord- 
ing to  the  tastesi  of  the  tradesmen  ;  could  he 
mark  the  workmen  on  seasons  of  religious  festi- 
val, erecting  the  triumphal  arch  on  the  Sabbath 
mornin:;,  and  removing  it  on  the  Sabbaih  evei^ 
ing ;  and  notice  the  labourers,  at  their  option, 
toiling  all  day  at  the  public  works  ;  could  he  see 
the  card-party  in  the  hotel,  and  the  nine-pins 
before  every  public  house,  and  the  promenaders 
swarming  in  all  the  suburbs  ;  could  he  be  com- 
pelled to  witness,  on  one  Sunday,  a  jirand  re- 
view of  a  ararrison  ;  and  on  another  be  disturbed 
by  the  music  of  a  comoany  of  strolling  players  ; 
and  could  he  find,  amidst  all  this  profanation,  as 
I  have  found,  no  temple  to  which  to  retreat,  save 
the  barren  cliff  or   the  ocean-cave,  surety  he 


MANLA.  FOR  DANCING  IN  PARIS. 


189 


woqM  feel  and  proclaim  the  truth, '  This  people 
is  destroyed  for  lack  of  knowledge.'  "  The  same 
(gentleman  shows,  that  this  profanation  is  chiefly 
occasioned  by  "  the  destitution  of  Scriptual  in- 
formation which  exists  in  France,"  which  the 
following  facts,  among  many  others  that  came 
under  his  own  observation,  tend  to  illustrate. 

"  On  the  road  to  M on  a  market-day,  I 

stopped  about  a  dozen  persons,  some  poor,  others 
of  the  better  classes,  and  showing  them  the  New 
Testament,  begged  them  to  inform  me  if  they 
possessed  it.     With  a  single  exception,  they  all 

replied  in  the  negative.    In  the  town  of  M 

I  entered,  with  the  same  inquiry,  many  of  the 
most  respectable  shops.  Only  one  individual 
among  their  occupiers  was  the  owner  of  a  New 
Testament.  One  gentleman,  who,  during  a 
week,  dined  with  me  at  my  inn,  and  who  avow- 
ed himself  a  deist  and  a  materialist,  said  that  he 
,  had  not  seen  a  Testament  for  many  years.  In- 
deed, I  doubled  whether  he  had  ever  read  it ;  for, 
on  my  presenting  one  to  him,  he  asked  if  it  con- 
tained an  account  of  the  creation.  A  journey- 
man bookbinder,  having  expressed  a  wish  to 
obtain  this  precious  book,  remarked,  on  receiving 
it,  in  perfect  ignorance  of  its  divine  authority, 
that  he  dared  to  say  it  was  '  a  very  fine  work.' 
A  student  in  a  university,  about  20  years  of  age, 
told  me,  that  although  he  had  seen  the  Vulgate 
(Latin)  version  of  the  New  Testament,  he  had 
never  met  with  it  in  a  French  translation.  A 
young  woman,  who  professed  to  have  a  Bible, 
produced  instead  of  it  a  Catholic  Abridgment  of 
the  Scriptures,  garbled  in  many  important  por- 
tions, and  interlarded  with  the  comments  of  the 
Fathers." 

Such  facts  aSbrd  a  striking  evidence  of  the 
hostility  of  the  Roman  Catholic  clergy  in 
France  to  the  circulation  of  the  Scriptures,  and 
the  enlightening  of  the  minds  of  the  community 
in  the  knowledge  of  Divine  truths  ;  and  therefore 
it  is  no  wonder  that  Infidelity,  Materialism,  and 
immorality,should  very  generally  prevail.  "  Even 
among  the  Protestants,"  says  the  same  writer, 
**  a  large  number  of  their  ministers  are  worldly 
men,  frequenting,  as  a  pious  lady  assured  me, 
'  the  chase,  the  dance,  and  the  billiard  table.' 
As  to  the  public  worship  of  God,  the  case  is 
equally  deplorable.  In  two  large  towns,  and  a 
population  of  25,000, 1  found  no  Protestant  sanc- 
tuary. In  a  third  town,  containing  about  7000 
inhabitants,  there  was  an  English  Episcopal 
chapel  for  the  British  residents,  but  no  French 
Protestant  service.  At  a  fourth,  in  which  there 
was  a  Protestant  church,  the  minister,  who  sup- 
plied four  other  places,  preached  one  Sabbath  in 
4ve  weeks." 

The  mania  for  dandng,  which  pervades  all 
classes  and  all  ages,  is  another  characteristic  of 
the  peoole  of  Paris,  of  which  some  idea  may  bo 
formed  irom  the  following  extract  from  a  French 
(MiUic  Journal,  dated  August  2,  1804 :— "  The 


dcauso-mama  of  both  sexes  seems  rather  to  in- 
crease than  decrease  with  the  XDOrm  weather. 
Sixty  balls  were  advertised  for  last  Sunday ;  and 
for  to-morrow  sixty-nine  are  announced.  Any 
person  walking  in  the  Elysian  fields,  or  on  the 
Boulevards,  may  be  convinced  that  these  temples 
of  pleasure  are  not  without  worshippers.  Besides 
these,  in  our  own  walks  last  Sunday,  we  counted 
no  less  than  twenty-two  gardens  not  advertised, 
where  there  was  .fiddling  and  dancing.  Indeed, 
this  pleasure  is  tempting,  because  it  is  very  cheap. 
For  a  bottle  of  beer,  which  costs  6  sous  (3d.,) 
and  2  sous  (Id.,)  to  the  fiddler,  a  husband  and 
wife,  with  their  children,  may  amuse  themselves 
from  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  till  eleven 
o'dock  at  night.  As  this  exercise  both  diverts 
the  mind  and  strengthens  the  body,  and  as  Sun- 
day is  the  only  day  of  the  week  which  the  most 
numerous  classes  of  people  can  dispose  of,  xmth- 
out  injuTJi  to  themselves  or  the  state,  government 
encourages,  as  much  as  possible,  these  innocent 
amusements  on  that  day.  In  the  garden  of  C  hau- 
mievre,  on  the  Boulevard  Neuf,  we  observed,  in 
the  same  quadrilles,  last  Sunday,  four  genera- 
tions, the  great  grandsire  dancing  with  his  great- 
great  granddaughter,  and  the  great-grandmamma 
dancing  with  her  great-great-grandson.  It  was 
a  satisfaction  impossible  to  be  expressed,  to  see 
persons  of  so  many  different  ages,  all  enjoying  the 
same  pleasures. for  the  present,  not  remembering 
past  misfortunes,  nor  apprehending  future  onus. 
The  grave  seemed  equally  distant  from  the  girl 
often  years  old,  and  from  her  great-grandmamma 
of  seventy  years,  and  from  the  boy  that  had  not 
seen  three  lustres,  us  from  the  great  grandsire 
reaching  nearly  fourscore  years.  In  another 
quadrille,  were  four  lovers  dancing  with  their 
mistresses.  There,  again,  nothing  was  obscrred 
but  an  emulation  who  should  enjoy  the  present 
moment.  Not  an  idea  of  the  past,  or  of  timo 
to  come,  clouded  their  thoughts  ;  in  a  few  words, 
they  were  perfectly  happy.  Let  those  torment- 
ed by  avarice  or  ambition  frequent  those  places 
on  a  Sunday,  and  they  will  be  cured  of  their  vile 
passions,  if  they  are  not  incurable."* 

Such  are  a  few  sketches  of  the  moral  state 
and  character  of  the  people  of  Paris,  which,  there 
is  every  reason  to  believe,  are,  witli  a  few  mo- 
difications, applicable  to  the  inhabitants  of  most 
of  the  other  large  towns  in  France.  Among  the 
great  mass  of  the  population  of  that  country, 
there  appears  to  be  no  distinct  recognition  of  the 
moral  attributes  of  the  Deity,  of  the  obligation 
of  the  Divine  law,  or  of  a  future  and  eternal  state 
of  existence.  Whirled  about  incessantly  in  the 
vortex  of  vanity  and  dissipation,  the  Creator  is 
lost  sight  of,  moral  responsibility  disregarded, 
and  present  sensual  gratifications  pursued  with 


•  Several  of  the  above  sketches  are  extracted  from 
the."  Glasgow  Geography,"  a  work  which  containa 
an  immense  mass  o(  historical,  geographical,  and 
miscelUneoua  Information. 


190 


APPENDIX. 


the  utnKMt  eiferma,  ragtrdlcM  whether  deaih 
■hall  prove  the  precurtor  to  perm&n<;nl  happiness 
or  miser/,  or  to  aiuieof"  ttarnal »Uep."  N«ver, 
perhaps,  in   a  Pa^n  cmintrjr,  was  iha  Epicu- 
*ean  philoaophy  ao  systematicaUjr  reduced  to  prae> 
tice  as  in  the  country  of  Voltaire,  BuflTon,  Mi- 
imbeau,  Condorcet,  Helretiiis,  and  Diderot.     It 
tannot  be  difficult  to  trace  the  present  demorali- 
Mtiun  oTFrance  to  the  sceptical  and  atheistical 
principles  disseminated  by  such   writers,  which 
were  adopted  in  all  their  extent,  and  acted  upon 
by   the  leaders  of  the  first  Revolution.      Soon 
■fter  thai  event,  education   was  altogether  pro- 
scribed.    During   the  space  of  five  years,  from 
179)  to  1796,  the  public  instruction  of  the  young 
was  totally  set  aside,  and,  of  course,  they  were 
left  to  remain  entirely  ignorant  of  the  facts  and 
doctrines  of  religion,  and  of  the  duties  ihey  owe 
to  God  and  to  man.     It  is  easy,  therefore,  to  con- 
ceive what  must  be  the  intellectual,  the  moral, 
Knd  reliuious  condition  of  those  who  were  bom  a 
little  before  this  period,  and  who  now  form  a  con- 
nderable  portion  of  the  population  arrived  at  the 
years  of  manhood.     A  gentleman  at  Paris  ha|>- 
pened  to  possess  a  domestic  of  sense  and  general 
intelligence  above  his  station.    His  master,  upon 
■ome  occasion,  used  to  him  the  expression,  "  It 
ia doing  as  we  would  be  done  by," — the  Christian 
maxim.     The  young  man  looked  rather  surpris- 
ed: "  Yes,"  (replied  the  gentleman)  "  I  say,  it 
ia  the  doctrine  of  the  Christian  religion,  which 
teaches  us  not  only  to  do  as  we  would  be  done 
by,  but  also  to  return  good  for  evil."  "  It  may  be 
so  Sir,"  (replied  he)  "  but  I  had  the  misfortune 
to  be  born  during  the  heat  of  the  revolution,  when 
it  would  have  been  death  to  have  spoken  on  the 
subject  of  religion ',  and  so  soon  as  I  was  fifteen 
years  old,  I  was  put  into  the  hands  of  the  drill- 
serjeant,  whose  first  lesson  to  me  was,  that  as  a 
French  soldier,  I   was  to  fear  ruilkir  God  nor 
devil."     It  is  to  be  hoped,  that  the  rising  genera- 
tion in  France  is   now  somewhat  improved  in 
intelligence   and    morality    beyond   that    which 
sprung    up    during  the  demoralizing  scenes  of 
the  first  revolution  ;  but,  in  spite  of  all  the  coun- 
teracting efforts  that  can  now  be  used,   another 
generation,  at  least,  must  pass  away,  before  the 
immoral   effects  produced  by  infidel  philosophy, 
aitd  the   principles  which  prevailed  during  the 
"  reign  of  terror,"  can  be  nearly  obliterated. 

I  shall  conclude  these  sketches  with  the  follow- 
ing  account  of  the  eonMoralion  cf  the  "  Goddess 
•f  Reason,"— one  of  the  nwst  profane  and  pre- 
sumptuous mockeries  of  every  thing  that  is  ra- 
tional or  aacred,  to  be  found  in  the  history  of 
mankind. 

'*  The  section  of  the  Sans  Culottes,  declared  at 
the  bar  of  the  Convention,  November  10,  179S, 
that  they  would  no  longer  have  priests  among 
Asm,  and  that  they  required  the  total  suppression 
•Tmll  salaries  paid  to  the  ministers  of  religious 
monhip.    Tbs  pstitio*  was  foUowsJ  by  >  wi 


ro(M  procession,  whicb  61ed  off  io  the  halt^  ma- 
companied  by  national  music.     Surrounded  bv 
them,  appeared   a  young  woman*  of  the  dnest 
fif^re,  arrayed  in  the  robes  of  liberty,  and  keated 
in  a  chair,  ornamented  with  leaves  and  fesiooos. 
She   was   placed  opposite    the  President ,  ano 
Chaumetie.  one  oTthe  members,  said, '  /bna  Huiim 
has  abandoned  the  place  of  trmb  ;  squint  eyed) 
it  could  not  bear  the  brilliant  light.    Thr  people 
of  Paris  have  taken   positesaioo  of  the  >eniple, 
which  thry  have  regenerated  ;  the  Gothic  arches 
which,  till  this  day  resounded  wiih^.t,  now  echo 
with  the  accents  of  truth  ;  you  see   we  have  not 
taken   for  our  festivals   inanimate    idols,  it  is  a 
ehej louvre  nf  nature  whom  we  have  arrayed  in 
the  habit  of  liberty  ;  its  sacred  form  has  tf|/laaM(i 
all  hearts.     The  public  has  bot  one  cry,  "No 
more  altars,  no  more  priests,  ne  other   God  but 
the  God  of  nature."     We,  their  magistraiea,  we 
accompany  them  from  the  temple  of  truth  to  the 
temple  of  the  laws,  to  celebrate  a  new  liberty,  and 
to  request  that  the  eidevant  ekurek  of  Notre  Dawf 
be  changed  itUO'a  temple  consecrated  to  reaton  and 
truth.'     This  proposal,  being  converted   into  a 
motion,  was  immediately  decreed  ;  and  the  Coik> 
vention  aflerwards   decided,  that   the  citizens  of 
Paris,  on  this  day,  continued  to  deserve   well  of 
their  country.     The  Goddess  then  seated  herself 
by  the  side  of  the  President,  who  gave  her  tjr*. 
temalkiu.  The  secretaries  presented  themselves 
to  share   the  same  favour ;  every  one  mu  eager 
to  M*$  the  new  divinity,  whom  so  nmny  saluta- 
tions did  not  tnthe  least  dieconcerl.    During  the 
ceremony,    the  orphans  of  the  country,  pupils  of 
Bourdun  (one  of  the  members)  tang  a  hymn  to 
renton,  composed  by  citizen  Moline.     The  na- 
tional music  played  Gosset's  hymn   to  liberty. 
The  Convention  then  mixed  with  the  people,  to 
celebrate  the  feast  of  reaton  in  her  nem  temple.    A 
grand  festival  was  accordingly  held  in  the  chuich 
of  Notre  Dame,  in  honour  of  this  deity.     In  the 
middle  of  the  church  was  erected  a  mount,  and  on 
it  a  very  plain  temple,  the  facade  of  which  bore 
the  following   inscription—'  a  la    PAi/osopUe.' 
The  busts  of  the  most  celebrated  philosophers 
were  placed  before  the  gate  of  this  temple.     The 
torch  of  truth  was  in  the  summit  of  the   mount, 
upon  the  altar  of  Reason,  spreading  light.     The 
Convention  and  all   the  constituted   authorities 
assisted  at  the  ceremony.     Two  rows  of  young 
girls,  dressed  in  white,  each  wearing  a  crown  ^ 
oak  leaves,  crossed  before  the  altar  of  reason,  at 
the  sound  of  republican  music  ;  each  of  the  girb 
inclined  before  the  torch,  and  ascended  the  sum- 
mit of  the  mount.     Liberty  then  came  out  oTtbe 
temple  of  philosophy,  towards  a  throne  made  of 
turf,  to  receive  the  homage  of  the  republicans  of 
both  sexes,  who  sang  a  hymn  in  her  praise,  ex- 
tending  their  arms  at  the  same  time  towards  has^ 


•  Madame  DesmouUnes,  who  wssaft«rwaids«aa- 
Mfiii'. 


CONSECRATION  OF  A  FEMALE  DEITY. 


191 


Liberty  ascended  afterwards,  to  return  to  the 
temple,  and,  in  ro-entering  it,  she  turned  about, 
casting  a  look  of  benevolence  upon  her  friends ; 
when  she  got  in,  every  one  expressed  with  enthu- 
siasm the  sensations  which  the  Goddess  excited 
in  them  by  songs  of  joy ;  and  they  swore,  never, 
never  to  cease  to  be  faithful  to  her." 

Such  were  the  festivities  and  ceremonies  which 
were  prescribed  for  the  installation  of  this  new 
divinity,  and  such  the  shameless  folly  and  daring 
impiety  with  which  they  were  accompanied ! 
Such  is  the  Religion  of  what  has  been  presump- 
tuously called  Philosophy,  when  it  has  shaken  off 
its  allegiance  to  the  Christian  Revelation — a  reli- 
gion as  inconsistent  with  the  dictates  of  reason 
and  the  common  sense  of  mankind,  as  it  is  with 
the  religion  of  the  Bible.  Never,  in  any  age, 
was  Philosophy  so  shamefully  degraded,  and  ex- 
posed to  the  contempt  of  every  rational  mind,  as 
when  it  thus  stooped  to  such  absurd  foolery  and 
Heaven-daring  profanity.    Besides  the  inpiety 


of  the  whole  of  this  procedure, — ^whidi  is  almoat 
without  a  parallel  in  the  annals  of  the  world- 
there  was  an  imbecility  and  a  sillitteta  in  it,  alto- 
gether incompatible  with  those  sublime  ideas  of 
creation  and  Providence,  which  true  philosophy, 
when  properly  directed,  has  a  tendency  to  inspire. 
And  how  ineoMistenily,dia  well  as  inhumanely,  did 
these  worshippers  of "  liberty,"  "  reason,"  and 
"truth,"  conduct  themselves  to  the  representative 
of  their  goddess,  when,  soon  after,  they  doomed  the 
lady,  whom  they  had  kissed  and  adored  in  the 
"temple  of  truth,"  to  expire  under  the  stroke  of  the 
guillotine !  Such  occurrences  appear  evidently 
intended  by  the  moral  Governor  of  the  world,  to 
admonish  us  of  the  danger  of  separating  science 
from  its  connexions  with  revealed  religion,  and 
to  show  us  to  what  dreadful  lengths,  in  impie^ 
and  crime,  even  men  of  talent  will  proceed,  when 
the  truths  of  Revelation  are  set  aside,  aiid  the 
principles,  and  moral  laws  of  Christianity  are 
trampled  under  foot. 


THE 


PHILOSOPHY 


OTA 


FUTURE    S.TATE, 


BY   THOMAS    DICK, 

AVTBOK  or  A   TABIETT    OF   LITERAKY   AITO   SCIEXTiriO   COUMinriOATIOai 

iir  nioholsoh's  philosophical  joorital,  the  anitals 

or    PHILOSOPHY,    ETC.   ETC. 


HARTFORD: 
PUBLISHED  BY  SUMNER  &,  GOODMAN. 
1843. 


TO 
THOMAS  CHALMERS,  U.D. 

PROFESSOR    OF    MORAL    PHILOSOPHY    IN    THE    UNIVERSITT   OF 
ST.    ANDREWS. 


Sir, 

In  dedicating  to  you  tiiis  volume,  which  has  lor  its  object  to  exhibit  a  popu- 
lar view  of  the  Philosophy  of  a  Future  Stale,  as  deduced  from  the  light  of 
science  and  revelation, — a  consideration  of  a  far  higher  nature  than  the  lonnaj 
and  customary  honour  of  addressing  a  man  of  literary  and  scientific  attainments, 
induced  me  to  shelter  it  under  your  patronage. 

In  the  several  vocations  in  which  Divine  Providence  lias  called  you  to  offi- 
ciate, you  have  proved  yourself  llie  warm  and  disinterested  patron  of  all  that 
is  benevolent  and  good — of  every  thing  that  concerns  the  present  and  eternal 
welfare  of  mankind :  and  your  praises  have  been  re-echoed  from  one  corner 
of  the  land  to  another,  as  the  champion  of  the  Christian  religion, — the  doctrines 
of  which,  your  voice  and  your  pen  have  done  so  much  to  illustrate. 

Your  writings  furnish  ample  testimony  to  the  world  of  your  earnest,  active, 
and  unwearied  solicitude  for  the  moral  and  religious  improvement  of  mankind 
—a  solicitude  which  is  not  abated  by  any  minor  differences  of  opinion  in  those 
with  whom  you  co-of)erate,  where  the  great  object  is,  to  diff'use  knowledge  and 
liappiness  over  the  face  of  the  earth. 

\  our  kind  indulgence  to  me,  on  the  slight  acquaintance  I  have  of  you  per- 
sonally, and  your  approbation  of  some  of  my  labours,  in  endeavouring  t<» 
connect  Science  and  Religion,  induce  me  to  hope,  that,  if  the  views  taken  of 
the  present  subject  in  any  measure  correspond  with  your  own,  you  will  coun- 
tenance my  humble  attempts  to  dispel  the  prejudices  which  many  well-meaning 
Christians  may  entertain,  as  to  the  beneficial  tendency  of  exhibiting  the  sciences 
of  A  present,  as  applicable  to  the  circumstances  and  relations  of  a.  future  world. 

That  you  may  long  be  spared  as  the  advocate  of  vital  Christianity — as  a 
blessing  and  ornament  to  your  country — and  as  a  zealous  instructor  of  those 
who  are  destined  to  promote  its  best  interests ;  and  that  you  may  enjoy,  with- 
out interruption,  the  pleasures  arising  from  a  consciousness  of  the  esteem  and 
approbation  of  the  wise  and  the  pious,  is  the  sincere  prayer  of, 

Sir, 

Your  much  obliged, 

and  humble  Servant, 

THOMAS  DICK. 

Broughty  Ferry,  near  Dundee, 

Dec.  28,  1827,  ' 


PREFACE. 


The  reasonings  and  illustrations  contained  in  the  following  pages  are  intended 
to  direct  the  intelligent  Christian  in  some  of  those  trains  of  thought  which  he 
ought  to  prosecute,  when  looking  forward  to  the  scene  of  his  future  destination. 
The  Author  was  induced  to  engage  in  the  discussion  of  this  subject,  from  a 
consideration,  that  many. vague  and  erroneous  conceptions  are  still  entertained 
among  Christians  in  regard  to  the  nature  of  heavenly  felicity,  and  the  employ- 
ments of  the  iiiture  world.  In  elucidating  the  train  of  thought  which  is  here 
prosecuted,  he  has  brought  forward,  without  hesitation,  the  discoveries  ot 
modern  science,  particularly  those  which  relate  to  the  scenery  of  the  heavens ; 
convinced,  that  all  the  manifestations  of  himself  which  the  Creator  has  per 
mitted  us  to  contemplate,  are  intended  to  throw  light  on  the  plan  of  his  moral 
government  in  relation  both  to  our  present  and  our  future  destiny.  He  has 
carefully  avoided  every  thing  that  might  appear  like  vague  or  extravagant  con 
jecture  ;  and  he  trusts  that  the  opinions  he  has  broached,  and  the  conclusions 
he  has  deduced,  will  generally  be  found  accordant  with  the  analogies  of  Nature 
and  the  dictates  of  Revelation.  He  is  aware,  that  he  has  many  prejudices  to 
encounter,  arising  from  the  vague  and  indefinite  manner  in  which  such  sub- 
jects have  been  hitherto  treated,  and  from  the  want  of  those  expansive  views 
of  the  Divine  operations  which  the  professors  of  Christianity  should  endeavour 
to  attain  ;  but  he  feels  confident  that  those  who  are  best  qualified  to  appreciate 
his  sentiments,  will  treat  with  candour  an  attempt  to  elucidate  a  subject  hitherto 
overlooked,  and  in  which  every  individual  in  the  human  race  is  deeply  in 
terested. 

It  was  originally  intended  to  publish  what  is  contained  in  Parts  II.  and  III. 
without  any  dissertation  on  the  evidences  of  a  future  state  as  deduced  from  the 
light  of  nature — taking  the  immortality  of  man  for  granted  on  the  authority  of 
Revelation.  But,  on  second  thought,  it  was  judged  expedient,  for  the  sake  of 
general  readers,  to  exhibit  a  condensed  view  of  Uiose  arguments  which  even 
the  light  of  reason  can  produce  in  favour  of  the  immortality  of  man.  In  this 
department  of  the  volume,  the  Author  has  brought  forward  several  arguments 
which  he  is  not  aware  have  been  taken  notice  of  by  ethical  writers,  when 
treating  on  this  subject.  He  has  endeavoured  to  illustrate  these  and  the  other 
arguments  here  adduced,  in  minute  detail,  and  in  a  popular  manner,  so  as  to 
be  level  to  the  comprehension  of  every  reader;  and  he  trusts,  that  the  force  ot 
the  whole  combined,  will  be  found  to  amount  to  as  high  a  degree  of  mora! 
demonstration  as  can  be  expected  in  relation  to  objects  which  are  not  cogni 
zable  by  the  eye  of  sense. 


Tt  PREFACE. 

The  ^ater  portion  of  what  is  contained  in  Part  III.  having  been  written 
above  eiglit  years  ago,  several  apparent  repetitions  of  facts  alluded  to  in  the 
preceding  Parts  may  perhaps  be  noticed  by  the  critical  reader;  but,  in  general 
it  will  be  found,  that  where  the  same  facts  are  repeated,  they  are  either  exhib- 
ited in  a  new  aspect,  or  brought  forward  to  elucidate  another  subject. 

The  practical  reflections  and  remarks  imbodied  in  the  last  Part  of  this  work, 
will  not,  the  Author  is  persuaded,  be  considered  by  any  of  his  readers,  as  either 
unnecessary,  or  unappropriate  to  tiie  subjects  treated  of  in  the  preceding  parts 
of  this  volume.  It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  every  individual  &e  con- 
vinced, that  he  cannot  be  supposed  a  candidate  for  a  blessed  immortality,  unless 
the  train  of  his  affections,  and  the  general  tenor  of  his  conduct,  in  some  meas- 
ure corresjjond  to  the  tempers  and  dispositions,  and  the  moral  purity  which 
rrevail  in  the  heavenly  state. 

The  favourable  reception  which  the  public  have  given  to  the  volumes  he  has 
formerly  published,  induces  the  Author  to  indulge  the  hope,  that  the  present 
volume  may  not  be  altogether  unworthy  of  their  attention.  That  it  may  tend 
to  convince  the  skeptical  of  the  reality  of  an  immortal  existence — to  expand 
the  believer's  conceptions  of  the  attributes  of  the  Divinity,  and  the  glory  ol 
*'  that  inheritance  which  is  reserved  in  heaven"  Jbr  the  faithful — and  to  excite 
in  the  mind  of  every  reader  an  ardent  desire  to  cultivate  those  dispositions  and 
virtues  which  will  prepare  him  for  the  enjoyment  of  celestial  bliss — is  tlje 
Author's  most  sincere  and  ardent  wish,  as  it  was  the  great  object  he  had  in 
view  when  engaged  in  its  composition. 


1^- 


CONTENTS. 


INTRODUCTION. 

Importance  of  the  question  which  relates  to  the  reality  of  a  Future  World  —  folly 
of  the  Indifference  which  prevails  in  relation  to  this  point        -       -       >       -    11 


PART  I. 

CHAPTER  I. 
PROOFS  OF  A  FUTURE  STATE  FROM  THE  LIQHT  OF  NATURE.       tS 

SECTION  L 
On  the  universal  belief  which  the  doctrine  of  Inunortality  has  obtained  in  all 


ages 


13 


SECTION  n. 
On  the  desire  of  Future  Existence  implanted  in  the  human  mind         -       -        -    17 

SECTION  IIL 

On  the  Intellectual  Faculties  of  man,  and  the  strong  desire  of  knowledge  im- 
planted in  the  human  mind    -------..-20 

SECTION  IV. 
On  the  perpetual  progress  of  the  mind  towards  Perfection-         ...  S4 


i 


viii  CONTENTS. 


SECTION  V. 

On  tiie  anlimiled  Range  of  View  which  is  opened  to  the  hum&n  faciiltiee  through 
oat  the  immennty  of  space  and  duration        .......^ 

SECTION  VI. 
On  the  Moral  Powers  of  man  •..  ......t9 

SECTION  VIL 

On  the  apprehensions  and  forebodings  of  the  mind  when  under  the  influence  of 
Remorse     .--..--..-.--IS 

SECTION  vni. 

On  the  disordered  state  of  the  Moral  World,  when  contrasted  with  the  regular  and 
■yatematic  oraer  of  the  Material    -.....-•  M 

SECTION  rx. 

On  the  equal  distribution  of  Rewards  and  Punishments  m  the  present  state  •        -    40 

SECTION  X. 

On  the  absurdity  of  supposing  that  the  Thinking  Principle  in  man  will  erer  be 
annihilated  ------------  44 

SECTION  XI. 

On  the  gloomy  considerations  and  absurd  consequences  involved  in  the  Denial  of 
a  Future  State 48 


CHAPTER  II. 

PROOFS  OP  A  FUTURE  STATE  FROM  DIVINE  REVELATION.         Si 

Practical  influence  which  the  doctrine  of  a  Future  State  ought  to  have  upon  our 
Afiections  and  Conduct         -..-....-.57 


CONTENTS.  IX 
PART  II. 

ON  THE  CONNEXION  OP  SCIENCE  WITH  A  FUTURE  STATE.  60 

Object  of  Scientific  Investigation      --.------61 

Objects  on  which  the  faculties  of  celestial  intelligences  will  be  employed           -  62 
Extent  of  the  general  conflagration    ---------63 

Sciences  which  will  be  prosecuted  in  a  future  state          -        -        .        .        -  68 
Arithmetic,  its  objects  —  utility  of  numbers  and  their  combinations  —  illustrations 

from  Scripture  -         ".'.."        "        ■        "."        "        '        "        "  68 
Mathematical  sciences,  their  utility  —  angels  recognise  the  principles  of  these  sci- 
ences —  the  Creator  has  laid  the  foundation  of  these  sciences  in  his  works     -  70 
Astronomy,  its  objects  —  presents  an  immense  field  of  contemplation           -        -  71 
Natural  Philosophy,  —  its  objects  and  discoveries    ------  74 

Anatomy  and  Physiology,  their  objects — wonders  of  the  human  frame — resur- 
rection-body, &c       ----------  76 

Hiatory  —  contains  a  record  of  the  ways  of  Providence  —  our  ignorance  of  many 

important  facts  in  history  —  history  of  angels  and  other  inteUigences     .        .  77 


PART  III. 

ON  THE  AIDS  WHICH  THE  DISCOVERIES  OP  SCIENCE  AFPORD 
FOR  ENABLING  US  TO  FORM  A  CONCEPTION  OF  THE  PERPET- 
UAL IMPROVEMENT  OF  THE  CELESTIAL  INHABITANTS  IN 
KNOWLEDGE  AND  FELICITY. 84 

Vague  and  distorted  Conceptions  in  regard  to  the  Employments  of  Heaven      -        84 


PART  IV. 

ON  THE  MORAL  QUALIFICATIONS  REQUISITE  TO  THE  ENJOYMENT 
OF  THE  FELICITY  OB   THE  FUTURE  WORLD. 109 

Blxamples  of  Depravity  —  Buonaparte      ........     {jj 

Lord  Byron         ----.----...        122 

Example  from  Cochrane's  Travels  .---....     122 

Misery  resulting  from  the  association  of  malignant  characters         -        -         122,  123 
G^eral  conclusion         --  ........     i24 


0Of*TEI«T& 


APPENDIX. 


Mr.  Shepherd's  Letter  to  Lord  B3m>n    --        -        .        .        .        .       .       Iff 

Hie     lordship's    reply — his     last   sentiments   in    reference   to    religion   and 
eternity    ..---  .......       l%s 

Boonaparte's  opinion  of  the  morality  of  the  New  Tertaimnt,  he.  •       •  117 


PHILOSOPHY 


FUTURE    STATE. 


PART  I. 

PROOFS  OP  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


INTRODUCTION. 


The  sketches  contained  in  Parts  II.  and  III. 
of  this  work,  being  chiefly  intended  to  illustrate 
tlie  connexion  of  science  with  the  scenes  of  a 
future  world,  and  the  aids  which  its  discoveries 
afford,  for  enabling  us  to  form  some  conception 
of  the  perpetual  improvement  of  its  inhabitants 
in  knowledge  and  felicity — I  shafl  endeavour,  in 
this  First  Part,  to  exhibit  a  condensed  view  of 
some  of  those  evidences  which  prove  the  immor- 
tality of  the  a«ul,  and  the  eternal  destination  of 
man. 

This  is  an  inquiry  far  more  interesting  and 
important,  to  every  individual  of  mankind,  than 
any  other  which  conjes  within  the  range  of  the 
human  mind.  Next  to  the  being  of  a  God,  the 
doctrine  of  the  immortality  of  man  lies  at  the 
foundation  of  all  religion,  and  of  all  the  animat- 
ing prospects  which  can  cheer  us  in  this  land  of 
our  pilgrimage.  Remove  from  the  mind  the  be- 
lief of  a  future  existence,  and  the  hope  of  im- 
mort:iliiy,  and  religion  becomes  a  shadow,  life  a 
dream,  and  the  approach  of  death  a  scene  of 
darkness  and  despair.  Upon  this  short  question, 
"  Is  man  immortal,  or  is  he  not?"  depends  all 
that  is  valuable  in  science,  in  morals,  and  in  the- 
ology, and  all  that  is  most  interesting  to  man 
as  a  social  bemg,  and  aa  a  rational  and  account- 
able intelligence.  If  he  is  destined  to  an  eternal 
existence,  an  immense  importance  must  attach 
to  all  his  present  affections,  actions,  and  pur- 
suits ;  and  it  must  be  a  matter  of  infinite  moment, 
that  they  be  directed  in  such  a  channel,  as  will 
tend  to  carry  him  forward,  in  safety,  to  the  feli- 
cities of  a  future  world.  But  if  his  whole  eji- 
isieace  be  ciicumscrib«d  within  the  circle  of  a 


few  flee.ing  years,  man  appears  an-  enigma,  an 
inexplicable  phenomenon  in  the  universe,  human 
life  a  mystery,  the  world  a  scene  of  confusion, 
virtue  a  mere  phantom,  the  Creator  a  capricious 
being,  and  his  plans  and  arrangements  an  inex- 
tricable  maze. 

There  is  loo  much  reason  to  believe,  that  th© 
indifference  to  religion  which  so  generally  pre« 
vails,  especially  among  those  who  are  raised  * 
little  above  the  vulgar  throng,  and  the  unhallowed 
propensities  and  vicious  practices  to  which  it 
gives  rise — are  owing,  in  a  considerable  degree, 
to  the  want  of  a  full  conviction  of  the  reality  of 
a  future  existence,  or  to  some  doubts  which  hover 
about  the  mind,  in  relation  to  this  important 
point.  There  is  no  man,  however  insensible  to 
the  obligations  of  religion,  that  can  fully  satisfy 
his  own  mind,  or  the  minds  of  others,  that  the 
idea  of  a  future  world  is  a  mere  chimera.  On 
the  contrary,  the  possibility,  and  even  the  pro- 
bability, of  the  truth  of  man's  eternal  destiny, 
will,  at  certain  seasons,  force  themselves  upon 
the  minds  even  of  the  most  careless  and  profane. 
Yet,  it  is  amazing  to  consider,  with  what  ease  and 
indifference  multitudes  of  this  description  can 
glide  down  the  stream  of  time,  under  the  awful 
uncertainty  whether  it  will  land  them  in  the 
shades  of  annihilation,  the  realms  of  bliss,  or  the 
regions  of  endless  wo. — "  Between  us  and  these 
three  periods  or  states,"  says  a  celebrated  French 
writer,  "  no  barrier  is  interposed  but  life,  the 
most  brittle  thing  in  all  nature  ;  and  the  happi- 
ness of  heaven  being  certainly  not  designed  for 
those  who  doubt  whether  they  have  an  immortal 
part  to  enjoy  it,  such. persons  have  notbing^  left. 


13 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


but  the  miaermbic  chance  of  annihilation,  or  of 
hell.  There  is  not  any  reflection  which  can  have 
more  reality  than  thin,  a*  there  it  none  which 
has  greater  terror.  Let  us  set  the  bravest  face 
oa  our  condition,  and  play  the  heroes  an  artfully 
as  we  can,  yet  see  here  the  iosue  which  attends 
the  goodliest  life  upon  earth !  It  is  in  vain  for 
men  to  turn  aside  their  thoughts  from  this  eternity 
which  awaits  them,  as  if  they  were  able  to  de- 
stroy it,  by  denying  it  a  place  in  their  imagina- 
tion. It  subsists  in  apite  of  them;  it  advances 
tmobserved  ;  and  death,  which  is  to  draw  the 
curtain  from  it,  will,  in  a  short  time,  infallibly 
reduce  them  to  the  dreadful  necessity  of  being 
for  ever  nothing,  or  for  ever  miserable." 

To  treat  a  subject,  so  interesting  and  momen- 
tous, with  levity  or  indifference — to  ejtert  all 
the  energies  of  the  soul  in  the  pursuit  of  objects, 
which  a  few  years  at  most  will  snatch  for  ever 
from  their  embrace, — and  never  to  spend  one 
serious  hour  in  reflecting  on  what  may  possibly 
succeed  the  present  scene  of  existence,  or  in 
endeavouring  to  find  some  light,  to  clear  up  the 
doubts  that  may  hang  over  this  important  in- 
quiry, and  to  treat  with  derision  and  scorn  those 
who  would  direct  them  in  this  serious  investiga- 
tion^is  not  only  foolish  and  preposterous,  but 
the  height  of  infatuation  and  of  madness.  It  is 
contrary  to  every  principle  on  which  reasonable 
men  act,  in  relation  to  the  affairs  of  the  present 
world.  To  retain  the  profits  of  a  lucrative  busi- 
ness, or  to  prevent  the  loss  of  fortune,  or  of 
honour,  a  man  will  sometimes  strain  every  nerve, 
atretch  every  faculty,  deprive  himself  of  sleep, 
submit  to  numerous  privations,  encounter  the 
raging  elements,  and  brave  the  dangers  of  the 
ocean.  Nay,  he  will  often  be  overwhelmed  with 
despondency  at  the  slightest  inconveniencies, 
and  will  pass  whole  weeks  and  months  in  sul- 
lenness  and  chagrin,  for  an  imaginary  affront,  or 
for  the  loss  of  a  few  pounds,  while,  at  the  same 
time,  he  remains  perfectly  indifferent,  and  with- 
out the  least  emotion,  in  regard  to  the  unknown 
scenes  of  the  eteriuil  world,  and  the  danger  of 
ctidless  misery  to  which  he  is  exposed.  Such  a 
conduct,  and  such  dispositions,  which  are  too 
frequently  realized  in  the  case  of  thousands  who 
dccasionally  mingle  in  our  religious  assemblies, 
are  obviously  inconsistent  with  the  dictates  of 
prudence  and  of  common  sense,  and  with  every 
thing  that  ought  to  characterize  a  rational  and 
an  accountable  creature. 

When  we  look  back  into  the  inexplorable  abyss 
of  that  etamitj  which  is  already  paat,  when  wn 


look  forward  to  the  immeasurable  extent,  and 
the  unfathomable  depths  of  eternity  to  come,— 
when  we  behold  TWk,  and  all  its  circling  years, 
appearing  only  like  a  point  on  the  surface  of 
that  vast  and  boundless  ocean ;  when  we  consider 
the  immense  spaces  of  the  universe  with  which 
we  are  surrounded,  and  the  innuinerabie  worlds 
which  lie  dispersed  in  every  direction  throughout 
the  immeasurable  tracts  of  creation  ;  when  we 
consider,  that  our  existence,  as  thinking  beings, 
may  run  parallel  with  interminable  ages ;  and 
that,  in  the  revolutions  of  eternity,  we  may  exist 
in  regions  of  space  immeasurably  distant  from 
our  present  habitation,  associate  with  other  or- 
ders of  intelligent  beings,  and  pass  through  new 
scenes  and  change*  in  distant  worlds, — and, 
when  we  consider  that  our  relation  to  time  may 
be  dissolved,  and  our  connexion  with  eternity 
commence,  within  the  space  of  a  few  months  or 
years,  or  even  before  the  sun  shall  have  described 
another  circuit  around  the  earth— no  inquiry 
can  appear  so  momentous  and  interesting,  as 
that  which  leads  to  the  determination  of  our 
future  and  eternal  destiny,  and  of  those  realities 
which  await  us  beyond  the  tomb.  To  remain 
insensible  to  the  importance  of  such  an  inquiry, 
and  unaflected  at  the  prospect  of  the  result  to 
which  it  may  lead, — while  we  are  feelingly  alive 
to  all  the  paltry  concerns  and  little  ills  of  life, — 
would  argue  the  most  unaccountable  stupidity, 
inconsistency,  and  infatuation. 

The  man  whose  heart  pants  after  substantial 
knowledge  and  felicity,  whose  aflTections  centre 
on  the  Author  of  his  existence,  and  who  delights 
to  contemplate  his  character  and  perfections, 
will  enter  with  pleasure  on  every  investigation, 
which  has  a  tendency  to  throw  a  light  on  the 
scene  of  his  future  destination.  He  will  weigh, 
with  impartiality,  every  consideration,  and  will 
seize,  with  delight,  upon  every  argument,  by 
which  a  full  conviction  of  his  immortal  destiny 
may  be  indelibly  riveted  upon  his  mind  ;  and  he 
will  endeavour  to  cheer  his  soul  amidst  the  sor- 
rows of  mortality,  with  the  consideration,  that 
"  when  the  earthly  house  of  his  tabernacle  is 
dissolved,  he  has  a  building  of  God,  an  house  not 
made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens.'' 

In  illustrating  the  evidences  of  a  future  state, 
I  shall,  in  the  Jirtt  place,  state  some  of  those 
proofs  which  reason,  or  the  light  of  nature,  fur- 
nishes, of  man's  eternal  destination — and,  ««- 
condly,  those  which  are  derived  from  the  system 
of  revelation. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PROOFS   OP   A  FUTURE  STATE  FROM  THE  UQHT  OP  NATURE. 


The  evidences  of  a  future  state  which  the  light 
of  reason  affords,  though  not  so  clear  and  de- 
cisive as  those  which  are  derived  from  divine 
revelation,  are  worthy  of  the  serious  considera- 
tion of  every  one  in  whose  mind  the  least  doubt 
remains  on  this  important  subject.  The  con- 
viction they  are  calculated  to  produce,  when 
attentively  weighed,  is  sufficient  to  leave  every 
one  without  excuse  who  trifles  with  the  concerns 
of  his  future  destiny,  and  overlooks  his  relation 
to  the  eternal  world.  Though  the  Deity  is  in- 
visible to  mortal  eyes,  yet  his  existence  and  per- 
fections are  clearly  demonstrated  by  his  visible 
operations,  and  he  has  not  left  himself  without  a 
witness  to  his  beneficence,  in  any  age,  "  in  his 
giving  rdin  from  heaven,  and  fruitful  seasons, 
and  filling  our  hearts  with  food  and  gladness." 
In  like  manner,  though  the  realities  of  a  future 
world  are  not  presented  directly  to  the  eye  of 
sense,  yet  the  faculties  with  which  man  is  en- 
dowed, when  properly  exercised  on  all  the  phy- 
■ical  and  moral  scenes  which  the  universe  dis- 
plays, are  sufficient  to  evince  the  high  degree  of 
probability,  if  not  absolute  certainty,  that  his 
duration  and  his  sphere  of  action  are  not  con- 
fined to  the  narrow  limits  of  the  present  world, 
but  have  a  relation  to  a  future  and  an  immortal 
existence  — In  illustrating  this  topic,  I  shall 
waive  the  consideration  of  several  of  those  meta- 
physical arguments  which  have  been  adduced  by 
philosophers  and  divmes,  founded  on  the  imma- 
teriality of  the  human  skuI,  and  confine  myself 
chiefly  to  those  popular  considerations,  which 
are  level  to  every  capacity,  and,  perhaps,  more 
convincing  than  the  subtle  and  refined  dbquisi- 
tions  of  metaphysical  minds. 


SECTION  I. 

OH  THE  0MVERSAL  BELIEF  WHICH  THE 
DOCTRINE  OF  IMMOKTAlllTir  HAS  OBTAINED 
IN    ALL    AOES. 

It  forms  a  presumptive  proof  of  the  immor- 
tality of  man,  that  this  doctrine  has  obtained 
universal  belief  among  all  nations,  and  in  every 
period  of  lime. 

That  the  thinking  principle  in  man  is  of  an 
immortal  nature,  was  believed  by  the  ancient 
Egyptians,  the  Persians,  the  Phenicians,  the 
Scythians,  the  Celts,  the  Druids,  the  Assyrians, 
— by  the  wisest  and  the  most  celebrated  charac- 
ten  among  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  and  by  al- 


most every  other  ancient  nation  and  tribe  whose 
records  luive  reached  our  times.  The  notions., 
indeed,  which  many  of  them  entertained  of  the 
scenes  of  futurity  were  very  obscure  and  imper- 
fect ;  but  they  all  embraced  the  idea,  that  death 
is  not  the  destruction  of  the  rational  soul,  but 
only  its  introduction  to  a  new  and  unknown  state 
of  existence.  The  ancient  Scythians  believed 
that  death  was  only  a  change  of  habitation  ;  and 
the  Magian  sect,  which  prevailed  in  Babylonia, 
Media,  Assyria,  and  Persia,  admitted  the  doc- 
trine of  eternal  rewards  and  punishments.  The 
doctrines  taught  by  the  second  Zoroaster,  who 
lived  in  the  time  of  Darius,  were,  "  that  there 
is  one  Supreme  Being,  independent  and  self-ex- 
istent from  all  eternity  ;  that  under  him  there  are 
two  angels,  one  the  angel  of  light,  who  is  the 
author  of  ail  good  ;  and  the  other  the  angel  of 
darkness,  who  is  the  author  of  all  evil :  that  they 
are  in  a  perpetual  struggle  with  each  other  ;  thai 
where  the  angel  of  light  prevails,  there  good 
reigns ;  and  that  where  the  angel  of  darkness 
prevails,  ihere  evil  takes  place;  that  this  strug- 
gle shall  continue  to  the  end  of  the  world  :  that 
then  there  shall  be  a  general  resurrection  and  a 
day  of  judgment,  wherein  all  shall  receive  a  just 
retribution,  according  to  their  works.  After 
which,  the  angel  of  darkness  and  his  disciples 
shall  go  into  a  world  of  their  own,  where  they 
shall  suffer,  in  everisisting  darkness,  the  punish- 
ment of  their  evil  deeds  ;  and  the  angel  of  light 
and  his  disciples  shall  also  go  into  a  world  of 
their  own,  where  they  shall  receive,  in  everlast- 
ing light,  the  reward  due  to  their  good  deeds; 
that  after  this  they  shall  remain  separated  for 
ever,  and  light  and  daikness  be  no  more  mixed 
to  all  eternity."*  The  remains  of  this  sect, 
which  are  scattered  over  Persia  and  India,  still 
hold  the  same  doctrines,  without  any  variation, 
even  at  this  day. 

Ii  is  well  known,  that  Plato,  Socrates,  i(nd  other 
Greek  philosophers,  held  the  doctrine  of  the 
soul's  immortality.  In  his  admirable  dialogue, 
entitled,  "  The  Phasdon,"  Plato  represents  So- 
crates, a  little  before  his  death,  encompassed  with 
a  circle  of  philosophers,  and  discoursing  with 
them  on  the  arguments  which  prove  the  eternal 
destiny  of  man.  "  When  iho  dead,"  says  he, 
"  are  arrived  at  the  rendezvous  of  departed  souls, 
whiiher  their  angel  conducts  them,  they  are  all 
judged.  Those  who  have  passed  their  lives  in  a 
mani;er  neither  entirely  criminal,  nor  absolutely 

*  RoUins'  Ancient  History,  voL  U. 


14 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


inooont,  are  aent  into  a  plkc«  where  ttiey  lutrer 
p«im  proportioned  to  iheir  fault*,  till,  being 
purged  and  deanaed  of  their  guilt,  and  afier- 
warda  reatored  tu  liberty,  they  receive  the  reward 
of  the  good  aciiona  they  have  done  in  ihe  body. 
Those  who  are  judged  to  be  incurable,  on  ac- 
count of  the  greatness  of  thuir  crimes,  the  fatal 
deatiny  that  passes  judgment  upon  them,  hurls 
them  into  Tartarus,  from  whence  they  never  de- 
part. Those  who  are  found  guilty  of  crimes, 
great  indeed,  but  worthy  of  pardon,  who  have 
committed  violences,  in  the  transports  of  rage, 
•gainst  their  father  or  mother,  or  have  killed 
■oroe  one  in  a  like  emotion,  and  afterwards  re- 
pented— suffer  the  same  pimishment  with  the  last, 
but  for  a  time  only,  till  by  prayers  and  supplica- 
tions, they  have  obtained  pardon  from  those  they 
have  injured.  But  those  who  have  passed  through 
life  with  peculiar  sanctity  o(  manners,  are  re- 
ceived on  high  into  a  pure  region,  where  they 
litre  without  their  bodies  to  all  eteniiiy,  in  a 
aeries  of  joys  and  delights  which  cannot  be  de- 
■cribed."  From  such  considerations,  Socrates 
ooocludes,  '*  if  the  soul  be  immortal,  il  requires 
to  be  cultivated  with  attention,  not  only  for  what 
,we  call  the  time  of  life,  but  for  that  which  is  to 
.fiillow,  I  mean  eternity  ;  and  the  least  neglect  in 
this  point  may  be  attended  with  endless  conse- 
quences. If  death  were  the  Anal  dissolufiun  of 
being,  the  wicked  would  be  great  gainers  by  it, 
by  being  delivered  at  once  from  their  bodies,  their 
souls,  and  their  vices  ;  but  as  the  soul  is  immor- 
tal, it  has  no  other  means  of  being  freed  from  its 
evils,  nor  any  safety  for  it,  but  in  becoming  very 
good  and  very  wise  ;  for  it  carries  nothing  with 
it,  but  its  good  or  bad  deeds,  its  virtues  and  vices, 
which  are  commonly  the  consequences  of  the 
education  it  has  received,  and  th»causes  of  eter- 
nal happiness  or  misery."  Having  held  such 
discourses  with  his  friends,  he  kept  silent  for 
some  time,  and  then  drank  off*  the  whole  of  the 
poisonous  draught  which  had  been  put  into  his 
hand,  with  amazing  tranquillity,  and  ui  inex- 
pressible serenity  of  aspect,  as  one  who  was 
about  to  exchange  a  short  and  wretched  life,  for 
a  blessed  and  eternal  existence. 

The  descriptions  and  allusions,  contained  in 
the  writings  oif  the  ancient  poeta,  are  a  convin- 
cing proof,  that  the  notion  of  the  soul's  immortal- 
ity was  a  universal  opinion  in  the  times  in  which 
they  wrote,  and  among  the  nations  to  whom  their 
writinga  were  addressed.  Homer's  account  of 
the  descent  of  Ulysses  into  hell,  and  his  dexcrip- 
tioo  of  Minos  in  the  shades  below,  dirtribuiing 
justice  to  the  dead  assembled  in  troops  around 
his  tribuBal,  and  pronouncing  irrevocable  judg- 
menla,  which  decide  their  everlasting  &te,  de- 
moostrate,  that  they  entertained  the  belief,  that 
▼irtuet  are  rewarded,  and  that  crimes  are  pun- 
ished, in  another  alate  of  exiatence.  The  poems 
of  Ovid  and  Virgil  contain  a  variety  of  deacrip- 
tioMi  in  which  the  Nine  opiniooi  are  bvolved. 


Their  noiiona  of  future  punishment  are  set  fortl! 
in  the  deacripiiona  tbey  giv«  of  Xxfon,  who  was 
ikatened  to  a  wheel,  and  whirled  about  continu- 
ally with  a  swift  and  rapid  motion— of  Tantaiia, 
who,  for  the  loathsome  banquet  he  made  for  the 
gods,  was  set  in  water  up  to  the  chin,  with  apple* 
hanging  to  his  very  lips,  yet  bad  no  power  either 
to  stoop  to  the  one  to  quench  his  raging  thirst,  or 
to  reach  to  the  other  to  satisfy  his  craving  appetite 
— of  the  Jtfy  daughUrt  of  Danaut,  who,  for  the 
barbarous  massacre  of  their  husbands  in  one 
night,  were  condemned  in  hell  lo  fill  a  barrel  fail 
of  holes  with  water,  which  ran  out  again  a*  Gut 
as  it  was  filled — of  Sunfphut,  who,  fur  his  rob> 
beries,  was  set  to  roll  a  great  stone  up  a  steep 
hill,  which,  when  it  was  just  at  the  top,  suddenly 
fell  down  again,  and  so  renewed  his  labour — and 
of  T\lyut,  who  was  adjudged  to  have  a  vultura 
to  feed  upon  his  Hver  and  entrails,  which  atiU 
grew  ami  increased  as  they  were  devoured.— 
Their  notions  of  future  happiness  arc  imbodied 
in  the  descriptions  tbey  have  given  of  the  Hes- 
perian gardens,  and  the  Elyaian  fieUs,  where  the 
souls  of  the  virtuous  rest  secure  from  every  dan- 
ger, and  enjoy  perpetual  and  iminterrupled  blisa. 
And  as  the  nations  of  antiquity  recognised 
the  doctrine  of  a  future  state  of  existence,  eo 
there  is  scarcely  a  nation  or  tribe  of  mankind, 
presently  existing,  however  barbarous  and  untu- 
tored, in  which  the  same  opinion  does  not  pre- 
vail. The  natives  of  the  Society  Iilei  believe, 
that  after  death,  there  is  not  only  a  state  of  coo- 
scinus  existence,  but  degrees  of  eminence  and 
felicity,  according  as  men  have  been  more  or 
less  pleasing  to  the  Eatova,  or  Deity,  while  itpoa 
earth.  The  chiefs  of  the  Friendly  Jtlandt  b*> 
lieve  in  the  immortality  of  their  soul,  which,  at 
death,  they  say  is  immediately  conveyed  in  a 
fast-sailing  canoe,  to  a  distant  country,  called 
Doobludha,  which  they  describe  as  resembling 
the  Mahometan  paradise, — that  those  who  are 
conveyed  thither  are  no  more  subject  to  death, 
but  feast  on  all  the  favourite  productions  of  iheir 
native  soil,  with  which  this  blissful  abode  is 
plentifully  furnished.  The  iVeto  Ztalanden 
believe,  that  the  third  day  after  the  interment  of 
a  man,  the  heart  separates  itself  from  the  corpse, 
and  that  this  separation  is  announced  by  a  g^ 
neral  breeze  of  wind,  which  gives  warning  of 
its  approach,  by  an  inferior  divinity  that  hovera 
over  the  grave,  and  who  carries  it  to  the  douda. 
They  believe  that  the  soul  of  the  man  whoaa 
flesh  is  devoured  by  the  enemy,  is  doomed  to  a 
perpetual  fire,  while  the  aoul  of  the  man  whoae 
body  has  been  rescued  from  those  that  killed 
him,  and  the  souls  of  all  who  die  a  natural  death, 
ascend  to  the  habitations  of  the  goda.  The  in- 
habitants of  the  PeUw  IttandM,  according  to  the 
account  of  Captain  Wilson,  although  they  have 
few  religious  rites  and  ceremonies,  believe  ia 
one  Supreme  Being,  and  in  a  future  state  at 
rewards  and  punislunenia.    In  the  religion  of 


PROOFS  FRORI  THE  LIGHT  OF  NATURE. 


15 


the  K^cdmue  Tartars,  the  doctrine  of  a  future 
state  holds  a  conspicuous  place.  Tliey  believe 
that  hell  is  situated  in  the  middle  region,  be- 
tween heaven  and  earth,  and  their  devils  are  re- 
presented with  all  sorts  of  frightful  forms,  of  a 
black  and  hideous  aspect,  with  the  heads  of  goats, 
lions,  and  unicorns.  Their  holy  lamr.s,  who 
have  obtained  a  victory  over  all  their  pussions, 
are  supposed  to  pass  immediately  into  heaven, 
where  they  enjoy  perfect  rest,  and  exercise 
themselves  in  divine  service.  The  SamoiediaTis 
of  Northern  Tartary  believe,  that  there  is  one 
Supreme  Being,  that  he  is  our  all-merciful  and 
common  Parent,  and  that  he  will  reward  with  a 
happy  Slate  hereafter,  those  who  live  virtuously 
in  this  world.  The  Birmans  believe  in  the 
transmigration  of  souls,  afier  which,  they  main- 
tain, that  the  radically  bad  will  be  sentenced  to 
lasting  punishment,  while  the  good  will  enjoy 
eternal  happiness  on  a  mountain  called  Meru. 

The  various  tribes  which  inhabit  the  continent 
of  Africa,  in  so  far  as  we  are  acquainted  with 
their  religious  opinions,  appear  to  recognise  the 
doctrine  of  a  future  state.  "  I  was  lately  dis- 
coursing on  this  subject,"  says  Mr.  Addison,  in 
one  of  his  Spectators,  "  with  a  learned  person, 
who  has  been  very  much  conversant  among  the 
inhabitants  of  the  most  western  puts  of  Africa. 
Upon  his  conversing  with  several  in  that  coun- 
try, he  tells  me,  that  their  notions  of  heaven  or 
of  a  future  state  of  happiness,  is  this — that  every 
thing  we  there  wish  for  will  immediately  present 
itself  to  us.  We  find,  say  they,  that  our  souls 
are  of  such  a  nature  that  they  require  variety, 
and  are  not  capable  of  being  always  delighted 
with  the  same  objects.  The  Supreme  Being, 
therefore,  in  compliance  with  this  state  of  hap- 
piness which  he  has  implanted  in  the  soul  of 
man,  will  raise  up,  from  time  to  time,  say  they, 
every  gratification  which  it  is  in  the  human  na- 
ture to  be  pleased  with.  If  we  wish  to  be  in 
groves  or  bowers,  among  running  streams  or  falls 
of  water,  we  shall  immediately  find  ourselves  in 
the  midst  of  such  a  scene  as  we  desire.  If  we 
would  be  entertained  with  music,  and  the  melody 
of  sounds,  the  concert  arises  upon  our  wish,  and 
the  whole  region  about  us  is  filled  with  harmony. 
In  short,  every  desire  will  be  followed  by  frui- 
tion ;  and  whatever  a  man's  inclination  directs 
bim  to,  will  be  present  with  him." — Ttie  Ne- 
groes, and  other  inhabitants  of  the  interior  of 
Africa,  according  to  the  account  of  Mr.  Park, 
believe  in  one  Supreme  Ruler,  and  expect  here- 
after to  enter  into  a  state  of  misery  or  felicity. 
The  Gallas  of  Abyssinia,  though  they  reject 
the  doctrine  of  future  punishment,  admit  the 
reality  of  a  future  state.  The  Mandingues,  the 
JalofTs,  the  Feloops,  the  Foulahs,ihe  Moors,  and 
all  the  other  tribes  who  have  embraced  the  Ma- 
hometan faith,  recognise  the  doctrine  of  the 
immortality  of  the  soul,  and  of  future  rewards  in 
f    A  celestial  paradise.    The  natives  of  Dahomv 


entertain   the  same   belief;  and  hence,  it  is  a  j 

common   practice  with   the  sovereign   of  that  ■ 

country,  to  send  an  account  to  his  forefathers  of  » 

any  remarkable  event,  by  delivering  a  message 

to  whoever  may  happen  to  be  near  him  at  the  ~  , 

time,  and  then  ordering  his  head  to  be  chopped  1 

off  immediately,  that  he  may  serve  as  a  courier, 

to  convey  intelligence  to  the  world  of  spirits.*  , 

The  Persians  are  said  to  leave  one  part  of  their 
graves  open,  from  a  belief  that  the  dead  will  be 
reanimated,  and  visited  by  angels,  who  will  ap- 
point them  to  iheir  appropriate  abodes  in  a  future 
state.     From  a  similar  belief,  thousands  of  Hin- 
doo widows  annually  sacrifice  themselves  on  the 
funeral  piles  of  their  deceased  hu.-bands,  in  the 
hope  of  enjoying  with  them  the  felicities  of  eter- 
nal life. — 'i'he  Japanese  believe,  that  the  souls  . 
of  men  and  beasts  are  alike  immortal ;  that  a           j 
just  distribution   of  rewards  and  punishments           i 
takes  place  after  death  ;  that  there  are  different           1 
degrees  of  happiness,  as  well  as  of  punishment, 
and  that  the  souls  of  the  wicked  transmigrate, 
after  death,  into  the  bodies  of  animals,  and  at 
last,  in  case  of  amendment,  are  translated  back 
again  into  the  human  form.^    From  a  conviction 
of  the  reality  of  a  future  world,  the  Wahabee           1 
Arabs  regard  it  as  impious  to   mourn  for  the 
dead,  who,  they  say,  are  enjoying  felicity  with  ' 
Mahomet  in  paradise ;  and  the  Javanese  make           , 
several  feasts,  on  the  decease  of  their  friends  and           ■ 
relations,  to  commemorate  their  entrance  into  a 
world  of  bliss. — The  North  American  Indians          i 
believe  that,  beyond  the  most  distant  mountains         1 
of  their  country,  there  is  a  wide  river;  beyond 
that  river  a  great  country ;  on  the  other  side  of 
that  country,  a  world  of  water;  in  that  water           j 
are  a  thousand  islands,  full  of  trees  and  streams 
of  water,  and  that  a  thousand  buffaloes,  and  ten 
thousand  deer,  graze  on  the  hills,  or  ruminate  in          1 
the  valleys.     When  they  die,  they  are  persuaded 
that  the  Great  Spirit  will  conduct  them  to  this 
land  of  souls. 

Thus  it  appears,  that  not  only  the  philosophers 
of  antiquity,  and  the  most  civilized  hations  pre- 
sently existing  on  the  globe,  have  recognised 
the  doctrine  of^  the  immortality  of  man,  but  that 
even  the  most  savage  and  untutored  tribes  fortify 
their  minds  in  the  prospect  of  death,  with  the 
hope  of  a  happiness  commensurate  to  their  de- 
sires, in  the  regions  beyond  the  grave. 

"  E'en  the  poor  Indian  whose  untutor'd  mind 
Sees  Go<l  in  clouds,  or  hears  him  in  the  wind, 
Whose  soul  proud  science  never  taught  to  stray 
Far  as  the  solar  walk  or  milky  way — 
Yet  simple  nature  to  his  hope  has  given 
Behind  the  cloud  topt  hill  an  humbler  heaven ; 
Some  safer  world  in  deprh  of  woods  embraced. 
Some  happier  island  in  the  watery  waste, 
Where  slaves  once  more  their  native  land  beheld, 
No  fiends  torment,  no  Christians  thirst  for  gold,— 
And  thinks,  admitted  to  yon  equal  sky, 
His  faithful  dog  shall  bear  him  company." — Popt, 

'  M'l.eod's  Voyage  to  Africa,  1830,  p,  Ak 
t  Thunberg's  Travels. 


16 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  tDTUIlE  STATE. 


Among  t}i«  numerous  uid  diversified  tribes 
diat  are  scattered  over  the  ditTereiit  regions  of 
th«  earth,  that  agree  in  scaroeljr  any  other  senti> 
nenl  or  article  of  religious  belief,  we  here  finrf 
the  most  perfect  harmony,  in  their  recognition  of 
a  Supremo  Intelligence,  and  in  their  belief  that 
the  soul  survives  the  dissolution  of  its  mortal 
frame.  And,  as  Cicero  lon^  since  observed, 
*'  In  every  thing  the  consent  of  all  nations  is  to 
b«  accounted  ibc  law  of  nature,  and  tu  resist  it, 
is  to  resist  the  voice  of  God."  For  we  can 
scarcely  suppose,  in  consistency  with  the  divine 
perfections,  that  an  error,  on  a  subject  of  so 
vast  importance  to  mankind,  should  obtain  the 
universal  belief  of  ail  nations  and  ages,  and  that 
God  himself  would  suffer  a  world  of  rational 
beings,  throughout  every  generation,  to  be  car- 
ried away  by  a  delusion,  and  to  be  tantalized  by 
a  hope  which  has  no  foundation  in  nature,  and 
which  is  contrary  to  the  plan  of  his  moral  govern- 
ment It  is  true,  indeed,  that  several  of  tlie 
opinions  to  which  I  have  now  adverted,  and 
Bany  others  which  prevail  among  the  uncivilized 
tribes  of  mankind,  in  regard  to  the  coiuiilion  of 
disembodied  spirits,  and  the  nature  of  future 
happiness,  are  very  erroneous  and  imperfect; 
but  they  all  recognise  this  grand  and  important 
truth,  that  death  is  not  the  destruction  of  the 
rational  soul,  and  that  man  is  destined  to  an  im- 
mortal existence.  Their  erroneous  conceptions 
in  respect  to  the  rewards  and  punishments  of 
the  future  world  may  be  qasily  accounted  fur, 
from  a  consideration  of  the  imperfect  concep- 
tions they  have  formed  of  the  Divine  Being, 
and  of  the  principles  of  his  moral  government ; 
from  their  ignorance  of  lhos«  leading  principles 
and  moral  laws,  by  which  the  Almighty  regulates 
the  intelligent  universe  ;  frojn  the  false  ideas  ihey 
have  been  led  to  entertain  respecting  the  nature 
of  substantial  happiness  ;  from  the  cruel  and 
absurd  practices  connected  with  the  system  of 
pagan  superstition;  from  the  intellectual  dark- 
neaa  which  has  brooded  over  the  human  race 
ever  since  the  fall  of  man  ;  and  from  the  univer- 
sal prevalence  of  those  depraved  dispositions 
and  affections,  which  characterize  the  untutored 
tribes  on  whom  the  light  of  revelation  has  never 
shone. 

To  whatever  cause  this  universal  belief  of  a 
future  existence  is  to  be  traced— « hetber  to  a 
universal  tradition  derived  from  the  first  parents 
of  the  human  race  ;  to  an  innate  sentiment  ori- 
ginally impressed  on  the  soul  of  man  ;  to  a  divine 
revelation  disseminated  and  handed  down  from 
one  generation  to  anotlter,  or  to  the  deductions  of 
human  reason — it  forms  a  strong  presumption, 
mti  a  powerful  argument,  in  favour  of  the  posi- 
tion we  are  now  endeavouring  to  support.  If  it 
is  lo  be  traced  back  to  the  original  progenitors  of 
mankind,  it  must  bo  regarded  as  one  of  thoae 
truths  which  were  recognised  by  man  in  a  state 
cf  inaocence,  when  bia  affectioof  were  pure,  and 


liis  understanding  fortified  against  delusion  and 
error.  If  it  be  a  sentiment  which  v«as  origiiially 
impressed  on  the  human  soul  by  the  hand  of  ila 
Creator,  we  do  violence  to  the  law  of  our  nature, 
when  we  disregard  its  intimations,  or  attempt  to 
resist  the  furce  of  its  evidence.  If  it  ought  to  be 
considered  as  originally  derived  from  Revelation, 
then  it  is  corroborative  of  the  truthof  the  Sacred 
Records,  in  which  "  life  and  immortality"  are 
clearly  exhibited.  And,  if  it  be  regarded  as  like- 
wise one  of  the  deductions  of  natural  reason,  we 
are  left  n  ithout  excuse,  if  we  attempt  to  obscure 
its  evidence,  or  to  overlook  tlie  important  conse- 
quences which  it  involves. — As  the  consent  of  all 
nations  has  been  generally  considered  as  a  pow- 
erful argument  for  the  existence  of  a  Deity,  so 
the  universal  belief  of  mankind  in  the  doctrine  of 
a  future  state  ought  to  be  viewed  as  a  strung  pre- 
sumption that  it  is  founded  upon  truth.  The 
human  mind  is  so  constituted,  that,  when  left  to 
its  native  unbiassed  energies,  it  necessarily  in- 
fers the  existence  of  a  Supreme  Intelligence,  from 
the  existence  of  matter,  and  the  economy  of  the 
material  world;  and,  from  the  nature  of  ihe  hu- 
man faculties,  and  the  moral  attributes  of  God, 
it  is  almost  as  infallibly  led  to  conclude,  that  a 
future  existence  is  necessary,  in  order  to  gratify 
the  boundless  desires  of  the  human  soul,  and  to 
vindicate  the  wisdom  and  rectitude  of  the  moral 
Governor  of  the  world.  These  two  grand  truths, 
which  constitute  the  foundation  of  all  relijiion, 
and  of  every  thing  that  is  interesting  to  man  as 
an  intelligent  agent,  are  interwoven  with  the  th^ 
ological  creed  of  all  nations ;  and,  in  almost  every 
instance,  where  the  one  is  called  in  question,  the 
other  is  undermined  or  denied  :  so  that  the  doc- 
trine of  the  immortality  of  man  may  be  consi- 
dered as  resting  on  the  same  foundation  as  the 
existence  of  a  Supreme  Intelligence. 

It  must  indeed  be  admitted,  that  individuals 
have  appeared  in  every  age,  who  have  endeavour- 
ed to  call  in  question,  or  to  deny,  this  fundamen- 
tal truth.  But  this  circumstance  forms  no  valid 
objection  to  the  fl>rce  of  the  argument  to  which  I 
have  now  adverted.  For  the  numt>er  of  such 
persons  has  been  extremely  small,  when  compar- 
ed with  the  mass  of  mankind  ;  and  their  o|>iniona 
on  this  subject  have  generally  originated  either 
from  wilful  ignorance  ;  from  an  affectation  of  sin- 
gularity and  of  appearing  superior  to  vul>.'ar  fears ; 
or  from  indulging  in  a  course  of  wickedness  and 
impiety,  which  has  led  them  to  wish,  and  if  |'oe- 
sible  to  believe,  that  there  are  neither  punish- 
ments nor  rewards  beyond  the  grave.  If  it  ap- 
pear strange  and  unnatural  that  any  man  should 
wish  hus  soul  to  be  mortal,  Hieroclet  assigns  the 
true  reason  of  it :  "A  wicked  man,"  rays  he, 
"  is  afraid  of  his  judge,  and  therefore  wishes  hia 
soul  and  body  niay  perish  together  by  dcaiH,  \ 
rather  than  it  should  appear  befote  the  tribunal  ; 
of  God."  If  a  number  of  fools  should  think  & 
to  put  out  their  own  eyes,  to  prevent  them  from 


PROOFS  FROM  THE  LIGHT  OF  NATURE. 


17 


■%efing  the  effects  of  light,  as  Democritus,  the 
ancient  philosupher,  was  said  lo  have  done,  it 
would  form  no  argument  to  prove  that  all  the  rest 
of  the  world  was  blind.  And,  if  a  few  sceptics 
and  profligates  endeavour  to  blind  the  eyes  of 
their  understanding  by  sophistry  and  licentious- 
ness. It  cannot  prevent  the  light  of  reason,  which 
unveils  the  realities  of  a  future  world,  from  shin- 
ing on  the  rest  of  mankind,  nor  constitute  the 
slightest  argument  to  prove  the  fallacy  of  the 
doctrine  they  deny. 


SECTION  n, 

ON  THE  DESIRE  OF  FUTURE   EXISTENCE   IM- 
PLAHTKA  Iir  THE  BUMAH  MIHD. 

Those  strong  and  restless  desires  after  future 
existence  and  enjoyment,  which  are  implanted 
in  the  soul  of  nan,  are  a.  strong  presumptive 
proof  that  he  is  possessed  of  an  immortal  na- 
ture. 

There  is  no  human  being  who  feels  full  satis- 
faction in  his  present  enjoyments.  The  mind 
is  for  ever  on  the  wing  in  the  pursuit  of  new  ac- 
quirements, of  new  objects,  and,  if  possible,  of 
higher  degrees  of  felicity,  than  the  present  mo- 
ment con  afford.  However  exquisite  any  par- 
ticular enjoyment  may  sometimes  be  found,  it 
soon  begins  to  lose  its  relish,  and  to  pall  the  in- 
tellectual appetite.  Hence  the  voracious  desire, 
apparent  among  all  ranks,  for  variety  of  amuse- 
ments, both  of  a  sensitive,  and  of  an  intellectual 
nature.  Hence  the  keen  desire  for  novelty,  for 
tales  of  wonder,  for  beautiful  and  splendid  exhi- 
bitions, and  for  intelligence  respecting  the  pas- 
sing occurrences  of  the  day.  Hence  the  eager- 
ness with  which  the  daily  newspapers  are  read 
by  all  ranks  who  have  it  in  their  power  to  procure 
them.  However  novel  or  interesting  the  events 
which  are  detailed  to-day,  an  appetite  tor  fresh 
intelligence  is  excited  before  to-morrow.  Amidst 
the  numerous  objects  which  are  daily  soliciting 
attention,  amidst  the  variety  of  intelligence  which 
newsmongers  have  carefully  selected  for  the  grati- 
fication of  every  taste,  and  amidst  the  fictitious 
scenes  depicted  by  the  novelist  and  the  poet — 
*'  the  eye  is  not  satisfied  with  seeing,  nor  the  ear 
with  hearing."  Hence,  too,  the  insatiable  de- 
sires of  the  miser  in  accumulating  riches,  and 
the  unremitting  career  of  ambition,  in  its  pur- 
suit of  honours  and  of  fame.  And  hence  the 
ardour  with  which  the  philosopher  prosecutes 
one  discovery  after  anoilier,  without  ever  ar- 
riving at  a  resting-point,  or  sitting  down  con- 
tented with  his  present  attainments.  When 
Archimedes  had  discovered  the  mode  of  deter- 
mining the  relative  quantities  of  gold  and  silver 
m  Hioro's  crown,  did  he  test  satisfied  with  this 
Mw  acquirement  ?    No.    The  ecstacy  he  felt 


at  the  discovery,  when  he  leaped  fi-om  the  bath, 
and  ran  naked  through  the  streets  of  Syracuse, 
crying,  "I  have  found  it.  I  have  found  ii" — soon 
sabsidcd  into  indifiisrence,  and  his  mind  pushed 
forward  in  quest  of  new  discoveries.  When 
Newton  asceriained  the  law  of  universal  gravi- 
tation, and  Franklin  discovered  the  identity  of 
lightning  and  the  electric  fluid,  and  fell  the  tran^ 
ports  which  such  discoveries  must  have  excited, 
did  they  slacken  their  pace  in  the  road  of  scien- 
tific discovery,  or  sit  down  contented  with  their 
past  researches  ?  No.  One  discovery  gave  a 
stimulus  to  the  pursuit  of  another,  and  their  ca- 
reer of  improvement  only  terminated  with  their 
lives.  After  Alexander  had  led  his  victorious 
armies  over  Persia,  Babylonia,  Syria,  Egypt, 
and  India,  and  had  conquered  the  greater  part  c^ 
the  known  world,  did  he  sit  down  in  peace,  and 
enjoy  the  fruit  of  his  conquests  ?  No.  His  de- 
sires afler  new  projects,  and  new  expeditions, 
remained  insatiable;  his  ambition  rose  even  to 
madness  ;  and  when  the  philosopher  Anaxarchus 
told  him,  there  was  an  infinite  number  of  worlds, 
he  wept  at  the  thought  that  his  conquests  were 
confined  to  one. 

These  restless  and  unbounded  desires  are  to  be 
found  agila.ing  the  br.easts  of  men  of  all  nations, 
of  all  ranks  and  conditions  in  life.  If  we  ascend 
the  thrones  of  princes,  if  we  enter  the  palaces  of 
the  great,  if  we  walk  through  the  mansions  of 
courtiers  and  statesmen,  if  we  pry  into  the  abodes 
of  poverty  and  indigence,  if  we  mingle  with  poets 
or  philosophers,  with  manufacturers,  merchants, 
mechanics,  peasants,  or  beggars  ;  if  we  survey 
the  busy,  bustling  scene  of  a  large  city,  the  se- 
questered village,  or  the  cot  which  stands  in  the 
lonely  desert — we  shall  find,  in  every  situation, 
and  among  every  class,  beings  animated  with 
desires  of  happiness,  which  no  present  enjoy- 
ment can  gratify,  and  which  no  object  within  tho 
limits  of  time  can  fully  satiate.  Whether  we 
choose  to  indulge  in  ignorance,  or  to  prosecute 
the  path  of  knowledge  ;  to  loiter  in  indolence,  or 
to  exert  our  active  powers  with  unremitting  ener- 
gy ;  to  mingle  with  social  beings,  or  to  flee  to  the 
haunts  of  solitude, — we  feel  a  vacuum  in  the 
mind,  which  nothing  around  us  can  fill  up;  a 
longing  after  new  objects  and  enjoyments,  which 
nothing  earthly  can  fully  satisfy.  Regardless 
of  the  past,  and  unsatisfied  with  the  present,  the 
soul  of  man  feasts  itself  on  the  hope  of  enjoy- 
ments which  it  has  never  yet  possessed 

"  Hope  sprinss  eternal  in  the  human  breast; 
Man  never  h,  but  always  to  be  blest. 
The  soul  uneasy,  and  confined  from  home, 
Rests  and  expatiates  in  a  life  to  come." 

That  the  desire  of  immortality  is  common, 
and  natural  to  all  men,  appears  from  a  variety  of 
actions,  which  can  scarcely  be  accounted  for  on 
any  other  principle,  and  which  prove  that  the 
mind  feels  conscious  of  its  immortal  destiny. 
Why,  otherwbe,  should  men  be  anxious  about 


18 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  A  PnTURE  STATE. 


their  reputation,  and  solicitoua  to  aecure  thoir 
name*  from  obliviun,  ami  to  perpetuate  iheir 
fame,  afier  they  have  descended  into  the  ^rave  7 
To  accomplish  auch  objecta,  and  to  gratify  such 
desires,  poets,  orators,  and  historiand,  have  been 
flattered  and  rewarded  to  celebrate  iheir  actions  ; 
monuments  of  maible  and  of  brass  havp  been 
erected  to  represent  their  persons,  and  inscrip- 
tions engraved  in  the  solid  rock,  to  convey  to 
future  gt-nerations  a  record  of  the  exploits  they 
had  achieved.  Lofiy  columns,  triumphal  arches, 
towering  pyramids,  magnificent  temples,  palaces, 
and  mausoleums  have  been  reared,  to  eternize 
their  fame,  and  to  make  them  live,  as  it  were, 
in  the  eyes  of  their  successors,  through  all  the 
future  ages  of  time.  But,  if  the  soul  be  destined 
to  destruction  at  the  hour  of  death,  why  should 
man  be  anxious  about  what  shall  happen,  or 
what  shall  not  happen  hereaf\er,  when  he  is  re- 
duced to  a  mere  non-entity,  and  banished  for 
erer  from  the  universe  of  God  ?  He  can  have  no 
interest  in  any  events  that  may  befall  the  living 
world  when  he  is  cancelled  from  the  face  of  crea- 
tion, and  when  the  spark  of  intelligence  he  pos- 
sessed is  quenched  in  everlasting  night.  If  any 
man  be  fully  convinced  that  the  grave  puts  a 
final  period  to  his  existence,  the  only  consUtent 
action  he  can  perform,  when  he  finds  his  earthly 
wishes  and  expectations  frustrated,  is  to  rush 
into  the  arms  of  death,  and  rid  himself  at  once 
of  all  the  evils  connected  with  his  being.  But 
we  find  the  great  majority  of  mankmd,  notwith- 
standing the  numerous  ills  to  which  they  are  sub- 
jected, still  clinging  with  eagernesti  to  their 
mortal  existence,  and  looking  forward,  with  a 
certain  degree  of  hope,  to  a  termination  of  their 
Borrows. 

— "  They  rather  choose  to  bear  those  His  thky  have 
Than  fly  to  others  that  they  know  not  of." 

There  is,  1  presume,  no  individual  in  a  sound 
state  of  mind,  who  can  entirely  throw  aside  all 
concern  about  his  posthumous  reputation,  and 
about  the  events  that  may  happen  in  the  worid 
after  his  decease.  And  if  so,  it  clearly  demon- 
strates, not  only  that  he  does  not  tcisA,  but  that 
at  doea  not  even  tuppoie  that  his  existence  will 
oe  for  ever  extinguished  at  death.  The  idea  of 
ibe  shame  of  being  exposed  naked  after  their 
death,  produced  such  a  powerful  efTrct  upon  the 
minds  of  the  Milesian  virgins,  that  it  deterred 
them  from  putting  an  end  to  their  lives,  after  all 
other  arguments  had  been  tried  in  vain.*  The 
desire  of  existenct- — and  of  existence,  too,  which 
has  no  termination,  appears  to  be  the  foundation 

*  "I  beseech  men  for  God's  imke,  (says  Hale,)  that 
If  at  any  time  there  arise  In  them  a  doiire  or  a  wish 
tkBt  others  should  speak  well  of  their  death  ;  then 
at  that  time  they  woukl  sertoualy  consider,  whether 
those  motions  are  not  from  some  spirit  to  rontlnue 
•  Sptrtl,  after  It  leaves  Its  earthly  h.-ihllation,  rather 
than  fron  an  earthly  spirit,  a  vapour  which  cannot 
act,  or  inuM^ne,  or  desire,  or  fear  thiag*  beyond 
Its  coDtlnuance." 


of  all  our  desires,  and  of  all  the  plans  we  feilB 
in  life.  Annihilation  cannot  b«  an  object  of 
desire  to  any  rational  being.  Wn  desire  som^ 
thing  that  is  real,  something  that  is  conoeCad 
with  happintt*  or  eiy'oymcnt,  but  Don-existenea 
has  no  object  nor  concern  whatever  belonging  to 
it.  When  a  wicked  man,  under  a  consciousness 
of  guilt,  indulges  a  wish  for  annihilation  after 
death,  it  is  not  because  non-existence  is  in 
iUdf  an  object  <{/*  dtnrt,  but  he  wouki  choose  it 
as  the  least  of  two  evils :  he  would  rather  be 
blotted  out  of  creation,  than  suffer  the  punish- 
ment  due  to  his  sins  in  the  eternal  world. 

It  may  also  be  remarked,  that  the  desire  of 
immortality,  however  vigorous  it  may  he  in  or- 
dinary minds,  becomes  still  more  glowing  and 
ardent  in  proportion  as  the  intellect  is  cultivated 
and  expanded,  and  in  proportion  as  the  soul 
rises  to  higher  and  higher  degrees  of  virtue  and 
moral  excellence.  It  forms  a  powerful  stimulus 
to  the  performance  of  actions  which  are  noble, 
generous,  public-epirited,  benevolent,  and  hiK 
mane,  and  which  have  a  tendency  to  promote  the 
intellectual  improvement,  and  the  happiness  of 
future  generations.  Hence  the  moat  illustrious 
characters  of  the  heathen  world,  the  poets,  tha 
oraiora,  the  moralists  and  philosophers  of  anti- 
quity, had  their  minds  fired  with  the  idea  of  im- 
mortality, and  many  of  them  were  enabled  to 
brave  death  without  dismay,  under  the  convictioo 
that  it  was  the  messenger  which  was  to  waft  their 
spirits  to  the  realms  of  endless  bliss.  When 
Demosthenes  had  fled  for  shelter  to  an  asylum 
from  the  resentment  of  Antipater,  who  had  sent 
Archias  to  bring  him  by  force,  and  when  Archiaa 
promised  upon  his  honour  that  he  should  not  lose 
his  life,  if  he  would  voluntarily  make  his  personal 
appearance  : — "God  forbid,"  said  he,  "  that  after 
I  have  heard  Xenocrates  and  Plato  discnurse  so 
divinely  on  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  I  should 
prefer  a  life  of  infamy  and  disgrace  to  an  ho- 
nourable death."  Even  thoae  who  were  not 
fully  convinced  of  the  doctrine  of  immortality, 
amidst  all  their  doubts  and  perplexities  on  this 
point,  eame*Uy  wUhed  that  it  might  prove  true, 
and  few,  if  any  of  them,  absolutely  denied  iu 
Hence,  too,  the  noble  and  disinterested  actioDS 
which  Christian  heroes  have  performed,  under 
the  influence  of  unseen  and  everlasting  thin^ 
They  have  faced  dangers  and  persecutions  in 
every  shape  :  they  have  endured  "  cruel  ntoch- 
ings,  scourgings,  bonds,  and  imprisonments;" 
they  have  triumphed  under  the  torments  of  the 
rack,  and  amidst  the  raging  flames;  they  have 
surmounted  every  obstacle  in  their  benevolent 
exertions  to  communicate  blessings  to  their  fel- 
low-men; they  have  braved  the  fury  of  the  raging 
elements,  traversed  sea  and  lano,  and  pushed 
their  way  to  distant  barbarous  climes,  in  order  to 
point  out  to  their  benighted  inhaniianta  the  path 
that  leads  to  eternal  life.  Nor  oo  they  think  it 
too  dear  to  sacrifice  their  lives  in  auch  srrricw, 


PROOFS  FROM  THE  LIGHT  OF  NATURE. 


19 


since  "ihey  desire  a  better  country,"  and  feel 
assured  that  death  will  introduce  them  to  "  an 
exceeding  Treat  and  an  eternal  weight  of  glory." 
Since,  then,  it  appears  that  the  desire  of  im- 
monaliiy  is  common  to  mankind,  that  the  soul  is 
incessantly  looking  forward  to  the  enjoyment  of 
some  future  good,  and  that  this  desire  has  been 
the  spring  of  actions  (he  most  beneficent,  and 
h«roic,  on  what  principle  is  it  to  be  accounted 
for? 

••WTience  springs  this  pleasing  hope,  this  fond  desire, 
This  longing  after  immortality  ? 
Or,  whence  this  secret  dread,  and  inward  horror, 
Of  failing  into  nought  ?— Why  shrinks  the  soul 
Back  on  herself,  and  startles  at  destruction?" 

Whence  proceeds  the  want  we  feel  amidst  the 
varietv  of  objects  which  surround  us?  Whence 
arises  the  disgust  that  so  quickly  succeeds  every 
enjoyment?  Wherefore  can  we  never  cease 
from  wishing  for  something  more  exquisite  than 
we  have  ever  yet  possessed  ?  No  satisfactory 
answer  can  be  given  to  such  questions,  if  our 
duration  be  circumscribed  within  the  limite  of 
time  ;  and  if  we  shall  be  blotted  out  of  creation 
when  our  earthly  tabernacles  are  laid  in  the 
4u8t.  The  desires  to  which  I  now  refer  appear 
to  be  an  essential  part  of  the  human  constitution, 
and,  consequently,  were  implanted  in  our  nature 
by  the  hand  of  our  Creator; — and,  therefore, 
we  must  suppose,  either  that  the  desire  of  im- 
mortality will  be  gratified,  or  that  the  Creator 
takes  delight  in  tantalizing  his  creatures  with 
hopes  and  expectations  which  will  end  in  eternal 
disappointment.  To  admit  the  latter  supposi- 
tion, would  be  inconsistent  with  every  rational 
idea  we  can  form  of  the  moral  attributes  of  the 
Divinity.  It  would  be  inconsistent  with  his 
WToeity;  for  to  encourage  hopes  and  desires 
which  are  never  intended  to  be  gratified,  is  the 
(^aracteristic  of  a  deceiver,  and  therefore  con- 
trary to  every  conception  we  can  form  of  the 
conduct  of  "  a  God  of  truth."  It  would  be  in- 
consistent with  his  rectitude;  for  every  such  de- 
ception implies  an  act  of  injustice  towards  the 
individual  who  is  thus  tantalized.  It  would  be 
inconsistent  with  his  tpiitdom ;  for  it  would  imply 
that  he  has  no  other  means  of  governing  the  in- 
telligent creation,  than  those  which  have  a  ten- 
dency to  produce  fallacious  hopes  and  fuais  in 
the  minds  of  his  rational  offspring.  It  would 
be  inconsistent  with  his  benevolence;  (bras  "  the 
desire  acicomplished  is  sweet  to  the  soul,"  so 
disappointed  hopes  uniformly  tend  to  produce 
misery.  Yet  the  benevolence  of  the  Deity,  in 
every  other  point  of  view,  is  n>osi  strikingly  dis- 
played in  all  his  arrangements  in  the  material 
universe,  and  towards  every  species  of  sensitive 
existence. 

Whac  has  been  now  stated  in  relation  to  desire 
and  hope,  will  equally  apply  to  those  feari  and 
apprehensions,  which  frequently  aiise  in  the 
mind  in  reference  to  the  punishments  of  a  future 


world.  A  Being  possessed  <)f  perfect  benevo- 
lence cannot  be  supposed  to  harass  his  intelligent 
creatures,  and  to  render  their  lives  bitter  with 
alarming  apprehensions,  ibr  which  there  is  not 
the  slightest  foundation.  But,  if  there  is  no 
state  either  of  [)unishmt-nt  or  reward  beyond  the 
grave,  those  desires  of  immortal  duration,  which 
seem  at  first  view  to  elevate  man  above  the 
other  inhabitants  of  this  globe,  actually  place 
him  below  the  level  of  the  beasts,  which  bound 
through  the  forests  and  lawns,  and  find  their 
chief  enjoyment  in  browsing  on  the  grass.  They 
are  alive  to  present  enjoyment,  but  appear  to 
have  no  anticipations  of  the  future ;  they  feel 
present  pain,  but  there  is  no  reason  to  believe 
that  they  are  ever  tormented  with  fears  or  fore- 
bodings of  future  punishment.  They  are  con- 
tented with  the  organs  with  which  Nature  has 
furnished  them  ;  they  appear  fully  satisfied  with 
ranging  the  fields  and  feasting  on  the  herbage ; 
their  desires  need  no  restraint,  and  their  wishes 
are  completely  gratified ;  and  what  pleased  them 
yesterday  will  likewise  give  them  pleasure  to- 
morrow, without  being  harassed  with  insatiable 
desires  after  novelty  and  variety.  They  live  di- 
vested of  those  innumerable  cares  and  anxieties 
which  harass  and  perplex  the  children  of  men, 
and  they  never  wish  to  go  beyond  the  boundary 
which  nature  prescribes.  "  The  ingenious  bee 
constructs  commodious  cells,  but  never  dreams 
of  rearing  triumphal  arches  or  obelisks  to  deco- 
rate her  waxen  city."  Through  ignorance  of 
the  future,  they  pass  from  life  to  death,  with 
as  much  indifference  as  from  watching  to  sleep, 
or  from  labour  to  repose.  But  man.  amidst  all 
the  enjoyments  and  prospects  which  surround 
him,  feels  uneasy  and  unsatisfied,  because  he 
pants  after  happiness  infinite  in  duration.  His 
hopes  and  desires  overstep  the  bounds  of  time 
and  of  every  period  we  can  affix  to  duration, 
and  move  onward  through  a  boundless  eternity. 
And  if  he  is  to  be  for  ever  cut  off  from  exist- 
ence when  his  body  drops  into  the  grave,  how 
dismal  the  continued  apprehension  of  an  ever- 
lasting period  being  put  to  all  his  enjoyments 
after  a  prospect  of  immortality  has  been  opened 
to  his  view ! 

How,  then,  shall  we  account  for  these  anoma- 
lies ?  How  shall  we  reconcile  these  apparent 
inconsistencies?  In  what  light  sliall  we  exhibit 
the  conduct  of  the  Creator,  so  as  to  render  ii 
consistent  with  itself?  There  is  but  one  con- 
clusion we  can  form,  in  consistency  with  the 
moral  attributes  of  God,  which  will  completely 
unravel  the  mystery  of  man  being  animated  with 
unbounded  desires,  and  >et  confined  to  a  short 
and  limited  duration  in  the  present  world,  and 
that  is, — that  this  worlH  is  not  the  place  of  our 
final  destination,  but  introductory  to  a  more  glo- 
rious and  permanent  state  of  existence,  where 
the  desires  of  virtuous  minds  will  be  completely 
gratified,  and  their  Ikopes  fiiUy  realized.    I  do 


•0 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


not  iM  bow  any  other  conclusion  c«n  be  drawn, 
without  denying  boih  the  moral  characUr,  and 
eten  the  very  eniUnct  of  the  Lhity, 


SECTION  III. 

on  THE  IIITELLECTUAL  FACULTIES  OF  MAIf, 
AND  THE  STRONG  DESIRE  OF  KNOWLEDGE 
WHICH  IS  IMPLANTED  IN  THE  HUMAN 
MIND. 

The  principle  of  curiosiity ,  or  the  strong  desire 
ofknowlodge  which  is  iniplanied  in  the  mind  of 
man,  and  the  noble  intellectual  faculties  fur  ac- 
quiring it  with  which  he  is  endowed,  are  evi- 
dences and  proofs  of  his  immortal  destination. 

Though  this  argument  may  be  considered,  by 
some,  as  only  a  branch  of  the  preceding,  it  may 
not  be  inexpedient,  for  the  sake  of  impression, 
to  consider  it  separately,  as  it  will  admit  of  rea- 
sonings and  illustrations  distinct  from  those 
which  have  now  been  brought  forward. 

The  desire  of  knowledge  is  natural  to  every 
rational  being,  and  appears  to  be  a  fundamental 
part  of  the  constitution  of  the  human  mind.  It  is 
perceptible  even  in  the  first  stage  of  its  pro- 
gress, and  has  a  powerful  influence  over  the 
movements  and  the  enjoyments  of  the  young. 
Present  to  a  child  a  beautiful  landscape,  as  ex- 
hibited through  an  optical  machine,  and  it  will 
be  highly  delighted  with  the  exhibition.  Present 
a  second  and  a  third  of  a  different  description, 
in  succession,  and  its  delight  will  be  increased  ; 
it  will  anxiously  desire  exhibitions  of  new  and 
varied  objects,  and  its  curiosity  will  never  be 
satisfied  but  with  a  constant  succession  of  scenes 
and  objects  which  tend  to  widen  the  circle  of  its 
knowledge,  and  enlarge  the  capacity  of  its  mind. 
Hence  the  keen  desires  of  the  young  for  shows, 
spectacles,  processions  and  public  exhibitions  of 
every  description,  and  the  delight  which  they  feel 
in  making  excursions  from  one  scene  to  another. 
Hence  the  delight  with  which  travellers  traverse 
the  Alpine  scenes  of  nature,  cross  seas  and 
oceans,  descend  into  the  gloomy  subterraneous 
cavern,  or  climb  to  the  summit  of  the  flaming 
volcano,  notwithstanding  the  fatigues  and  perils 
lo  which  they  are  exposed. 

"  For  such  the  bounteous  providence  of  Heaven 
In  every  breast  ImplantinK  the  desire 
Of  objects  new  and  stranxe,  to  urge  us  on 
With  unremitted  labour  to  pursue 
Those  sacred  stores  that  wait  the  rtpanlngsoul. 
In  Tiuth's  exhaustless  bosom. 


'  For  this  the  daring  youth 


Breaks  from  his  weeping  mother**  muIous  arms, 
la  foreign  climes  to  rove ;  the  pensive  saxe 
BcsdlMS  of  sleep,  or  midni jbt'i  harmful  damp, 
Banfs  o'er  tlie  sfa:kJr  taper;  and  tuiilred 
Ths  virgin  follows  with  enchanted  step 
Ths  matss  of  some  wild  and  wondrou*  tale, 
I  mora  to  eve."  Jk«nrUU. 


If  the  desire  of  knowledge  appears,  in  many 


instsncos,  to  be  less  ardent  in  after  life,  it  if 
owing  in  a  great  measure  to  the  methods  of  our 
education,  and  the  falxc  principles  on  which  we 
attempt  to  convey  instruction  lo  the  youihAi 
mind.  Our  initiatory  instructions,  hitherto,  pre- 
sent the  yuung  with  little  more  than  the  key  of 
knowledge,  instead  o( knowledge  iueif.  We  lead 
them  to  the  threshold  of  the  temple  of  science 
without  attempting  to  unfold  its  treasures.  We 
deem  it  suiiicient  that  they  be  taught  lo  pro- 
nounce, like  a  number  of  puppets,  a  multitude 
of  tountU  and  terms  to  which  they  attach  no  die- 
tinct  conceptions,  while  we  decline  to  communi- 
cate clear  and  well-defined  idea*.  We  load  their 
memories  witli  technical  phrases  and  proposiiions 
which  they  do  not  understand,  while  the  objects 
of  substantial  science  are  carefully  concealed 
both  from  the  eye  of  sense  and  from  the  eyes  of 
their  understandings.  Instead  of  leading  them 
by  gentle  steps,  in  the  first  stage  of  their  pro- 
gress, over  the  grand,  and  beautiful,  and  vari^ 
gated  scenery  of  Nature  and  Revelation,  where 
almost  every  object  is  calculated  to  arrest  their 
attention,  and  to  excite  admiration, — we  con- 
found them  with  an  unintelligible  jargon  of 
grammar  rules,  of  metaphysical  subtleties,  and 
of  dead  languages,  associated  with  stripes,  con- 
finement, and  painful  recollections,  which  fi*^ 
quenily  produce  a  disgust  at  every  thing  which 
has  acquired  the  name  of  learning,  before  they 
are  made  acquainted  with  that  in  which  true 
knowledge  consists.  Yet,  notwithstanding  the 
injudicious  methods  by  which  we  attempt  to 
train  the  youthful  intellect,  it  is  impossible  to 
eradicate  the  desire  of  knowledge  from  the 
human  mind.  When  substantial  knowledge  is 
presented  to  the  mind,  in  a  judicious  and  al- 
luring manner,  it  will  not  only  be  relished,  but 
prosecuted  with  ardotu,  by  every  one  whose 
faculties  are  not  altogether  immersed  in  the 
mire  of  sensuality.  Let  a  man,  however  ig- 
norant and  untuioreil,  be  made  acquainted  with 
some  of  the  interesting  details  of  Geography, 
with  the  wonders  of  the  ocean,  and  the  nun>»- 
rous  rivers  continually  rolling  into  iu  abyss, 
with  the  lofty  ranges  of  mountains  which  stretch 
along  the  continents,  and  prcject  their  sum- 
mits beyond  the  clouds,  with  the  volcanoes, 
the  tornadoes,  the  water>spouts,  and  the  sub- 
lime and  beautiful  landscapes  which  diversify 
the  diflferent  climates  of  the  earth;  with  the 
numerous  tribes  of  animated  beings  which  peo> 
pie  its  suriiice,  and  the  manners  and  customs 
of  its  human  inhabitants — he  will  feel  an  eager 
desire  to  know  every  thing  else  that  apoertaina 
to  this  subject,  and  will  prosecute  his  inqui- 
ries with  avidity,  in  so  far  as  his  means  and 
opportunities  permit.  Acquaint  hin*  with  some 
of  the  most  striking  facu  in  ancient  and  mo- 
dem history,  and  he  will  foel  a  desire  to  know 
every  thing  of  importance  that  has  occurred  in 
the  anuala  of  the  worU  since  the  commence- 


PROOFS  FROM  THE  LIGHT  OP  NATURE. 


91 


ment  of  time.  Unfold  to  him  some  of  the  dis- 
coveries which  have  been  made  in  relation  to 
the  constitution  of  the  atmosphere,  the  electric, 
magnetic,  and  galvanic  fluids,  and  the  chymi- 
cal  changes  and  operations  that  are  constantly 
going  on  in  the  animal,  vegetable,  and  mineral 
kingdoms,  and  his  curiosity  will  be  strongly 
excited  to  penetrate  still  farther  into  the  mys- 
teries of  nature.  Direct  his  views  to  the  con- 
cave of  the  firmament,  and  tell  him  of  the  vast 
magnitude  of  the  sun,  and  the  planetary  globes, 
the  amazing  velocity  with  which  they  run  their 
destined  rounds,  and  of  the  immense  number  and 
distances  of  the  steu-s — and  he  will  eagerly  pant 
after  more  minute  information  respecting  the 
great  bodies  of  the  universe,  and  feel  delighted 
at  hearing  of  new  discoveries  being  made  in  the 
unexplored  regions  of  creation. 

I  never  knew  an  instance  in  which  knowledge 
of  this  description  was  communicated  in  a  rc^ 
tional,  distinct,  and  alluring  manner,  where  it  was 
not  received  with  a  certain  degree  of  pleasure, 
and  with  an  ardent  desire  to  make  further  inves- 
tigations into  the  wonders  of  creating  wisdom 
and  power.  Such  appears  to  be  the  original  con- 
stitution of  the  human  mind,  that  it  is  necessa- 
rily gratified  with  every  thing  that  gives  scope 
to  the  exercise  of  its  faculties,  and  which  has  a 
tendency  to  extend  the  range  of  their  action.  It 
is  true,  indeed,  that,  in  some  men,  the  desire  of 
knowledge  appears  to  be  blunted  and  almost  an- 
nihilated, so  that  they  appear  to  be  little  superior 
in  their  views  to  the  lower  orders  of  sensitive  ex- 
istence. But  this  happens  only  in  those  cases 
where  the  intellectual  faculties  are  benumbed 
and  stupified  by  indolence  and  sensuality .  Such 
persons  do  all  they  can  to  counteract  the  original 
propensities  of  their  nature ;  and  yet  even  in  the 
worst  cases  of  this  kind  that  can  occur,  the  ori- 
ginal desire  is  never  altogether  extirpated,  so 
long  as  the  senses  are  qualified  to  perform  their 
functions.  For  the  most  brutish  man  is  never 
found  entirely  divested  of  the  principle  of  curi- 
osity, when  any  striking  or  extraordinary  object 
is  presented  to  his  view.  On  such  an  occasion, 
the  original  principles  of  his  constitution  will  be 
roused  into  action,  and  he  will  feel  a  certain  de- 
gree of  wonder  and  delight  in  common  with  other 
rational  minds. 

And,  as  man  has  a  natural  desire  after  know- 
ledge, and  a  delight  in  it — so,  he  is  furnished 
with  noble  faculties  and  vait  capadties  of  intellect 
for  enabling  him  to  acquire,  and  to  treasure  it 
up.  He  is  furnished  with  senses  calculated  to 
convey  ideas  of  the  forms,  qualities,  and  relations 
of  the  various  objects  which  surround  him.  His 
sense  of  vision,  io  particular,  appears  to  take  in 
a  wider  range  of  objects,  than  that  of  any  other 
sensitive  being.  While  some  of  the  lower  ani- 
mals have  their  vision  circumscribed  within  a 
circle  of  a  few  yards  or  inches  in  diameter,  the 
eye  of  man  can  survey,  at  one  glance,  an  ezleo- 


sive  landscape,  and  penetrate  even  to  the  regions 
of  distant  worlds.  To  this  sense  we  are  indebted 
fur  our  knowledge  of  the  sublimest  objects  which 
can  occupy  the  mind,  and  for  the  ideas  we  have 
acquired  of  the  boundless  range  of  creation. 
And,  while  it  is  fitted  to  trace  the  motions  of 
mighty  worlds,  which  roll  at  the  distance  of  a 
thousand  millions  of  miles,  it  is  also  so  con- 
structed, as  to  enable  him,  with  the  assistance 
of  art,  to  survey  the  myriads  of  living  beings 
which  people  a  drop  of  water.  All  his  other 
senses  are  likewise  calculate(^  to  extend  the  range 
of  his  knowledge,  to  enable  him  to  communicate 
his  ideas  to  others,  and  to  facilitate  the  mutual 
interchanges  of  thought  and  sentiment  between 
rational  minds  of  a  similar  construction  with  his 
own. 

His  understanding  is  capable  of  taking  in  a 
vast  variety  of  sentiments  and  ideas  in  relation 
to  the  immense  multiplicity  of  objects  which  are 
perceived  by  his  external  senses.  Hence  the 
various  sciences  he  has  cultivated,  the  sublime 
discoveries  he  has  made,  and  the  noble  inven- 
tions he  has  brought  to  light.  By  the  powers  of 
his  understanding,  he  has  surveyed  the  terraque- 
ous globe,  in  all  its  varieties  of  land  and  water, 
continents,  <slands  and  oceans ;  determined  its 
magnitude,  its  weight,  its  figure  and  motions; 
explored  its  interior  recesses,  descended  into  the 
bottom  of  its  seas,  arranged  and  classified  the 
infinite  variety  of  vegetables,  minerals,  and  ani- 
mals which  it  contains,  analysed  the  invisible 
atmosphere  with  which  it  is  surrounded,  and  de- 
termined the  elementary  principles  of  which  it  is 
composed,  discovered  the  nature  of  thunder,  and 
arrested  the  rapid  lightnings  in  their  course,  as- 
certained the  laws  by  which  the  planets  are  di- 
rected in  their  courses,  weighed  the  masses  of 
distant  worlds,  determined  their  size  and  dis- 
tances, and  explored  regions  of  the  universe  invi- 
sible to  the  unassisted  eye,  whose  distance  exceeds 
all  human  calculation  and  comprehension.  The 
sublime  sciences  of  Geometry,  Trigonometry, 
Conic  Sections,  Fluxions,  Algebra,  and  other 
branches  of  Mathematics,  evince  the  acuteness 
and  perspicacity  of  his  intellect ;  and  their  tp- 
plication  to  the  purposes  of  Navigation  and 
Geography,  and  to  the  determination  of  the  laws 
of  the  celestial  motions,  the  periods  of  their  re- 
volutions, their  eclipses,  and  the  distances  at 
which  they  are  placed  from  our  sublunary  man- 
sion, demonstrate  the  vigour  and  comprehension 
of  those  reasoning  faculties  with  which  he  is  en- 
dowed. 

By  means  of  the  instruments  and  contrivances 
which  his  inventive  faculty  has  enabled  him  to 
form  and  construct,  he  can  trans[>ort  ponderous 
masses  across  the  ocean,  determine  the  exact 
position  in  which  he  is  at  any  time  placed  upon 
Its  surface,  direct  his  course  along  pathless  de- 
serts and  through  the  billows  of  the  mighty  deep  ; 
^-transform  a  portion  o(  steam  into  a  mechanical 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


power,  tor  impelling  waggont  along  roads,  and 
large  vesael*  wiih  great  vrtocity  against  wind  and 
tide  ;  and  can  even  transport  hiiraielf  through  the 
yielding  air  beyond  the  region  of  the  clouds.  He 
can  explore  the  invisible  worlds  wh.ch  are  con- 
tained ill  a  putrid  lakn,  and  bring  to  view  their 
numeroiiK  and  diversified  iiihabitunis  ;  and  the 
next  moment  he  can  penetrate  lo  regions  of  the 
universe  immeasurably  distant,  and  cuntrmplate 
the  mountains  and  the  vales,  the  rocks  and  the 
plain*  which  diversify  the  scenery  of -distant  siir- 
rounding  worlds.  He  can  t-xiract  an  invisible 
substance  from  a  piece  of  coal,  by  which  he  can 
produce,  almost  in  a  moment,  the  most  splendid 
illumination  throughout  every  part  of  a  large  and 
populous  city, — he  can  detach  the  element  of 
fire  from  the  invisible  air,  and  cause  the  hardest 
stonea,  and  the  heaviest  metals  to  m«li  like  wax 
under  ii»  powerful  agency  ;  and  he  can  direct  the 
lightnings  of  heaven  to  accomplish  his  purposes, 
ID  splitiing  immense  stones  into  a  multitude  of 
fragments.  He  can  cause  a  splendiil  city,  adorn- 
ed with  lofty  colunma,  palaces,  and  temples,  to 
arise,  m  a  spot  where  nothing  was  formerly  be- 
hold but  a  vast  desert  or  a  putrid  marsh  ;  and  can 
make  "  the  wilderness  and  the  solitary  place  to 
be  glad,  and  the  desert  lo  bud  and  blossom  as 
the  rose."  He  can  communicate  his  thoughts 
and  sentiments  in  a  few  hours,  to  ten  hundred 
thousands  of  his  fellow-men  ;  in  a  few  weeks,  to 
the  whole  civilized  world  ;  and,  after  his  decease, 
he  can  diffuse  important  instructions  among 
mankind,  throtighout  succeeding  generations. — 
In  short,  He  can  look  back,  and  trace  the  most  me- 
morable events  which  have  happened  in  the  world 
•ince  lime  began  ;  he  can  survey  the  present  as- 
pect of  the  moral  world  among  all  nations  ; — he 
can  penetrate  beyond  the  limits  of  all  that  is 
Tisible  in  the  immense  canopy  of  heaven,  and 
range  amidst  the  infinity  of  unknown  systems 
and  worids  dispersed  throughout  the  boundless 
regions  of  creation,  and  he  can  overleap  the 
bounds  of  time,  and  expatiate  amidst  future 
scenes  of  beauty  and  sublimity,  which  "  eye 
hath  not  seen,"  throughout  the  countless  ages  of 
eftmiiy.  * 

What  an  immense  multitude  of  ideas,  in  rela- 
tion to  such  subjects,  must  the  mind  of  such  a 
person  as  Ijtrd  Btuxm  have  contained  !  whoae 
mental  eye  surveyed  the  whole  circle  of  human 
science,  and  who  pointed  out  the  path  by  which 
•very  branch  of  knowledge  may  be  carried  towards 
perfection  !  How  sublime  and  diversified  must 
have  been  the  range  of  thought  pursued  by  the 
immortal  JSTewtm!  whose  capacious  intellect 
seemed  to  grasp  the  vast  system  of  imiversal  na- 
ture, who  weighed  the  ponderous  masses  of  the 
planetary  globes,  and  unfolded  the  laws  by  which 
their  diversified  phenomena  are  produced,  and 
their  motions  directed ! 

**  Be,  while  on  this  dim  spot,  where  mortali  toll, 
doudsd  la  dustt— fnm  Motliw's  almple  laws 


CouM  truce  the  secret  hind  of  Providence, 

Wlite-worklnff  ihrouf^tt  this  unlveisal  fnune. 

— All  Intellectual  eye,  uur  solar  round 

First  (oxlnx  through,  he,  by  the  blended  power 

Of  Gravitation  and  Projection,  saw 

The  whole  in  silent  harmony  revolve. 

—Then  breaklnc  hence,  he  took  hts  ardent  flifbt 

Thro«i|^h  the.  blue  inflnlte,  and  every  star 

Which  the  clear  concave  of  a  winter's  nifht 

Pours  on  the  eye,  or  astronomic  tulie, — 

— at  his  approach 

Blazed  into  suns,  the  living  centre  OOCh 
Of  an  bannonieus  system." 

Such  minds  as  those  of  Socrates,  Plato,  Arcfai-- 
medes,  Locke,  Boyle,  La  PInce,  and  similar  il- 
lustrious characters,  likewise  demonstrate  the 
vast  capacity  of  the  human  intellect,  the  exten- 
sive range  of  thought  it  is  capable  of  prosecut- 
ing, and  the  immense  number  of  ideas  it  is 
capable  of  acquiring.  And  every  man,  whose 
faculties  are  in  a  sound  slate,  is  endowed  with 
similar  powers  of  thought,  and  is  capable  of  be- 
ing trained  to  similar  degrees  of  intellectual  ex- 
c^lei>ce. 

And  as  man  is  endued  with  capacious  intel- 
lectual p)wers  for  the  aeqTtisition  of  knowledge, 
so  he  is  furnished  with  a  noble  faculty  by  which 
he  is  enabled  to  retain,  and  to-trta*ure  iq>  in  his 
intellect  the  knowledge  he  acquires.  He  is  eiw 
dowed  with  the  faculty  of  memory,  by  which  the 
mind  retains  the  ideas  of  past  objects  and  percep- 
tions, accompanied  with  a  persuasion,  that  the 
objects  or  things  remembered  were  formerly  real 
and  present.  Without  with  faculty  we  could 
never  advance  a  single  step  in  the  path  of  men- 
tal improvement.  If  the  information  we  ori- 
ginally derive  through  the  medium  of  the  senses 
were  to  vanish  the  moment  the  objects  are  re~ 
moved  from  our  immediate  perception,  we 
should  be  left  as  devoid  of  knowledge  as  if  we 
had  never  existed.  But,  by  the  power  of  memo- 
ry, we  can  treasure  up,  as  in  a  storehouse,  the 
greater  part,  if  not  the  whole  of  the  ideas,  no- 
tions, reasonings,  and  perceptions  which  we 
formerly  acquired,  and  render  them  subservient 
to  our  future  progress  in  intellectual  attainments. 
And  it  is  probable,  thai  even  a  huihan  spirit,  in 
the  vigorous  exercise  of  the  faculties  with  which 
it  is  now  fursished,  may  go  forward,  through  an 
interminable  duration,  making  continual  acces- 
sions to  its  stores  of  knowledge,  without  losing 
one  leading  idea,  or  portion  of  information  which 
it  had  previously  acquired. 

The  power  of  memory  in  retaining  past  im- 
pressions, and  its  susceptibility  of  improvement, 
are  vastly  f>reater  than  is  generally  imagined. 
In  many  individuals,  both  \n  ancient  and  in 
modem  times,  it  has  been  found  in  such  a  state 
of  perfection,  as  to  excite  astonishment,  and  al- 
most to  transcend  belief.  It  is  reported  of  Sene- 
ca, that  he  could  repeat  two  thousand  verses  at 
once,  in  their  order,  and  then  begin  at  the  end 
and  rehearse  them  backwards,  without  missing  a 
single  syllable.  Cyrus  is  said  to  have  been  able 
to  call  srsrj  mdiridual  of  his  aumerotti  artoj  bj 


PROOFS  FROM  THE  LIGHT  OF  NATURE. 


33 


is  own  name.  Cyneas,  who  was  sent  by 
Pyrrhus  to  the  Senate  at  Rome,  on  an  expedi- 
tion, the  very  next  day  afier  his  arrival,  both 
knew  and  also  saluted  by  their  names,  all  the 
Senate,  and  the  whole  order  of  the  gentlemen  in 
Rome.  Milhridates,  who  governed  twenty- 
three  nations,  all  of  different  languages,  could 
converse  with  every  one  of  them  in  their  own 
language.*  An  ancient  author  mentions  one 
Oritus,  a  Corsican  boy,  to  whom  he  dictated  a 
great  number  of  words  both  sense  and  nonsense, 
and  finding  he  could  rehearse  a  considerable 
number  without  missing  one,  and  in  the  same 
order  in  which  he  dictated  them,  increased  them 
to  the  number  of  forty  thousand,  and  found,  to 
his  astonishment,  that  he  could  repeat  them  all 
from  beginning  to  end,  or  from  the  end  back- 
wards to  the  beginning,  in  the  order  in  which 
they  were  dictated. 

In  modern  times,  there  have  likewise  been 
many  instances  of  extraordinary  powers  of  re- 
tention. Dr.  Wallis,  in  a  paper  in  the  Philoso- 
phical Transactions,  informs  us  that  he  extracted 
the  cube  root  of  the  number  <Aree,  even  to  thirty 
places  of  decimals,  by  the  help  of  his  memory 
alone.  Maglia  Bethi,  an  Italian,  had  read  all 
the  books  that  were  published  in  his  life  time, 
and  most  of  those  which  were  published  be- 
fore, and  could  not  only  give  an  account  of 
what  was  contained  in  each  author,  but  could 
likewise,  from  memory,  quote  the  chapter,  sec- 
tion, and  page  of  any  book  he  had  read,  and 
repeat  the  author's  own  words,  in  reference  to 
any  particular  topic.  A  gentleman,  in  order  to 
try  his  memory,  lent  him  a  long  manuscript  ho 
was  about  to  publish,  and  after  it  had  been  re- 
turned, called  upon  him  soon  aflerwards,  pre- 
tending he  had  lost  it,  and  desired  him  to  write 
•8  much  of  it  as  he  could  remember;  when, 
to  his  surprise,  he  wrote  it  over  accurately 
word  for  word,  the  same  as  in  the  manuscript 
he  had  lent  him.  M.  Euler,  a  late  celebrated 
mathematician  and  philosopher,  who  died  in 
1783,  having  lost  his  sight  by  too  intense  ap- 
plication to  study,  afterwards  composed  his  "Ele- 
ments of  Algebra,"  and  a  work  "  On  the  ine- 
qualities of  the  planetary  motions,"  that  required 
immense  and  complicated  calculations,  which  he 
performed  by  his  memory  alone,  to  the  admira- 
tion and  astonishment  even  of  the  philosophic 
world.  His  memory  seemed  to  retain  every 
idea  that  was  conveyed  to  it,  either  from  reading 
or  from  meditation,  and  his  powers  of  reasoning 
and  of  discrimination  were  equally  acute  and 
capacious.  He  was  also  an  excellent  classical 
scholar,  and  could  repeat  the  JSneid  of  Virgil 
from  the  beginning  to  the  end,  and  indicate  the 
first  and  last  line  of  every  page  of  the  edition  he 
used.!     I  have  conversed  with  an  individual, 

*8enee.  Controvers.  Lib.  1-  PUny'sKat.  Hlstftc. 
t  EBcydopedia  Britaa.  Art-  Euler. 


who  was  born  blind,  and  who  could  repeat  the 
whole  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  from  be- 
ginning to  end  ;  and  not  only  so,  but  could  repeat 
any  particular  chapter  or  verse  that  might  be 
proposed  to  him,  the  moment  after  it  was  speci- 
fied. 

Thus  it  appears  that  man  is  not  only  possessed 
of  an  ardent  desire  after  knowledge,  but  is  en- 
dued with  the  most  penetrating  and  capacious 
powers  of  intellect,  both  for  acquiring  and  for 
treasuring  it  up  in  his  mind — powers  which  ap- 
pear susceptible  of  indefinite  improvement  in 
this  world  ;  and  the  legitimate  inference  that  may 
be  drawn  from  this,  is,  that  they  will  continue  to 
he  exerted  with  uninterrupted  activity,  through- 
out an  unceasing  duration.  And,  is  it  possible 
to  suppose,  in  consistency  with  the  moral  attri- 
butes of  the  Deity,  that  the  exercise  of  such 
powers  is  intended  to  be  confined  within  the  nar- 
row limits  of  time,  and  to  the  contracted  sphere 
of  the  terraqueous  globe  ? 


'  Say,  can  a  soul  possess'd 


Of  such  extensive,  deep,  tremendous  powers 
Enlarging  still,  be  but  a  finer  breath 
Of  spirits  dancing  through  their  tubes  a  while. 
And  then  for  ever  lost  In  vacant  air  V 


Such  a  conclusion  never  can  be  admitted  while 
we  recognise  the  divinity  as  possessed  of  bound- 
less goodness  and  unerring  wisdom.  It  is  the  \ 
province  of  goodness  to  gratify  those  pure  and  ^ 
ardent  desires  which  it  has  implanted  in  the  soul ; 
and  it  is  the  part  of  wisdom  to  proportionate 
means  to  ends.  But  if  the  whole  existence 
of  human  beings  had  been  intended  to  be  coi>- 
fined  to  a  mere  point  in  duration,  is  it  rational 
to  suppose,  that  Infinite  Wisdom  would  have  en- 
dowed the  human  soul  with  powers  and  capaci- 
ties so  marvellous  and  sublime,  and  made  so  many 
great  preparations  and  arrangements  for  promot- 
ing its  physical  and  moral  perfection  ?  To  acqui- 
esce in  such  a  supposition,  woulJ  be  to  degrade 
the  divine  wisdom  and  intelligence  below  the  level 
of  the  wisdom  of  man,  and  to  impute  imperfec- 
tion and  folly  to  Him  who  is  "  the  only  wise 
God."  For,  in  the  conduct  of  human  beings, 
we  uniformly  regard  it  as  an  evidence  of  folly, 
when  they  construct  a  complicated  and  an  extra- 
vagant machine,  which  either  accomplishes  no 
end,  or  no  end  worthy  of  the  expense  and  labour 
bestowed  on  its  construction.  And,  therefore, 
if  we  would  not  ascribe  imbecility  or  want  of 
design  to  the  adorable  Creator  of  the  universe, 
we  must  admit,  that  he  has  not  formed  the  soul 
of  man  for  this  terrestrial  scene  alone,  but  has 
destined  it  to  a  state  of  progressive  improve- 
ment, and  of  endless  duration. 

This  conclusion  will  appear  still  more  evident, 
if  we  consider  the  endless  round  of  business  and 
care,  and  the  numerous  hardships  to  which  the 
bulk  of  mankind  are  subjected  in  the  present 
state,  which  prevent  the  full  and  vigoroua  eur- 


4 


M 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  FXJTURB  STATE. 


ciM  of  th«  intellectual  powers  on  those  objects 
which  are  congenial  to  the  ardent  desires,  and 
the  noble  faculties  of  tiie  human  soul.  The 
greater  part  of  mankind,  in  the  present  circum- 
Mances  oT  their  terrestrial  existence,  have  their 
time  and  attention  almost  wholly  absorbed  in 
counteracting  the  evils  incident  to  their  present 
condition,  and  in  making  provision  for  the  wants 
cT  their  animal  natures  ;  and,  consequently,  the 
full  gratification  of  the  appetite  for  knowledge, 
ia  an  absolute  impossibility,  amidst  the  pursuits 
and  the  turmoils  connected  with  the  present  scene 
of  things.  If  we  likewise  consider  the  difficulty 
of  directing  the  mind  in  the  pursuit  of  substan- 
tial knowledge,  and  the  numerous  obstructions 
which  occur  in  our  researches  after  truth,  amidst 
the  contradictory  opinions,  the  jarring  interests, 
and  the  wayward  passions  of  men, — iT  we  con- 
sider the  imperfections  of  our  senses,  and  the 
fallacies  to  which  they  are  exposed — the  preju- 
dices and  the  passions  which  seduce  us  into  er- 
ror— how  readily  we  embrace  a  glittering  phan- 
tom for  a  substantial  truth — and  how  soon  our 
spirits  &ini  under  the  pressure  of  intense  appli- 
cation to  mental  pursuits, — we  shall  be  convinc- 
ed, that,  in  this  sublunary  sphere,  there  is  no 
scope  for  the  full  exercise  of  the  intellectual 
powers,  and  that  the  present  world  must  be  only 
a  preparatory  scene  to  a  higher  state  of  exist- 
ence. Besides,  even  in  those  cases  where  every 
requisite  for  the  acquisition  of  knowledge  is  pos- 
sessed— where  leisure,  wealth,  education,  books, 
instruments,  and  all  the  assistances  derived  from 
learned  associations,  are  conjoined  with  the  most 
splendid  intellectual  endowments,  how  feeble  are 
the  efforts  of  the  most  penetrating  and  energetic 
mind,  and  how  narrow  the  boundary  within  which 
its  views  are  confined  !  The  brightest  genius, 
standing  on  the  highest  eminence  to  which  sci- 
ence can  transport  him,  contemplates  a  bound- 
less prospect  of  objects  and  events,  the  knowledge 
of  which  he  can  never  hope  to  attain,  while  he 
is  chained  down  to  the  limits  of  this  terrestrial 
ball.  His  mental  eye  beholds  an  unbounded  and 
diversified  scene  of  objects,  operations,  relations, 
changes,  and  revolutions,  beyond  the  limits  of 
all  that  is  visible  to  the  eye  of  sense  :  he  catches 
an  occasional  glimpse  of  objects  and  of  scene* 
which  were  previously  involved  in  obscurity,  he 
strains  his  mental  sight,  stretches  forward  with 
eagerness  to  grasp  at  new  discoveries,  descries 
some  openings  which  direct  bis  view  into  the  re- 
gion* of  infinity  and  eternity— ia  still  restless  and 
umatiffied — |>erceives  all  his  knowledge  to  be 
mere  shreds  and  patches,  or  like  a  few  dim  taper* 
amidst  the  surrounding  gloom — is  convinced  that 
hia  present  faculties  are  too  weak  and  limited, 
and  that  he  must  be  raised  to  a  *ublimer  atation, 
before  he  can  fully  grasp  the  mafnificent  object* 
which  lie  hid  in  the  unexplored  region*  of  iR>- 
■WiMtj  All  his  present  views  and  proepect* 
tl*  w^*'"*^  within  a  circle  of  a  few  nulea,  and 


all  beyond,  in  the  universal  system,  which  a>* 
tends  through  the  immeasurable  tracts  of  infinite 
space,  is  darknesa  and  uncertainly. 

Can  it,  tlien,  be  supposed,  that  a  soul  fijmi*h> 
ed  with  such  noble  powers  and  capacities,  capa« 
bleof  traversing  the  realm  of  creation,  of  opening 
new  prospects  into  the  unbounded  region*  at 
tnitit  tliat  lie  before  it,  and  of  appreciating  the 
perfection*  of  tlie  Sovereign  of  the  ilniverse— ft 
soul  fired  with  ardent  desire*  after  knowledge, 
panting  after  new  discoveries  of  truth  and  of  the 
grandeur  of  the  Divinity,  unsatisfied  with  all  it* 
past  attainments,  and  contemplating  a  boundle** 
unexplored  prospect  before  it — should  be  cast  off 
from  existence,  and  sink  into  eternal  annihila- 
tion, at  the  moment  when  its  capacities  were 
just  beginning  to  expand,  when  its  desires  were 
most  ardent,  and  when  the  scenes  of  immensity 
and  eternity  were  just  opening  to  it*  view  7  If 
such  a  supposition  could  t>e  admitted,  man  woukl 
be  the  most  inexplicable  phenomenon  in  tlie  iui« 
verse  ;  his  existence  an  tmfathomable  mystery  ; 
and  there  could  be  no  conceivable  mode  of  recon- 
ciling his  condition  and  destination  with  the  wi» 
dom,  the  rectitude,  and  the  benevolence  of  hit 
Creator.* 


SECTION  rv. 

ON  THE  PERPETUAL  PROGRESS  OF  TBI  lfin> 
TOWARDS  PERFECTION. 

As  a  supplement  to  the  preceding  argument, 
it  may  be  stated,  that  the  loui  of  man  appears  to 
be  capable  of  making  a  perpetual  progret*  totoardt 
intellectual  and  moral  perfection,  and  of  enjoying 
felicity  in  every  ttage  ofilM  carter,  without  tht 
poMsibtlity  of  ever  arriving  at  a  boundary  to  it$ 
excurmont.  In  the  present  state  we  perceive  no 
limits  to  the  excursions  of  the  intellect,  but 
those  which  arise  from  its  connexion  with  an 
unwieldy  corporal  G-anie,  which  is  chained  down, 
as  it  were,  to  a  mere  point,  in  the  immensi- 
ty of  creation.  Up  to  the  Latest  period  of  it* 
connexion  with  time,  it  is  capable  of  acquiring 
new  accessions  of  knowledge,  higher  attai^w 
ments  in  virtue,  and  more  ardent  desires   after 

*  Hucli  considerations,  as  those  which  I  have  now 
adduced,  seem  to  have  made  a  powerful  imprension 
upon  the  minds  of  the  philosophers  of  antiquity. 
"  When  I  consider,"  says  Cicero,  "the  wonderful 
activity  of  the  mind,  so  f^reat  n  memory  of  what  t* 
past,  and  such  a  rapacity  of  penetratine  Into  the 
future ;  when  I  liehold  such  a  numlier  of  arts  and 
sciences,  and  such  a  multitude  of  discoveries  thence 
arising;  I  believe,  and  am  firmly  |>ersuaded,tlat  a 
nature  which  contains  so  many  thUit^s  within  itself 
cannot  be  mortal."  Cicero  de  Seneenu*.  Cap.  II . 
And  if  this  argument  appeared  strong  even  In  Cice- 
ro's time,  it  has  received  a  vast  acce*Mon  of  *trenfftb 
from  the  numeroua  arts,  *cienee*,  Invention*,  and 
discoveries,  which  are  peculiar  to  the  age  In  wkick 
we  live. 


PROOFS  FROai  THE  LIGHT  OF  NATURE. 


mora!  perfection  ;  and  the  infinity  of  the  Creator, 
and  the 'immensity  of  that  universe  over  which  he 
presides,  present  a  field  in  which  it  may  for  ever 
expatiate,  and  an  assemblage  of  objects  on  which 
its  powers  may  be  incessantly  exercised,  with- 
out the  most  distant  prospect  of  ever  arriving  at 
a  boundary  to  interrupt  its  intellectual  career. 

As  I  cannot  illustrate  this  topic  in  more  beau- 
tiful and  forcible  language  than  has  been  already 
done  by  a  celebrated  Essayist,  I  shall  lake  the 
liberty  of  quoting  his  words. — "  How  can  it  en- 
ter into  the  thoughts  of  man,"  says  this  elegant 
writer,  "  that  the  soul,  which  is  capable  of  such 
immense  perfections,  and  of  receiving  new  im- 
provements to  all  eternity,  shall  fall  away  into 
nothing  almost  as  soon  as  it  is  created  ?  Are 
Buch  abilities  made  for  no  purpose?  A  brute 
arrives  at  a  point  of  perfection  which  he  can 
never  pass.  In  a  few  years  he  has  all  the  en- 
dowments he  is  capable  of;  and  were  he  lo  live 
ten  thousand  more,  would  be  the  same  thing  he 
is  at  present.  Were  a  human  soul  thus  at  a 
stand  in  her  accomplishments,  were  her  faculties 
to  be  full  blown,  and  incapable  of  further  enlarge- 
ments, I  could  imagine  it  might  fall  away  insen- 
sibly, and  drop  at  once  into  a  state  of  annihila- 
tion. But  can  we  believe  a  thinking  being,  that 
is  in  a  perpetual  progress  of  improvements,  and 
travelling  on  from  perfection  to  perfection,  after 
having  just  looked  abroad  into  the  works  of  the 
Creator,  and  made  a  few  discoveries  of  his  infi- 
nite goodness,  wisdom  and  power,  must  perish  in 
her  first  setting  out,  and  in  the  very  beginning  of 
her  inquiries  ? 

"  A  man,  considered  in  his  present  state, 
seems  only  sent  into  the  world  to  propagate  his 
kind.  He  provides  himself  with  a  successor, 
and  immediately  quits  his  post  to  make  room  for 
him : — 

Heir  urges  on  his  predecessor  heir, 

Like  wave  Impelling  wave. 

He  does  not  seem  born  to  enjoy  life,  but  lo  deli- 
yer  it  down  to  others.  This  is  not  surprising  to 
consider  in  animals,  which  are  formed  for  our 
use,  and  can  finish  their  business  in  a  short  life. 
The  silk-worm,  after  having  spun  her  task,  lays 
her  eggs  and  dies.  But  a  man  can  never  have 
taken  in  his  full  measure  of  knowledge,  has  not 
time  to  subdue  his  passions,  esablish  his  soul  in 
virtue,  and  come  up  to  the  perfection  of  his  na- 
ture, before  he  is  hurried  off  the  stage.  Would 
an  infinitely  wise  Being  make  such  glorious  crea- 
tures for  so  mean  a  purpose  ?  Can  he  delight 
in  the  production  of  such  abortive  intelligences, 
such  short-lived  reasonable  beings  ?  Would  he 
give  us  talents  that  are  not  to  be  exerted  '!  capa- 
cities that  are  never  to  be  gratified  ?  How  can 
we  find  that  wisdom,  which  shines  through  all  his 
works  in  the  formation  of  man,  without  looking 
on  this  world  as  a  nursery  for  the  next  ?  and  be- 
lieving that  the  several  generations  of  rational 
creatures,  which  rise  up  and  disappear  in  such 
4 


quick  successions,  are  only  to  receive  their  first 
rudiments  of  existence  here,  and  afterwards  to 
be  transplanted  into  a  more  friendly  climate, 
where  they  may  spread  and  flourish  to  all  eternity  ? 

"  There  is  not,  in  my  opinion,  a  more  pleas- 
ing and  triumphant  consideration  in  religion  than 
this,  of  the  perpetual  progress  which  the  soul 
makes  towards  the  perfection  of  its  nature,  with- 
out ever  arriving  at  a  period  in  it.  To  look  upon 
the  soul  as  going  on  from  strength  to  strength  ; 
to  consider  that  she  is  to  shine  forever  with  new 
accessions  of  glory,  and  brighten  to  all  eternity, 
that  she  will  be  still  adding  virtue  to  virtue,  and 
knowledge  to  knowledge,  carries  in  it  something 
wonderfully  agreeable  to  that  ambition  which  is 
natural  to  the  mind  of  man.  Nay,  it  must  be  a 
prospect  pleasing  to  God  himself  to  see  his  crea- 
tion for  ever  beautifying  in  his  eyes,  and  drawing 
nearer  to  him  by  greater  degrees  of  resemblance. 

"  Methinks  this  single  consideration  of  the 
progress  of  a  finite  spirit  to  perfection  will  be 
sufficient  to  extinguish  all  envy  in  inferior  na- 
tures, and  all  contempt  in  superior.  That  che- 
rubim, which  now  appears  as  a  god  to  a  human 
soul,  knows  very  well  that  the  period  will  come 
about  in  eternity,  when  the  human  soul  shall  be 
as  perfect  as  he  himself  now  is  :  nay,  when  she 
shall  look  down  upon  that  degree  of  perfection  as 
much  as  she  now  falls  short  of  it.  It  is  true  the 
higher  nature  still  advances,  and  by  that  means 
preserves  his  distance  and  superiority  in  the  scale 
of  being  ;  but  he  knows  how  high  soever  the  sta- 
tion is,  of  which  he  stands  possessed  at  present, 
the  inferior  nature  will  at  length  mount  up  to  it, 
and  shine  forth  in  the  same  degree  of  glory. 

"  With  what  astonishment  and  veneration 
may  we  look  into  our  own  souls,  where  there  are 
such  hidden  stores  of  virtue  and  knowledge,  such 
inexhausted  sources  of  perfection  ?  We  know 
not  yet  what  we  shall  be,  nor  will  it  ever  enter 
into  the  heart  of  man  to  conceive  the  glory  that 
will  be  always  in  reserve  for  him.  The  soul 
considered  with  its  Creator,  is  like  one  of  those 
mathematical  lines  that  may  draw  nearer  to  an- 
other for  all  eternity  without  a  possibility  of 
touching  it :  and  can  there  be  a  thought  so  trans- 
porting, as  to  consider  ourselves  in  these  per- 
petual approaches  to  Him  who  is  not  only  the 
standard  of  perfection  but  of  happiness!"* 


SECTION  V. 

ON  THE  UWLIMITED  RANGE  OF  VIEW  WHICH 
IS  OPENED  TO  THE  HUMAN  FACULTIES 
THROUGHOUT  THE  IMMENSITY  OF  8PACB 
AND  OF  DURATION. 

The  unlimited  range  of  view  which  is  opened 
to  the  human  imagination  throughout  the  immeiH 

*  Spectator,  Tol.  S. 


88 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


■itj  oftpace  and  of  duration,  and  the  knowledge 
we  an  capable  of  acquiring  respecting  the  dis- 
Unt  rvgioMofthe  universe,  are  strong  prcsump- 
tiom  and  eridt- ncos  of  the  eternal  destination  of 
man. 

If  the  universe  consisted  solely  of  the  globe  on 
which  we  dwell,  with  its  apfiendages,  and  were 
the  tpacea  with  which  it  is  surrounded  nothing 
more  than  an  immense  void,  it  would  not  appear 
■urprising  were  the  existence  of  man  to  terminate 
in  the  tomb.  After  having  traversed  this  earthly 
ball  fur  eighty  or  a  hundred  years,  and  surveyed 
•11  the  varieties  on  its  surface;  after  having  ex- 
perienced many  of  the  physical  and  moral  evils 
connected  wiih  its  present  constitution,  and  full 
that  "  all  is  vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit,"  and 
that  no  higher  pros[>ect,  and  no  further  scope  for 
the  exercise  of  his  faculties  were  presented  to 
riew ;  he  would  be  ready  to  exclaim  with  Job, 
"  I  loathe  it,  I  would  not  live  alway ;  let  me 
alone,  for  my  days  are  vanity :  my  soul  chooseth 
Strangling  and  death,  rather  than  my  life." 
To  run  the  same  tiresome  round  of  giddy  plea- 
■tires,  and  to  gaze  perpetually  on  the  same  un- 
varied objects,  from  one  century  to  anovher, 
without  the  hope  of  future  enjoyment,  would  ai^ 
ford  DO  gratification  commensurate  with  the  de- 
sires and  capacities  of  the  human  tnind.  Its 
powers  would  languish,  its  energies  would  be 
destroyed,  its  progress  to  perfection  would  be  for 
•rer  interrupted,  and  it  would  roam  in  vain 
amidst  the  surrounding  void  in  quest  of  objects 
to  stimulate  its  activity. 

But,  beyond  the  precincts  of  this  eartlily  scene, 
"  a  wide  and  unbounded  prospeci  lies  before  us  ;" 
and  the  increasing  light  of  modem  science  has 
enabled  us  to  penetrate  into  its  distant  regions, 
and  to  contemplate  some  of  its  sublime  and 
gtoriotis  objects.  Within  the  limits  of  the  solar 
system  of  which  our  world  forms  a  part,  there 
have  been  discovered  twenty-nine  planetary  bo- 
dies, which  contain  a  mass  of  matter  more  than 
two  thousand  five  hundred  times  greater  than  the 
earth,  besides  the  numerous  cornels,  which  are 
traveniing  the  plenetary  regions  in  all  directions, 
and  the  immense  {;lobe  of  the  awn,  which  is  like 
a  universe  in  itself,  and  which  is  five  hundred 
times  larger  than  the  earth  and  all  the  planets 
and  cornels  taken  together.  These  bodies  differ 
from  each  other  in  their  magnitude,  distances 
and  moii'tns,  and  in  the  scenery  with  which  their 
■Driaces  are  diversified;  and  some  of  them  are 
encircled  with  ubjects  the  most  splendid  and  su- 
blime. Tiiey  appear  to  b«  furnished  with  every 
thing  requisite  fur  the  accommodation  of  intel- 
lectual being*,— are  capable  of  containing  a 
population  many  thouMnds  of  times  greater  than 
that  of  our  world,  and  are  doubtless  replenished 
witfl  myriads  uf  rational  inhabitants.  Within 
the  limits  of  this  system  the  soul  of  man  would 
find  full  scope  for  the  exertion  of  all  its  powers, 
capacities  aJnd  aciivities,  during  a  series  of  ages. 


Our  views  of  the  universe,  however,  are  aol 
confined  to  the  system  with  which  we  are  more 
immediately  connected.  Every  stair  which  twin- 
kles in  the  canopy  of  heaven,  is,  on  good  grounds, 
concluded  to  be  a  nin,  and  the  centre  of  a  mag- 
nificent system  similar  to  our  own  ;  and  perhaps 
surrounded  with  worlds  more  spacious  and  splen- 
did than  any  of  the  planetary  globes  which  we 
are  permitted  to  contemplate.  Nearly  a  thou- 
sand of  these  systems  are  visible  to  every  ob- 
server, when  he  directs  his  eye,  in  a  clear  winter's 
night,  to  the  vault  of  heaven.  Beyond  all  that  is 
visible  to  the  unassisted  eye,  a  common  telescope 
enables  us  to  discern  several  thousands  more. 
With  higher  degree*  of  magnifying  power,  ten 
thousands  more,  which  lie  scattered  at  immea- 
surable distances  beyond  the  former,  may  still  be 
described.  With  the  best  instruments  which  art 
has  hitherto  construcied,  many  miUioru  have 
been  detected  in  the  different  regions  of  the  sky 
— leaving  us  no  room  to  doubt,  that  hundreds  of 
millions  more,  which  no  human  eye  will  ever  dis- 
cern in  the  present  state,  are  dispersed  through- 
out the  illimitable  tracts  of  creation.  So  that  no 
limits  appear  to  the  scene  of  Creating  Power,  and 
to  that  vast  empire  over  which  the  moral  govern- 
ment of  the  Almighty  extends.  Amidst  this 
boundless  scene  of  Divine  Wisdom  and  Omnipo- 
tence, it  is  evident,  that  the  soul  might  expatiate 
in  the  full  exercise  of  its  energies,  during  ages 
numerous  as  the  drops  of  the  ocean,  without 
ever  arriving  at  a  boundary  to  interrupt  its  ex- 
cursions. 

Now,  it  ought  to  be  carefully  remarked,  in  the 
first  place,  that  God  endowed  the  mind  of  man 
with  those  faculties  by  which  he  has  been  ena- 
bled to  compute  the  bulk  of  the  earth,  to  deter- 
mine the  size  and  distances  of  the  planets,  and  to 
make  all  the  other  discoveries  to  which  I  now 
allude.  In  the  course  of  his  providence  he  led 
the  human  mind  into  that  train  of  thought,  and 
paved  the  way  for  those  inventions  by  means  of 
which  the  grandeur  and  extent  of  his  operatioos 
in  the  distant  regions  of  space  have  been  opened 
to  our  view.  It,  therefore,  appears  to  have  been 
his  uHU  and  intention,  that  the  glories  of  his  em- 
pire, in  the  remote  spaces  of  creation,  should  be, 
in  some  measure,  unveiled  to  the  inhabitants  of 
our  worki. 

Again,  when  the  soul  has  once  got  a  glimpse 
of  the  magnificence  and  immensity  of  creation, 
it  feels  the  most  ardent  detire  to  have  the  veil, 
which  now  interftoses  between  us  and  the  r»- 
mote  regions  of  the  universe,  withdrawn,  and 
to  contemplate  at  a  nearer  distance  the  splen- 
dours of  those  worlds  whose  suns  we  behold 
twinkling  from  afar.  A  thousand  conjectures 
and  inquiries  are  suggested  to  the  mind,  in  rfr> 
lation  to  the  systems  and  worlds  which  are  dis- 
persed through  the  immensity  of  space.  Are 
all  those  vast  globes  peopled  with  inhabitanu? 
Are  they  connected  together,  under  the  govern* 


PROOFS  FROM  THE  LIGHT  OP  NATURE. 


«7 


■Dent  of  God,  as  parU  of  one  vast  moral  sys- 
tem? Are  their  inhabitants  pure  moral  intel- 
ligences, or  are  they  exposed  to  the  inroads  of 
physical  and  moral  evil  ?  What  are  the  gra- 
dations of  rank  or  of  intellect  which  esist  among 
them?  What  correspondence  do  they  carry  on 
with  other  provinces  of  the  Divine  empire  ? 
What  discoveries  have  they  made  of  the  per- 
fections of  Deity,  of  the  plan  of  his  government, 
and  of  the  extent  of  his  dominions?  With  what 
species  of  corporeal  vehicles  do  they  hold  a 
correspondence  with  the  material  world  ?  With 
what  organs  of  perception,  and  with  what  pow- 
ers of  intellect  are  they  furnished  ?  What  fa- 
culties and  organs  different  from  those  of  man 
do  they  possess,  and  by  what  laws  are  their 
social  intercourses  regulated?  Do  benignity 
and  love  for  ever  beam  from  their  countenances, 
.^and  does  ecstatic  joy  perpetually  enrapture  their 
hearts  ?  What  capacities  for  rapid  movement 
do  thfry  possess  ?  Are  they  confined  within  the 
limits  of  a  single  globe  like  ours,  or  can  they 
dy  from  one  world  to  another,  on  the  wings  of 
a  seraph?  What  magnificent  landscapes  adorn 
the  places  of  their  residence  ?  What  celestial 
glories  are  hung  out  for  their  contemplation  in 
the  canopy  of  heaven  ?  What  visible  displays 
of  the  presence  and  agency  of  their  Creator  are 
presented  to  their  view  ?  By  what  means  are 
they  carried  foward  in  their  progress  towards  in- 
tellectual and  moral  perfection?  What  sciences 
do  they  cultivate, — what  objects  engage  their 
chief  attention — in  what  solemn  and  sublime 
forms  of  worship  and  adoration  do  they  join  ? 
What  changes  or  revolutions  have  taken  place 
among  them  ?  What  transactions  does  their 
history  record  ?  What  scenes  of  glory  or  of  ter- 
ror have  been  displayed  towards  any  particular 
system  or  province  of  this  immense  empire?  Are 
■in,  disease,  and  death  altogether  unknown,  and 
do  their  inhabitants  bask  for  ever  in  the  regions 
of  immortality  ?  What  knowledge  do  they  pos- 
sess of  the  character  and  condition  of  the  inha- 
bitants of  our  globe,  and  of  the  system  of  which 
it  forms  a  part  ?  What  variety  of  sensitive  and 
intellectual  beings  is  to  be  found  in  the  different 
systems  of  the  universe  ?  What  divertity  of  ex- 
ternal scenery,  superior  to  all  that  the  eye  of  man 
has  seen  or  his  imagination  can  conceive,  is  dis- 
played throughout  the  numerous  worlds  which 
compose  this  vast  empire  ?  What  systems  ex- 
ut,  and  what  scenes  of  creating  power  are  dis- 
played in  that  boundless  region  which  lies  beyond 
the  limits  of  human  vision  ?  At  what  period  in 
duration  did  this  mighty  fabric  of  the  universe 
first  arise  into  existence?  What  successive 
creations  have  taken  place  since  the  first  material 
world  was  launched  into  existence  by  the  Omnipo- 
tent Creator  ?  What  new  worlds  and  beings  are 
•till  emerging  into  existence  from  the  voids  of 
apace  ?  Is  this  mighty  expanse  of  creation  to 
endure  for  ever,— 4nd  to  receive  new  accessiona 


to  its  population  and  grandeur,  while  eternity 
rolls  on  ?  What  are  the  grand  and  ultimate  d»> 
signs  to  be  accomplished  by  this  immense  assem- 
blage of  material  and  intelltJctiial  beings,  and  is 
man  never  to  behold  this  wondrous  scene  a  little 
more  unfbWfd? 

Inquiries  of  this  description,  to  which  no  sati^ 
factory  answers  can  be  expected  in  the  present 
Slate,  might  be  multiplied  to  an  indefinite  extent. 
The  soul  of  man  is  astonished,  overwhelmed, 
and  bewildered  at  the  immensity  of  the  sceae 
which  is  opened  before  it, — and  at  once  per- 
ceives, that,  in  order  to  acquire  a  comprehensive 
knowledge  of  the  character  and  attributes  of  the 
Divinity — to  penetrate  into  the  depths  of  his 
plans  and  operaiions — and  to  contemplate  the  full 
glory  of  his  empire, — ages  numerous  as  the  stars 
of  heaven  are  requisite  and  that,  if  no  future  ex- 
istence awaits  it  beyond  the  grave,  its  ardent 
desires  after  progressive  improvement  and  feli- 
city, and  its  hopes  of  becoming  more  fully  ac- 
quainted with  the  universe  and  its  Author,  must 
end  in  eternal  disappointment. 

Again,  the  mind  of  man  is  not  only  animated 
with  ardent  desires  after  a  more  full  disclosure 
of  the  wonders  of  this  boundless  scene,  bxU  u 
endowed  w'dh  capaeifies  for  acquiring  an  inde/i' 
nite  extent  of  kriowledge  respecting  the  distcmt  re- 
gions of  the  universe  and  the  perfections  of  it» 
Author.  Those  who  have  taken  the  most  exten- 
sive excursions  through  the  field  of  science,  stiU 
find,  that  they  are  capable  of  receiving  an  addi- 
tion to  all  the  knowledge  they  liave  hitherto  ac- 
quired on  every  subject,  and  of  prosecuting  in- 
quiries beyond  the  range  of  the  visible  system, 
provided  the  means  of  investigation  were  placed 
within  their  reach.  Were  a  human  soul  tran»- 
ported  to  a  distant  world,  for  example,  to  tlie 
regions  of  the  planet  Saium, — were  it  permitted 
to  contemplate  at  leisure  the  sublime  movements 
of  its  rings,  and  the  various  phenomena  of  its 
moons  ;  the  variety  of  landscapes  which  diversify 
its  surface,  and  the  celestial  scenery  which  its 
firmament  displays, — were  it  to  mingle  with  its 
inhabitants,  to  learn  the  laws  by  which  their  so- 
cial intercourse  is  directed,  the  sciences  which 
they  cultivate,  the  worship  in  which  they  engage, 
and  the  leading  transactions  and  events  which 
their  history  records — it  would  find  no  more  dif- 
ficulty in  acquiring  and  treasuring  up  such  infor- 
mation, than  it  now  does  in  acquiring,  from  the 
narrative  of  a  traveller,  a  knowledge  of  the  cus- 
toms and  manners  of  an  unknown  tribe  of  man- 
kind, and  of  the  nature  of  the  geographical  terri- 
tory it  possesses.  Were  angelic  messengers 
from  a  thousand  worlds,  to  be  despatched,  at 
successive  intervals,  to  our  globe,  to  describe  the 
natural  and  moral  scenery,  and  to  narrate  the 
train  of  Divine  dis|>ensations  peculiar  to  each 
world — there  would  be  ample  room  in  the  humaa 
mind  for  treasuring  up  such  intelligence,  not- 
withstanding all  the  stores  of  science  which  it 


9B 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


Mqrhtva  preWoutly  acquired.  Such  informa- 
tioo  would  neither  annihilate  ihe  knowledge  we 
had  formerly  attained,  nor  prevent  our  further 
progrew  in  inielluclual  acquisitions.  On  the 
oontrary,  it  would  enlarge  the  ca|>acity  of  the 
mind,  invigorate  ila  faculliea,  and  add  a  new 
Stimulus  to  ilf  powers  and  energies.  On  the 
buia  of  such  information,  the  soul  could  trace 
new  aspects,  and  new  displays  of  Divine  wisdom, 
iotelligeiice,  and  rectitude,  and  acquire  more 
comprehensive  views  of  the  character  of  God — 
just  Its  it  does,  in  the  mean  time,  from  a  contem- 
plation of  those  objects  and  dispensations  which 
lie  within  its  grasp.  To  such  researches,  inves- 
tigations, and  intellectual  progresHiofis,  no  boun- 
dary con  be  assigned,  if  the  soul  be  destined  to 
•urvive  the  dissolution  of  its  mortal  frame.  It 
only  requires  to  be  placed  in  a  situation  where 
its  powers  will  be  permitted  to  expatiate  at  large, 
and  where  the  physical  and  moral  obstructions 
which  impede  their  exercise  shall  be  completely 
removed. 

It  may  be  farther  remarked,  on  the  ground  of 
^hat  has  been  now  stated,  that  all  the  knowledge 
which  can  be  attained  in  the  present  state,  is  hut 
U  a  drop  to  the  ocean,  when  compared  with 
"  the  treasures  of  wisdom  and  knowledge"  that 
may  be  acquired  in  the  eternal  world.  The  pro- 
portion between  the  one  and  the  other  may  bear 
a  certain  analogy  to  the  bulk  of  the  terraqueous 
l^obe,  when  compared  with  the  immensity  of  the 
worlds  and  systems  which  compose  the  universe. 
If  an  i7{/fnite  variety  of  designs,  of  objects,  and 
cf  scenery,  exist  in  the  distant  provinces  of  cre- 
ation, as  we  have  reason  to  believe,  from  the 
Tariety  which  abounds  in  our  terrestrial  system, 
^if  every  world  be  peopled  with  inhabitants  of 
a  different  species  from  those  of  another,  if  its 
physical  constitution  and  external  scenery  be 
peculiar  to  itself,  if  the  dispensations  of  theCre- 
tor  towards  its  inhabitants  be  such  as  have  not 
been  displayed  to  any  other  world,  if  "  the  miv- 
nifold  wisdom  of  God,"  in  the  arrangement  of 
its  destinies,  be  displayed  in  a  manner  in  which 
it  has  never  been  displayed  to  any  other  class  of 
intelligences  ;— and,  in  short,  if  every  province 
of  creation  exhibit  upeeuliar  maniftttation  nf  the 
Deity — we  may  conclude,  that  all  th<i  knowle<lge 
of  God,  of  his  works  and  dispensations,  which 
can  be  attained  in  the  present  life,  is  but  as  the 
&int  gliiiiiiieringof  a  taper  when  cootrostej  with 
the  effulgence  of  the  meridian  sun.  Those  who 
kave  made  the  most  extensive  and  profound  in- 
VMtigaiions  into  the  wonders  of  nature,  are  the 
most  deeply  convinced  of  their  own  ignorance, 
•ad  of  the  houndleiw  fields  of  knowledge  which 
remain  unexplored.  Sir  Isaac  Newton  had  em- 
ployed the  greater  part  of  his  life  in  some  of  the 
tublimest  investigations  which  can  engage  the 
attention  of  the  human  mind. — and  yet  he  de- 
elared,  a  little  before  his  death,  "  I  do  not  know 
irbat  I  may  apjiear  to  the  world,  b«t  to  myselfl 


■eem  to  hare  been  only  like  a  boy  playing  on  the 
sea  shore,  and  diverting  myself  in  now  and  the* 
finding  a  pebble  or  a  prettier  shell  tlian  ordinary, 
while  the  great  ocean  of  truth  lay  all  undiscover* 
ed  before  me."  And  is  it  reasonable  to  believe, 
that  after  a  glimpse  of  the  boundless  treasures 
of  divine  science  has  flashed  upon  the  mind,  it 
is  to  pass  only  a  few  months  or  years  in  anxious 
desire  and  sus|>ense,  and  then  be  extinguished 
for  ever  ? 

It  may  be  farther  observed,  in  connexion  wid) 
the  preceding  remarks — thut  Iht  creation  nf  nieh 
a  vott  univeme  mutt  have  been  chiejly  intended  to 
display  the  perfections  of  the  Deity ,  and  to  afford 
gratificaiion  and  felicity  to  the  inlelUelual  btingi 
he  has  formed.  The  Creator  stands  in  no  need 
of  innumerable  assemblages  of  worlds  and  of 
inferior  raidcs  of  intelligences,  in  order  to  secure 
or  to  augment  his  felicity.  Innumerable  ages 
before  the  universe  was  created,  he  existed  alone, 
independent  of  every  other  being,  and  infiiiitoly 
happy  in  the  contemplation  of  bis  own  etcrnad 
excellences.  No  other  reason,  therefore,  can  be 
assigned  for  (he  production  of  the  universe,  but 
the  gratificatitm  of  his  rational  offspring,  and  that 
he  might  give  a  display  of  the  infinite  glories  of 
his  nature  to  innumerable  orders  of  intelligent 
creatures.  Ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand 
suns,  distributed  throughout  the  regions  of  ini> 
mensity,  with  all  their  splendid  apparatus  of 
planets,  comets,  moons,  and  rings,  can  afford  no 
spectacle  of  novelty  to  expand  and  entertain  the 
Eternal  Mind  ;  since  they  all  existed,  in  their 
prototypes,  in  the  plans  and  conceptions  of  the 
Deity,  during  the  countless  ages  of  a  past  eter- 
nity. Nor  did  he  produce  these  works  for  the 
improvement  and  information  of  no  being.  This 
amazing  structure  of  the  universe,  then,  with  all 
the  sensitive  and  intellectual  enjoyments  connect- 
ed with  it,  must  have  been  chiefly  designed  (or 
the  instruction  and  entertainment  of  subordinate 
intelligences,  and  to  serve  as  a  magnificent  the- 
atre on  which  the  energies  of  divine  power  and 
wisdom,  and  the  emanations  of  divine  benevo- 
lence might  be  illustriously  displayed.  And  can 
we  suppose  that  the  material  universe  will  exist, 
while  intelligent  minds,  for  whose  improvement 
it  was  reared,  are  suffered  to  sink  into  annihi- 
lation 7 

Again,  it  cannot  be  admitted,  in  consistency  vridt 
the  attributes  of  God,  that  he  will  finally  disajt- 
point  the  rational  hopes  and  desires  of  the  human 
soul,  which  he  himself  has  implanted  and  cherished. 
If  he  had  no  ultimate  design  of  gratifying  ration- 
al beings  with  a  more  extensive  display  of  the 
immensity  and  grandeur  of  his  works,  it  is  not 
conceivable,  that  he  would  have  (lerroiited  them 
to  make  those  discoveries  they  have  already 
brought  to  light  respecting  the  extent  and  the 
glory  of  his  empire.  Such  discoveries  could  not 
have  been  made  without  his  permission  and  di- 
rection, or  without  those  faiculties  and  mean* 


PROOFS  FROM  THE  LIGHT  OP  NATURE. 


29 


which  he  himself  had  imparled.  And,  there- 
fore, in  periniiting  the  inhabitants  of  our  world 
to  take  a  distant  glimpse  of  the  boundless  scene 
of  his  o|)erations,  he  must  have  intended  to  ex- 
cite those  ardent  desires  which  will  be  gratified 
in  a  future  world,  and  to  commence  those  trains 
of  thought  which  will  be  prosecuted  with  increas- 
ing ardour,  through  eternity,  till  we  shall  be  able 
to  perceive  and  comprehend  the  contrivance  and 
skill,  the  riches  of  divine  munificence,  the  vast 
designs,  and  the  miracles  of  power  and  intelli- 
gence which  are  displayed  throughout  every  part 
of  the  universal  system. — To  suppose  that  the 
Creator  would  unfold  a  partial  and  imperfect  view 
of  the  wonders  of  creation,  and  enkindle  a  ra- 
tianal  longing  and  desire,  merely  for  the  purpose 
of  mocking  and  tantalizing  our  expectations,  would 
be  to  represent  the  moral  character  of  the  Deity 
ma  below  the  level  of  that  of  a  depraved  mortal. 
It  woulil  argue  a  species  of  deceit,  of  envy,  and 
of  malignity,  which  is  altogether  repugnant  to 
the  character  of  a  Being  of  infinite  benevolence. 
As  his  goodness  was  the  principal  motive  which 
induced  him  to  bring  us  into  existence,  his  con- 
duct must  be  infinitely  removed  from  every  thing 
that  approaches  to  envy,  malignity,  or  a  desire 
to  mock  or  disappoint  the  rational  hopes  of  his 
creatures.  His  general  character,  as  displayed 
in  all  his  works,  leads  us  to  conclude,  that,  in  so 
far  from  tantalizing  the  rational  beings  he  has 
formed,  he  is  both  able  and  willing  "  todotoand 
for  them  exceeding  abundantly  above  all  that  they 
can  ask  or  think."  If  he  had  intended  merely 
to  confine  our  desires  to  sensitive  enjoyments  and 
to  the  present  life,  the  habitation  of  man  would 
have  required  no  more  contrivance  nor  decoration 
than  what  are  requisite  for  the  lion's  den  and  the 
retreats  of  the  tiger,  and  no  farther  display  of 
the  grandeur  of  his  empire  would  have  been  un- 
folded to  view. 

Since,  therefore,  it  appears,  that  the  universe 
is  replenished  with  innumerable  systems,  and  is 
vast  and  imlimited  in  its  extent— since  God  en- 
dued the  mind  of  man  with  those  faculties  by 
which  he  has  explored  a  portion  of  its  distant 
regions — since  the  soul  feels  an  ardent  desire  to 
obtain  a  more  full  disclosure  of  its  grandeur  and 
magnificence— since  it  is  endued  with  (acuities 
capable  of  receiving  an  indefinite  increase  of 
knowledge  on  this  subject — since  all  the  know- 
ledge it  can  acquire  in  the  present  state,  re- 
specting the  operations  and  the  government  of 
God,  is  as  nothing  when  compared  with  the 
prospects  which  eternity  may  unfold — since  the 
universe  and  its  material  glories  are  chiefly  in- 
tended for  the  gratification  of  intelligent  minds 
^■«nd  since  it  is  obviously  inconsistent  with  the 
moral  character  of  the  Deity,  to  cherish  desires 
and  expectations  which  he  will  finally  frustrate 
and  disappoint — the  conclusion  appears  to  be  un- 
aToidable,  tfuU  man  is  destined  to  an  immortal 
antUsnce.     During  the  progress  of  that  existence, 


his  faculties  will  arrive  at  their  full  expansion, 
and  there  will  be  ample  scope  for  their  eiercise 
on  myriads  of  objects  and  events  which  are  just 
now  veiled  in  darkness  and  mystery.  He  will 
be  enabled  to  penetrate  more  fully  into  the  plans 
and  operations  of  the  divinity — to  perceive  new 
aspects  of  the  Eternal  Mind,  new  evolutions  of 
infinite  wisdom  and  design,  new  displays  of  om- 
nipotence, goodness,  and  intelligence— and  to 
acquire  a  more  minute  and  comprehensive  view 
of  all  the  attributes  of  the  Deity,  and  of  the  con- 
nexions, relations,  and  dependencies,  of  that  vast 
physical  and  moral  system  over  which  his  go* 
vernment  extends. 


SECTION  VI. 

Oir   TBE   MORAL   POWERS  OF  MAIT. 

The  moral  powers  with  which  man  is  endued 
form  a  strong  presumptive  proof  of  his  immortal 
destiny. 

Man  is  formed  for  action,  as  well  as  for  con- 
templation. For  this  purpose  there  are  inter- 
woven in  his  constitution,  powers,  principles, 
instincts,  feelings,  and  affections,  which  have  a 
reference  to  his  improvement  in  virtue,  and  which 
excite  him  to  promote  the  happiness  of  others. 
These  powers  and  active  principles,  like  the  in- 
tellectual, are  susceptible  of  vast  improvement, 
by  attention,  by  exercise,  by  trials  and  difficul- 
ties, and  by  an  expansion  of  the  intellectual 
views.  Such  are  filial  and  fraternal  affection, 
fortitude,  temperance,  justice,  gratitude,  genero- 
sity, love  of  friends  and  country,  philanthropy, 
and  general  benevolence.  Degenerate  as  our 
world  has  always  been,  many  striking  examples 
of  such  virtues  have  been  displayed  both  in  ai>> 
cient  and  modern  times,  which  demonstrate  the 
vigour,  expansion,  and  sublimity  of  the  moral 
powers  of  man. 

When  we  behold  men  animated  by  noble  sen- 
timents, exhibiting  sublime  virtues,  and  perform- 
ing illustrious  actions, — displaying  generosity 
and  beneficence  in  seasons  of  calamity,  and  tran- 
quillity and  fortitude  in  the  midst  of  difhculties 
and  dangers — desiring  riches  only  for  the  sake 
of  distributing  them — estimating  places  of  pow- 
er and  honour,  only  for  the  sake  of  suppressing 
vice,  rewarding  virtue,  and  promoting  the  pros- 
perity of  their  country — enduring  poverty  and 
distress  with  a  noble  heroism — suffering  inju- 
ries and  affronts  with  patience  and  serenity — 
stifling  resentment  when  they  have  it  in  their 
power  to  inflict  vengeance — displaying  kindness 
and  generosity  towards  enemies  and  slanderers 
— vanquishing  irascible  passions  and  licentious 
desires  in  the  midst  of  the  strongest  tempta- 
tions—submitting to  pain  and  disgrace  in  onler 
to  promote  the  prosperity  of  Grieods  and  relii* 


90 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  A  FUTURE  8TATB. 


tivea — and  sacrificing  repoae,  honour,  wealth, 
and  even  life  itself,  for  the  good  of  their  coun- 
try, or  fur  promoting  the  beat  interests  of  the 
human  race, — we  perceive  in  such  examples 
fiMiurea  <)(  the  human  mind,  which  mark  its  dig- 
uilj  and  grandeur,  and  indicate  its  destination 
to  ■  higher  scene  of  action  luid  enjoyment. 

E?en  in  the  annals  of  the  Pagan  world,  we 
find  many  examples  of  such  illustrious  virtues. 
There  we  read  of  Regidui  exfKwing  himself  to 
tile  nost  cruel  torments,  and  to  death  itself, 
ntber  than  sufTer  his  veracity  to  be  impeach- 
•d,  or  his  fidelity  to  his  country  to  be  called  in 
question — of  Phoeion,  who  exposed  himself  to 
die  fury  of  an  enraged  assembly,  by  inveighing 
against  the  vices,  and  endeavouring  to  promote 
the  best  interests  of  hu  countrymen,  and  gave 
it  as  bis  last  command  to  his  son,  when  he  was 
coing  to  execution,  "  that  he  should  forget  how 
Ul  the  Athenians  had  treated  his  father" — of 
Ct/nm^,  who  was  possessed  of  wisdom,  modera- 
tioK,  courage,  magnanimity,  and  nuble  senti- 
nenla,  and  who  employed  them  all  to  promote 
the  happines  of  his  people — of  Sdpio,  in  whose 
actnns  the  virtues  of  generosity  and  liberality, 
goodness,  gentleness,  justice,  magnanimity,  and 
chastity,  shone  with  distinguished  lustre— and 
of  Damon,  and  Pi/thicu,  who  were  knit  together 
in  the  bonds  of  a  friendship  which  all  the  ter- 
rors of  an  ignominious  death  could  not  dis- 
solve. But  of  all  the  characters  of  the  heathen 
world,  illustrious  for  virtue,  Aristidv  appears  to 
stand  in  the  foremost  rank.  A-n  extraordinary 
greatness  of  soul,  (says  Rollin)  made  him  supe- 
rior to  every  passion.  Interest,  pleasure,  ambi- 
tion, resentment,  jealousy,  were  extinguished  in 
him  by  the  love  of  virtue  and  his  country.  The 
merit  of  others,  instead  of  offending  him,  be- 
came his  own  by  the  approbation  he  gave  it. 
He  rendered  the  government  of  the  Athenians 
amiable  to  their  allies,  by  hb  mildness, -good- 
ness, humanity,  and  justice.  The  disinterest- 
redness  he  showed  in  the  management  of  the 
public  treasure,  and  the  love  of  poverty  which 
Im  carried  almost  to  an  excess,  are  virtues  so 
&r  superior  to  the  practice  of  our  age,  that  they 
■eafce  seem  credible  to  us.  His  conduct  and 
prmciples  were  always  uniform,  steadfast  in  the 
pursuit  of  whatever  he  thought  jvst,  and  inca- 
pable of  the  least  falaehood,  or  shadow  of  flat- 
tery, disguise,  or  fraud,  even  in  jest.  He  had 
auch  a  control  over  his  passions,  that  he  uni- 
Ibnnly  sacrificed  his  private  interest,  and  his 
private  resentments,  to  the  good  uf  the  public. 
Themtatodet  was  one  of  the  principal  actors  who 
procured  his  banishment  from  Athens; — but, 
after  being  recalled,  he  assisted  him  on  every 
•ocasion  with  his  advice  and  credit,  joyfully 
toUog  pains  to  promote  the  glory  of  his  great- 
Mt  anemy,  through  the  motive  of  advancing  the 
public  good.  And  when  afterwards  the  dis- 
grace of  Themistoeles  gave  him-  a  proper  o|^- 


portunity  for  revenge,  instead  oT  resenting  tar 
ill  treatment  ho  had  received  from  him,  he  cmi> 
slanily  refused  to  join  with  his  enemies,  being 
as  far  from  secretly  rejoicing  over  the  misfor- 
tune of  his  adversary  as  he  had  been  before 
from  being  afflicted  at  his  good  success.  Such 
virtues  ivflect  a  dignity  and  grandeur  on  every 
mind  in  which  they  reside,  which  ap(>ear  in- 
compatible with  the  idea,  that  it  is  destined  to 
retire  for  ever  from  the  scene  of  iu;tion  at  the 
hour  of  death. 

But  the  noblest  exampica  of  exalted  virtue  are 
to  be  found  among  those  who  have  enlisted  them> 
selves  in  the  cause  of  Christianity.  The  Apo^ 
tie  Paul  wa?  an  illustrioos  example  of  every  thing 
that  is  nuble,  heroic,  generous,  and  benevolent  in 
human  conduct.  Hb  soul  was  inspired  with  a 
holy  ardotir  in  promoting  the  best  interests  of  man* 
kind.  To  accomplish  this  object,  he  parted  with 
friends  and  relatives,  relinquished  his  native 
country,  and  every  thing  that  was  dear  to  him 
either  as  a  Jew  or  as  a  Roman  citizen,  and  ei> 
posed  himself  to  persecutions  and  dangers  ofever^ 
description.  During  the  prosecution  of  his  benevcK 
lent  career,  he  was  "  in  joumeyings  nflen,  in  perils 
of  waters,  in  perils  of  robbers,  in  perils  by  his  own 
countrymen,  in  perils  by  the  heathen,  in  perils 
in  the  city,  in  perils  in  the  wiklerness,  in  perils 
in  the  sea,  in  perils  among  false  brethren :  in 
weariness  and  painfulness,  in  watchings  often, 
in  hunger  and  thirst,  in  fastings  often,  in  stripes 
above  measure,  in  cold  and  nakedness."  Yet 
none  of  these  things  moved  him,  nor  did  he  count 
his  life  dear  to  him,  provided  he  might  finish  his 
course  with  joy,  and  be  instrumental  in  accom- 
plishing  the  present  and  eternal  happiness  of  his 
fellow-men.  In  every  period  of  the  Christian 
era,  similar  characters  have  arisen  to  demonstrate 
the  power  of  virtue  and  to  bless  mankind.  Our 
own  age  and  country  have  produced  numeroua 
philanthropic  characters,  who  have  shone  as  lights 
in  the  mural  world,  and  have  acted  as  benefactors 
to  the  human  race.  The  names  of  Alfred,  Peiin, 
Bernard,  Raikes,  Neilde,  Clarkson,  Sharpe, 
Buxton,  Wilberforce,  Yenning,  and  many  others, 
are  familiar  to  every  one  who  is  in  the  least  a^ 
quainied  with  the  annals  of  benevolence.  The 
exertions  which  some  of  these  individuals  have 
mode  in  the  cause  of  liberty,  in  promoting  the 
education  of  the  young,  in  alleviating  the  db- 
tresses  of  the  |K>or,  in  ameliorating  the  condition 
of  the  prisoner,  and  in  counteracting  the  abomina- 
ble traffic  in  slaves,  will  be  felt  as  blessings  con- 
ferred on  mankind  throughout  succeeding  gene- 
rations, and  will,  doubtless,  bo  held  in  everlasting 
remembrance. 

But  among  all  the  philanthropic  characters  of 
the  past  or  present  age,  the  labours  of  the  late 
Mr.  Howard,  stand  pre-eminent.  This  iDustri- 
ous  man,  from  a  principle  of  pure  benevolence, 
devoted  the  greater  part  of  hb  life  to  active  ben»' 
ficence,  and  to  the  alleviation  of  human  wretcb- 


PROOFS  FROM  THE  LIGHT  OF  NATURE. 


91 


ednesii,  in  every  country  where  he  travelled, — 
<Iivin!»  into  the  depth  of  dungeons,  and  exposing 
kimself  to  the  infected  atmospheres  of  hospitals 
and  jaiU,  in  order  to  meliorate  the  condition  of 
the  unfcirtunaie,  and  to  allay  the  sufferings  of  the 
mournful  prisoner.  In  prosecuting  this  labour  of 
love,  he  travelled  three  times  through  France, 
four  limes  through  Germany,  five  times  through 
Holland,  twice  through  Italy,  once  through  Spain 
and  Piiriugal,  and  also  through  Denmark,  Swe- 
den, Russia,  Poland,  and  part  of  the  Turkish 
empire,  surveying  the  haunts  of  misery,  and  dis- 
tributing bene6ts  to  mankind  wherever  he  ap- 
peared. 

"From  realm  to  realm  with  cross  or  crescent 

crown'd, 
Where'er  mankind  and  misery  are  found, 
O'er  t)uniing  sands,  deep  waves,  or  wilds  of  snow, 
Mild  Hvicard  journeying  seeks  the  house  of  woe. 
Down  many  a  winding  step  to  dungeons  dank, 
Where  anguish  wails  aloud  and  fetters  clank, 
To  caves  bestrewed  with  many  a  mouldering  tone, 
And  cells  whose  echoes  only  learn  to  groan, 
Where  no  kind  bars  a  whispering  friend  disclose. 
No  sunbeam  enters,  and  no  zephyr  blows ; 
— He  treads,  ineraulous  of  fame  or  wealth, 
Profuse  of  toil  and  prodigal  of  health : 
Leads  stern-ey'd  Justice  to  the  dark  domaUts, 
If  not  to  sever  to  relax  the  chains. 
Gives  to  her  babes  the  self-devoted  wife, 
To  her  fond  husband  liberty  and  life. 
— Onward  he  moves !  disease  and  death  retire ; 
Aad  murmuring  demons  hate  him  and  admire." 

Darwin. 

Such  characters  afford  powerful  demonstra- 
tions of  tho  sublimity  of  virtue,  of  the  activity  of 
the  human  mind,  and  of  its  capacity  for  contri- 
buting to  the  happiness  of  fellow  intelligences  to 
an  unlimited  extent.  We  have  also,  in  our  own 
times,  a  class  of  men  who  have  parted  from  their 
friends  and  native  land,  and  have  gone  to  the 
"  uttermost  ends  of  the  earth,"  to  distant  barba- 
rous climes,  exposing  themselves  to  the  frosts  of 
Labrador  and  Greenland,  to  the  scorching  heats 
of  Africa,  and  to  the  hostile  attacks  of  savage 
tribes,  tu  order  to  publish  the  salvation  of  God, 
and  to  promote  the  happiness  of  men  of  all  lan- 
guages and  climates.  Some  of  these  have  felt 
their  minds  inspired  with  such  a  noble  ardour  in 
the  cau.-ie  of  universal  benevolence,  that  nothing 
but  in-^u'muuniaiile  physical  obstructions  prevent- 
ed them  from  making  the  tour  of  the  world,  and 
imparting  benefits  to  men  of  all  nations,  kindreds, 
and  tongues. 

Can  we  ihen  imagine,  that  such  active  powers 
as  those  to  which  I  have  now  alluded — powers 
which  qualify  their  possessors  for  diffusing  hap- 
pines3  to  an  indefinite  extent  among  surround- 
ing iiitellij;ences — will  be  for  ever  extinguished 
by  ihn  stroke  of  death  ?  and  that,  afier  a  few  fee- 
ble effurts  during  the  present  transitory  scene, 
they  will  never  again  exert  their  energies  through 
all  eternity  ?  This  will  appear  in  the  highest  de- 
gree improbable,  if  we  consider,  1.  The  limited 
sphere  of  action  to  which  the  generality  of  man- 
kind are  confined  in  the  present  state.    Most  men 


are  confined  to  laborious  employments,  and  have 
their  attention  almost  entirely  absorbed  in  provi- 
ding for  their  families,  and  in  anxious  solicitude 
for  their  animal  subsistence  and  success  in  life, 
so  that  they  find  no  scope  for  their  moral  powers 
beyond  the  circle  of  the  family  mansion,  and  of 
their  own  immediate  neighbourhood.  2.  The  pe- 
riod within  which  the  most  energetic  powers  can 
be  exerted  is  extremely  limited.  It  is  not  before 
man  has  arrived  near  the  meridian  of  life  that 
his  moral  powers  begin  to  be  fully  expanded, — 
and  it  frequently  happens,  in  the  case  of  ardent 
benevolent  characters,  that,  at  the  moment  when 
their  philanthropic  schemes  were  matured,  and 
they  had  just  c  jitimenced  their  career  of  benefi- 
cence, death  interposes,  and  puts  a  period  to  all 
their  labours  and  designs.  3.  In  the  present 
state  of  the  world,  numerous  physical  obstruc- 
tions interpose  to  prevent  the  exertion  of  the 
moral  powers,  even  in  the  most  ardent  philan- 
thropic minds.  The  want  of  wealth  and  influ- 
ence ;  the  diseases  and  infirmities  of  an  enfeebled 
corporeal  frame  ;  the  impediments  thrown  in  the 
way  by  malice  and  envy,  and  the  political  ar- 
rangements of  states ;  the  difficulty  of  penetrating 
into  every  region  of  the  globe  where  human  be- 
ings reside,  and  many  other  obstructions,  pre- 
vent the  full  exercise  of  that  moral  energy  which 
resides  in  benevolent  and  heroic  mindj,  and  con- 
fine its  operations  within  a  narrow  span.  But 
can  we  ever  suppose,  in  consistency  with  Divine 
Wisdom  and  Benevolence,  that  God  has  implan- 
ted in  the  human  constitution  benevolent  active 
powers,  which  are  never  to  be  fully  expanded, 
and  tiiat  those  godlike  characters  that  have  oc- 
casionally appeared  on  the  theatre  of  our  world, 
are  never  to  re-appcar  on  the  field  of  action,  to 
expatiate,  in  the  full  exercise  of  their  moral  pow- 
ers, in  the  ample  career  of  immortality  ?  To 
admit  such  a  supposition  would  be  in  effect  to 
call  in  question  his  Wisdom  and  Intelligence. 
It  is  the  part  of  Wisdom  to  proportionate  mean* 
to  ends,  and  to  adapt  the  faculties  of  any  being 
to  the  scene  in  which  it  is  to  operate.  But 
here,  we  behold  a  system  of  powers  which  can 
never  can  be  brought  into  full  operation  in  the 
present  state ;  and,  therefore,  if  death  is  to  put 
a  final  termination  to  the  activity  of  man,  the 
mighty  powers  and  energies  with  which  he  is 
endowed  have  been  bestowed  in  vain, — and  we 
are  led  to  conceive  of  the  Divine  Being  as  de- 
ficient in  Wisdom  and  Intelligence  in  his  govern- 
ment of  the  intellectual  beings  he  has  formed. 

This  will,  perhaps,  appear  still  more  obvi- 
ous, if  we  attend  to  the  following  considerations. 
—Throughout  the  universe  we  perceive  traces 
of  a  system  of  universal  benevolence.  This  is 
distinctly  perceptible  in  relation  to  our  own  globe, 
in  the  revolution  of  day  and  night ;  in  the  consti- 
tution of  the  atmosphere  ;  in  the  beautiful  and 
sublime  scenes  presented  to  the  eye  in  every 
country ;  in  the  agencies  of  light  and  heat,  and 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


oftheelectricsi  and  galvanic  fluid*;  in  ihe  splen- 
dour  of  (he  (un,  and  the  glorie*  of  the  midnight 
•k^  ;  in  ih«  organisation  of  ihe  body  of  man,  and 
the  dirierunt  •«•••■  with  which  he  is  endowed  ; 
in  the  genaral  adaptation  of  the  mineral  and  ve- 
gaiablv  kiagdonit,  and  of  every  eli^ment  around 
M,  to  the  wand  of  man  and  other  sensitive  be- 
ingt ;  and  in  the  abundant  supfily  of  food  and  drink 
wbicli  IS  annually  disiribtiied  to  every  rank  of 
■niiiiaied  exisience.  We  perceive  traces  of  the 
same  benevolent  agency  in  the  arrangements 
oonnecied  wiih  distant  worlds — in  the  rotation 
of  the  planetary  globes  around  their  axes,  in  the 
uaembla)(es  of  rings  and  ntoons  with  Mrhich  they 
are  environed,  and  in  thn  diversified  apparatus 
by  which  light  and  heat  are  distributed  in  due 
proporiion  lo  the  several  bodies  which  compose 
the  solar  system.  And,  in  other  systems,  in  the 
distant  regions  of  space,  we  perceive  that  it  is 
ooe  great  end  of  the  Creator,  to  diffase  light  and 
•plenduur  throughout  all  the  provinces  of  his  im- 
mense empire,  in  order  to  unveil  his  glorious 
works  to  the  eye*  of  unnumbered  intelligences. 
But,  although  a  system  of  benevolence  is  abun- 
dantly manifest  in  the  mechanical  fabric  of  tlie 
universe,  yet  it  does  not  appear  that  happiness 
can  be  All  ly  enjoyed  wUfiout  the  beTuvoleTU  agency 
of  intelligent  bemgs.  We  have  abundant  proofs 
of  this  position  in  the  world  in  which  we  dwell. 
For  although  the  goodiMss  of  the  Creator  is  dis- 
played throughout  all  its  regions,  yet  the  greater 
part  of  the  human  race  is  in  a  state  of  comparative 
miaery,  not  owing  to  any  deficiency  in  the  Divine 
bounty,  but  to  the  selfishness,  nmbitiun,  and 
malevolence  of  men.  With  the  Messings  which 
Heaven  provides  from  year  to  year,  the  whole 
population  of  our  globe,  and  a  thousand  millions 
more,  would  be  amply  supplied,  and  happiness 
extensively  diffused,  were  henemlence  a  promi- 
nent and  universal  trait  in  the  character  of  man- 
kind. Even  in  thove  places  where  only  a  few 
energeiic  and  benevolent  individuals  bestir  then>- 
■elves  in  the  cause  of  general  philantliropy,  a 
wonderful  change  is  rapidly  produced  in  the 
condition  of  society.  Disease,  and  misery,  and 
want,  fly  away  at  their  approach, — ihe  poor  are 
snppiied,  the  wretched  relieved,  the  priitoner  re- 
leaaed,  the  orphan  provided  for,  and  the  widow's 
heart  made  to  sing  for  joy. 

Now,  we  have  every  reason  to  conclude,  that 
wtoral  action  extends  over  the  whole  empire  of 
God — iliat  benevolence  exerts  its  noblest  ener- 
gies among  the  inhabiianis  of  distant  worlds — 
•nd  that  it  is  chiefly  through  the  mt-dium  of  re- 
ciprocal kindness  and  affection  that  ecstatic  joy 
pervailes  the  hearts  nf  celestial  intelligences. 
For  we  cannot  conceive  ha|ipioess  to  exist  in  any 
region  of  space,  or  among  any  class  of  in^ellec- 
tOkl  being*,  where  love  to  the  Creator,  and  to  one 
aBodter,  is  not  a  prominent  and  permanent  affec- 
tia«. 

It  ia,  therefore,  reaaooable  to  believe  that  those 


virtuou*  benevolent  characters  wfaidi  tmn  m^ 
peared  in  our  world,  have  been  only  in  the  act  of 
training  for  a  short  period,  preparatory  to  their 
bemg  transported  lo  a  nobler  scene  of  action,  and 
that  their  moral  power*,  which  could  not  be 
brought  in'o  fuil  exercise  in  thi*  terrestrial 
s(ihere,  were  intended  lo  qualify  them  for  ming- 
ling with  more  exalted  inielligences,  and  co-ope- 
rating with  them  in  carrying  iorward  that  vaat 
system  of  universal  benevolence,  to  which  all  the 
arrungemcnis  of  the  Creator  evidently  tend. 

Whether  then,  it  may  be  asked,  does  it  appear 
most  consistent  with  the  moral  powers  of  man, 
and  with  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  God,  lo 
suppose  that  such  illustrious  characters  aA  Penn, 
G.  Sharp,  Clarksoo,  Venning,  Howard,  and  the 
apostle  Paul,  are  now  for  ever  banished  from 
creation,  or  that  they  are  expatiating  in  a  higher 
scene  of  action  and  enjoyment,  where  ail  their 
bcnevolem  energies  find  ample  scope,  and  where 
every  bk>ssoni  of  virtue  is  fiilly  expanded  ?  If 
there  is  a  God,  and  if  wisdom,  benevolence,  and 
rectitude,  form  an  essential  part  uf  his  character, 
we  cannot  doubt  for  a  moment  that  such  charao* 
ters  are  still  in  existence,  and  shall  re-appear  oo 
a  more  splendid  theatre  of  action  in  the  future 
scenes  of  eternity. 

I  shall  conclude  my  illustrations  of  the  pre- 
ceding arguments  with  the  following  extract  from 
a  judicious  and  elegant  writer  : — 

"  In  tracing  the  nature  and  destination  of  any 
being,  we  form  the  surest  judgment  from  hi* 
povcTB  of  action,  and  the  scope  and  limit*  o( 
these  compared  with  his  stoU  or  that  field  ia 
which  they  are  exercised.  If  this  being  passes 
through  different  states  or  fields  of  action,  and 
we  find  a  «iM»e«si<m  of  powers  adapted  lo  the 
diflerent  periods  of  his  progre**,  we  conclude, 
that  he  was  destined  fur  thoM  suoceaaive  states, 
and  reckon  his  nature  progrtmm.  If,  beside* 
the  immediate  set  of  powers  which  fit  him  foe 
action  in  his  present  state,  we  observe  another 
set  which  appear  superfluous  if  he  were  to  be 
confined  to  it,  and  which  point  to  another  or 
higher  one,  we  naturally  conclude  that  he  is  not 
designed  lo  remain  in  his  present  state,  but  to 
advance  to  that  for  which  those  supernumerary 
power*  are  adapted.  Thus,  we  arj^ue,  that  the 
inud,  which  has  wings  forming  or  formed,  and 
all  the  apparatus  proper  for  flight,  is  notdifstined 
always  to  creep  on  the  ground,  or  lo  continue  in 
the  torpid  slate  of  adhering  lo  a  wall,  but  ia 
designed  in  it*  season  to  take  its  flight  in  air. 
Without  this  farther  destination,  the  admirable 
mechanism  of  wingi  and  the  other  apparatus, 
would  be  useless  and  absurd. 

"  The  same  kind  of  reasoning  may  be  applied 
to  man,  while  he  lives  only  a  fort  of  vegetative 
life  in  the  womb.  He  is  furnished  even  there 
with  a  beautiful  apparatus  of  organs,  eyes,  emn, 
and  other  delicate  semes,  which  derive  nwiriA 


Proofs  from  the  light  of  nature. 


m 


raent  indeed,  but  are  in  a  manner  folded  up,  and 
have  no  proper  exercise  or  use  in  their  present 
confinement.  Let  us  suppose  some  intelligent 
spectator,  who  never  had  any  connexion  with 
man,  nor  the  least  acquaintance  with  human  af- 
fairs, to  see  this  odd  phenomenon,  a  creature 
ibrmed  after  such  a  manner,  and  placed  in  a  si- 
tuation apparently  unsuitable  to  such  various 
machinery,  must  he  not  be  strangely  puzzled 
about  the  use  of  his  complicated  structure,  and 
reckon  such  a  profusion  of  art  and  admirable 
workmanship  lost  on  the  subject :  or  reason  by 
way  of  anticipation,  that  a  creature  endued  with 
such  various  yet  uneierted  capacities,  was  des- 
tined fur  a  more  enlarged  sphere  of  action,  in 
which  those  latent  capacities  shall  have  full  play  ? 
The  vast  variety  and  yet  beautiful  symmetry  and 
proportions  of  the  several  parts  and  organs  with 
which  the  creature  is  endued,  and  their  apt  co- 
hesion with  and  dependence  on  the  curious  re- 
ceptacle of  their  life  and  nourishment,  would 
forbid  his  concluding  the  whole  to  be  the  birth  of 
chance,  or  the  bungling  effort  of  an  unskilful  ar- 
tist ;  at  least,  would  make  him  demur  a  while  at 
so  harsh  a  sentence.  But  if,  while  he  is  in  this 
state  of  uncertainty,  we  suppose  him  to  see  the 
babe,  after  a  few  successful  struggles,  throwing 
c^  his  fetters,  breaking  loose  from  his  little  dark 
prison,  and  emerging  into  open  day,  then  unfold- 
ing his  recluse  and  dormant  powers,  breathing 
in  air,  gazing  at  light,  admiring  colours,  sounds, 
and  all  the  fair  variety  of  nature ;  immediately  his 
doubts  clear  up,  the  propriety  and  excellence  of 
the  workmanship  dawn  upon  him  with  full  lustre, 
and  the  whole  mystery  of  the  first  period  is  un- 
ravelled by  the  opening  of  this  new  scene.  Though 
in  this  second  period  the  creature  lives  chiefly  a 
kind  of  animal  life,  that  is,  of  «en«e  and  appetite, 
yet  by  various  trials  and  observations  he  gains 
experience,  and  by  the  gradual  evolution  of  the 
powers  of  the  imagination  he  ripens  apace  for 
an  higher  life,  for  exercising  the  arts  of  design 
and  imitation,  and  of  those  in  which  strength  or 
dexterity  are  more  requisite,  than  acuteness  or 
reach  of  judgment.  In  the  succeeding  rationed 
or  intellectucd  period,  his  understanding,  which 
formerly  crept  in  a  lower,  mounts  into  an  higher 
sphere,  canvasses  the  natures,  judges  of  the  re- 
lations of  things,  forms  schemes,  deduces  con- 
sequences from  what  is  past,  and  from  present  as 
well  as  past  collects  future  events  By  this  suc- 
cession of  states,  and  of  correspondent  culture, 
he  grows  up  at  length  into  a  moral,  e.  social,  and 
a  political  creature.  This  is  the  last  period  at 
which  we  perceive  him  lo  arrive  in  this  his  mor- 
tal career.  Each  period  is  introductory  to  the 
next  succeeding  one  ;  each  life  is  a  field  of  ex- 
ercise and  improvement  for  the  next  higher  one ; 
the  life  of  the  fielvs  for  that  of  the  infant,  the 
life  of  the  in/ant  for  that  of  the  child,  and  all  the 
lower  for  the  highest  and  best. 
**  But  w  thia  the  last  period  of  nature's  pro- 


gression ?  Is  this  the  utmost  extent  of  her  plot, 
where  she  winds  up  the  drama,  and  dismisses  the 
actor  into  eternal  oblivion  ?  Or  does  he  appear 
to  be  invested  with  supernumerary  powers,  which 
have  not  full  exercise  and  scope  even  in  the  last 
scene,  and  reau:h  not  that  maturity  or  perfection 
of  which  they  are  capable,  and  therefore  point 
to  some  higher  scene,  where  he  is  to  sustain  an- 
other and  more  important  character,  than  he  has 
yet  sustained  ?  If  any  such  there  are,  may  we 
not  conclude  from  analogy,  or  in  the  same  way 
of  anticipation  as  before,  that  he  is  destined  for 
that  after  part,  and  is  to  be  produced  upon  a 
more  august  and  solemn  stage,  where  his  sub- 
limer  powers  shall  have  proportioned  action,  and 
his  nature  attain  its  completion."* 

In  illustrating  the  preceding  arguments,  I  havo 
shown  that  man  is  possessed  of  desires  which 
caruiot  be  fully  gratified,  and  of  moral  and  intel- 
lectual powers  which  cannot  be  fully  exercised  ia 
the  present  world,  and  consequently,  we  have  the 
same  reaison  to  conclude,  that  he  is  destined  to  a 
higher  scene  of  existence,  as  we  would  have, 
from  beholding  the  rudiments  of  eyes  and  ears  in 
the  embryo  in  the  womb,  that  it  is  destined  to 
burst  its  confinement,  and  to  enter  into  a  world, 
where  sounds,  and  light,  and  colours  will  afford 
ample  scope  for  the  exercise  of  these  organs. 


SECTION  VII. 

Of  THE  APPaEHENSIONS  AND  FOREBODIireS 
OF  THE  HIND,  WHEN  CNDEK  THE  INFLU- 
ENCE   OF   REM0H8E. 

The  apprehensions  of  the  mind,  and  its  feai^ 

ful  forebodings  of  futurity,  when  under  the  in- 
fluence of  remorse,  may  be  considered  as  inti- 
mations of  a  state  of  retribution  in  another 
world. 

As  the  boundless  desires  of  the  human  mind, 
the  vast  comprehension  of  its  intellectual  facuU 
ties,  and  the  virtuous  exercise  of  its  moral  pow- 
ers, are  indications  of  a  future  state  of  more 
enlarged  enjoyment,  so,  those  horrors  of  con- 
science which  frequently  torment  the  minds  of 
the  wicked,  may  be  considered  as  the  forebod- 
ings of  future  misery  and  wo.  For  it  appears 
ai  reasonable  to  believe,  that  atrocious  deeds 
will  meet  with  deserved  opprobrium  and  punish- 
ment in  a  future  state,  as  that  virtuous  actions 
will  be  approved  of  and  rewarded  ;  and,  conse- 
quently, we  find,  thpit  all  nations  who  have  be- 
lieved in  a  future  state  of  happiness  for  the 
righteous,  have  also  admitted  that  there  are  fu- 
ture punishments  in  reserve  for  the  workers  of 
iniquity.  Every  man  has  interwoven  in  his  con- 
stitution a  moral  sense  which  secretly  coodemoa 

•Foidjoe. 


THE  PHILOSCPHY  OF  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


him  wfim  he  hu  committed  an  atrocioui  action, 
even  when  the  perpetration  of  the  crime  ii  un- 
known to  hit  fellow-men,  and  when  he  i*  placed 
in  circumstance*  which  raiae  him  above  the  fear 
oThuman  punishment.  There  have  been  nume- 
rous individuals,  both  in  the  higher  and  lower 
ranks  of  life,  who,  without  any  external  cause,  or 
apprehension  of  punishment  from  men,  have  been 
teized  with  inward  terrors,  and  have  writhed 
under  the  agonies  of  an  accusing  conscience, 
which  neither  the  charms  of  music,  nor  all  the 
other  delights  of  the  sons  of  men,  had  the  least 
power  to  assuage.  Of  the  truth  of  this  position, 
the  annals  of  history  furnish  us  with  many  im> 
pressive  examples.  The  following  may  suffice 
as  specimens  :^ 

While  Belthazzar  was  carousing  at  an  impious 
banquet  with  his  wives  and  concubines  and  a 
thousand  of  his  nobles,  the  appearance  of  the 
fingers  of  a  man's  hand,  and  of  the  writing  on 
an  opposite  wall,  threw  him  into  such  consterna- 
tion, that  his  thoughts  terrified  him,  the  girdles 
of  his  loins  were  loosed,  and  his  knees  smote  one 
against  another.  His  terror,  in  such  circum* 
stances,  cannot  be  supposed  to  have  proceeded 
from  a  fear  of  man ;  for  he  was  surrounded  by 
hi«  guards  and  his  princes,  and  all  the  delights  of 
music,  and  of  a  splendid  entertainment.  Nor 
did  it  arise  from  the  sentence  of  condemnation 
written  on  the  wall ;  for  he  was  then  ignorant 
both  of  the  writing  and  of  its  meaning.  But  he 
was  conscious  of  the  wickedness  of  which  he 
had  been  guilty,  and  of  the  sacrilegious  impiety 
in  which  he  was  then  indulging,  and,  therefore, 
the  extraordinary  appearance  on  the  wall,  was 
considered  as  an  awful  foreboding  of  punishment 
from  that  almighty  and  invisible  Being  whom  he 
had  offended. — Tibcriut,  one  of  the  Roman  em- 
perors, was  a  gloomy,  treacherous,  and  cruel 
tyrant.  The  lives  of  his  people  became  the  sport 
of  his  savage  disposition.  Barely  to  take  them 
away  was  not  sufficient,  if  their  death  was  not 
tormenting  and  atrocious.  He  ordered,  on  one 
occasion,  a  general  massacre  of  all  who  were 
detained  in  prison,  on  account  of  the  conspiracy 
of  Sejanus  his  minister,  and  heaps  of  carcasses 
were  piled  up  in  the  public  places.  His  private 
vices  and  debaucheries  were  also  incessant,  and 
rerolting  to  every  principle  of  decency  and  vir- 
tue. Yet  this  tyrant,  while  acting  in  the  pleni- 
tude of  his  power,  and  imagining  himself  beyond 
tha  cootrol  of  every  law,  had  his  mind  tortured 
with  dreadful  apprehensions.  We  are  informed 
by  Taatu*,  that  in  a  letter  to  the  Senate,  he 
opened  the  inward  wounds  of  his  breast,  with 
■nch  words  of  despair  as  might  have  moved  pity 
in  Ihoae  who  were  under  the  continual  fear  of  his 
tyranny.*    Neither  the  splendour  of  his  situation 


"m>er1am  non  fortnna,  non  sotltudlnes  protege- 
tmxtt,  quin  tonnenta  peetorU  ittas4iu«  pctnas  Ipet 
Uterctor,  *c.— ractfM- 


as  an  emperor,  nor  the  solitary  retreats  to  which 
he  retired,  could  shield  him  from  the  acri.-satioos 
of  his  conscience,  but  he  hintself  was  forced  to 
confess  the  menial  agonies  he  endured  as  a  pu- 
nishment for  his  crimes. — uintiockut  Eptphamt 
was  another  tyrant  remarkable  for  his  cruehy  and 
impiety.  He  laid  siege  to  the  city  of  Jeriwalem, 
exercised  the  most  horrid  cruelties  upon  its  inha- 
bitants, slaughtered  forty  thousand  of  ihem  in 
three  days,  and  polluted,  in  the  most  impious 
manner,  tho  temple,  and  the  worship  of  the  God 
of  Israel.  Some  time  afterwards,  when  he  was 
breathing  out  curses  against  the  Jews  for  having 
restored  their  ancient  worship,  and  threatening  to 
destroy  the  whole  nation,  and  to  make  Jerusalem 
the  conunoa  place  of  sepulture  to  all  the  Jews, 
he  was  seized  with  a  grievous  torment  in  his  in- 
ward parts,  and  excessive  pangs  of  the  colic, 
accompanied  with  such  terrors  as  no  remedies 
could  assuage.  "  Worms  crawled  from  every 
part  of  him  ;  his  flesh  fell  away  piece-meal,  and 
the  stench  was  so  great  that  it  became  intoler* 
able  to  the  whole  army ;  and  he  thus  finished  an 
impious  life,  by  a  miserable  death. "f  During 
this  disorder,  says  Polybius,  he  was  iro<ibled 
with  a  perpetual  delirium,  imagining  that  spec- 
tres stood  continually  before  him,  reproaching 
him  with  his  crimes. — Similar  relations  are  given 
by  historians,  of  Herod  who  slaughtered  the  in- 
fants at  Bethlehem,  of  Galerius  Maximianus  the 
author  of  the  tenth  perseciition  against  the 
Christians,  of  the  infamous  Philip  H.  of  Spain, 
and  of  many  others  whose  names  stand  conspi- 
cuous on  the  rolls  of  impiety  and  crime. 

It  is  related  of  Charles  IX.  of  France,  who 
ordered  the  horrible  Bartholomew  massacre,  and 
assisted  in  his  bloody  tragedy,  that,  ever  aAer, 
he  had  a  fierceness  in  his  looks,  and  a  colour  in 
his  cheeks,  which  he  never  had  before  ; — that  be 
slept  little  and  never  sound  ;  and  waked  frequent- 
ly in  great  agonies,  requiring  soil  music  to  com- 
pose him  to  rest ;  and  at  length  died  of  a  linger- 
ing disorder,  after  having  undergone  the  most 
exquisite  torments  both  of  body  and  miitd. 
I^Aubigne  informs  us  that  Henry  IV.  frequent- 
ly told,  among  his  most  intimate  friends,  that 
eight  days  after  the  massacre  of  St.  Bartholo- 
mew, he  saw  a  vast  number  of  ravens  perch  and 
croak  on  the  pavilion  of  the  Louvre  ;  that  the 
same  night  Charles  IX.  after  he  had  been  two 
hours  in  bed,  started  up,  roused  his  grooms  of  the 
chamber,  and  sent  them  out  to  listen  to  a  great 
noise  of  groans  in  the  air,  and  among  others, 
some  furious  and  threatening  voices,  the  whole 
resembling  what  was  heard  on  the  night  of  the 
massacre ;  that  all  these  various  cries  were  so 
striking,  so  remarkable,  and  so  articulate,  that 
Charles  believing  that  the  enemies  of  the  Mont- 
morencies  and  of  their  partisans  had  surprised 
and  attacked  them,  sent  a  detachment  of  his 

t  EoUln'i  An.  Hist 


PROOFS  FROM  THE  LIGHT  OF  NATURE. 


35 


guards  to  prevent  this  new  massacre.  It  is 
scarcely  necessary  to  add,  that  the  intelligence 
brought  from  Paris  proved  these  apprehensions 
to  be  groundless,  and  that  the  noises  heard,  must 
have  been  the  fanciful  creations  of  the  guilty  con- 
science of  the  king,  countenanced  by  ihe  vivid 
remembrance  of  those  around  him  of  llie  horrors 
of  St.  Bartholomew's  day. 

Kin:;  Richard  III.  after  he  had  murdered  his 
innocent  royal  nephews,  was  so  tormented  in 
conscience,  as  Sir  Thomas  More  reports  from 
the  gentlemen  of  his  bed  chamber,  that  he  had 
no  peace  or  quiet  in  himself,  but  .ilways  carried 
it  as  if  some  imminent  danger  was  near  him. 
His  eyes  were  always  whirling  about  on  this 
side,  and  on  that  side  ;  he  wore  a  shirt  of  mail, 
and  was  always  laying  his  hand  upon  his  dagger, 
looking  as  furiously  as  if  he  was  ready  to  strike. 
He  had  no  quiet  in  his  mind  by  day,  nor  could 
take  any  rest  by  night,  but,  molested  with  terri- 
fying dreams,  would  start  out  of  his  bed,  and  run 
like  a  distracted  man  about  the  chamber.* 

This  state  of  mind,  in  reference  to  another 
case,  is  admirably  described,  in  the  following 
lines  of  Dryden. 

"  Amidst  your  train  this  unseen  judge  will  wait, 
Examine  how  you  came  by  all  your  state  ; 
Upbraid  your  impious  pomp,  and  in  your  ear 
Will  halloo,  rebel!  traitor!  murderer! 
Your  ill  got  power,  wan  looks,  and  care  shall  bring, 
Known  but  by  discontent  to  be  a  King. 
Of  crowds  afraid,  yet  anxious  when  alone. 
You'll  sit  and  brood  your  sorrows  on  a  throne." 

Bessus  the  Paeonian  being  reproached  with 
ill  nature  for  pulling  down  a  nest  of  young  spar- 
rows and  killing  them,  answered,  that  he  had 
reason  so  to  do,  "  Because  these  little  birds  ne- 
ver ceased  falsely  to  accuse  him  of  the  mur- 
der of  his  father."  This  parricide  had  been  till 
then  concealed  and  unknown ;  but  the  revenging 
fury  of  conscience  caused  it  to  be  discovered 
by  himself,  who  was  justly  to  suffer  for  it.  That 
notorious  sceptic  and  semi-atheist,  Mr.  Hobbes, 
author  of  the  "  Leviathan,"  had  been  the  means 
of  poisoning  many  yount;  gentlemen  and  others, 
with  his  wicked  principles,  as  the  Earl  of  Ro- 
chester confessed,  with  extreme  compunction,  on 
his  death-bed.  It  was  remarked,  by  those  who 
narrowly  observed  his  conduct,  that  "  though  in 
a  humour  of  bravado  he  would  speak  strange 
and  unbecoming  things  of  God  ;  yet  in  his  stu- 
dy, in  the  dark,  and  in  his  retired  thoughts, 
he  trembled  before  him."  He  could  not  endure 
to  be  left  alone  in  an  empty  house.  He  could 
not,  even  in  b's  old  age,  bear  any  discourse  of 
death,  acd  seemed  to  cast  off  all  thoughts  of  it. 
He  could  not  bear  to  sleep  in  the  dark  ;  and  if  his 
candle  happened  to  go  out  in  the  night,  he  would 
awake  in  terror  .and  amazement, — a  plain  indica- 
tion, that  he  was  unable  to  bear  the  dismal  re- 
flections of  his  dark  and  desolate  mind,  and  know 

*  Stow'B  Annals,  p.  460. 


not  how  to  extinguish,  nor  how  to  bear  the  light 
of  "  the  candle  of  the  Lord"  within  him.  He  is 
said  to  have  left  the  world,  with  great  reluctance, 
under  terrible  apprehensions  of  a  dark  and  un- 
known futurity.' 

"  Conscience,  the  torturer  of  the  soul,  unseen. 
Does  fiercely  brandish  a  sharp  scourge  within. 
Severe  decrees  may  kee|)  our  tongues  in  awe. 
But  to  our  thoughts  what  edict  can  give  law  ? 
Even  you  yourself  to  your  own  breast  shall  tell 
Your  crimes,  and  your  own  conscience  be  your  hell. 

Many  similar  examples  of  the  power  of  con- 
science in  awakening  terrible  apprehensions  of 
futurity,  could  be  brought  forward  from  the  re- 
cords of  history  both  ancient  and  modern  ; — and 
there  can  be  no  question,  that,  at  the  present 
moment,  there  are  thousands  of  gay  spirits  in>- 
mersed  in  fashionable  dissipation,  and  professing 
to  disregard  the  realities  of  a  future  world,  who, 
if  they  would  lay  open  their  inmost  thoughts, 
would  confess,  that  the  secret  dread  of  a  future 
retribution  is  a  spectre  which  frequently  haunts 
them  while  running  the  rounds  of  forbidden  plea- 
sure, and  embitters  their  most  exquisite  enjoy- 
ments. 

Now,  how  are  we  to  account  for  such  terrors 
of  conscience,  and  awful  forebodings  of  futurity, 
if  there  be  no  existence  beyond  the  grave  ?  espe- 
cially when  we  consider,  that  many  of  those  who 
have  been  thus  tormented  have  occupied  stations 
of  rank  and  ix)wer,  which  raised  them  above  the 
fear  of  punishment  from  man  ?  If  they  got  their 
schemes  accomplished,  their  passions  gratified, 
and  their  persons  and  possessions  secured  from 
temporal  danger,  why  did  they  feel  compunction 
or  alarm  in  the  prospect  of  futurity  ?  for  every 
mental  disquietude  of  This  description  implies  a 
dread  of  something  future.  They  had  no  great 
reason  to  be  afraid  even  of  the  Almighty  himself, 
if  his  vengeance  do  not  extend  beyond  the  pre- 
sent world.  They  beheld  the  physical  and  moral 
world  moving  onward  according  to  certain  fixed 
and  immutable  laws.  They  beheld  no  miracles 
of  vengeance^no  Almighty  arm  visibly  hurling 
the  thunderbolts  of  heaven  against  the  workers 
of  iniquity.  They  saw  that  one  event  happened 
to  all,  to  the  righteous  as  well  as  to  the  wicked, 
and  that  death  was  an  evil  to  which  they  behoved 
sooner  or  later  to  submit.  They  encountered 
hostile  armies  with  fortitude,  and  beheld  all  the 
dread  apparatus  of  war  without  dismay.  Yet, 
in  their  secret  retirements,  in  their  fortified  re- 
treats, where  no  eye  but  the  eye  of  God  was 
upon  them,  and  when  no  hostile  incursion  was 
apprehended,  they  trembled  at  a  shadow,  and  felt 
a  thousand  disquietudes  from  the  reproaches  of 
an  inward  monitor  which  they  could  not  escape. 
These  things  appear  altogether  inexplicable  if 
there  be  no  retribution  beyond  the  grave. 

We  are,  therefore,  irresistibly  led  to  the  con- 
clusion, that  the  voice  of  conscience,  in  such 
cases,  is  the  voice  of  God  declaring  his  abhor- 


96 


THE  PHn.OSOPHY  OP  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


.  „..,.j  ofwicked  <l««di  and  the  puni«hincn»  which 
thajr  d««erTe,  and  thai  his  providence  pi  e«ide» 
over  the  actions  of  moral  agrnin,  and  give*  inti- 
mations of  the  future  destiny  of  tho«>  haughty 
■piriU  who  obstinately  persist  in  their  treapasses. 
And,  cunsequently,  as  tJie  peace  and  senrnity  of 
virtuoua  minds  are  preludes  of  nobler  enjoyments 
in  a  future  life,  so  those  terrors  which  now  assail 
the  wicked  may  be  considered  as  the  beginnings 
of  that  misery  and  anguish  which  will  be  coii- 
aummated  in  the  world  to  come,  in  the  case  of 
thote  who  add  final  impenitence  to  all  their  other 
crimM.  * 


SECTION  vni. 

OH  THK  DISORDERED  STATE  OF  THE  MORAL 
WORLD,  WHEX  CONTRASTED  WITH  THE 
KKOOLAR  AND  STBTEMATICAS.  OKDKR  OF 
THE  MATERIAL. 

The  disordered  state  of  the  moral  world,  con- 
trasted with  the  regular  and  systematical  order 
of  the  material,  affords  a  strong  presumption  of 
another  state  in  which  the  moral  evils  which 
now  exist  will  be  corrected. 

When  we  take  a  general  survey  of  the  great 
fabric  of  the  universe,  or  contemplate  more  mi- 
nutely any  of  its  subordinate  arrangements,  the 
marks  of  beauty,  order  and  harmony,  are  stri- 
kingly apparent.  Every  thing  appears  in  its  pro- 
per place,  moving  onward  in  majestic  order,  and 
accompli<ihing  the  end  for  which  it  was  intended. 
In  the  planetary  system,  the  law  of  gravitation 
ia  found  to  operate  exactly  in  proportion  to  the 
square  of  the  distance,  and  the  squares  of  the  pe- 
riodic limes  of  the  planets'  revolutions  round 
the  sun  are  exactly  proportionate  to  the  cubes  of 
their  distances.  Every  body  in  this  system  fin- 
ishes its  respective  revolution  in  exactly  the  same 
period  of  time,  so  as  not  to  deviate  a  single  mi- 
nute in  the  course  of  a  century.  The  annual  re- 
volution of  the  planet  Jupiter  was  ascertained  two 
conturies  ago,  to  be  accomplished  in  43S0  days, 
14  hours,  27  minutes,  and  II  seconds,  and  his 
rotation  round  his  axis  in  9  hours,  66  minutes, 
and  tliese  revolutions  are  still  found  to  be  per- 
formed in  exactly  the  same  times.  The  earth 
performs  its  diurnal  revolution,  from  one  century 
to  another,  bringing  about  the  alternate  succes- 
•ion  of  day  and  night,  in  exactly  the  same  period  of 
SS  hours,  66  minutes,  and  4  seconds.  Through- 
out the  whole  of  this  system,  there  is  none  of  the 
bodies  of  which  it  is  composed  that  stops  in  its 
motion,  or  deviates  from  the  path  prescribed. 
No  one  interrupts  another  in  its  course,  nor  in- 
terferes to  prevent  the  beneficial  influences  of 
attractive  power,  or  of  light,  and  heat.  Were 
it  otherwise — were  the  earth  to  slop  in  its  di- 
oraal  rerolutioii,  aad  Mtj  to  usher  in  the  dawn 


at  iu  appointed  time,  or  were  the  pluiete  I* 
doiih  one  against  another,  and  to  run  lawleaeiy 
through  the  sky,  the  system  of  Nature  would  run 
into  confusion,  its  iiihabiianis  would  be  thrown  in- 
to a  state  of  anarchy,  and  deprived  of  all  their  en- 
joyntenis.  But,  in  consequence  of  the  order 
which  now  prevails,  the  whole  presents  to  the  eye 
of  inlelligrnce  an  admirable  display  of  beauty 
and  harmony,  and  of  infinite  wisdom  and  design. 
In  like  manner,  ifwc  attend  to  the  arrange- 
ments of  our  sublunary  system — to  the  revolu- 
tions of  the  seasons,  the  course  of  the  tides,  the 
motions  of  the  rivers,  the  process  of  evapora- 
tion, the  periodical  changes  of  the  winds,  and 
the  physical  economy  of  the  animal  and  vegeta- 
ble tribes — the  same  systematic  order  and  har- 
mony may  be  perceived. — In  the  construction 
and  movements  of  the  human  frame,  there  is  a 
striking  display  of  systematic  order  and  beauty. 
Hundreds  of  muscles  of  different  forms,  hundreds 
of  bones  variously  articulated,  thousands  of  lac- 
teal and  lymphatic  vessels,  and  thousands  of 
veiiu  and  arteries  all  act  in  unison  ever}-  mo- 
ment, in  order  to  produce  life  and  enjoyment. 
Every  organ  of  sense  is  admirably  fitted  to  re- 
ceive impressions  from  its  corresponding  objects. 
The  eye  is  adapted  to  receive  the  impression  of 
light,  and  light  is  adapted  to  the  peculiar  con- 
struction of  the  eye ;  the  ear  is  adapted  to  sound, 
and  the  constitution  of  the  air  and  its  various 
undulations  are  fitted  to  make  an  impression  on 
the  tympanum  of  the  ear.  Even  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  meanest  insect  we  perceive  a 
series  of  adaptations,  and  a  system  of  organiza- 
tion no  less  regular  and  admirable  than  those  of 
man  ; — and  as  much  care  appears  to  be  bestow- 
ed in  bending  a  claw,  articulating  a  joint,  or 
clasping  the  filaments  of  a  feather,  to  answer  its 
intrnded  purpose,  as  if  it  were  the  only  object  on 
which  the  Creator  was  employed. — And  it  is 
worthy  of  remark,  that  our  views  of  the  harmony 
and  order  of  the  material  world  become  more 
admirable  and  Motufadonf,  in  proportion  as  our 
knowledge  of  its  arrangements  is  enlarged  and 
extended.  Whether  we  explore,  with  the  tele- 
scope, the  bodies  which  are  dispersed  through 
the  boundless  regions  of  space,  or  pry,  by  the 
help  of  the  microscope,  into  the  minutest  parts 
of  nature,  we  perceive  traces  of  order,  and  of  ex- 
quisite mechanism  and  design  which  excite  ad 
miration  and  wonder  in  every  contemplative 
mind.  Before  the  invention  of  the  microscope, 
we  might  naturally  have  concluded,  that  all  b^ 
yond  the  limits  of  natural  vision  was  a  scene  of 
confusion,  a  chaotic  mass  of  atoms  without  life, 
form,  or  order ;  but  we  now  clenrly  perceive, 
that  every  thing  is  regular  and  sjmtematic,  that 
even  the  dust  on  a  butterfly's  wing,  every  dis- 
tinct particle  of  which  is  invisible  to  the  naked 
eye,  consists  of  regularly  organized  feathers — 
that  in  the  eye  of  a  small  insect,  (en  thousand 
nicely  polikhed  globules  are  beautifully  arraiifed 


PROOFS  FROM  THE  LIGHT  OF  NATURE. 


37 


on  a  transparent  net-work  wiihin  the  compass  of 
one-twentielh  of  an  inch — and  that  myriads  of 
living  beings  exist,  invisible  to  the  unassisted 
sight,  with  bodies  as  curiously  organised,  and 
as  nicely  adapted  to  their  situations  as  the  bodies 
of  men  and  of  the  larger  animals.  So  that  the 
whole  frame  of  the  material  world  presents  a 
Bcene  of  infinite  wisdom  and  intelligence,  and  a 
display  of  systematic  order,  beauty,  and  propor- 
tion. Every  thing  bears  the  marks  of  benevo- 
lent design,  and  is  calculated  to  produce  ha[ipi- 
Dcss  in  sentient  beings. 

On  the  other  hand,  when  we  take  a  survey  of 
the  moral  world  in  all  the  periods  of  its  history, 
we  perceive  throughout  almost  every  part  of  its 
extent,  an  inextricable  maze,  and  a  scene  of 
clashing  and  confusion,  which  are  directly  op- 
posed to  the  harmony  and  order  which  pervade 
the  material  system.  When  we  take  a  retro- 
spective view  of  the  moral  state  of  mankind, 
during  the  ages  that  are  past,  what  do  we  behold, 
but  a  revolting  scene  of  perfidy,  avarice,  injus- 
tice, and  revenge, — of  wars,  rapine,  devastation, 
and  bloodshed ;  nation  rising  against  nation,  one 
empire  dashing  against  another,  tyrants  exercis- 
ing the  most  horrid  cruelties,  superstition  and 
idolatry  immolating  millions  of  victims,  and  a 
get  of  desperate  villains,  termed  fieroes,  prowling 
over  the  world,  turning  fruitful  fields  into  a  wil- 
derness, burning  towns  and  villages,  plundering 
palaces  and  temples,  drenching  the  earth  with 
human  gore,  and  erecting  thrones  on  the  ruins 
of  nations  ?  Here  we  behold  an  Alexander,  with 
bis  numerous  armies,  driving  the  ploughshare  of 
destruction  through  surrounding  nations,  levelling 
cities  with  the  dust,  and  massacring  their  inof- 
fensive inhabitants  in  order  to  gratify  a  mad 
ambition,  and  to  be  eulogised  as  a  hero, — there 
we  behold  a  Xerxes,  fired  with  pride  and  with 
the  lust  of  dominion,  leading  forward  an  army  of 
three  millions  of  infatuated  wretches  to  be 
slaughtered  by  the  victorious  and  indignant 
Greeks.  Here  we  behold  an  Alaric,  with  his 
barbarous  hordes,  ravaging  the  southern  coun- 
tries of  Europe,  overturning  the  most  splendid 
monuments  of  art,  pillaging  the  metropolis  of 
the  Roman  empire,  and  deluging  its  streets  and 
houses  with  the  blood  of  the  slain, — there  we 
behold  a  Tamerlane  overrunning  Persia,  India, 
and  other  regions  of  Asia,  carrying  slaughter  and 
devastation  in  his  train,  and  displaying  his  spor- 
tive cruelty,  by  pounding  three  or  four  thousand 
people  at  a  time  in  large  mortars,  and  building 
their  bodies  with  bricks  and  mortar  into  a  wall. 
On  the  one  hand,  we  behold  six  millions  of 
Crusaders  marching  in  wild  confusion  through 
the  eastern  parts  of  Europe,  devouring  every 
thing  before  them,  like  an  armv  of  locuss 
breathing  destruction  to  Jews  and  infidels,  and 
massacring  the  inhabitants  of  Wostern  Asia 
with  infernal  fury.  On  the  other  hand,  we  be- 
hold the  immense  forces  ofJenghu  Kan  ravag- 


ing the  kingdoms  of  Eastern  Asia,  to  an  extent 
of  15  millions'*'  of  square  miles,  beheading 
100,000  prisoners  at, once,  convulsing  the  world 
with  terror,  and  utterly  exterminating  from  the 
earth  fourteen  millions  of  human  beings.  At 
one  period,  we  behold  the  ambition  and  jealousy 
of  Marius  and  Sylla  embroiling  the  Romans  in 
all  the  horrors  of  a  civil  war,  deluging  the  city 
of  Rome  for  five  days  with  the  blood  of  her  citi- 
zens, transfixing  the  heads  of  her  senators  with 
poles,  and  dragging  their  bodies  to  the  Forum  to 
be  devoured  by  dogs.  At  another,  we  behold  a 
JVero  trampling  on  the  laws  of  nature  and  socie- 
ty, plunging  into  the  most  abominable  debauche- 
ries, practising  cruelties  which  fill  the  mind  with 
horror,  murdering  his  wife  Octavia,  and  his 
mother  Agrippina,  insulting  Heaven  and  man- 
kind by  ofiisring  up  thanksgivings  to  the  gods  on 
the  perpetration  of  these  crimes,  and  setting 
fire  to  Rome,  that  he  might  amuse  himself  with 
the  universal  terror  and  despair  which  tliat  ca- 
lamity inspired.  At  one  epoch,  we  behold  the 
Goths  and  Vandals  rushing  like  an  overflowing 
torrent,  from  east  to  west,  and  from  north  to 
south,  sweeping  before  them  every  vestige  of 
civilization  and  art,  butchering  all  within  their 
reach  without  distinction  of  age  or  sex,  and 
marking  their  path  with  rapine,  desolation,  and 
carnage.  At  another,  we  behold  the  emissaries 
of  the  Romish  See  slaughtering,  without  dis- 
tinction or  mercy,  the  mild  and  pious  Albigen- 
ses,  and  transforming  their  peaceful  abodes  into 
a  scene  of  universal  consternation  and  horror, 
while  the  inquisition  is  torturing  thousands  of 
devoted  victims,  men  of  piety  and  virtue,  and 
committing  their  bodies  to  the  flames. 

At  one  period  of  the  world,t  almost  the  whole 
earth  appeared  to  be  little  else  than  one  great 
field  of  battle,  in  which  the  human  race  seemed 
to  be  threatened  with  utter  extermination.  The 
Vandals,  Huns.  Sannatians,  Alans,  and  Suevi, 
were  ravaging  Gaul,  Spain,  Germany,  and  other 
parts  of  the  Roman  empire;  the  Goths  were 
plundering  Rome,  and  laying  waste  the  cities  of 
Italy  ;  the  Saxons  and  Angles  were  overrunning 
Britain  and  overturning  the  government  of  the 
Romans.  The  armies  of  Justinian  and  of  the 
Huns  and  Vandals  were  desolating  Africa,  and 
butchering  mankind  by  millions.  The  whole 
forces  of  Scylhia  were  rushing  with  irresistible 
impulse  on  the  Roman  empire,  desolating  the 
countries,  and  almost  exterminating  the  inhabi- 
tants wherever  they  came.  The  Persian  armies 
were  pillaging  Hierapolis,  Aleppo,  and  the  sur- 
rounding cities,  and  reducing  them  to  ashes;  and 
were  laying  waste  all  Asia,  from  the  Tigris  to 
the  Bosphorus.     The  Arabians  under  Mahomet 

* "  The  conquests  of  Jenghiz  Kan,"  says  Mlllot, 
"were  supposed  to  extend  above  eighteen  hundred 
leagues  from  east  to  west,  and  a  thous&nci  from 
south  to  north"— AfoArm  HiWory,  vol.  I. 

t  Ahnut  the  flfth,  sixth  and  seventh  centuries  of  ttie 
Christian  era. 


S8 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


tad  hit  mecMMra  were  extending  thrir  conquests 
over  Syria,  Pal>-sline,  Persia,  anci  Iixiia,  on  the 
east,  and  over  Kpypt,  Barbary,  Spain,  and  the 
islands  of  the  MnJilorrani-nn,  i>n  tlie  west ;  cut- 
ting in  pieces  with  their  swords  ail  the  enemies 
of  Islamism.  In  Europt,  every  liin^Horn  was 
shattered  to  its  centre;  in  the  Muhunitiicdan  em- 
pire in  Ana,  the  C'ahphs,  Sultans,  and  Emirs 
were  waging  continual  wars ; — new  sovereignties 
were  daily  rising,  and  daily  destroyed  ;  and  Af- 
rica was  lapidly  dv|i<>pulatin;;,  and  verging  to- 
wards desolation  and  barbarism. 

Amidst  this  univeriial  clashing  of  nations, 
when  the  whole  earth  became  one  theatre  of 
bloody  revolutions, — scenes  of  horror  were  dis- 
played, over  which  historians  wished  to  draw  a 
reil,  lest  they  should  transmit  an  example  of 
inhumanity  to  succeeding  ages — the  most  fertile 
and  populous  provinces  were  converted  into 
deserts,  overspread  with  the  scattered  ruins  of 
villages  and  cities — every  thing  was  wasted  and 
destroyed  with  hostile  cruelty — famine  raged  to 
such  a  degree  that  the  living  were  constrained  to 
feed  on  the  dead  bodies  of  their  fellow-citizens — 
prisoners  were  tortured  with  the  most  exquisite 
cruelty,  and  the  more  illustrious  they  were,  the 
more  barbarously  were  they  insulted^-cities  were 
left  without  a  living  inhabitant — [lublic  buildings 
which  resisted  the  violence  of  the  flames  were 
levelled  with  the  ground — every  art  and  science 
was  abandoned — the  Roman  empire  was  shatter- 
ed to  its  centre  and  its  power  annihilated — ava- 
rice, perfidy,  hatred,  treachery,  and  malevolence 
reigned  triumphant ;  and  virtue,  benevolence,  and 
every  moral  principle  were  trampled  under  foot. 

Such  scenes  of  carnage  and  desolation  have 
been  disp'ayed  to  a  certain  extent  and  almost 
without  intermission,  during  the  whole  period  of 
this  world's  history.  For  the  page  of  the  histo- 
rian, whether  ancient  or  modern,  presents  to  our 
riew  little  more  than  revolting  details  of  ambi- 
tious conquerors  carrying  ruin  and  devastation 
in  their  train,  of  proud  despots  trampling  on  the 
rights  of  mankind,  of  cities  turned  into  ruinous 
heaps,  of  countries  desolated,  of  massacres  |ier- 
petrated  with  infernal  cruelty,  of  nations  da.shing 
one  again-Ht  another,  of  empires  wasted  and  de- 
stroyed, of  political  and  religious  dissensions, 
and  of  the  general  progress  of  injustice,  immo- 
rality, and  crime.  Compared  wiih  the  details  on 
these  subjects,  all  the  other  facts  which  have  oc- 
curred in  the  history  of  mankind  are  considered 
by  the  historian  as  mert  inUrludet  in  the  ereat 
drama  of  the  world,  and  almost  unworthy  of 
being  recorded. 

Were  we  to  lake*  a  survey  of  the  moral  world 
as  it  now  stands,  a  similar  prospect,  on  the  whole, 
woukJ  be  presented  to  our  view.  Though  the 
shades  of  depravity  with  which  ii  is  overspread 
are  not  so  thick  and  dark,  nor  its  commotions  ^o 
numerous  and  violent  as  in  anrient  times,  yet 
the  aspect  of  every  oatioa  under  heaven  presents 


to  our  view,  features  which  are  directly  oppoeits 
to  every  th>ng  we  should  expect  lo  contemplate 
in  a  world  of  systematic  order,  harmony,  and 
love.  If  we  cast  our  eyes  towards  Am  *e  shall 
find  the  greater  part  of  five  hundred  millions  of 
human  beincs  involved  in  political  conuiiotions, 
immersed  in  vice,  ignorance,  and  idoluiry,  and 
groaning  under  the  lash  of  tyrannical  despots. 
In  Persia,  the  cruelly  and  tyranny  of  its  lulen 
have  transformed  many  of  its  most  fertile  pro> 
vinces  into  scenes  of  desolation.  In  Turkey, 
the  avarice  and  fiend-like  cruelty  of  the  Grand 
Seignior  and  his  Bashaws  have  drenched  the 
shores  of  Greece  wiih  the  blood  of  thousands, 
turned  Palestine  into  a  wilderness,  and  nndered 
Syria,  Armenia,  and  Kurdistan  scenes  of  inju^ 
tice  and  rapine.  In  China  and  Ju|ian  a  spirit 
of  pride  and  jealousy  prevents  the  harmoniooa 
intercourse  of  oihfJr  branches  of  the  human  &^ 
niiiy,  and  infuses  a  cold-blooded  selfishness  into 
the  breasts  of  their  inhabitants,  and  a  contempt 
of  surrounding  nations.  Througlioiit  Tanary, 
Arabia,  and  Siberia,  numerous  hostile  tribe«  are 
incessantly  prowling  among  deserts  and  foresta 
in  quest  of  plunder,  so  that  travellers  are  in  con- 
tinual danger  of  being  either  robbed,  or  niurder- 
ed,  or  dragged  into  captivity. — If  we  turn  oar 
eyes  upon  Africa,  we  behold  human  nature  sunk 
into  a  staieof  the  deepest  degradation — the  states 
of  Barbary  in  incessant  hostile  commotions,  and 
plundering  neighbouring  nations  both  by  sea  and 
land — the  petty  tyrants  of  Dahomy,  Benin,  A»- 
hantee,  Congo,  and  Angola,  waging  incessant 
wars  with  neighbouring  tribes,  mas^sacring 
their  prisoners  in  cold  blood,  and  decorating  their 
palaces  with  their  skulls — while  other  degraded 
hordes,  in  conjunction  wiih  civilized  nations,  are 
carrying  on  a  traffic  in  man-stealing  and  slavery, 
which  has  stained  the  human  character  with 
crimes  at  which  humanity  shudders. — If  we  turn 
our  eyes  towards  Amtriea,  we  shall  find  that  war 
and  hostile  incursions  are  the  principal  employ- 
ments of  (heir  native  tribes,  and  that  the  malig- 
nity of  infernal  demons,  is  displayed  in  the  tor- 
tures they  inflict  upon  the  prisoners  taken  in 
battle,  while  anarchy,  intolerance,  and  |M>litical 
commotions,  still  agitate  a  great  proportion  of 
its  more  civilized  inhabitants. — If  we  Like  a  sur- 
vey of  the  Eastern  Archipelago,  and  of  the  isl- 
ands which  are  scattered  over  the  Pacific  Ocean, 
we  shall  behold  immense  groups  of  huntan  beings, 
instead  of  living  in  harmony  and  aflVnion,  dis- 
playing the  most  ferocious  dispositions  touards 
each  other,  hurling  stones,  spears  and  darts  on 
every  stranger  who  attempts  to  land  u|H>n  their 
coasts  ;  offering  up  human  sacrifices  to  their  in- 
fernal deities,  and  feasting  with  delight  on  the 
flesh  and  blood  of  their  enemies. 

If  wedirect  our  attention  towards  Ettropr.  the 
most  tranquil  and  civilized  portion  of  the  jilobe— 
even  hrrt  we  shall  behold  numerous  symptoms  of 
political  anarchy  and  moral  disorder.    Dtiriog 


PROOFS  FROM  THE  LIGHT  OF  NATURE. 


89 


the  last  thirty  years,  almost  every  nation  in  this 
quarter  of  ihe  world  has  been  convulsed  to  its 
centre,  and  become  the  scene  of  hostile  commo- 
tions, of  revolutions,  and  of  garments  rolled  in 
blood.  We  have  beheld  France  thrown  from  a 
state  of  aristocratical  tyranny  and  priestly  do- 
mination into  a  state  of  popular  anan'hy  and 
confusion — her  ancient  institutions  razed  to  the 
ground,  her  princes  and  nobles  hani^hed  from 
her  territories,  and  her  most  celebrated  philoso- 
phers, in  company  with  the  vilest  miscreants, 
perishing  under  the  stroke  of  the  guillotine. 
We  have  beheld  a.  Buonaparte  riding  in  triumph 
through  the  nations  over  heaps  of  slain,  scat- 
tering "  firebrands,  arrows,  and  death,"  and 
producing  universal  commotion  wherever  he 
appeared;  overturning  governments,  "changing 
times,"  undermining  the  thrones  of  emperors, 
and  setting  up  kings  at  his  pleasure.  We  have 
beheld  his  successors  again  attempting  to  en- 
twine the  chains  of  tyranny  around  the  necks 
of  their  subjects,  and  to  hurl  back  the  moral 
world  into  the  darkness  which  overspread  the 
nations  during  the  reign  of  Papal  superstition. 
We  have  beheld  Poland  torn  in  pieces  by  the 
insatiable  fangs  of  Russia,  Austria,  and  Prus- 
sia, her  fields  drenched  with  blood,  her  patriots 
slaughtered,  and  her  name  blotted  out  from  the 
list  of  nations.  We  have  beheld  Moscow 
enveloped  in  flames,  its  houses,  churches,  and 
palaces  tumbled  into  ruins,  the  blackened  car- 
cases of  its  inhabitants  blended  with  the  frag- 
ments, and  the  road  to  Smolensk©  covered  with 
the  shattered  remains  of  carriages,  muskets, 
breaist-plaies,  helmets,  and  garments  strewed  in 
every  direction,  and  thousands  of  the  dying  and 
the  dead  heaped  one  upon  another  in  horrible 
confusion,  and  swimming  in  blood.  We  have 
beheld  the  demon  of  war  raging  at  Borodino, 
Austerlitz,  the  Tyrol,  Wilna,  Smolensko,  Tra- 
falgar, Camperdown,  Eylau,  Jena,  La  Vendee, 
Cadiz,  Warsaw,  Friedland,  Talavera,  Sebas- 
tian, Lutzen,  Leipsic,  and  Waterloo,  demo- 
lishing cities,  desolating  provinces,  and  blending 
tlie  carcasses  of  horses  and  cattle  with  the 
mangled  remains  of  millions  of  human  beings. 
We  have  beheld  Spain  and  Portugal  thrown  into 
anarchy  and  commotion,  and  become  the  scenes 
of  bloody  revolutions — Turkey  waging  war  with 
religion  and  liberty — Greece  overrun  with  blood- 
thirsty Mahometans,  and  her  shores  and  islands 
the  theatre  of  the  most  sanguinary  contests. 

And  what  do  we  just  now  behold  when  we 
cast  our  eyes  on  surrounding  nations  ?  Russia 
pushing  forward  her  numerous  armies  into  the 
confines  of  Persia  for  the  purpose  of  depredation 
and  slaughter, — the  Grand  Seignior  ruling  his 
subjects  with  a  rod  of  iron,  and  decorating  the 
gates  of  his  palace  with  hundreds  of  the  heads 
and  ears  of  his  enemies,'*'  while  his  Janizaries  are 

•  In  a  communication  from  Odessa,  dated  August 
1, 1834,  it  was  stated,  tbat  the  Qve  hundred  heads  and 


fomenting  incessant  insurrections, — the  Greeks 
engaged  in  a  contest  for  liberty,  surroundea 
with  blood-thirsty  antagonists,  and  slaughtered 
without  mercy, — Portugal  the  scene  of  intestine 
broils  and  revolutions, — Spain  under  the  control 
of  a  silly  priest-ridden  tyrant,  to  gratify  whose 
lust  of  absolute  power,  thousands  of  human 
beings  have  been  sacrificed,  and  hundreds  of 
eminent  patriots  exiled  from  their  native  land, — 
the  Inquisition  torturing  il.s  unhappy  victims, — 
the  Romish  church  thundering  its  anathemas 
against  all  who  are  opposed  to  its  interests, — 
the  various  sectaries  of  Protestarits  engaged  in 
mutual  recriminations  and  contentions, — and  the 
princes  and  sovereigns  on  the  Continent  almost 
all  combined  to  op|K)se  the  progress  of  liberty, 
and  to  prevent  the  improvement  of  the  human 
mind. 

If  we  come  nearer  home,  and  take  a  view  of 
the  every-day  scenes  which  meet  our  eye,  what 
do  we  behold  ?  A  mixed  scene  of  bustling  and 
confusion,  in  which  vice  and  malevolence  are 
most  conspicuous,  and  most  frequently  triumph- 
ant. When  we  contemplate  the  present  aspect 
of  society,  and  consider  the  prominent  disposi- 
tions and  principles  which  actuate  the  majority 
of  mankind, — the  boundless  avaricious  desirea 
which  prevail,  and  the  base  and  deceitful  means 
by  which  they  are  frequently  gratified — the 
unnatural  contentions  which  arise  between  hus- 
bands and  wives,  fathers  and  children,  brothers 
and  sisters — the  jealousies  which  subsist  between 
those  of  the  same  profession  or  employment — 
the  bitterness  and  malice  with  which  law-suits 
are  commenced  and  prosecuted — the  malevolence 
and  caballing  which  attend  electioneering  coi>> 
tests — the  brawlings,  fightings,  and  altercations, 
which  so  frequently  occur  in  our  streets,  ale- 
houses, and  taverns — and  the  thefts,  robberies, 
and  murders,  which  are  daily  committed, — when 
we  contemplate  the  haughtiness  and  oppression 
of  the  great  and  powerful,  and  the  insubordina- 
tion of  the  lower  ranks  of  society — when  we  see 
widows  and  orphans  suffering  injustice ;  the 
virtuous  persecuted  and  oppressed  ;  meritorious 
characters  pining  in  poverty  and  indigence;* 
fools,  profligates,  and  tyrants,  rioting  in  wealth 
and  abundance ;  generous  actions  unrewarded ; 
crimes  unpunished  ;  and  the  vilest  of  men  raised 
to  stations  of  dignity  and  honour — we  cannot  but 
adipit,  that  the  mural  world  presents  a  scene  of 
discord  and  disorder,  which  mar  both  the  sensi- 
tive and  intellectual  enjoyments  of  mankind. 

Such,  then,  are  the  moral  aspects  of  our  work), 
and  the  disorders  which  have  prevailed  during 

twelve  hundred  ears  of  the  Greeks,  sent  by  the  Cap 
tain  Pacha  to  Constantinople,  after  the  taking  of 
Ipsara,  were  exposed  on  the  gate  of  the  seraglio, 
on  the  20th  of  July,  with  the  following  inscription : 
"  God  has  blesaed  the  arms  of  the  Mussulmans,  .and 
the  detestable  rebels  of  Ipsara  are  extirpated  from 
the  face  of  the  world,"  &c.  It  was  added,  "  JM 
friendly  powers  have  congratulated  the  SuMlSM 
Pone  on  this  victory." 


40 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


t/nrj  p«riod  of  its  history.  They  evidently 
present  a  striking  contrast  to  the  beauty  and 
harmony  which  |>erva<le  the  general  constitution 
of  the  niaierial  system — to  the  majestic  move* 
menis  of  the  planetary  orbs,  the  regular  succe*> 
■ion  of  day  and  night,  and  the  vicissitudes  of 
the  seasons ;  the  clianges  of  the  moon,  the 
ebbing  and  flowing  of  the  sea ;  the  admirable 
functions  of  the  hum:in  system  ;  and  the  harmo- 
nious adajitations  of  light  and  heat,  air  and 
water,  and  the  various  objects  in  llie  mineral  and 
regetable  IcingHoms  to  the  wants  and  the  comfort 
of  animated  beings.  And  can  we,  for  a  moment, 
suppose  that  this  scene  of  moral  disorder  and 
anarchy  was  the  ultimate  end  for  which  the 
material  system  was  created  ?  Can  we  suppose 
that  the  earth  is  every  moment  impelled  in  its 
annual  and  diurnal  course  by  the  hand  of  Omni- 
potence— Uiat  it  presents  new  beauties  every 
opening  spring — brings  forth  the  treasures  of 
autumn,  and  displays  so  many  sublime  and  vari- 
egated landscapes — that  the  sun  diffuses  his 
light  over  all  its  regions,  that  the  moon  cheers 
the  shades  of  night,  and  the  stars  adorn  the  ca- 
nopy of  the  sky,  from  one  generation  to  another 
^-merely  that  a  set  of  robbers  and  desperadoes, 
and  the  murderers  of  nations,  might  prowl  over 
the  world  fur  the  pur()0!ie  of  depredation  and 
aUlughter,  that  tyrants  might  gratify  their  mad 
ambition,  that  vice  might  triumph,  that  virtue 
might  be  disgraced,  that  the  laws  of  moral  order 
might  be  trampled  under  foot,  and  that  the  suc- 
cessive generations  of  mankind  uiight  mingle  in 
this  bustling  and  discordant  scene  for  a  few 
years,  and  thrn  sink  for  ever  into  the  shades  of 
annihilation  ?  Yet  such  a  conclusion  we  are 
obliged  to  admit,  if  there  is  no  future  state  in 
which  the  present  disorders  of  the  moral  world 
will  be  corrected,  and  the  plan  of  the  divine  go- 
▼ernment  more  fully  developed.  And  if  this  con- 
clusion be  admitted,  how  shall  we  be  able  to 
perceive  or  to  vindicate  the  wisdom  of  ilie  Cre- 
ator in  his  moral  administration  ?  We  account 
it  folly  in  a  human  being  when  he  constructs  a 
machine,  either  for  no  pur|M>se  at  all,  or  for  no 
good  purpose,  or  for  the  promotion  r>f  mischief 
And  how  can  we  avoid  ascribing  the  same  in>- 
perfection  to  the  Deity,  if  the  present  state  of 
the  moral  world  be  the  ultimate  end  of  all  his 
physical  arrangements  ?  But  his  wisdom  is 
most  strikingly  displayed  in  the  adaptations  and 
arrangements  whidi  relate  to  the  material  sys- 
tem,—and  a  Being  pnasessed  of  boundless  intel- 
ligence must  necessarily  be  sU|tposed  to  act  in 
eongitlency  with  himself  He  cannot  display 
wisdom  in  the  material  system,  and  folly  in  those 
•mogemeata  which  pertain  to  the  world  of  mind. 
^Ta  aappoee  the  contrary,  would  be  to  divest  him 
«r  his  moral  attributes,  and  even  to  call  in  ques- 
tion his  very  existence. 

We  are  therefore  necessarily  led  to  conclude, 
that  the  present  state  of  the  mural  worU  ia  only 


a  small  part  of  the  great  plan  orGod*s  moral  go« 
vernmcnt — the  conMnenceincnt  of  a  serirs  of 
dispensations  to  be  completed  in  a  fuiun-  scene 
of  existence,  in  which  his  witdom,  as  well  as  all 
his  other  attributes,  will  be  fully  displayed  before 
the  eyes  of  his  intclliiient  >  ffspring.  If  this  con- 
clusion be  admitted,  it  is  cosy  to  conceive,  how 
the  moral  disorders  which  now  exist  may  be  rec- 
tilied  in  a  future  world,  and  the  intelligi-nt  uni- 
verse restored  to  harmony  and  happiness,  and 
how  ihoee  moral  dispensations  which  now  appear 
dark  and  mysterious,  will  appear  illustrative  of 
divine  wisdom  and  intelligence,  when  content- 
plated  as  pans  of  one  grand  system.  whi<  h  is  to 
run  parallel  in  duration  wi:h  eternity  itself  But, 
if  this  be  rejected,  the  moral  world  presents  to 
our  view  an  inextricable  maze,  a  chao!<,  a  scene 
of  interminable  confusion,  and  no  prospect  ap- 
pears of  its  being  ever  restored  to  harmony  and 
order.  The  conduct  of  the  Deity  ap|>ear8 
shrouded  in  im|H!nelrable  darkness  ;  and  there 
is  no  resisting  of  the  conclusion,  that  inifierfec- 
tion  and  folly  are  the  characteristics  of  ilie  Al- 
mighty— a  conclusion  from  which  the  mind 
shrinks  back  with  horror,  and  which  can  .never 
be  admitted  by  any  rational  being  who  recognises 
a  supreme  intelligence  presiding  over  the  affairs 
of  the  universe. 


SECTION  IX. 

Oir  THE  UKEqUAL  DISTRIBUTIOK  OF  RE- 
WARDS AND  PUNISHMENTS  IN  THE  TBE- 
6ENT   STATE. 

The  unequal  distribution  of  rewards  and  pt>- 
nishinents  in  the  present  state,  viewed  in  coiv- 
nexion  with  the  justice  and  other  attributes  of 
the  Deity,  fi)rms  another  powerful  argument  in 
support  of  the  doctrine  of  a  future  state. 

It  is  admitted,  to  a  certain  extent,  that  "  vir- 
tue is  its  own  reward,  and  vice  its  own  punish- 
ment." The  natural  tendency  of  virtue,  or  an 
obedience  to  tlie  lawg  of  God,  is  to  produce  hap- 
piness ;  ant)  were  it  universally  practised,  it 
would  produce  the  greatest  degree  of  happiness 
of  which  human  nature  in  the  present  stale  is 
susceptible.  In  like  manner,  the  natural  tri>- 
dency  of  vice  is  to  produce  mixery  ;  and  were  its 
prevalence  universal  and  uncontrolled,  the  world 
would  bo  transformed  into  a  society  of  dewKms, 
and  every  species  of  happiness  banished  from 
the  abodes  of  men.  By  connecting  happiness 
with  the  observance  of  his  laws,  ar»d  misery  with 
the  violation  of  them,  the  Governor  of  the  world, 
in  the  general  coune  of  his  providence,  gives  a 
display  of  the  rectitude  of  his  character,  artd  the 
impartiality  of  his  allotments  towards  the  sub- 
jects of  his  government. 

But,  aUhough  these  positions  hold  true,  in  the 
general  course  of  human  affairs,  there  are  man- 


PROOFS  FROM  THE  LIGHT  OP  NATURE, 


41 


nerable  cases  in  which  the  justice  of  God,  and 
the  impartiality  of  iiis  procedure,  would  be  liable 
to  be  impeached,  if  this  world  were  the  only 
scene  of  rewards  and  punishments.  We  behold 
a  poor  starving  wretch,  whom  hunger  has  im- 
pelled to  break  open  a  house,  in  order  to  satisfy 
his  craving  appetite,  or  to  relieve  the  wants  of  a 
helpless  family,  dragged  with  ignominy  to  the 
scaffold,  to  suffer  death  for  his  offence.  We  be- 
hold, at  the  same  time,  the  very  tyrant  by  whose 
order  the  sentence  was  executed,  who  has  plun- 
dered provinces,  and  murdered  millions  of  human 
beinos,  who  has  wounded  the  peace  of  a  thousand 
families,  an!  produced  universal  consternation 
and  despair  wherever  he  appeared — regaling 
himself  in  the  midst  of  his  favourites,  in  perfect 
security  from  human  punishments.  Instead  of 
being  loaded  with  fetters,  and  dragged  to  a  dun- 
geon, to  await  in  hopeless  agony  the  punishment 
of  his  crimes,  he  dwells  amidst  all  the  luxuries 
and  splendours  of  a  palace  ;  his  favour  is  courted 
by  surrounding  attendants  ;  his  praises  are  chant- 
ed by  orators  and  poets  ;  the  siory  of  his  exploits 
is  engraved  in  brass  and  marble  ;  and  historians 
st^d  ready  to  transmit  his  fame  to  future  gene- 
rations. How  does  the  equity  of  the  divine  go- 
vernment appear,  in  such  cases,  in  permitting  an 
undue  punishment  to  be  inflicted  on  the  least  of- 
fender, and  in  loading  the  greatest  miscreant 
with  unmerited  enjoyments  ? 

Again,  in  almost  every  period  of  the  world, 
we  behold  men  of  piety  and  virtue  who  have 
suffered  the  most  unjust  and  cruel  treatment  from 
the  hands  of  haughty  tyrants  and  blood-thirsty 
persecutors.  It  would  require  volumes  to  de- 
scribe the  instruments  of  cruelty  which  have 
been  invented  by  these  fiend-like  monsters,  and 
the  excruciating  torments  which  have  been  en- 
dured by  the  victims  of  their  tyranny,  while 
justice  seemed  to  slumber,  and  the  perpetrators 
were  permitted  to  exult  in  their  crimes.  The 
Waldenses,  who  lived  retired  from  the  rest  of 
the  world,  among  the  bleak  recesses  of  the  Alps, 
were  a  people  distinguished  for  piety,  industry, 
and  the  practice  of  every  moral  virtue.  Their 
incessant  labour  subdued  the  barren  soil,  and 
prepared  it  both  for  grain  and  pasture.  In  the 
course  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  they  in- 
creased to  the  number  of  eighteen  thousand,  oc- 
cupying thirty  villages,  besides  hamlets,  the 
workmanship  of  their  own  hands.  Regular 
priests  they  had  none,  nor  any  disputes  about 
religion  ;  neither  had  they  occasion  for  courts  of 
justice  ;  for  brotherly  lor«  did  not  suffer  them  to 
go  to  law.  They  worshipped  God  according  to 
the  dictates  of  their  conscience  and  the  rules  of 
his  word,  practised  the  precepts  of  his  law,  and 
enjoyed  the  sweets  of  mutual  affection  and  love. 
Yet  this  peaceable  and  interesting  people  be- 
came the  victims  of  ihe  most  cruel  and  bloody 
persecution.  In  the  year  1640,  the  parliament 
«f  Provence  condemned  nineteen  of  them  to  be 
6 


burned  for  heresy,  their  trees  to  be  rooted  up^ 
and  their  houses  to  be  razed  to  the  ground. 
Afterwards  a  violent  persecution  commenced 
against  the  whole  of  this  interesting  people,  and 
an  army  of  banditti  was  sent  to  carry  the  hellish 
pur[K)se  into  effect.  The  soldiers  began  with 
massacring  the  old  men,  women,  and  children, 
all  having  fled  who  were  able  to  fly  ;  and  then 
proceeded  to  burn  their  houses,  barns,  corn,  and 
whatever  else  appertained  to  them.  In  the  town 
of  Cabriere  sixty  men  and  thirty  women,  who 
had  surrendered  upon  promise  of  life,  were  but- 
chered each  of  them  without  mercy.  Some 
women,  who  had  taken  refuge  in  a  church,  were 
dragged  out  and  burnt  alive.  Twenty-two  vil- 
lages were  reduced  to  ashes ;  and  that  populous 
and  flourishing  district  was  again  turned  into  a 
cheerless  desert.  Yet,  after  all  these  atrocities 
had  been  committed,  the  proud  pampered  priests, 
at  whose  instigation  this  prosecution  was  com- 
menced, were  permitted  to  live  in  splendour,  to 
exult  over  the  victims  of  their  cruelty,  to  revel 
in  palaces,  and  to  indulge  in  the  most  shameful 
debaucheries. — If  the  present  be  the  only  state 
of  punisliments  and  rewards,  how  shall  we  vin- 
dicate the  rectitude  of  the  Almighty,  in  such 
dispensations  ? 

In  the  reign  of  Louis  XIV.  and  by  the  orders 
of  that  despot,  the  Protestants  of  France  were 
treated  with  the  niflk  Wanton  and  diabolical  crti- 
elty.  Their  houses  were  rifled,  their  wives  and 
daughters  ravished  before  their  eyes,  and  their 
bodies  forced  to  endure  all  the  torments  that  in- 
genious malice  could  contrive.  His  dragoons 
who  were  employed  in  this  infamous  expedi- 
tion, pulled  them  by  the  hair  of  their  heads, 
plucked  the  nails  of  their  fingers  and  toes,  prick- 
ed their  naked  bodies  with  pins,  smoked  ihera  in 
their  chimneys  with  wisps  of  wet  straw,  threw 
them  into  fires  and  held  them  till  they  were  al- 
most burnt,  slung  them  into  wells  of  water,  dip- 
ped them  into  ponds,  took  hold  of  them  with  red 
hot  pincers,  cut  and  slashed  them  with  knives, 
and  beat  and  tormented  them  to  death  in  a  most 
unmerciful  and  cruel  manner.  Some  were  hanged 
on  the  gallows,  and  others  were  broken  upon 
wheels,  and  their  mangled  bodies  were  either  left 
unburied,  or  cast  into  lakes  and  dunghills,  with 
every  mark  of  indignation  and  contempt.  Ma- 
reschal  IVIontrevel  acted  a  conspicuous  part  in 
these  barbarous  executions.  He  burnt  five  hun- 
dred men,  women,  and  children,  who  were  as- 
sembled together  in  a  mill  to  pray  and  sing 
psalms;  he  cut  the  throats  of  four  hundred  of  the 
new  converts  at  Montpelier,  and  drowned  their 
wives  and  children  in  Ihe  river,  near  Aignes 
Mortes.  Yet  the  haughty  tyrant  by  whose  or- 
ders these  barbarous  deeds  were  committed, 
along  with  his  mareschals  and  grandees,  who  as- 
sisted in  the  execution — instead  of  suffering  the 
visitations  of  retributive  justice,  continued,  for 
thirty  years  after  this  period,  to  riot  in  all  the 


4ft 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  POTURB  8TATB. 


•p)«ndourt  of  abaolule  royally,  entering  into  ao- 
lenin  ireatie*,  and  breaking  ihem  when  he  plea- 
ted, and  arrogating  to  himaelf  divine  honuura ; 
and  hi*  hiatorians,  instead  of  branding  his  me- 
■Mry  with  infamy,  have  procured  for  him  tho 
•pp«llalion  of  Louis  the  Great. 

A  thousand  examples  of  this  description  might 
b«  collected  from  the  records  even  of  modem 
hittory,  were  it  necessary  for  the  illustration  of 
tfaia  topic.  The  horrible  cruelties  whicii  were 
Committed  on  the  Protestant  inhabitants  in  the 
Netherlands  by  the  agents  of  Charles  V.  and 
Philip  H.  of  Spain,  where  more  than  a  hundred 
thousand  persons  of  respectable  characters  were 
butchered  without  mercy  by  the  Dukes  of  Alva 
and  Parma,  fur  their  adherence  to  the  religion 
of  the  Reformers, — the  dreadful  massacres  which 
took  place,  on  St.  Bartholomew's  day,  in  Paris 
•nd  tttroughout  every  province  of  France — the 
persecutions  of  the  Protestantb  in  England,  du- 
ring the  reign  of  Q,ueen  Mary,  when  the  Area 
oTSmithfield  were  kindled  to  consume  the  bodies 
of  the  most  pious  and  venerable  men— the  Irish 
massacre  in  the  reign  of  Charles  L  when  more 
than  40,000  inoffensive  individuals  were  slaugh- 
tered Without  distinction  of  age,  sex,  or  coikIi- 
tion,  and  with  every  circumstance  of  ferocious 
cruelty — the  persecutions  endured  by  the  Scot- 
tish Presbyterians,  when  they  were  driven  from 
their  dwellings,  and  huntedtike  wild  beasts  by 
the  blood-thirsty  Claverhouse  and  his  savage 
dragoons — the  many  thousands  of  worthy  men 
who  have  fallen  victims  to  the  flames,  and  the 
cruel  tortures  inflicted  by  the  Inquisitors  of 
Spain,  while  their  haughty  persecutors  were  per- 
nitted  to  riot  on  the  spoils  of  nations — the  hend- 
like  cruelties  of  the  Mogul  emperors  in  their 
bloody  wars— the  devastations  imd  atrocities  com- 
mitted by  the  Persian  despots — the  massacre  of 
the  Gardiotes  by  Ali  Pacha,  and  of  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Scio  by  the  ferocious  Turks — are  only 
a  few  instances  out  of  many  thousands,  which 
the  annals  of  history  record  ofhunian  bemgs  suf- 
fering the  most  imjust  and  cruel  treatment,  while 
their  tyrannical  persecutors  were  permitted  to 
proaecute  their  diabolical  career  without  suffer- 
ing the  ptmishment  due  to  their  crimes.  When 
the  mind  takes  a  deliberate  review  of  ail  the  re- 
volting details  connei-ted  with  such  facts,  it  is 
■atorally  led  to  exclaim,  "  Wherefore  do  the 
wicked  live,  become  old,  yea  are  migiity  iivpower? 
la  there  no  reward  tor  the  riKhieous  ?  Is  there  no 
punishment  fur  the  workers  of  miquity  7  Is  (here 
BO  God  that  judgeth  in  the  earth?"  And,  in- 
deed, were  there  nu  retributions  beyond  the  limits 
of  the  present  life,  we  should  be  necr-ssarily 
obliged  to  admit  one  or  other  nf  the  following  con- 
clusions,—either  that  no  Moral  Governor  of  the 
worM  exists,  or,  that  justice  and  judgment  are 
Mt  the  foundation  of  his  throne. 

Wban  we  take  a  survey  of  the  moral  world 
WBid  (M,  aa  it  enala  in  tba  praaant  day.  the 


same  oonclusion  forces  itaelf  upon  the  miaA 
When  we  behuU,  on  the  one  hand,  the  viriuoua 
and  upright  votary  of  religion  struggling  with 
poverty  and  misery,  treated  with  scorn  and  coo» 
tempt,  persecuted  on  account  ofhis  integrity  and 
piety,  despoiled  of  his  earthly  enjoym«niii,  or 
condenuted  to  an  ignominious  death  ;  and  on  the 
other,  the  profligate  and  oppressor,  the  insolent 
despiser  of  God  and  religion,  passing  his  day* 
in  affluence  and  luxurious  ease,  proaeruting  with 
impunity  his  unhallowed  courses,  and  robbing  the 
widow  and  the  feiherless  of  their  dearest  com- 
forts— when  we  behold  hypocrisy  successful  ia 
all  its  schemes,  and  honesty  and  luctilude  over- 
looked and  neglected — the  destroyers  of  our  spe- 
cies loaded  with  wealth  and  honours,  while  the 
benefactors  of  mankind  are  pining  in  obscurity 
and  indigence — knaves  and  ibols  exalied  to  poata 
of  dignity  and  honour,  and  men  of  uprighineaa 
and  intelli)>ence  treated  with  scorn,  and  doomed 
to  an  inglorious  obscurity— erimina  Is  of  the  deep* 
eat  dye  escaping  with  impunity,  and  generoua 
actions  meeting  wiiii  a  base  reward — when  w« 
see  young  men  of  virtue  and  intelligence  cut  off 
in  early  life,  when  they  were  just  beginning  to 
bless  mankind  with  their  philanthro()ic  laboura, 
and  tyrants  and  oppressors  continuing  ihe  pesta 
of  society,  and  prolonging  their  lives  to  old  age 
in  the  midst  of  their  folly  and  wickedness — ha> 
man  beings  torn  from  their  friends  and  iheir  n^ 
tive  home,  consigned  to  perpetual  slavery,  and 
reduced  below  the  level  of  the  beasts,  while  their 
oppressors  set  at  defiance  the  laws  of  God  and 
man,  revel  in  luxurious  abundance,  and  proopcr 
in  their  crimes ;— when  we  behoU  one  nation 
and  tribe  irradiated  with  intellectual  light,  am^ 
ther  imotersed  in  thick  darkness  ;  one  enjoying 
the  blessings  of  civilization  and  liberty,  another 
groaning  under  the  lash  of  despotism,  and  doomed 
to  slavery  and  bondage, — when  we  contemplate 
such  facts  throughout  every  department  of  the 
moral  world,  can  we  suppose,  for  a  moment,  that 
the  Divine  administration  is  bounded  b_t  the  visi> 
ble  scene  of  things,  that  the  real  characlera  of 
men  shall  never  be  brought  to  light,  that  vice  ia 
to  remain  in  eternal  concealment  and  impunity, 
and  that  the  noblest  virtues  are  never  to  receive 
their  just  "  recompence  of  reward  ?"  To  admit 
such  conclusions  would  be  in  effect  to  deny  the 
wisdom,  goodness,  and  rectitude  of  (he  Ruler  of 
the  world,  or  to  suppose,  that  his  all-wise  aad 
benevolent  designs  may  be  di^feated  by  *ht  foDy 
and  wickedness  of  human  beings.  But  such  coo- 
duiions  are  so  palpably  and  extravagantly  atn 
surd,  that  the  only  other  alternative,  the  reality 
of  a  future  state  of  existence,  may  be  pronouaced 
to  have  tlic  force  of  a  moral  drmotutratiim.  So 
that,  had  we  no  other  argument  to  produce  ia 
aupport  of  the  doctrine  of  a  future  state  of  retri- 
bution, this  alone  would  be  sufiicient  to  carry 
conviction  to  every  mind  that  recognises  the  ei- 
iateaea  of  a  Supreme  lalalli|«iice,  and  entertaiaa 


PROOFS  FROM  THE  LIGHT  OF  NATURE. 


49 


just  views  of  the  attributes  which  must  neces- 
sarily be  displayed  in  his  moral  adminisira- 
tion. 

When  this  conclusion  is  once  admitted,  it 
removes  the  perplexilies,  and  solves  all  the 
difficulties  which  naturally  arise  in  the  mind, 
when  it  contemplates  the  present  disordered  state 
of 'he  moral  world,  and  the  apparently  capricious 
manner  in  which  punishments  and  rewards  are 
dis|>eiised.  Realizing  this  important  truth,  we 
need  not  be  surprised  at  the  unequal  distribution 
of  the  Divine  favours  among  the  various  nations 
and  tribes  of  mankind;  since  they  are  all  placed 
on  the  first  stage  of  their  existence,  and  eternity 
is  rich  in  resources,  to  compensate  for  all  the 
defects  and  inequalities  of  fortune  which  now 
exist.  We  need  not  be  overwhelmed  with  an- 
guish when  we  behold  the  pious  and  philanthro- 
pic youth  cut  down  at  the  commencement  at  his 
virtuous  career,  since  those  buds  of  virtue  which 
began  to  unfold  themselves  with  so  much  beauty 
in  the  present  life,  will  be  tiilly  expanded  and 
bring  forth  nobler  fruits  of  righteousness  in  that 
life  which  will  never  end.  We  need  not  wonder 
when  we  behold  tyrants  and  profligates  triumph- 
ing, and  the  excellent  ones  of  the  eurlh  trampled 
under  foot,  since  the  future  world  will  present  a 
scene  of  equitable  administration,  in  which  the 
sorrows  of  the  upright  will  be  turned  into  joy, 
the  triumphs  of  the  wicked  into  confusion  and 
shame,  and  every  one  rewarded  according  to  his 
works.  We  need  not  harass  our  minds  with 
perplexing  doubts,  respectmg  the  wisdom  and 
equity  of  the  dispensation.^  of  Providence  ;  since 
the  moral  government  of  God  extends  beyond 
the  limits  of  thi-;  world,  and  all  its  dark  and  in- 
tricate mazes  will  be  fully  unravelled  in  the  Light 
of  eternity. 


The  great  eternal  scheme 


Involving  all,  and  in  a  perfect  wh',le 
Unitinz,  as  the  prospect  wider  spreads, 
To  Reason's  eye  will  then  clear  up  apace. 

Thnn  shall  we  see  the  cause 

Why  unassuming  Worth  in  secret  liv'd, 

And  died  neglected  :  why  the  good  man's  shaie 

In  life  was  sail  and  bitterness  of  soul ; 

Why  the  lone  widow  and  her  orphans  pin'd 

In  starving  solitude,  while  Luxury, 

In  pal  ices,  lay  straitungher  low  thought. 

To  form  unreal  wants  ;  why  heaven  born  Truth 

And  .Moleration  fair,  wore  the  red  marks 

Of  .Superstition's  scourge;  why  licens'd  Pain, 

That  cruel  spoiler,  that  imbosom'd  foe, 

Imbitter'd  all  our  hllss. — Ye  good  distresti 

Ye  noble  Few !  who  here  unbending  stand 

Beneath  life's  pressure,  yet  bear  up  awhile, 

And  what  your  bounded  view,  which  only  saw 

A  little  pirt,  deemed  evil,  is  no  more: 

The  storms  of  Wintry  lime  will  quickly  pass, 

And  one  unbounded  Spring  encircle  all.— 

Thmnpson't  Winter. 

Thus  it  appears,  that,  although  God,  in  the 
general  course  of  his  providence,  has  connected 
nappiuess  with  the  observance  of  his  laws,  and 
misery  with  the  violation  of  them,  in  order  to 
display  the  rectitude  of  his  nature,  and  his  ha- 
tred of  moral  evil ;  yet  he  has,  at  the  same  time, 


in  numerous  instances,  permitted  vice  to  tri- 
umph, and  virtue  to  be  persecuted  and  oppre8»- 
ed,  to  convince  us,  that  his  government  of  hu- 
man beings  is  not  bounded  by  the  limits  of  time, 
but  extends  into  the  eternal  world,  where  the 
system  of  his  moral  administration  will  be  com- 
pleted, his  wisdom  and  rectitude  justified,  and 
the  mysterious  ways  of  his  Providence  com- 
pletely unravelled. 

This  argument  might  have  been  farther  illus^ 
trated  from  a  consideration  of  tho.se  moral  pc»« 
ceptions  implanted  in  the  human  constitution, 
and  which  may  be  considered  as  having  the 
force  of  moral  laws  proceeding  from  the  Gover- 
nor of  the  universe.  The  difference  between 
right  and  wrong,  virtue  and  vice,  is  founded  upon 
the  nature  of  things,  and  is  perceptible  by  every 
intelligent  agent  whose  moral  feelings  are  not  a^ 
together  blunted  by  vicious  indulgences.  Wer© 
a  man  to  affirm  that  there  is  no  difference  be> 
'tween  justice  and  injustice,  love  and  hatred, 
truth  and  falsehood  ;  that  it  is  equally  the  same 
whether  we  be  faithful  to  a  friend  or  betray  him 
to  his  enemies,  whether  servants  acl  with  fide- 
lity to  their  masters  or  rob  them  of  their  pro- 
perty, whether  rulers  oppress  their  subjects  or 
promote  their  interests,  and  whether  parents 
nourish  their  children  with  tenderness,  or  sm<>> 
ther  them  in  their  cradles — ^he  would  at  once 
be  denounced  as  a  fool  and  a  madman,  and  his^ 
sed  out  of  society.  The  difference  between  such 
actions  is  eternal  and  unchangeable,  and  every 
moral  agent  is  endued  with  a  faculty  which  en- 
ables him  to  perceive  it.  We  can  choose  to 
perform  the  one  class  of  actions  and  to  refrain 
from  the  other ;  we  can  comply  with  the  voica 
of  conscience  which  deters  us  from  the  oney 
and  excites  us  to  the  other,  or  we  can  resist 
its  dictates,  and  we  can  judge  whether  our  ao 
tions  deserve  reward  or  punishment.  Now, 
if  God  has  endued  us  with  such  moral  percep- 
tions and  capacities,  is  it  reasonable  to  suppose, 
that  it  is  equally  indifferent  to  him  whe.her  w» 
obey  or  disobey  the  laws  he  has  prescribed? 
Can  we  ever  suppose,  that  He  who  governs  iJiai 
universe  is  an  unconcerned  spectator  of  the  good 
or  evil  actions  that  happen  throughout  his  do* 
minions  ?  or  that  he  has  left  man  to  act,  wittk 
•impunity,  according  to  his  inclinations,  whether 
they  be  right  or  wrong  ?  If  such  suppositiona 
cannot  be  admitied,  it  follows  that  man  is  ao- 
coiinlable  for  his  actions,  and  that  it  must  be  an 
essential  part  of  the  Divine  government  lo  bring 
every  action  into  judgment,  and  to  punish  or  re- 
ward his  creatures  according  to  their  works. 
And  if  ii  appear,  in  point  of  fact,  that  such  retri- 
butions are  not  fully  awarded  in  the  present 
slate,  nor  a  visible  distinction  made  between  tho 
righteous  and  the  violators  of  his  law,  we  must 
necessarily  admit  the  conclusion,  that  the  full 
and  equitable  distribution  of  punishments  and 
rewards  is  reserved  to  a   future  world,  when  % 


44 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


▼uib)«  and  erertaating  diiitinctian  will  b«  made, 
■nd  the  whole  inlelli);cnt  creation  daarly  dis- 
cern briween  him  ihtil  served  Qod  and  bim  that 
Mrvad  him  not. 


SECTION  X. 

OH  TRK  ABSmDITT  OF  8I7PPOBUf«  THAT 
TBE  THIHKIIfO  PRIItCIPLE  IR  UAJI  WILL 
KTKR   BB    AlflflHILATED. 

It  is  highly  unreasonable,  if  not  absurd,  to 
■appose  thai  the  thinking  principle  in  man  will 
•rer  be  annihilated. 

In  so  far  as  our  knowledge  of  the  universe 
extends,  there  does  not  appear  a  single  insiance 
of  annihilation  throughout  the  material  system. 
There  is  no  reason  to  believe,  that,  throughout 
•U  the  worlds  which  are  dispersed  through  the 
immensity  of  space,  a  single  atom  has  ever  yet 
been,  or  ever  will  be  annihilated.  From  a  va- 
riety uf  observations,  it  appears  highly  probable, 
that  the  work  of  creation  is  still  going  forward 
in  the  distant  regions  of  the  universe,  and  that 
the  Creator  is  replenishing  the  voids  of  space 
with  new  worlds  and  new  orders  of  intelligent 
beings;  and  it  is  reasonable  to  believe,  from 
Ae  iwgewant  agency  of  Divine  Omnipotence, 
4wt  new  aystems  will  be  continually  emerging 
info  existence  while  eternal  ages  are  rolling  on. 
But  no  instance  has  yet  occurred  of  any  sys- 
tem or  portk.ia  of  matter  either  in  heaven  or 
earth  having  been  reduced  to  annihiiatios. 
ChangeM  are  indeed  incessantly  taking  place, 
in  countless  variety,  throughout  every  depart- 
Bfient  of  nature.  The  spots  of  the  sun,  the 
bells  of  Jupiter,  the  surface  of  the  moon,  the 
rings  of  Saturn,  and  several  portions  of  the 
■tarry  heavens,  are  frequently  changing  or  vary- 
ing their  aspects.  On  the  earth,  mountains  are 
crumbling  down,  the  caverns  of  the  ocean  filling 
■p,  islands  are  emerging  from  the  bottom  of  the 
■ea,  and  again  sinking  into  the  abyss;  the 
«o*an  is  frequently  shifting  its  boundaries,  and 
tree*,  plants,  and  waving  grain  now  adora 
■uny  tracts  which  were  once  overwhelmed  with 
lb«  foaming  billows.  Earthquakes  have  pro- 
imeei  frequent  devastations,  volcanoes  have 
•rerwhelmed  fruitful  fields  wiih  torrents  of  burn- 
log  lava,  and  even  the  solid  strata  within  the 
bowels  of  the  earth  have  been  bent  and  dis- 
nipled  by  the  operation  of  some  tremendous 
power.  The  invisible  ainiosphere  is  likewise 
the  scene  of  perpeinU  changes  and  revolutions, 
by  the  mixture  and  decomposition  of  gases,  the 
rMpiration  of  animals,  the  proceas  of  evapora- 
tiai,  the  action  of  winds,  and  the  agcnoirs  of 
^hl,  heat,  and  the  electric  and  magnetic  fluids. 
TiM  vagatable  kingdom  is  either  progressively 
to  maturity   or  (alliag  iaio  4ecagr. 


Between  the  plants  and  the  seeds  of  vegotablea 
there  is  nut  the  most  distant  similarity.  A 
small  seed,  only  one-tenth  <>f  an  inch  in  diamo* 
ter,  after  rotting  fur  a  while  in  the  earth,  shoots 
forth  a  stem  ten  thousand  limes  greater  in  sixo 
than  the  germ  from  which  it  spnmg,  the  branchei 
of  which  afford  an  ample  shelter  for  the  fowls  of 
heaven.  The  tribes  of  animated  nature  aro 
likewise  in  a  state  of  progressive  change,  either 
from  infancy  to  maturity  and  old  age,  or  from 
one  state  of  existence  to  another.  The  cater- 
pillar ia  first  an  egg,  next,  a  crawling  worm, 
then  a  nymph  or  chrysalis,  and  afterwards  • 
butterfly  adurtied  with  the  ntost  gaudy  colour*. 
The  may-bug  beetle  burrows  in  the  earth  where 
it  drops  its  egg,  from  which  its  young  creeps 
out  in  the  shape  of  a  maggot,  which  cast  it* 
skin  every  year,  and,  in  the  fourth  year,  it 
bursts  from  the  earth,  unfolds  its  wings,  and 
sails  in  rapture  "  through  the  soft  air."  The 
animal  and  vegetable  tribes  are  blended,  by  a 
variety  of  wonderftjl  and  incessant  changea. 
Animal  productions  afford  food  and  nourish- 
ment to  the  vegetable  tribes,  and  the  various 
parts  of  animals  are  compounded  of  matter  de- 
rived fi'om  the  vegetable  kingdom.  The  wool 
of  the  sheep,  the  horns  of  the  cow,  the  teeth  of 
the  lion,  the  feathers  of  the  peacock,  and  the 
skin  of  the  deer — nay,  even  our  hands  and  feet^ 
our  eyes  and  ears,  with  which  we  handle  and 
walk,  see  and  hear,  and  the  crimson  fluid  that 
circulates  in  our  veins— are  dstivod  from  plant* 
and  herbs  which  once  grew  in  the  fields,  whidl 
demonstrate  the  literal  truth  of  the  ancient  say> 
ing,  '*  All  flesh  is  grass." 

Still,  however,  amidst  these  various  and  ao> 
ceasing  changes  and  transformations,  no  exam* 
pie  of  annihilation  has  yet  occurred  to  the  eye 
of  the  most  penetrating  observer.  When  a 
piece  of  coal  undergoes  the  process  of  combu»> 
tion,  its  previous  form  disappears,  and  its  com- 
ponent parts  are  dissolved,  but  the  elementary 
panicles  of  which  it  was  composed  still  remaia 
in  existence.  Part  of  it  is  changed  in'o  caloric, 
part  into  gas,  and  |iart  into  tar,  smoke,  and 
ashes,  which  are  soon  formed  into  other  combi- 
nations. Vfhen  vegetables  die,  or  are  decom- 
posed by  heat  or  cold,  they  are  reM>lved  into 
their  primitive  elements, caloric,  light,  hydrogen, 
oxygen,  and  carbon, — which  immediately  enter 
into  new  combinations,  and  assist  in  carrying 
forward  the  designs  of  Providence  in  other  de- 
partments of  nature.  But  such  incessant 
changes,  so  far  from  militating  against  the  idea 
of  the  future  existence  of  man,  are,  in  reality, 
presumptive  proofs  of  his  immortal  destination. 
For,  if  amidst  the  perpetual  tran»f<irmations, 
changes,  and  revolutions  that  are  (oine  forward 
throughout  imiversal  nature  in  all  its  depart- 
ments, no  particle  of  matter  is  ever  logt,  oi  ro- 
duced  to  nothing,  it  is  in  the  highent  degree 
improbable,  that  the  thinking  principle  in  mas 


PROOFS  FROM  THE  LIGHT  OF  NATURE, 


4$ 


will  be  deslreyed.  by  the  change  which  takes 
piace  at  the  moment  of  his  dissolution.  That 
change,  however  great  and  interesting  to  the  in- 
dividual, may  be  not  more  wonderful,  nor  more 
mysterious  than  '.he  changes  which  take  place  in 
the  different  slates  of  existence  to  which  a  ca- 
terpillar is  destined.  This  animal,  as  already 
stated,  is  first  an  egg,  and  how  different  does  its 
form  appear  when  it  comes  forth  a  crawling 
worm?  After  living  some  time  in  the  cater- 
pillar state,  it  begins  to  languish,  and  apparently 
dies  ;  it  is  incased  in  a  tomb,  and  appears  devoid 
of  life  and  enjoyment.  After  a  certain  period  it 
axx]uires  new  life  and  vigour,  burst  its  confine- 
ment, appears  in  a  more  glorious  form,  mounts 
upward  on  expanded  wings,  and  traverses  the 
regions  of  the  air.  And,  is  it  not  reasonable, 
from  analogy,  to  believe,  that  man,  in  his  pre- 
sent state,  is  only  the  rudiments  of  what  he 
ahall  be  hereafter  in  a  more  expansive  s^phere  of 
existence  ?  and  that,  when  the  body  is  dissolved 
in  death,  the  soul  takes  its  ethereal  flight  into  a 
celestial  region,  puts  on  immortality,  and  be- 
comes "  all  eye,  all  ear,  all  ethereal  and  divine 
feeling?" 

Since,  then,  it  appears  that  annihilation  forms 
no  part  of  the  plan  of  the  Creator  in  the  material 
world,  is  it  reasonable  to  suppose,  that  a  system 
of  annihilation  is  in  incessant  operation  in  the 
world  of  mind?  that  God  is  every  day  creating 
thousands  of  minds,  endued  with  the  most  capa- 
cious powers,  and,  at  the  same  time,  reducing  to 
eternal  destruction  thousands  of  those  which  he 
had  formerly  created  ?  Shall  tiie  material  uni- 
verse exist  amidst  all  its  variety  of  changes,  and 
■hall  that  noble  creature,  for  whose  sake  the  uni- 
verse wax  created,  be  cut  off  for  ever  in  the  infancy 
of  its  being,  and  doomed  to  eternal  forgetful- 
ness  ?  Is  it  consistent  with  the  common  dic- 
tates of  reason  to  admit,  that  matter  ahal\  have  a 
longer  duration  than  ndnd,  which  gives  motion 
and  beauty  to  every  material  scene  ?  Shall  the 
noble  structures  of  St.  Paul  and  St.  Peter  sur- 
vive the  ravages  of  time,  and  display  their  beau- 
tiful proportions  to  successive  generations,  while 
Wren  and  Angelo,  the  architects  that  planned 
them,  are  reduced  to  the  condition  of  the  clods  of 
the  valley  ?  Shall  the  "  Novum  Organum  "  of 
Bacon,  and  the  "Optics"  and  "Principia"  of 
Newton,  descend  to  future  ages,  to  unfold  their 
sublime  conceptions,  while  the  illustrious  minds 
which  gave  birth  to  these  productions,  are  en- 
veloped in  ihedarkness  of  eternal  night?  There 
appears  a  palpable  absurdity  and  inconsistency 
in  admitting  such  conclusions.  We  might  al- 
most as  soon  believe  that  the  universe  would 
continue  In  its  present  harmony  and  order,  were 
its  Creator  ceasing  to  exist.  "  Suppose  that  the 
Deity,  through  all  the  lapse  of  past  ages,  has 
supported  the  universe  by  such  mirados  of  power 
and  wisdom  as  have  already  been  displayed — 
merely  tkat  he  might  please  himself  with  letting 


it  fall  to  pieces,  and  enjoy  the  spect2K;Ie  of  the 
fabric  lying  in  ruins  " — would  such  a  design  be 
worthy  of  infinite  Wisdom,  or  conformable  to 
the  ideas  we  ought  to  entertain  of  a  Being  eter- 
nal and  immutable  in  his  nature,  and  possessed 
of  boundless  perfection?  But  suppose,  farther, 
that  he  will  annihiiate  that  rational  nature  for 
whose  sake  he  created  the  universe,  while  the 
material  fabric  was  still  permitted  to  remain  in 
existence,  would  it  not  appear  still  more  incom- 
patible with  the  attributes  of  a  Being  of  unboun- 
ded goodness  and  intelligence?  To  blot  out 
from  existence  the  rational  part  of  his  creation, 
and  to  cherish  desolation  and  a  heap  of  rubbish, 
is  such  an  act  of  inconsistency,  that  the  mind 
shrinks  back  with  horror  at  the  thought  of  attri- 
buting it  to  the  All- Wise  and  Benevolent  Cre- 
ator. 

We  are,  therefore,  necessarily  led  to  the  fol- 
lowing conclu^^ion :  "  That,  when  the  human 
body  is  dissolved,  the  immaterial  principle  by 
which  it  was  animated,  continues  to  think  and 
act,  either  in  a  state  of  separation  from  all  body, 
or  in  some  material  vehicle  to  which  it  is  inti- 
mately united,  and  which  goes  off  with  it  at 
death ;  or  else,  that  it  is  preserved  fay  the  Father 
of  spirits  for  the  purpose  of  animating  a  body  in 
some  future  ~tate."  The  soul  contains  no  prin- 
ciple of  disolution  within  itself,  since  it  is  an 
immaterial  imcompounded  substance ;  and,  there- 
fore, although  the  material  creation  were  to  be 
dissolved  and  to  fall  into  ruins,  its  energies  might 
still  remain  unimpaired,  and  its  facolties  "  flou- 
rish in  immortal  youth, 

"  Unhurt,  amidst  the  war  of  elements, 

The  wrecks  of  matter  and  the  crush  of  worlds." 

And  the  Creator  is  under  no  necessity  to  annihi- 
late the  soul  for  want  of  power  to  support  its 
faculties,  for  want  of  objects  on  which  to  exer- 
cise them,  or  for  want  of  space  to  contain  the 
innumerable  intelligences  that  are  incessantlj 
emerging  into  existence ;  for  the  range  of  in»> 
mensity  is  the  theatre  of  his  Omnipbtence,  and 
that  powerful  Energy,  which  has  alreaJy  brought 
millions  of  systems  into  existence,  can  as  easily 
replenish  the  universe  with  ten  thousand  millions 
more.  If  room  were  wanted  for  new  creations, 
ten  thousand  additional  worlds  could  be  compri- 
sed within  the  limits  of  the  solar  system,  while 
a  void  space  of  more  than  a  hundred  and  eighty 
thousand  miles  would  still  intervene  between  the 
orbits  of  the  respective  globes ;  and  the  immea- 
stKable  spaces  which  intervene  between  our 
planetary  system  and  the  nearest  stars,  would  af- 
ford an  ample  range  for  the  revolutions  of  mil- 
lions of  worlds.  And,  therefore,  although  every 
soul,  on  quitting  its  mortal  frame,  were  clothed 
with  a  new  material  vehicle,  there  is  ample 
scope  in  the  spaces  of  the  universe,  and  in  the 
omnipotent  energies  of  the  Creator,  for  the  full 
exercise  of  all  its  powers,  and  for  every  eojovw 


46 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  PUTURF  STATE. 


Dent  requisite  to  itj  happiness.  So  thai  in 
vtery  («)iiii  of  view  in  which  we  can  contemplate 
the  soul  of  man  and  the  perrt-ciions  uT  ilM  Crea- 
tor, it  appears  not  only  itnprubublo,  but  even 
•bsurd  in  ihe  hijthett  degree,  to  suppose  that  the 
■park  of  intelligence  in  man  will  ever  be  extin- 
guished. 


SECTION  XI. 

Oir  THE  OLOOMY  COIfSIDERATIONS  AlfD  AB- 
SURD CON8E4UCNCE8  INVOLVED  IN  THE 
DENIAL   or    A    FUTURE   STATE. 

The  denial  of  the  doctrine  of  a  future  state  in- 
volves in  it  an  immense  variety  of  gloomy  con- 
sideraiiiHis  and  absurd  consequences. 

if  the  doctrine  of  a  future  existence  be  set 
aside,  man  appears  an  enigma,  a  rude  abortion, 
and  a  monster  in  nature,  his  structure  is  inex- 
plicable, and  the  end  for  which  he  was  created 
an  unfathomable  mystery;  the  moral  world  is  a 
scene  of  confusion,  the  ways  o(  Providence  a 
dark  impenelrahle  maze,  the  universe  a  vast, 
mysterious,  and  inexplicable  system,  and  the  De- 
ity a  Being  whose  perfections  and  purposes  can 
never  be  traced  nor  unfolded. 

Let  us  suppose,  for  a  few  moments,  that  there 
is  no  state  of  existence  beyond  the  grave,  and 
consequently,  that  the  supposed  discoveries  of 
Revelation  are  a  mere  delusion ;  and  consider 
some  of  the  gloomy  prospects  and  absurd  conse- 
quences to  which  such  a  supposition  necessarily 
loads.  I  shall  suppose  myself  standing  in  an  al- 
titude of  serious  contemplation,  and  of  anxious 
inquiry  respecting  the  various  scenes  and  objects 
which  surround  me,  and  the  eventa  that  pass  un- 
der my  review : — 

I  first  of  all  look  into  myself,  and  inquire, 
whence  I  came  ?  whither  I  am  going  ?  who  pro- 
duced ine  ?  of  what  my  body  is  composed  ?  what 
is  the  nature  of  my  senses?  of  the  thinking 
prilKi.ile  I  feel  within  me  ?  and  (<)r  what  purpose 
was  I  ushered  into  being?  I  perceive  in  my  body 
a  wonderful  mechanism  which  I  cannot  compre- 
hend: I  find  by  experience,  that  my  will  exerci- 
■M  a  •overei|>n  power  over  my  muscular  system, 
M  that  my  hands,  feet,  arms,  and  limbs,  are  dis- 
posed to  obey  every  impulse,  and,  at  the  signal 
of  a  wish,  to  transport  my  Ixxjy  from  one  place 
to  another.  1  find  my  thinking  principle  inti- 
mately connected  with  my  corporeal  frame,  and 
both  acting  reciprocally  on  each  other  ;  but  I  ran- 
■Ot  fathom  the  manner  in  which  these  operations 
are  effected.  I  feel  ardent  desires  after  enjoy- 
ments in  which  I  never  shall  participate,  and  ca- 
pacities for  knowledge  and  inf>pn>vemont  which  I 
never  can  attain.  I  feel  restless  and  unca<y, 
eren  amidst  the  beauties  of  nature,  ami  the  plea- 
•luree  of  the  sensee.    I  asli  whence  proceeds  the 


want  I  feel  amidst  all  my  enjoymentsf  Where- 
fore can  I  never  craxc  from  wishing  for  aomethinf 
in  addition  to  what  I  now  possess?  Whence 
arises  the  disgust  that  so  quickly  succeeds  every 
sensitive  enjoyment,  and  the  want  I  feel  even  in 
the  midst  of  abundance  ?  I  ask  why  I  was  call- 
ed into  existence  at  this  point  of  duration,  rather 
than  at  any  other  [leriud  of  that  incomprehensible 
eternity  which  is  past,  or  of  that  which  is  yet  to 
come?  why,  amidst  the  vast  spaces  with  which 
I  am  encompassed,  and  the  innumerable  globe* 
which  surround  me,  I  was  chained  down  to  this 
obscure  corner  of  creation  from  which  I  feel  un- 
able to  transport  my»elf?  why  I  was  ushered 
into  life  in  Britain,  and  not  in  Papua  or  New 
Zealand  ?  and  why  I  was  formed  to  walk  erect 
and  not  prone,  as  the  inferior  animals?  To  all 
such  inquiries  I  can  find  nosatisfaciory  answers, 
— the  whole  train  of  circumstances  connected 
with  my  existence  appears  involved  in  impene- 
trable darkness  and  mystery.  Of  one  thing 
only  I  am  fully  assured,  that  my  body  shall,  ere 
long,  be  dissolved  and  mingle  with  the  dust,  and 
my  intellectual  faculties,  desires,  and  capacities 
for  knowledge  be  for  ever  annihilated  in  the  tomb. 
I  shall  then  be  reduced  to  nothing,  and  be  as 
though  I  never  had  been,  while  myriads  of  be- 
ings, like  myself,  shall  start  into  existence,  and 
perish  in  like  manner,  in  perpetual  succession, 
throughout  an  eternity  to  come. 

I  look  backward  through  ages  past — I  behold 
every  thing  wrapped  in  obscurity,  and  perceive 
no  traces  of  a  beginning  to  the  vast  system 
around  me, — I  stretch  forward  towards  futurity, 
and  perceive  no  prospect  of  an  end.  All  things 
appear  to  continue  as  they  were  fi-om  generation 
to  generation,  invariably  subjected  to  the  same 
movements,  revolutions,  and  changes,  without 
any  distinct  marks  which  indicate  either  a  be- 
ginning or  an  end. — I  look  around  on  the  scene 
of  terrestrial  nature — 1  perceive  many  beauties 
in  the  verdant  landscape,  and  many  objects  the 
mechanism  of  which  is  extremely  delicate  and 
admirable — I  inhale  the  balmy  zephyrs,  am 
charmed  with  the  musicof  the  groves,  the  splen- 
dour of  the  sun,  and  the  variegated  colouring 
spread  over  the  face  of  creatiun.  But  I  behold 
Other  scenes,  which  inspire  melancholy  and  ter- 
ror. The  tempest,  the  hurricane  and  the  tor- 
nado ;  the  sirocco,  the  samiel  and  other  poisonous 
winds  of  the  desert ;  the  appalling  thunder- 
cloud, the  forked  lightnings,  the  eartiiquako 
shaking  kingdoms,  and  the  volcano  pouring  fiery 
streams  around  its  base,  which  desolate  villages 
and  cities  in  their  course. — I  behok)  in  one 
place  a  confused  ossemblage  of  the  ruins  of  na- 
ture in  the  form  of  8now-cap|>ed  mountains, 
precipices,  chasms  and  caverns ;  in  another, 
extensive  marshes  and  immense  deserts  of  bar- 
ren sand;  and,  in  another,  a  large  proportion  of 
the  globe  a  ecene  of  sterile  desolation,  and 
bound  in  the  fetters  of  eternal  ice.     I  know  not 


PROOFS  FROM  THE  LIGHT  OF  NATURE. 


47 


what  opinion  to  form  of  a  world  where  so  many 
beauties  are  blended  with  so  much  deformity, 
and  so  many  pleasures  mingled  with  so  muny 
sorrows  and  scenes  of  terror, — or  what  ideas  to 
entertain  of  Him  who  formed  it.  But  I  need 
give  myself  no  trouble  in  inquiring  into  such 
subjects ;  for  my  time  on  earth  is  short  and  un- 
certain, and  when  I  sink  into  the  arms  of  death, 
I  shall  have  no  more  connexion  with  the  uni- 
verse. 

I  take  a  retrospective  view  of  the  moral  work! 
in  past  ages,  in  so  far  as  authentic  history  serves 
as  a  guide,  and  perceive  little  else  but  anarchy, 
desolation  and  carnage — tlie  strong  oppressing 
the  weak,  the  powerful  and  wealthy  trampling 
under  foot  the  poor  and  indigent — plunderers, 
robbers,  and  murderers,  ravaging  kingdoms,  and 
drenching  the  earth  with  human  gore.  I  behold 
the  virtuous  and  innocent  persecuted,  robbed  and 
massacred,  while  bloody  tyrants  and  oppressors 
roll  in  their  splendid  chariots,  and  revel  amidst 
the  luxuries  of  a  palace.  In  such  scenes  I  per- 
ceive nothing  like  regularity  or  order,  nor  any 
traces  of  justice  or  equity  in  the  several  allot- 
ments of  mankind ;  for  since  their  whole  exist- 
ence terminates  in  the  grave,  the  virtuous  sufferer 
can  never  be  rewarded,  nor  the  unrighteous 
despot  suffer  the  punishment  due  to  his  crimes. 
The  great  mass  of  human  beings  appear  to  be 
the  sport  of  circumstances,  the  victims  of  op- 
pression, and  the  dupes  of  knavery  and  ambi- 
tion, and  the  moral  world  at  large  an  assemblage 
of  discordant  elements  tossed  about  like  dust 
before  the  whirlwind.  I  hear  virtue  applauded, 
and  vice  denounced  as  odious  and  hateful.  But 
what  is  virtue  ?  A  shadow,  a  phantom,  an 
empty  name !  Why  should  I  follow  after  virtue 
if  she  interrupts  my  pleasures,  and  why  should 
I  forsake  vice  if  she  points  out  the  path  to  pre- 
sent enjoyment  ?  It  is  my  wisdom  to  enjoy  life 
during  the  short  period  it  continues;  and  if 
riches  be  conducive  to  my  enjoyment  of  happi- 
ness, why  should  I  fear  to  procure  them  either 
by  deceit,  perjury,  or  rapine  ?  If  sensual  in- 
dulgence contribute  to  ray  pleasure,  why  should 
1  refrain  from  drunkenness  and  debauchery,  or 
•my  other  action  that  suits  ray  convenience  or 
gratifies  my  passions,  since  present  enjoyments 
are  all  I  can  calculate  upon,  and  no  retributions 
await  me  beyond  the  grave. 

I  feel  myself  subjected  to  a  variety  of  suflTer- 
ings,  disappointments  and  sorrows— to  poverty 
and  reproach,  loss  of  friends,  corporeal  pains  and 
mental  anguish.  I  am  frequently  tortured  by  the 
recollection  of  ihe  past,  the  feeling  of  the  present, 
and  the  dread  of  approaching  sufferings.  But 
I  see  no  object  to  be  attained,  no  end  to  be  ac- 
complished by  my  subjection  to  such  afflictions  : 
I  suffer  merely  for  the  purpose  of  feeling  pain, 
wasting  my  body  and  hastening  its  dissolution  : 
I  am  sick  only  to  languish  under  the  burden  of  a 
feeble  emaciated  frame — perplexed  and  downcast 


only  to  sink  into  deeper  perplexities  and  sorrows ; 
oppressed  with  cares  and  difficulties  only  to  enter 
on  a  new  scene  of  danger  and  suffering.  No 
drop  of  comfort  mingles  itself  with  the  bitter  cup 
of  sorrow  :  no  affliction  is  sweetened  and  allevi- 
ated by  the  prospect  of  a  better  world  ;  for  the 
gloomy  mansions  of  the  grave  bound  my  views 
and  terminate  all  ray  hopes  and  fears.  How, 
then,  can  I  be  easy  under  my  sufferings  ?  how 
can  I  be  cordially  resigned  to  the  destiny  which 
appointed  them  ?  or  how  can  I  trace  the  benevo- 
lence of  a  superior  Being  in  permitting  me  thus 
to  be  pained  and  tormented  fur  no  end  ?  I  will 
endeavour  to  bear  them  with  resolute  despera- 
tion, merely  because  I  am  borne  down  by  neces- 
sity to  pain  and  affliction,  and  cannot  possibly 
avoid  them. 

I  lift  my  eyes  to  the  regions  above,  and  con- 
template the  splendours  of  the  starry  frame. 
What  an  immensity  of  suns,  and  systems  and 
worlds  burst  upon  my  view,  when  I  apply  the 
telescope  to  the  spaces  of  the  firmament !  How 
incalculable  their  number  I  how  immeasurable 
their  distance  !  how  immense  their  magnitude  ! 
how  glorious  their  spltmdour  1  how  sublime  their 
movements  !  When  I  attempt  to  grasp  this  stu- 
pendous scene,  my  imagination  is  bewildered, 
and  my  facvlties  overpowered  with  wonder  and 
amazement.  I  gaze,  I  ponder ;  I  feel  a  longing 
desire  to  know  something  farther  respecting  the 
nature  and  destination  of  these  distant  orbs  ;  but 
my  vision  is  bounded  to  a  general  glimpse,  my 
powers  are  limited,  and  when  1  would  fly  away 
to  those  distant  regions,  I  find  myself  chained 
down,  by  an  overpowering  force,  to  the  dimintH 
tive  ball  on  which  I  dwell.  Wherefore,  then, 
were  the  heavens  so  beautifully  adorned,  and  ao 
much  magnificence  displayed  in  their  structure, 
and  why  were  they  ever  presented  to  my  view  ; 
since  I  am  never  to  become  farther  acquainted 
with  the  scenes  they  unfold  ?  Perhaps  this  is 
the  last  glance  I  shall  take  of  the  mighty  con- 
cave, before  my  eyes  have  closed  in  en«^'>ss  light. 
"  Wherefore  was  light  given  to  him  that  is  in 
misery, — to  a  man  whose  way  is  hid,  and  whom 
God  hath  hedged  in  ?"  Had  I  been  enclosed  in 
a  gloomy  dungeon  my  situation  had  been  toler- 
able, but  here  I  stand  as  in  a  splendid  palace, 
without  comfort  and  without  hope,  expecting 
death  every  moment  to  terminate  my  prospects ; 
and  when  it  arrives,  the  glories  of  the  heavens 
to  me  will  be  annihilated  for  ever. 

I  behold  science  enlarging  its  boundaries,  and 
the  arts  advancing  towards  perfection  ;  I  gee  nu- 
merous institutions  organizing,  and  hear  lectures 
on  philosophy  delivered  for  the  improvement  of 
mankind,  and  I  am  invited  to  take  a  part  in  those 
arrangements  which  are  calculated  to  produce  a 
general  diffusion  of  knowledge  among  all  ranks. 
But  of  what  use  is  knowledge  to  beings  who  are 
soon  to  lose  all  consciousness  of  existence  ?  It 
requires  many  weary  steps  and  sleepless  nightt 


48 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


to  climb  th«  iteep  aacrnt  of  scienco  ;  nnd  when 
w«  iiAve  arrived  at  the  highest  |K>int  which  mor- 
tals have  ever  reached,  we  dencry  still  loftier 
refiom  which  we  iievercan  approach,— our  foot- 
iiig  (kill,  and  down  we  sink  into  irretrievable 
ruin.  If  our  progress  in  science  here  were  in- 
troductory to  a  future  scene  of  knowledge  and 
enjoyment,  it  would  be  worthy  of  being  prose- 
cuted by  every  rational  intelligence  ;  but  lu  beings 
who  are  uncertain  whether  they  shall  exist  iuahe 
universe  for  another  day,  it  is  not  only  superflu- 
ous, but  unfriendly  to  their  present  enjoyments. 
For,  the  less  knowledge  they  acquire  of  the 
beauties  and  sublimities  of  nature,  and  the  more 
brutish,  ignorant  and  sottish  they  become,  the 
less  they  will  feel  at  the  moment  when  they  are 
about  to  be  launched  into  non-existence.  Let 
^e  mass  of  mankind,  then,  indulge  themselves 
m  whatever  frivolous  amusements  they  may 
choose  ;  do  not  interrupt  their  sensual  pleasures, 
by  vainly  attempting  to  engage  them  in  intellec- 
tual pursuits  ;  let  them  eat  and  drink,  and  revel 
and  debauch,  for  to-n)orrow  they  die.  All  that 
is  requisite,  is,  to  entwme  the  chains  of  despo- 
tism around  their  necks,  to  prevent  them  from 
aspiring  after  the  enjoyments  of  their  superiors. 
In  short,  I  endeavour  to  form  some  conceptions 
of  the  attributes  of  that  great  unknown  Cause 
which  produced  all  things  around  me.  But  my 
thoughts  become  bewildered  amidst  a  maze  of 
unaccountable  operations,  of  apparent  contradic- 
tions and  inconsistencies.  I  evidently  perceive 
that  the  Creator  of  the  universe  is  possessed  of 
boundless  power,  but  I  see  no  good  reason  to 
conclude  that  he  exercises  unerring  wisdom,  un- 
bounded goodness  and  impartial  justice.  I  per- 
ceive, indeed,  some  traces  of  wisdom,  in  the 
construction  of  my  body  and  its  several  organs 
of  sensation  ;  and  of  goodness,  in  the  smiling 
day,  the  flowery  landscape,  and  the  fertile  plains  ; 
but  I  know  not  how  to  reconcile  these  with  some 
other  parts  of  hi*  operations.  How  can  I  attri- 
bute the  perfectioa  of  wisdom  to  one  who  has 
implanted  in  my  constitution  desires  which  will 
sever  be  gratified,  and  furnished  me  with  moral 
and  intellectual  faculties  which  will  never  be  fully 
exercised,  and  who  has  permi  tied  the  moral  world 
in  every  age  to  exhibit  a  scene  of  disorder?  I 
perceive  no  evidences  of  his  benevolence  in  sub- 
jecting me  to  a  variety  of  sorrows  and  sufl^erings 
which  accomplish  no  end  but  the  production  of 
pain  ;  in  tanializmg  me  with  hopes,  and  alarming 
me  with  fears  of  futurity  which  are  never  to  be 
realized,  and  in  throwing  a  veil  of  mystery  over 
all  his  purposes  and  operations.  Nor  can  I  trace 
any  thing  like  impartial  justice  in  the  bestow- 
neot  of  hi«  favours,  for  disappointments  and 
aorrows  are  equally  the  lot  of  the  righteous  and 
the  wicked,  and  frequeaily  it  happens  that  the 
ianooent  are  poniriMd  aad  dbgrared,  while  vil- 
luM  awl  debancheea  are  permitted  to  glory  in 
their  criisM.    All  that  I  can  plainly  perceive,  is, 


the  operation  of  uocootroMaUe  power,  directed 
by  no  principle  but  ca|irice,  and  aaconi|ili«hing 
nothing  that  can  intpire  ardent  afTeciion,  or  se- 
cure the  permaneiti  happiness  of  rational  beings. 
Such  are  some  of  the  gloomy  reflection*  uf  a 
hopeless  mortal  whose  pros|iect  is  bounded  by 
the  grave  ;  and  such  are  some  of  the  horrible  coa- 
sequencus  which  the  denial  of  a  future  ktaie  ne- 
cessarily involves.  It  throws  a  veil  of  da'kness 
over  the  scenes  of  creation,  and  wraps  in  impe- 
netrable mystery  the  purposes  for  which  man  was 
created, — it  exhibits  the  moral  world  as  a  chaotic 
mass  of  discordant  elements,  acconipli'hmg  no 
end,  and  controlled  by  no  intelligent  agency, — it 
represents  mankind  as  connected  with  each  other 
merely  by  time  and  place,  as  formed  merely  for 
sensual  enjoyment,  and  destined  to  perish  with 
the  brutes, — it  subverts  the  foundations  of  mora! 
action,  removes  the  strongest  motivra  to  the  prac- 
tice of  virtue,  and  opens  the  flood-gates  of  every 
vice, — it  removes  the  anchor  of  hope  from  the 
anxious  mind,  and  destroys  evey  principle  that 
has  a  tendency  to  support  us  in  the  midst  of  su(^ 
ferings, — it  throws  a  damp  on  every  effort  to  raise 
mankind  to  the  dignity  of  their  moral  and  intel- 
lectual natures,  and  is  calculated  to  oltstruct  the 
progress  of  useful  science, — it  prevents  the  miad 
from  investigating  and  admiring  the  beauties  of 
creation,  ami  involves  in  a  deeper  gloom  the  ruins 
of  nature  which  are  scattered  over  the  globe, 
— it  terminates  every  prospect  of  becoming  more 
fully  acquainted  with  the  glories  of  the  firmv- 
ment,  and  every  hope  of  beholding  the  plans  of 
Providence  completely  unfolded, — it  involves  the 
character  of  the  Deity  in  awful  obscurity,  it  de- 
prives Him  of  the  attributes  of  infinite  wisdom, 
benevolence  and  rectitude,  and  leaves  him  little 
more  than  boundless  omnipotence,  acting  at  ran- 
dom, and  controlled  by  no  beneficent  agency.  In 
short,  it  obliterates  every  motive  to  the  perform- 
ance of  noble  and  genermu  actions,  damps  the 
finest  feelings  and  affections  of  humanity,  leads  to 
universal  scepticism,  cuts  off  the  prospect  of 
every  thing  which  tends  to  cheer  the  traveller  in 
his  pilgrimage  through  life,  and  presents  to  his 
view  nothing  but  an  immense  blank,  overspread 
with  the  blackness  of  darkness  for  ever. 

Such  being  the  blasphemous  and  absurd  cot* 
sequences  which  flow  from  the  denial  of  the 
doctrine  of  a  future  state  of  retribution — the 
man  who  obstinately  maintains  such  a  position, 
must  be  considered  as  unworthy  not  only  of  the 
name  of  a  philosopher,  but  of  that  of  a  rational 
being,  and  as  one  who  would  believe  against 
demonstration, and  swallow  any  absurdity,  how- 
ever extravagant,  which  quadrates  wiih  his 
grovelling  appetites  and  passions.  Mathema- 
ticians frequently  demonstrate  a  truth  by  show- 
ing that  its  contrary  is  impossible,  or  involvea 
an  absurdity.  Thus,  Eudid  demonstrates  the 
truth  of  the  fourth  proposition  of  the  first  book 
of  bis  ElemenU,  bv  showing  that  its  cootraiv 


PROOFS  FROM  THE  LIGHT  OF  NATURE. 


49 


tmplies  this  obvious  absurdity — "  that  two 
suaighl  liiifis  may  enclose  a  space."  This 
mode  of  proving  the  truih  of  a  proposition  is 
considered  by  every  geometrician,  as  equally 
tonchisive  and  satisfactory,  as  the  direct  method 
ef  demcuijiration  ;  because  the  contrary  of  every 
falsehood  must  be  truth,  and  the  contrary  of 
every  truth,  falsehood.  And  if  this  mode  of 
demonstration  is  conclusive  in  mathematics,  it 
ought  lo  be  considered  as  equally  conclusive  in 
moral  and  theological  reasoning.  If,  for  exam- 
ple, the  ilenial  of  a  future  existence  involves  in 
it  the  idea  that  God  is  not  a  Being  possessed  of 
impartial  justice,  and  of  perfect  wisdom  and 
goodness — notwithstanding  the  striking  displays 
of  the  iwo  last-mentioned  attributes  in  the  sys- 
tem of  nature — we  must,  I  presume,  either  ad- 
mit the  doctrine  of  the  immortality  of  man,  or 
deny  that  a  Supreme  Inteihgence  presides  over 
the  affairs  of  the  universe.  For,  a  Being  di- 
vested of  ihese  attributes,  is  not  entitled  to  the 
name  of  Deity,  nor  calculated  to  inspire  intelli- 
"^nt  minds  with  adoration  and  love ;  but  it  is 
leduced  to  something  like  uncontrollable  fate,  or 
mere  physical  force,  impelling  the  movements 
of  universal  nature  without  a  plan,  without  dis- 
crimination, and  without  intelligence.  On  the 
same  principle  (the  reduclio  ad  abturdum,)  we 
demonstrate  the  earth's  annual  revolution  round 
the  sun.  The  motions  of  the  planets,  as  viewed 
from  the  earth,  present  an  inexplicable  maze 
contrary  to  every  thing  we  should  expect  in  a 
well  arranged  and  orderly  system.  These  bo- 
dies appear  sometimes  to  move  backwards, 
sometimes  forwards,  sometimes  to  remain  sta- 
tionary, and  to  describe  looped  curves,  so  ano- 
malous or  confused,  that  we  cannot  suppose  an 
Infinite  Intelligence  the  contriver  of  a  system  of 
such  inextricable  confusion.  Hence  the  astro- 
nomer coni:ludes,  on  good  grounds,  thai  the  earth 
it  a  moving  body ;  and  no  one  thoroughly  ac- 
quainted with  the  subject  ever  calls  it  in  ques- 
tion :  for  when  our  globe  is  considered  as  revolv- 
ing round  the  centre  of  the  system  in  concert 
with  the  other  planetary  orbs,  all  the  apparent 
irregularities  in  iheir  motions  are  completely  ac- 
counted fur,  and  the  whole  system  appears  re- 
duced to  a  beautiful  and  harmonious  order,  in 
accordance  with  every  idea  we  ought  to  form  of 
the  wisiloin  and  intelligence  of  its  author. 

In  fiie  same  way,  the  admission  of  the  doc- 
trine of  a  future  state  accounts  for  the  apparent 
irregularities  of  the  moral  world,  and  affords  a 
key  for  a  solution  of  all  the  difficulties  that  may 
arise  in  the  mind  respecting  the  equity  of  the 
Divine  administration  in  the  present  slate.  In 
opprsition  to  the  desponding  reflections  and 
gloomv  views  of  the  sceptic,  it  inspires  the  vir- 
tuous mind  with  a  lively  hope,  and  throws  a 
glorious  radiaiice  over  the  scenes  of  creation, 
and  over  eve-y  part  of  the  gorernment  of  the 
Almighty.      It  exhibits  the  Self-existent   and 


Eternal  Mind  as  an  object  of  ineffable  sublimity, 
grandeur,  and  loveliness,  invested  with  unerring 
wisdom,  impartial  justice,  and  boundless  bene- 
volence, presiding  over  an  endless  train  of  intel- 
ligent minds  formed  after  his  image,  governing 
them  with  just  and  equitable  laws,  controlling 
all  things  by  an  almighty  and  unerring  hand, 
and  rendering  all  his  dispensations  ultimately 
conducive  to  the  happiness  ot  the  moral  uni- 
verse. It  presents  before  us  an  unbounded 
scene,  in  which  we  may  hope  to  contemplate  the 
scheme  of  Providence  in  all  its  objects  and 
bearings,  where  the  glories  of  the  divine  per- 
fections will  be  illustriously  displayed,  where 
the  powers  of  the  human  mind  will  be  perpe- 
tually cxfianding,  and  new  objects  of  sublimity 
and  beauty  incessantly  rising  to  the  view,  in 
boundless  perspective,  world  without  end.  It 
dispels  the  clouds  that  hang  over  the  present  and 
future  destiny  of  man,  and  fully  accounts  for 
those  longing  looks  into  futurity  which  accom- 
pany us  at  every  turn,  and  those  capacious 
powers  of  intellect,  which  cannot  be  fully  ex- 
erted in  the  present  life.  It  presents  the  most 
powerful  motives  to  a  life  of  virtue,  to  the  per- 
formance of  beneficent  and  heroic  actions,  to 
the  prosecution  of  substantial  science,  and  to  the 
difliision  of  useful  knowledge  among  all  ranks 
of  mankind.  It  affords  the  strongest  consola- 
tion and  support,  amidst  the  trials  of  life,  and 
explains  the  reasons  of  those  sufferings  to  which 
we  are  here  exposed,  as  being  incentives  to  the 
exercise  of  virtue,  and  as  "  working  out  for  us  a 
far  more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of  glory." 
It  affords  us  ground  to  hope  that  the  veil  which 
now  intercepts  our  view  of  the  distant  regions 
of  creation,  will  be  withdrawn,  and  that  the 
amazing  structure  of  the  universe,  in  all  its  sub- 
lime proportions  and  beautiful  arrangements, 
will  be  more  clearly  unfolded  to  our  view.  ,  It  ■ 
dispels  the  terrors  which  naturally  surround  the 
messenger  of  death,  and  throws  a  radiance  over 
the  mansions  of  the  tomb.  It  cheers  the  gloomy 
vale  of  death,  and  transforms  it  into  a  passage 
which  leads  to  a  world  of  perfection  and  happi- 
ness, where  moral  evil  shall  be  forever  abolished, 
where  intellectual  light  shall  beam  with  efful- 
gence on  the  enraptured  spirit,  and  where  celes- 
tial virtue,  now  so  frequently  persecuted  and 
contemned,  shall  be  enthroned  in  undisturbed 
and  eternal  empire. 

Since,  then,  it  appears,  that  the  denial  of  a 
future  state  involves  in  it  so  many  difRculties, 
absurd  consequences  and  blasphemous  assump- 
tions, and  the  admission  of  this  doctrine  throws 
a  light  over  the  darkness  that  broods  over  the 
moral  world,  presents  a  clue  to  unravel  the 
mazes  of  ihe  divine  dispensations,  and  solves 
every  difficuliv  in  relation  to  the  present  condi- 
tion of  the  human  race — the  pretended  philoso- 
pher who  rejects  this  important  truth  must  bo 
considered  as  acting  in  direct  opposition  to  those 


50 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


principles  of  reasoning  which  he  uniformly 
adnnit!)  in  hi*  physical  and  maihematical  inves- 
tigations, and  as  determined  to  resist  the  force 
of  every  evidcnre  which  can  bo  adduced  io  proof 
of  bis  immortal  destination. 


Thus  I  have  endeavored,  in  the  preceding 
page5,  to  prove  and  illustrate  the  immorialily  of 
OMn,  from  a  consideration  of  ihe  universal  be- 
lief which  this  doctrine  has  obtained  among  all 
nalionx — the  desire  of  immortality  implanted  in 
the  human  breast — the  strong  desire  of  knou>- 
Udge,  and  the  capacious  intellectual  powers  with 
which  ninn  is  furnished — the  capacity  of  making 
perpetual  progress  towards  intellectual  and  moral 
perfection — the  unlimited  range  oj  view  which  is 
opened  to  the  human  mind  throughout  the  im- 
men*iti/  of  space  and  duration — the  moral  powers 
of  action  with  which  man  is  endued — the  ybre- 
bodings  and  apprehensions  of  the  mind  when 
under  the  influence  of  remorse — the  disordered 
■late  of  the  moral  world  when  contrasted  with 
the  systematical  order  of  the  material — the  une- 
qual distribution  of  rewards  and  punishments, 
riewed  in  connection  with  the  justice  of  God — 
the  abmatiity  of  admitting  that  the  thinking  prin- 
4^pk  in  man  will  be  annihilated — and  the  bias- 
phemout  and  absurd  consequences  which  would 
follow  if  the  idea  of  a  future  stale  of  retribution 
were  rejected. 

Perha|>8  there  are  some  of  these  arguments, 
tt  taken  singly,  that  would  be  insufficient  fully  to 

establish  the  truth  of  man's  eternal  destiny  ;  but 
when  taken  in  combination  with  each  other, 
they  carry  irresistible  evidence  to  the  mind  of 
every  unbiassed  inquirer.  They  all  reflect  a 
mutual  lustre  on  each  other  ;  they  hang  together 
in  perfect  harmony ;  they  are  fully  consistent 
with  the  must  amiable  and  sublime  conceptions 
we  can  form  of  the  Deity  ;  they  are  congenial 
to  the  sentiments  eiMertained  by  the  wisest  and 
best  of  men  in  every  age  ;  tht-y  are  connected 
with  all  the  improvements  and  discoveries  in  the 
moral  and  physical  worlds  ;  and,  like  the  radii 
of  a  circle,  they  all  converge  to  the  same  point, 
kud  lead  directly  to  the  same  conclusion.  It 
appears  next  to  impossible,  that  such  a  mutual 
iukrmony,  consistency,  and  dependence,  could 
ait!  among  a  series  of  propositions  that  had  no 
foundation  in  truth;  and,  therefore,  they  ought 
to  be  considered,  when  taken  conjunctly,  as 
having  all  the  force  of  a  moral  demonstration. 
They  rest  on  the  same  principles  and  prcxress  of 
reaaoning  from  which  we  deduce  the  being  of  a 
God  ;  and  I  see  no  way  of  eluding  their  force, 
but  by  erasing  from  the  mind  every  idea  of  a 
Supreme  Intelligence.  Hence,  it  has  generally, 
I  might  say,  uniformly  been  found,  that  all  na- 
tiooa  that  have  acknowledged  Ihe  existence  of  a 
Divine  being,  have  likewiae  recognised  the  idea 


of  a  future  state  of  retribution.  Thete  two 
fundamental  p'opoailions  are  so  intimately  coi>- 
nccted,  and  the  latter  is  so  essentially  de|)eiident 
on  the  fotniaer,  ttiat  they  must  atand  or  fall 
together.  And,  consequently,  wc  hitd,  that  the 
man  who  obstinately  rejects  the  doctrmc  of  a 
future  state,  cither  avows  hiinaelf  a  down-right 
atheist,  or  acts  precisely  in  ths  same  way  as  a 
person  would  do,  n ho  believe*  that  a  Supreme 
Moral  Governor  has  no  existence. 

But  even  the  principles  of  atheism  itself^ 
though  frequently  embraced  by  vicious  charac- 
ters to  allay  their  fear«,  are  not  sufficient  to  re- 
move all  apprehensions  in  regard  to  a  future  ex- 
istence. For,  if  the  universe  be  tlie  pro<luction 
merely  of  an  eternal  succession  of  causes  and 
cffi;ct8,  produced  by  blind  necessity  impelling  the 
atoms  of  matter  through  the  voids  of  immensity 
— what  should  hinder,  that  amidst  the  infinite 
combinations  arising  from  perpetual  motion,  men 
should  be  created,  destroyed,  and  again  ushered 
iuto  existence,  with  the  same  faculties,  remi- 
niscLnces,  perceptions  and  relations  as  in  their 
former  state  of  existence?  And.  although  thou- 
sands or  millions  of  years  should  intervene  be- 
tween such  transformations,  yet  such  periods 
might  appear  tks  short  and  imperceptible  as  the 
duration  which  passes  while  our  faculties  ar« 
absorbed  in  a  sound  repose.  The  idea  of  infi- 
nity, immensity,  and  an  endless  succession  of 
changes,  rendeis  such  a  supposition  nut  alto- 
gether impossible.  But  what  a  dreadful  futurity 
might  not  the  mind  be  left  to  picture  to  itself  in 
such  a  case  ?  If  the  movements  of  ti>e  universe 
were  the  productions  of  chance,  directed  by  no 
intelligent  agency,  we  should  incessantly  be 
haunted  with  the  most  dreadful  anticipation*. 
We  should  see  the  images  of  death,  annihilation, 
and  reproduction  advancing  before  us  in  Ihe 
most  terrific  forms,  and  should  find  it  impossible 
to  determine  on  what  foundation  the  hopes  and 
the  destiny  of  intelligences  reposed.  We  should 
be  uncertain  whether  mankind  were  doomed  to 
perish  irrecoverably,  or,  by  the  operation  of  some 
unknown  cause,  or  accident,  to  be  reproduced,  at 
some  future  period  in  duration,  and  devoted  to 
endless  torments.  The  comparative  order  and 
tranquillity  which  now  subsist,  or  have  subsisted 
for  ages  past,  could  afford  us  no  ground  of  hope 
that  such  consequences  would  not  take  place: 
for  all  the  revolutions  of  time  to  which  we  can 
look  back,  are  but  as  a  moment  in  the  midst  cf 
infinite  duration,  and  the  whole  earth  but  a  point 
in  the  immensity  of  space.  So  that,  during  the 
lapse  of  infinite  ages,  changes,  revolutions  and 
transformations  might  be  efTected,  which  might 
overwhelm  all  the  intelli{:ent  beings  tliat  ever 
existed,  in  eternal  miMrry.  Hence  it  appear*, 
that  even  atheism  itaelf,  with  all  its  mass  of  con- 
tradictions and  absurditiee,  cannot  entirely  shel- 
ter its  abettor*  from  the  terron  of  aa  unknown 
futurity. 


PROOFS  FROM  THE  LIGHT  OP  NATURE. 


51 


I  shall  au^y  remark  farther,  on  this   part  of 
niy  subject, — that,  although  the  ar^^uments  now 
adduced  in  su|)port  of  the   inimortalily  of   man 
were  less   powerful    than   they  really  are,  they 
ouwhl  to  make  a  deep  impression  on  ihe  mind 
of  every  reflecting   person,   and  determine  the 
line  of  conduct  which  he  ought  to  pursue.    If 
they  were  only  probable — if  ihey  possessed  no 
greaier  degree  of  weight   than  simply  to  over- 
balance the  opposite  arguments,  si  ill,  it  would  be 
every  man's  interest  to  act   on  the  supposiiion, 
that  a  future  world  has  a  real  existence.     For, 
in  the  ordinary  affairs  of  human  life,  and  even  in 
the  sciences,  our  opinions  and  conduct  are  gene- 
rally determined  by  a  series  of  probabiliries,  and 
a  concurrence  of  reasons,  which  supply  the  want 
of  more  conclusive  evidence  on  subjects   which 
are  not  susceptible  of  strict  demonstration.     A 
merchant,  when  he  purchases  a  certain  commo- 
dity, has  no  demonstrative  evidew*  that  the  sale 
of  it  shall  ultimately  turn  to  his  advantage  ;  but, 
from  a  consideration  of  its  price  and  quality,  of 
the  circumstances  of  trade,  and  of  his  immedi- 
ate prospects,  he  determines  on   the  purchase; 
and,  by  acting  on  the  ground  of  similar  proba- 
bilities, he  conducts  his  affairs,  so  as  to  issue  in 
his  prosperity  and  success.     A  philosopher  has 
no  demon-Hrative  arguments  to  support  the   one- 
half  of  the  opinions  he  has  formed,  in  relation 
to  the  phenomena  of  human  society,  and  of  the 
material  world.     His  deductions  respecting  the 
causes  of  the  winds,  of  thunder  and  lightning,  of 
volcanic  eruptions,  of  the  nature  of  light,  sound, 
electricity,  galvanism,  and  other  operations  in 
the  system  of  nature,  are  grounded  on  that  spe- 
cies of   reasoning  which  is  termed  analogical, 
atid  which,   at  best,  amounts  to  nothing  more 
than  a  high   dcoree  of  probability.      Notwith- 
standing, he  feels  no  hesitation  in   prosecuting 
his  experiments  and  researches,  under  the  gui- 
dance of  such  reasoning,  confident  that  it  will  ul- 
timately lead  him  to  the  innermost  recesses  of  the 
temple  of  truth ;    for  we  know,  that  the  most 
splendid  discoveries  of  modern  times,  have  ori- 
ginated from   inquiries    and   observations,  con- 
ducted on  the  ground  of  analogical  reasoning.  In 
like  manner,  in  the  important  subject  under  con- 
sideration, we  ought  to   be  determined   in   our 
views  and  conduct,  even  by  prohaljilities,  although 
the  arguments  adduced  should  leave  the  question 
at  issue  in  some  measure  undetermined.     For, 
if  an  eternal  world  has  a  real  existence,  we  not 
only  embrace  an  error  in  rejecting  this  idea,  but, 
by  acting  in  conformity  with  our  erroneous  con- 
ceptions, run  the  risk  of  exposing  ourselves   to 
the   most  dreadful  and  appalling  consequences. 
Whereas,  if  there  be  no  future  state,  the  belief 
of  it,  accomiianied  with  a  corresponding  conduct, 
can  produce  no  bad  cfTcct  cither  upon  our  own 
minds  or  those  of  others.     On   the  contrary,  it 
would  prove  a  pleasing  illusion  during  our  pas- 
sage, through  a   world  of  physical  and  moral 


evil,  and  would  revive  the  downcast  spirit,  when 
overwhelmed  with  the  disappointments  and  sor- 
rows which  are  unavoidable  in  our  present  con-  ' 
diti(m.     So  that,  even  in  this  case,   we  might           ' 
adopt  the  sentiment  of  an  ancient  phiiosopher,* 
and  say — "  If  I  am  wrong  in  believing  that  the 
souls  of  men  are  immortal,  I   please  myself  in 
my  mistake;  nor  while  \  live  will  I  ever  choose           i 
that  this  opinion,  with  which  I  am  so  much  de-          f 
lighted,  should  be  wrested  from  me.     But  if,  at           > 
death,  I  am  to  be  annihilated,   as  some  minute           ' 
philosophers  suppose,  I  am  not  afraid  lest  those            ^ 
wise  men,  when  extinct  too,  should  laugh  at  my 
error." 

But,  if  the  arguments  we  have  brought  for- 
ward, amount,  not  only  to  bare  probability,  but  to 
morcU  certain^,  or,  at  least,  to  something  nearly 
approximating  to  moral  demonstration — if  the 
opposite  opinion  involves  a  train  of  absurdities, 
if  it  throws  a  dismal  gloom  over  the  destiny  of 
man,  and  over  the  scenes  of  the  universe,  and  if 
it  robs  the  Almighty  of  the  most  glorious  and 
distinguishing  attributes  of  his  nature — no  words 
are  sufficient  to  express  the  folly  and  inconsisten- 
cy of  the  man,  by  whatever  title  he  may  be 
distinguished,  who  is  determined  to  resist  con-  ' 

viction,  and  who  resolutely  acts,  as  if  the  idea  of 
a  future  world  were  a  mere  chimera.  To  pass 
through  life  with  indiflference  and  unconcern,  to 
overlook  the  solemn  scenes  of  the  invisible  world, 
and  to  brave  the  terrors  of  the  Almighty,  which 
may  be  displayed  in  that  state — in  the  face  of  such 
powerful  arguments  as  even  reason  can  produce 
— is  not  only  contrary  to  every  prudential  princi- 
ple of  conduct,  but  the  height  of  infatuation  and 
madness.  Such  persons  must  be  left  to  be  arou- 
sed to  consideration,  by  the  awful  conviction 
which  will  flash  upon  their  minds,  when  they  are 
transported  to  that  eternal  state  which  they  now 
disregard,  and  find  themselves  placed  at  the  bar 
of  an  almighty  and  impartial  Judge. 

Among  the  considerations  which  have  been 
adduced  to  prove  the  immortality  of  man,  I  have 
taken  no  notice  of  an  argument,  which  is  almost 
exclusively  dwelt  upon  by  some  writers,  namely, 
that  which  is  founded  on  the  immateriality  of  the 
human  soul.  I  have  declined  entering  upon  any 
illustration  of  this  topic, — 1.  Because  the  proof 
of  the  soul's  immateriality  involves  a  variety 
of  abstract  metaphysical  discussions,  and  re- 
quires replies  to  various  objections  which  have 
been  raised  against  it,  which  would  tend  only  to 
perplex  readers  endowed  with  plain  common 
sense.  2.  Because  the  doctrine  of  the  iminate- 
riality  of  the  thinking  principle,  however  clear- 
ly it  may  be  proved,  can  add  nothing  to  the  weight 
of  the  considerations  already  brought  forward  ; 
nor,  when  considered  by  itself,  can  it  afford  any 
conclusive  argument  in  favour  of  the  soul's  im- 
mortality.    It  simply  leads  us  to  this  conclusion, 


» 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  FUTURE  STATE- 


— that,  siDce  the  soul  i«  an  uncompounJed  tub- 
■tance,  it  cannot  perixh  by  a  decomposition  of 
itaparU;  and  coiiwquenily,  may  exist,  in  a  sc> 
paialo  male,  in  the  full  exercise  of  its  powers,  aP- 
tor  ill  corporeal  tenement  is  dissolved.  But  ita 
immortality  cannot  necessarily  be  inferred  from 
its  natural  capacity  of  oxisting  in  a  siain  of  se- 
pvation  from  the  body  ;  for  that  being  who  crea- 
ted it  may,  if  he  pleases,  reduce  it  to  annihilation, 
since  all  the  works  of  God,  whether  material  or 
immaterial,  depend  wholly  on  that  power  by  which 
they  were  originally  brought  into  existence.  Its 
immortality  depends  solely  on  the  will  of  its  Cre- 
ator, without  whose  sustaining  energy  the  whole 
creation  would  sink  into  its  original  nothing.  If 
it  could  be  proved  that  God  will  employ  his 
power  to  annihilate  the  soul,  in  vain  should  we  at- 
tempt  to  demonstrate  that  it  is  naturally  immor- 
tal. But  whether  God  taiUt  that  the  soul  should 
be  destroyed  at  death,  is  a  very  different  quest  ion 
from  that  which  relates  to  its  nature  as  an  imma- 
terial substattce.  The  whole  train  of  argument 
iUustiated  in  the  preceding  pages,  affords,  I  pre- 
aome,  satisfactory  evidence  that  the  Cieator  will 
never  annihilate  the  human  soul,  but  has  destined 
it  to  remain  in  the  vigorous  exercise  of  its  noble 
faculties  to  all  eternity. 

Hence  it  follows,  that  it  is  a  matter  of  trivial 
importance,  when  considering  the  arguments 
which  prove  our  immortal  dealiny,  whether  we 
Tiew  the  soul  as  a  material,  or  as  an  imTnaterial 
■ubstance.  Suppose  I  were  to  yield  to  the  scep- 
tic, for  a  moment,  the  position,  "  that  the  soul 
is  a  material  substance,  and  cannot  exist  but  in 
eonnexion  with  a  material  frame,"  what  would 
he  gain  by  the  concession?  It  would  not  sub- 
tract a  single  atom  from  the  weight  of  evidence 
which  has  already  been  brought  forward  to  prove 
the  immoriality  of  man.  For,  if  we  can  prove 
that  God  has  willed  the  immortality  of  the  soul 
and,  consequently,  has  determined  to  interpose 
his  almighty  power,  in  order  to  support  its  fa- 
culties throughout  an  eternal  existence,  in  vain 
shall  he  have  proved  that  it  is  not  immortal  in 
its  nature.    He  who  created  the  human  soul  and 


endued  it  with  so  many  noble  faculties,  can  coo* 
tinue  it4  exisieiKo,  through  an  unlimited  extent 
of  duration,  in  a  thousand  modes  incomprehen- 
sible to  us.  If  a  material  lystero  of  organira' 
powers  be  necessary  for  the  exercise  of  its  en- 
ergies, he  can  either  clothe  it  with  a  fine  eth^ 
real  vehicle,  at  the  moment  its  present  tenement 
is  dissolved,  or  connect  it,  in  another  region  ot 
the  universe,  wild  a  corporeal  frame  of  more  ex- 
quisite workmanship,  analogous  to  that  which 
it  now  animates.  For  any  thing  we  know  to 
the  contrary,  there  may  be  some  fine  material 
system,  with  which  it  is  essentially  connected, 
and  which  goes  off  with  it  at  death,  and  serves 
as  a  medium  through  which  it  may  hold  a  direct 
communication  with  the  visible  universe.  Even 
although  its  consciousness  of  existence  were  to 
be  suspended  for  thousands  of  years,  its  Creator 
can  afterwards  invest  it  with  a  new  organical 
frame,  suited  to  the  expansive  sphere  of  action 
to  which  it  is  destined  ;  and  the  intervening  pe- 
riod of  its  repose  may  be  made  to  a|>pear  no 
longer  than  the  lapse  of  a  few  momentit.  la 
short,  if  God  has  sustained  the  material  universe 
hitherto,  and  will,  in  all  probability,  continue  it 
for  ever  in  existence,  so  that  not  a  single  atom 
now  existing,  shall  at  any  future  period  be  anni- 
hilated— the  same  Power  and  Intelligence  can, 
with  equal  ease,  support  the  thinking  principle 
in  man,  whatever  niav  be  its  nature  or  substance, 
and  however  varied  the  transformations  through 
which  it  may  pass.  If  the  Creator  is  both  able 
and  willing  to  perpetuate  the  existence  of  the 
rational  spirit  through  an  endless  duration,  and 
if  his  wisdom,  benevolence  and  rectitude  require 
that  this  object  should  be  accomplished,  all  diffi-° 
cultics  arising  from  its  nature  or  ihe  mode  of  its 
subsistence,  must  at  once  evanish.  The  pro- 
ceding  arguments  in  support  of  a  future  state, 
are,  therefore,  equally  conclusive,  whether  wo 
consider  the  soul  as  a  pure  immaterial  substance, 
or  as  only  a  peculiar  modification  of  matter  :  so 
that  the  sceptic  who  adopts  the  absurd  idea  of  the 
materiality  of  mmd,  cannot,  even  on  this  ground 
invalidate  the  truth  of  man's  eternal  destination. 


CHAPTER  II. 

PROOFS  OP  A  FUTDRE  STATE  FROM  DIVINE  REVELATION. 


The  evidences  of  a  future  state,  which  we 
have  endi^avourcd,  in  the  preceding  pages,  to  in- 
vestigate on  the  principles  of  human  reason,  are 
amply  confirmed  and  illustrated  in  the  Revela- 
tion contained  in  the  Sacred  Scriptures.  Ii  is 
one  of  the  distinguishing  characteristics  of  that 
revelation,  that,  in  every  important  point,  it 
harmonizi;s  with  the  deductions  of  sound  reason, 
and  the  principles  of  common  sense.  This  was 
naturally  to  be  presumed ;  since  God  is  the  au- 
thor both  of  the  reasoning  faculty,  and  of  the 
declarations  contained  in  the  volume  of  inspi- 
ration ;  and  this  consideration  forms  a  strong 
presumptive  argument  in  support  of  the  divine 
authority  of  the  Scriptures,  and  should  excite  us 
to  receive,  with  cordial  veneration  and  esteem, 
a  revelation  which  confirms  the  law  of  nature, 
and  is  cong  nial  to  the  sentiments  of  the  wisest 
and  tlie  best  of  mankind  in  all  ages.  If  any 
serious  inaiiirer,  who  had  entertained  doubts 
on  this  subject,  has  been  led  to  a  conviction 
of  the  reality  of  his  immortal  destiny,  by  such 
arguments  as  the  preceding,  he  will  naturally  re- 
sort to  the  Sacred  Records  for  more  full  informa- 
tion on  this  important  point;  and  I  should  have 
no  fear  of  any  one  remaining  long  an  enemy  of 
Revelation,  when  once  a  powerful  conviction  of 
a  future  state  has  been  deeply  impressed  on  his 
mind.  If  a  man  is  fully  convinced  that  he  is 
standing  every  moment  on  the  verge  of  an  eter- 
nal stale,  he  cannot  but  feel  anxious  to  acquire 
the  most  correct  information  that  can  be  obtained 
respecting  ihat  world  which  is  to  constitute  his 
everlasting  abode  ;  and  if  he  is  altogether  care- 
less and  insensible  in  this  respect,  it  is  quite 
clear,  that  he  has  no  thorough  conviction  of  the 
realities  of  a  life  to  come. 

The  Christian  Revelation  has  "brought  life 
and  immortality  to  light,"  not  so  much  on  ac- 
count of  the  express  assurance  it  gives  of  the 
reality  of  a  future  world,  but  chiefly,  as  it  clear- 
ly exhibits  the  nature  and  the  employments  of 
that  stale,  its  endless  duration,  the  ground  on 
which  we  cm  expect  happiness  in  it,  and  the 
dispositions  and  virtues  which  qualify  us  for 
relishing  its  exercises  and  enjoying  its  felicities; 
and  particularly,  as  it  opens  to  our  view  the  glo- 
rious scene  of  a  "  resurrection  from  the  dtad," 
and  the  re-union  of  soul  and  body  in  the  aaaii* 
sigBS  «f  bliss. 


In  illustrating  this  topic,  it  would  be  quite  un- 
necessary to  enter  into  any  lengthened  details. 
When  the  divine  authority  of  the  Scriptures 
is  recoonised,  a  single  proposition  or  assertion, 
when  it  is  clear  and  express,  is  sufficient  to  de- 
termine the  reality  of  any  fact,  or  the  truth  of 
any  doctrine  ;  and  therefore,  I  shall  do  little 
more  than  bring  forward  a  few  passages  bearing 
on  the  point  under  consideration,  and  inter- 
sperse some  occasional  remarks.  As  some  have 
called  in  question  the  position,  "  that  the  doc- 
trine of  a  future  state  was  known  to  the  Jews," 
I  shall,  in  the  first  place,  bring  forward  a  few  pas- 
sages and  considerations  to  show  that  the  doctrine 
of  immortality  was  recognised  under  the  Jewish 
as  well  as  under  the  Christian  dispensations. 

As  the  belief  of  a  future  slate  lies  at  the  very 
foundation  of  religion,  it  is  impossible  to  suppose, 
that  a  people  whom  the  Almighty  had  chosen  to 
be  his  worshippers,  and  the  depositories  of  hia 
revealed  will,  should  have  remained* ignorant  of 
this  interesting  and  fundamental  truth,  and  have 
had  their  views  confined  solely  to  the  fleeting 
scenes  of  the  present  world.  "  Faith,"  says 
Paul,  in  his  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  "  is  the 
confident  expectation  of  things  hoped  for,  and 
the  conviction  of  things  not  seen."*  It  includes 
a  belief  in  the  existence  of  God,  and  of  the  re- 
wards of  a  life  to  come :  for,  says  the  sama 
apostle,  "  He  that  comeih  to  God  must  believe 
that  he  is,  and  that  he  is  the  rewarder  of  them 
that  diligently  seek  him."  Having  stated  these 
principles,  he  proceeds  to  show,  that  the  ancient 
patriarchs  were  animated  in  all  their  services  by 
their  conviction  of  the  realities  of  a  future  and 
invisible  world.  With  respect  to  Abraham  ho 
informs  us,  that  "  he  expected  a  city  which  had 
foundations,  whose  builder  and  maker  is  God." 
He  obtained  no  such  city  in  the  earthly  Canaan; 
and  therefore  we  must  necessarily  suppose,  that 
his  views  were  directed  to  mansions  of  perpetui- 
ty beyond  the  confines  of  the  present  world. 
With  respect  to  Moses,  he  says,  that  under  all 
his  persecutions  and  afflictions,  "  he  endured  as 
seeing  Him  who  is  invisible;  for  he  had  a  re- 
spect to  the  recompense  of  reward."  That  re- 
ward did  not  consist  in  temporal  grandeur,  other* 
wise,  he  might  have  enjoyed  it  in  much  mors 

*  Doddridge's  Tnuislatioa  of  Heb.  jL  1. 


54 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


■plendnur  and  Mcurity  in  E|;ypt,  •«  the  son  of 
.  Pharauh'a  daii|^hif r ;  nor  did  it  consi.nt  in  tlie 
poaaeaaion  of  Canaan,  (or  he  waa  not  permitted 
to  enter  into  thai  goodly  land.  It  must,  there- 
fore, have  been  the  celesiial  inheritance  to  which 
the  eye  of  hia  faith  looked  forward,  as  the  object 
of  hia  joyful  aiitinpaiion.  With  regard  to  all 
the  other  |iatriarch8  whose  names  ttand  high  on 
the  records  of  the  Old-Teslamenl  Church,  he 
declarer,  that  "  they  confessed  that  they  were 
Stranger!)  and  pilgrims  on  earth,"  that  "  they  de- 
clared plainly  that  they  sought  a  better  country, 
that  is,  an  heavenly  ;"  and  that  those  who  "  were 
tortured"  to  induce  them  to  renounce  their  re- 
ligion, endured  their  sufferings  with  invincible 
fortitude,  "  no<  accepting  deliverance"  when  it 
waa  offered  them,  "  that  they  might  obtain  a  bet- 
ter retwrrertion." 

In  accordance  with  theae  declarations,  the 
prophets,  in  many  parts  of  their  writings,  speak 
decisively  of  their  expectations  of  a  future  life, 
and  of  the  consolation  the  prospect  of  it  afTurded 
them,  under  their  sufferings.  "  As  for  me," 
says  the  Psalmist,  *'  I  shall  behold  thy  face  in 
righteo«i»ne.ss  ;  I  shall  be  satisfied  when  I  awake 
with  thy  likeness."  "  My  flesh  shall  rest  in 
hope  ;  for  thou  wilt  not  leave  my  soul  in  the 
grave.  Thou  wilt  show  me  the  path  of  life  :  in 
thy  presence  is  fulness  of  joy  ;  at  thy  right  hand 
are  pleasures  for  evermore."  "  Yea,  though  I 
walk  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death, 
I  will  fear  no  evil ;  for  thou  art  with  me.  Surely 
goodness  and  mercy  will  follow  me  all  the  days 
of  my  life,  and  I  shall  dwell  in  the  house  of  the 
Lard  for  ever."  "  God  will  redeem  my  soul 
trom  the  grave  ;  for  he  will  receive  me.*'  "  Whom 
have  I  in  heaven  but  thee  ?  and  thi-re  is  none 
upon  earth  that  I  desire  besides  thee.  Thou 
wilt  guide  me  with  thy  counsel,  and  aflerward 
receive  me  to  glory.  My  flesh  and  my  heart 
shall  fail ;  but  God  is  the  strength  of  my  heart 
and  my  portion  for  ever."  Nothing  can  be  more 
clear  and  express  than  such  declarations.  If  the 
psalmist  had  no  belief  in  a  future  state,  and  no 
hopes  of  enjoying  its  felicities,  after  the  termi- 
nation of  his  earthly  pilgrimage,  his  language  is 
abaolutely  without  meaning.  What  rational  in- 
terpretation can  be  given  to  the  expressions  of 
"  dwelling  in  the  house  of  God  for  ever,"  after 
his  days  on  earth  are  numbered— of  "  Jehovah 
being  his  everlasting  portion,"  afiei  his  heart  had 
ceased  to  beat— and  of  his  being  "  redeemed  from 
the  grave,"  and  put  in  poaaeaaion  of  "  fulness  of 
Joy,  and  "  everlasting  pleasures," — if  his  views 
were  confined  to  the  narrow  limiu  of  time,  and 
the  boundaries  of  the  earthly  Canaan  ?  Such 
expressions  wouU  be  a  species  of  bombast  and 
hyperbole  altogether  inconaistent  with  the  dig- 
nity and  veracity  of  an  inspired  writer. 

Job,  that  illustrious  example  of  patience  under 
affliction,  conaoled  his  spirit  in  the  midst  of  ad- 
rersity  by  the  hopes  he  entertained  of  a  blessed 


immortality.  "  I  know,"  says  he,  "  that  my 
Kndeenier  livelh,  and  that  he  shall  stand  at  th« 
latter  day  upon  the  earth  :  and ,  aAer  I  awake, 
though  this  body  khall  be  destroyed,  yet  out  of 
my  flesh  shall  I  see  God."  In  various  other  pas* 
sages  of  the  prophets,  not  only  a  future  atate, 
but  a  resurrection  from  the  grave  and  the  aolem 
nities  of  the  day  of  judgment  are  plainly  inti« 
mated.  "  The  dead  men  shall  live,  together 
with  my  dead  body  shall  they  rise.  Awake  and 
sing,  ye  that  dwell  in  dust ;  for  thy  dew  is  aathe 
dew  of  herbs,  and  the  earth  shall  cast  out  the 
dead."  "  Rejoice,  O  young  man,  in  thy  yooth, 
and  walk  in  the  ways  of  thy  heart,  and  in  the 
sight  of  thine  eyea :  but  know  thou,  that  lor  all 
these  things  God  will  bring  thee  into  judgment." 
"  For  God  shall  bring  every  work  into  judgment, 
with  every  secret  thing,  whether  it  be  good,  or 
whether  it  be  evil."  "  Many  of  them  that  sleep 
in  the  dust  of  the  earth  shall  awake,  some  to 
everlasting  life,  and  some  to  shame  and  ever- 
lasting contempt.  And  they  that  be  wise  shall 
shine  as  the  brightness  of  the  hrniament ;  and 
they  that  turn  many  to  righteouanesa  as  the  stars 
for  ever  and  ever." 

One  reason,  among  others,  why  the  doctrine 
of  a  future  state  is  not  frequently  adverted  to, 
and  treated  in  detail,  in  the  writings  of  the  Okl 
Testament,  undoubtedly  is,  that  it  was  a  truth 
so  well  understood,  so  generally  recognised,  and 
so  essential  to  the  very  idea  of  religion,  that  it 
would  have  been  superfluous  to  have  dwell  upon 
it  in  deiail,  or  to  have  brought  it  forward  as  a 
new  discovery.  This  doctrine  is  implied  in  the 
phraseology  of  the  Old  Testament,  in  many  cases 
where  there  is  no  direct  reference  to  a  future 
world,  as  in  such  passages  as  the  following:  "  I 
am  the  God  of  thy  father,  the  God  of  Abraham, 
the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of  Jacob  :"  Ex- 
od.  iii.  6.  Our  Saviour  has  taught  us  to  consi- 
der this  and  similar  passages  as  embodying  the 
doctrine  of  a  future  life.  "  For  God  is  not  the 
God  of  the  dead,  but  of  the  living."  If  the  holy 
patriarchs  whose  names  are  here  commeroo* 
rated  with  so  much  honour,  were  reduced  to  the 
condition  of  the  clods  of  the  valley,  and  if  their 
intellectual  part  were  not  in  existence,  Jehovah 
would  never  own  the  high  relation  of  a  God  to 
those  whom  he  has  finally  abandoned,  and  suP. 
fered  to  sink  into  non-existence.  Consequently, 
Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob  were  living  and  in* 
telligent  beings,  in  another  slate,  when  this  de- 
claration was  made  to  Moses  at  the  burning  bush. 
The  phrase,  "  He  was  gathered  to  his  people," 
implies  a  similar  sentiment.  In  Gen.  xxv.  it  is 
said,  "  Abraham  gave  up  the  ghost,  and  was 
gathered  to  hi*  people."  This  expression  is  not 
to  be  viewed  as  importing  that  he  was  buried 
with  his  fathers  ;  for  the  fathers  of  Abraham  were 
buried  several  hundreds  of  miles  from  the  cave 
of  Machpclah,  in  which  Abraham'a  mortal  re- 
mains were  deposited, — some  of  them  in  lb* 


PKOOFS  FROM  DIVINE  REVELATION. 


55 


land  of  Chaldea,  and  some  of  them  in  the  country 
of  Mesopotamia,  which  lay  at  a  considerable 
distance  from  the  land  of  Canaan.  The  true 
meaning  must  therefore  be,  that  he  was  "  ga- 
thered" to  the  assembly  of  the  righteous,  to  the 
blessed  society  of  those  congenial  spirits,  emi- 
nent f )r  their  piety,  who  had  passed  before  him 
into  the  invisible  world.  Hence,  says  the  Psal- 
mist, "  Gather  not  my  soul  with  sinners." — 
Hence,  says  Job,  when  describing  the  miseries 
of  the  wicked,  "  The  rich  man  shall  lie  down" 
in  the  grave,  "but  he  shall  not  be  gathered;" 
and  the  prophet,  when  personating  the  Messiah, 
declares,  "  Though  Israel  be  not  gathered,  yet 
shall  I  be  glorious  in  the  eyes  of  Jehovah." 

These  remarks  may  suffice  to  show,  tlwit  the 
doctrine  of  a  future  state  was  known,  and  gene- 
rally recognised,  by  the  venerable  patriarchs  and 
other  illustrious  characters  that  flourished  under 
the  Jewish  dispensation. 

That  this  doctrine  is  exhibited  in  the  clearest 
light  in  the  Christian  Revelation,  has  never  been 
disputed,  by  any  class  of  religionists,  nor  even 
by  infidels  themselves.  In  this  revelation,  how- 
ever, the  doctrine  of  immortality  is  not  attempted 
to  be  proved  by  any  laboured  arguments  or  su- 
pernatural evidences,  nor  is  it  brought  forward 
as  a  new  discovery.  It  is  evidently  taken  for 
granted,  and  incidentally  interwoven  through  all 
the  discourses  of  our  Saviour  and  his  apos- 
tles, as  a  truth  which  lies  at  the  foundation  of 
religion,  and  which  never  ought  for  a  moment 
to  be  called  in  question.  In  elucidating  this  to- 
pic, it  will  be  quite  sufficient  simply  to  quote  a 
few  passages  from  the  New-Testament  writers. 

Paul,  when  looking  forward  to  the  dissolution 
of  his  mortal  frame,  declares,  in  his  own  name, 
and  in  the  name  of  all  Christians — "  Our  light 
affliction,  which  is  but  (or  a  moment,  worketh 
out  (i)r  us  a  far  more  exceeding  and  eternal 
weight  of  glory ;  while  we  aim  not  at  things 
which  are  visible,  but  at  those  which  are  invisi- 
ble ;  for  the  things  which  are  visible  are  tempo- 
rary, but  those  which  are  invisible  are  eternal. 
For  we  know,  that,  if  this  earthly  house  of  our 
tabernacle  were  dissolved,  we  have  a  building  of 
God,  an  house  not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in 
the  heavens."  When  the  time  of  his  departure 
from  the  body  was  at  hand,  he  declared,  "  I  have 
fought  the  good  fight,  I  have  finished  my  course, 
I  have  kept  the  faith  :  henceforth  there  is  laid  up 
for  me  a  crown  of  righteousness,  which  the  right- 
eous Judge  shall  give  me  at  that  day  ;  and  not  to 
me  only,  but  to  all  them  that  love  his  appearing." 
The  ap-.)stle  Peter  declares,  that  believers  "  are 
regenerated  to  the  lively  hope  of  an  inheritance 
incorruptible,  undefiled,  and  that  fadelh  not  away, 
reserved  in  heaven  for  them."  "  When  the  chief 
Shepherd  shall  appear,  we  shall  receive  a  crown 
of  glory,  which  fadeth  not  away."  Our  Saviour 
declares,  in  reference  to  his  servants,  "  I  give 
onto  them  eternal  life,  and  they  shall  never  per- 


ish." "  In  my  Father's  house  are  many  man- 
sions:  if  it  were  not  so  I  would  have  told  you. 
I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you.  And  I  will  come 
attain,  and  receive  you  to  myself,  that  where  I 
am  there  you  may  be  also."  And  again,  "  Many 
shall  come  from  the  east  and  the  west,  and  shall 
sit  down  with  Abraham,  and  Isaac,  and  Jacob, 
in  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  '•  Then  shall  the 
righteous  shine  forth  as  the  sun  in  the  kingdom 
of  their  Father." 

While  these  ai»d  similar  passages  clearly  de- 
monstrate the  certainty  of  an  eternal  world,  and 
the  future  happiness  of  the  righteous — the  apos- 
tles and  evangelists  are  equally  explicit  in  as- 
serting the  future  misery  of  the  wicked.  "  The 
unrighteous  shall  not  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God," 
but  "  shall  goawav  into  everlasting  punishment." 
"  The  Lord  Jesus  shall  be  revealed  from  heaven, 
with  his  mighty  angels,  in  flaming  fire,  taking  ven- 
geance on  them  them  that  know  not  God,  and  who 
obey  not  the  Gospel :  who  shall  be  punished  with 
everlasting  destruction  from  the  presence  of  the 
Lord,  und  from  the  glory  of  his  power."  "  At 
the  end  of  the  worW,  the  angels  shall  come  forth 
and  sever  the  wicked  from  among  the  just,  and 
shall  cast  them  into  a  furnace  of  fire,  where  shall 
be  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth."  "  The  fear- 
ful and  unbelieving,  and  murderers,  and  whore- 
mongers, andsorcerers,and  idolaters,  and  all  liars', 
shall  have  their  part  in  the  lake  which  burneth 
with  fire  and  brimstone.  There  shall  in  nowise 
enter  into  the  heavenly  Jerusalem  any  thing  that 
defileth,  neither  whatsoever  workelh  abomination, 
or  maketh  a  lie." 

The  way  by  which  happiness  in  the  future  world 
maybe  obtained  is  also  clearly  exhibited.  "  Eter- 
nal life  is  the  gift  of  God,  through  Jesus  Christ 
our  Lord."  "  For  God  so  loved  the  world,  that 
he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever 
believeth  in  him  should  not  perish  but  have  ever- 
lasting life."  "This  is  the  record,  that  God 
hath  given  to  us  eternal  life,  and  this  life  is  in 
his  son."  "  The  God  of  all  grace  hath  called 
us  unto  his  eterr>al  glory  by  Christ  Jesus." — The 
dispositions  of  those  on  whom  this  happiness  will 
be  conferred,  and  the  train  of  action  which  pre- 
pares us  for  the  enjoyment  of  eternal  bliss,  are 
likewise  distinctly  described.  "  Whatsoever  a 
man  soweth,  that  shall  he  also  reap.  He  that 
soweth  to  the  flesh,  shall  of  the  flesh  reap  cor- 
ruption ,  but  he  that  soweth  to  the  spirit,  shall  of 
the  spirit  reap  life  everlasting."  "To  them  who, 
by  patient  continuance  in  well-doing,  seek  for 
glory,  honour,  and  immortality,  God  will  recom- 
pense eternal  life."  "  The  pure  in  heart  shall 
see  God."  "  He  that  doeth  the  will  of  God  abi- 
deth  for  ever."  "Him  that  overcometh  will  I 
make  a  pillar  in  the  temple  of  my  God,  and  he 
shall  go  no  more  out."  "  Blessed  are  they  that 
do  his  commandments,  that  they  may  have  a  right 
to  the  tree  of  life,  and  may  enter  through  the  gales 
into  the  city." 


56 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


The  nature  of  the  heavenly  felicity,  and  the 
employment!)  of  the  future  world,  are  likewise  in- 
oidonialiy  s'aied  and  illustrated.  The  founda- 
tion of  happiness  in  that  state  is  declared  to  con- 
list  in  p-jrfLTt  freedom  from  moral  impurity,  and 
in  the  attainment  of  moral  perfection.  "  No  one 
who  worketh  abomination  can  enter  the  gates  of 
he  New  Jerusalem."  "  Christ  Jesus  gave  him- 
self for  the  church,  that  he  might  sanctify  and 
cleanse  it,  and  that  hu  might  present  it  to  himself 
a  glorious  church,  holy,  and  without  blemish." 
The  honour  which  awaits  the  faithful,  in  the  hea- 
venly workl,  is  designated  "  a  crown  of  righUoua- 
neu."  The  inheritance  to  which  they  are  desti- 
ned is  declared  lobe  "iindefiled"  with  moral 
pollution  ;  and  it  is  "  an  inheritance  among  them 
that  are  tanct\fied."  "  When  Christ,  who  is  our 
life,  shall  appear,"  Rays  the  Apostle  John,  "  uie 
$haU  be  like  him"  adorned  with  all  the  beauties 
of  holiness  which  he  displayed  on  earth  as  our 
pattern  and  exemplar.  The  employment*  of  that 
world  are  represented  as  consisting  in  adoration 
of  the  Creator  of  the  universe,  in  the  celebration 
of  his  praises,  in  the  contemplaiiun  of  his  works, 
and  in  those  active  services,  flowing  from  ihe 
purest  love,  which  have  a  tendency  to  promote  the 
harmony  and  felicity  of  the  intelligent  creation. 
•'  I  beheld."  said  John,  when  a  vision  of  the 
future  world  wa?  presented  to  his  view,  "  and,  lo, 
a  great  multitude,  which  no  man  could  number, 
of  all  nations,  and  kindreds,  and  people,  and 
tonvues,  stood  before  the  throne,  clothed  in  white 
robes,  crying  ivith  a  loud  voice,  Salvation  to  our 
God  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  unto  the 
Lamb.  Blessing,  and  glory,  and  wisdom,  and 
thanksgiving,  and  honour,  and  power,  be  ascribed 
to  our  Gtxl  forever  and  ever."  That  the  con- 
templation of  the  works  of  God  is  one  leading 
part  of  the  exercises  of  the  heavenlyiinhabitanis, 
appears,  from  the  scene  presentAl,  lo-the  same 
apostle,  in  another  vision,  where  the  same  celes- 
tial c>ioir  are  represented  as  falling  down  before 
Him  thai  sat  on  the  throne,  and  saying,  "  Thou 
art  worthy,  O  Lord,  to  receive  glory,  and  honour, 
and  power;  for  thou  hast  created  all  things,  and 
for  thy  pleasure  they  are,  and  were  created." 
SiKh  sublime  adorations  and  ascriptions  of  praise, 
are  the  natural  results  of  their  profound  investi- 
gations of  the  wonderful  works  of  God.  In 
accordance  with  the  exercises  of  these  holy  intel- 
ligences, another  chorus  of  the  celestial  inhabi- 
tants is)  exhibited  as  singing  I  he  song  of  Moses, 
the  servant  of  God,  and  the  song  of  the  Lamb, 
saying,  "  Great  and  maivellous  are  thy  works. 
Lord  God  Almighty,  just  and  true  are  thy  ways, 
tbou  King  of  saints." 

The  resurrection  of  the  body  to  an  immortal 
life,  IS  also  declared,  in  the  plainest  and  most 
decisive  language.  This  is  one  of  the  peculiar 
discpveriea  of  Revelation;  for,  although  the 
ancient  sage*  of  the  heathen  world  generally 
admitted  the  immortality  of  the  aoul,  they  seem 


never  to  have  formed  the  moet  distant  conception, 
that  the  bodies  of  men,  after  putrefying  in  the 
grave,  would  ever  be  reanimated  ;  and  hence, 
when  Paul  declared  thii>  doctrine  to  the  Athenian 
philosophers,  he  was  pronounced  to  be  a  babbler. 
This  sublime  and  consoling  truth,  however,  is 
put  beyond  all  doubt  by  our  Saviour  and  his 
apostles.—''  The  hour  is  coming,"  says  Jesus, 
"  when  all  that  are  in  the  graves  shall  hear  the 
voice  of  the  Son  of  God,  and  shall  come  forth: 
they  that  have  done  goo<l.  to  the  resurrection  of 
life  ;  and  they  that  have  done  evil,  to  the  resur- 
rection of  comiemnation."  "  I  am  the  resurrec- 
tion and  the  life  :  he  that  believelh  in  me,  though 
he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live."  "  Why  should 
it  be  thought  a  thing  incredible  that  God  should 
raise  the  dead  ?"  "  We  look  for  the  Saviour, 
who  shall  change  our  vile  body,  that  it  may  be 
fashioned  like  unto  his  glorious  body,  according 
to  the  energy  by  which  he  is  able  even  to  sub- 
due all  things  to  himself"  "  We  shall  all  be 
changed,  in  a  moment,  in  the  twinklmg  of  an 
eye,  at  the  last  trump ;  for  the  trumpet  shall 
sound,  and  the  dead  shall  be  raised  incorruptible, 
and  we  shall  be  changed." — The  nature  of  this 
change,  and  the  qualitie*  of  the  resurrection- 
body,  are  likewise  particularly  described  by  Paul 
in  the  fifteenth  chapter  of  the  first  epistle  to  the 
Corinthians.  "  It  is  sown,"  or  committed  to 
the  grave  "  in  corruption  ;  it  is  raised  in  incor- 
ruption" — liable  no  more  to  decay,  disease  and 
death,  but  immortal  as  its  Creator.  "  It  is  raised 
in  Power," — endued  with  strength  and  vigour 
incapable  of  being  weakened  or  exhausted,  and 
fitted  to  accompany  the  mind  in  its  most  vigor- 
ous activities. — "It  is  raised  in  glory" — destined 
to  flourish  in  immortal  youth  and  beauty,  and 
arrayed  in  a  splendour  similar  to  that  which 
appeared  on  the  body  of  Christ  when  "  his  face 
did  shine  as  the  sun,  and  his  raiment  became 
while  and  glittering." — "  It  is  raised  a  $pirUual 
body" — refined  to  the  highest  pilch  of  which 
matter  is  susceptible,  capable  of  llie  most  vi- 
gorous exertions  and  of  the  swiftest  movements, 
endued  with  organs  of  perception  of  a  more  ex- 
quisite and  siibiin>e  nature  than  those  with  which 
it  is  now  furnished,  and  fitted  lo  act  as  a  suitable 
vehicle  for  the  soul  in  all  its  celestial  services 
and  sublime  investigations. 

Such  is  a  brief  summary  of  the  disclneures 
which  the  Christian  Revelation  has  made 
respecting  the  eternal  destiny  of  mankind — s 
subject  of  infinite  importance  lo  every  rational 
being — a  subject  of  ineffable  sublimity  and 
grandeur,  which  throws  into  the  rliade  the  most 
impoitant  transactions,  and  the  must  splendid 
pageantry  of  this  sublunary  scene— a  subject 
which  should  be  interwoven  with  all  our  plarm, 
pursuits  and  social  intercourses,  and  which 
ought  never  for  a  moment  to  be  baiiinhed  from 
our  thoughts. — I  shall,  therefore,  conclude  this 
department  of  my  subject  with  a  icmark  or  twc 


PROOFS  FROM  DIVINE  REVELATION, 


57 


ON  THE  PRACTICAL  INFLUENCE  WHICH  THE 
DOCTRINE  OF  A  FUTURE  STATE  OUGHT  TO 
HAVE  OPON  OUR  AFFECTIONS  AND  CON- 
DUCT. 

When  we  look  around  us  on  tne  busy  scene  of 
numan  life,  and  especially  when  we  contemplate 
the  bustle  and  pageantry  which  appear  in  a 
populous  city,  we  can  scarcely  help  concluding, 
that  the  great  majority  of  human  beings  that 
pass  in  review  before  us,  are  acting  as  if  the 
present  world  were  their  everlasting  abode,  and 
as  if  they  had  no  relation  to  an  invisible  state  of 
existence.  Toindulge  in  sensual  gral ideations, 
to  acquire  power,  wealth  and  fame,  to  gratify 
vanity,  ambition  and  pride,  to  amuse  themselves 
with  pictures  of  fancy,  with  fantastic  exhibitions, 
theatrical  scenes  and  vain  shows, and  to  endeavour 
to  banish  every  thought  of  death  and  eternity 
from  the  mind,  appear  to  be  in  their  view  the 
great  and  ultimate  ends  of  existence.  This  is 
the  case,  not  merely  of  those  who  openly  avow 
themselves  "  men  of  the  world,"  and  call  in 
question  the  reality  of  a  future  existence ;  but 
also  of  thousands  who  regularly  frequent  our 
worshipping  assemblies,  and  profess  their  belief 
in  the  realities  of  an  eternal  state.  They  listen 
to  the  doctrines  of  eternal  life,  and  of  future 
punishment,  without  attempting  to  question 
either  their  reality  or  their  importance,  but  as 
soon  as  they  retire  from  "  the  place  of  the 
lioly,"  and  mingle  in  the  social  circle,  and  the 
bustle  of  business,  every  impression  of  invisible 
realities  evanishes  from  their  minds,  as  if  it  had 
been  merely  a  dream  or  a  vision  of  the  night. 
To  cultivate  the  intellectual  faculties,  to  aspire 
after  moral  excellence,  to  devote  the  active 
powers  to  the  glory  of  the  Creator,  and  the  bene- 
fit of  mankind  ;  to  live  as  strangers  and  pilgrims 
upon  earth,  to  consider  the  glories  of  this  world 
as  a  transient  scene  that  will  soon  pass  away, 
and  to  keep  the  eye  constantly  fixed  on  the  reali- 
ties of  an  immortal  life — are  characteristics  of 
only  a  comparatively  small  number  of  indivi- 
duals scattered  amidst  the  swarming  population 
ar  )und  us,  who  are  frequently  regarded  by  their 
fellows  as  a  mean-spirited  and  ignoble  race  of 
beings.  Though  death  is  making  daily  havoc 
around  them,  though  their  friends  and  relatives 
are,  year  after  year,  dropping  into  the  grave, 
though  poets  and  orators,  princes  and  philoso- 
phers, slatesmen  and  stage-players,  are  continu- 
ally disappearing  from  the  living  world  ;  though 
sickness  and  disease  are  raging  around  and  lay- 
ing their  victims  of  every  age  prostrate  in  the 
dust,  and  though  they  frequently  walk  over 
5he  solemn  recesses  of  the  burying  ground,  and 
tread  upon  the  ashes  of  "the  mighty  man,  and 
the  man  of  war,  the  judge  and  the  ancient,  the 
cunning  artificer,  and  the  eloquent  orator," — yet 
tliey  prosecute  the  path  of  dissipation  and  vanity 
with  as  much  keenness  and  resolution,  as  if 
8 


every  thing  around  them  were  imchangeable,  and 
as  if  their  present  enjoyments  were  to  last 
for  ever. 

If  this  representation  be  founded  on  fact,  we 
may  assuredly  conclude,  that  the  great  bulk  of 
mankind  have  no  fixed  belief  of  the  reality  of  a 
future  world,  and  that  more  than  the  one  half  of 
those  who  profess  an  attachment  to  religion,  are 
as  little  influenced  in  their  general  conduct  by 
this  solemn  consideration,  as  if  it  were  a  matter 
of  mere  fancy,  or  of"  doubtful  disputation."  It 
is  somewhat  strange,  and  even  paradoxical,  that, 
amidst  the  never-ceasing  changes  which  are 
taking  place  among  the  liviitg  beings  aroimd  us, 
men  should  so  seldom  look  beyond  the  grave  to 
which  they  are  all  advancing,  and  so  seldom 
make  inquiries  into  the  certainty  and  the  nature 
of  that  state  into  which  the  tide  of  time  has  car- 
ried all  the  former  generations  of  mankind.  If 
a  young  man  were  made  fully  assured  that,  at 
the  end  of  two  years,  he  should  obtain  the  sove- 
reignty of  a  fertile  island  in  the  Indian  ocean, 
where  he  should  enjoy  every  earthly  pleasure  his 
heart  could  desire, — his  soul  would  naturally 
bound  at  the  prospect,  he  would  search  his  maps 
to  ascertain  the  precise  position  of  his  future 
residence,  he  would  make  inquiries  respecting  it 
at  those  travellers  who  had  either  visited  the 
spot  or  passed  near  its  confines ;  he  would  pe- 
ruse with  avidity  the  descriptions  which  geogra- 
phers have  given  of  its  natural  scenery,  its  soil 
and  climate,  its  productions  and  inhabitants;  and, 
before  his  departure,  he  would  be  careful  to  pro- 
vide every  thing  that  might  be  requisite  for  his 
future  enjoyment.  If  a  person,  when  setting  out 
on  a  journey  which  he  was  obliged  to  under- 
take, were  informed  that  his  road  lay  through  a 
dangerous  territory,  where  he  should  be  exposed, 
on  the  one  hand,  to  the  risk  of  falling  headlong 
into  unfathon^ble  gulfs,  and,  on  the  other,  to  the 
attacks  of  merciless  savages, — he  would  walk 
with  caution,  he  would  look  around  him  at  every 
step,  and  he  would  welcome  with  gratitude  any 
friendly  guide  that  would  direct  his  steps  to  the 
place  of  his  destination.  But,  in  relation  to  a  fu- 
ture and  invisible  world,  there  exist,  in  the  minds 
of  the  bulk  of  mankind,  a  most  unaccountable 
apathy  and  indifl^crence ;  and  not  only  an  indif- 
ference, but,  in  many  instances,  a  determined 
resolution  not  to  listen  to  any  thing  that  may  be 
said  respecting  it.  To  broach  the  subject  of  im- 
mortality, in  certain  convivial  circles,  would  be 
considered  as  approacliing  to  an  insult ;  and  the 
person  who  had  the  hardihood  to  do  so,  would 
be  regarded  as  a  rude,  sanctimonious  intruder 
How  unaccountably  foolish  and  preposterous  is 
such  a  conduct !  especially  when  we  consider, 
that  those  very  persons  who  seem  to  be  entirely 
regardless  whether  they  shall  sink  into  the  gulf 
of  annihilation,  or  into  the  regions  of  endless 
perduion,  will  pass  whole  days  and  nights  in 
chagrin  and  despair  for  the  loss  of  some  empiojr* 


fi8 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  FUTURE  STATt. 


Oient,  (or  >  slight  affront,  or  for  Bome  imaginary 
reflection  on  their  reputation  and  honmir ! 

Were  it  necessary  to  bring  forward  additional 
proofi  that  the  greater  part  of  mankind  have  no 
belief  in  a  future  slate,  or,  which  amounts  near- 
ly to  thu  same  thii>^,  that  it  has  ne  iniloence 
whaiever  on  the  general  lenor  of  thfir  thoughts 
and  actions — the  prominent  fcalurps  of  their  con- 
duct afford  ahundant  evidence  of  this  melancltoly 
truth.  Would  a  man,  who  firmly  believes  that 
he  is  destined  to  an  everlasting  state,  pass 
fifty  or  sixty  years  of  his  life  without  spending 
one  serious  thought  about  that  unknown  futu- 
rity into  which  he  is  soon  to  enter,  or  making 
the  least  inquiry  respecting  its  nature  and  em- 
ployments ?  Would  he  toil  from  morning  to 
night,  with  incessant  care,  to  lay  up  a  few  fleet- 
ing treasures,  and  never  spend  a  single  hour  in 
considering  what  preparations  are  requisite  for 
an  endless  existence  ?  Would  he  spurn  at  that 
book  which  has  unveiled  the  glories  and  the 
terrors  of  eternity,  and  •*  brought  life  and  immor- 
tality to  light  ?"  Would  he  sneer  at  the  person 
who  is  inquiring  the  way  to  a  blessed  immortality, 
and  count  him  as  an  enemy  when  he  wishtMi  tu 
direct  his  attention  to  the  conoems  of  an  unseen 
world?  Can  that  man  be  supposed  to  believe 
that  a  crown  of  glory  awaits  him  in  the  heavens, 
whose  whole  soul  is  absorbed  in  the  pursuits  of 
ambition,  and  who  tramples  on  every  principle 
of  truth  and  justice,  in  order  to  gain  possession 
4>f  a  post  of  opulence  and  honour?  Can  those 
parents  believe  that  in  heaven  there  is  "  a  trea- 
sure that  fadeth  not,"  while  they  teach  their 
dtildren  to  conclude,  that  the  acquisition  of  a 
fortune,  and  ihe  favor  of  the  great,  are  the  grand 
objects  to  which  they  should  aspire  ?  Can  that 
old  hoary-headed  votary  of  pleasure  consider 
himself  as  standing  on  the  verge  of  an  eternal 
world,  who  still  indulges  himself  in  all  the  fashion- 
able follies  and  frivolities  of  the  age,  and  never 
casts  an  eye  beyond  the  precincts  of  the  grave  ? 
Can  that  hard-hearted  worldling,  who  shuts  his 
•ars  at  the  cry  of  the  poor  and  needy,  and  who 
grasps  his  treasures  with  eagerness  even  amidst 
the  agonies  of  dissolution — believe  that  "  a  re- 
compense of  reward"  awaits  the  benevolent  "  at 
the  resurrection  of  the  just?"  Can  that  man 
be  impressed  with  the  solemnities  of  the  eternal 
world,  who,  the  moment  aAer  he  has  committed 
the  remains  of  a  relative  to  the  grave,  violates 
every  humane  and  friendly  feeling,  and  for  the 
sake  of  a  few  paltry  pounds  or  shillings,  deprives 
the  widow  and  the  orphan  of  every  earthly  en- 
joyment? Can  that  courtly  sycophant,  who  is 
oootinually  hunting  afier  places  and  pensions, 
ftwning  upon  his  superiors,  and  whose  whole 
lifo  is  a  continued  course  of  treachery,  adulation 
and  falsehood — believe  that  "  all  liars  shall  have 
their  portion  in  the  lake  that  bumeth  with  Are 
and  brimstone  ?"  Can  that  thoughtless  do- 
baocbee  believe  that  future  puniahotent  await*  the 


workers  of  iniquity,  who  runt  from  one  aeene  of 
dissipation  to  another,  who  wastes  his  itme  in 
folly  and  extravagance,  and  who«e  lific  is  but  one 
continued  crime  ?  Or  can  we  even  suppoae 
that  that  clergyman,  who  is  unremittingly  aspi- 
ring after  preferment,  who  is  mercilessly  fleecing 
hu  flock,  yet  neglecting  their  instruction,  ana 
engaged  in  incessant  litigations  about  some  pal- 
try tythea,  seriously  believes,  that  the  trfasiiret 
of  this  world  are  unworthy  to  bo  compared  with 
that  "  eicee<ling  great  and  eternal  weight  of  glory 
which  is  about  to  be  revealed  in  the  life  to  come?*' 
Such  conduct  plainly  indicates,  whatever  pr<^ 
fessions  certain  descriptions  of  these  charac> 
ters  may  make,  that  the  solemn  realities  of  the 
eternal  world  have  no  more  practical  influence 
on  their  minds  than  if  they  regarded  them  at 
unsubstantial  phantoms,  or  as  idle  dreams. 

The  doctrine  of  a  future  state  is  not  a  mere 
speculative  proposition,  to  serve  as  a  subject  of 
metaphysical  investigation,  or  to  be  admitted 
merely  to  complete  a  system  of  philosophical  or 
theological  belief.  It  is  a  truth  of  the  highest 
practical  imp«rtance,  which  ought  to  be  inter- 
woven with  the  whole  train  of  our  thoughts  ani. 
actions.  Yet  how  many  are  there,  even  of 
those  who  bear  the  Christian  name,  who  are 
incessantly  engaged  in  boisterous  disputes  r»> 
specting  the  nature  of  faith,  who  have  never  felt 
the  influence  of  that  faith  which  is  '•  the  confi- 
dent expectation  of  things  hoped  for,  and  the 
conviction  of  things  which  are  not  seen,"  and 
which  realizes'  to  the  mind,  as  if  actually  present, 
the  glories  of  the  invisible  world  !  If  we  really 
believe  the  doctrine  of  immortality,  it  will  mani- 
fest itself  in  our  thoughts,  affections  and  pur- 
suits. /(  wili  lead  us  to  form  a  just  estimate  of 
the  value  of  all  earthly  enjoyments.  For,  in  the 
light  of  eternity,  all  the  secular  pursuits  in  which 
men  now  engage,  appear  but  as  vanity,  and  all 
the  dazzling  objects  which  fascinate  their  eyes, 
as  fleeting  shadows.  A  realizing  view  of  an 
eternal  slate  dissipates  the  illusion  which  the 
eye  of  sense  throws  over  the  pageantry  and 
the  splendours  of  this  world,  and  leaches  la 
that  all  is  transitory  and  fadinv,  and  that  our 
most  exquisite  earthly  enjoyments  will  ere  long 
be  snatched  from  our  embrace.  For,  not  a  sin- 
gle mark  of  our  sublunary  honours,  not  a  single 
farthing  of  our  boasted  treasures,  not  a  single 
trace  of  our  splendid  possessions,  nor  a  single 
lino  of  the  beauty  of  our  persons,  can  be  carried 
along  with  us  to  the  regions  beyond  the  prava 
It  will  stimulate  us  to  set  our  affee^ona  on  things 
above,  and  to  indulge  in  heavenly  conttmplat'.ont. 
"  Where  our  treasure  is,  there  will  our  hearts 
be  also."  Rising  superior  to  the  delights  of 
sense,  and  to  the.  narrow  boundaries  of  time,  we 
will  expatiate  at  large  in  those  boundless  re- 
gions which  eye  hath  not  seen,  and  contem- 
plate, in  the  light  of  reason  and  of  revelation 
thoee  fcenea  of  felicity  and  grandeur,  which  wiS 


PROOFS  FROM  DIVINE  REVELATION. 


59 


burst  upon  the  disembodied  spirit,  when  it  has 
dropped  its  earthly  tabernacle  in  the  dust.  Like 
Seneca,  when  he  contemplated,  in  imagination, 
the  magnitude  and  beauty  of  the  orbs  of  heaven, 
we  will  look  down,  wiih  a  noble  indifference,  on 
the  earth  as  a  scarcely  distinguishable  atom,  and 
say,  "  Is  it  to  this  little  spot  that  the  great  designs 
and  vast  desires  of  men  are  confined  ?  Is  it  for 
this  there  is  such  disturbance  of  nations,  so 
much  carnage,  and  so  many  ruinous  wars  ?  O 
folly  of  deceived  men!  to  imagine  great  king- 
doms in  the  compass  of  an  atom,  to  raise  ar- 
mies to  divide  a  point  of  earth  with  their  swords  ! 
It  is  just  as  if  the  ants  should  divide  their  mole- 
hills into  provinces,  and  conceive  a  field  to  be 
several  kingdoms,  and  fiercely  contend  to  enlarge 
their  borders,  and  celebrate  a  triumph  in  gain- 
ing a  foot  of  earth,  as  a  new  province  to  their 
empire."  In  the  light  of  heaven  all  sublunary 
glories  fade  away,  and  the  mind  is  refined  and 
ennobled,  when,  with  the  eye  of  faith,  it  pene- 
trates within  the  veil,  and  describes  the  splen- 
dours of  the  heaven  of  heavens. 

Again,  if  we  believe  the  doctrine  of  immor 
tality,  we  will  be  careful  to  avoid  those  sins 
which  would  expose  us  to  misery  in  the  future 
world,  and  to  cultivate  those  dispositions  and 
virtues  which  will  prepare  us  for  the  enjoyment 
of  eternal  felicity.  Between  virtue  and  vice, 
sin  and  holiness,  there  is  an  essential  and  eter- 
nal distinction;  and  this  distinction  will  be  fully 
and  visibly  displayed  in  the  eternal  world.  He 
whose  life  is  a  continued  scene  of  vicious  m- 
dulgence,  and  who  has  devoted  himself  to  "  work 
all  manner  of  uncleanness  with  greediness,'" 
becomes,  by  such  habits,  "  a  vessel  of  wrath 
fitted  for  deitruction;"  and,  from  the  very  con- 
stitution of  things,  there  is  no  possibility  of 
escaping  misery  in  the  future  state,  if  his  exist- 
ence be  prolonged.  Whereas,  ho  who  is  de- 
voted to  the  practice  of  holiness,  who  loves  his 
Creator  with  supreme  affection,  and  his  neigh- 
bour as  himself,  who  adds  to  his  faith  "  virtue, 
knowledge,  temperance,  patience,  brotherly- 
kindness,  and  charity,"  is,  by  such  graces,  ren- 
dered fit  for  everlasting  communion  with  the 
Father  of  spirits,  and  for  delightful  association 
with  all  the  holy  intelligences  that  people  his 
immense  empire.    Again,  the  belief  of  a  future 


world  should  excite  us  to  the  exercise  of  co»i» 
tentment,  and  reconcile  our  minds  to  whatever 
privations  or  afflictions  Providence  may  allot  to  us 
in  the  present  world.  "  For  the  sufferings  ol 
the  present  lime  are  not  worthy  to  be  compared 
with  the  glory  which  is  to  be  revealed."  If  we 
believe  that  the  whole  train  of  circumstances 
connected  with  our  present  lot,  is  arranged  by 
Infinite  Wisdom  and  Benevolence,  every  thing 
that  befalls  us  here  must  have  a  certain  bearing 
on  the  future  world,  and  have  a  tendency  to 
prepare  us  for  engaging  in  its  exercises  and  for 
relishing  its  enjoyments.  In  short,  if  we  recog- 
nise the  idea  of  an  immortal  life,  we  will  endea- 
voiir  to  acquire  clear  and  comprehensive  views 
of  its  nature,  its  pleasures,  and  its  employments. 
We  will  not  rest  satisfied  with  vague  and  con- 
fused conceptions  of  celestial  bliss;  but  will  en- 
deavour to  form  as  precise  and  definite  ideas  oo 
this  subject  as  the  circumstances  of  our  sublu- 
nary station  will  permit.  We  will  search  the 
Oracles  of  Divine  Revelation,  and  the  discove- 
ries of  science,  and  endeavour  to  deduce  from 
both  the  sublimest  conceptions  we  can  form  of  the 
glories  of  that  "  inheritance  which  is  incorrupti- 
ble, undefiled,  and  that  fadeth  not  away,  which 
is  reserved  in  heaven  for  the  faithful." 

In  a  word,  if  our  minds  are  as  deeply  im- 
pressed with  this  subject  as  its  importance  de- 
mands, we  shall  experience  feelings  similar  to 
those  which  affected  the  mind  of  Hyeronymus 
when  he  contemplated  the  dissolution  of  the 
world,  and  the  solemnities  of  the  last  judgment. 
— "  Whether  I  eat  or  drink,  or  in  whatever 
other  action  or  employment  I  am  engaged,  that 
solemn  voice  always  seems  to  sound  in  my  ears, 
'  Arise  ye  dead  and  cope  to  judgment !' — As 
often  as  I  think  of  the  day  of  judgment,  ray 
heart  quakes,  and  my  whole  frame  trembles.  If 
I  am  to  indulge  in  any  of  the  pleasures  of  the 
present  life,  I  am  resolved  to  do  it  in  such  a  way, 
that  the  solemn  realities  of  the  future  judgra^ 
may  never  be  banished  from  my  recollection."* 

•  Sive  comedam,  sive  bibani,  sive  aliquid  aliod 
faciam,  semper  vox  ilia  in  auribus  lueus  sonare 
virietur:  Surgite  Mortul,  et  venite  ad  judicium. 
Quotius  diem  judicii  coglto,  totus  corde  et  corpore 
contremisco.  Si  qua  enim  prassentis  vitse  est  1»- 
titiae,  ita  agenda  est,  ut  nunquam  amaritudo  ftttuit 
Judicii  recedat  a  memoria. 


PART  II. 


ON  THE  CONNEXION  OP  8CTENCE  WITH  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


A  aJtBAT  outcry  has  frequently  been  made, 
by  many  of  those  who  wish  to  be  considered 
aa  piuus  persons,  about  the  vanity  of  hvman 
teumee.  Certain  divines  in  their  writings,  and 
various  descriptions  of  preachers  in  their  pulpit 
declamations,  not  unfrequently  attempt  to  em- 
bellish their  discourses,  and  to  magnify  the  truths 
of  Scripture,  by  contrasting  them  with  what 
they  are  pleased  to  call  "  the  perishing  treasures 
of  scientific  knowledge."  "  T  e  knowledge  we 
derive  from  the  Scriptures,"  say  they,  "  is  able 
to  make  us  wise  unio  salvation;  all  other  know> 
ledge  is  but  comparative  folly.  The  knowledge 
of  Christ  and  him  crucified  will  endure  forever  ; 
but  all  human  knowledge  is  transitory,  and  will 
perith  for  ever  when  this  world  comet  to  an  end. 
Men  weary  themselves  with  diving  into  human 
science,  while  all  that  results  to  them  is  vanity 
and  vexation  of  spirit.  Men  may  become  the 
greatest  philosophers,  and  have  their  understand- 
ings replenislied  with  every  kind  of  human 
knowledge,  and  yet  perish  for  ever.  What  have 
we  to  do  with  the  planets  and  the  stars,  and 
whether  they  he  peopled  with  inhabitants  ?  Our 
business  is  to  attend  to  the  salvation  of  our 
souls." 

Now,  although  some  of  the  above,  and  simi- 
lar assertions,  when  properly  modified  and  ex- 
plained, may  be  admitted  as  true,  the  greater 
part  of  them,  along  with  hundreds  of  similar 
expressions,  are  either  ambiguous  or  false.  But, 
although  they  were  all  admitted  as  strictly  true, 
what  effect  can  the  frequent  reiteration  of  such 
comparisons  and  contrasts  have  on  the  mass  of 
the  people  to  whom  they  lue  addressed,  who  are 
already  too  mucli  disinclined  to  the  pursuit  of 
general  knowledge — but  to  make  them  imagine, 
that  it  is  useless,  and  in  some  cases  dangerous, 
to  prosecute  any  other  kind  of  knowledge  than 
what  is  derived  directly  from  the  Scriptures  ? 
And  wliat  is  the  knowledge  which  the  great 
■Mjorily  of  those  who  attend  the  public  services 
tf  religioQ  haTe  acquired  of  the  contents  of  the 
■acred  orades?  It  is  too  alien,  I  fear,  exceed- 
ingly vafue,  confused  and  superficial ;  owing,  in 
a  great  measure,  to  the  want  of  those  habits  ol 
mental  exertion,  which  a  moderate  prosecution 
of  useful  science  would  have  induced. 

Such  decUmations  as  those  to  which  I  have 
aow  adverted,  obviously  proceed  from  a  very 
limited  spbb.  "  of  infonoation  and  a  contracted 


range  of  thought.  It  in  rather  a  ntelancholy  re- 
flection, that  any  persons,  particularly  preachers 
of  the  gospel,  should  endeavour  to  apologize  for 
their  own  ignorance  by  endeavouring  to  under- 
value what  they  acknowledge  they  never  have  ac- 
quired, and  therefore,  cannci  be  supposed  to  un- 
derstand and  appreciate.  For,  although  several 
well-informed  and  judicious  ministers  of  religion, 
have  been  led,  from  the  influence  of  custom,  and 
from  copying  the  expressions  of  others,  to  use  a 
phraseology  which  has  a  tendency  to  detract  from 
the  utility  of  scientific  knowledge,  yet  it  is  ge- 
nerally the  most  ignorant,  those  whose  reading 
and  observation  have  been  confined  within  the 
narrowest  range,  who  are  most  forward  in  their 
bold  and  vague  declamations  on  this  topic.  We 
never  find,  in  any  part  of  the  Sacred  Records, 
such  comparisons  and  contrasts  as  those  to  which 
I  allude.  The  inspired  writers  never  atlem|K  to 
set  the  worti  of  God  in  opposition  to  his  loor^, 
nor  attempt  to  deter  men  from  the  study  of  the 
wonders  of  his  creation,  on  the  ground  thai  it  is 
of  les.s  importance  than  the  study  of  his  word. 
On  the  contrary,  they  take  every  proper  oppor- 
tunity of  directing  the  attention  to  the  mechan- 
ism and  order,  the  magnificence  and  grandeur  of 
the  visible  world;  and  their  devotional  feelings 
are  kindled  into  rapture  by  such  contemplations. 
When  the  Psalmist  had  finished  his  survey  of 
the  different  departments  of  nature,  as  described 
in  the  civ.  Psalm,  he  broke  out  into  the  following 
devotional  strains:  "How  manifold  are  thy 
works,  O  Lord  !  in  wisdom  hast  thou  made  them 
all :  the  earth  is  full  of  thy  riches,  so  is  the  great 
and  wide  sea.  The  gWy'^  of  the  Lord  shall 
endure  for  ever,  the  Lord  shall  rejoice  in  all  his 
works.  I  will  sing  unto  the  Lord  as  long  as  I 
live  ;  I  will  sing  praises  to  my  God  while  I  have 
my  being."  For  the  visible  works  of  God  dis- 
play the  same  essential  attributes  of  Deity,  and 
of  his  superintending  providence,  as  the  revela- 
tions of  his  word  ,  and  it  is  one  great  design  of 
that  word  to  direct  men  to  a  rational  and  devout 
contemplation  of  these  works  in  which  his  glory 
is  so  magnificently  displayed.  And,  therefore, 
to  attempt  to  magnify  the  word  of  God  by  degra- 
ding his  works,  or  to  set  the  one  in  oppositioe 
to  the  other,  is  to  attempt  to  set  the  Deity  in  op- 

*That  is,  the  display  of  the  Dlnne  perfections  tn 
the  material  world,  as  the  connexion  gf  the] 
plainly  Intimates 


INTRODUCTORY  REMARKS. 


61 


position  to  himself,  and  to  prevent  mankind  froni 
offering  a  certain  poriion  of  that  tribute  of  adora- 
tion and  thanksgiving  which  is  due  to  his  name. 

It  is  truM,  indeed,  that  the  mere  philosopher 
has  frequently  been  disposed  to  contemplate  the 
universe  as  if  it  were  a  self-acting  and  indepen- 
dent machine.  He  has  sometimes  walked  through 
the  magnificent  scenes  of  creation,  and  investi- 
gated the  laws  which  govern  the  motions  of  the 
celestial  orbs,  and  the  agencies  which  produce 
the  various  phenomena  of  our  sublunary  system, 
without  offering  up  that  tribute  of  thanksgiving 
and  praise  which  is  due  to  the  great  First  Cause, 
or  feeling  those  emotions  of  adoration  and  reve- 
rence which  such  studies  have  a  tendency  to  in- 
spire. But  it  is  no  less  true,  that  the  mere  theo- 
logian has,  likewise,  not  unfrequently,  walked 
through  the  field  of  revelation,  studied  its  doc- 
trines, and  facts  and  moral  requisitions,  written 
volumes  in  support  of  its  heavenly  origin,  and 
defended  its  truths  against  the  cavils  of  adversa- 
ries, without  feeling  that  supreme  love  to  God  and 
afTection  towards  his  neighbour  which  it  is  the 
great  object  of  the  Scriptures  to  produce,  and  dis- 
playing a  disposition  and  conduct  directly  repug- 
nant to  its  holy  precepts.  An  argument  founded 
on  the  impiety  of  certain  pretended  philosophers, 
to  dissuade  us  from  the  study  of  the  material 
world,  would,  therefore,  be  equally  powerful  to 
deter  us  from  the  study  of  divine  revelation,  when 
we  consider  that  many  who  profess  to  receive  its 
doctrines  live  in  open  defiance  of  its  most  sacred 
requisitions.  In  both  cases,  such  examples  mere  ly 
show,  that  man  is  a  frail  inconsistent  being,  and 
too  frequently  disposed  to  overl<)ok  his  Creator, 
and  to  wander  from  the  source  of  happiness. 

In  a  work  entitled,  "  The  Christian  Philoso- 
pher,^' I  have  endeavoured  to  illustrate  this 
subject  at  considerable  length,  and  to  show,  that 
the  investigation  of  the  works  of  creation,  under 
the  guidance  of  true  scien.":e,  has  a  tendency  to 
expand  our  conceptions  of  the  power,  wisdom, 
benevolence,  and  superintending  providence  of 
God, — and  that  the  various  sciences  and  the 
inventions  of  art  may  be  rendered  subservient  in 
promoting  the  objects  of  true  religion,  and  diffus- 
ino  its  inHuunce  among  the  nations. — At  present, 
I  shall  confine  my  views,  in  the  few  following 
remarks,  to  the  illustration  of  the  following  posi- 
tion—  '  That  scieice  ha^  a  relation  to  a  future 
•tate." 

Ii  is  a  very  vague,  and,  in  many  points  of 
view,  a  fal'e  assertion,  which  has  so  frequently 
been  reiterated — that,  what  is  generally  termed 
human  knowledgi-,  or  the  sciences,  have  no  con- 
nexion with  an  immortal  existence,  and  that  they 
will  be  of  no  utility  whatever  when  this  world 
comes  loan  eni. — Truth,  of  every  description,  is, 
from  its  very  nature,  eternal  and  unchangeable  ; 
and,  consequently,  it  cannot  be  sMp()osed  a  pre- 
posterous opinion,  that  the  established  principles 
of  several  of  our  sciences  will  be  the  basis  of 


reasoning  and  of  action  in  a  future  state  as 
well  as  in  the  present.  That  a  whole  is  greater 
tlian  any  of  its  parts  ;  that  the  three  angles  of 
a  triangle  are  equal  to  two  right  angles ;  that 
the  sides  of  a  plain  triangle  are  to  one  ano- 
ther, as  the  sides  of  the  angles  opposite  to 
thern  :  these  and  many  similar  propositions  are 
equally  true  in  heaven  as  on  earth,  and  may 
probably  be  as  useful  truths  there  as  in  our  pre- 
sent abode. 

OBJECT    OF    SCIENTIFIC    INVESTIOATIOW. 

In  order  to  avoid  misconception,  and  a  confu- 
sion of  thought  on  this  subject,  it  may  not  be 
improper,  in  the  first  place,  to  define  and  iUua- 
trate  what  is  meant  by  the  term  Science. 

Science,  in  its  most  general  acceptation, 
denotes  knowledge  of  every  description ;  in  a 
more  restricted  sense,  it  denotes  that  species  of 
knowledge  which  is  acquired  chiefly  by  the  exer- 
cise of  the  human  faculties ;  and  in  a  still  more 
restricted  sense,  it  denotes  that  systematic 
species  of  knowledge  which  consists  of  rule  and 
order, — such  as  geometry,  arithmetic,  algebra, 
natural  philosophy,  geography,  astronomy,  chy- 
mistry,  mineralogy  and  botany. — In  the  observa- 
tions which  follow,  the  term  may  be  taken  in  any 
one  of  these  senses  ;  but  particularly  in  the  last, 
which  is  the  most  common  and  appropriate 
meaning.  By  means  of  scientific  investigation, 
the  powers  of  the  human  mind  have  been  won- 
derfully strengthened  and  expanded,  and  our 
knowledge  of  the  operations  of  the  Creator 
extensively  enlarged.  Science  has  enabled  us 
to  transport  ourselves  from  one  continent  to 
another,  to  steer  our  course  through  the  pathless 
ocean,  and  to  survey  all  the  variety  of  scenery 
which  the  terraqueous  globe  displays;  it  has 
taught  us  to  mount  upwards  to  the  region  of  the 
clouds,  and  lo  penetrate  into  the  bowels  of  the 
earth,  lo  explore  the  changes  which  the  earth  has 
undergone  since  the  period  of  its  creation.  It 
has  laid  open  to  our  view  the  nature  and  consti- 
tution of  the  atmosphere,  the  principles  of  which 
it  is  composed,  and  its  agency  in  supporting  fire 
and  flame,  and  vegetable  and  animal  life.  On 
the  principles  which  science  has  established,  we 
have  been  enabled  to  ascertain  the  distances  of 
many  of  the  heavenly  bodies,  to  compute  their 
magnitudes,  and  to  determine  the  periods  of  their 
revolutions  ;  and  by  means  of  the  instruments  it 
has  invented,  we  have  been  enabled  to  take  a 
nearer  survey  of  distant  worlds — to  contemplate 
new  wonders  of  creating  power  in  regions  of  the 
sky  which  lie  far  beyond  the  utmost  stretch  of  the 
unassisted  eye, — and  to  explore  those  invisible 
regions,  where  myriads  of  living  beings  are  con- 
centrated wi  hin  the  compass  of  a  visible  point. 
— In  consequence  of  such  discoveries,  we  have 
been  enabled  to  acquire  more  clear  and  ample 
conceptions  of  the  amazing  energies  of  omnip» 


69 


THE  PIULOSOPHY  OF  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


tence,  of  the  inscrutable  depihf  of  infinite 
wtMJutn,  of  the  ovrrruling  providence  of  thr 
Alini)ihly,  of  the  benevolent  care  he  excrcisea 
over  all  hu  creatures,  and  of  the  unlimited  extent 
of  iboae  dominions  over  which  he  eternally  pro- 
side*. 

The  fatMltUi  by  which  man  has  been  enablrtl 
to  make  the  discoveries  to  which  I  have  alluded, 
were  iinplanied  in  his  constitution  by  the  hand 
of  his  Creator ;  and  the  ot^ecta  on  which  these 
(acuities  are  exercised,  are  the  works  of  the 
Creator,  which,  the  more  minutely  they  are 
investij^ted,  the  more  strikingly  do  they  display 
the  glory  of  his  character  and  perfections.  Con- 
•equcntly,  it  must  have  been  the  intention  of  the 
Creator  that  man  should  employ  the  powers  he 
has  given  him  in  scientific  researches  ;  other- 
wise, he  woukl  neither  have  endowed  him  with 
tiich  noble  faculties,  nur  have  opened  to  his 
view  so  large  a  portion  of  his  empire.  Scientific 
investigations,  therefore,  are  to  be  considered  as 
Dothing  less  than  inquiries  into  the  plans  and 
operations  of  the  Eternal,  in  order  to  unfold  the 
attributes  of  his  nature,  his  providential  proce- 
dure in  the  government  of  his  creatures,  and  the 
laws  by  which  he  directs  the  movements  of  uni- 
versal nature.  It  is  true,  indeed,  that  every  one 
who  calls  himself  a  philosopher  may  not  keep 
this  end  in  view  in  the  prosecution  of  scientific 
acquiremt<nis.  He  may  perhaps  be  actuated 
merely  by  a  principle  of  curiosity,  by  a  love  of 
worldly  gain,  or  by  a  desire  to  acquire  reputation 
among  the  learned  by  the  discoveries  he  may 
bring  to  light,  just  in  the  same  way  as  some  theo- 
logians are  actuated  in  prosecuting  the  study  of 
the  Christian  system.  But  the  discoveries 
which  have  been  made  by  such  persons,  are, 
notwithstanding,  real  developements  of  the  plans 
of  the  Deity,  and  o|)en  to  a  devout  mind  a  more 
expansive  view  of  the  power,  wisdom,  and  be- 
nevolence of  Him  who  is  "  wonderful  in  council, 
and  excellent  in  working."  It  is  our  own  fault 
if  we  do  not  derive  useful  instruction  from  the 
ioTestigations  and  discoveries  of  philosophy ;  it 
ii  owing  to  our  want  of  intelligence  to  discrimi- 
nate between  the  experiments  of  men,  and  the 
operations  of  God,  and  to  the  want  of  that  reve- 
raooR,  humility,  and  devotion,  which  ought  to 
aeooapany  us  in  all  our  studies  and  contem- 
plations of  nature.  Science,  therefore,  from 
whatever  motives  it  may  be  prosecuted,  is, 
in  eflect,  and  in  nmlity,  an  inquiry  after  God: 
it  is  the  study  of  angeli  and  other  superior 
iaieUiyences ;  and  we  cannot  suppose  there  is 
n  holy  being  throughout  the  universe  that  is  not 
■nplojred,  in  one  mode  or  another,  in  scien- 
tite  reaearch  and  investigation ;  unless  we  can 
I  that  there  are  moral  intelligences  who 
ioaensible  to  the  diyplajrs  of  the  divine   glo- 

Z,  and  altogether  indifferent,    whether  or    not 
vj  mate  progress   in  the  knowledge  of  their 

G^MtOf. 


OBJECTS  OIC  WI1ICR  THE  rACULTIXB  0/ 
CELESTIAL  IIITELLiaEIICEa  WILL  BE  SM- 
PLOVKO. 

Let  us  now  consider  the  objects  on  which  the 
faculties  of  celestial  intelligences  will  be  employed 
in  the  way  of  scientific  investigation. 

The  grand  scene  of  universal  nature — that 
august  theatre  on  whicli  the  Almighty  divplays, 
to  countless  myriads,  his  glorious  perfection*— 
will  remain  substantially  Uie  same  at  it  is  at 
present,  after  all  the  changes  in  reference  to  our 
globe  shall  have  taken  place ;  and  the  clear  and 
expansive  view  of  its  economy,  its  movement*, 
and  its  peculiar  glories,  which  will  then  be  laid 
open  to  their  inspection,  will  exercise  the  faculties, 
and  form  a  considerable  portion  of  the  felicity  of 
renovated  moral  agents. 

That  the  general  system  of  nature  will  remain 
materially  the  same,  when  the  present  fabric  of 
our  globe  is  dissolved,  may  be  argiied,  I.  From 
the  immense  number  and  magnitude  of  the  bo- 
dies of  which  it  is  composed.  In  every  direction 
to  which  we  can  turn  our  eyes,  the  universe  ap- 
pears to  be  replenished  with  countless  orbs  at 
light,  diffusing  their  splendours  from  regions  im- 
measurably distant.  Nearly  one  hundred  mil- 
lions of  these  globes  are  visible  through  telescope* 
of  the  greatest  magnifying  power  ;  and  it  is  more 
than  probable,  that  beyond  the  reach  of  the  finest 
glasses  that  art  has  ever  constructed,  thousand*  of 
millions  exist  in  the  unexplored  regions  of  im- 
mensity, which  the  eye  of  man,  while  he  remain* 
in  this  lower  world,  will  never  be  able  to  descry. 
All  these  luminous  globes,  too,  are  bodies  of  im* 
mense  magnitude  ;  compared  with  any  one  of 
which,  the  whole  earth  dwindles  into  an  incoi^ 
siderable  ball.  It  is  probable  that  the  smallest  of 
them  is  at  least  one  hundred  thousaiid  time* 
larger  than  the  globe  on  which  we  live. — 2.  All 
these  bodies  arr.  immtnatly  thtUmtfrom  the  earth. 
Although  we  could  wing  our  course  with  a  Awifl- 
ness  equal  to  ten  thousand  miles  a-day,  it  would 
require  more  than  five  millions  of  years  before 
we  could  reach  the  nearest  star  ;  and  the  more 
distant  of  these  orbs  are  placed  in  regions  ho  im- 
mensely distant,  that  the  imagination  is  bewil- 
dered and  overpowered  when  it  attempts  to  grasp 
the  immeasurable  extent  which  intervenes  be- 
tween us  and  them.  This  circumstance  prove*, 
that  these  bodies  are  of  an  immense  size  and 
splendour,  since  they  are  visible  at  such  dis- 
tances ;  and  consequently  demonstrates,  that  each 
of  them  is  destined,  in  its  respective  sphere,  to 
accomplish  some  noble  purpose,  worthy  of  the 
plans  of  a  Being  of  infinite  wisdom  and  good- 
ness.— 3.  The  whole  of  this  vast  assemblage  ol 
suns  and  worlds  ha*  no  immrdiatt  eonnesion  with 
the  present  constitution  and  arrangement  of  our 
globe.  There  are  no  celestial  bodies  that  have 
any  immediate  connexion  with  llie  earth,  or  di> 
reel  influence  upon  it,  except  (he  nio,  the  mooo, 


EXTENT  OF  THE  GENERAL  CONFLAGRATION. 


6^ 


and  several  of  the  planets ;  and  therefore,  those 
more  distant  orbs,  lo  which  I  allude,  cannot  be 
supposed  lo  be  involved  in  ihu  physical  evils 
which  the  fall  of  man  has  inlroduced  into  our 
world ;  or  to  have  the  least  coiiiiexiun  with  any 
future  change  or  catastrophe  that  may  befuU  the 
terraqueous  globe.  Though  this  globe,  and  "  ail 
that  it  inherits,"  were  dissolved ;  yea,  although  the 
sun  himself  and  his  surrounding  planets  were  set 
in  a  blaze,  and  blotted  for  ever  out  of  creation; 
the  mnumerable  and  vast  bodies  which  replenish 
the  distant  regions  of  the  universe,  would  sliil 
exist,  and  continue  to  illuminate  the  voids  of 
creation  with  undiminished  splendour. 

KXTENT  OF  THE    GENERAI.  CONFLAGRATION. 

From  the  considerations  now  stated,  it  is  evi- 
dent, that  the  changes  which  are  predicted  to 
take  place  at  the  general  conflagration,  will  not 
extend  beyond,  the  environs  of  our  globe,  or  at 
farthest,  beyond  ihe  limits  of  the  solar  system. 
There  is,  indeed,  no  reason  to  conclude,  that 
they  will  extend  beyond  the  terraqueous  globe  it- 
self and  its  surrounding  atmosphere ;  for  since 
all  the  revelations  of  Scripture  have  a  peculiar 
reference  lo  the  inhabitants  of  this  globe,  the 
predicted  changes  which  are  tu  take  place  in  its 
physical  constitution,  at  the  close  of  the  present 
economy  of  Providence,  must  be  considered  as 
limited  to  the  same  sphere.  As  the  world  was 
formerly  destroyed  by  a  deluge  of  waters,  in 
consequence  of  the  depravity  of  man,  so  its  de- 
struction by  fire  will  take  place,  for  the  same 
reason,  in  order  that  it  may  be  purified  from  all 
the  effects  of  the  curse  which  was  originally  pro- 
nounced upon  the  ground  for  man's  sake,  and 
restored  to  its  former  order  and  beauty.  But 
there  is  not  the  smallest  reason  to  conclude, 
either  from  Scripture  or  the  general  constitution 
of  the  universe,  that  this  destruction  will  extend 
beyond  that  part  of  the  frame  of  nature  which 
was  subjected  to  the  curse,  and  is  physically 
connected  with  the  sin  of  man  ;  and  consequently, 
will  be  entirely  confined  to  certain  changes  which 
will  be  effected  throughout  the  continents,  islands, 
and  oceans,  and  in  the  higher  and  lower  regions 
of  ihe  atmosphere. 

This  appears  to  be  the  sense  in  which  the 
most  judicious  ex|iositors  of  Scripture  interpret 
those  passages  which  have  a  particular  reference 
to  this  event.  Dr.  Guyse,  in  his  "  Paraphrase 
on  the  New  Testament,"  interprets  2  Peter  iii. 
7,  12,  precisely  in  this  sense  :  "  When  that  final 
decisive  day  of  the  Lord  Jesus  shall  come, — the 
aerial  heavens,  being  all  in  a  flame,  shall  be  de- 
stroyed, and  the  constituent  principles  of  the 
atmosphere,  together  with  the  earth  and  all  things 
in  it,  shall  be  melted  down  by  an  intense  dissolv- 
ing heat  into  a  confused  chaos,  like  that  out  of 
which  they  were  originally  formed."  And  in  a 
note  on  this  paraphrase  he  remarks,  "By  the 


heavens  is  meant  here  the  aerial  heavens.  For 
the  heavens  and  the  earth  are  here  s|ioken  efl 
in  opposition  to  those  of  the  old  world,  which 
could  mean  nothing  more  than  the  earth  and  iOK 
former  atmosphere,  the  state  of  which  underwent 
a  great  alteration  by  the  flood  " — "  By  the  heo- 
vens  and  the  earth,  in  such  passages  as  these,". 
says  the  learned  Dr.  Mede,  "  is  to  be  understood, 
that  part  of  nature  which  was  subjected  lo  the 
curse,  or  that  is  inhabited  by  Christ's  enemies, 
and  includes  in  it  the  earth,  water,  and  air,  but 
not  the  heavenly  bodies,  which  are  not  only  at  a 
vast  distance  from  it,  but  it  is  little  more  than  a 
point,  if  compared  to  them  for  magnitude.'*— 
Dr.  Dwight,  when  adverting  to  ihis  subject,  ex- 
presses the  same  sentiment:  "  The  phiji.se  A«^ 
vens  and  earth  (says  he)  in  Jewish  phraseology 
denoted  the  universe.  In  the  present  case, 
however,  (2  Peter  iii.  10,  12,  18.)  the  words 
appear  to  be  used  with  a  meaning  less  extended, 
where  it  is  declared,  that  that  which  is  intended 
by  both  terms,  shall  be  consumed,  dissolved,  and 
pass  away.  This  astonishing  event,  we  are 
taught,  shall  take  place  at  the  final  judgment ; 
and  we  have  no  hint  in  the  Scriptures,  that  the 
judgment  will  involve  any  other  beings  besides 
angels  and  men.'' 

From  the  preceding  considerations,  it  is  obvi- 
ous, that  when  the  inspired  writers  use  such 
expressions  as  these, — "  The  stars  shall  fall  from 
heaven,"  "the  powers  of  heaven  shall  beshaken," 
and,  "  the  heaven  departed  as  a  scroll,"  they  are 
t.o  be  understood  not  in  a  literal,  but  in  a  Jiguror 
tixx  sense,  as  denoting  changes,  convulsions,  and 
revolutions  in  the  moral  world.  And  when,  in 
reference  to  the  dissolution  of  our  globe  and  its 
appendages,  it  is  said,  that  "  the  heavens  shall 
pass  away  with  a  mighty  noise,"  the  aerial  heaven, 
or  the  surrounding  atmosphere  is  to  be  understood. 
How  this  appendage  to  our  world  may  l>e  dis- 
solved, or  pass  away  with  a  mighty  noise,  it  is  not 
difficult  to  conceive,  now  that  we  have  become 
acquainted  with  the  nature  and  energies  of  its 
constituent  parts.  One  essential  part  of  the  at- 
mosphere coiitaine  the  principle  of  flame ;  and  if 
this  principle  were  not  counteracted  by  its  con- 
nexion with  another  ingredient,  or  were  it  let 
loose  to  exert  its  energies  without  control,  instantly 
one  inunense  flame  would  envelope  the  terraque- 
ous globe,  which  would  set  on  fire  the  founda- 
tions of  the  mountains,  wrap  the  ocean  in  a 
blaze,  and  dissolve,  not  only  coals,  wood,  and 
other  combustibles,  but  the  hardest  substances  io 
nature.  It  is  more  than  probable,  that  when  the 
last  catastrophe  of  our  globe  arrives,  the  oxygen 
and  nitrogen,  or  the  two  constituent  principles  of 
the  atmosphere,  will  be  separated  by  the  inter- 
position of  Almighty  power.  And  the  moment  - 
this  separation  takes  place,  it  is  easy  (o  conceive, 
that  a  tremendous  concussion  will  ensue,  and  the 
most  dreadful  explosions  will  resound  throughout 
the  whole  of  the  expanse  whlcli  surrounds  tbe 


64 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


globe,  which  will  stun  the  ascerobled  world,  and 
shake  the  earth  to  its  foundations.  For,  if,  in 
chymical  ex|>eriments  conducted  on  a  small  scale, 
the  se|>aration  of  two  gases,  or  their  coining 
in  contact  with  the  principle  of  flame,  is  fre- 
<]uently  accompanied  with  a  loud  and  destructive 
explosion, — it  i»  impossible  to  form  an  adequate 
idea  of  the  loud  and  tremendous  explosions  which 
would  ensue  were  the  xcfiole  atmonphere  at  once 
ditmtb)ed,  and  its  elementary  princijiles  sseparated 
from  each  other  and  left  to  exert  their  native  eh- 
ergies.  A  sound  as  if  creation  had  burst  asun- 
der, and  accompanied  the  next  moment  with  a 
universal  blaze,  extending  over  sea  and  land, 
would  present  a  scene  of  sublimity  and  terror, 
which  would  more  than  realize  all  the  striking 
descriptions  given  in  Scripture  of  this  solemn 
•cene. 

Again,  when  in  reference  to  this  tremendous 
event,  it  is  said,  that  "  the  earth  and  the  heaven 
fled  away,"  (Rev.  xx.  11.)  we  are  not  to  imagine, 
that  the  distant  bodies  of  the  universe  shall  be 
either  annihilated,  or  removed  from  the  spaces 
tfaey  formerly  occupied ;  but  that  all  sublunary 
nature  shall  be  thrown  into  confusion  and  disor- 
der, and  that  the  celestial  orbs,  during  this  univer- 
sal uproar  of  the  elements,  will  be  eclipsed  from 
the  view,  and  appear  as  if  they  had  fled  away. 
The  appearance  of  the  heavens  whirling  with  a 
confused  and  rapid  motion,  at  this  period,  would 
be  produced,  were  the  Almighty  (as  will  proba- 
bly be  the  case)  suddenly  to  put  a  stop  to  the 
diurnal  rotation  of  the  earth,  or  to  increase  the 
rate  of  its  motion;  in  which  case,  the  celestial 
luminaries  would  appear  either  to  stop  in  their 
courses,  or  to  be  thrown  into  rapid  and  irregular 
agitations.  And  the  appearance  of  the  heavens 
in  reality  receding  from  the  view,  would  be  pro- 
duced, were  the  earth  to  leave  its  present  station 
among  the  planets,  and  to  be  impelled  with  a 
rapid  motion  towards  the  distant  parts  of  the 
•olar  system,  or  beyond  its  boundaries  ;  in  which 
case,  the  sun  would  appear  to  fly  off  with  a  rapid 
motion  to  a  distant  part  of  space,  till  he  had  di- 
minished to  the  size  of  a  twinkling  star,  and 
the  moon  and  the  nearest  planets  would,  in  a 
ahort  time,  entirely  disappear. — Whether  these 
■opposition*  exactly  correspond  with  the  arrange- 
ment* which  Divine  Wisdom  has  made  in  refer- 
ence to  the  general  conflagration,  I  do  not  take 
upon  me  positively  to  determine.  But  I  have 
stated  them  in  order  to  show,  that  all  the  descrip- 
tions contained  in  Scripture,  of  the  dissolution  of 
«ur  gk/be,  and  of  the  ciicumstancea  connected 
with  it,  can  be  easily  accounted  for,  and  may  be 
tAj  realized,  without  supfxwing  any  change  to 
take  place  in  the  universe  beyond  the  limits  of 
Ac  earth  and  its  atmosphere. 

To  aappoae,  aa  tome  have  done,  (hat  the  whole 
bbric  of  creation  will  be  shattered  to  pieces, 
that  the  stars  will  literally  (all  from  their  orbs, 
Md  lb*  malarial  luiverse  be  blotted  out  of  exis- 


tence, is  a  sentiment  so  absurd  and  extravagant, 
and  Bo  contrary  to  the  general  tenor  of  S<:ripiure, 
and  the  character  of  God,  that  it  is  astonisiung  it 
slHHild  ever  have  been  entertained  by  any  man, 
calling  himself  a  divine  or  a  CSristian  preacher.* 
I  have  already  had  oceasion  to  remark,  that  there 
is  no  example  of  annihilation,  or  entiie  demruc- 
tion  of  material  substances,  to  he  found  in  the 
universe,  and  that  it  is  to  the  last  degree  inipruba* 
hie,  that  any  one  particle  of  matter  which  now 
exists  will  ever  be  completely  destroyed,  how- 
ever nomermis  the  changes  that  may  lake  place 
in  the  universe.!  We  have  no  reason  to  believe, 
that  even  those  changes  to  Mliich  our  worlu  is 
destined,  at  the  general  conflagration,  will  iiisue 
in  its  entire  destruction.  The  materials  of  which 
the  earih  and  its  atmosphere  are  composed  will 
still  continue  to  exist  after  its  present  structure 
is  deranged,  and  will,  in  all  |)robability,  be  em- 
ployed in  the  arrangement  of  a  new  system,  puri- 
fied from  the  physical  evils  which  now  exifl,  and 
which  may  continue  to  flourish  as  a  nionnnient 
of  divine  power  and  wisdom,  throughout  an  in- 
definite lapse  of  ages. 

In  accordance  with  these  sentiments,  we  find 
the  inspired  writers  asserting  the  stability  and 
perpetuity  of  the  material  universe.  In  a  pas- 
sage formerly  alluded  to,  the  Psalmist,  after 
having  contemplated  the  scenes  of  the  material 
creation,  declares,  in  reference  to  these  visi- 
ble manifestations  of  the  divine  perfections,— 
"  The  glory  of  the  Lord  *haU  ensure  Jot  ever,  the 
Lord  shall  rejoice  in  all  his  works."  And  the 
Apostle  Peter,  when  describing  the  dissolution  of 
the  elementary  parts  of  our  globe,  intimates,  at 
the  same  time,  the  continued  existence  of  the 
visible  fabric  of  nature.  "  We  look,"  says  he, 
"  for  new  heavens  and  a  new  earth,  wherein 
dwelleth  righteousness."  The  same  truth  is  in- 
cidentally declared  in  many  other  portions  of 
Scripture.  In  the  prophecies  respecting  the 
Messiah  and  the  duration  of  his  kingdom,  it  \i» 
declared,  that  "  His  name  shall  endure  for  ever, 
his  name  shall  be  continued  aa  long  om  the  tun. 


*  As  a  specimen  of  tlie  va^ie  and  absurd  derlsma- 
tions  on  this  subject,  which  have  l)cen  imblislied  tioth 
from  the  pulpli  ami  tlie  press,  the  foUowlnp  extract 
from  H  modem  anil  eiepantly  printed  volume  of 
Bcrinons  may  »u(Bce— "Tlie  bla.st  of  the  seventh 
trumpet  thundering  with  terrific  clanROur  through 
the  aky,  and  erhoinf:  from  world  to  world,  shall  nil 
the  universe,  and  time  shall  be  no  more  '.  The  six 
trump<'t«  have  already  sounded  :  when  the  scventli 
shall  blow,  a  total  cimnge  Khali  take  place  IhroiiK'huut 
the  creation;  the  vast  i;lobe  which  we  now  inhabit 
shall  dissolve,  and  minfie  with  yon  l>eautooiis  azure 
Armament,  with  sun,  and  moon,  and  all  the  (niinense 
lunilnaries  flaming  there,  in  ime  iitidisiingTiishrd 
ruin ;  all  shall  vanifh  away  like  a  flcetiiii:  vapour, 
a  visionary  phantom  of  the  nlt;ht,  ami  tict  a  single 
Iraer  of  thrni  U  fmind  >  Even  the  lost  enemy,  1  ieuth, 
shall  l>c  destroyed,  and  time  itself  shall  Ix-nonicie!" 
Ac.  &c.  When  such  Iwmtnstic  rant  Is  thundi  red  in 
the  ears  of  Christian  people,  it  is  no  womlerthat 
their  ideas  on  this  subject  l>ecome  extremely  Inioi* 
rect,  and  even  extra vaganUjr  ataunL 

tfieeBect  x.  pag*«4. 


PERPETUITY  OP  THE  MATERIAL  UNIVERSE. 


6b 


His  seed  shall  endure  for  ever,  and  his  throne  as 
the  sun  before  me;"  which  expressions  evidently 
imply  that  the  sun  will  not  be  blotted  out  of  cre- 
ation, but  conlinue  to  hold  a  station  in  the  uni- 
verse as  long  as  the  Redeemer  and  his  subjects 
exist.  It  is  also  stated,  in  reference  to  the  same 
eliistrious  personage,  "  His  seed  will  I  make  to 
endure  for  ever,  and  his  throne  as  the  days  of 
heaven  ;"  wh.ch  intimates,  that  the  heavens  will 
endure  as  long  as  the  government  of  Immanuel. 
In  reference  to  the  stability  and  perpetuity  of 
the  celestial  luminaries,  it  is  declared,  that 
"  Jehovah  hath  prepared hts  throne  in  the  hea- 
vens." And  when  the  Psalmist  calls  upon  all 
the  beings  in  the  universe  to  celebrate  the  praises 
of  the  Creator,  he  says,  in  reference  to  the  orbs 
of  heaven,  ♦'  Praise  ye  him,  sun  and  moon,  praise 
him  all  ye  stars  of  light— Let  them  praise  the 
name  of  the  Lord ;  for  he  commanded,  and  they 
were  created.  He  hath  also  established  them  for 
ever  and  ever;  he  hath  made  a  decree  which 
shall  not  pass;*  which  expressions  evidently  im- 
ply, that,  whatever  changes  may  happen  in  par- 
ticular systems,  the  great  body  of  the  celestial 
orbs,  which  constitute  some  of  the  grandest 
scenes  of  the  universe,  will  remain  stable  and 
permanent  as  the  throne  of  the  Eternal. — But, 
not  to  multiply  quotations, — the  following  de- 
claration of  Jehovah  by  the  prophet  Jeremiah 
is  quite  decisive  on  this  point.  "  Thus  saith 
the  Lord,  who  giveth  the  sun  for  a  light  by  day, 
and  the  ordinances  of  the  moon  and  of  the 
stars  for  a  light  by  night :  The  Lord  of  Hosts 
is  his  name.  If  these  ordinances  depart  from 
before  me,  saith  the  Lord,  then  the  seed  of 
Israel  also  shall  cease  from  being  a  nation  before 
me  for  ever,"t  vvhich  words  plainly  imply,  that 
if  these  luminaries  continue  in  existence,  the 
accomplishment  of  the  divine  promise  is  se- 
cured to  all  the  spiritual  seed  of  Israel ;  but  should 
they  be  blotted  out  of  creation,  or  depart  from 
before  Jehovah,  the  happiness  of  the  "  ran- 
somed of  the  Lord,"  and  their  relation  to  him 
as  the  source  of  their  felicity,  would  be  ter- 
minated for  ever.  And  have  not  these  lumina- 
ries continued  in  their  stations,  since  the  pre- 
diction was  announced,  during  a  period  of  more 
than  two  thousand  years  ?  And  do  they  not  still 
shine  with  undiminished  lustre?  Yes,  and  they 
will  still  continue  to  display  the  glory  of  their 
Creator  while  countless  ages  are  rolling  on. 
Hence  it  is  declared,  with  respect  to  the  "  saints 
of  the  Most  High,"  "  They  that  be  teachers  of 
wisdom  shall  shine  sis  the  brightness  of  the  firma- 
ment, and  they  that  turn  many  to  righteousness, 
as  the  stars  for  ever  and  ever." 

In  short,  when  we  consider  the  boundless  ex- 
tent of  the  starry  firmament,  the  scenes  of  gran- 
deur it  displays,  the  new  luminaries,  which,  in 

■  See  Psalm  Ixxii.  17.    Ixxzix.  86,  &o.    cUL  19. 
exivlli.  3—7. 
*  Jeremiah  xxxi.  35,  36. 

9 


the  course  of  ages,  appear  to  be  gradually  wig- 
mentins  its  splendour,  and  the  countless  myriads 
of  exalted  intelligences  which  doubtless  people  its 
expansive  regions— when  wc  consider  that  it  con- 
stitutes the  principal  portion  of  the  empire  of  the 
Eternal,  the  most  astonishing  scene  of  his  opera- 
tions, and  the  most  striking  display  of  his  om- 
nipotence and  wisdom, — it  would  be  one  of  the 
most  extravagant  notions  that  can  possibly  be  en- 
tertained, and  inconsistent  with  every  rational 
and  Scriptural  idea  we  can  form  of  the  good- 
ness and  intelligence  of  the  Deity,  to  suppose, 
that  these  vast  dominions  of  his,  in  which  his  per- 
fections shine  with  a  splendour  so  ineffable,  will 
ever  be  suffered  to  fall  to  pieces,  or  to  sink  into 
non-existence.  With  almost  equal  reason  might 
we  suppose,  that  the  Creator  himself  would  cease 
to  exist,  and  infinite  space  be  left  as  a  bound- 
less blank  without  matter  and  intelligence. 

If  the  considerations  now  adduced  be  admitted 
to  have  any  force,  and  if  the  position  I  have  en- 
deavoured to  establish,  cannot  be  overthrown, 
either  on  Scriptural  or  rational  grounds — many 
of  our  sermons  and  poems  which  profess  to  give 
a  description  of  the  scenes  of  the  "  Last  day," 
must  be  considered  as  containing  a  species  of 
bombast  which  has  a  tendency  to  bewilder  the 
mind,  and  to  produce  distorted  views  of  the  per- 
fections of  the  Creator,  and  of  the  wise  arrange- 
ments he  has  established  in  the  system  of  the 
universe.  A  celebrated  poet,  when  expatiating 
on  this  subject,  in  order  to  give  effect  to  his  de- 
scriptions, breaks  out  into  the  following  extrava- 
gant exclamations,  when  alluding  to  the  starry 
firmament: 

"  How  far  from  east  to  west  T    The  lab'rlng  eye 
Can  scarce  the  distant  azure  tx)unds  descry — 
So  vavt,  this  world's  a  prain ;  yet  myriads  grace 
With  golden  pomp  the  throng'd  etherial  space. 
How  great,  how  firm,  how  sacred  all  appears! 
How  worthy  an  immortal  round  of  years ! 
Yet  all  must  drop,  as  autumn's  sickliest  grain. 
And  earth  andfirTttament  be  sought  in  vain. 
Time  shall  be  slain,  aU  nature  be  destroy'd. 
Nor  leave  an  atom  in  the  mighttj  void. 
One  universal  ruin  spreads  abroad, 
Nothing  is  safe  beneath  the  throne  of  God." 

Again, 

"The  flakes  aspire,  and  make  the  heavens  their  ptey- 
The  sun,  the  moon,  the  stars,  all  melt  away ;  ' 

All,  all  is  lost,  no  monument,  no  sign. 
Where  once  so  proudly  blaz'd  the  gay  machine."  &0. 

If  such  descriptions  were  to  be  literally  real* 
ized,  a  resurrection  from  the  dead  u>ould  be  an  a6» 
solute  impossibility — the  universe  would  be  re« 
duced  to  an  immense  blank — and  the  visible 
glories  of  the  Creator,  by  which  alone  his  per- 
fections are  recognised  by  finite  intelligences, 
would  be  eclipsed  in  the  darkness  of  eternal 
night.  Poetical  scraps  of  this  description,  are, 
however,  frequently  reiterated  by  flaming  orators, 
in  order  to  give  effect  to  their  tuigid  declama- 
tions, while  they  have  no  other  tendency  than 


66 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


to  lead  their  hearers  into  a  maze  oTerrorand  ei- 
travagancy,  In  prfv«nt  ihem  fr.)in  thiiikiiij;  aobor- 
berly  and  rationally  on  the  scenes  (iredicled  in 
Scripture,  and  to  excite  the  sneer  of  philosophical 
infidelt. 

The  only  pavage  nC  Scripture  which,  at  first 
riew,  sermi  to  militate  against  the  position  I 
hare  endeavoured  to  establish,  ts  that  contained 
in  Psalm  cii.  25,  26.  "  Of  old  host  thou  laid  the 
foundation  of  thp  earth  ;  and  the  heavens  are  the 
work  of  thy  hands :  they  shall  perish,  but  thou 
shalt  endure  ;  yea,  all  of  them  shall  wax  old  like 
a  garment ;  as  a  vesture  shalt  thou  change  them, 
and  they  shall  be  changed  :  but  thou  est  the  same," 
&c.  Some  comnientatcrs,  as  Mr.  Pierce  and 
others,  suppose,  that  by  "  the  earth  and  hea- 
Tens,"  in  this  passage,  are  to  be  understotxl,  go- 
vernment*, or  dvil  and  ecclesiasbcat  states,  as 
these  words,  in  iheir  figurative  sense,  sometimes 
denote.  But  this  does  not  appear  to  be  the  sense 
in  which  they  are  here  used.  Taken  in  their 
literal  sense,  they  may  refer  to  the  same  objects 
and  events  alluded  to  by  the  Apostle  Peter,  in 
his  Second  E|>istle,  cliap.  iii.  7,  10.  formerly  ex- 
plained ;  namely,  to  the  dissolution  of  the  earth 
and  the  omo/ heavens,  at  the  close  of  lime.  But, 
supposing  that  the  words  were  taken  in  their 
most  extensive  sense,  as  denoting  the  whole  fa- 
brie  of  the  material  univerM,  it  would  not  in  the 
least  invalidate  the  proposition  I  am  now  sup- 
porting. The  main  design  of  the  passage  is  to 
assert  the  eternity  and  immutability  of  Qod,  in 
opposition  to  the  mutable  nature  of  creat>xl  be- 
ings. All  material  things  are  liable  to  change  ; 
but  change  does  not  imply  destruction  or  annihila- 
tion. When  it  is  said,  "  the  righteous  prrish  and 
no  man  layeth  it  to  heart;"  and  "they  that 
are  far  from  God  shall  perish,"  it  is  not  to  be  un- 
derstood, that  either  the  one  or  the  other  shall 
be  blotted  out  of  existence.  So,  when  it  is  said 
that  the  heavens  and  the  earth  shall  perish,  a 
change  or  revolution  is  implied,  but  not  an  en- 
tire destruction.  It  is  farther  said,  "  As  a  ves- 
ture they  shall  be  folded  up,"  &c.  This  appears 
to  be  spoken  in  allusion  to  the  custom  which  ob- 
tains in  the  Eastern  nations,  among  the  grandees, 
of  frequently  changing  their  garments  as  a  mark 
of  respect ;  and  seems  to  import,  the  eau  and  et- 
Urity  with  which  the  Divine  Being  can  accom- 
plish important  changes  in  the  universe.  He  can 
accomplisli  the  revolutions  of  worlds  and  of  sys- 
tems with  an  ease  similar  to  that  of  a  prince 
changing  his  apparel,  or  laying  aside  his  vest- 
ments. But  his  changing  any  particular  system 
&om  its  original  state,  im|>lies  only  his  opening  a 
new  scene,  and  varying  the  course  of  his  disjwn- 
sations  in  relation  to  a  certain  order  of  his  crea- 
tures. Nor  does  the  passage  under  consideration 
lead  us  to  conclude,  that  the  changes  alluded  to 
shall  all  take  pl.icc  throughout  the  whole  universe 
at  the  same  period  but  titey  may  be  considered  as 
happening  at  diflerent  periods  throughout  the 


lapse  of  bfinite  duration,  according  to  the  d(^ 

signs  which  his  wisdom  has  delerwinud  toi 
plish. 

That  ail  material  objects  arc  8ubj"<:l  to  de 
position  and  changes,  we  have  abundance  of 
evidence  in  every  department  of  nature.  With 
respect  to  the  earth  on  which  we  tread,  we  per- 
ceive the  soil  in  the  higher  grounds  gradually 
washed  down  by  the  action  of  winds  and  rains, 
and  carried  by  the  rivers  to  the  bed  of  the  ocean. 
Banks  are  accumulating  at  the  mouths  of  rivers, 
and  reefii  in  the  midst  of  the  seas,  which  are  the 
teiror  of  mariners  and  obstructions  to  navigation. 
In  every  pit  and  quarry,  and  on  the  face  of  every 
crag  and  broken  precipice,  we  perceive  the  marks 
of  disorder,  and  the  efffrts  of  former  changes 
and  convulsions  of  nature ;  while  around  the 
bases  of  volcanic  mountains,  we  behold  citiea 
buried  under  a  mass  uf  solid  lava,  orchards  and 
vineyards  laid  waste,  and  fertile  fields  transfom^ 
ed  into  a  scene  of  barrenness  and  desolation. 
Observation  likewise  demonstrates,  that  even  the 
luminaries  of  heaven  are  not  exempted  from  re- 
volutions and  changes.  The  law  of  gravitation, 
which  extends  its  influence  through  all  ihe  celes- 
tial orbs,  has  a  tendency,  in  the  course  of  ages, 
to  draw  together  all  the  spacious  globes  in  thn 
universe,  and  to  condense  them  into  one  solid 
mass;  and,  were  it  not  for  the  counteracting  and 
sustaining  hand  of  God,  this  eflect,  at  some  di»- 
taiit  period  in  duration,  would  inevitably  take 
place,  and  creation  be  reduced  to  one  vast  and 
frightful  ruin.  Many  of  the  stars  are  ascertained 
to  be  subjected  to  periodical  changes,  varying 
their  lustre,  and  appearing  and  disap|>earing  at 
certain  inteivals;  while  others,  which  formerly 
shone  with  uuperior  brilliancy,  have  gradual^ 
disappeared,  and  their  place  in  the  heavens  is 
no  longer  to  be  found.  Other  stars,  unknown  to 
the  ancients  and  to  preceding  observers,  have 
made  iheir  appearance  in  modern  tiroes ;  and 
various  nebulous  spots,  in  the  distant  regions  of 
9|>ace,  apiiear  to  be  increasing  boih  in  lustre  and 
extent.  These,  and  many  other  similar  facts, 
indicate  changes  and  revolutions  as  great,  and 
even  much  greater  than  those  which  are  predicted 
to  befall  the  earth  when  its  atmosphere  shall  be 
dissolved,  its  "  elements  melt  with  fervent  heal," 
and  a  new  world  rise  out  of  its  ruins.  It  is  pr^ 
bable,  that,  in  the  lapse  of  infinite  duration,  all 
the  systems  which  now  exist,  some  at  one  period 
and  some  at  another,  will  undergo  changes  and 
transformations  which  will  astonish  the  intelli- 
gent creation,  and  open  new  and  sublimer  scenes 
of  divine  operation  to  an  admiring  universe. 
But  such  changes  will  bo  altogether  different 
from  annihilation  or  utter  destruction — altogether 
different  from  the  ideas  embodied  in  the  language 
of  poets,  when  they  tell  us  that  "  nol  one  atom 
shall  be  le(\  in  the  mighty  void,"  and  that  '•  earth 
and  firmament  will  be  sought  in  vain."  Those 
stars  which  appeared,  the  one  in  1572,  and  tit* 


PERMANENCY  OF  THE  UNIVERSE. 


67 


•Iher  in  1604,  which  shone  with  a  brightness 
■uperior  lo  Venus,  and  afterwards  disajipeared, 
We  have  no  reason  to  believe,  are  blotted  out  of 
creation.  They  may  either  have  been  changed, 
from  flaming  suns,  to  opaque  globes  like  the  pla- 
nets, and  may  still  be  existing  in  the  same  reg.on 
of  space  ;  or  they  may  have  been  carried  forward 
with  a  rapid  motion,  to  a  region  of  the  universe 
ahogelher  beyond  the  utmost  limils  of  our  vision, 
or  some  other  transformation,  beyond  the  reach 
of  human  conception,  may  have  been  effected. 
For  the  annihilation  of  matter  appears  to  form 
no  part  of  the  plan  of  the  Crealor's  arrango- 
ments  ;  at  least,  we  have  no  proof  of  it,  in  any 
one  instance,  and  the  very  idea  of  it  seems  to 
imply  an  inconsistency,  which  is  repugnant  to 
what  we  already  know  of  the  divine  character 
and  operations. 

Such  changes,  then,  so  far  from  diminishing 
the  visible  glory  of  the  universe,  will  present  to 
the  view  of  the  intelligent  creation  a  greater  t>a- 
riety  of  sublime  scenery  than  if  all  things  "  con- 
tinued as  ihey  were  from  the  beginning  of  the 
creation,"  and  will  exhibit  the  attributes  of  the 
Almighty  in  all  their  varied  aspects  and  diver- 
sified modes  of  operation.  While  they  demoiH 
strate  the  mutable  nature  of  created  beings,  and 
the  immutability  of  the  Creator,  they  will  en- 
liven the  scenes  of  the  universe,  and  excite  the 
admiration  and  praises  of  countless  multitudes  of 
enraptured  intelligences. 

From  the  considerations  now  stated,  it  will 
Callow,  that  the  various  relations  which  now  sub- 
sist among  the  great  bodies  which  compose  the 
universe,  will  not  be  materially  altered  by  any 
changes  or  revolutions  which  may  take  place 
\d  our  terrestrial  sphere  :  nor  will  the  general 
aspect  of  creation  be  sensibly  altered  by  any 
changes  that  may  occasionally  happen  among  the 
celestial  luminaries.  Whatever  may  be  the  na- 
ture of  such  changes,  or  however  important  they 
may  be  to  tho  inhabitants  of  the  systems  in 
which  they  happen,  they  bear  no  sensible  propor- 
tion to  the  whole  fabric  of  the  universe.  Though 
stars  have,  at  different  periods,  disappeared  from 
the  visible  concave  of  the  firmament,  and  have, 
doubtless,  undergone  amazing  revolutions,  yet 
the  general  appearance  of  the  heavens  in  all 
ages  has  been  nearly  the  same,  and  will  probably 
continue  so  for  an  indefinite  lapse  of  ages  yet  to 
come.  Although  our  earth  were  just  now  trans- 
ported to  a  point  of  space  a  hundred  thousand 
millions  of  miles  beyond  the  sphere  we  presently 
occupy,  the  general  asiiect  and  the  relative  po- 
sitions of  the  starry  orbs,  and  the  figures  of  the 
different  constellations,  would  appear,  on  the 
whole,  the  same  as  they  now  do  when  we  lift  our 
eyes  to  the  nocturnal  skv.  The  constellations 
of  Orion  and  Charles's  JVain,  for  example,  would 
present  the  same  shape,  the  same  number  of 
stars,  and  the  same  rel.itions  to  neighbouring 
coostellaiions,    when    viewed    from   a    region 


1,000,000,000  000,000*  of  miles  distant  from 
the  earth,  as  they  now  do  from  the  sphere  in 
which  we  are  placed. f — Extension,  magnitude, 
relative  position,  attraction,  giavitation,  central 
forces,  rectilineal  and  circular  motions,  and  other 
properties  and  relations  of  matter,  will  still  sub- 
sist in  the  universe,  after  we  are  transported 
to  another  state  and  to  a  different  region  ; — and, 
consequently  the  sciences  founded  on  the  various 
combinations  of  these  properties  and  of  the  laws 
which  govern  them,  will  be  cultivaled  by  intel- 
ligent beings,  and  carried  forward  to  that  mea- 
sure of  perfection  which  they  cannot  attain  in 
the  present  state  ;  unless  we  suppose,  what  is 
evidently  absurd  and  contrary  to  Scripture,  that 
our  knowledge  wiU  be  more  Umited  in  the  fuiiuv, 
than  in  the  present  world. 

For  example,  the  laws  which  direct  the  motiooB 
of  falling  bodies,  the  appearances  produced  by 
bodies  in  the  heavens  moving  with  different  d^ 
grees  of  velocity,  the  apparent  motions  of  the 
sun  and  of  the  starry  heavens,  and  the  general 
principles  of  geography  and  astronomy,  on  the 
planet  Jupiter,  or  any  other  similar  globe,  with 
the  exception  of  a  few  local  modifications,  are 
materially  the  same  as  on  the  surface  of  the 
earth  ; — which  is  evident  from  the  consideration 
of  his  spheroidal  figure,  his  diurnal  and  annual 
motions,  and  from  the  consideration  that  gravita- 
tion is  regulated  by  the  same  general  laws  on  that 
body,  and  on  similar  globes,  as  on  the  surface  of 
the  earth  or  the  moon. — The  laws  of  vision,  and 
the  nature  and  properties  of /ig'At  and  colours,  are 
essentially  the  same  th  oughout  all  that  portion 
of  the  universe  which  lies  within  the  sphere  of 
our  observation  ;  and  we  have  no  reason  to  be- 
lieve, that  the  general  laws  of  the  universe  will 
be  unhinged  for  the  sake  of  man,  or  on  account 
of  any  changes  that  happen  in  his  present  abode, 
or  in  reference  to  his  future  destination.  For,  to 
use  the  words  of  a  late  eminent  Scottish  philoso- 
pher, "  The  light  by  which  the  fixed  stars  are 
seen,  is  the  same  with  that  by  which  we  behold 
the  sun  and  his  attending  planets.  It  movea 
with  the  same  velocity,  as  we  observe  by  compa- 
ring the  aberrations  of  the  fixed  stars  with  the 
eclipses  of  Jupiter's  satellites.  It  is  refracted 
and  reflected  by  the  same  laws.      It  consists  of 

•  That  Is,  a  fftousand  bittUms;  a  billion  being  equal 
to  ten  hundred  thousand  millinns. 

'This  will  appear  (|uite  evident  to  any  one  who 
considers  the  immense  distance  of  the  stirs  from 
the  earth  and  from  one  another.  We  Icnow,  by  ex- 
perience, that  a  change  of  pl.ace  equal  to  190  millions 
of  miles,  or  the  dirimcterof  the  earth's  annual  orhit, 
produces  no  sensibledifference  in  the  apjiea ranee  of 
the  st*rry  heavens,  and  it  is  certain  that  if  this  dis- 
tance wore  multiplied  by  ten  hundred  thousaml.  the 
case  would  be  nearly  the  same  The  nearest  star 
Is,  at  le.ast,  20  billions  of  miles  distant,  and  remotei 
stars  several  thousands  of  billions  ;  and  therefor^ 
the  relative  positions  of  bodies  so  widely  dispersed 
from  each  other,  would  not  be  sensibly  altered  by  a 
change  of  place  equal  In  extent  to  a  thousand  bil- 
lions of  miles. 


08 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


tks  nme  colours.  No  opinion  thRrefom,  can  b« 
fcrmed  of  th«  aolar  light  which  mtul  not  alao  be 
•do|it«d  with  respect  to  the  light  of  the  fixed 
■tva.  The  medium  oT  vision  muni  be  acted  on 
in  the  nme  manner  by  both,  whether  we  sup- 
poM  it  the  undulations  of  an  ether,  or  the  emis- 
aioo  of  matter  from  the  luminous  body." — From 
tiiete  facts  we  may  conclude,  that  the  general  and 
iindamental  principles  of  the  science  of  OpticM 
are  recognise<l  and  acted  upon  in  the  remotest  re- 
|>Mns  which  the  telescope  has  explored,  and  fruni 
a  portion  of  thai  knowledge  which  is  possessed 
by  the  intelligences  which  occupy  thoae  distant 
provinces  of  the  Creator's  empire— always,  how- 
•ver,  making  proper  allowances  for  those  local 
varieties  and  modifications,  which  must  produce 
an  infinite  diversity  of  scenery  throughout  ihe 
universe,  although  the  same  general  laws  operate 
throuohoui  ihe  whole. 

What  has  been  now  stated  in  reference  to  light, 
graviiaiion,  at>d  other  affections  of  matter,  might 
be  extended  to  various  other  properties,  and  to 
llw  aciences  which  have  been  founded  upon  them ; 
Mch  as,  the  pressure  and  motions  of  fiuidii,  the 
properties  of  gaseous  bodies,  the  phenomena  of 
«l«ctririty  and  magnetism,  and  all  those  affinities, 
decomiKisitions  and  changes,  whirh  are  the  ob- 
jects of  ehymical  research.  For,  in  a  material 
&bric,  in  whatever  portion  of  space  it  may  be 
placed,  there  must,  from  the  very  nature  of  things, 
be  a  diversity  of  objects  for  the  inveslieation  of 
dw  naturalist,  the  chymist,  and  the  philosopher, 
in  which  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  the  Deity 
will  always  be  displayed.  Every  system  of  mat- 
ter, wherever  existing  in  infinite  i<p<vce,  has  a 
determinate  size  and  figure  ;  it  is  composed  of  an 
infinite  number  of  atoms,  variously  motlified  and 
arranged  ;  it  has  certain  diversities  of  surface 
and  internal  arrangement ;  it  is  susceptible  of 
certain  motions  ;  it  stands  in  certain  relations  to 
surrounding  bodies,  and  it  is  destined  to  accom- 
piifh  some  wise  designs  corresponding  to  the 
eternal  plan  of  the  infinite  Creator.  There  is 
no  portion  of  organized  matter  now  existing,  or 
which  may  hereafter  exist,  but  which  must  be 
considered  in  these  and  similar  points  of  view. 
Now  the  object  of  every  raiionsi  intelligence, 
whether  designated  by  the  appellations  of  philo- 
sopher, astronomer  or  chymist,  when  contemplal- 
ing  any  material  system,  is,  or  ought  to  be,  to 
trace  the  various  properties  and  arrangements 
which  exist  in  that  syntem,  in  order  to  perceive 
the  intelligence,  wisdom  and  benevolence  that 
appear  in  its  construction,  and  thus  to  acquire  a 
saore  correct  and  coniprehi*nsive  view  of  the  plans 
and  perfection*  of  his  Creator.  But  such  con- 
Ismplatiitnx  necensarily  suppose,  the  cultivation 
of  those  sciences  which  will  enable  him  to  mnke 
■nch  investigations  with  npirit  and  efTcct,  witn- 
oat  which  he  would  be  unable  to  trace  either  the 
qualities  and  relations  of  malarial  objects,  or  to 
perceive  the  admirable  designs  of  the  all-wise 


Creator  in  the  works  which  hit  almighty 
has  produced. 


SCIKKOKS   WHICH   WILL   BS   CtTLTITATBD  IB 
A    rUTUHE    STATE. 

In  order  to  illustrate  this  subject  a  little  far> 
ther,  I  shall  offer  a  few  brief  remarks  on  some 
of  those  sciences  which  will  be  tvcoguitwi  and 
prosecuted  in  a  future  world. 

AKITHMETIC. 

Arithmetic,  or  the  knowledge  of  numbers,  and 
their  various  powers  and  combinations,  is  a  sci- 
ence which  must  be  understood  in  a  greater  or  leai 
degree  by  all  intelligent  beings  wherever  exist- 
ing ;  without  some  knowledge  of  which,  no  ex- 
tensive progress  could  be  made  in  the  study  of 
the  works  of  God,  and  in  forming  just  concef>- 
tions  of  the  immense  number  and  variety  of  be- 
ings which  exist  within  the  limits  of  his  empire. 
By  the  application  of  the  science  of  numbers 
the  bulk  of  the  vtirth  has  been  ascertained  ;  the 
disiances  and  magnitudes  of  many  of  the  hea- 
venly bodies  have  been  computed ;  the  propor- 
tion which  one  part  of  the  universe  bears  to 
another  has  been  determined  ;  the  inconceivable 
minuteness  of  the  particles  of  effluvia,  uf  ani- 
malcule, and  of  the  atoms  of  light,  has  been 
brought  within  the  limits  of  our  conteinpiatioa; 
and  we  have  been  enabled  to  form  some  faint 
conceptions  of  the  amazing  velocities  with  which 
the  celestial  orbs  are  carried  forward  in  their 
courses.  The  universe  presents  to  our  view  an 
assemblage  of  objects,  relations,  nnd  movements 
calculated  to  draw  forth  into  exercise  all  the 
knowledge  of  numbers  we  can  possibly  acquire. 
We  are  presented  with  magnitudes  so  stupend- 
ous, and  with  spaces  and  distances  so  vaiit,  that 
the  mind  is  obliged  to  summon  up  all  its  power* 
of  calculation,  and  all  its  knowledge  c^  propor- 
tions, proeressions  and  equations,  and  to  add  one 
known  magnitude  to  another,  in  a  long  mental 
process,  before  it  can  approximate  to  any  thing 
like  a  well-defined  idea  of  such  sublime  and  ex^ 
pansive  objects  ;  and,  after  all  its  mental  efTorlt, 
computations  and  comparisons,  it  is  frefguenti^ 
under  thenecessily  of  resting  satisfied  with  idea* 
which  are  vague,  inaccurate,  and  obscure.  With 
regard  to  the  miUty>licity  and  variety  of  the  oIk 
jects  which  creation  contains,  our  present  know- 
ledge of  the  powers  of  numbers  is  altogether 
inadequate  to  convey  to  the  mind  any  thing  a|H 
proaching  to  a  distinct  and  comprehensive  OOIH 
ception.  The  nunther  of  systems  in  the  heavens 
which  lie  within  the  range  of  our  telescopes,  ia 
reckoned  to  be  at  least  a  hundred  millions  (100,- 
000  000.)  In  the  regions  of  infinite  space,  be- 
yond the  boundaries  of  all  these,  it  is  not  inw 
probable,  that  tan  thousand  times  laa  thou— il 


ARITHMETIC. 


minions  of  other  systems  are  running  their  am- 
ple rounds.  With  each  of  ihese  systems,  it  is 
probable,  that  at  least  a  hundred  worlds  are  con- 
nected.* Every  one  of  these  worlds  and  systems, 
we  have  reason  to  believe,  differs  from  another, 
in  its  size,  splendour  and  internal  arrangements, 
in  the  peculiar  beauties  and  sublimities  with 
which  it  is  adorned,  and  in  the  organization  and 
capacities  of  the  beings  with  which  it  is  fur- 
nished. The  immense  multitude  of  rational  be- 
ings and  other  existences  with  which  creation  is 
replenished,  is  an  idea  which  completely  over- 
powers the  human  faculties,  and  is  beyond  the 
power  of  our  arithmetical  notation  to  express. 
Even  the  multiplicity  of  objects  in  one  world  or 
system,  is  beyond  our  distinct  conception.  How 
very  feeble  and  imperfect  conceptions  have  we 
attained  of  the  immensity  of  radiations  of  light 
incessantly  emitted  from  the  sun  and  falling  upon 
our  globe,  and  of  the  innumerable  crossings  and 
recrossings  of  these  rays  from  every  object  around, 
in  order  to  produce  vision  to  every  beholder  !  of 
the  incalculable  myriads  of  invisible  animaiculae 
which  swim  in  the  waters  and  fly  in  the  air,  and 
pervade  every  department  of  nature  ;  of  the  par- 
ticles of  vapour  which  float  in  the  atmosphere, 
and  of  the  drops  of  water  contained  in  the  ca- 
verns of  the  ocean  !  of  the  many  millions  of  in- 
dividuals belonging  to  every  species  of  vegetables, 
of  which  50,000  different  species  have  already 
been  discovered,  and  of  the  number  of  trees, 
shrubs,  flowers  and  plants  of  every  description 
which  have  flourished  since  the  creation!  of  the 
countless  myriads  of  the  lower  animals,  and  of 
the  human  species,  which  have  been  brought  into 
existence  since  the  commencement  of  time,  and 
of  those  which  are  yet  to  appear  in  regular  suc- 
cession till  time  shall  bo  no  more  !  of  the  im- 
mense variety  of  movements,  adjustments  and 
adaptations  connected  with  the  structure  of  an 
animal  body,  of  which  fourteen  thousand  may  be 
reckoned  as  belonging  to  the  system  of  bones  and 
muscles  comprised  in  the  human  frame,  besides 
a  distinct  variety  of  as  numerous  adaptations  in 
each  of  the  60,000  different  species  of  animals 
which  are  already  known  to  exist !  of  the  count- 
less globules  contained  in  the  eyes  of  the  nume- 
rous tribes  of  beetles,  flies,  butterflies  and  other 
insects  of  which  27,000  have  been  counted  in  a 
single  eye !  And,  if  the  multiplicity  of  objects 
m  one  world  overwhelms  our  powers  of  concep- 
tion and  computation,  how  much  more  the  num- 
ber and  variety  of  beings  and  operations  con- 
nected with  the  economy  of  millions  of  worlds! 
No  finite  intelligence,  without  a  profound  know- 
ledge of  numbers  in  all  their  various  combina- 
tions, can  form  even  a  rude  conception  of  the 
^      diversified  scenes  of  the  universe  ;  and  yet,  with- 

•  With  the  solar  system  to  which  we  belone,  there 
are  connecteii  more  than  a  hundred  glotMs  of  diffe- 
rent sizes,  if  we  take  into  account  the  planets  both 
primary  and  secondary,  and  likewise  the  comsit 


out  some  faint  conception  at  least,  ofsnch  ob- 
jects, the  perfections  of  the  Creator  and  the 
glories  of  his  kingdom  cannot  be  appreciated. 

It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  superior  intelli- 
gences, such  as  angels,  and  redeemed  men  in  a 
future  state,  must  have  their  attention  directed 
to  the  science  of  numbers,  unless  we  suppose, 
what  is  contrary  to  Scripture,  that  their  know- 
ledge and  capacities  of  intellect  will  be  more 
limited  than  ours  are  in  the  present  state.  They 
may  not  stand  in  need  of  the  aids  of  any  thing 
similar  to  slates,  pencils  or  numerical  characters 
to  direct  them  in  their  computations,  or  to  give 
permanency  to  the  results  of  their  arithmetical 
processes.  The  various  steps  of  their  calcula- 
tions may  be  carried  forward  with  inconceivable 
rapidity,  by  a  mental  process  which  will  lead 
to  unerring  certainty ;  but  the  same  general  prin- 
ciples on  which  we  proceed  in  our  notations 
and  calculations,  must,  from  the  nature  of  things, 
be  recognised  in  all  their  numerical  processes 
and  sublime  investigations. 

The  Scriptures  occasionally  give  us  some  in- 
timations of  objects  and  scenes  calculated  to 
exercise  the  numerical  powers  of  the  heavenly 
inhabitants.  When  Daniel  beheld  the  vision 
of  the  "  Ancient  of  Days"  sitting  on  his  throne, 
a  numerous,  retinue  of  glorious  beings  appeared 
in  his  train  to  augment  the  grandeur  of  the 
scene.  "  Thousand  thousands  ministered  unto 
him,  and  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand  stood 
before  him."  We  are  told  in  the  sixty-eighth 
Psalm,  that  "  the  chariots  of  God  are  twenty 
thousand,  even  many  thousands  of  angels?"  and 
in  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  we  read  of  "  an 
innumerable  company  of  angels."  The  apostle 
John,  when  narrating  his  visions  of  the  celestial 
world,  tells  us,  that  he  "  beheld  and  heard  the 
voice  of  many  angels  round  about  the  throne, 
and  the  number  of  them  was  ten  times  fen  thou- 
sand, and  thousands  of  thousands."  And  again, 
"  After  this  I  beheld,  and  lo,  a  great  multitude 
which  no  man  could  number,  of  all  nations  and 
kindreds,  and  people,  and  tongues — and  ail  the 
angels  stood  round  about  the  throne,  and  fell  on 
their  faces  and  worshipped  God."  These  ex- 
pressions are  the  strongest  which  the  inspired 
writers  make  use  of  in  order  to  express  a  count- 
less multitude  of  objects ;  and  they  lead  us  to 
conclude,  that,  in  the  heavenly  world,  vast  as- 
semblages of  intelligent  beings  will  be  occasion- 
ally presented  to  the  view  ;  and  consequently,  a 
countless  variety  of  scenes,  objects  and  circum- 
stances connected  with  their  persons,  stations 
and  employments.  And,  therefore,  if  celestial 
beings  were  not  familiarized  witli  numerical 
calculations  and  proportions,  such  scenes,  instead 
of  being  contemplated  with  intelligence  and  ra* 
tional  admiration,  would  confound  the  intellect, 
and  produce  an  effect  similar  to  that  which  is  feh 
by  a  savage  when  he  beholds,  for  the  first  time, 
some  of  the  splendid  scenes  of  civilized  life. 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  A  FUTURE  STATE, 


It  it  owing,  in  t  great  measure,  to  ignorance 
of  the  (lowers  of  numbers,  and  ihr  mode  of  ap- 
plying ihcm,  (hat  we  find  it  impossible  to  convey 
any  diittinct  ideas  of  the  v)*lucities,  distances, 
and  magnitudes  of  the  heavenly  bodies  to  the 
illiteraie  ranlcs  of  mankind.  We  are  told  by 
travellers,  that  there  are  some  untutored  tribes 
who»e  knowledge  of  numbers  is  so  limited,  that 
they  cannot  count  bryond  a  hundred,  and  that 
there  are  others  whose  notation  is  limited  to 
twenty ,  or  the  number  of  fingers  and  toes  on  their 
blinds  and  feet.  While  such  ignorance  of  num- 
bers exists,  it  is  quite  evident,  that  such  persons 
are  entirely  unqualified  for  surveying,  wi  h  an 
eye  of  intelligence,  the  grand  and  diversified  ope- 
rations of  the  Creator,  and  for  appreciating  their 
number  and  magnificence.  Evm  (he  most  cul- 
tivated minds,  from  an  imperfect  knowledge  of 
this  subject,  find  it  difficult  to  form  distinct  con- 
ceptions of  the  plans  of  the  Creator,  and  of  the 
various  relations  which  subsist  in  the  universe. 
After  familiarizing  our  minds  to  the  classificatiou 
and  arrangement  of  numbers,  we  can  form  a  to- 
lerable notion  of  a  thousand,  or  even  of  a  hun- 
dred thousand;  but  it  is  questionable,  whether 
we  have  any  distinct  and  well-defined  idea  of  a 
million,  or  ten  hundred  thousand.  And  if  our 
conceptions  of  such  a  number  be  imperfect,  how 
exceedingly  vague  must  be  our  ideas  of  a  Ihou- 
tand  miUiont,  of  billion*,  trillions,  and  qttartil- 
lion*,  when  used  to  express  the  number  or  dis- 
tances of  the  heavenly  bodies  ? — It  is  evident, 
then,  that  beings  of  a  superior  order,  or  in  a 
higher  state  of  existence,  must  have  a  more  pro- 
found and  comprehensive  knowledge  of  numbers 
than  man :  in  consequence  of  which  they  are 
enabled  to  survey  the  universe  with  more  intelli- 
gence, and  to  form  more  distinct  and  ample  con- 
ceptions of  the  designs  and  operations  of  infinite 
wisdom  and  omnipotence. 

MATBEMATICf. 

Jdatttematict,  including  geometry,  trigonome- 
try, conic  sections,  and  other  branches,  is  another 
department  of  science  which  will  be  recognised 
by  superior  beings  in  a  future  state.  It  is  the 
■cience  of  Quantity,  and  treats  of  magnitude,  or 
local  extension,  as  lines,  surfaces,  solids,  &c. 
The  demonstrated  truths  of  this  science  are 
eternal  and  unchangeable,  and  are  applicable  to 
the  circumstances  of  all  worlds,  wherever  they 
may  exist,  and  in  every  period  of  duration,  so 
long  as  the  material  iabric  of  the  universe  re- 
mains. Guided  by  the  truths  which  this  science 
unfolds  and  demonstrates  we  have  been  enabled 
to  determine  the  figure  and  dimensions  of  the 
earth,  to  direct  our  course  from  one  continent  to 
another  across  the  pathlesa  deep,  to  ascertain  the 
diatance  and  magnitude  of  the  sun  and  planets, 
ud  the  laws  which  the  Almighty  has  ordained 
Ibr  pwwilna  their  order  aad  directing  them  in 


their  movements ;  and  have  been  led  to  fern 
more  correct  ideas  of  the  immense  distances  and 
the  vast  extent  of  the  starry  heavens.  It  was 
owing  to  his  profutmd  knowledge  of  the  truths  of 
this  science  that  the  illustrious  Sir  Isaac  Newton 
determined  the  properties  and  the  composition  of 
light,  the  causes  of  the  alternate  movements  of 
the  ocean,  and  the  mechanism  of  the  planetary 
system  ;  and  expanded  our  views  of  the  grandeur 
of  the  universe  and  the  perfcciioiu  of  its  AU 
mighty  Contriver. 

Some  of  the  truths  of  this  science  may  appear, 
to  a  superficial  thinker,  as  extremely  trivial,  and 
almost  unworthy  of  regard.  The  |>roperiies  of 
a  triangle,  such  as,  "  that  the  square  of  the  hy- 
potenuse of  a  right-angled  triangle,  is  equal  to 
the  squares  of  the  other  two  sides" — "  that  the 
three  angles  of  a  triangle  are  equal  to  two  right 
angles" — and,  "  that  the  sides  of  a  plane  trian- 
gle are  to  one  another  as  the  sines  of  the  angles 
opposite  to  them" — may  appear  to  some  minds 
as  more  curious  than  useful,  and  scarcely  deserv- 
ing the  least  attention.  Yet  these  truths,  when 
applied  to  the  relations  of  the  universe,  and 
traced  to  all  their  legitimate  consequences,  have 
led  to  the  most  important  and  sublime  resultsi 
On  the  ground  of  such  truths  we  have  ascertained, 
that  the  moon  is  240,000  miles  (distant  from  the 
earth,  that  the  sun  is  thirteen  hundred  thousand 
times  larger  than  our  globe,  that  the  planet  He»> 
schel  is  removed  to  the  distance  of  eighteen  huo> 
dred  millions  of  miles,  and  that  the  nearest  star 
is  at  least  two  hundred  thousand  times  farther 
from  us  than  the  sun.  When  the  length  of  any 
one  side  of  a  triangle  is  known,  however  large 
that  triangle  may  be,  and  the  quantity  of  its  an* 
gles  determined,  the  length  of  the  other  sides  cao 
easily  be  found  :  we  know  the  extent  of  the 
earth's  diameter  ;  we  can  ascertain  under  what 
angle  that  diameter  appears  at  the  moon,  and 
from  these  data  we  can,  by  an  easy  calculation, 
determine  the  length  of  any  of  the  other  two 
sides  of  this  triangle,  which' gives  the  distance  t£ 
the  moon. 

We  have  every  reason  to  conclude,  that  an- 
gels and  other  superior  intelligences  proceed  on 
the  same  general  principles  in  estimating  the 
distances  and  magnitudes  of  the  great  bodies  of 
the  universe.  They  may  not,  indeed,  require  to 
resort  to  the  same  tedious  calculations,  nor  to 
the  same  instruments  and  geometrical  scheme* 
which  we  are  obliged  to  use.  Without  such 
aids,  they  may  arrive  at  the  proper  results  with 
unerring  precision,  and  their  compulations  may 
be  performed  almost  in  the  (winkling  of  an  eye  ; 
and  while  ice  are  obliged  to  confine  our  calcula 
tions  to  lines  and  triangles  of  only  a  few  thou- 
sands or  millions  of  miles  in  extent,  lAcy  may  be 
enabled  to  form  triangles  of  inconceivable  extent, 
on  bate  lima  of  several  thousands  of  trillions  of 
miles  in  length.  We  are  informtvl,  in  the  boob 
of  Daniel,  that  "  the  angel  Gabriel,  being  ooui- 


ASTRONOMY. 


71 


manded  to  fly  swiftly  from  the  celestial  regions, 
reached  the  prophet  about  the  time  of  the  even- 
ing sacrifice."  This  fact  implies,  not  only  that 
angelic  beings  are  endued  with  powers  of  rapid 
motion,  but  that  they  are  intimately  acquainted 
with  the  directions,  distances,  and  positions  of 
the  liodies  whicli  compose  the  material  universe. 
This  heavenly  messenger,  having  been  previous- 
ly stationed  far  beyond  the  limits  of  our  planeta- 
ry syslem,  had  to  shape  his  course  in  that  direc- 
tion, to  discriminate  the  orbit  of  the  earth  from 
the  orbits  of  the  other  planets,  and  the  particular 
part  of  its  orbit  in  which  it  was  then  moving  ; 
and  having  arrived  at  the  confines  of  our  atmos- 
phere, he  required  to  discriminate  the  particular 
region  in  which  Daniel  resided,  and  to  direct  his 
flight  to  the  house  in  which  he  was  offering  up 
his  devotions.  Now,  since  angels  are  neither 
omniscient  nor  omnipresent,  as  tlicy  are  limited 
beings,  possessed  of  ralionai  faculties,  and  as  it 
•s  probable  are  invested  with  bodies,  or  fine  ma- 
terial vehicles,* — they  must  bo  guided  in  such 
excursions  by  their  reasoning  powers,  and  the 
faculty  of  rapid  motion  with  which  they  are  en- 
dued. Such  excursions  imply  the  recognition  of 
certain  mathematical  principles,  and  I  have  al- 
.  ready  had  occasion  to  notice,  that  these  princi- 
ples are  applicable  throughout  every  part  of  the 
universe,  and  must  be  recognised,  more  or  less, 
by  all  intelligent  beings. 

The  Creator  himself  has  laid  the  foundation 
of  the  mathematical  sciences.  His  works  con- 
sist of  globes  and  spheroids  of  all  dilTereut  dimen- 
sions, and  of  immense  concentric  rings  revolving 
with  a  rapid  motion.  These  globes  are  carried 
round  different  centres,  some  of  them  in  circles, 
some  in  ellipses,  and  others  in  long  eccentric 
curves.  Being  impelled  in  their  courses  by  dif- 
ferent degrees  of  velocity,  their  real  motions  can- 
not be  traced,  nor  the  beautiful  simplicity  and 
harmony  of  the  different  systems  made  apparent, 
without  the  application  of  mathematical  investi- 
gations. To  an  observer  untutored  in  this  sci- 
ence, many  of  the  celestial  motions  would  ap- 
pear to  display  inextricable  confusion,  and  lead 
him  to  conclude,  that  the  Framer  of  the  universe 
was  deficient  in  wisdom  and  intelligent  design. — 
The  principles  of  mathematics  are  also  exhibited 
in  the  numerous  and  diversified  figures  into 
which  diamonds,  crystals,  salts,  and  other  bodies, 
are  formed  ;  in  the  hexagonal  cells  of  bees,  wasps 
and  hornets,  in  the  polygons  and  parallel  lines 
which  enter  into  the  construction  of  a  spider's 
web,  and  in  many  other  objects  in  nature. — Now, 
since  God  has  exhibited  the  elements  of  this  sci- 
ence before  us  in  his  works  ;  since  ho  has  endued 
us  with  rational  faculties  to  appreciate  and  ap- 
ply these  elements  to  useful  investigations;  and 
since  his  wisdom  and  intelligence,  and  the  beau- 

•  The  Author  will  afterwards  have  an  opportunity 
o(  Uliu'jMInc  Una  position,  la  Part  UI.  of  tliis  work. 


ty  and  order  of  his  works,  cannot  be  fully  unJer- 
stood  without  such  investigations, — it  is  evident, 
that  he  must  have  iniended,  that  men  should  be 
occasionally  exercised  in  such  studies ;  in  order 
to  perceive  the  depths  of  hii  wisdom,  and  the  ad- 
mirable simplicity  and  harmony  of  his  diversified 
operations.  And  as  the  applications  of  this  sci- 
ence are  extremely  limited  in  the  present  world, 
its  more  extensive  applications,  like  those  of 
many  other  branches  of  knowledge,  must  be  con- 
sidered as  reserved  fi<r  the  life  to  come. — To 
suppose,  therefore,  that  such  studies  will  be  aban- 
doned, and  such  knowledge  obliterated  in  af  fu- 
ture state,  would  be  to  suppose,  that  the  works 
of  God  will  not  be  contemplated  in  that  xtate, 
and  that  redeemed  men  in  the  heavenly  world 
will  lose  a  part  of  their  rational  faculties,  and  re- 
main inferior  in  their  acquirements  to  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  earth,  even  in  their  present  imper- 
fect and  degraded  condition. 

ASTRONOMY. 

Astronomy  is  another  science  which  will  oc- 
cupy the  attention  of  pure  intelligences  in  the 
future  world.  The  object  of  this  science  is,  to 
determine  the  distances  and  magnitudes  of  the 
heavenly  b'xiies,  the  form  of  the  orbits  they  de- 
scribe, the  laws  by  which  their  motions  are 
directed,  and  the  nature  and  destination  of  the 
various  luminous  and  opaque  globes  of  which 
the  universe  appears  to  be  composed.  It  is  the 
most  noble  and  sublime  of  all  the  sciences,  and 
presents  to  our  view  the  most  astonishing  and 
magnificent  objects, — whether  we  consider  their 
immense  magnitude,  the  splendour  of  their  &p- 
pearance,  the  vast  spaces  which  surround  them, 
the  magnificent  apparatus  with  which  some  of 
them  are  encompassed,  the  rapidity  of  their  mo- 
tions, or  the  display  they  afford  of  the  omnipotent 
energy  and  intelligence  of  the  Creator.  In  con- 
sequence of  the  cultivation  of  this  science,  oui 
views  of  the  extent  of  creation,  and  of  the  sub- 
lime scenery  it  unfolds,  are  expanded  far  beyond 
what  former  ages  could  have  conceived.  From 
the  discoveries  of  astronomy  it  ap|>ears,  that  our 
earth  is  but  as  a  point  in  the  immensity  of  the 
universe — that  there  are  worlds  a  thousand  times 
larger,  enlightened  by  the  same  sun  which 
"  rules  our  day" — that  the  sun  himself  is  an 
immense  luminous  world,  whose  circumference 
would  inclose  more  than  twelve  hundred  thou- 
sand globes  as  large  as  ours — that  the  earth  and 
its  inhabitants  are  carried  forward  through  the 
regions  of  space,  at  the  rate  of  a  thousand  miles 
every  minute — that  motions  exist  in  the  great 
bodies  of  the  universe,  the  force  and  rapidity  of 
which  astonish  and  overpower  the  imagination — 
and  that  beyond  the  sphere  of  the  sun  and  planeta, 
creation  is  replenished  with  millions  of  luroinoui 
globes,  scattered  over  immense  regions  to  which 
the  huoian  mind  can  assign  no  boJodaries. 


78 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


These  objectn  preienl  an  imraense  firld  fur  tlie 
ooolemplation  of  every  c\at»  of  moral  intrlli- 
gmcea,  and  a  bright  mirror  in  which  they  will 
behold  the  reiltxtion  of  the  divine  attribiileH. 
Of  this  vast  universe,  how  small  a  portion  has 
jet  been  unveiled  to  our  view!  Wiih  respect 
to  the  bodies  which  compose  our  planetary  rvk- 
lem,  we  know  only  a  few  general  fdcls  and  rt;la- 
tioiis.  In  regard  to  the  fixed  stars,  v\e  have 
moquired  little  more  than  a  few  rude  conceptions 
of  their  immense  distance  and  magnitiidesi.  In 
relation  to  the  comeU,  we  only  know  that  lliey 
move  in  long  eccentric  orbits,  that  they  are  im- 
pelled in  their  courses  with  immense  velocity, 
and  appear  and  disappear  in  uncertain  periods 
of  time.  Of  the  numerous  systems  into  which 
the  stars  are  arranged,  of  the  motions  peculiar 
to  each  system,  of  the  relations  which  these  mo- 
tions have  to  the  whole  universe  as  one  vast 
machine,  of  the  nature  and  arrangement  of  the 
numerous  nebulae  which  are  scattered  through- 
out the  distant  regions  of  space  ;  of  the  worlds 
which  are  connected  with  the  starry  orbs ;  of 
the  various  orders  of  beings  which  people  them ; 
of  the  changes  and  revolutions  which  are  taking 
place  in  different  parts  of  the  universe,  of  the 
new  creations  which  are  starling  into  existence, 
of  the  number  of  opaque  globes  which  may  exist 
in  every  region  of  space,  of  the  distance  to  which 
the  material  world  extends,  and  of  the  various 
dispensations  of  the  Almighty  towards  the  di- 
Tersified  orders  of  intelligences  which  people  his 
vast  empire — we  remain  in  aInKMt  profound  ig- 
norance, and  must  continue  in  this  ignorance,  so 
long  as  we  are  chained  down  to  this  obscure 
comer  of  creation. — There  will,  therefore,  be 
ample  tcope  in  the  future  world  for  further  re- 
searches into  this  subject,  and  for  enlarging  our 
knowledge  of  those  glorious  scenes  which  aie  at 
present  so  far  removed  beyond  the  limits  of 
natural  vision,  and  the  sphere  of  human  investi- 
gation. 

The  heaven*  eotuliiute  the  prineipal  part  of  the 
divine  emptre— -compared  with  which  our  earth  is 
but  as  an  atom,  and  "  all  nations  are  as  nothing, 
and  are  accountcxl  to  Jehovah  as  less  than  no- 
thing and  vanity."  Vast  as  this  world  may 
appear  to  the  (rail  beings  that  inhabit  it,  it  pro- 
bably ranks  among  the  smallest  globes  in  the 
tMitrerse ;  but  although  it  were  twenty  thousand 
more  spacious  than  it  b,  it  would  be  only 
a  grain  of  sand  when  compared  with  the 

■enaiiy  of  creation,  and  all  the  events  that 

ra  paned  over  its  inhabitants  as  only  a  few  of 
ephtmeral  transactions  which  crowd  the 
I  of  eternity.  It  is  throughotit  the  bouiid- 
Imi  regions  of  the  firmonient  that  God  is  chiefly 
•MM,  mm)  his  glory  contemplated  by  unnumbered 
llaMlgsiii  m  It  is  there  that  the  moral  gran- 
AMr«f  his  dwpeosalions,  and  the  magnificence 
of  his  works  are  displayed  in  all  their  variety 
and  lustra  to  countless  oidert  of  his  rational  off- 


spring, over  which  he  will  continue  etemaRy  to 
preside,  ileiice  ihi;  niuiierous  allusion*  lo  "  the 
heavens,"  by  the  inspired  writers,  when  the 
majesty  of  God  and  the  glory  of  his  doniiiiioiis 
are  intended  to  be  illustrated.  "  All  ihu  ^imIs  of 
the  nations  are  idols ;  but  Jehovah  made  the  hea- 
veni."  "  The  Lord  haih  prepared  hit  l/irone  in 
the  heaven*,  and  his  kingdom  ruleth  over  all." 
"  By  his  Spirit  he  hath  garnished  the  heavens." 
'•  The  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  Jehovah." 
"  When  I  consider  thy  heavens,  the  work  of  thy 
fingers,  the  moon  and  the  cturs,  which  thou  hast 
ordained — what  is  man,  that  thou  art  mindful 
of  him?  or  the  son  of  man,  that  thou  visitesi 
him  ?"  ''  The  heavens,  even  the  heaven  of 
heavens,  cannot  contain  thee."  "  By  the  word 
of  Jehovah  were  the  heavens  made,  and  a/^  (A« 
hott  of  them  by  ihe  spirit  of  his  mouth."  "  Tba 
heavens  shall  declare  his  righteousness."  "  Our 
God  is  in  the  heavens,  he  hath  done  whatso- 
ever he  hath  pleased."  "  The  heaven*  thaU  de- 
clare thy  wonders,  O  Lord  ."'  "  I  lift  up  mine 
eyes  to  thee,  O  thou  that  dwtlUU  in  the  heaven*." 
"  Thus  saith  God  the  Lord,  he  that  created  the 
heaven*  and  stretched  them  out."  "  The  hea- 
vens for  height  are  unsearchable."  "  As  the 
heaven  is  high  above  the  earth,  so  great  is  his 
mercy  toward  them  that  fear  him."  He  is 
'*  the  God  of  heaven, — he  rideth  on  the  heaven 
of  heaven*  which  he  founded  of  old  ;  heaven  is 
his  throne,  and  the  earth  his  footstool." — When 
the  fully  of  idolaters  is  exposed,  when  the  coming 
of  Messiah  is  announced,  and  when  motives  are 
presented  to  invigorate  the  faith  and  hope  of  the 
saints,  Jehovah  is  represented  as  that  omnipo- 
tent Being  who  '^  meteih  out  the  heavens  with  a 
span,  who  spreadcth  them  out  as  a  curtain,  and 
bringeth  forth  their  hosts  by  the  greatness  of  his 
might."  "  Thus  saith  God  the  Lord,  he  that 
created  the  heavens  and  stretched  them  out — I 
will  give  thee  for  a  covenant  of  the  people,  for  a 
light  of  the  Gentiles."^  "  Thus  saith  the  Lore 
that  created  the  heavens— I  said  not  to  the  seed 
of  Jacob,  seek  ye  me  in  vain,"  &c.f  These, 
and  hundreds  of  similar  passages,  evidently  im- 
ply, that  we  ought  to  contemplate  the  attributes 
of  God  chiefly  in  relation  to  the  display  which  is 
given  of  them  in  the  firmament  of  his  power- 
that  the  heavens  are  by  far  the  most  extensive 
portion  of  his  dominions — and  that  the  power 
and  intelligence  displayed  in  the  formation  and 
arrangement  of  the  hosts  of  heaven,  lay  a  sure 
foundation  for  the  hope  and  joy,  and  the  future 
prospects  of  the  people  of  God. 

In  order  to  form  just  conceptions  of  the  beauty 
and  grandeur  of  the  heavens,  and  of  the  intelli- 
gence of  Him  who  arranged  their  numerous  boola 
some  of  the  fiindamenta!  facts  and  principles  of 
astronomy  require  to  be  understood  and  recog- 
nised.    The  order  of  the  bodies  which  compose 


Isa.  zUt.  •  • 


lM.X}T.l%l*i 


ASTRONOMY. 


78 


ihe  solar  system,  or  other  systems  which  exist  in 
the  universe — ihe  form  of  their  orbits,  their  pro- 
portional disiances  and  periods  of  revolution — 
their  magnitudes,  rotations,  velocities,  and  the 
various  phenomena  which  are  observed  on  their 
surfaces — the  arrangement  and  positions  of  the 
difTerenl  cluslers  of  stars — of  the  s  ellaran  I  plan- 
etary nebuliB,  of  double,  triple,  and  variable  stars, 
and  many  other  general  (acis,  require  to  be  known 
before  ;he  mind  can  receive  farther  information 
respecting  the  structure  of  llie  universe.  It 
may  be  also  necessary,  evon  in  a  higher  state 
of  existence,  to  be  acquainted  with  those  contri- 
vances or  artificial  helps  by  which  very  distant 
objects  may  be  brought  near  to  view.  We  know 
by  experience,  in  our  present  state,  that  by 
means  of  lelecsopes,  millions  of  stars,  which 
the  unassisted  eye  cannot  discern,  are  brought 
within  the  sphere  of  our  observation,  and 
numerous  other  splendid  objects,  which,  with- 
out (he  aid  of  these  instruments,  would  have 
been  altogether  concealed  from  our  view.  The 
organs  of  vision,  indeed,  of  the  redeemed  in- 
habitants of  our  globe,  after  the  resurrection, 
there  is  every  reason  to  believe,  will  be  capable 
of  taking  in  a  much  more  extensive  range  of 
view  than  at  present.  They  may  be  endowed 
with  qualities  which  will  enable  them  to  pene- 
trate into  the  depths  of  space  far  beyond  the 
reach  of  our  most  powerful  telescopes,  and  to 
perceive  with  distinctness,  objects  at  the  dis- 
tance of  many  billions  of  miles.  Still,  however, 
(hey  may  require  artificial  aids  to  their  natural 
organs,  in  order  to  enable  them  to  contemplate 
objects  at  still  greater  distances.  And  although 
such  helps,  to  natural  vision,  analogous  to  our 
telescopes,  may  be  conceived  as  incomparably 
superior  to  ours,  yet  the  same  general  principles 
must  be  recognised  in  their  construction.  For, 
as  has  been  already  noticed,  the  light  which 
emanates  from  the  most  distant  stars  consists  of 
the  same  colours,  and  is  refracted  and  reflected 
by  the  same  laws,  as  (he  light  which  is  emitted 
from  the  sun,  and  which  illuminates  our  terres- 
trial abode  ;  and,  consequently,  must  operate  on 
the  organs  of  sentient  beings,  in  those  remote 
regions,  in  a  manner  similar  to  its  effects  on  the 
eyes  of  man. 

It  is  highly  probable,  that,  in  the  future  world, 
a  considerable  portion  of  our  knowledge  respect- 
ing the  distant  provinces  of  the  divine  empire, 
will  be  communicated  by  superior  beings  who 
have  visited  the  diflerenl  systems  dispersed 
through  the  universe,  and  have  acquired  infor- 
tion  respecting  their  history,  and  their  physical 
and  moral  scenery.  We  learn  from  Scripture, 
that  there  are  intelligences  who  can  wing  their 
way,  in  a  short  period  of  time,  from  one  world  to 
another.  Such  beings,  in  the  course  of  a  thou- 
sand centuries,  must  have  made  many  extensive 
tours  through  the  regions  of  creation,  and  ac- 
^ired  a  comprehensive  knowledge  of  the  most 
10 


striking  scenes  which  the   imiverse   displays^ 
And,  since  they  have  occasionally  mingled  in         -\ 
the  society  of  men,  and  communicated  intelli-         \ 
gence  from  heaven  to  earth,  it  is  reasonable  to  \ 

believe,  that  they  will  have  more  frequent  inter-  ' 

course  with  redeemed  men  in  a  future  slate,  and 
communicate  the  discoveries  they  have  made 
respecting  the  economy  and  grandeur  of  God's 
universal  empire.  But,  at  the  same  time,  it 
ought  carefully  to  be  observed,  that  such  com- 
munications would  neither  be  fully  understood 
nor  appreciated,  unless  the  mind  had  a  previous 
acquaintance  with  the  leading  facts,  and  the 
grand  outlines  of  astronomical  science.  To  ei>- 
ter  into  the  spirit  of  those  sublime  details  which 
angels  or  archangels  might  communicate  respect- 
ing other  systems  and  worlds,  the  mind  must  be 
prepared  by  a  knowledge  of  those  principles 
which  have  already  been  ascertained,  and  of 
those  discoveries  which  have  already  been  made  { 

in  relation  to  the  system  of  the  universe.  Sup- 
pose a  group  of  the  native  tribes  of  New  Hol- 
land or  Van  Diemen's  Land,  were  assembled 
for  the  purpose  of  listening  to  a  detail  of  the 
principal  discoveries  which  modern  astronomers  i 

have  made  in  the  heavens — it  would  be  impossi- 
ble to  convey  to  their  minds  a  clear  conception 
even  of  the  prominent  and  leading  facts  of  this  ' 

science,  from  the  want  of  those  general  ideas 
which  are  previously  necessary  in  order  to  the  j 

right  understanding  of  such  communications. 
Such  would  be  the  case  of  men  in  a  future  state, 
in  regard  to  the  communications  of  angelic  mes- 
sengers from  distant  worlds,  were  their  minds  not  ' 
imbued  with  a  certain  portion  of  astronomical 
knowledge.  They  might  stare,  and  wonder  at 
some  of  the  facts  detailed ;  but  their  ideas  would 
be  vague  and  confused,  and  they  would  be  unable 
to  form  clear  and  comprehensive  conceptions  of 
the  various  circumstances  connected  with  the 
scenes  described,  in  all  their  bearings,  aspects, 
and  relations,  and  of  the  indications  the)  afford 
of  exquisite  skill  and  intelligent  design. 

As  the  objects  which  astronomy  explores  are 
unlimited  in  their  range,  they  will  aflford  an  inex-  , 

htmstible  subject  of  study  and  contemplation  to 
superior  beings,  and  to  mankind  when  placed  in 
a  higher  sphere  of  existence.  Astronomical  sci- 
ence, as  having  for  its  object  to  investigate  and 
explore  the  facts  and  relations  peculiar  to  all  the 
great  bodies  in  the  universe,  can  never  be  ex- 
hausted ;  unless  we  suppose  that  finite  minds 
will  be  able,  at  some  future  period  in  duration, 
to  survey  and  to  comprehend  all  the  plans  and 
operations  of  the  infinite  Creator.  But  this  is 
evidently  impossible;  for  "  who  can  by  searching 
find  out  God  ?  Who  can  find  out  the  Almighty 
to  perfection  ?"  After  millions  of  centuries  have 
run  their  rounds,  new  scenes  of  grandeur  will  be 
still  bursting  on  the  astonished  mind,  new  regions 
of  creation,  and  new  displays  of  divine  po».er 
and  wisdom  will  still  remain  to  be  explored  ; 


74 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


and,  conseqaentljr,  the  acience  of  utrottomy  will 
nevur  arrive  ai  abMolute  prrreciion,  but  will  Im 
in  a  pro^rostive  courae  of  iniprovcnient  ihroiijjh 
all  thw  revol  II ion*  of  eternity.  In  the  prosecu* 
tioo  of  Mich  invcsiigaiiuns,  and  in  (he  conicin- 
plaii  m  oT  mich  ohjecis  tm  this  5cietice  prcavnti, 
the  Krnnd  aim  of  crieatial  intnlligenres  will  bo, 
to  increase  in  the  knowlt^ce  and  die  love  of  God  ; 
and,  in  proportion  as  their  views  of  the  glories  of 
hit  empire  are  enlar);ed,  in  a  similar  proportion 
will  their  conceptions  of  his  boundless  attributes 
be  expanded,  and  their  praises  and  adorations 
ascend  in  sublimcr  strains  to  Him  who  sits  upon 
the  throne  of  the  universe,  who  alone  is  "  worthy 
to  receive  glory,  honour,  and  power,"  from  every 
order  of  his  creatures. 

Since  then,  it  appears,  that  astronomy  is  con- 
versant about  objects  the  most  wonderful  and 
sublime — since  these  objects  tend  to  amplify  our 
conceptions  of  the  divine  attributes — since  a 
clear  and  distinct  knowledge  of  these  objects 
cannot  be  attained  without  the  acquisition  of  a 
certain  portion  of  astronomical  science— since 
the  heavens  constitute  the  principal  part  of  God's 
universal  empire — since  our  present  views  of  the 
magnificence  of  this  empire  are  so  obscure  and 
circumscribed — since  even  the  inf)rmation  that 
may  becorainunicated  on  this  subject,  by  oiher  in- 
telligences, cuuld  not  be  fully  understood  without 
■ome  acquaintance  with  the  principles  of  this 
science — and  since  the  boundless  scenes  it  un- 
folds pre<ient  an  inexhaustible  subject  of  contem- 
plation, and  afford  motives  to  stimulate  all  holy 
beinns  to  incessant  adoration — it  would  be  ab- 
surd to  sup|iose  that  renovated  men,  in  a  supe- 
rior state  of  existence,  will  remain  in  ignorance 
of  this  subject,  or  that  the  study  of  it  will  ever 
be  discontinued  while  eternity  endures. 

HATURAL    PHILOSOPH7. 

Natural  Plulosophy  is  another  subject  which 
will  doubtless  engage  the  attention  of  regenera- 
ted men  in  a  future  stale. 

The  objects  of  this  science  is  to  describe  the 
phenomena  of  the  material  world,  to  explain 
their  causes,  to  investigate  the  laws  by  which 
the  Almighty  directs  the  o|>erations  of  nature, 
and  to  trace  the  exquisite  skill  and  benevolent 
design  which  are  displayed  in  the  ecoaoroy  of 
the  universe.  It  embraces  investigations  into 
the  several  powers  and  properties,  qualiiies  and 
attributes,  motions  and  appearances,  causes  and 
affects,  of  all  the  bodies  with  which  we  are  sur- 
rounded, and  which  are  obvious  to  our  senses, — 
anch  as  light,  heat,  colours,  air,  water,  sounds, 
aehoes ;  the  electrical  and  magnetical  fluids  ; 
hail,  rain,  snow,  dew,  thunder,  lightning,  the 
rainbow,  parhelia,  winds,  luminous  and  fiery 
meteors,  the  .\iirora  B  irealis,  and  similar  ob- 
jects in  the  system  of  nature. 

Front  the  discoveries  of  experimental  philoso- 


phers, we  have  been  made  acqtiainted  with  a 
"variety  of  striking  laoia  and  agencies  in  ibe  sya- 
tcm  of  the  universe,  which  display  the  amaring 
energies  of  the  Creator,  and  which  tend  to  ex- 
cite our  admiration  of  the  depths  of  his  wiiidom 
and  intelligence.  We  learn  that  the  light  cmiU 
ted  from  the  sun  and  other  luminous  bodiea 
moves  with  a  velocity  equal  to  200,000  miles  in 
a  Becond  of  time — that  every  ray  of  white  light 
is  composed  of  all  the  colours  in  nature,  blend- 
ed in  certain  pro|>oriii>ns — that  the  immense 
variety  of  shades  of  colours  which  adorns  the 
different  londscafies  of  the  earth,  is  not  in  the 
objects  themselves,  but  in  the  light  that  falls 
upon  them — and  that  tho-isands  of  millions  of 
rays  are  incessanlly  flying  off  from  all  visible 
objects,  crosfiing  and  recrossing  each  other  in  an 
infinity  of  directions,  and  yet  conveying  to  every 
eye  that  is  open  to  receive  them,  a  distinct  pic- 
ture of  the  objects  whence  they  proceed.  We 
learn  that  the  atmosphere  which  surrounds  us 
presses  our  bodies  with  a  weight  equal  to  thirty 
thousand  pounds,  that  it  contains  the  principles 
of  fire  and  flame^ihat,  in  one  combination,  it 
would  raise  our  animal  spirits  to  the  highest 
pitch  of  ecstacy,  and  in  another,  catise  our  im- 
mediate destruction — that  is  capable  of  being 
compressed  into  40,000  times  less  space  than  it 
naturally  occupies — and  that  the  production  of 
sound,  the  lives  of  animals,  and  the  growth  of 
vegetables,  depend  upon  its  various  and  unceas- 
ing agencies.  We  learn  that  a  certain  fluid 
pervades  all  nature,  which  is  capable  of  giving  a 
shock  to  the  animal  frame,  which  shock  may  be 
communicated  in  an  insiant  to  a  thousand  indi- 
viduals— that  this  fluid  moves  with  inconceiva- 
ble rapidity — that  it  can  be  drawn  from  the 
clouds  in  the  form  of  a  stream  of  fire — that  it 
melts  iron  wire,  increases  the  evaporation  of 
fluids,  destroys  the  polarity  of  the  magnetic  needle 
and  occasionally  displays  its  energies  among  the 
clouds  in  the  form  of  fire-balls,  lambent  flames, 
and  forked  lightnings.  We  learn  that  the  bodiea 
of  birds,  fishes,  quadrupeds,  and  insects,  in  rela- 
tion to  their  eyes,  feel,  wings,  fins,  and  other 
members,  are  formed  with  (uJmirable  skill,  so  as 
to  be  exactly  adapted  lo  their  various  necessities 
and  modes  of  existence,  and  that  they  consist  of 
an  infinite  number  of  contrivances  and  adapta- 
tions in  order  to  accomplish  the  purpose  intend- 
ed— and  that  the  beaver,  the  bee,  the  ant,  and 
other  insects,  construct  their  habitations,  and 
perform  their  operations  with  all  the  skill  and 
precision  of  the  nicest  mathematical  science. 
The  bee,  in  particular,  works,  as  if  ii  knew  the 
highest  branches  of  mathematics,  which  required 
the  genius  of  Newton  to  discover. — In  short,  the 
whole  of  nature  presents  a  scene  of  wonders 
which,  when  seriously  contemplated,  is  calcu- 
lated to  expand  the  intellectual  powers,  to  refine 
the  affections,  and  to  excite  admiration  of  tha 
attributes  of  God,  aud  the  plan  of  his  providence. 


NATURAL  PHILOSOPHY. 


76 


Natural  Philosophy  may,  therefore,  be  consi- 
dered as  a  branch  both  of  the  religion  of  nature, 
and  of  the  religion  of  revelation.  It  removes, 
in  part,  the  veil  which  is  spread  over  the  mys- 
terious operations  of  nature,  and  discloses  to 
our  vievv  the  wonders  which  lie  concealed  from 
the  sottish  multitude,  "  who  regard  not  the  works 
of  the  Lord,  nor  consider  the  operations  of  his 
han  Is."  It  enables  us  to  perceive  the  footsteps  of 
the  Almighty  both  in  his  majestic  movements 
and  in  his  most  minute  designs ;  for  there  is  not 
a  step  we  can  take  in  the  temple  of  nature,  under 
the  guidance  of  aii  enlightened  philosophy,  in 
which  we  do  not  behold  traces  of  inscrutable 
wisdom  and  design,  and  of  a  benevolence  which 
extends  its  kind  regards  to  every  rank  of  sensi- 
tive and  intelligent  existence.  It  shows  us  the 
beauty  and  goodness  of  the  divine  administra- 
tion ;  and  demonstrates,  that  the  communication 
of  happiness  is  the  final  cause  of  all  the  admi- 
rable arrangements  which  pervade  the  material 
system.  It  teaches  us,  that  the  several  opera- 
tions of  nature  are  carried  on  by  means  uncon- 
trollable by  human  power,  and  far  transcending 
finite  skill  to  plan  or  to  execute.  It  discovers 
those  laws  by  which  the  sovereign  of  the  universe 
governs  his  vast  dominions,  and  maintains  them 
in  undecaying  beauty  and  splendour,  throughout 
all  ages.  It  thus  enables  us  to  consecrate  the 
universe  into  one  grand  temple,  and,  from  the 
contemplation  of  every  object  it  presents,  to  ele- 
vate our  minds,  and  to  raise  our  voices  in  grate- 
ful praises  to  Him  "  who  created  all  things,  and 
for  whose  pleasure  they  are  and  were  created." 

In  the  future  world  there  will  be  abundant  scope 
for  the  prosecution  of  this  subject  to  an  indefi- 
nite extent.  With  respect  to  the  slate  of  sepa- 
rate spirits,  after  their  departure  from  this  world, 
the  employments  in  which  they  engage,  and  the 
connection  in  which  tliey  stand  to  the  material 
system,  we  can  form  no  distinct  conception,  and 
must  remain  in  ignorance  till  the  period  arrive 
when  we  shall  be  actually  ushered  into  that  my.s- 
terious  scene  of  existence.  But,  we  are  assured, 
that,  after  the  resurrection,  a  material  world  will 
be  prepared  for  the  habitation  of  the  just,  in 
which  their  connection  with  the  visible  universe 
will  doubtless,  be  far  more  extensive  than  it  is 
at  present ;  and  wherever  a  material  system  ex- 
ists, it  affords  scope  for  physical  investigations, 
and  for  the  application  of  the  principles  of  Na- 
tural Philosophy.  This  new  world  will  be  pre- 
pared and  arranged  by  divine  wisdom  ;  and 
consequently,  will  exhibit  scenes  of  beauty  and 
grandeur,  of  exquisite  contrivance  and  benevo- 
lent design.  For,  if  the  world  we  now  inhabit, 
amidst  all  the  deformities  and  physical  derange- 
ments which  sin  has  introduced,  displays  so 
many  beautiful  arrangements  and  marks  of  in- 
telligence and  skill,  much  more  may  we  conclude, 
that  the  world  in  which  "  righteousness  shall 
dwell,"  will  abound  in  everv  thing  that  can  charm 


the  eye,  the  ear,  or  the  imagination,  and  illus- 
trate the  manifold  wisdom  of  God;  and  of  course 
will  present  a  boundless  field  for  the  most  sub- 
lime mvesligations  of  science.  This  world,  in 
many  of  its  arrangements,  will  doubdess  present 
a  variety  of  objects  and  scenes  altogether  diffe- 
rent from  those  we  now  behold,  even  although  the 
same  physical  laws  which  govern  our  terrestrial 
system  should  siiU  continue  in  operation.  The 
inflection,  refractionand  reflection  of  light  will 
be  directed  by  the  same  general  laws,  and  will 
produce  eflfects  analogous  to  those  we  now  per- 
ceive in  the  scene  around  us  ;  but  the  mediums 
through  which  it  passes,  and  the  various  objects 
by  which  it  is  refracted  and  reflected,  and  many 
other  modifications  to  which  it  may  be  subjected, 
may  produce  a  variety  of  astonishing  effects, 
surpassing  every  thing  we  now  behold,  and  ex- 
hibit scenes  of  beauty  and  magnificence  of  which 
we  can,  at  presetit,  form  no  distinct  conception. 
The  science  of  optics,  in  unfolding  to  us  the  na- 
ture of  light,  and  the  various  properties  of  prisms, 
mirrors,  and  lenses,  has  enabled  us  to  exhibit  a 
variety  of  beautiful  and  surprising  effects,  and 
to  perceive  traces  of  infinite  intelligence  in  relap- 
tion  to  this  element,  beyond  what  former  ages 
could  have  believed.  And,  therefore,  we  have 
reason  to  conclude,  that,  in  the  hand  of  Omni- 
potence, when  arranging  other  worlds,  the  ele- 
ment of  light  is  capable  of  being  modified  in  a 
thousand  forms  of  which  we  are  now  ignorant, 
so  as  to  produce  the  most  glorious  and  transport- 
ing effects.  There  will  probably  be  no  such 
phenomena  as  thunder,  lightning,  and  fiery  me- 
teors in  the  world  to  which  I  allude,  but  the 
electrical  fluid,  which  is  the  principal  agent  in 
producing  these  appearances,  and  which  pervades 
every  part  of  nature,  may  operate  in  that  world 
in  a  diflferent  manner,  and,  instead  of  producing 
effects  that  are  terrific  and  appalling,  may  be  an 
agent  for  creating  scenes  which  will  inspire  the 
soul  with  admiration  and  delight.  Some  of  the 
mechanical,  pneumatical,  and  hydrostatical  prin- 
ciples which  enter  into  the  construction  of  mills, 
wheel-carriages,  forcing  pumps,  and  steam-en- 
gines, may  not  be  applied  to  the  same  purposes 
in  the  future  world  ;  but  they  may  bo  applicable 
to  a  variety  of  other  unknown  purposes  corres- 
ponding to  the  nature  of  that  world,  and  the  cha- 
racter and  employments  of  its  inhabitants. 

In  such  cases  as  those  now  alluded  to,  and  in 
thousands  of  others,  there  will  be  ample  scope 
for  the  application  of  all  the  principles  of  natural 
science  ;  and  thousands  of  facts  and  principles,  to 
us  unknown,  will  doubtless  be  brought  to  light  by 
the  superior  sagacity  of  tlie  heavenly  inhabitants. 
To  maintain  the  contrary,  would  be,  in  effect, 
to  suppose,  that  the  inhabitants  of  heaven  are  en- 
dowed with  powers  of  intellect  inferior  to  those 
of  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth, — lliat  their  know- 
ledge is  less  extensive  than  ours, — that  they  make 
no  progress  in  moral  and  intellectual  attaipmenis. 


7S 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


'•-•nd  that  they  have  no  desire  to  explore  "  the 
works  ofiho  Lord,  aiid  to  consider  the  o|>eration8 
of  his  hands." 

What  has  been  now  staletl  in  relation  to  Natu- 
ral Philoeo|)hy,  will  equally  apply  to  the  iicience 
of  Chi/mitlry.  This  science  tins  for  itd  object  to 
ascertain  tli«  first  principles  of  all  bodies,  tiieir 
various  properties  and  combinations,  tlieir  miKJe 
of  operation,  and  the  effVcls  they  produce  in  ihe 
economy  ofiialure.  lis  discoveries  have  not  only 
Uniblded  many  of  the  admirable  processed  which 
are  going  forward  in  the  animul,  vegeiahle,  and 
mineral  k  mgdoms,  but  have  opened  lo  our  view 
many  striking  displays  of  the  wisdom  and  go<id- 
ne«8  of  God,  in  producing,  by  the  most  simple 
means,  the  most  astonishing  and  benevolent  ef- 
fects. The  principles  of  this  science  must,  there- 
fore, be  applicable,  wherever  mntter  exist*,  under 
whatever  shape  or  mo<lificatii>n  it  may  present 
itself;  and  a;;  all  the  worlds  ihrooghnut  the  uni- 
verse are  composed  of  inalter  compounded  into 
various  forms,  they  must  afford  an  ample  range 
for  the  investigations  and  researches  of  chymical 
■ciencc. 

AKiiTOMY  AND  PHV8I0LOOT. 

Anatomy  and  Phyndogy  are  subjects  whicn  we 
may  reasonably  conclude,  will  occasionally  occupy 
the  attention  of  the  inhabitants  of  heaven.  The 
object  of  these  sciences  is,  lo  investigate  the  ge- 
neral structure  and  economy  of  the  animal  frame, 
and  especially  the  parts  aiid  functions  of  tlie  hu- 
man body.  The  system  of  organization  connected 
with  the  human  frame  is  the  most  admirable 
piece  of  mechanism  which  the  mind  can  contem- 
plate— whellier  we  consider  the  immense  num- 
ber and  variety  of  its  parts — the  numerous  func- 
tions they  |>erform — the  rapid  nioveiiients  which 
are  incessantly  going  forward  throughout  every 
part  of  this  system — the  amazing  force  exerted 
by  the  heart  and  muscles— the  processes  of  diges- 
tion and  respiration — the  system  of  veins  and 
arteries — the  articulation  of  the  bones — the  struc- 
tare  and  course  of  the  lymphatics — the  ramifica- 
tions of  the  nerves — the  circul.ition  of  the  blood 
—the  wonderful  changes,  dissolutions  and  com- 
UiHUioas  continually  going  on — the  chymical  ap- 
panUis  adapted  for  effecting  these  purpose* — 
the  organs  of  sense  by  which  an  intercourse  is 
maintained  with  the  external  world— or,  the  har- 
monious correspondence  of  all  its  parts  and 
fiinciions  with  the  agencies  of  the  surrounding 
elements.  From  the  researches  of  physiologists 
W0  learn,  that  there  arc  in  the  human  body,  two 
handred  and  forty-five  bones  variously  articu- 
lated, each  of  them  having  above  forty  distinct 
■eopea  or  intentions  ;  and  four  hundred  and  forty- 
iil  moarles  of  various  figures  and  magnitudes, 
eonnected  with  the  t>onrs,  for  producing  the  nu- 
merous movements  of  the  animal  frame — that 
more  than  a  hundred  of  these  muscles  are  em- 
ploxed  every  time  we  breaibe— that  there  are 


thousands  of  veins  and  arteries  distribofed 
throughout  BVery  (lart  of  this  wonderful  i^vstem 
— iJiat  the  whole  mass  of  blood  rushes  wiih  im- 
mense velocity ,  through  these  vessels,  and  tliruiigb 
(he  heart,  fourteen  limesevery  hour— that  respi- 
ration is  nothing  else  than  a  species  o(  eomhn»- 
tion,  in  which  the  oxygen  of  the  atmosphere  is 
absorbed  by  the  blmxl,  and  diffuses  heat  and  vi- 
gour ihrougbout  tite  KyMeiii — that  the  lungs  are 
composed  of  an  iiihnite  number  of  membranous 
cells  or  vesicles  variously  figured,  and  full  of  air. 
Communicating  on  all  sides  with  oneano  her  and 
that  their  number  amounts  to  at  least  1,700  OUO,- 
000 — that  there  are  above  three  hundred  thou- 
sand millions  of  pores  in  the  glands  of  the  skin 
which  covers  the  body  of  a  middle-sized  man. 
through  which  the  sweat  and  insensible  perspi- 
ration are  continually  issuing — that  thoiiiiaiids  o( 
lacteal  and  lympliatic  tubes  are  absorbing  and 
conveying  nutriment  to  the  blood — that  the  hiart, 
in  the  centre  of  the  system,  is  exerting  an  im- 
mense niuscrilar  force,  and  giving  nii:eiy-sis 
thousand  strokes  every  twenty-four  hours  ; — and 
that  all  this  complicated  system  of  mechanism, 
and  hundreds  of  other  functions  of  which  we  are 
ignorant,  must  be  in  constant  action,  in  order  to 
preserve  us  in  existence,  and  secure  our  enjoy- 
ment. 

This  subject  frequently  engaged  the  attention 
of  the  pious  Psalmist.  With  an  eye  of  intelli- 
gence and  devotion,  he  surveyed  the  curious  or- 
ganization of  the  human  fraiob,  from  the  rude 
embryo  in  the  womb  to  the  full  develofienieni  of 
all  its  functions; — and,  struck  with  the  wisdom 
and  goodness  displayed  in  its  formation,  he  raised 
his  thoughts  to  G<k1  in  grateful  adoration.  "I 
will  praise  thee,"  he  exclaims,  "  for  I  am  fear- 
fully and  woiKlerfully  made  ;  marvellous  are  thy 
works!  How  precious  are  thy  wonderful  contri- 
vances in  relation  to  me,  O  God  !  How  great 
is  the  sum  of  them!  If  1  should  count  them,  they 
are  more  in  number  than  the  sand."  This  body, 
howe\'er,  wonderful  as  its  structure  is,  is  liable 
to  decay ,  and  must  soon  be  dissolved  in  the  grave. 
But  we  are  a.«8ured  that  a  period  is  approaching, 
when,  "  all  that  are  in  their  graves  shall  hear  the 
voice  of  the  Scm  of  God,  and  shall  come  forth ;" 
when  this  mortal  frame  "shall  put  on  immortal- 
ity "  and  when  iliat  which  was  sown  in  corrup- 
tion "shall  be  raised  in  glory."  ]f  the  human 
body,  even  in  its  present  state  of  degradation,  ex- 
cited the  pious  admiration  of  the  P.-almisi,  much 
more  will  it  appear  worthy  of  our  highest  admi- 
ration, when  it  emerges  from  darkness  and  cor- 
ruption to  participate  in  the  glories  of  an  im- 
morto/life.  Its  faculties  will  then  be  invigorated, 
i\a  tendency  to  dissolution  destroyed,  everi  prin- 
ciple of  disease  annihilated,  and  every  thing  that 
w  loathsome  and  deformed  for  ever  prevented. 
Being  "fashioned  like  unto  Christ's  glorious 
body,"  its  beauty  will  be  exquisite,  iu  symmetry 
perfect,  its  aspect  bright  and  refulgent,  and  n* 


HISTORY. 


77 


notions  vigorous  and  nimble.  Its  sensitive  organs 
will  be  refined  and  improved,  and  ihe  s;)hero  of 
their  operation  extended.  Its  auditory  organs 
will  be  tuned  to  receive  Ihe  most  delightful  sen- 
sations from  the  harmonies  of  celestial  music, 
and  its  visual  powers  rendtred  capable  of  per- 
ceiving the  minutest  objects,  and  penetrating  into 
the  most  distant  regions.  New  senses  and  facul- 
ties of  perception,  and  new  powers  of  motion, 
fitted  to  transport  it  with  rapidity  from  one  por- 
tion of  space  to  another,  will,  in  all  probability, 
be  superadded  to  the  powers  with  which  it  is 
now  invested.  And,  surely,  the  contrivances  and 
adaptations  which  must  enter  into  the  structure 
of  such  an  organical  frame,  cannot  be  less  curi- 
ous and  exquisite,  nor  display  less  wisdom  and 
intelligence  than  those  which  we  now  perceive 
in  our  mortal  bodies.  On  the  contrary,  we  must 
necessarily  suppose  thousands  of  the  most  deli- 
cate contrivances  and  compensations,  different 
from  every  thing  we  can  now  conceive,  to  be  es- 
sentially requisite  in  the  construction  of  an  or- 
ganized body  intended  for  perpetual  activity,  and 
destined  to  an  immortal  duration.— To  inves- 
tigate and  to  contemplate  the  contrivances  of 
divine  wisdom,  by  which  the  elements  of  disease 
and  death  are  for  ever  prevented  from  entering 
into  this  renovated  frame,  and  by  which  it  will 
be  preserved  in  undecaying  youth  and  vigour 
throughout  the  lapse  of  innumerable  ages,  we 
must  necessarily  conclude,  will  form  a  part  of 
tiie  studies  of  renovated  man  in  the  future  world  ; 
—nor  can  we  help  thinking,  that  the  knowledge 
of  the  wonders  of  the  human  frame  we  now 
acquire,  may  be  a  preparatory  qualification,  for 
enabling  us  to  form  an  enlightened  and  com- 
prehensive conception  of  the  powers,  qualities, 
and  peculiar  organization,  of  the  bodies  of  the 
saints  after  the  period  of  the  resurrection. 


Another  branch  of  study  in  which  the  saints 
in  heaven  will  engage,  is  History.  History 
contains  a  record  of  past  facts  and  events ;  and 
makes  us  acquainted  with  transactions  which 
happened  hundreds  or  thousands  of  years  before 
we  were  brought  into  existence.  When  viewed 
in  its  proper  light,  it  may  be  considered  as  no- 
thing else  than  a  detail  of  the  operations  of 
Divine  Providence  in  relation  to  the  moral  in- 
telligences of  this  world.  It  illustrates  the  cha- 
racter of  the  human  race,  and  the  deep  and 
universal  depravity  in  which  they  are  involved; 
and  displays  the  rectitude  of  the  character  of 
God,  and  the  equity  of  his  moral  administra- 
tion. 

History,  therefore,  will  form  a  prominent  ob- 
ject of  study  among  'he  celestial  inhabitants,  as 
furnishing  those  materials  which  will  illustrate 
the  wavs  of  Providence  and  display  the  wisdom 
and  r'^hteousness  of  Jehovah  in  his  government 


of  the  world.     At  present  we  can  contemplate 
only  a  few  scattered  fragments  of  the  history  of 
mankind.     Of  the   history   of  some   nations  we 
are  altogether  ignorant ;   and  of  the  history  of 
others  we  have  only  a  few  unconnected  details, 
blended  with  fabulous  narrations   and   extrava- 
gant fictions.     Of  no  nation  whatever  have  we 
an  entire  history  composed  of  authentic  mate- 
rials ;  and  consequen'.ly,  we  perceive  only  some 
broken  and  detached  links  in  the  chain  of  the 
divine  dispensations,  and  are  unable  to  survey 
the  whok  of  God's  procedure  towards  our  race, 
in  one  unbroken  series,  from  the  creation  to  the 
present  time.     We  know  nothing  decisively  re- 
specting the  period  during  which  man  remained 
in  a  state  of  innocence,   nor  of  the  particular 
transactions  and  events  that  happened  previous 
to  his  fall.     And  how  little  do  we  know  of  the 
state  of  mankind,  of  the    events   which    befell 
them,  and  of  the  civil  and  religious  ariangements 
which   existed,   during   the   period    of  sixteen 
hundred  years   which    intervened    between   the 
creation  and  the  deluge,  though  the  world  was 
then  more  fertile  and  populous  than  it  has  ever 
since  been  ?     How  little   do  we   know  of  the 
state  of  mankind  immediately  previous  to  the 
flood,  of  the  scenes  of  consternation  and  terror 
which    must   have  been  displayed   over  all  the 
earth,  when  the  fountains  of  the  great  deep  were 
broken  up,  and  the  cataracts  of  heaven  opened, 
and  of  the  dreadful  concussion  of  the  elements  of 
nature,  when  the  solid  strata  of  the  earth   were 
rent  asunder,  when  the  foundations  of  the  moun- 
tains were  overturned,  and  the  whole  surface  of 
the  globe  transformed  into  one  boundless  ocean? 
How   little  do  we   know  of  the  circumstances 
which  attended  the  gradual  rise  of  idolatry,  and 
of  the  origin  of  the  great  empires  into  which  the 
world  has  been  divided  ?     How  little  do  we  know 
even  ot  the  history  of  the  Jewish  nation,  posterior 
to    the    period    of   the    Babylonish    captivity? 
Whither  were  the  ten  tribes  of  Israel  scattered 
among  the  nations,  what  events  have  befallen 
them,  and  in  what  countries  are  they  now  to  be 
found  ?     Of  the  history  of  all  the  nations  m  the 
world  (the  Jews  onlv  excepted)  from  the  time  of 
the  deluge  to  the  days  of  Hezekiah,  a  period  of 
nearly  two  thousand  years,  we  remain  in  pro- 
found   ignorance.     And  yet,   during  that  long 
peri<)d,  God  had  not  forsaken  the  earth  ;  his  dis- 
pensations towards  his   rational  offspring  were 
still  going  forward,  empires  were  rising  and  de- 
clining, one  generation  passing  away,  and  another 
generation  coming,  and  thousands  of  millions  of 
mankind  ushered  into  the  eternal  world. — Those 
chasms  in  the  history  of  mankind,  which  hide 
from  our  view  the  greater  portion  of  God's  moral 
dispensations,  will,  doub'less,  be  filled  up  in  the 
eternal  slate,  so  that  we  shall  be  enabled  to  lake 
a  full  and  comprehensive  view  of  the  whole  of  the 
divine   procedure,  in    all    its  connections  and 
bearings  towards  every  nation  upon  earth 


78 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


But  th«  liistorjr  of  man  it  not  the  only  topic  in 
this  depannicnt  of  knowledge,  that  will  occupjr 
the  attention  of  the  inhabiianut  of  heaven.     Th« 
history  of  angeU—itC  their  faculties,  intercourses, 
and  enijiloynients— of  their  modes  i>f  curnniuui- 
cation  with  each  olher^-of  their  dilFerent  embas- 
■ies  to  diftant  worlds— of  the  transactions  which 
hare  lakvn   place  in   iheir  society — and  of  the 
revolutions  through  which  they  noay  have  passed 
—the  history  of  apotlale  angels — the  cause  of 
their   fall  and   the  circumstances  with  which  it 
was  attended — the  plans  they  have  been  pursuing 
since   that   period,    and    the  means   by    which 
they  have  endeavoured   to  accomplish    their  in- 
fernal  devices— will  doubtless  form  a  portion  of 
the  history  of  divine  dispensations,  which   "  the 
saints  in  light"  will  bo  permitted  to  cotlemplaie. 
Over  this  part  of  the  divine  economy  a  veil  of 
darkness  is  spiead,  which,  we  have  reason   to 
believe,  will  be  withdrawn,  when  that  which   is 
perfect  is  come,  and,  "  when  we  shall  know  even 
ma  also  we  are  known." — It  is  also  probable,  tliat 
the  leading  facts  in  relation  to  the  history  of  other 
worMs  will  be  disclosed  to  their  view.     The  his- 
tory of  the  different  planets  in  the  solar  system, 
■nd  of  those   which   are  connected   with   other 
systems   in   the  universe — the   periods  of  their 
creation,  the  character   of  their  inhabitants,  the 
changes  through  which  they  have  passed,  the  pe- 
culiar dispensations  of  Providence  towards  them, 
and   many  other  particulars,   may  be   gradually 
laid  open  to  the  "  redeemed  from  among  men," 
for  enlarging  their  views  of  ihe  divine  govern- 
ment.     By  means  of  such  communications  they 
win   acquire  a  clearer  and    more  distinct  con- 
ception of  the   moral  character  and  attributes  of 
God,  of  the  rectitude  of  his  administrations,  and 
of  "  his  manifold  wisdom  '  in  the  various  modes 
by  which  he  governs  the  different   provinces  of 
his  vast  empire.      Under  the  impressions  which 
such  views  will  produce,  they  will  rejoice  in  the 
divine  government,  and  join  with  rapture  in  the 
/     song  of  Moses,  the  servant  of  God,  and  the  song 
of  the  Lamb,  saying,   "  Great  and  marvellous 
are  thy  works,  Lord  God  Almighty !    JuMt  and 
true  art  thy  toay*,  thou  King  of  taint*  ."' 

Thus  I  have  briefly  stated,  in  the  preceding 
pages,  some  of  those  branches  of  science  which 
will  be  recognised  by  the  righteous  in  a  future 
state.  Several  other  departments  of  scientific 
knowledge  might  have  been  specified ;  but  my 
intenliun  simply  was,  to  present  to  the  view  of 
the  reader,  a  few  specimens  as  illuitratinns  of  my 
general  position,  "  that  science  must  b<i  consi- 
dered as  having  a  relation  to  a  future  world."  If 
it  be  admitted  that  any  one  science  will  be  cuU 
tirated  in  heaven,  it  will  follow,  that  the  greater 
part  if  not  the  whole,  of  those  sciences  which 
i/ing  to  light  the  treasures  of  usefiil  knowledge, 
wifl  likewise  be  pruaeeotsd  by  superior  intelli- 
fsacM.    Fof  alt  tha  mttd  aciweaahaw  an  intt- 


male  connexion  with  each  other;  so  that  an  ae 
quaialance  with  one  department  of  knowledge  it 
essentially  requisite  to  a  clear  and  compreben* 
sive  view  of  another.  Astronomy  supposes  a 
knowledge  of  arithmetic,  geometry,  lrigunom»> 
try,  conic  sections,  and  other  parts  of  mathena- 
tics;  experimental  philosophy  (upposcsa  previous 
acquaintance  with  natural  history  and  physiology, 
and  is  intimately  conncH:ted  with  cliymistry,  mi* 
neralogy  and  boiany ;  and  anatomy  and  physiology 
suppose  a  knowledge  of  the  leading  principles 
of  hydrostatics,  pneumatics,  and  optica.  The 
principles  of  one  science  run  into  another,  and 
reflect  a  mutual  lustre  on  each  other,  so  that  all 
the  sciences,  when  pri>perly  conducted,  and 
viewed  in  their  true  light,  have  but  one  object  in 
view,  namely,  to  ascertain  the  facts  existing  in 
the  universe,  their  connexions  and  relations,  the 
laws  by  which  they  are  governed,  and  the  illus- 
trations they  afford  of  the  power,  wisdom  and 
benevolence  of  the  Creator. 

In  order  to  elucidate  this  topic  a  little  farther, 
the  following  brief  remarks  may  be  slated. — It  is 
admitted,  by  every  believer  in  Revelation,*  that, 
at  the  close  of  the  present  arrangements  respect- 
ing our  world,  "  All  that  are  in  their  graves  shall 
be  raised  to  life  ,"  and  that,  however  different 
the  constitution  of  these  new-modelled  bodies 
may  be  from  their  present  state  of  organization, 
they  will  still  be  fmi<erta^  vehicles,  furnished  with 
organs  of  sensation  as  the  medium  of  perception 
to  the  immaterial  spirit.     In   what  manner  the 
disembodied  spirit  views  material  objects  and  re- 
lations, and  applies  the  knowledge  of  them  which 
it  acquired  while  united  loan  organical  structure, 
we  can  have  no  conception  whatever,  till  we  be 
actually  ushered   into  the  separate  state ;   and 
therefore,    the   observations   already-    made,   or 
which  may  yet  be  thrown  out  on  this  subject,  are 
not  intended  to  apfily  to  the   intermediate  state 
of  the  spirits  of  good  men.     That  state,  what- 
ever may  be  the  modus  of  perception  and  enjoy- 
ment in  it,  is  a  state  of  imperfection,  and,  in 
some  respects,  an  unnatural  state,  if  we  suppose 
that  the  spirit  is  not  connected  with  any  material 
vehicle. — Now,  if  it  be  admitted,  that  the  spirits 
of  the  just,  at  the  general  resurrection,  are  to  be 
reunited  to  material  organical  structures,  it  must 
also  be  admitted,  that  those  structures  must  hare 
some  material  substratum  on  which  to  rest,  or, 
in  other  words,  a  material  world  or  habitation  in 
which  they  may  reside.     This  last  position  is 
also  as  evident,  from  the  declarations  of  Scrip- 
ture, as  the  first.     For,  while  we  are  informed 
that  the  elementary  parts  of  our  globe  shall  be 
dissolved,  we  are  at  the  same  time  assured,  that 
"  new  heavens  and  a  new  earth"  shall  be  pre- 
pared, "  wherein  the  righteous  shall  dwell  ;"— 
that  is,  a  world  purified  from  physical  and  moral 

'The  fBllowais  of  Baron  Swedsnberf  oaljr  «» 


LOCALITY  OF  HEAVEN. 


79 


evil,  and  fitted  to  the  renovated  faculties  of  the 
redeemed,  will  be  prepared  in  some  part  of  the 
universe,  for  the  residence  of  the  just. 

In  reference  to  the  locality,  and  the  circum- 
Jlancesofour  future  destination,  there  appear  to  be 
enly  four  or  five  supposilions  that  can  be  formed. 
Either,  1.  The  world  we  now  inhabit  will  be 
*ew-modelled,  after  the  general  conflagration, 
lind  furnished  as  a  proper  place  of  residence  for 
its  renovated  inhabitants ; — or,  2.  Some  of  the 
globes  now  existing  in  other  regions  of  space,  to 
which  the  holy  inhabitants  of  our  world  will  be 
transported,  may  be  allotted  as  the  more  perma- 
nent habiiation  of  the  just ; — or,  3.  Some  new 
globe  or  world  will  be  immediately  created, 
adapted  lo  the  circumstances  of  redeemed  men, 
and  adorned  with  scenery  filled  to  call  forth  into 
exercise  their  renovated  powers  ; — or,  4.  The 
redeemed  inhabitants  of  heaven  may  be  permit- 
ted lo  transport  themselves  from  one  region  or 
World  to  another,  and  be  furnished  with  faculties 
and  vehicles  for  this  purpose  ; — or,  6.  After  re- 
maining for  a  certain  lapse  of  ages  in  that  parti- 
cular world  to  which  ihey  shall  be  introduced 
immediately  after  the  resurrection,  they  may  be 
transported  to  another  region  of  the  universe,  to 
contemplate  a  new  scene  of  creating  power  and 
intelligence,  and  afterwards  pass,  at  distant  in- 
tervals, through  a  successive  series  of  transporta- 
tions, in  order  to  obtain  more  ample  prospects  of 
the  riches  and  glory  of  God's  universal  kingdom. 

In  all  these  cases,  whatever  supposition  we 
may  adopt  as  most  probable,  the  general  laws 
which  now  govern  the  universe,  and  the  general 
relations  of  the  great  bodies  in  the  universe  to 
each  other  will  remain,  on  the  whole,  unchanged  ; 
unless  we  ad' >pt  the  unreasonable  and  extrava- 
gant supposition,  that  the  who'e  frame  of  Jeho- 
vah's empire  will  be  unhinged  and  overturned, 
for  the  sake  of  our  world,  which,  when  compared 
with  the  whole  system  of  nature,  is  but  an  un- 
distinguishable  atom  amidst  the  immensity  of 
God's  works.  With  equal  reason  might  we  sup- 
pose, that  the  conduct  of  the  inhabitants  of  a 
planet  which  revolves  around  the  star  Siriuf,  or 
the  catastrophe  which  may  have  befallen  the 
planets  Ceres,  Pallas,  Juno,  and  Vesta,  must 
necessarily  involve  in  them  the  destruction  of 
the  terraqueous  globe. 

Let  us  suppose,  for  a  moment,  thai  the  globe 
we  now  inhabit,  with  its  surrounding  almosphere, 
shall  be  cleared  from  the  physical  evils  which 
now  exist,  and  undergo  a  new  arrangement  to 
render  it  fit  for  being  the  abode  of  holy  intelli- 
gences in  a  future  slate.  On  this  supposition, 
would  not  the  general  relation  of  things  in  the 
universe  remain  materially  the  same  as  at  pre- 
sent? The  wide  expanse  of  the  firmament,  and 
all  the  orbs  il  contains,  would  present  the  same 
general  arrangement  and  relation  to  each  other 
which  they  now  do.  Supposing  this  new-mo- 
d«Ued  world  to  be  of  a  spherical  or  spheroidal 


figure — which  appears  to  be  the  general  from  of 
all  the  great  bodies  in  the  universe  with  which 
we  are  acquainted — there  would  then  exist  cer- 
tain properties  and  relations  between  circles  cul^ 
ting  each  other  at  right  angles,  or  in  any  other 
direction;  or,  in  other  words,  between  an  equa- 
tor and  poles,  parallels  and  meridians,  &c.  as  at 
present.  T  e  direction  of  its  motion,  the  incli- 
nation of  its  axis,  the  component  parts  of  its 
surface  and  atmosphere,  and  other  circumstances, 
might  be  changed,  which  would  produce  an 
immense  variety  of  phenomena,  different  from 
what  now  takes  place  ;  but  the  same  generail 
principles  of  geography,  astronomy,  arilhmelic, 
geometry,  chymislry  and  mechanics,  which  apply 
to  all  the  various  relations  of  material  objects 
wherever  existing,  would  also  be  applicable  in 
the  present  case ;  and,  consequently,  such  sci- 
ences would  be  recognised  and  cultivated,  and 
the  principles  on  which  they  are  built,  reasoned 
and  acted  upon,  though  in  a  more  perfect  man- 
ner than  at  present,  in  this  new  world  and  new 
order  of  things.  Such  sciences,  therefore,  as 
flow  from  the  natural  and  necessary  relations  of 
material  objects,  and  which  tend  to  direct  us  in 
our  conceptions  of  the  wisdom  and  power  of  the 
great  Architect  of  nature,  must  be  known  and 
cultivated  in  a  future  world,  where  rational  spirits 
are  united  to  an  organical  structure,  and  related 
to  a  material  system;  and  consequently,  if  the 
elementary  and  fundamental  principles  of  such 
sciences  be  not  acquired  now,  they  will  remain 
to  be  acquired  hereafter. 

The  remarks  now  stated,  with  a  few  modifica- 
tions, will  apply  to  any  of  the  other  supposilions 
which  may  be  made  in  reference  to  the  place  and 
circumstances  of  our  future  destination. — Even 
allliough  the  relations  of  external  objects  and 
their  various  properties,  in  the  future  world,  were 
altogether  diflerent  from  those  which  obtain  in 
the  present  stale  of  things,  still,  it  would  be 
useful  and  hi«hly  gratifying  to  the  mind,  to  be 
enable  I  to  compare  ihe  one  with  the  other,  and 
to  perceive  how  iho  divine  wisdom  is  displayed 
in  every  mode  and  variety  of  existence.  No 
possible  mode  of  material  existence,  however, 
can  be  conceived  lo  exist,  to  which  some  of  the 
elementary  principles  of  scientific  knowledge  do 
not  apply. 

There  are,  indeed,  several  arts  and  sciences 
which  more  immediately  respect  the  present 
world,  and  our  relations  in  it,  which  cannot  be 
supposed  to  be  subjects  of  investigation  in  a  fu- 
ture state  of  hapfty  existence.  The  study  of 
languages — which  forms  a  prominent  object  of 
attention  wiih  many  of  those  who  declaim  on  the 
vanity  of  human  science — the  study  of  medicine 
as  a  practical  art;  the  study  of  civil  and  muni- 
ci(>al  law  ;  the  study  of  political  economy,  he- 
raldry and  fortificalion  ;  the  arts  of  war,  farriery, 
falconry,  hunting  and  fishing;  the  arts  of  the 
manufacturer,  clothier,  dyer,  &c. — in  short,  aO 


80 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  FUTURE  STATE, 


tboM  arts  tixl  Mience*  which  have  their  founda- 
(ion  ill  the  mnral  depravity  (>r<>ur  nature,  will,  of 
oourae,  pass  away  a«  exerci«ps  whiih  wore  pe- 
culiar to  the  deranged  vtate  of  uiir  terreKtrial 
habiiation,  and  the  degradtnl  condition  of  its 
inhabitaaii ;  and  which,  therefore,  can  have  no 
place  in  a  scene  of  moral  perectioii.  But  the 
principle  of  the  maihematics,  and  the  axioms 
on  which  tht-y  are  built,  the  truths  of  natural 
philosophy,  astronomy,  geography,  mechanics, 
and  similar  sciences,  will  be  recognised,  and 
ibrm  the  basis  of  reasoning  and  of  action,  so 
long  as  we  are  sentient  beings,  and  have  a  rela- 
tion lo  the  material  system  of  the  universe.  Ma- 
ny truths,  indeed,  which  now  require  much  study, 
and  lon>^  and  miricate  trains  of  reasoning  before 
Ihey  can  be  acquired,  may  be  |)erceiv>;d  by  sim- 
ple intuition,  or,  at  least,  be  more  easily  and 
rapidly  apprehended  than  at  present.  Il'a  genius 
like  that  of  Sir  Isaac  Newton,  could  perceive  at 
•  glance,  the  truth  of  Euclid's  propositions  in 
geometry,  without  attending  to  every  part  of  the 
process  requisite  for  ordinary  minds,  we  may 
rtasonably  conclude,  that,  in  a  world  where  the 
physical  and  moral  obstructions  to  intelleciiial 
•nergy  are  removed,  every  science,  and  every 
nlatiwn  subsisting  among  corporeal  and  intellec- 
lua!  being*,  will  be  more  clearly,  rapidly,  and 
oomprehensively  perceived  and  understood. 

Many  striking  insiances  have  occasionly  oc- 
curred, of  the  capacity  and  vigour  of  the  human 
Blind,  even  amidst  the  obscurities,  and  the  ob- 
structions to  mental  activity  which  exist  in  the 
praaent  state  of  things.  The  illustrious  Paaral, 
t»  lesa  celebrated  for  his  piety  than  for  his  intel- 
lectual acquirements,  when  under  the  age  of 
twelve  years,  and  while  immersed  in  the  study 
of  languages,  without  books,  and  without  an  in- 
■tructor,  discovered  and  demonstrated  most  of 
tile  proposiiions  in  the  first  book  of  Euclid,  be- 
fore he  knew  that  such  a  book  was  in  exist- 
ence— to  the  astonishment  of  every  mathemaii- 
cian  ;  so  that,  at  that  early  age,  he  was  an  in- 
veoior  of  geometrical  science.  He  afterwards 
made  some  ex|ieriments  and  discoveries  on  the 
MUuie  of  sound,  and  on  the  weight  of  the  air, 
•■d  deoKMMtrated  the  pressure  of  the  atmoa- 
pbere :  and,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  composed  a 
treatise  on  Conic  SectionM,  which  in  the  judg- 
ment of  men  of  the  greatest  abilities,  was  viewed 
as  an  astonishing  effort  of  the  human  mind.  At 
nineteen  years  of  age,  he  inven'ed  an  arithme- 
tical machine  by  which  calculations  are  made, 
not  only  without  the  help  oTa  pen,  but  <-ven  wiih- 
oni  a  person's  knowing  a  single  rule  in  ariihme- 
tic;  and  by  the  age  of  twenty-four,  he  had 
acquired  a  proticiency  in  almost  every  branch 
of  human  knowledge,  when  his  mind  became 
•atirely  ahsorbeid  in  the  exercise*  of  religion. — 
The  celebrated  Oretm*,  at  the  age  of  thirteen, 
tmiy  a  year  after  his  arrival  at  the  university  uf 
Ley  den,  maintained    public   theses    in  mathe- 


matics, philosophy  and  law,  with  unirereil  ap* 
plauso.  At  the  age  of  fourteen,  he  ventured  to 
form  literary  plans  which  required  an  amazing 
extent  of  knowledge ;  and  he  executed  them  in 
wch  perfection,  that  the  literary  world  was  struck 
with  astonishment.  At  this  eaily  age  he  pul»> 
lished  an  edition  of  Martiama  Cayella,  and 
acquitted  himself  of  the  task  in  a  manner  which 
would  have  done  honour  to  the  greatest  scholar* 
of  the  age.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  entered 
on  the  profession  of  an  advocate,  and  pUaded 
his  first  cause  at  Delf,  with  the  greatest  reputa- 
tion, having  previously  made  an  exiraordiraiy 
progress  in  the  knowledge  of  the  sciences.— 
The  jldmirabU  Crichlon,  who  received  his  edtK 
cation  at  Perth  and  St.  Andrews,  by  the  time 
he  had  reached  his  twentieth  year,  was  fnasier  at 
ten  languages,  and  had  gone  through  the  whole 
circle  of  the  sciences  as  they  were  then  under- 
stood. At  Paris  he  one  day  engaged  in  a  di*- 
putaiion,  which  lasted  nine  hours,  in  the  presence 
of  three  thousand  auditors,  against  four  doctor*  of 
the  church  and  fifty  masters,  on  every  subject 
they  could  propose,  and  having  silenced  all  his  an> 
tagonists,  he  came  off  amidst  the  loudest  acclama- 
tions, though  he  had  spent  no  time  in  previous 
preparation  for  the  contest. — Gauendi,  a  cel^ 
brated  philosopher  of  France,  at  the  age  of  four, 
declaimed  little  sermons  of  his  own  composi- 
tion ;  at  the  age  of  seven,  spent  whole  nitihtsiti 
observing  the  motions  of  the  heavenly  bodies,  cf 
which  he  acquired  a  considerable  knowledge 
at  sixteen,  he  was  appointed  professor  "f  rhe- 
toric at  Digne,  and  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  h* 
was  elected  professor  of  philosophy  in  the  uni» 
versily  of  Aix.  His  vast  knowledge  of  (»hilo8opliy 
and  mathematics  was  ornamented  by  a  sincere 
attachment  to  the  Christian  religion,  and  a  life 
formed  upon  its  principles  and  precepts. — Jen- 
miah  Horrox,  a  name  celebrated  in  the  annals 
of  astronomy,  before  he  attained  the  age  of 
seventeen,  had  acquired,  solelv  by  his  own  indus- 
try, and  the  help  of  a  few  Latin  authors,  a  most 
extensive  and  accurate  knowledge  of  astronomy, 
and  of  the  branches  of  maiheroaliral  learning 
connected  with  it.  He  composed  astronomical 
tables  for  himself,  and  corrected  the  errors  of  the 
most  celebrated  astronomers  of  his  time.  He 
calculated  a  transit  of  the  planet  Venus  across 
the  sun's  disk,  and  was  the  first  nf  mortals  who 
beheld  this  singular  phenomenon,  which  is  now 
considered  of  so  much  importance  in  astronomi- 
cal science.  Sir  Isaac  Newion,  the  fame  of 
whose  genius  has  exieixled  over  the  whole  ci- 
vilized world,  made  his  great  discoveries  in  geo- 
metry and  f!iixions,  and  laid  the  found.ition  of  hi* 
two  celebrated  works,  his  "  Prineipia"  and  "  Op- 
tie$"  by  the  time  he  was  twenty-four  years  of  age; 
and  yet  these  works  contain  so  many  abstract 
profound  and  sublime  truths,  that  only  the  first  rato 
mathematicians  are  qualified  to  understand  and 
appreciate  thorn.     In  learning  mathematics,  hs 


GENERAL  REMARKS. 


83 


did  Dot  study  the  geometry  of  Euclid,  who  seem- 
ed to  him  too  plain  and  simple,  and  unworthy  of 
taking  up  his  time.  He  understood  him  almost 
before  he  read  him  ;  and  a  cast  of  his  eye  upon 
the  contents  of  his  theorems,  was  sufficient  to 
make  him  master  of  their  demonstrations. — 
Amidst  all  the  sublime  investigations  of  phy- 
sical and  mathematical  science  in  which  he  en- 
gaged, and  amidst  the  variety  of  books  he  had 
constantly  before  him,  the  Bible  was  that  which 
he  studied  with  the  greatest  application  ;  and 
his  meekness  and  modesty  were  no  less  admira- 
ble than  the  variety  and  extent  of  his  intellectual 
acquirements. — /.  Philip  Barrader,  who  died 
at  Halle  in  1740,  in  the  twentieth  year  of  his 
age,  was  endowed  with  extraordinary  powers  of 
memory  and  comprehension  of  mind.  At  the 
age  of  five,  he  understood  the  Greek,  Latin, 
German  and  French  languages  ;  at  the  age  of 
nine  he  could  translate  any  part  of  the  Hebrew 
Scriptures  into  Latin,  and  could  repeat  the 
whole  Hebrew  Psalter  ;  and  before  he  had  com- 
pleted his  tenth  year,  he  drew  up  a  Hebrew  lexi- 
coo  of  uncommon  and  difficult  words,  to  which  he 
added  many  curious  critical  remarks.  In  his 
thirteenth  year  he  published,  in  two  volumes  oc- 
tavo, a  translation  from  the  Hebrew  of  Rabbi 
Benjamin's  "  Travels  in  Europe,  Asia  and  Af- 
rica," with  historical  and  critical  notes  and  dis- 
sertations ;  the  whole  of  which  he  completed  in 
four  months.  In  the  midst  of  these  studies,  he 
prosecuted  philosophical  and  mathematical  pur- 
suits, and  in  his  fou>  teenth  year  invented  a  me- 
thod of  dbcovering  thn  longitude  at  sea,  which  ex- 
hibited the  strongest  marks  of  superior  abilities. 
In  one  winter  he  read  twenty  great  folios,  with 
ail  the  attention  of  a  vast  comprehensive  mind. 
Such  rapid  progress  in  intellectual  acquire- 
ments strikingly  evinces  the  vigour  and  compre- 
hension of  the  human  faculties;  and  if  such 
varied  and  extensive  acquisitions  in  knowledge 
can  be  attained,  even  amidst  the  frailties  and 
physical  impediments  of  this  mortal  state,  it  is 
easy  to  conceive,  with  what  energy  and  rapidity 
the  most  sublime  investigations  may  be  prosecu- 
ted in  the  future  world,  when  the  spirit  is  con- 
nected with  an  incorruptible  body,  fitted  to  ac- 
company it  in  all  its  movements ;  and  when  every 
moral  obstruction  which  now  impedes  its  activity 
shall  be  completely  removed.  The  flights  of  the 
lofliest  genius  that  ever  appeared  on  earth,  when 
compared  with  the  rapid  movements  and  com- 
prehensive views  of  the  heavenly  inhabitants, 
may  be  no  more  than  as  the  flulterings  of  «  mi- 
croscopic insect,  to  the  sublime  flights  of  the 
soaring  eagle.  When  endowed  with  new  and 
vigorous  senses,  and  full  scope  is  afforded  for  ex- 
erting all  the  energies  of  their  renovated  facul- 
ties, they  may  be  enabled  to  trace  out  the  hidden 
springs  of  nature's  operations,  lopursue  the  courses 
of  the  heavenly  bodies,  in  their  most  distant  and 
Mpid career,  and  to  survey  the  whole  chain  ofmor- 
11 


al  dispensations  in  reference  not  only  to  the  human 
race,  but  to  the  inhabitants  of  numerous  worlds 

I  shall  conclude  this  part  of  my  subject  with 
an  observation  or  two,  which  may  tend  to  illus- 
trate and  corroborate  the  preceding  remarks. 

In  the  first  place,  it  may  be  remarked,  thai 
our  knowledge  in  the  future  world,  will  not  be 
diminished,  but  increased  to  an  indefinite  extent. 
This  is  expressly  declared  in  the  Sacred  Records. 
"  Now  we  see  through  a  glass  darkly,  but  then 
face  to  face.  Now  we  know  in  part,  but  then 
shall  we  know,  even  as  also  we  are  known,"  1 
Cor.  xiii.  12.  This  passage  intimates,  not  only 
that  our  knowledge  in  a  future  state  shall  be 
enlarged,  but  that  it  shall  be  increased  to  an 
extent  to  which  we  can,  at  present,  affix  no  limits. 
Aud  if  our  intellectual  views  shall  be  immensely 
expanded  in  the  realms  of  light,  we  may  rest  as- 
sured that  all  those  branches  of  useful  science 
which  assist  us  in  exploring  the  operations  of  the 
Almighty,  will  not  only  be  cultivated,  but  carried 
to  their  highest  pilch  of  perfection.  For  the 
faculties  we  now  possess  will  not  only  remain 
in  action,  but  will  be  strengthened  and  invigora- 
ted ;  and  the  range  of  objects  on  which  they  will 
be  employed  will  be  indefinitely  extended.  To 
suppose  otherwise,  would  be  to  suppose  man  to 
be  deprived  of  his  intellectual  powers,  and  of 
the  faculty  of  reasoning,  as  soon  as  he  entered 
the  confines  of  the  eternal  world.*  When  we 
enter  that  world  we  carry  with  us  the  moral  and 
intellectual  faculties,  of  which  we  are  now  con- 
scious, and,  along  with  them,  all  those  ideas  and 
all  that  knowledge  which  we  acquired  in  the 
present  state.  To  imagine  that  our  present  fa- 
culties will  be  essentially  changed,  and  the  ideas 
we  have  hitherto  acquired  totally  lost,  would  be 
nearly  the  same  as  to  suppose  that,  on  entering 
the  invisible  state,  men  will  be  transformed  into 
a  new  order  of  beings,  or  be  altogether  annihi- 
lated. And,  if  our  present  knowledge  shall  not 
be  destroyed  at  death,  it  must  form  the  ground- 
work of  all  the  future  improvements  we  maj 
make,  and  of  all  the  discoveries  that  may  be  tm- 
folded  to  our  view  in  the  eternal  state. 

Again,  the  superior  intellectual  views  which 
some  individuals  shall  possess  beyond  others, 
will  constitute  the  principal  distinction  between 
redeemed  men  in  the  heavenly  state.  The  prin- 
cipal preparation  for  heaven  will  consist  in  re- 
newed dispositions  of  mind — in  the  full  exercise 

•  An  old  Welch  minister,  while  one  day  pursuing 
his  studies,  his  wifelieing  in  the  room,  was  suddenly 
interrupted  by  her  asliing  him  a  question,  which  has 
not  always  been  so  satisfactorily  answered—"  John 
Evans,  do  you  think  we  shall  be  known  to  each  other 
In  heaven!"  Without  hesitation  he  replied,— "To  be 
sure  we  shall,— do  you  think  we  shall  be  greatirfool* 
there,  than  we  are  here."— If  the  reader  keep  in  mind 
that  our  knowledge  in  heaven  will  tie  increased,  and 
not  diminished  ;  or,  In  other  words,  that  we  s.hall 
not  be  "  greater  fools  there  than  we  are  here,"  he 
will  be  at  no  loss  to  appreciate  all  that  I  have  bltber- 
to  stated  on  this  subject. 


89 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


of  .ore  to  God,  and  love  to  aii  siio  )r<linate  lioly 
intelligence!),  and  in  all  iho  uiverkiliid  r.imifica- 
tionx  of  action  into  which  ihcge  ^rHivJ  princi|iles 
IMca«sarily  diverge.  When  arrived  at  that  hajipy 
worid  tJio  sainU  will  feel  themselvea  to  be  all 
equal. — as  (hey  were  once  "  children  of  disobe- 
dience evi'H  a«  others,"  as  they  were  all  redeemed 
"by  the  precious  hlood  of  Christ,"  aa  they  were 
renewed  by  the  influence  of  the  Spirit  of  grace, 
— ^«  they  stand  in  the  relation  of  brethren  in 
Christ,  and  "  sons  and  daughters  of  the  Lord 
God  Almighty,"  as  they  are  the  coiii;>anions  of 
angels,  and  kings  and  priests  to  the  God  and 
Father  i>f  all.  Without  the  exercise  of  holy  dis- 
pos.tions,  heaven  could  not  exist,  although  its 
inhabiianis  had  reached  the  hi. best  pitch  of  in- 
tellectual improvement ; — and  all  who  shall  ulti- 
mately be  admitted  into  that  happy  state,  will 
feel  ihat  they  are  eternally  indebted  for  the  pri- 
vileges and  the  felicity  they  enjoy,  to  "  Him  that 
■its  upon  the  throne,  and  to  the  Lamb  who  was 
slain,  and  redeemed  them  to  God  by  his  bUx>d." 
But,  notwithstanding,  tliere  will  be  a  consider- 
able difference,  at  least  in  the  first  instance,  in 
regard  to  the  expan$ion  of  their  intellectual  view*. 
In  this  point  of  view,  it  is  im|>ossible  to  8up|>ose 
that  they  can  be  all  equal.  Suppose  a  Negro 
■lave,  who  had  been  recently  converted  to  Chris- 
tianity, and  a  profound  Christian  philosopher,  to 
enter  the  eternal  world  at  the  same  time,  is  it 
reasonable  to  believe,  that  there  would  be  ho  dif- 
ference in  the  amplitude  of  their  intellectual 
vif  ws  ?  They  would  both  feel  themselves  deli- 
vered from  sin  and  sorrow,  they  would  be  filled 
with  admiration  and  wonder  at  the  new  scenes 
which  opened  to  their  view,  and  would  be  in- 
spired with  the  roost  lively  emotions  of  humility 
and  reverence  ;  but  if  each  of  ihem  carried  along 
with  him  ihat  portion  of  knowledge  which  he 
acquired  in  the  present  life,  there  behoved  to  be 
a  considerable  difference  in  the  comprehension 
of  their  views  and  the  range  of  their  intellectual 
faculties ;  unless  we  suppose  that  a  change 
■inouniing  to  a  miracle  was  efTected  in  the  mind 
of  the  Negro,  whose  mental  views  were  pre- 
viously circumscribed  within  the  narrowest 
Umits.  And,  to  suppose  such  a  miracle  wrought 
in  every  in<lividual  case,  would  not  only  be  con- 
trary to  every  thing  we  know  of  the  general  plan 
of  the  divine  procedure,  but  would  destroy 
almost  every  motive  that  should  now  induce  us 
to  make  progress  "  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord 
■ad  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,"  and  in  our  views  of 
tlw  works  and  dispensations  of  the  Almighty. 
In  the  course  of  ages,  indeed,  the  Negro  may 
•qoal  the  philosopher  in  the  extent  of  his  intel- 
lectual acquisitions;  but,  in  the  first  instance, 
botli  Scripture*  and  reason  declare,  Ihat  a  dif- 
fcreitce  must  exist,  unless  the  laws  which  govern 
tiM  intellectual  wvrld  be  entirely  subverted.  Can 

•8a«Dsn.zU.&  I0or.xv.4t,«l.  MatLxxv.  i4,*c- 


we  suppose,  f'tr  s  moment,  that  an  igneratttpro* 

figaif,  who  liBH  boon  brought  to  reftenlance, 
and  to  "  the  knowledge  of  ihe  truth,"  imly  a  few 
hours  before  his  entrance  into  the  world  of  spi- 
rits, shall,  at  the  moment  he  has  arrived  in  the 
world  of  bliss,  acquire  those  enlarged  concep- 
tions of  divine  truth,  which  an  Owen,  a  Walts, 
a  Doddridge,  or  a  Dwighi,  attained  at  the  same 
stage  of  their  existence  ?  or  that  a  Hottentot, 
who  had  been  brought  to  the  knowledge  of  Chris- 
tianity only  during  the  last  month  of  his  life, 
shall  enter  into  heaven  with  the  expansive  views 
of  a  Newton  or  a  Boyle  ?  Siirh  a  supposition 
would  involve  a  reflection  on  the  wi*dom  of  the 
divine  administration,  and  would  lead  us  tu  coi^ 
elude,  that  all  the  labour  bestowed  by  the  il\ua- 
trious  characters  now  alluded  to,  in  order  to  im- 
prove in  the  knowledge  of  divine  subjects,  was 
quite  unnecessary,  and  even  somewhat  approach- 
ing to  egregious  trifling. 

Not  only  will  the  views  of  the  saints  in  heaven 
be  different  in  point  of  expansion  and  extent,  but 
their  love  to  God,  and  the  virtues  and  graces 
which  flow  from  this  principle,  will  bediminished 
or  increased,  or,  at  least,  somewhat  inodified  by 
the  narrowness  or  expansion  of  their  intellectual 
views.  If  it  be  admitted,  that  the  more  we 
know  of  God  the  more  ardently  shall  we  love 
him, — it  will  follow,  that,  in  proportion  as  we 
acquire  a  comprehensive  and  enlightened  view 
of  the  operations  of  God  in  the  works  of  creation, 
in  the  scheme  of  providence,  and  in  the  plan  of 
redemption,  in  a  similar  proportion  will  our  love 
and  adoration  of  his  excellencies  be  ardent  and 
expansive.  In  this  point  of  view,  "  the  saints 
in  light"  will  make  improvement  in  holiness 
throughout  all  the  ages  of  eternity,  though,  at 
every  stage  of  their  existence,  they  will  enjoy 
pure  and  unmingled  bliss.  Every  science  they  cul- 
tivate, and  every  stage  to  whic^f  they  advance  iu 
intellectual  improvement,  will  enable  thera  todis- 
covernew  glories  in  the  divine  character,  which 
will  raise  their  affections  to  God  still  higher, 
and  render  their  conformity  to  his  nooral  image 
more  complete. 

It  has  frequently  been  a  subject  of  discussion 
among  theologituis,  "  Whether  there  shall  be 
degrees  of  glory  in  heaven."  This  question 
may  be  easily  settled,  if  there  be  any  weight  in 
the  remarks  and  considerations  now  stated.  In 
so  far  as  there  is  a  difierence  in  the  vigour  and 
expansion  of  the  intellectual  powers,  and  in  the 
amplitude  of  objects  they  are  enabled  to  embrace, 
in  so  far  may  there  be  said  to  be  "  degrees  of 
glory  :"  and  a  superiority,  in  this  respect,  may  be 
considered  as  the  natural  reward  which  accom- 
panies the  diligent  improvement  of  our  time  and 
faculties  upon  earth,  though  such  adistinction  can 
never  be  supposed  to  produce  any  disposition 
approaching  to  envy,  as  so  frequently  happens  in 
the  present  state.  On  the  contrary ,  it  may  be 
supposed  to  produce  a  holy  emulation  t»  improve 


OBJECTION  OBVIATED. 


83 


every  faculty,  to  cultivate  every  branch  of  celes- 
tial science,  and  to  increase  in  the  knowledge  of 
God.  In  corroboration  of  these  views,  we  are 
told  in  Scripture,  that  the  reward  bestowed  on 
those  servants  to  whom  talents  were  intrusted, 
was  in  proportion  to  ihe  improvement  they  had 
made  ;  and  that,  at  the  close  of  time,  the  samls 
will  present  an  appearance  analogous  to  that  of 
the  spangled  firmament ;  for  "  as  one  star  dif- 
ferelh  from  anoiher  star  in  glory,  so  also  is  the 
resurrection  from  the  dead."  And  the  reason  of 
this  difference  is  intimated  by  the  prophet  Da- 
niel, "  They  that  excel  in  wisdom  shall  shine  as 
the  brightness  of  the  firmament ;  and  they  that 
turn  many  to  righteousness  as  the  stars  for  ever 
and  ever." 

If  the  remarks  row  stated  have  any  solid  foun- 
dation, it  will  follow,  that  what  is  generally  term- 
ed human  science,  ought  not  to  be  indiscriminately 
considered  as  having  a  relation  merely  to  the 
present  world.  Such  an  idea  would  tend  to 
damp  our  ardour  in  the  prosecution  of  scientific 
knowledge,  and  immensely  to  lessen  its  value. 
He  who  prosecutes  science  as  a  subject  of  specu- 
latirn  merely  in  reference  to  the  contracted  span 
of  human  life,  acts  from  very  mean  and  narrow 
views,  and  may  be  considered,  in  some  points  of 
view,  as  little  superior  to  the  avaricious  man 
•vhose  mind  is  completely  absorbed  in  the  acqui- 
sition of  the  perishing  treasures  of  this  world. 
The  Christian  philosopher,  who  traces  the  per- 
fections and  the  agency  of  God  in  every  object 
of  his  investigation,  ought  to  consider  his  present 
pursuits  as  the  commencement  of  a  course  of 
improvement  which  will  have  no  termination — 
as  introductory  to  the  employments  and  the 
pleasures  of  a  higher  state  of  existence — and  as 
affording  him  a  more  advantageous  outset  into 
that  better  world  than  happens  to  those  who  are 
destitute  of  his  enlarged  views.  For  the  more 
we  know  at  present  of  the  wonders  of  infinite 
power,  wisdom,  and  goodness,  in  the  material 
works  of  the  Almighty,  it  is  obvious,  that  the 
better  prepared  we  shall  be  for  more  enlarged 
contemplations  of  them  at  a  future  period,  and 
the  greater  pleasure  shall  we  feel  in  beholding 
those  objects  and  operations,  which  are  now  hid 
in  obscurity,  unveiled  to  view. 

In  throwing  out  the  preceding  reflections,  I 
am  far  from  pretending  to  determine  the  particu- 
lar arrangements  which  the  Almighty  has  form- 
ed in  relation  to  our  future  destination,  or  the 
particular  circumstances  which  may  exist  in 
other  worlds.  These  things  lie  altogether  be- 
yond the  range  of  our  investigation,  and  must, 
therefore,  remain  inscrutable  in  our  present  state. 
But  there  are  certain  general  principles  or  re- 
lations which  necessarily  flow  from  the  nature  of 
things,  which  must  be  considered  as  included 
within  any  particular  arrangements  which  may 
be  formed;   and,  it  is  such  general  principles 


only  to  which  I  refer. — Nor  should  it  be  consi- 
dered as  presumption,  to  endeavour  to  ascertain 
these  general  principles  or  necessary  relations  ol 
things.  The  Creator  evidently  intended  we 
should  know  them  ;  since  he  has  exhibited  such 
an  immense  variety  of  his  works  before  us,  and 
has  bestowed  ujMin  us  faculties  adequate  to  ex- 
plore their  magnitude  and  arrangement,  to  in- 
vestigate the  laws  which  direct  their  motions, 
and  to  perceive  their  connection  and  dependency, 
and  some  of  the  grand  designs  for  which  they 
were  intended. 

To  every  thing  that  has  just  now  been  stated 
in  relation  to  the  prosecution  of  science  in  the 
celestial  world,  I  am  aware  it  will  be  objected 
by  some,  that  such  knowledge,  if  it  be  requisite 
in  a  future  state,  will  be  acquired  by  immediate 
intuition,  or  communicated  in  a  direct  maner  by 
tlie  Creator  himself. — For  such  an  assumption, 
however,  though  frequently  reiterated,  there  is 
no  foundation  in  any  passage  of  Scripture  when 
rationally  interpreted  ;  and  it  is  repugnant  to  the 
clearest  dictates  of  reason.  It  is  contrary  to  eve- 
ry regular  mode  with  which  we  are  acquainted, 
by  which  rational  beings  are  conducted  to  know- 
ledge and  happiness  ;  it  would  imply  a  continued 
miracle — it  ./ould  supersede  the  use  of  the  intel- 
lectual faculty — and  it  would  ultimately  detract 
from  the  felicity  of  intelligent  agents.  For, 
a  great  part  of  the  happiness  of  finite  intelli- 
gences arise  from  the  gradual  evolution  of  truth, 
in  consequence  of  the  exercise  of  their  rational 
powers.  Were  all  our  knowledge  in  a  future 
state  to  be  acquired  by  immediate  intuition,  or 
by  direct  supernatural  communications  from  tho 
Deity,  our  rational  faculties  would,  in  many 
respects,  be  bestowed  in  vain.  It  appears  to  be 
one  of  the  main  designs  for  which  these  faculties 
were  bestowed,  that  we  might  be  directed  in  the 
prosecution  of  knowledge,  and  led  to  deduce, 
from  the  scenes  of  the  visible  universe,  those 
conclusions  which  will  gradually  expand  our  views 
of  the  plans  and  perfections  of  its  Almighty  Au- 
thor. Adam,  when  in  a  state  of  innocence, 
(and  his  condition  in  that  state,  as  amoral  agent 
was  precisely  similar  to  the  state  of  good  men 
in  a  future  world,  except  his  liability  to  fall) 
was  not  acquainted,  in  the  first  instance,  with 
every  object  in.  the  world  in  which  he  was 
placed,  and  their  various  relations  to  each  other. 
He  could  not  know,  for  example,  the  peculiar 
scenery  of  nature  which  existed  on  the  side  of 
the  globe  opposite  to  that  on  which  he  was 
placed.  He  must  have  exercised  his  senses,  his 
locomotive  faculties,  and  his  reasoning  powers, 
and  made  observations  and  experimental  re- 
searches of  various  kinds,  before  he  became 
thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  structure,  the 
order  and  beauty  of  his  terrestrial  habitation. — 
For  to  suppose  man,  in  any  state,  a  mere  pas- 
sive subject  of  intellectual  and  external  impre** 


84 


TIIE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


■iooa,  would  be,  to  reduce  him  to  something  like 
a  mere  machine  ;  and  would  imply  a  subversion 
of  all  the  established  laws  which  regulate  the 
operations  of  matter  and  iotellect  throughout  the 
universe. 

We  know,  likewise,  that  truth  is  gradually 
developed  even  to  superior  intelligences.  The 
manifold  wisdom  of  God  in  reference  to  the 
church,  and  the  plans  of  his  grace  in  relation  to 
the  Gentile  world,  were,  in  some  measure,  veiled 
to  the  angels,  till  the  facts  of  the  death  and  rc> 
surrection  of  Christ,  and  ilie  preaching  and  mir- 
acles of  thu  Apostles  were  exhibited  to  their 
view  ;*  and  hence  they  are  represented  as  "  de- 
siring to  look  into,"  or  prying  with  avidity  into 
the  mysteries  of  redemption  ;  which  evidently 
implies,  the  active  exertion  of  their  powers  of 
reason  and  intelligence,  and  their  gradual  ad- 
vancement in  the  knowledge  of  the  purposes  and 
plans  of  the  Almighty.  And,  if  beings  far  su- 
perior to  man  in  intellectual  capacity,  acquire 
their  knowledge  in  a  gradual  manner,  by  reflec- 

*  Ephes.  111.  6— u. 


tian  on  the  divine  dis|i«nsaiions,  and  the  exer- 
cise of  their  menial  |iowen),  it  is  unreasonable 
to  suppose,  that  man,  even  in  a  higher  sphere  of 
existence,  will  acquire  all  his  knowledge  at  once, 
or  without  the  exertion  of  those  iniellectunl  en- 
ergies with  which  hu  is  endowed. 

In  short,  were  the  saints  iu  heaven  to  acquire 
all  their  knowledge  as  soon  as  they  entered  on 
that  scene  of  happiness,  we  must  suppose  them 
endowed  with  cap.acitics,  not  only  superior  to  the 
most  exalted  seraphim,  but  even  approximating 
to  the  infinite  comprehension  of  the  Deity  hin»- 
self.  For  the  range  of  investigation  presented 
to  intelligent  beings  is  boundless,  extending  to  all 
the  objects  and  moral  dispensations  of  God, 
throughout  the  immensity  of  his  empire.  And 
could  we  suppose  finite  minds  capable  of  em- 
bracing the  whole  of  this  range  of  objects  at  one 
comprehensive  grasp,  their  mental  energy  would 
soon  be  destroyed,  and  their  felicity  terminate  ; 
for  they  could  look  forward  to  no  farther  expan- 
sion of  their  views,  nor  to  a  succession  of  a  new 
range  of  objects  and  operations  through  all  the 
future  ages  of  eternity. 


PART   III. 


ON  THE  AIDS  WHICH  THE  DISCOVERIES  OF  SCIENCE  AFFORD,  FOR  EITABLING  US  TO  FORM 
A  CONCEPTION  OF  THE  PERPETUAL  IMPROVEMENT  OF  THE  CELESTIAL  INHABITANTS  IN 
KNOWLEDGE  AND  FELICITY. 


Ok  the  subject  of  a  future  world,  and  the  exer- 
cises and  enjoyments  of  its  inhabitants,  many 
foolish  and  inaccurate  conceptions  have  prevail- 
ed, even  in  the  Christian  world.  We  are  as- 
sured, that  the  foundation  of  the  felicity  to  be 
enjoyed  in  that  world,  rests  on  the  absence  of 
every  evil,  and  the  attainment  of  moral  perfec- 
tion— that  the  principle  of  depravity  must  be 
destroyed,  and  the  affections  purified  and  refined, 
before  we  can  enjoy  "  the  inheritance  of  the 
saints  in  light."  These  are  principles  which 
are  clearly  exhibited  in  the  Scriptures,  which  are 
accordant  to  the  dictates  of  sound  reason,  and 
which  are  generally  recognised  by  the  various 
sections  of  the  religious  world.  But  the  greater 
part  of  Christians  rest  contented  with  the  most 
vagtie  and  incorrect  ideas  of  the  felicity  of  heaven, 
and  talk  and  write  about  it  in  so  loose  and  figu- 
r«tive  a  manner,  as  can  convey  no  rational  nor 
definite  conception  of  the  sublime  contemplations 
and  employments  of  celestial  intelligences.  In- 
ftead  of  eliciting,  from  the  metaphorical  language 
oT  Scripture,  the  idea$  intended  to  be  conveyed, 
they  eiMleavour  to  expand  and  ramify  the  figures 
employed  by  the  sacred  writers  still  farther, 
leaping  metaphor  upon  metaphor,  and  epithet 
tqioo  epithet,  and  blending  a  number  of  discord- 
ant ideas,  till  the  image  or  picture  presented  to 


the  mind  assumes  the  semblance  of  a  splendid 
chaotic  mass,  or  of  a  dazzling  but  undefined  me- 
teor. The  term  Glory,  and  its  kindred  epithets, 
have  been  reiterated  a  thousand  times  in  descrip- 
tions of  the  heavenly  state  ; — the  redeemed  have 
been  represented  as  assembled  in  one  vast  crowd 
above  the  visible  concave  of  the  sky,  adorned 
with  "  starry  crowns,"  drinking  at  "  crystal 
fountains,"  and  making  *'  the  vault  of  heaven 
ring"  witli  their  loud  acclamations.  The  Re- 
deemer himself  has  been  exhibited  as  suspended 
like  a  statue  in  the  heavens  above  this  immense 
crowd,  crowned  with  diadems,  and  encircled 
with  a  refulgent  splendour,  while  the  assembly 
of  the  heavenly  inhabitants  were  inctuantly  gaz- 
ing on  this  object,  like  a  crowd  of  spectators 
gazing  at  the  motion  of  an  air  balloon,  or  of  a 
splendid  meteor.  Such  representations  are  r^ 
pugnant  to  the  idem  intended  to  be  conveyed  by 
the  metaphorical  language  of  Inspiration,  when 
stripped  of  its  drapery.  They  can  convey  noth- 
ing but  a  meagre  and  distorted  conception  uf  the 
employments  of  the  celestial  state,  and  tend  only 
to  bewilder  the  imagination,  and  to  '*  darken 
counsel  by  words  without  knowledge." 

Hence  it  has  happened,  that  certain  infidel  scof^ 
fers  have  been  led  to  conclude,  that  the  Christian 
Heaven  is  not  an  object  to  be  desired ;  and  haw 


WORK  OF  REDEMPTION. 


85 


ffiequently  declared,  that  "  they  could  feel  no 
pleasure  in  being  suspended  for  ever  in  an  ethe- 
real region,  and  perpetually  singing  psalms  and 
hymns  to  the  Eternal " — an  idea  of  heaven  which 
is  too  frequently  conveyed,  by  the  vague  and 
distorted  descriptions  which  have  been  given  of 
the  exercises  and  entertainments  of  the  future 
world. 

There  is  an  intimate  connection  between  the 
word  and  the  works  of  God  :  they  reflect  a  mutual 
lustre  on  each  other  ;  and  the  discoveries  made 
in  the  latter,  are  calculated  to  expand  our  con- 
ceptions and  to  direct  our  views,  of  the  revela- 
tions contained  in  the  former.  Without  taking 
into  account  the  sublime  manifestations  of  the 
Deity,  exhibited  in  his  visible  creation,  our  ideas 
of  celestial  bliss  must  be  very  vague  and  confu- 
sed, and  our  hopes  of  full  a.nd  perpetual  enjoyment 
in  the  future  state,  extremely  feeble  and  languid. 
From  the  very  constitution  of  the  human  mind, 
it  appears,  that  in  order  to  enjoy  uninterrupted 
happiness,  without  satiety  or  disgust,  it  is  requi- 
site  that  new  objects  and  new  trains  of  thought 
be  continually  opening  to  view.  A  perpetual  re- 
currence of  the  same  objects  and  perceptions, 
however  sublime  in  themselves,  and  however  in- 
teresting and  delightful  they  may  have  been  felt 
at  one  period,  cannot  afford  uninterrupted  grati- 
fication to  minds  endowed  with  capacious  powers, 
and  capable  of  ranging  through  the  depths  of 
immensity.  But  all  the  objects  in  this  sublunary 
world  and  it.i  environs,  and  all  the  events  record- 
ed in  sacred  and  profane  history,  ate  not  suffi- 
cient to  occupy  the  expansive  minds  of  renovated 
intelligetices  for  a  million  of  ages,  much  less 
throughout  an  endless  duration  of  existence.  A 
series  of  objects  and  of  moral  dispensations, 
more  extensive  than  those  immediately  connect- 
ed with  the  globe  we  inhabit,  must,  therefore, 
be  supfiosed  to  engage  the  attention  of  "  the 
spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect,"  during  the  re- 
volutions of  eternal  ages ;  in  order  that  their  fa- 
culties may  be  gratified  and  expanded — that  new 
views  of  the  divine  character  may  bo  unfolded^ 
and  that  in  the  contemplation  of  his  perfections, 
they  may  enjoy  a  perpetuity  of  bliss. 

It  has  been,  indeed,  asserted  by  some,  that 
"  the  mysteries  of  redemption  will  be  suflicient 
to  afford  scope  for  the  delightful  investigatton  of 
the  saints  to  all  eternity."  It  is  readily  admitted, 
that  contemplations  of  the  divine  perfections,  as 
displayed  in  human  redemption,  and  of  the  stu- 
pendous facts  which  relate  to  that  economy,  will 
blend  tliemselves  with  all  the  other  exercises  of 
redeemed  intelligences.  While  their  intellectual 
faculties  are  taking  the  most  extensive  range 
through  the  dominions  of  Him  who  sits  upon  the 
throne  of  universal  nature,  they  will  never  forget 
that  love  "  which  brought  them  from  darkness  to 
light,"  and  from  the  depths  of  misery  to  the 
■[^endours  of  eternal  day.  Their  grateful  and 
triumphant  praises  will  ascend  to  the  Father  of 


glory,  and  to  the  Lamb  who  was  slain,  forever 
and  ever.  But,  at  the  same  time,  the  range  oi 
objects  comprised  within  the  scheme  of  redemp- 
tion, in  its  reference  to  human  beings,  cannot  be 
supposed,  without  the  aid  of  other  objects  of  con- 
templation, to  afford  full  and  uninterrupted  scope 
to  the  faculties  of  the  saints  in  heaven,  through- 
out an  unlimited  duration. — This  will  appear,  if 
we  endeavour  to  analyze  some  of  the  objects 
presented  to  our  view  in  the  economy  of  re- 
demption. 

In  the  first  place,  it  may  be  noticed,  that  a 
veil  of  mystery  surrounds  several  parts  of  the 
plan  of  redemption.  "  God  manifested  in  the 
flesh,"  the  intimate  union  of  the  eternal  self- 
existent  Deity  with  '•  the  man  Christ  Jesus," — 
is  a  mystery  impenetrable  to  finite  minds.  But 
the  eternity,  the  omnipresence,  and  the  om- 
niscience of  the  Deity,  are  equally  mysterious ; 
for  they  are  equally  incomprehensible,  and  must 
for  ever  remain  incomprehensible  to  all  limited 
intelligences.  It  is  equally  incomprehensible, 
that  a  sensitive  being  should  exist,  furnished  with 
all  the  organs  and  functions  requisite  for  animal 
life,  and  yet  of  a  size  ten  thousand  times  less 
than  a  mite.  These  are  facts  which  must  be 
admitted  on  the  evidence  of  sense  and  of  reason, 
but  they  lis  altogether  beyond  the  sphere  of  our 
comprehension. — Now,  an  object  which  involves 
a  mystery  cannot  be  supposed  to  exercise  and 
entertain  the  mind  through  eternity,  considered 
•  imply  as  incomprehensible,  without  being  asso- 
ciated with  other  objects  which  lie  within  the 
range  of  finite  comprehension  ;  otherwise,  re- 
flections on  the  eternity  and  omnipresence  of 
God,  considered  purely  as  abstractions  of  ths 
mind,  might  gratify  the  intellectual  faculties,  in 
the  future  world,  in  as  high  a  degree  as  any 
thing  that  is  mysterious  in  the  scheme  of  re- 
demption. But  it  is  quite  evident,  that  perpe> 
tual  reflection  on  infinite  space  and  eternal  dura- 
tion, abstractly  considered,  cannot  produce  a 
very  high  degree  of  mental  enjoyment,  unless 
when  considered  in  their  relation  to  objects  more 
definite  and  comprehensible  Such  contempla- 
tions, however,  will,  doubtless,  be  mingled  with 
all  the  other  views  and  investigations  of  the  saintit 
in  the  heavenly  world.  In  proportion  as  they 
advance  through  myriads  of  ages  in  the  cour«e  uC 
unlimited  duration,  and  in  proportion  to  the  en- 
larged views  they  will  acquire,  of  the  distances 
and  magnitudes  of  the  numerous  bodies  which 
diversify  the  regions  of  the  universe,  their  ideas 
of  infinite  space,  and  of  eternal  duration,  will  be 
greatly  expanded.  For  we  can  acquire  ideas  of 
the  extent  of  space,  only  by  comparing  the  dis- 
tances and  bulks  of  material  objects  with  one 
another, — and  ofduration  by  the  trains  of  iliouj-i,, 
derived  from  sensible  objects,  which  pass  through 
our  minds,  and,  from  the  periodical  revolutions 
of  material  objects  around  us. — The  same  things 
may  be  affirmed  in  relation  to  all  that  is  mys«e» 


86 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  FUTURE  8TATB. 


riou«  inUic  economy  of  humivn  rcdcmpiion  ;  and, 
if  what  has  been  now  vaid  \>c  ailmiiu-d,  it  will 
follow  that  iuch  mysierios,  rotisidered  nuTcly  as 
incumprehenyible  realities,  could  not  afford  a 
rapturous  train  of  thought  to  entertain  the  mind 
throu{;hout  the  ages  of  eternity.  It  is  defmito 
and  tangible  objects,  and  not  abstract  mysteries, 
that  constitute  the  proper  subject  of  contemplo- 
tioo  to  a  rational  mind.  Fur  although  we  were 
to  ponder  on  what  is  incomprehensible,  such  as 
the  eternity  of  God,  for  millions  of  years,  we 
should  be  as  far  from  comprehending  it,  or  acqui- 
ring any  new  ideas  respecting  it,  at  the  end  of 
such  a  period,  as  at  the  present  moment. 

In  the  next  plac<>,  redumption  may  be  consi- 
dered in  reference  to  tho  important/ods  connect- 
ed with  it,  in  which  point  of  view,  chiefly,  it  be- 
comes a  tangible  object  for  the  exercise  of  the 
moral  and  intellectual  powers  of  man  .These 
facts  relate  either  to  the  "  man  Christ  Jesus,  the 
Mediator  bet>veen  God  and  man,"  or  to  the 
saints  whose  redemption  he  procured.  The 
general  facts  which  relate  to  Christ,  while  he 
sojourned  in  our  world,  are  recorded  in  the  New 
Testament  by  the  Evangelists.  These  compre- 
hend his  miraculous  conception,  and  the  circum- 
stances which  attended  his  birth ;  his  private 
residence  in  Nazareth ;  his  joumies  as  a  public 
teacher  through  the  land  of  Judea  ;  his  miracles, 
suflil-rings,  crucifixion, resurrection,  and  ascension 
to  heaven.  There  is  doubtless  a  variety  of  inter- 
esting facts,  besides  those  recorded  in  the  Gos- 
pels, with  which  it  would  be  highly  gialifying  to 
become  acquainted  :  such  as,  the  manner  in  which 
he  spent  his  life,  from  the  period  of  the  first  dawn- 
ings  of  reason,  to  the  time  of  his  commencing  his 
public  administrations^— the  vau-ious  trains  of 
thought  that  passed  through  his  mind — the  men- 
tal and  corporeal  exercises  in  which  he  engaged 
— the  social  intercourses  in  which  he  mingled — 
the  topics  of  conversation  he  suggested — the 
amusements  (if  any)  in  which  he  indulged — the 
pious  exercises  and  sublime  contemplations  in 
which  he  engaged,  when  retired  from  the  haunts 
and  the  society  of  men  ; — and  particularly  those 
grand  and  important  transactions  in  which  he 
has  been  employed,  since  that  moment  when 
a  cloud  interposed  between  his  glorified  body, 
and  the  eyes  of  his  disciples,  after  his  ascent 
from  Mount  Olivet — What  regions  of  the  male- 
rial  universe  he  passed  through  in  his  triumphant 
ascent — what  intelligence  of  his  achievements  he 
conveyed  to  other  worlds — what  portion  of  the 
immensity  of  space,  or  what  globe  or  material 
fabric  is  the  scene  of  his  more  immediate  resi- 
dence— what  are  the  external  splendours  and  pe- 
culiarities of  that  glorious  world — what  inter- 
course he  has  with  the  spirits  of  just  men  made 
perfect;  with  Enoch  and  Elijah,  who  are  already 
funiished  with  bodies,  and  with  other  orders  of 
celestial  intelligences— what  scenes  and  move- 
menis  vrill  take  place  io  that  world,  when  he  is 


about  to  return  to  our  terrestrial  sphere,  Io  suni. 
nion  all  the  tril>os  of  men  to  tlie  general  judg- 
ment? Tho  facts  in  relation  to  these,  and  simi- 
lar circumstances ,  siill  remain  to  be  disc.usM, 
and  the  future  details  which  may  be  given  vi 
such  interesting  particulars,  cannot  fail  to  be 
highly  gratifying  to  every  one  of  the  "  redeemed 
from  among  men."  But  siill,  it  must  be  admit- 
ted, that  although  the  details  respecting  each  of 
the  facts  to  which  I  allude,  were  to  occupy  the 
period  of  a  tliousand  years,  the  subject  would 
soon  be  exhausted,  if  other  events  and  circum- 
stances, and  another  train  of  divine  dis|>ensatiomi 
were  not  at  the  same  time  presented  to  view; 
and  the  future  periods  of  eternal  duration  would 
be  destitute  of  that  variety  and  novdty  of  pros- 
pect which  are  requisite  to  secure  perpetual  en- 
joyment. 

The  other  class  of  facts  relates  to  the  redeem- 
ed themselves,  and  comprehends  those  diversified 
circumstances  in  the  course  of  providence,  bv 
means  of  which  they  were  broui;ht  to  the  know- 
ledge of  salvation,  arxl  conducted  through  the 
scenes  of  mortality  to  the  enjoyment  of  endless 
felicity.  These  will,  no  doubt,  afford  topics  of 
interesting  discourse,  to  diversify  and  enliven 
the  exercises  of  the  saints  in  heaven.  But  the 
remark  now  made  in  reference  to  the  other  facts 
alluded  to  above,  is  equally  applicable  her*. 
The  series  of  divine  dispensations  towards  every 
individual,  though  different  in  a  few  subordin- 
ate particulars,  pariake<  of  the  Karae  character,, 
and  wears  th«  same  general  aspect.  But  although 
the  dispensations  of  Providence  towards  every 
one  of  the  redeemed  were  as  different  from  an<^ 
ther  as  it  is  possible  to  conceive,  and  although  a 
hundred  years  were  devoted  to  the  details  fur- 
nished by  every  saint,  eternity  would  not  be  ex- 
hausted by  such  themes  alone. 

Again,  it  has  been  frequently  asserted,  that 
the  saints  in  heaven  will  enjoy  perpetual  rapture 
in  continually  gazing  on  the  glorified  humanity 
of  Christ  Jesus.  The  descriptions  sometimes 
given  of  this  circumstance,  convey  the  idea  of  a 
vast  concourse  of  spectators  gazing  upon  a  r»> 
splendent  figure  placed  upon  an  eminence  in  the 
midst  of  iht-m, — which,  surely,  mast  convey  a  very 
imperfect  and  distorted  idea  of  the  sublime  employ- 
ments of  the  saints  in  light.  The  august  splen^ 
dours  of  the  "  man  Christ  Jesus,"  the  exalted 
station  he  holds  in  the  upper  world,  the  occasiui^ 
al  intercourse  which  ail  his  saints  will  hold  with 
him,  the  lectures  on  the  plans  and  operations  of 
Deity  with  which  be  may  entertain  them — the 
splendid  scenes  to  which  he  may  guide  them 
— and  many  other  circumstances — will  excite 
the  most  rapturous  admiration  of  Him  who  is 
"  tlie  brightness  of  the  Father's  glory." — But, 
since  the  glorified  body  of  Christ  is  a  material 
suhttance,  and,  consequently,  limited  to  a  certain 
|K>rtion  of  spacn,  it  cannot  be  supposed  to  be  at 
all  times  tsithin  (he  view  of  erery  inhabitant  oi 


STARRY  SYSTEMS. 


87 


Heaven  ;  and  although  it  were,  the  material  splen- 
dours of  that  body,  however  august  and  asto- 
nishing, cannot  be  supposed  to  afford  new  and 
Taried  gratification,  throughout  an  endless  suc- 
cession of  duration.  He  will  be  chiefly  recogni- 
sed as  the  Head  of  the  redeemed  family  of  man, 
"  in  whom  aie  hid  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom 
and  knowledge,"  who  will  gradually  reveal  the 
secret  counsels  of  God,  and  direct  his  saints  to 
those  displays  of  divine  glory  which  will  enligh- 
ten and  entertain  their  mental  powers.  This 
seems  to  be  intimated  in  such  representations  as 
the  following, — "  The  Lamb  that  is  in  the  midst 
of  the  throne  shall  feed  them,  and  shall  lead 
them  to  living  fountains  of  water."  By  direct- 
ing their  attention  to  those  objects  in  which 
they  may  behold  the  most  august  displays  of 
divine  perfection,  and  teaching  them  in  what 
points  of  view  they  ought  to  be  contemplated,  and 
what  conclusions  they  ought  to  deduce  from  them, 
"  he  will  feed"  the  minds  of  his  people  with  divine 
knowledge,  and  "  lead  them"  to  those  sublime 
and  transporting  trains  of  thought,  which  will  fill 
them  with  "joy  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory." 
Thus  it  appears,  that  neither  the  mysteries, 
nor  the  leading  facts  connected  with  the  plan  of 
redemption,  when  considered  merely  in  relation 
to  human  beings — can  be  supposed  to  be  the  prin- 
cipal subjects  of  contemplation  in  the  heavenly 
state,  nor  sufficient  to  produce  those  diversified 
gratifications  which  are  requisite  to  insure  per- 
petual enjoyment  to  the  expanded  intellects  of  re- 
deemed men  in  the  future  world — though  such 
contemplations  will  undoubtedly  be  intermingled 
with  all  the  other  intellectual  surveys  of  the  saints 
in  glory. 

I  now  proceed  to  the  principal  object  in  view, 
namely,  to  inquire,  what  other  objects  will  em- 
ploy the  attention  of  good  men  in  the  world  to 
come,  and  what  light  the  material  works  of  God, 
which  have  been  unfolded  to  our  view,  tend  to 
throw  u|>on  this  subject. 

The  foundation  of  the  happiness  of  heavenly 
intelligences  being  laid  in  the  destruction  of  every 
principle  of  moral  evil, — in  the  enjoyment  of 
moral  perfection — and  in  the  removal  of  every 
physical  impediment  to  the  exercise  of  their  in- 
tellectual powers — they  will  be  fitted  for  the  most 
profound  investigations,  and  for  the  most  enlarged 
contemplations.  And  one  of  their  chief  employ- 
ments, of  course,  will  be,  to  investigate,  con- 
template, and  admire  the  glory  of  the  divine 
perfections.  Hence  it  is  declared  in  Scripture 
as  one  of  (he  privileges  of  the  saints  in  light, 
that  "  they  shall  set  Ood  as  he  is" — that  "  they 
shall  see  his  face" — and  that  "  they  shall  behold 
his  glory," — which  expressions,  and  others  of 
similar  import,  plainly  intimate,  that  they  shall 
enjoy  a  clearer  vision  of  the  divine  glory  than  in 
the  present  state.  But  how  is  this  vision  to  be 
obtained  ?    The  Deity,  being  a  spiritual  uncom- 


pounded  substance,  having  no  visible  form,  nor 
sensible  quantities,  "  inhabiting  elernily,"  and 
filling  immensity  with  his  presence — his  essen- 
tial glory  cannot  form  an  object  for  the  direct 
contemplation  of  any  finite  intelligence.  His 
glvy,  or,  in  other  words,  the  grandeur  of  his 
perfections,  can  be  traced  only  in  the  external 
manifestation  which  he  gives  of  himself  in  the 
material  creation  which  his  power  has  brought 
into  existence— in  the  various  orders  of  intelli- 
gences with  which  he  has  peopled  it — and  in  his 
moral  dispensations  towards  all  worlds  and  be- 
ings which  now  exist,  or  may  hereafter  exist, 
throughout  his  boundless  empire. 

It  is  in  this  point  of  view,  that  our  knowledge 
of  the  material  universe  assists  our  conceptions 
of  the  scenes  of  a  future  stale,  and  throws  a  re- 
fulgence of  light  on  the  employments,  and  the 
uninterrupted  pleasures  of  the  redeemed  in  hea- 
ven. By  the  discoveries  of  modern  science,  in 
the  distant  regions  of  space,  we  are  fully  assured, 
that  the  attributes  of  the  Deity  have  not  been 
exercised  solely  in  the  construction  of  our  sub- 
lunary sphere,  and  of  the  aerial  heavens  with 
which  it  is  encompassed,  nor  his  providential 
regards  confined  to  the  transactions  of  the  frail 
beings  that  dwell  upon  its  surface,  but  extend  to  the 
remotest  spaces  of  the  universe.  We  know,  that 
far  beyond  ihe  limits  of  our  terrestrial  abode,  the 
Almighty  has  displayed  his  omnipotence  in  fram- 
ing worlds  which,  in  magnitude,  and  in  splendour 
of  accompaniments,  far  surpass  this  glohe  on 
which  we  dwell.  The  eleven  planetary  bodies 
which,  in  common  with  the  earth,  revolve  about 
the  sun,  contain  a  mass  of  matter  two  thousand 
five  hundred  times  greater,  and  an  extent  of  sur- 
face sufficient  to  support  an  assemblage  of  inha- 
bitants three  hundred  times  more  numerous  than 
in  the  world  which  we  inhabit.  The  divine  wts- 
dom  is  also  displayed  in  reference  to  these  vast 
globes, — in  directing  their  motions,  so  as  to  pro- 
duce a  diversity  of  seasons,  and  a  regular  succes- 
sion of  day  and  night — in  surrounding  some  of 
them  with  moons,  and  with  luminous  rings  of  a 
magnificent  size,  to  adorn  their  nocturnal  hea- 
vens, and  to  reflect  a  mild  radiance  in  the  absence 
of  the  sun — in  encompassing  them  with  atmot' 
pheres,  and  diversifying  their  surface  with 
mountains  and  plains.  These  and  other  arrange- 
ments, which  .indicate  special  contrivance  and 
design,  show,  that  those  bodies  are  destined  by 
the  Creator  to  be  the  abodes  of  intellectual  be- 
ings, who  partake  of  his  bounty,  and  offer  to  him 
a  tribute  of  adoration  and  praise. 

Although  no  other  objects  were  presented  to 
our  view,  except  those  to  which  I  now  allude, 
and  which  are  contained  within  the  limits  of  our 
system,  yet  even  here — within  this  small  pro- 
vince of  the  kingdom  of  Jehovah — a  grand  and 
diversified  scene  is  displayed  for  the  future  con- 
templation of  heavenly  intelligences.  But  it  is 
a  fact  which  cannot  be  disputed,  that  the  sun  wid 


8S 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


■11  hii  attendant  planets  form  but  a  small  speck 
in  thr  map  of  ih«  universe.  Huw  great  soever 
this  earth,  with  its  vast  coniinvnts  and  mighty 
oceans,  may  appear  to  our  «-ye, — how  stupciHious 
soever  the  great  globe  of  Jupiler,  which  would 
contain  within  its  bowcU  a  thousand  worlds  as 
large  as  ours — and  overwhelming  an  the  con- 
ception if,  that  the  sun  is  more  than  a  thousand 
times  larger  than  bolli, — yet,  were  they  this  mo- 
ment detached  from  their  spheres,  and  blotted  out 
of  existence,  there  are  worlds  within  the  range  of 
the  Almi^'hiy's  empire  where  such  an  awful  ca- 
tastrophe would  be  altogether  unknown.  Nay, 
were  the  whole  cubical  space  occupied  by  the 
solir  system — a  space  3,600,000,000  miles  in 
diameter — to  be  formed  into  a  solid  globe,  con- 
taining 24,000,000,000,000,000,000.000,000,000 
cubical  miles,  and  overspread  wilh  a  brilliancy 
.superior  to  that  of  the  sun,  to  continue  during 
the  space  of  a  thousand  years  in  this  splendid 
siMte,  and  then  to  be  extinguished  and  annihi- 
lated— there  are  beings,  who  reside  in  spaces 
within  the  range  of  our  telescopes,  to  whom  its 
creation  and  destruction  would  be  equally  un- 
known ;  and  'a  an  eye  which  could  take  in  the 
whole  compass  of  nature,  it  might  be  altogether 
iiiiheeded,  or,  at  most,  be  regarded  as  the  appear- 
ance and  disappearance  of  a  lucid  point  in  an 
obscure  comer  of  the  universe — just  as  the  de- 
tachment of  a  drop  of  water  from  the  ocean,  or 
a  grain  of  sand  from  the  sea  shore  is  unheeded 
by  a  common  observer. 

At  immeasurable  distances  from  our  earth  and 
system  immense  assemblages  of  shining  orbs  dis- 
play their  radiance.  The  amazini!  extent  of  that 
space  which  intervenes  between  our  habitation 
and  these  resplendent  globes,  proves  their  im- 
mense magnitude,  and  that  they  shine  not  with 
borrowed  but  with  native  splendour.  From  what 
we  know  of  the  wisdom  and  intelligence  of  the 
divine  Being,  we  may  safely  conclude,  that  he 
has  created  nothing  in  vain  ;  and  consequently, 
that  these  enormous  globes  of  light  were  not  dis- 
persed through  the  universe,  merely  as  so  many 
splendid  tapers  to  illuminate  the  voids  of  infinite 
■pace.  To  admit,  for  a  moment,  such  a  suppo- 
■ition,  would  be  inconsistent  with  the  marks  of 
intelligence  and  design  which  are  displayed  in 
all  the  other  scenes  of  nature  which  lie  within 
the  sphere  of  our  investigation.  It  would  repre- 
sent the  Almighty  as  amusing  himself  with 
splendid  toys, — an  idea  altogether  incompatible 
with  the  adorable  Majesty  of  heaven,  and  which 
wouU  tend  to  lessen  our  reverence  of  his  cha- 
racter, as  the  only  wise  God. — If  e»ery  part  of 
nature  in  our  sublunary  systein  is  destined  to 
SOOM  particular  use  in  reference  lo  sentient  bo- 
inp — if  even  the  muddy  waters  of  a  stagnant 
pool  are  replenished  with  myriads  of  inhabitants, 
■hould  we  for  a  moment  doubt,  that  so  many 
thousands  of  magnificent  globe*  have  a  relation 
to  the  aocommodaiioo  and  happiness  of  inteU 


ligent  beings  :  since  in  v^erj  part  of  the  maisrial 
system  which  lies  open  to  our  minute  inspeciion. 
It  apfxrars,  thai  matter  exists  iH>lely  for  tin  pur- 
pose of  sentient  and  intelligent  creatures.  As 
thr  Creator  is  consistent  in  ail  his  plans  and  ope- 
ration*, it  is  beyond  dispute,  that  thfise  great  globes 
which  are  suspended  through<nit  the  vast  i>|<aces 
of  the  universe  are  destined  to  some  noble  piir)>cses 
worthy  of  the  inhnile  power,  wisdom,  and  intelli- 
gence, which  produced  them.  And  what  may 
these  purposes  be  ?  Since  most  of  these  bodies 
are  of  a  size  equal,  if  not  superior,  lo  our  sun,  and 
shine  by  their  own  native  light,  we  are  led  by  ana- 
logy to  conclude,  that  i  hey  are  destined  to  subserve 
a  similar  purpose  in  the  system  of  nature— to  |iour 
a  flood  of  radiance  on  surrounding  worUis,  and 
lo  regulate  their  motions  by  their  attractive  i»» 
fluence.  So  that  each  of  these  luminaries  may 
be  considered,  not  merely  as  a  woiW,  but  as  the 
centre  of  thirty,  sixty,  or  a  hun»lrod  worlds, 
among  which  they  distribute  light,  and  heat,  and 
comfort.* 

If,  now,  we  attend  to  the  vcut  number  of  thoss 
stupendous  globes,  we  shall  perceive  what  an  ex- 
tensive field  of  sublime  investigation  lies  open  to 
all  the  holy  intelligences  that  exist  in  creation. 
When  we  lift  our  eyes  to  the  nocturnal  sky,  we 
behold  several  hundreds  of  these  majestic  orbs, 
arranged  in  a  kind  of  magnificent  confusion, 
glimmering  from  afar  on  this  obscure  corner  of 
the  iiiiiverse.  But  the  number  of  stars,  visible 
to  the  vulgar  eye,  is  extremely  small,  compared 
with  the  number  which  has  been  descried  by 
means  of  optical  instniments.  In  a  small  por- 
tion of  the  sky,  not  larger  than  the  apparent 
breadth  of  the  moon,  a  greater  number  of  stars 
has  been  discovered  than  the  naked  eye  can  di»- 
cern  throughout  the  whole  wault  of  heaven.  In 
proportion  as  the  magnifying  powers  of  the  tel^ 
scope  aie  increased,  in  a  similar  proportion  do 
the  stars  increase  upon  our  view.  They  seem 
ranged  behind  one  another  in  l>oiindless  (lerspec- 
tive,  as  far  as  the  assisted  eye  can  reach,  leaving 
u9  no  loom  to  doubt,  that,  were  the  powers  of 
our  telescopes  increased  a  thousand  limes  more 
than  they  now  are,  millions  beyond  millions,  in 
addition  to  what  we  now  behold,  would  start  up 
before  the  astonished  sight.  Sir  William  Her- 
schel  informs  us,  that,  when  viewing  a  certain 
[Mirtion  of  the  Milky  tVm/,  in  the  course  of  seven 
minutes,  more  than  6fty  thousand  stars  passed 

•The  Author  will  hive  an  opportunity  of  IIIos- 
tmting  this  snliject,  In  minute  (ielall.  In  a  work  tt^ 
lMet\.  The  tctnery  of  the  heavmt  dl*p4ayed,  with 
the  view  of  proving  and  lllust ratine  the  doctrine  of 
aplumlUi/  if  trotid*;"  In  whii-hthe  j>osltlons  here 
ansumeil  will  he  shown  to  have  the  lorceof  a  moral 
demonstration,  on  the  same  general  principles  by 
which  we  prove  the  belnj;  of  a  God,  and  the  Immor- 
tality of  man.  In  this  work,  all  the  known  fcrts  In 
relation  to  detcrivUve  tutnmotnf/,  and  the  structura 
of  the  heavens,  will  be  particularly  detailed,  and  ao- 
companled  with  original  remarks  ard  moral  and 
religious  reflectloos,  aoasto  form  a  comprebenslv* 
compend  of  popular  aationomr. 


DIVERSITY  OP  SCENERY  IN  THE  HEAVENS. 


m 


across  lh«  field  of  his  telescope, — and  it  has  been 
^Iculated,  that  within  the  range  of  such  an  in- 
strument, applied  to  all  the  difft-rent  portions  of 
the  firmament,  more  than  eigfUi/  millUms  of  stars 
would  be  rendered  visible. 

Here,  then,  within  the  limits  of  that  circle 
which  human  vision  has  explored,  the  mind  per- 
ceives, not  merely  eighty  millions  of  worlds,  but, 
at  least  tnirty  times  that  number  ;  for  every  star, 
considered  as  a  sun,  may  be  conceived  to  be 
surrounded  by  at  least  thiriy  planetary  globes;* 
so  that  the  visible  system  of  the  universe  may  be 
stated,  at  the  lowest  computation,  as  compre- 
hendiiio  within  its  vast  circumference,  2,400,- 
000,000  of  worlds  !  This  celestial  scene  pre- 
sents an  idea  so  august  and  overwhelming,  that 
the  mind  is  confounded,  and  shrinks  back  at  the 
attempt  of  forming  any  definite  conception  of  a 
multitude  and  a  magnitude  so  far  beyond  the 
limits  of  its  ordinary  excursions,  if  we  can 
form  no  adequate  idea  of  the  magnitude,  the  va- 
riety, and  economy  of  (me  world,  how  can  we 
form  a  just  conception  of  thousands?  If  a  sin- 
gle million  of  objects  of  any  description  presents 
an  image  too  vast  and  complex  to  be  taken  in  at 
one  grasp,  how  shall  we  ever  attempt  to  compre- 
hend an  object  so  vast  as  two  thousand  four  hun- 
dred millions  of  worlds  !  None  but  that  Eter- 
nal Mind  which  counts  the  number  of  the  stars, 
which  called  them  from  nothing  into  existence, 
and  arranged  them  in  the  respective  stations 
they  occupy,  and  whose  eyes  run  to  and  fro 
through  the  unlimited  extent  of  creation — can 
form  a  clear  and  comprehensive  conception  of 
the  number,  the  order,  and  the  economy  of  this 
vast  portion  of  the  system  of  nature. 

But  here,  even  the  very  feebleness  and  obscu- 
rity of  our  conceptions  tend  to  throw  a  radiance 
on  the  subject  we  are  attempting  to  illustrate. 
The  magnitude  and  incomprehensibility  of  the 
object,  show  us,  how  many  diversified  views  of 
the  divine  glory  remain  to  be  displayed  ;  what 
an  infinite  variety  of  sublime  scenes  may  be  af- 
forded for  the  mind  to  expatiate  upon  ;  and  what 
rapturous  trains  of  thought,  ever  various,  and 
ever  new,  may  succeed  each  other  without  in- 
terruption, throughout  an  unlimited  duration. 

Let  us  now  endeavour  to  analyze  some  of  the 
objects  presented  to  our  mental  sight,  in  this 
vast  assemblage  of  systems  and  worlds,  which 
lie  within  the  sphere  of  human  vision. 

The  first  idea  that  suggests  itself,  is,  that  they 
are  all  material  structtires — in  the  formation  of 
which,  infinite  wisdom  and  goodness  have  been 
employed  ;  and  consequently,  they  must  exhibit 

•  The  solar  system  consists  of  eleven  primary  and 
eighteen  secondary  planets  ;  In  all  twenty-nine, 
besides  more  than  a  hundred  comets ;  and  It  is  pro- 
bable that  several  planetary  bodies  exist  within  the 
Uraits  of  our  system  which  have  not  yet  been  disco- 
vered. Other  systems  may  proliat  ly  contain  a  more 
numerous  retinue  of  worlds,  and  perhaps  of  c  larger 
size  than  those  belonging  to  the  system  of  the  sua. 

12 


scenes  of  sublimity  and  of  exquisite  contrivance 
worthy  of  the  contemplation  of  every  rational 
being.  If  this  earth,  which  is  an  abode  of  apoa* 
late  men.  and  a  scene  of  moral  depravity,  and 
which,  here  and  there,  hais  the  appearance  of 
being  the  ruins  of  a  former  world — presents  the 
variegated  prospect  of  lofty  mountains,  romantic 
dells,  and  fertile  plains  ;  meandering  rivers, 
transparent  lakes,  and  spacious  oceans ;  ver- 
dant landscapes,  adorned  with  fruits  and  flowers, 
and  a  rich  variety  of  the  finest  colours,  and  a 
thousand  other  beauties  and  sublimities  that 
are  strewed  over  the  lace  of  nature — tu,w  grand 
and  magnificent  -a  scenery  may  we  suppose, 
must  be  presented  to  the  view,  in  those  worlds 
where  moral  evil  has  never  entered  to  derange 
the  harmony  of  the  Creator's  works — where  love 
to  the  Supreme,  and  to  one  another,  fires  the 
bosoms  of  all  their  inhabitants,  and  produces  a 
rapturous  exultation,  and  an  incessant  adoration 
of  the  Source  of  happiness  I  In  such  worlds, 
we  may  justly  conceive,  that  the  sensitive  en- 
joyments, and  the  objects  of  beauty  and  gran- 
deur which  are  displayed  to  their  view,  as  far 
exceed  the  scenery  and  enjoyments  of  this  world, 
as  their  moral  and  intellectual  qualities  excel 
those  of  the  sons  of  men. 

In  the  next  place,  it  is  highly  reasonable  to  b<^ 
lieve,  that  an  in^nite  diversity  of  scenery  exists 
throughout  all  the  worlds  which  compose  the 
universe  ;  that  no  one  of  all  the  millions  of  sys- 
tems to  which  I  have  now  advened,  exactly  re- 
sembles another  in  its  construction,  motions, 
order,  and  decorations.  There  appear,  indeed, 
to  be  certain  laws  and  phenomena  which  are 
common  to  all  the  systems  which  exist  within 
the  limits  of  human  vision.  It  is  highly  proba- 
ble that  the  laws  of  gravitation  extend  their 
influence  through  every  region  of  space  occupied 
by  material  substances ;  and,  it  is  beyond  a 
doubt,  that  the  phenomena  of  vision,  and  the 
laws  by  which  light  is  reflected  and  refracted, 
exist  in  the  remotest  regions  which  the  telescope 
has  explored.  For  the  light  which  radiates  from 
the  most  distant  stars  (as  formerly  stated)  is 
found  to  be  of  the  same  nature,  to  move  with  the 
same  velocity,  to  be  refracted  by  the  same  laws, 
and  to  exhibit  the  same  colours  as  the  light  which 
proceeds  from  the  sun,  and  is  reflected  from  sur- 
rounding objects.  The  medium  of  vision  must, 
therefore,  be  acted  upon,  and  the  organs  of  sight 
perform  their  functions,  in  those  distant  regions, 
in  the  same  manner  as  takes  place  in  the  system 
of  which  we  form  a  part,  or,  at  least,  in  a  man- 
ner somewhat  analogous  to  it.  And  this  cir- 
cumstance shows,  that  the  Creator  evidently 
intended  we  should  form  some  faint  ideas,  at 
least,  of  the  general  procedure  of  nature  in  dis- 
tant worlds,  in  order  to  direct  our  conceptions  of 
the  sublime  scenery  of  the  universe,  even  while 
we  remain  in  this  obscure  corner  of  creation. 
But,  although  the  visible  systems  of  the  uoiveriM 


M) 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


appMT  to  be  connected  by  crrtain  general  prin- 
ciples and  laws  which  operate  ihroiighuul  the 
wiwle,  yet  the  indefinite  mud ificai ions  which 
theae  law«  may  receive  in  each  panicular  system, 
may  produce  an  almost  infinite  diversity  of  phe- 
nomena in  ditTerent  worlds,  so  that  no  one  de- 
partment of  the  material  universe  may  resemble 
another.  Nor  is  it  difficult  to  conceive  how 
guch  a  diversity  of  scenery  may  be  prcxluced. 
With  regard  to  the  terraqueous  globe, — were  its 
axis  to  be  shifted,  bo  as  to  point  to  a  different 
quarter  of  the  heavens,  or  were  the  angle  which 
it  forms  with  the  ecliptic  to  be  greater  or  less 
than  it  now  is,  the  general  appearance  of  the 
6rmainent  would  be  changed,  the  apparent  mo- 
tions of  the  sun  and  stars,  the  days  and  nights, 
the  seasuns  of  the  year,  and  an  immense  variety 
of  phenomena  in  the  earth  and  heavens  would 
usume  a  very  different  aspect  from  what  they 
now  wear.  Were  the  component  parts  of  the 
atntosphere  materially  altered,  were  its  refrac- 
tive power  much  increased,  or  were  a  greater 
portion  of  caloric  or  of  electricity  introduced  into 
ita  constitution,  the  objects  which  diversify  the 
landscape  of  the  earth,  and  the  luminaries  of 
beaven,  would  assume  such  a  variety  of  new  and 
uncommon  appearances,  as  would  warrant  the 
application  of  the  Scripture  expression,  "  a  new 
heaven  and  a  new  earth.*'  It  is,  therefore,  easy 
to  conceive,  that,  when  infinite  power  and  wis- 
dom are  exerted  for  this  purpose,  every  globe  in 
the  universe,  with  its  appendages,  may  be  con- 
■tructed  and  arranged  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
present  a  variety  of  beauties  and  sublimities  pe- 
culiar to  itself. 

That  the  Creator  has  actually  produced  this 
effect,  is  rendered  in  the  highest  degree  proba- 
ble, from  the  infinite  variety  presented  to  our 
view  in  those  departments  of  nature  which  lie 
open  to  our  |>ariicular  investigation.  In  the  ani- 
tnal  kingdom  we  find  more  than  a  hundred  thou- 
sand dilTerenl  species  of  living  creatures,  and 
about  the  same  variety  in  the  productions  of  ve- 
getable nature  ;  the  mineral  kingdom  presents  to 
(If  an  immense  variety  of  earths,  stones,  rocks, 
metals,  fossils,  gems,  and  precious  stones,  which 
are  strewed  in  rich  profusion  along  the  surface, 
and  throughout  the  interior  parts  uf  the  globe. 
Of  the  individuals  which  compose  every  distinct 
apecies  of  animated  beings,  there  is  no  one 
which  bears  an  exact  resemblance  to  another. 
Although  the  eight  hundred  millions  of  men  that 
now  people  the  globe,  and  all  the  other  millions 
thai  hare  existed  since  the  work!  began,  were  to 
be  eompared,  no  two  individuals  would  be  found 
to  present  exactly  the  same  aspect  in  every  point 
of  view  in  which  they  might  be  contemplated. 
In  like  manner,  no  two  horses,  cows,  dogs,  lions, 
elepbaou,  or  other  terrestrial  animals  will  be 
fotnid  bearing  a  perfect  resemblance.  The  same 
obaerration  will  apply  to  the  scenery  of  lakes, 
riTeri,  grottos,  and  mountains,  and  to  all  the  di- 


rersified  landscapes  which  the  surface  of  (he 
earth  and  waters  presents  to  the  traveller,  and 
the  student  of  nature. 

If,  from  the  earth,  we  direct  our  views  to  the 
other  bodies  which  compose  our  planetary  sys- 
tem, we  shall  find  a  similar  diversity,  so  far  as  our 
observations  extend.  From  the  surface  of  one  of 
the  planets,  the  sun  will  appear  seven  tiroes  larger, 
and  from  the  surface  of  another,  three  hundred 
and  sixty  times  tmaller  than  he  does  to  us.  One 
of  those  iKxiies  is  destitute  of  a  moon  ;  but  from 
Its  ruddy  aspect,  either  its  surface  or  its  atmo- 
sphere appears  to  be  endowed  with  a  phospho 
rescent  quality,  to  supply  it  with  light  in  the 
absence  of  the  sun.  Another  is  surrounded  by 
/our  resplerxJent  moons,  much  larger  than  ours ; 
a  third  is  supplied  with  six,  and  a  fourth,  with 
seven  moons,  and  two  magnificent  rings  to  re- 
flect the  light  of  the  sun,  and  diversify  the  scene- 
ry of  its  sky.  One  of  these  globes  revolves 
round  its  axis  in  ten,  and  another  in  tu-eniy-tkre* 
hour*  and  a  half.  One  of  ihero  revolves  round 
the  sun  in  eighty-eight,  another  in  two  hundred 
and  twenty-four  days  ;  a  third  in  twelve  years, 
a  fourth  in  thirty,  and  a  fifih  in  eighty-two  yeara. 
From  all  which,  and  many  other  circumstances 
that  have  been  observed,  an  admiiable  variety  of 
phenomena  is  produced,  of  which  each  planetary 
globe  has  its  own  peculiarity.  Even  our  moon, 
which  is  among  the  smallest  of  the  celestial  bo- 
dies, which  is  the  nearest  to  us,  and  which  accom- 
panies the  earth  during  its  revolution  round  the 
sun,  exhibits  a  curious  variety  of  aspect,  different 
from  what  is  found  on  the  terraqueous  globe. 
The  altitude  of  its  mountains,  the  depths  of  its 
vales,  the  conical  form  of  its  insulated  rocka, 
the  circular  ridges  of  hills  which  encompass  ita 
plains,  and  the  celestial  phenomena  which  are 
displayed  in  its  firmament — present  a  scenery 
which  though  in  some  points  resembling  our  own, 
is  yet  remarkably  different,  on  the  whole,  from 
the  general  aspect  of  nature  in  our  terrestrial 
habitation. 

If,  therefore,  the  Author  of  nature  act  on  the 
same  general  principles,  in  other  systems,  as  be 
has  done  in  ours — which  there  is  every  reason 
to  believe,  when  we  consider  his  infinite  wisdom 
and  intelligence — we  may  rest  assured,  that  ev- 
ery one  of  the  two  thousand  four  hundred  mi^ 
lions  of  worlds  which  are  comprehended  within 
the  range  of  human  vision,  has  a  magnificence 
and  glory  peculiar  to  itself,  by  which  it  is  di*- 
tinguished  from  all  the  surrounding  provinces  of 
Jehovah's  empire.  In  this  view,  we  may  con- 
sider the  lariguage  of  the  Apostle  Paul  a*  ex- 
pressing not  only  an  apparent,  but  a  real  fact. 
"  There  is  one  gk)ry  of  the  sun,  and  another 
glory  of  the  moon,  and  another  glory  of  the  "tars  ; 
"far  one  tar  diff'trrth  from  another  Uar  in  glory." 
To  suppose  that  the  Almighty  has  exhausted  hia 
omnipotent  energies,  and  exhibited  all  the  mani- 
festations of  his  glory  which  his  perfections  can 


FACULTIES  OF  SUPERIOR  BEINGS. 


01 


DToduce,  in  one  system,  or  even  in  one  million  of 
systems,  would  be  to  set  limils  to  the  resources 
of  his  wisdom  ana  intelligence  which  are  in- 
finite and  incomprehensible.  Hence  we  find 
the  sacred  writers,  when  contemplating  the  nu- 
merous objects  which  creation  exhibits,  breaking 
out  into  such  exclamations  as  these,  ^^  Mow 
manifold,  O  Jehovah,  are  thy  works  !  In  voi»- 
dom  tmst  thou  made  them  all." 

In  the  next  place,— Besides  the  magnificence 
dnd  variety  of  the  mateiiul  siructuies  which 
exist  throughout  the  universe,  the  organized  and 
intelligent  beings  wilh  which  they  are  peopled, 
present  a  vast  field  o(  delightful  contemplation. 
On  this  general  topic,  the  following  ideas  may 
be  taken  into  consideration  : — 

1.  The  gradations  of  intellect  or  the  various 
orders  of  intelligences  which    may   people    the 
universal  system.     That  there  is  a  vast  diver- 
sity in  the  scale  of  intellectual  existence,  nuiy  be 
proved  by  considerations  similar  to  those  which 
I  have  already  stated.     Among  sentient  beings, 
in  this  world,    we  find    a  regular  gradation  of 
intellect,  from  the  muscle,  through  all  the  orders 
of  the  aquatic  and   insect  tribes,  till  wc  arrive 
at  the  dog,  the  monkey,  the  beaver  and  the  ele- 
phant, and  last  4jf  all,  to  man,  who  stands  at  the 
top  of  the  intellectual  scale,  as  the  lord  of  this  lower 
world.     We    perceive,  too,   in   th»    individuals 
which  compose  the  human  species,  a  wonderful 
diversity  in  their  powers  and  capacities  of  intel- 
lect, arising  partly  Irom  uicii  uii^ii.ni  »^.i^iUu- 
tion  of  mind,  partly  from  the  conformation  of  their 
corporeal  organs,  and  partly  from   the  degree  of 
CuUivalion  they  have  received.     But  it  would  be 
highly  unreasonable  to  admit,  that  the  most  ac- 
complished genius  that  ever  Adorned  our  race, 
was  placed  at  the  summit  of  intellectual   perfec- 
tion.    On    the  other  hand,  we   have  reason   to 
believe,  that  man,   with  all  his  noble    powers, 
stands  nearly  at  the  bottom  of  the  scale  of  the 
intelligent  creation.      For  a  being  much  inferior 
to  man,  in  the  powers  of  abstraction,  conception, 
aind  reas(ming,  could  scarcely  be  denominated 
a  rational  crt-ature,  or  supposed  capable  of  be- 
ing qualified  for  the  high  destination   to  which 
man  is  appointed.     As  to  the  number  of  species 
which  diversify  the  ranks  of  superior  intellectual 
natures,  and  the  aegrees  of  perfection  which  dis- 
tinguish their  different  orders,  we  have  no  data, 
afforded  by  ihecontemplation  of  the  visible  uni- 
verse, sufficient  to  enable  us  to  form  a  definite 
conception.     The  intellectual  faculties,  even  of 
finite  beings,  may  be  carr.ed   to  so  high  a  pitch 
of  perfection,  as  to  baffle  all  our  conceptions  and 
powers  of  description. — The  following  descrip- 
tion  in  the  words  of  a  celebrated  Swiss  natu- 
ralist, may  perhaps  convey  some  faint  idea  of  the 
powers  of  some  of  the  highest  order  of  intelli- 
gence? : — 

"  I'o  convey  one's  self  from  one  place  to  ano- 


ther with  a  swiftness  equal  or  superior  to  that  tA 
light;  to  preserve  one's  self  by  the  mere  force 
of  nature,  and  without  the  assistance  of  any  other 
created  being ;  to  be  absolutely  exempted  from 
every  kind  of  change ;  to  be  endowed  wilh  the 
most  exquisite  and  extensive  senses;  to  have 
distinct  perceptions  of  all  the  attributes  of  matter, 
and  of  all  its  modifications  ;  to  discover  effects 
in  their  causes ;  to  raise  one's  self  by  a  moat 
rapid  flight  to  the  most  general  principles;  to 
see  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye  these  princi- 
ples ; — to  have  at  the  same  time,  without  confu- 
sion, an  almost  infinite  number  of  ideas  ;  to  see 
the  past  as  distinctly  as  the  present,  and  to  pen^ 
trate  into  the  remotest  futurity ;  to  be  able  to 
exercise  all  these  faculties  without  weariness: 
these  are  the  various  outlines  from  which  we  may 
draw  a  portrait  of  the  perfections  of  superior 
natures."  ♦ 

A  being  possessed  of  ikculties  such  as  these, 
is  raised  as  far  above  the  Iknited  powers  of  man, 
as  man  is  raised  above  the  insect  tribes.  The 
Scriptures  assure  us,  that  beings,  approximating, 
in  their  powers  and  perfections,  to  those  now 
stated,  actually  exist,  and  perform  important  o^ 
fices  under  the  government  of  the  Almighty, 
The  perfections  of  the  angelic  tribes,  as  repre- 
sented in  Scripture,  are  incomparably  superior 
to  those  of  men.  They  are  represented  as  pos- 
sessed of  powers  capable  of  enabling  them  t0 
wing  their  flight  with  amazing  rapidity  from  world 
to  world.  For  the  angel  Gabriel,  being  c^""- 
iiiaiiiicU  to  n^  swittiy,  vviiiie  me  prophet  Daniel 
was  engaged  in  supplication,  approached  to  him, 
before  he  had  made  an  end  of  presenting  bis  re- 
quests. During  the  few  minutes  employed  in 
uttering  his  prayer,  this  angelic  messenger  de- 
scended from  the  celestial  regions  to  the  country 
of  Babylonia.  This  was  a  rapidity  of  motion 
surpassing  the  comprehension  of  the  most  vigor- 
ous imagination,  and  far  exceeding  even  the  ama> 
zing  velocity  of  light, — They  have  power  over 
the  objects  of  inanimate  nature  ;  for  one  of  them 
"  rolled  away  the  stone  from  the  door  of  the  se- 
pulchre," at  the  time  of  Christ's  resurrection. 
They  are  intimately  acquainted  with  the  springs 
of  life,  and  the  avenues  by  which  they  may  be 
interrupted  ;  for  an  angel  slew,  in  one  night, 
185,000  of  the  Assyrian  army. — They  are  per- 
fectly acquainted  with  all  the  relations  which 
subsist  among  mankind,  and  can  distinguish  the 
age  and  character  of  every  individual  throughout 
all  the  families  of  the  earth.  For  one  of  these 
powerful  beings  recognised  all  the  first-born  in  the 
land  of  Egypt,  distinguished  the  Egyptians  from 

•  This  writer,  in  addition  to  these,  states  the  follow- 
ing properties : — "To  1)6  invested  with  a  power  capa- 
ble of  displacing  tlie  heavenly  bodies,  or  of  changing 
the  course  of  nature,  and  to  lie  possessed  of  a  power 
and  skill  capal>le  of  organizing  matter,  of  forming  a 
plant,  an  animal,  a  world."— But  I  can  scarcely  think 
that  such  perfections  are  competent  to  any  IjeloX 
but  the  Supreme. 


99 


THE  PHILOSlOPHy  OF  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


the  children  of  Inael,  and  exerted  his  powers  in 
their  destruction.  And  as  ihey  are  "  minister- 
ing spirits  lu  tho  heirs  of  salvation,"  they  musi 
have  a  clear  perception  of  the  persons  and  clia- 
racters  of  those  who  are  the  objucts  of  the  Divine 
favour,  and  to  whom  they  are  occasionally  sent 
on  embassies  of  mercy. — They  ar«  endowed  with 
great  physical  powers  and  energies  ;  hence  they 
are  said  "  to  excel  in  ttrenglh:"  and  the  phrase, 
"a  rtron^ angel,"  and"ami^/i/yangel,"  which  are 
sometimes  applied  to  Ihem,  are  expressive  of  the 
same  perfection.  Hence  they  are  represented, 
in  the  book  of  the  Revelation,  as  "  holding  ihe 
four  winds  of  heaven,"  as  executing  the  judg- 
ments of  God  upon  the  proud  de^pisers  of  his  go- 
rernment,  as  "  throwing  mountains  into  the  sea," 
and  binding  the  prince  of  darkness  with  chains, 
and  ''  casting  him  into  the  bottomless  pit." 

They  are  endowed  with  unfading  and  im- 
mortal youth,  and  experience  no  decay  in  the 
vigour  of  their  powers.  For  the  angels  who 
appeared  to  Mary  at  the  tomb  of  our  SaviiMir, 
appeared  as  young  men,  though  they  were  then 
more  than  four  thousand  years  old.  During  the 
long  succession  of  ages  that  had  pasjed  since 
their  creation,  their  vigour  and  animation  had 
suffered  no  diminution,  nor  decay, — ihey  are 
possessed  of  ixitt  powers  of  intelligence.  Hence 
they  are  exhibited  in  the  book  of  Revelation, 
a*  being  "full  of  eyes,"  that  is,  endowed  with 
"  all  sense,  all  intellect,  all  consciousness  ;  turn- 
ing thell    otlciitlon  .-r^y  —•^  ,   l^k.lJ.ng  <r>    ...o.. 

all  things  within  the  reach  of  their  understand- 
ings ;  and  discerning  them  with  the  utmost  clear- 
ness of  conception."  The  various  other  quali- 
ties now  stated,  necessarily  suppose  a  vast  con>- 
prchension  of  intellect ;  and  the  place  of  their 
residence,  and  the  offices  in  which  they  have 
been  employed,  have  afforded  full  scope  to  their 
superior  powers.  They  dwell  in  a  world  where 
truth  reigns  triumphant,  where  moral  evil  has 
never  entered,  where  substantial  knowledge  ir- 
radiates the  mind  of  every  inhabitant,  where  the 
mysteries  which  involve  the  character  of  the 
Eternal  are  continually  disclosing,  and  where 
the  plans  of  his  providence  are  rapidly  unfolded. 
They  have  ranged  through  the  innumerable  re- 
gions of  the  heavens,  and  visited  distant  worlds, 
for  thousands  of  years  ;  they  have  beheld  the  un- 
ceasing variety,  and  the  endless  roultitudn  of 
Um  works  of  creation  and  providence,  and  are, 
douktIesH,  enabled  to  compare  systems  of  worlds, 
with  more  accuracy  and  comprehension  than 
we  are  ca[>able  of  surveying  villages,  cities  and 
provinces.  Thus,  their  original  powers  and 
capacities  have  been  expanded,  and  their  vigour 
and  activity  strengthened;  and,  consequently, 
ia  the  progress  of  duration,  their  acquisitions  of 
wisdom  and  knowledge  must  indefinitely  sur- 
pass every  thing  that  the  mind  of  man  can  con- 
c«ivo^>We  have  likewi-ie  certain  intimations, 
that,  aaoog  lb«se  celestial  beings,  there   are 


gTad4ilion$  of  nature  and  of  <fffie« ;  since  there 
are  ami»ng  them,  "  seraphim  and  derubim, 
archangels,  thrones,  dominions,  principalities 
and  powers,''  which  designations  are  evidently 
expressive  of  their  rospeciive  endowments,  of  the 
stations  they  occupy,  and  of  the  employments  for 
which  they  are  qualified. 

Hence  it  appears,  that  although  we  know  but 
little  in  the  mean  time  of  the  nature  of  tliat  diver- 
sity of  intellect  which  prevails  among  the  higher 
orders  of  created  beings— ihe  intimations  given 
in  Ihe  sacred  volume,  and  the  general  analogy 
of  nature,  lead  us  to  form  the  most  exalted  ideas 
of  that  amnzing  progression  and  variety  which 
reign  throughout  the  intellectual  universe. 

2.  Nut  only  is  there  a  gradation  of  intellect 
among  superior  beings,  but  it  is  highly  probable, 
that  a  similar  gradation  or  variety  obtains,  in 
the  form,  the  organization,  and  the  movemenU 
of  their  corporeal  vehicles. 

The  human  form,  especially  in  the  vigour  of 
youth,  is  the  most  beautiful  and  symmetrical  of 
all  the  forms  of  organized  beings  with  which  we 
are  acquainted ;  and,  in  these  respects,  may 
probably  bear  some  analogy  to  the  organical 
structures  of  other  intelligences.  But,  in  other 
worlds,  there  may  exist  an  indefinite  variety,  as 
to  the  general  form  of  the  body  or  vehicle  with 
which  their  inhabitants  are  invested,  the  size, 
the  number,  and  quality  of  their  organs,  the 
functions  they  perform,  the  splendour  i«n.i  hnaiity 
v^rtiit^i.  _pcoi,  ainj  particularly,  in  ihe  number 
and  perfection  of  iheir  senses.  Though  there 
are  more  than  a  hundred  thousand  species  ol 
sensitive  beings,  which  traverse  the  earth,  the 
waters,  and  the  air,  yet  they  all  exhibit  a  mark- 
ed difference  in  Iheir  cor|ioreal  forms  and  organ- 
ization. Quadrupeds  exhibit  a  very  different 
structure  from  fishes,  and  birds  from  reptiles; 
and  every  distinct  species  of  quadrupeds,  birds, 
fishes,  and  insects,  diflers  from  another  in  its 
conformation  and  functions.  It  is  highly  (•ruba- 
ble,  that  a  similar  variety  exists,  in  regard  to 
the  cor|ioreal  vehicles  of  superior  intelligences — 
accoinmo<iated  to  the  regions  in  which  tney  re- 
spectively reside,  the  functions  they  have  to  per- 
form, and  the  em|>loyinents  in  which  they  are 
engaged ;  and  this  we  find  to  be  actually  the 
case,  so  far  as  our  information  extends.  When 
any  of  the  angelic  tribes  were  sent  nn  embas- 
sies to  our  worki,  we  find,  that,  though  they 
generally  appeared  in  a  shape  somewhat  re- 
sembling a  beautiful  human  form,  yet,  in  every 
instance,  there  appeared  a  marked  difference 
between  them  and  human  beingsi.  The  angel 
who  appeared  at  ihe  tomb  of  our  Saviour,  ex- 
hibited a  bright  and  resplendent  form:  "His 
countenance  was  like  the  brightness  of  li^fht- 
ning,  and  his  raiment  as  white  as  snow,"  glit- 
tering with  an  exiraordinaiy  lustre  h<-vond  what 
mortal  eyes  could  bear.  The  angel  who  deliver- 
ed Peter  from  the  prison  to  which  he  had  beea 


SENSES  OF  SUPERIOR  BEINGS. 


98 


confined  by  the  tjrranny  of  Herod,  was  arrayed  in 
such  splendour,  thai  a  glorious  light  shone 
through  the  whole  apartment  where  the  apostle 
was  bound,  dark  and  gloomy  as  it  was.  That 
these  beings  have  organs  of  speech,  capable  of 
forming  articulate  sounds  and  of  joining  in  mu- 
sical strains,  appears  form  the  words  they  utter- 
ed on  these  and  other  occasions,  and  from  the 
sono  they  sung  in  the  plains  of  Bethlehem,  when 
they  announced  the  birth  of  tiie  Saviour.  They 
appear  to  possess  the  property  of  rendering 
themselves  invisible  at  pleasure  ;  for  the  angel 
that  appeared  to  Zacharias  in  the  sanctuary  of 
the  temple,  was  invisible  to  the  surrounding  mul- 
titudes without,  both  at  the  time  of  his  entrance 
into,  and  his  exit  from  the  "  holy  place."* 

In  particular,  there  is  every  reason  to  con- 
clude, that  there  is  a  wonderful  variety  in  the 
number  and  acuteness  of  their  organs  of  sensa- 
tion. We  find  a  considerable  variety,  in  these 
respects,  among  the  sensitive  beings  which  in- 
habit our  globe.  Some  animals  appear  to  have 
only  one  sense,  as  the  muscle,  and  the  zoophytes ; 
many  have  but  two  senses ;  some  have  titree ; 
and  man,  the  most  perfect  animal,  has  only^re. 
These  senses,  too,  in  different  species,  differ 
very  considerably,  in  point  of  vigour  and  acute- 
ness.    The  dog  has  a  keener  scent,  the  stag  a 

•  To  what  is  stated  In  this  paragraph  respecting 
angels,  it  will  doubtless  be  objected,  "  that  these 
intelligences  are  pure  spirits,  and  assume  corporeal 
forms  only  on  particular  occasions^'  This  is  an 
opinion  almost  universally  prevalent;  but  it  is  a 
mere  assumption,  destitute  of  any  rational  or  scrip- 
tural argument  to  substantiate  its  truth.  There  is 
no  passage  in  Scripture,  with  which  I  am  acquaint- 
ed, that  makes  such  an  assertion.  The  passage  in 
Psalm  civ.  4,  "Who  maketh  his  angels  spirits,  and 
his  ministers  a  flaming  fire,"  has  frequently  been 
quoted  for  this  purpose  ;  but  it  has  no  reference  to 
any  opinion  that  may  be  formed  on  this  point ;  as 
the  passage  should  be  rendered,  "  Who  maketh  the 
winds  his  messengers,  and  a  flaming  fire  his  minis- 
ters." Even  although  the  passage  were  taken  as 
it  stands  in  our  translation,  and  considered  as  re- 
ferring to  the  angels,  it  would  not  prove,  that  they 
are  pure  immaterial  substances ;  for,  while  they 
are  designated  spirits,  which  is  equally  applica- 
ble to  men  as  well  as  to  angels — they  are  also 
said  to  be  "  a  flaming  fire,"  which  is  a  wwzferia/ sub- 
stance. This  passage  seems  to  have  no  particular 
reference  to  either  opinion ;  but,  if  considered  as 
expressmg  the  attributes  of  angels,  its  meaning 
plainly  Is,— that  they  are  endowed  with  wonderful 
aaiviiy — that  they  move  with  the  swiftness  of  the 
winds,  and  operate  with  the  force  and  energy  of 
flaming  flre  ;— or,  in  other  words,  that  He,  In  whose 
service  they  are,  and  who  directs  their  movements, 
employs  them  "  with  the  strength  of  winds,  and 
the  rapidity  of  lightnings." 

In  every  instance  in  which  angels  have  been  sent 
on  embassies  to  mankind,  they  have  displayed  sen- 
sible qualities.  They  exhibited  a  d«/tn!/e/or?ra  some- 
what analogous  to  that  of  man,  and  colour  and 
splendour,  which  were  perceptible  by  the  organs  of 
vision— they  emitted  sounds  which  struck  the  organ 
of  hearing— they  produceil  the  harmonies  of  Tnusic, 
and  sung  sublime  sentiments  whirh  were  uttered  in 
articulate  words,  that  were  distinctly  heard  and  re- 
cognized by  the  persons  to  whom  they  were  sent, 
Luke  li.  14.— and  they  exerted  their  power  over  the 
sense  of  feeling ;  for  the  angel  who  appeared  to 
Peter  In  the  prison,  "smote  him  on  the  side,  and 
raited  him  up."   In  these  instances,  angels  mani- 


quicker  perception  of  sounds,  and  the  eagle  and 
the  lynx  more  acute  visual  organs  than  mankind. 
The  same  diversity  is  observable  in  the  form 
and  the  number  of  sensitive  organs.  In  man, 
the  ear  is  short  and  erect,  and  scarcely  suscepti- 
ble of  motion;  in  the  horse  and  the  ass,  it  is  long 
and  flexible ;  and  in  the  mole,  it  consists  simply 
of  a  hole  which  perforates  the  skull.  In  man 
there  are  two  eyes ;  )n  the  scorpion  and  spider, 
eight ;  and  in  a  fly,  more  than  ^ve  thousand. 

That  superior  beings,  connected  with  other 
worlds,  have  additional  senses  to  those  which 
we  possess,  is  highly  probable,  especially  when 
we  consider  the  general  analogy  of  nature,  and 
the  gradations  which  exist  among  organized  be- 
ings in  our  world.  It  forms  no  reason  why  we 
should  deny  that  such  senses  exist,  because  we 
can  form  no  distinct  conceptions  of  any  senses 
besides  those  which  we  possess.  If  we  had  been 
deprived  of  the  senses  of  sight  and  hearing,  and 
left  to  derive  all  our  information  merely  through 
the  medium  of  feeling,  tasting  and  smelling,  we 
could  have  had  no  more  conception  of  articulate 
language,  of  musical  harmony  and  melody,  of 
the  beauties  of  the  earth,  and  of  the  glories  of 
tlie  sky,  than  a  muscle,  a  vegetable,  or  a  stone. 
To  limit  the  number  of  senses  which  intelligent 
organized  beings  may  possess   to  the  five  which 

fested  themselves  to  men,  through  the  medium  of 
three  principal  senses  by  which  we  recognize  the 
properties  of  material  objects;  and  why,  then, 
should  we  consider  them  as  purely  immaterial  sub- 
stances, having  no  connection  with  the  visible  uni- 
verse ?  We  have  no  knowledge  of  angels  but  from 
revelation;  and  all  the  descriptions  it  gives  of  these 
beings  leads  us  to  conclude,  that  they  arc  connected 
with  the  world  of  matter,  as  well  as  with  the  world 
of  mind,  and  are  furnished  with  oreanical  vehicles, 
composed  nf  some  refined  material  substance  suita- 
ble to  their  nature  and  employments 

When  Christ  shall  appear  the  second  time,  we  are 
told  that  he  is  lo  come,  not  only  in  the  glory  of  his 
Father,  but  also  in  "  tlie  glory  of  his  holy  angels," 
who  will  minister  to  him  and  increa.se  the  splen- 
dour of  his  appearance.  Now,  the  glory  which  the 
angels  will  display,  must  be  visible,  and,  consequent- 
ly, material ;  otherwise  it  could  not  be  contemplated 
by  the  assembled  inhabitants  of  our  world,  and  could 
present  no  glory  or  lustre  to  their  view.  An  assem- 
blage of  purely  spiritual  beings,  however  numerous 
and  however  exalted  in  point  of  intelligence,  would 
be  a  mere  inanity,  in  a  scene  intended  to  exhibit  a 
visible  display  of  the  divine  supremacy  and  gran- 
deur.— The  vehicles  orTxidles  of  angels  are  doubtless 
of  a  much  finer  mould  than  the  bodies  of  men  ;  but, 
although  they  were  at  all  times  invisible  through 
such  organs  of  vision  as  we  iwssess,  it  would  form 
no  proof  that  they  were  destitute  of  such  corporeal 
frames.  The  air  we  breathe  is  a  wM/erioi  suljstance, 
yet  it  is  invisible ;  and  there  are  substances  whose 
rarity  is  more  than  ten  times  greater  than  that  of 
the  air  of  our  atmosphere.  Hydrogen  gas  is  more 
than  twelves  times  lighter  than  common  atmo- 
spheric air.  If,  therefore,  an  organized  body  were 
formed  of  a  material  substance  similar  to  air,  or  to 
hydrogen  gaa,  it  would  in  general  be  invisible ;  but. 
in  certain  circumstances,  might  reflect  the  rays  or 
light,  and  become  visible,  ais  certain  of  the  lighter 
gaseous  bodies  are  found  to  do.  This  is,  in  some 
measure,  exemplified  in  the  cise  of  animalcuJa, 
whose  bodies  are  imperceptible  to  the  naked  eya, 
and  yet,  are  regularly  organized  material  sub- 
stances, endowed  with  all  the  functions  requisite  to 
life,  motion,  and  enjoyment. 


** 


94 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  A  FUTURE  STATB. 


btve  been  be«(owed  upon  man,  would  bo  to  set 
boundi  \o  the  infinite  wisdom  and  skill  of  the 
Creator,  who,  in  all  his  works,  has  displayed  an 
•RUeM  variety  in  the  manner  of  accomplishing 
Ub  dMigns.  While,  in  the  lerreMrial  sphere  in 
which  we  move,  onr  views  are  limited  to  the 
miUrrud  aspecis  of  plants  and  animals^-organ- 
iied  beings,  in  other  spheres,  may  have  the 
fitculiy  of  penetratinjf  into  their  internal  (and  to 
ua,  invisible)  movements— of  tracing  an  animal 
from  its  embryo-Slate,  through  all  its  gradations 
aod  evolutions,  till  it  arrive  at  maturity^-of  per- 
ceiving, at  a  glance,  and,  as  it  were,  through  a 
transparent  medium,  the  interior  structure  of  an 
animal,  the  complicated  movements  of  its  cu- 
rious machinery,  the  minute  and  diversified 
ramifications  of  its  vessels,  and  the  mode  in 
which  its  several  functions  are  performed^-of 
discerning  the  fine  and  delicate  machinery  which 
enters  into  the  construction,  and  produces  the 
various  motions  of  a  raicroacopic  animalculum, 
and  the  curious  vessels,  and  the  circulation  of 
juices  which  exist  in  the  body  of  a  plant — of 
tracing  the  secret  processes  which  are  going  on 
in  the  mineral  kingdom,  and  the  operation  of 
chymical  affinities  among  the  minute  particles 
of  matter,  which  produce  the  diversified  pheno- 
mena of  the  universe.  And,  in  fine,  those  senses 
which  the  inhabitants  of  other  worlds  enjoy  in 
common  with  us,  may  be  possessed  by  them  in 
a  state  of  greater  acuteness  and  perfeciion. 
While  our  visual  organs  can  perceive  objects 
distinctly,  only  within  the  limits  of  a  few  yards 
or  miles  around  us,  thtir  organs  may  be  so  mo- 
dified and  adjusted,  as  to  enable  them  to  perceive 
objects  with  the  same  distinctness,  at  the  dis- 
tance of  a  hundred  miles — or  even  to  descry  the 
scenery  of  distant  worlds.  If  our  powers  of 
vision  had  been  confined  within  the  range  to 
which  a  worm  or  a  mite  is  circumscribed,  we 
could  have  formed  no  conception  of  the  ampli- 
tude of  our  present  range  of  view  ;  and  it  is  by 
no  means  improbable,  that  organized  beings  ex- 
ist, whose  extent  of  vision  as  far  exceeds  ours, 
as  ours  exceeds  that  of  the  smallest  insect,  and 
that  they  may  be  able  to  perceive  the  diversified 
laodscapes  which  exist  in  other  worlds,  and  the 
BMvemeols  of  their  inhabitants,  as  distinctly  as 
W«  perceive  the  objects  on  the  op[>osite  side  of 
•  river,  or  of  a  narrow  arm  of  the  sea. 

Ailer  Stephen  had  delivered  his  defence  be- 
fbre  the  SanheJnm,  we  are  told  "  he  looked  up 
steadfastly  into  heaven,  and  saw  the  glory  of 
God,  and  Jesus  standing  at  the  right  hand  of 
Golf;  and  said.  Behold  I  see  the  heavens  open- 
ed, and  the  Son  of  man  standing  on  the  right 
hand  of  God."  Some  have  supposed  that  the 
eyes  of  Stephen,  on  this  occasion  were  so  modi- 
fied or  strengthened,  that  he  was  enabled  to  pe- 
iiftrate  into  that  |>articular  region  where  the  glo- 
rified body  of  Christ  more  immediately  resides. 
B«t  wbelber  his  opinioB  be  tenable  or  Dot>  cer- 


tain it  is,  that  angels  are  endowed  with  senses 
or  faculties  which  eiieble  them  to  take  a  minute 
survey  of  the  solar  system,  and  of  the  greater 
part  of  u<ir  glcibe,  even  when  at  a  vast  distance 
from  oor  terrestrial  xphere  ;  otherwise,  they  couU 
not  distiiiguisli  the  particular  position  of  our 
earth  in  its  annual  course  round  ihe  sun,  in  their 
descent  from  more  di<iianl  regions,  nor  direct 
their  course  to  that  pariicuiar  country,  ciiy,  or 
village,  whither  they  are  sent  on  any  special 
embassv. 

What  has  been  now  said  in  reference  to  the 
organs  of  vision,  is  equally  applicable  to  the 
organs  of  hearing,  and  to  several  of  the  other 
senses  ;  and  since  faculties  or  senses,  siicn  as 
those  I  have  now  supposed,  would  tend  to  un- 
veil more  extensively  the  wonderful  operations 
of  the  Almighty,  and  to  excite  incessant  admn 
ration  of  his  wisdom  and  beneficence,  it  is  rea- 
sonable to  t>elieve  that  he  has  bestowed  them  on 
various  orders  of  his  creatures  for  this  purpone 
—and  tliat  man  may  be  endowed  with  similar 
senses,  when  he  arrives  at  moral  perfection,  and 
is  placed  in  a  higher  sphere  of  existence. 

Besides  the  topics  to  which  I  have  now  ad- 
verted, namely,  the  giadation  of  intellect,  and 
the  diversity  of  corporeal  organization — a  still 
more  ample  and  interesting  field  of  contempla- 
tion will  be  opened  in  the  histort  of  the  n»> 
tnerout  toorldi  dispersed  thrvughout  the  univeri*, 
— including  the  grand  and  delightful,  or  the  aw^ 
ful  and  disastrous  events  which  have  taken  place 
in  the  several  regions  of  intellectual  existence. 

The  particulars  under  this  head  which  may 
be  supposed  to  gratify  the  enlightened  curiosity 
of  holy  intelligences,  are  such  as  the  following  t 
— the  different  periods  in  duration  at  which  the 
various  habitable  globes  emerged  from  nothing 
into  existence — the  changes  and  previous  ar> 
rangements  through  which  they  passed  before 
they  were  replenished  with  inhabitants — thedi»> 
tinguishing  charaeteristie  features  of  every  spe- 
cies of  intellectual  beings — their  modes  of  exi^ 
tence,  of  improvement,  and  of  social  interroursn 
— the  solemn  farms  of  worslup  and  adoration 
that  prevail  among  them — the  laves  of  social,  and 
of  moral  order  peculiar  to  each  province  of  the 
divine    empire* the  progress  they  have  madt 

'There  are  certain  general  laws  whirh  are  coi» 
men  to  all  the  orders  of  Intellectual  t>eln<;(  throuf  Iv 
out  the  universe  The  two  principles  which  form 
the  basis  or  our  moral  lav  are  of  this  nature  ;— 
"  Thou  Shalt  lo%'e  the  Lord  ttiy  God  with  all  thine 
heart,  and  with  all  thine  undersUuiding,"  and  "U)ou 
Shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as  thyself."  For  we  eai^ 
not  suppose  the  Deity,  in  consistency  with  the  sano 
tity  and  rectitude  of  his  nawxre,  tu reverse  Huse  Uncs, 
in  relation  to  any  class  of  Intelligences,  or  to  tjt 
empt  them  from  an  obligation  to  obey  them  ;  and. 
therefore,  they  may  be  considered  as  the  two  gran4 
moral  principles  which  direct  the  affections  and 
conduct  of  all  holy  beings  throughout  the  immeik 
sityof  God's  empire,  and  whirh  unite  them  lo  one 
another,  and  to  their  common  Creator.  But,  In  su^ 
ordination  to  these  principles  or  laws,  there  may 
l>e  a  variety  of  special  moral  laws,  adapted  to  itae 


MORAL  HISTORY  OF  OTHER  WORLDS. 


85 


in  knowledge,  and  the  discoveries  they  have 
brought  to  light,  respeclmg  the  worlts  ami  the 
ways  of  God — the  peculiar  manifeslations  of 
himself  which  the  Divine  Being  may  have  made 
to  them,  "  at  sundry  times  and  in  divers  man- 
ners"— the  most  remarkable  civil  and  moral 
events  which  have  happened  since  the  period  of 
their  creation— the  wsiftie  emblems  of  the  Divine 
Presence  and  glory  which  are  displayed  before 
thcin — the  information  they  have  obtained  respect- 
ing the  transactions  and  the  moral  government  of 
other  worlds^ihe  various  stages  of  improvement 
through  which  they  are  appointed  to  pass — the 
ditferent  regions  of  the  universe  to  which  they 
may  be  transported,  and  the  final  destination  to 
which  they  are  appointed. 

In  particular,  the  ficts  connected  with  their 
moral  history,  in  so  far  as  they  may  be  unfolded, 
will  form  an  interesting  subject  of  discourse  and 
of  contemplation.  It  is  highly  probable,  when 
we  consider  the  general  benignity  of  the  Divine 
Nature,  and  the  numerous  evidences  of  it  which 
appear  throughout  the  whole  kingdom  of  anima- 
ted nature — that  the  inhabitants  of  the  greatest 
portion  of  the  universal  system,  have  retained 
the  moral  rectitude  in  which  they  were  created, 
and  are,  consequently,  in  a  state  of  perfect  hap- 
piness. But,  since  we  know,  from  painful  expe- 
rience, that  one  world  has  swerved  from  its  allegi- 
ance to  the  Creator,  and  been  plunged  into  the 
depths  of  physical  and  moral  evil,  it  is  not  at  all 
improbable,  that  the  inhabitants  of  several  other 
worlds  have  been  permitted  to  fall  into  a  similar 
calamity, — for  this  purpose  among  others — that 
the  importance  of  moral  order  might  be  demon- 
strated, that  the  awful  consequences  of  a  violation 
of  the  eternal  laws  of  heaven  might  be  clearly 
manifested,  and  that  a  field  might  be  laid  open 
for  the  display  of  the  rectitude  and  mercy  of  God  as 
the  moral  Governor  of  the  universe.  In  reference 
to  such  cases  (if  any  exist)  the  points  of  inquiry 
would  naturally  be — What  is  the  ultimate  desti- 
nation of  those  beings  who,  in  other  regions  of 
creation,  have  acted  the  part  of  rebellious  man? 
Has  their  Creator  interposed  for  their  deliver- 
ance in  a  manner  analogous  to  that  in  which  he 
has  accomplished  the  redemption  of  mankind? 
If  so,  wherein  do  such  schemes  of  mercy  dif- 
fer, and  wherein  do  they  agree  with  the  plan  of 
salvation  by  Jesus  Christ?  What  scenes  of 
moral  e»il  have  been  displayed,  and  how  have  the 

peculiar  economy,  circumstances,  and  relations, 
vrMch  exist  in  eacii  distinct  world.  As  we  liave 
eert.ain  special  laws,  in  our  moral  code,  such  as  the 
fifth  and  seventh,  preceptu  of  the  Decalogue,  which, 
In  all  probability,  do  not  apply  to  the  inhabitants 
of  some  other  worlds,  so  they  may  have  various 
specific  regulations  or  laws,  which  cannot  apply 
to  us  in  our  present  state.  The  reader  will  find 
a  particular  illustration  of  the  two  fundamental 
laws  to  which  I  have  now  .adverted,  and  of  their 
application  to  the  inhabitants  of  all  worlds,  In  a 
work  which  I  lately  published,  entitled,  "  The  Phi- 
losophv  of  Religion ;  or,  an  Illustration  of  the  Mo- 
ral Laws  of  the  Universe." 


moral  disorders  in  those  worlds  been  overruled 
and  counteracted  by  the  flrovidential  dispen- 
sations of  the  Almighty  ?  Here,  a  thousand 
questions  would  crowd  upon  the  mind,  a  variety 
of  emotions  of  opposite  kinds  would  be  excited, 
and  a  most  interesting  field  of  investigation  would 
be  laid  open  to  the  contemplation  of  the  redeemed 
inhabitants  of  such  a  world  as  ours.  And,  it  is 
easy  to  conceive,  with  what  kindred  emotions  and 
sympathetic  feelings,  and  with  what  transporting 
gratulations,  the  renovated  inhabitants  of  such 
worlds,  would  recognise  each  other,  should  they 
ever  be  brought  into  contact,  and  permitted  to 
mingle  their  ascriptions  of  praise  to  the  Creator 
and  Redeemer  of  worlds. 

Even  in  those  worlds  where  the  inhabitants 
have  retained  their  primeval  innocence,  there 
may  bean  almost  infinite  variety  in  thediviiiedis> 
pensations,  both  in  amoral,  and  intellectual  point 
of  view. — As  finite  intelligences,  from  their  very 
nature,  are  progressive  beings,  and,  therefore, 
cannot  be  supposed  to  acquire  all  the  treasures  of 
wi.sdom  and  knowledge,  and  to  comprehend  all 
the  multifarious  displays  of  divine  perfection, 
during  the  first  stages  of  their  existence — there 
may  be  an  admirable  diversity  of  modes,  corres- 
ponding to  their  peculiar  circumstances  and  stages 
of  improvement,  by  which  the  Creator  may  gra- 
dually unfold  to  them  the  glory  of  his  nature,  and 
enable  them  to  take  a  more  extensive  survey  of 
the  magnitude  and  order  of  his  dominions.  Some 
may  be  only  emerging  from  the  first  principles 
of  science,  like  Adam  soon  after  his  creation,  and 
may  liave  arrived  but  a  few  degrees  beyond  the 
sphere  of  knowledge  which  bounds  the  view  of 
man ;  others  may  have  arrived  at  a  point  where  they 
can  take  a  more  expansive  survey  of  the  order, 
economy,  and  relations  of  material  and  intellec* 
tual  existences, — while  others  after  having  con» 
templated,  for  ages,  a  wide  extent  of  creation, 
in  one  district  of  the  empire  of  God,  may  be 
transported  to  a  new  and  a  distant  province  of 
the  universe,  to  contemplate  the  perfections  of 
Deity  in  another  point  of  view,  and  to  investigate 
and  admire  a  new  scene  of  wonders. — If  every 
individual  of  the  human  race,  from  his  birth  to 
his  death,  passes  through  a  train  of  providences 
peculiar  to  himself,  it  appears  at  least  highly 
probable,  reasoning  from  the  analogies  to  which 
we  have  already  adverted,  and  from  the  variety 
that  every  where  appears  in  the  natural  and  moral 
world,  that  the  divine  dispensations  towards 
every  distinct  class  of  intelligent  beings,  hare 
some  striking  peculiarities,  which  do  not  exactly 
coincide  with  those  of  any  other. 

That  some  portion,  at  l6ast,  of  the  natural  and 
moral  history  of  other  worlds  will  be  laid  open 
to  the  inspection  of  redeemed  men  in  the  future 
world,  may  be  argued  from  this  consideration,— 
that  such  views  will  tend  to  unfold  the  moral  oho- 
raeter  of  the  Deity,  and  to  display  more  fully  hia 
intelligence,  wisdom,  and  rectitude,  in  the  diver- 


96 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


sifi«d  modes  of  his  administration,  as  the  Gover- 
nor of  the  universe.  We  have  reason  to  believe 
that  the  material  creation  exists  solely  for  the 
•akeoT  sentient  and  intelligent  beings;  and  that 
it  has  been  arranged  into  distinct  departments, 
and  peopled  with  various  ranks  of  intellectual 
natures,  chiefly  Tor  the  purpose  of  giving  a  dis- 
play of  the  moral  attributes  of  God,  and  of  de- 
rooostraling  the  indispensable  necessity  and  thr 
eternal  obligation  of  the  moral  laws  he  has  enact- 
ed, in  order  to  secure  the  happiness  of  the  whole 
intelligent  system.  And,  if  so,  we  may  reason- 
ably conclude,  that  a  certain  portion  of  the  divine 
dispensations  towards  other  classes  of  the  intel- 
ligent creation,  will  ultimately  be  displayed  to 
our  view. — This  position  may  likewise  be  argued 
from  the  fiict  that  other  intelligences  have  been 
made  acquainted  with  the  affairs  of  our  world, 
and  the  tenor  of  the  dispensations  of  God  towards 
our  raco.  The  angelic  tribes  have  been  frequently 
aent  on  embassages  to  our  terrestrial  sphere.  On 
such  occasions  they  have  indicated  an  intimate 
acquaintance  with  the  most  interesting  transac- 
tions which  have  taken  place  among  us  ;  and  we 
are  informed,  that  they  still  "  desire  to  pry  into" 
the  scheme  of  redemption,  and  "  to  learn"  from 
the  divine  dispensations  towards  the  church  "  tho 
manifold  wisdom  of  God."*  Some  notices  of 
the  history,  the  employments,  and  the  destination, 
of  these  celestial  beings  have  likewise  been  con- 
Teyed  to  us.  We  know  that  they  hold  an  eleva- 
ted station  in  the  kingdom  of  Providence ;  that 
they  are  possessed  of  great  power  and  wisdom, 
of  wonderful  activity,  of  superior  intellectual 
faculties,  and  of  consummate  holiness  and  recti- 
tude of  nature ;  that  they  are  employed  on  cer- 
tain occasions  as  ambassadors  from  God  to  man, 
in  executing  hisjudgments  upon  the  wicked,  and 
ministering  to  the  heirs  of  salvation  ;  and  that  a 
certain  number  of  them  fell  from  the  high  station 
in  which  they  were  originally  placed,  and  plunged 
themselves  into  a  state  of  sin  and  perdition.  We 
have  therefore  reason  to  believe,  that  it  is  one  part 
of  the  plan  of  the  government  ofGod,  to  disclose  the 
history  of  one  species  of  intellectual  beings  to  an- 
other, in  such  portions,  and  at  such  seasons,  as 
may  seem  most  proper  to  Infinite  Wisdom,  and 
best  suited  to  the  state  and  character,  and  the 
gradual  improvement  of  his  intelligent  offspring. 
In  conformity  to  what  has  been  now  advanced, 
we  find  the  saints  in  heaven  represented  as  utter- 
ing a  song  of  praise  to  God,  in  consequence  of  the 
surrey  they  had  taken  of  his  moral  administra- 
tion, and  of  the  admiration  it  excited.  "  They 
sing  the  song  of  Moses,  and  the  song  of  the 
Lamb,  saying,  JuH  and  true  are  thy  u>ayt,  thou 
King  oftainU."  And,  in  proportion  as  the  dis- 
pensations of  Providence  towards  other  worlds 
are  unfolded,  in  the  same  proportion  will  their 
views  of  Jehovah's  "  eternal  righteousness"  be 
expanded,  and  a  new  note  of  admiration  and 

'BeeEphes.  ULio.    i  Peter  Lu. 


rapture  added  to  their  song  of  praise^^Tb* 
knowledge  of  the  sainis  m  heaven  ts  represent- 
ed as  being  very  accurate  and  comprehensive. 
Hence  it  is  declared,  that,  in  that  stale  of  per- 
fection, "  they  shall  know,  even  as  also  they  are 
known."  This  expression  certainly  denotes  a  ve- 
ry highdegree  of  knowledge  respecting  the  works 
and  the  ways  of  God  ;  and,  therefore,  roost  com- 
mentators explain  it  as  consisting  in  such  an 
intuitive  and  comprehensive  knowledge  "  at 
shall  bear  some  fair  resemblance  to  that  of  the 
Divine  Being,  which  penetrates  to  the  very  cen- 
tre of  every  object,  and  sees  through  the  soul, 
and  all  things,  as  at  one  single  glance  ;"  or,  at 
least,  that  "  thi-ir  knowledge  of  heavenly  objects 
shall  be  as  certain,  immediate  and  familiar,  as 
any  of  their  immediate  friends  and  acquaintances 
now  have  of  them."*  And,  if  such  interpreta- 
tions be  admitted,  this  knowledge  must  include 
a  minute  and  comprehensive  view  nf  the  dispen- 
sations of  the  Creator  towards  other  worlds,  and 
other  orders  of  moral  and  intelligent  agents. 

In  regard  to  the  manner  in  which  information 
respecting  the  structure,  the  inhabitants,  and  the 
history  of  other  worlds  may  be  communicated, 
our  limited  knowledge  affurds  no  certain  <fa{a  on 
which  to  ground  a  definite  opinion.  We  may, 
however,  reasonably  suppose,  that  an  intercourse 
and  correspondence  will  be  occasionally  opened 
up,  by  means  of  celestial  beings  endowed  with 
faculties  of  rapid  motion,  who  may  communicate 
particular  details  of  the  intelligence  tl)ey  acquire 
in  the  regions  they  are  accustomed  to  visit. 
Such  correspondence  has  already  partially  taken 
place  in  our  world,  by  means  of  those  beings 
termed,  in  Scripture,  "  the  angels,"  or  "  (he 
messengers  of  Jehovah  ;"  and,  it  is  highly  proba- 
ble, had  man  continued  in  his  state  of  original 
integrity,  that  such  angelic  embassies  would 
have  been  much  more  frequent  titan  they  have 
ever  been,  and  we  might  have  been  made  ac- 
quainted, in  this  way,  with  some  outlines  of  the 
physical  and  moral  scenery  of  other  worlds,  par- 
ticularly of  those  which  t>elong  to  our  own  sys- 
tem— of  which  we  must  now  be  contented  to 
remain  in  ignorance  ;  and  must  have  recourse  to 
the  aids  of  reason,  and  science,  and  observation, 
in  order  to  trace  some  very  general  outlines  of 
their  physical  economy.  This  is,  doubtless,  one 
deplorable  effect,  among  others,  of  the  apostacy  of 
man — that  intelligences  endowed  with  moral  per- 
fection can  no  longer  hold  familiar  intercourse 
with  the  race  of  Adam,  but  in  so  far  as  they  are 
employed  by  their  Creator  in  communicating  oc- 
casional messages,  which  have  a  respect  merely 
to  their  moral  renovation. f — We  may  likewise, 

*  See  Doddrldfe's  and  Guyse's  paraphrase  on  I 
0>r.  xlll.  13. 

*  It  is  probable  that  the  celestial  betnirs  who  have 
occasionally  held  a  communication  with  our  race, 
are  not  all  of  the  snme  species,  or  Inhabit  the  same 
regions  :  since  they  are  distinguished  In  Scrtptnre 
by  dlflTerent  names,  as  Seraphim,  Chemblm,TbraMi^ 
Dominions,  An(els,  Arcbanfels,  Ac 


MORAL  HISTORY  OF  OTHER  WORLDS. 


97 


with  some  degree  of  probability,  suppose,  that 
every  distinct  order  of  holy  inielligences,  after 
having  resided  tor  a  certain  number  of  ages,  in 
one  region  of  the  universe,  may  be  conveyed  to 
another  province  of  creation,  to  investigate  the 
new  scenes  of  wisdom  and  oranipDtence  there 
unfolded, — and  so  on,  in  a  continued  series  of 
transportations,  througliou'  the  ages  of  eternity. 
We  know  that  man  is  destined  to  undergo  such 
a  change  of  locahty ;  and  although  sin  has  made 
the  passage  from  one  world  to  another,  assume  a 
gloo.'ny  and  alarming  aspect,  it  may  nevertheless 
be  an  example,  (though  in  a  different  manner) 
of  those  removals  which  take  place  with  respect 
to  other  beings,  from  one  province  of  creation  to 
another.  Nor  have  we  any  reason  to  believe, 
that  the  locality  in  which  we  shall  be  placed, 
after  the  general  resurrection,  will  form  our  per- 
manent and  everlasiing  abode  ;  otherwise,  we 
tihould  be  eternally  chained  down,  aJ  ""e  are  at 
present  to  a  small  corner  of  creation. 

In  regard  to  the  redeemed  inhabitants  of  our 
world,  there  is  every  reason  to  believe,  that  the 
Redeemer  himself,  he,  "  in  whom  dwell  all  the 
treasures  of  wisdom  and  knowledge,"  will  be 
one  grand  medium  through  which  information 
will  be  communicated  respecting  the  distant  glo- 
ries of  Jehovah's  empire.  This  seems  to  be 
directly  intimated,  though  in  metaphorical  lan- 
guaoe,  in  the  following  passage  from  the  book  of 
Revelation  :  "  The  Lamb  who  is  in  the  midst  of 
the  throne  shall  feed  ttiera,  and  shall  lead  them 
to  fountains  of  living  water.**  Knowledge  is 
the  food  of  the  mind  ;  and  in  this  sense  the  terra 
is  frequently  applied  in  the  Scriptures  : — "  I  will 
give  them  pastors  (saith  God)  afier  mine  own 
heart,  who  shall  feed  (hem  with  knowledge  and 
under Ktanding."  "  Feed  the  churcli  of  God," 
says  the  apostle  Peter;  that  is,  instruct  them  in 
the  knowledge  of  the  truths  of  religion.  There- 
fore, bv  imparting  to  his  saints  a  knowledge  of 
the  plans  and  operations  of  God,  and  informa- 
tion respecting  the  magnificence  of  his  works  in 
the  regions  around,  "  the  Lamb  in  the  midst  of 
the  throne  tvill  feed  them"  by  gra'ifving  their  in- 
tellectual powers,  anJ  (heir  desires  after  know- 
ledge ;  and  the  noble  and  transponing  trains  of 
thought  which  such  discoveries  will  inspire,  -(and 
whirh  may  be  aptly  compared  to  the  effect  pro- 
duced by  "  fountains  of  living  wa<er"  on  a  parch- 
ed travf-.ller.)  will  arrest  all  the  (acuities  of  their 
souls,  ami  hll  them  "with joy  unspeakable  and 
full  of  ijlory." 

Perhaps,  it  may  not  be  beyond  the  bounds  of 
probabilily  to  suppose,  that,  at  certain  seasons, 
durinf  a  grand  conv(x:aiion  of  the  redeemed  with 
Jesus  their  exalted  head  president  among  them 
— that  ulorious  porsonage  may  impart  to  them 
knowledge  of  the  most  exalted  kind,  direct  their 
views  io  some  bright  manifestations  of  Deity,  ana 
deliver  mcst  interesting  lectures  on  the  works  and 
the  ways  of  God.     This  would  be  quite  accord- 


ant with  his  office  as  the  "  Mediator  between 
God  and  man,"  and  to  his  character  as  the 
"  Messenger  of  Jehovah,"  and  the  "  Reveaier" 
of  the  divine  dispensations. 

Pointing  to  some  distant  world,  (which,  even 
to  the  acute  visual  organs  of  heavenly  beings, 
may  appear  only  as  a  small  lucid  speck  in  their 
sky,)  we  may  suppose  him  giving  such  a  descant 
as  the  following  : — "  That  world  presents  a  very 
different  aspecl  from  what  yours  once  did,  owing, 
chiefly  to  the  moral  purity  and  perfection  of  its 
inhabitants.  There,  the  most  grand  and  varie- 
gated objects  adorn  their  celestial  canopy  ;  and 
the  scenes  around  their  habitations  are  inter- 
mingled with  every  thing  that  is  beautiful  to  the 
eye,  and  gratifying  to  the  senses  and  the  Imagi- 
nation. Neither  scorching  heats,  nor  piercing 
colds,  nor  raging  storms,  ever  disturb  the  tran- 
quillity of  those  happy  mansions.  The  fine 
etherial  fluid  which  they  breathe  produces  a  per- 
petual flow  of  pleasing  emotions,  and  sharpens 
and  invigorates  their  intellectual  powers  for 
every  investigation.  The  peculiar  refractive  and 
reflective  powers  possessed  by  the  atmospheric 
fluid  which  surrounds  them,  produce  a  variety  of 
grand  and  beautiful  effects,  sometimes  exhibiting 
aerial  landscapes,  and  scenes  emblematical  of 
moral  harmony  and  perfection, — sometimes  a 
magnificent  display  of  the  riches  and  most  va- 
riegated colouring,  and  sometimes  reflecting  the 
images  of  the  celestial  orbs  in  various  aspects 
and  degrees  of  magnitude.  Their  vegetable 
kingdom  is  enriched  with  a  variety  of  produc- 
tions unknown  in  your  former  world,  diversified 
with  thousands  of  different  forms,  shades,  c<^ 
lours,  and  perfumes,  which  shed  a  delicious  fra- 
grance all  around.  The  inferior  sentient  beings 
are  likewise  different,  and  exhibit  such  ingeni- 
ous, mild,  and  affectionate  dispositions,  as  con- 
tribute, in  no  inconsiderable  degree,  to  the 
pleasure  and  entertainment  of  the  more  intelli- 
gent order  of  the  inhabitants.  The  organs  of 
vision  of  these  intelligences  are  so  acute,  that 
they  are  enabled  to  perceive,  as  through  a  trans- 
parent medium,  the  various  chymical  and  mecha- 
nical processes  that  are  incessantly  going  on  in 
the  numberless  ramifications  of  the  vegetable 
tribes,  and  in  the  more  curious  and  complicated 
structure  of  animal  bodies;  for  the  Creator  has  or- 
dained, as  one  part  of  their  mental  enjoyments, 
that  they  shall  be  furnished  with  the  means  of 
tracing  the  mode  of  his  operations,  and  the  de- 
signs they  are  intended  to  accomplish  in  thediA 
ferent  departments  of  nature. 

"  They  are  likewise  extensively  acquainted 
with  moral  science — with  the  moral  relations  of 
intelligent  beings  to  their  Creator,  and  to  one 
another,  and  with  the  outlines  of  the  history  of 
several  other  worlds ;  for  the  leading  facts  in  the 
history  of  your  world,  respecting  the  fall  of  man, 
its  dismal  consequences,  and  your  subsequent 
redemption  and  renovation,  have  been  conunth 


96 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  FUTURE  STATB. 


nicated  to  them  for  the  purpose  of  enlarging 
their  views  of  God's  moral  (lisiMinsations.  and 
iUusttating  ihe  rectitude  and  bencvolenre  nf  his 
governmeni. — In  their  intercourses  and  associ- 
ations, no  discordant  voice  is  ever  heard,  no 
•ymptom  of  dlsafTection  ever  appears,  no  boister- 
ous passions  L-ver  disturb  their  tran<|iiillity;  but 
all  i«  harmony  and  order,  peace  and  love.  Their 
progress  in  the  knowledge  of  God,  and  of  his 
works,  is  rapid  and  sure,  n>r  they  see  cl>-arly  the 
6r8t  principles  ofall  reasoning  and  science  ;  and, 
without  once  making  a  false  step,  or  deducing  an 
erroneous  conclusion,  they  trace  them  with  rapi- 
dity and  certainty,  to  all  their  legitimate  conse- 
quences. Their  acquaintance  with  natural  and 
moral  facts  is  extensive  and  minute.  For  the 
most  sacred  regard  is  attached  to  truth,  which 
was  never  once  violated  in  that  happy  society  ; 
and,  therefore,  every  discovery,  every  new  doc- 
trine and  fact  which  is  brought  to  light  by  any 
individual,  is  regarded  by  all  others  as  an  esta- 
blished truth  which  is  never  called  in  question, 
and  which  serves  to  direct  and  facilitate  all  their 
other  researches.  Unlike  the  exaggerations  and 
fitlsehoods  which  were  once  propagated  by  lying 
travellers  and  sceptical  philosophers,  in  your 
former  world,  which  tended  to  bewilder  the  anx- 
ious inquirer,  and  to  obscure  tlie  radiance  of 
truth;  in  yonder  world  truth  i»  regarded  as  a 
moat  sacred  and  invaluable  treasure,  as  the  basis 
of  the  happiness  of  the  moral  universe,  and  the 
foundation  i>n  which  rests  the  throne  of  the  eter- 
nal; and,  therefore,  being  never  violated  by  any 
individual,  every  testimony  and  assertion  is  re- 
ceived with  unhesitating  confidence.  By  a  rapid 
mode  of  communication  which  has  been  esta- 
blished, their  intercourses  with  each  other  are 
frequent  and  delightful,  and  the  discoveries  which 
are  made  of  the  operations  of  infinite  wisdom  and 
benevolence,  are  quickly  circulated  through  all 
the  intelligent  ranks  of  that  abode  of  felicity  and 
love.  Beinus  from  other  worlds  occasionally  visit 
them,  and  convey  interesting  intelligence,  and 
afTeciionate  congratulations  from  the  regions 
whence  they  came  ;  and  a  glorious  symbol  of 
the  divine  Majesty  was  lately  displayed  in  their 
firmament,  from  which  was  announced,  in  ma- 
jestic but  mild  and  transporting  language — the 
approbation  of  their  Creator,  and  his  purpose  of 
translat  ng  them,  as  a  reward  of  their  obedience, 
to  another  region  of  his  empire,  to  behold  new 
displays  of  his  benefici-nce  and  power. 

"  This  is  a  specimen  of  the  moral  order  and 
happineas  which  prevail  among  the  greater  part 
of  those  worlds  which  shine  from  afar  in  yonder 
firmament,  but  which  are  distinguished  by  a  va- 
riety of  peculiar  circumstances,  which  shall  b« 
mfolded  on  another  occasion." 

Directing  their  view  to  another  distant  orb, 
which  appears  like  a  dim  ruddy  speck  in  an  ob- 
scure quarter  of  the  firmament,  he  mav  thus 
proeead ;— "  That,  too,  is  a  wnrU  on  a  different 


scale,  and  in  a  different  conditioa.  It  is  a  than- 
Mund  times  larger  than  the  globe  you  once  in- 
habited, and  was  originally  arrayed  with  all  that 
magnificence  ani)  beauty  which  rharacUtri^e  (he 
works  of  the  Creator.  During  a  considerable 
period  its  inhabitants  retained  their  allegiance 
to  their  Maker,  and  their  affection  for  each  other. 
But  certain  individuals,  whom  a  principle  of 
pride  and  ambit  on  had  led  to  desire  stations  of 
pre-eminence,  having  dared  to  violate  some  of 
the  fundamental  laws  uf  their  Creator,— the 
moral  turpitude  which  this  disposition  and  con- 
duct produced,  gradually  spread  from  ofie  rank 
to  another,  till  the  whole  mnss  of  its  inhabitants 
was  completely  contaminated,  and  plnngrd  into 
a  gulph  of  misery.  To  such  a  dreadful  length 
has  this  depravity  proceeded,  that  even  the  ex- 
ternal aspect  uf  that  world,  which  was  once  &ir 
as  Eden,  has  assumed  the  appearance  of  a 
gloomy  waste,  and  a  barren  wilderness.  The 
rivers  have  been  turned  out  of  their  course,  by 
these  infatuated  beings,  that  ihey  might  overflow 
and  change  into  a  marsh  the  once  fertile  f>lains. 
The  earth  has  been  dug  into  immense  pits  and 
chasms,  and  the  ve>>elable  tribes  have  been  torn 
from  their  roots  and  stripped  of  their  verdure,  in 
order  to  deface  the  primeval  beauty  of  creation. 
By  these,  and  other  horrible  devastations,  the 
ethereal  fluid  in  which  they  breathed,  which 
formerly  difTused  a  delightful  fragrance,  has  now 
become  the  receptacle  of  noisome  exhalHtions, 
which  nauseate  and  irritate  every  species  of 
sensitive  existence.  Its  brilliancy  has  thereby 
become  obscured,  so  that  their  sun  appears 
lowering  through  its  dense  vapours,  like  a  dusky 
ball;  and  their  nocturnal  sky,  which  once  pre- 
sented a  splendid  assemblage  of  shining  orbs,  is 
now  coveted  with  blackness,  and  darkness,  and 
tempest,  through  which  no  celestial  orb  ever 
transmits  the  least  glimmering  ray.  For  the 
almighty  Contriver  ofall  worlds  has  so  arranged, 
proportioned,  and  adjusted  every  circumstance 
in  the  constitution  of  nature,  that  the  smallest 
derangemcmt,  by  malevolent  beings,  of  the  order 
he  has  established,'^  is  always  productive  of  dis- 
astrous effects. 

"  Instead  of  being  animated  wi'h  love  to  their 
Creator,  and  to  one  another,  which  is  the  first 
duty  of  all  intelligent  creatures,  they  hate  their 
Maker,  and  curse  him  on  account  of  the  exist- 
ence he  has  given  them;  and  they  hate  each 
other,  with  a  perfect  hatred.  There  exists 
among  them  no  peace,  justice,  sympathy,  fricnrf 
ship,  or  confidence.  Every  one  beholds  and  re- 
cognises another  with  the  countenance  of  a  fiend, 
and  is  ever  intent  upon  annoying  him  to  the  ut- 
most of  his  power.  And,  were  it  not  that  their 
bodies  are  constructed  on  an  immortat  principle, 
so  that  no  power  less  than  infinite  can  completely 
destroy  them, — their  ferocious  pasninns  would, 
long  ere  now,  have  tffected  the  utter  ex  terminal 
tion  of  every   individual   in   (hat  populous  bet 


MORAL  HISTORY  OF  OTHER  WORLDS. 


99 


miserable  world.  Their  bodies,  which  were 
onco  fair  and  glorious,  are  now  covered  with 
every  mark  of  vileness  and  deformity.  They 
have  no  delight  in  contemplating  the  glories  of 
their  Creator's  workmanship,  foi  they  have  de- 
faced every  beauty  which  creation  displayed, 
when  it  came  fresh  and  fair  from  the  hand  of  its 
Maker ;  and  the  intelligence  and  wisdom  they 
formerly  possessed,  are  now  obliterated,  and 
changed  into  ignorance  and  folly. 

"  At  the  commencement  of  this  affecting 
scene  of  depravity,  a  messenger  was  despatched 
by  their  Almighty  Sovereign  to  warn  them  of 
their  danger,  and  to  urge  them  to  reformation  ; 
but,  as  they  had  not  then  felt  the  full  effects  of 
that  wretchedness  into  which  ihey  were  plung- 
ing— after  a  few  temporary  pangs  of  remorse, 
*  they  returned  every  one  to  his  evil  ways.' 
Holy  intelligences,  from  other  worlds,  have  oc- 
casionally been  sent,  to  contemplate  the  gloomy 
aspect,  and  the  sad  desolations  of  this  wretched 
world  ;  in  order  that  they  might  bring  back  in- 
telligence to  the  worlds  with  which  they  are 
more  imme  liately  connected,  of  the  dismal  ef- 
fects produced  by  the  violation  of  those  eternal 
laws  of  rectitude  whi«h  the  Governor  of  the  uni- 
verse has  ordained.  The  Creator  has,  for  many 
ages,  permitted  those  physical  and  moral  disor- 
ders to  exist — not  because  he  delights  in  the 
misery  of  any  of  his  creatures,  but  because  he 
has  a  regard  to  the  ultimate  happiness  of  the . 
whole  intelligent  system.  He  leaves  them,  in 
the  mean  time,  '  to  eat  of  the  fruit  of  their  own 
ways,'  that  they  may  feel  the  full  effects  of  their 
apostacy  and  wickedness.  He  has  permitted 
them  to  proceed  thus  far  in  their  rebellion  and 
depravity,  in  order  that  surrounding  worlds  may 
be  fully  apprised  of  the  dismal  effects  that  must 
inevitably  ensue  on  every  infringement  of  moral 
order.  This  desolated  world  and  its  wretched 
inhabitants  are  doomed  to  remain  in  their  pre- 
sent deplorable  stale,  for  ages  yet  to  come,  till 
an  extensive  and  indelible  impression  be  made 
on  the  inhabitants  of  every  province  of  God's 
empire,  of  their  eternal  obligation  to  conform  to 
those  laws  and  principles  of  moral  order  which 
his  infinite  wisdom  has  established  for  the  regu- 
lation of  the  intelligent  universe  ;  and  also,  that 
those  miserable  beings  themselves  may  be 
aroused  to  consideration,  led  to  humble  them- 
selves in  his  presence,  and  made  to  feel  some 
emotions  of  contrition  for  their  impiety  and  in- 
gratitude. When  these  ends  are  accomplished, 
a  bright  effulgence  shall  suddenly  illume  the 
darkness  of  their  night,  their  atmosphere  shall 
be  cleared  of  its  vapours,  and  the  glorious  orbs 
of  heaven  shall  once  more  burst  upon  their  view  ; 
the  astonished  inhabitants  shall  lift  up  their  eyes 
with  amazement  at  the  wondrous  and  unlooked- 
for  spectacle,  and  a  divine  raessengfr,  arrayed 
in  splendid  majesty,  shall  proclaim,  '  Peace 
firom  heaven — Good-will  from  Jehovah  to  this 


guilty  world.'  Tn  both  hemispheres  of  this  globe, 
shall  the  joyful  message  be  proclaimed.  This 
sudden  and  unexpected  annouTiceinent  will  arrest 
the  attention  of  every  inhabitant,  and  rekindle 
in  his  breast  those  sparks  of  gratitude,  which 
had  been  so  long  extinguished.  To  prove  the 
sincerity  of  this  annunciai  ion,  the  '  Power  of  the 
Highest'  will  be  interposed  to  purify  the  atmos- 
phere, to  restore  the  desolations  which  had  been 
produced,  and  to  renew  the  face  of  nature.  A 
series  of  moral  instructions  will  commence,  and 
be  carried  on  with  vigour,  till  all  be  fully  con- 
vinced of  the  folly  and  impiety  of  their  conduct. 
Order  will  be  gradually  re-established  ;  affec- 
tionate intercourses  will  commence;  an  indelible 
impression  of  their  ingratitude  and  Wickedness, 
and  of  the  justice  and  benevolence  of  God,  will 
be  for  ever  fixed  in  their  minds,  which  will  secure 
them,  at  all  future  periods,  from  a  similar  apos- 
tacy ;  and  peace,  truth,  and  happiness  shall  finally 
reign  triumphant." 

On  such  topics  as  these,  may  we  suppose  our 
Redeemer,  in  the  character  of  Mediator,  occa- 
sionally to  expatiate,  with  irresistible  eloquence, 
when  presiding  in  the  assemblies  of  his  redeemed ; 
and  the  emotions  produced  by  such  communica- 
tions, will  doubtless  excite  them  to  join  in  unison 
in  celebrating  the  divine  character  and  adminis- 
tration, in  such  strains  as  these: — "  Halleluia! 
the  Lord  God  omnipotent  reigneth.  True  and 
righteous  are  his  judgments.  Salvation,  and 
glory,  and  honour,  and  power,  unto  the  Lord  our 
God.  Thou  art  worthy  to  receive  glory,  honour, 
and  power  ;  for  thou  hast  created  all  things,  and 
for  thy  pleasure  they  are  and  were  created."* 

Thus  I  have  endeavoured  to  show,  that  even 
that  portion  of  the  universe  which  lies  within 

*  I  hope  none  of  my  readers  will  consider  the 
supposition  of  the  Redeemer  occasionally  deliver- 
ing lectures  on  divine  subjects  to  an  assembly  of  his 
saints,  as eithpr  improbable,  extravagant,  orroman- 
tic.  Since  writing  the  above,  I  find,  that  the  pious 
and  philosophic  Dr.  I.  Watts  entertained  a  similar 
opinion.  In  his  sermon, "  On  the  happiness  of  sepa- 
rate spirits,"  when  describing  the  employments  of 
the  upper  world,  he  thus  expresses  his  sentiments 
on  this  topic ;— "  Perhaps  you  will  suppose  there  is 
no  such  service  as  hearing  sermons,  that  there  is  no 
attendance  upon  the  word  of  God  there.  But  are 
we  sure  there  are  no  such  entertainments?  Are 
there  no  lectures  of  divine  wisdom  and  grace  given 
to  the  younaer  spirits  there,  by  spirits  of  a  more  ex- 
alted station?  Or,  inay  not  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
himself  be  the  everlasting  Teacher  of  his  church? 
May  he  not  at  solemn  seasons  summon  all  heaven 
to  hear  him  publish  some  new  and  surprising  dis- 
coveries which  have  never  yet  been  made  known 
to  the  ages  of  nature  or  of  grace,  and  are  reserved 
to  entertain  the  attention,  and  to  exalt  the  pleasure 
of  spirits  advanced  to  elory  ?  Must  we  learn  all  by 
the  mere  contemplation  of  Christ's  person  ?  Does 
he  never  make  use  of  speech  to  the  instrticlion  and 
joy  of  saints  above.— Or,  it  may  be,  that  our  blessed 
Lord  (even  as  he  is  man)  has  some  noble  and  un- 
known way  of  communicating  a  long  discourse,  or 
a  loni  train  of  ideas  and  discoveries  to  millions  of 
blessed  spirits  at  once,  witho-il  the  formalities  of 
voice  and  language,  and  at  some  peculiar  seasons  b« 
may  thus  instruct  and  delight  his  saints  In  hearen." 


100 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


tbe  madi  of  our  assifted  vision,  coin|>rohendi 
within  ita  caitacioiM  gpher<«,  at  least  two  ihou- 
tand  four  humlred  millionj  of  worlds^ihal  rach 
of  iheMs  world*,  b<*ing  conKtructed  by  infinite 
windoin,  mti^t  exhibit,  even  in  its  external  as- 
pect, a  scene  worthy  of  the  contemplation  of 
every  ra'ional  being — that  it  is  highly  probable, 
from  ascorlained  facts,  from  analogy,  and  from 
revelation,  that  each  of  these  worlds  has  a  pe- 
culiarity of  snenery,  and  of  appendages,  which 
distin^iii'ih  it  from  every  other — that  there  is  a 
gradati'm  of  intellect,  and  beings  of  different 
orders  aining  the  inhabitants  of  these  worlds— 
that  it  is  probable  their  corporeal  forms  and 
their  organs  jf  sensation  are  likewise  wonder- 
fully diversified — and  that  the  natural  and  moral 
history  of  each  presents  scenes  and  transactions 
different  from  those  which  are  found  in  any  other 
world.  S  >  that  when  the  mind  endeavours  to 
grasp  the  immense  number  of  worlds,  here  pre- 
sented to  our  mental  view,  and  considers  the 
variety  of  aspect  in  which  each  of  them  requires 
to  be  contemplated — there  appears,  to  such 
limited  inti^llects  as  ours,  no  prospect  of  a  ter- 
mination (o  the  survey  of  a  scene  so  extensive 
and  overwhc'lrning ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  a  ra- 
tional prtMuinption,  that  one  scene  of  glory  will 
b«  followed  bv  another,  in  perpetual  succession, 
while  a»es  roll  away. 

If  it  wouM  require,  even  to  beings  endowed 
with  mental  powers  superior  to  those  of  man,  se- 
veral hull  Ired  of  years,  to  survey  the  diversified 
landscapes  which  our  globe  displays,  to  investi- 
gate the  numerous chvmical  processes  going  on  in 
the  animal,  the  vegetable,  and  the  mineral  king- 
doms, throuj'iout  the  surface  of  the  earth,  the 
recesses  of  the  ocean,  and  the  subterraneous  re- 
gions, an  I  to  trace  the  history  of  every  tribe  of 
ita  inh»bit'-ints  during  a  period  of  six  thousand 
years, — if  it  would  require  thousands  of  years 
to  explore  the  plantery  system,  which  pre- 
sents a  fiell  of  inquiry  two  thousand  times  more 
extensive — hiw  many  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
millions  <if  vears  would  be  requisite  to  study 
and  inviMtigaie  the  visible  universe  in  all  that 
TBfiety  of  :npect  to  which  I  have  now  ad- 
rerted  ! — T)  explore  the  diversified  structure 
and  arran^-'ments  of  the  bodies  which  com- 
pose the  Molar  svsiem,  and  the  moral  events  which 
have  tak>*n  ■ila'^c  a'n'>n;  its  inhabitants,  would 
require  a  I  iu<;  series  of  ages.  The  system  of 
bodies  coun-ceil  with  the  planet  Saturn,  would, 
of  itself,  n-q'iire  several  hundreds  of  years  of 
■tudy  and  r  -o-arch,  in  order  to  acquire  a  /general 
view  of  its  i>hv<ical,  moral,  and  intellectual  as- 
pects and  r«laiion<.  Here  we  have  presented 
to  view,— 1.  A  globe  of  vast  dimensions  capable 
ofconlainiri;  a  oopul  at  ion  of  sentient  and  intelli- 
MBt  being;''  more  than  a  hundred  times  greater 
tfMD  that  of  t  le  nar'h.  2.  Two  immense  rings, 
the  MM  of 'hnyi  containing,  on  both  iis  sides  an 
arM  tit  tight  Ihotuand  mittUmi  of  square  miles. 


and  the  other  an  area  of  twenty  Ihotuand  milSoni 
of  miles,  and  suf!icipnt  to  contain  a  (Kipul.iiion, 
one  hundred  and  forty  tinuM  larger  that  of  our 
globe,  although  they  were  as  thinly  peopled  ai 
(he  eanh  is  at  present.  3.  Seven  saielliies,  or 
moons,  each  of  which  is  undoubtedly  as  large  as 
the  globe  on  which  we  live,  and  some  of  them,  pr(^ 
bably,  of  much  greater  dimensions.  The  mag- 
nificent and  astonishing  scenery  displayed  in 
this  planet,  so  very  ditfrrcnt  from  any  thing  (hat 
is  beheld  in  our  terrestrial  sphere — the  stupen- 
dous luminous  arches  which  stretch  across  its 
firmament,  like  pillars  of  cloud  by  day  and  pil- 
lars of  lire  by  night — the  diversified  shadows  they 
occasionally  cast  on  the  surrounding  landscape 
-the  appearance  and  disapjicarance  of  its  m^ons, 
their  ecli|«ses,  and  diversified  aspects  in  respect 
to  each  other,  and  to  the  inhabitants  of  the 
planet  itself, — the  novel  scenes  which  would  ap- 
pear in  the  animal,  vegetable,  and  mineral  king- 
doms— the  customs,  manners,  and  employments 
of  the  inhabitants — the  series  of  events  which 
have  happened  among  them  and  the  tenor  of  the 
divine  dispensations  in  relation  to  their  past 
history  and  their  future  destination — these,  and  a 
thousand  other  particulars,  of  which  we  can 
form  nu  distinct  conception— could  not  fail  to  ai^ 
ford  a  sublime  and  delightful  gratification  to  a  ra- 
tional intelligence  for  a  series  of  ages. 

"  It  is  probable,  too,  that  even  within  the 
boundaries  of  our  solar  system,  important  phy- 
sical and  moral  revolutions  have  happened  since 
its  creation,  besides  those  which  have  agitated 
the  world  in  which  we  dwell.  On  the  suiface 
of  the  planet  Jupiter,  changes  are  occasionally 
taking  place,  visible  at  the  remote  distance  at 
which  we  are  placed.  The  diversity  of  appear- 
ance that  has  been  observed  in  the  substances 
termed  its  heIXt,  in  whatever  they  may  consist, 
or  from  whatever  cause  this  diversity  may  ori- 
ginate,^indicates  change  as  great,  as  if  the 
whole  mass  of  clouds  which  overhang  Europe, 
and  the  no  I  hern  parts  of  Asia  and  America, 
were  to  be  completely  swept  away,  and  suspen- 
ded inden.se  strata  over  the  Pacific  and  the  In- 
dian oceans,^-or  as  if  the  waters  of  the  Atlantic 
ocean  were  to  overflow  the  continent  of  Ame- 
rica, and  leave  its  deepest  caverns  exposed  to 
view.— There  were  lately  discovered,  between 
the  orbits  of  Mars  and  Jupiter,  four  small  planeta- 
ry bodies  ;  und,  on  grounds  which  are  highly  prob- 
able, astronomers  have  concluded,  that  they  once 
formed  a  larger  body  which  moved  in  the  same 
region,  and  which  had  burst  asunder  by  some 
immense  eruptive  force  proceeding  from  its  cci>- 
tral  parts.  This  probable  circumstance,  toge- 
ther with  a  variety  of  singular  phenomena  exhi- 
bited by  these  planets,  naturally  lead  us  to  coi>- 
elude,  that  some  important  moral  revolutions 
had  taken  place,  in  relaiioa  to  the  beings  with 
which  it  was  |>eopled  ;  and  suggest  to  the  mind 
a  variety  of  sublime  and  interesting  reflectiona 


IMMENSITY  OF  C«?JECTS  IN  CREATION. 


101 


which  may  hereafter  be  disclosed. — The  planet 
Mars,  ill  sevt-ral  respects,  bears  a  slrikiiig  re- 
semblaiKx-  ro  our  earth.  Its  rotation  round  its 
axis  is  accuniplislied  in  nearly  the  same  tune  as 
the  earth,  nainely,  in  24  hours  and  40  minutes. 
The  inclination  of  its  axis  to  the  plane  of  its 
orbit  is  28  df  wrees  and  42  minutes,  that  of  the 
earth  being  23  degrees  28  miniiles.  Conse- 
quently, ii  e  jieriences  a  diversity  trf"  seasons,  and 
different  lengihs  of  days  and  nights,  as  we  do  in 
our  sublunary  sphere.  Hence  Sir  William 
Herschel  inf  irms  us,  that  he  observed  a  lumi- 
nous zone  about  the  poles  of  this  planet,  which 
-IS  subject  to  periodical  changes,  and  is  of  opi- 
nion, that  this  phenomenon  is  produced  by  the 
reflection  of  the  sun's  light  upon  its  polar  re- 
gions, and  that  the  variation  in  the  magnitude 
and  appearance  ef  this  zone  is  owing  to  the 
melting  of  these  masses  of  polar  ice.  Its  at- 
mosphere is  likewise  found  to  be  very  dense  and 
obscure  ;  which  is  the  cause  of  that  ruddy 
appearance  which  this  orb  uniformly  exhibits. 
These  circumstances  indicate  a  striking  simi- 
larity, in  its  physical  constitution,  to  that  of  the 
earth.  Whether  the  moral  state  of  its  inhabi- 
tants bears  any  resemblance  to  the  present  con- 
dition of  mankind,  is  a  question  which  naturally 
suggests  iiself,  and  which  may  possibly  be  solved 
in  the  future  slate  to  which  we  are  destined. 
Frost  and  snow,  the  accumulation  and  melting 
of  vast  masses  of  polar  ice,  long  nights,  and 
wintry  storms,  scenes  of  darkness  and  desolation, 
stormy  clouds,  and  a  dense  hazy  atmosphere 
surcharged  with  wintry  exhalations,  do  not  ap- 
pear to  be  the  characteristics  of  a  world  where 
perfect  happiness  is  enjoyed.  The  Sun  which 
is  the  centre  of  our  system,  and  which  enlioht- 
ens  surrounding  worlds  with  his  beams,  is  five 
hundred  times  larger  than  all  the  planets  and 
moons  taken  together.  And,  since  we  perceive 
frequent  changes  taking  place  in  his  surface  and 
luminous  atmosphere,  there  is  doubtless  a  variety 
of  astonishing  processes  and  transformations  go- 
ing on,  both  in  the  exterior  and  interior  parts 
of  this  immense  luminary,  on  a  scale  of  maoni- 
tude  and  grandeur,  which  it  would  be  highly 
gratifying  to  behold  and  investigate,  and  which 
would  raise  to  the  highest  pilch,  our  conceptions 
of  the  magnificence  and  glory  of  Him  "  who 
dwells  in  light  unapproachable." 

If,  then,  the  planetary  system,  which  occu- 
pies no  larger  a  portion  of  space  than  one  of  the 
smallest  stars  that  twinkle  in  our  sky,  would 
afford  such  a  vast  multiplicity  of  objects  for  the 
contemplation  of  intelligent  beings,  diirinc  a 
lapse  of  agi's, — svhat  an  immense  assemblage  of 
august  objects  and  astonishing  events  is  presenl- 
ed  before  us  in  the  physical  arangements,  and 
the  moral  history  of  the  myriads  of  systems  and 
worlds  to  which  I  have  alluded,  and  what  an  im- 
mense duration  would  be  requisite  for  finite 
minds  to  survey  the  wondrous  scene !      This 


consideration  suggests  an  idea  of  duration,  whicB 
to  limited  intellects  such  as  ours,  seems  to  ap> 
proximal*  to  the  idea  of  eternity  itself.  Even 
although  it  could  be  shown,  that  creation  extend- 
ed no  farther  than  the  utmost  bounds  which  the 
ingenuity  of  man  has  enabled  him  to  penetrate, 
— still,  the  vast  assemblage  of  glorious  objects 
contained  within  the  range  of  our  assisted  vi- 
sion, shews  what  an  infinite  variety  of  mental 
gratification  the  Creator  may  bestow  on  his  in- 
lelligi'nt  offspring  ;  and  we  are  assured,  that 
"  no  good  thing  will  he  withhold  from  them  that 
walk  iiprighily.'' 

But,  would  it  be  reasonable  to  admit,  that  thft 
dominions  of  the  universal  Sovereign  terminate 
at  the  boundaries  of  human  vision?  Can  we 
believe,  that  puny  man,  who  occupies  so  diminu- 
tive a  speck  among  the  works  of  God,  has  pe- 
netrated to  the  utmost  limits  of  ihe  empire  of  Him 
who  fills  the  immensity  of  space  with  his  presence? 
As  soon  might  we  suppose,  that  a  snail  could 
penetrate  to  the  utmost  extremity  of  the  ocean, 
and,  with  one  glance,  survey  its  deepest  caverns '. 
or,  that  a  microscopic  animalcula,  which  is  con- 
fined to  a  drop  of  water,  in  the  crevice  of  a  small 
stone,  could  explore  atone  comprehensive  view, 
the  regions  of  Europe,  Asia,  Africa,  and  America. 
Shall  we  consider  \htivisible  system  of  nature,— 
magnificent  and  extensive  as  it  is, — a  palace  suf^ 
ficient  for  the  habitation  of  the  Deity  ?  No:  this 
would  be,  to  circumscribe  the  Almighty  within 
the  limits  of  our  imperfect  vision,  and  within 
the  sphere  of  our  comprehension.  "  Behold,  the 
heavens,  and  the  heaven  of  heavens,  cannot  con- 
tain him  !"  This  declaration  implies,  that,  be- 
yond all  that  the  inhabitants  of  this  world  can 
explore  in  the  visible  firmament,  there  is  a 
"  heaven  of  heavens" — a  region  which  contains 
unnumbered  firmaments,  as  glorious  and  extensive 
as  that  which  we  behold, — throughout  the  vast 
extent  of  which,  the  Deity  is  eternally  and  essen- 
tially present.  With  regard  to  all  that  is  visible 
by  the  unassisted  eye,  or  by  the  telescope,  in 
the  vault  of  heaven,  we  may  say  with  the  poet  :— 

"  Vast  concave !  ample  dome !  wast  thou  design'd 
A  meet  apartment  for  the  Deity  ? 
Not  so;  thatthou'ht  alone  thy  state  impairs, 
Thy  lofty  sinks,  and  shallows  thy  prnfnund. 
And  straitens  thy  diffusive ;  dwarfs  the  whole, 
And  raalces  an  universe  an  orrery."' 

Beyond  the  wide  circumference  of  that  sphere 
which  terminates  the  view  of  mortals,  a  boundless 
region  exists,  which  no  human  eye  can  penetrate, 
and  which  no  finite  intelligence  can  explore.  To 
suppose  that  the  infinitely  extended  region  which 
surrounds  all  that  is  visible  in  creation,  is  a  mere 
void,  would  be  as  unreasonable,  as  to  have  aflSrm- 
ed,  prior  to  the  invention  of  the  telescope,  that 
no  slars  existed  beyond  those  which  are  visible 
to  (he  naked  eye.  When  we  consider  the  limited 
faculties  of  man,  and  the  infinite  attributes  of  tb© 
Eternal   Mind,  we  have   the  highest  reason  to 


lOS 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


Conclude,  that  it  it  but  a  very  Rmall  portion  of 
Um  work*  (iT  God  which  has  Bern  disclosed  to 
our  view.  •'  Could  you  aoar  Ix-yond  ihe  moon, 
(aays  a  w>;ll-known  writer)  and  pass  through  all 
the  planetary  choir ;  could  yott  win^  vour  way 
to  the  hii>he9l  apparent  «tar,  and  take  your  stand 
on  one  of  those  loftiest  pinnacles  of  heaven,  you 
would  there  see  other  skies  expanded,  another 
sun  dis'ribiiting  his  beams  by  day,  other  stars 
that  gilil  the  alternate  ni^t,  and  oiher,  perhaps 
nobler  sy  SI  ems  established  in  unknown  profusion 
ihroiisfi  I  le  hauiidless  dimensions  of  space.  Nor 
would  tlie  dominion  of  the  universal  Sovereign 
terminate  there.  Even  at  the  end  of  this  vast 
tour,  yoii  would  find  yourself  advanced  no  farther 
than  the  suburbs  of  creation,— arrived  only  at  the 
frontiers  of  the  great  Jehovah's  kingdom." 

It  is  highly  probable,  that,  were  all  the  two 
thousand  f^ir  hundred  millions  of  worlds  to  which 
we  have  a<lverted,  wiih  all  the  eighty  millions  of 
suns  around  which  they  revolve,  to  be  suddenly 
extinguished  and  annihilated,  it  would  not  cause 
so  great  a  blank  in  creation,  to  an  eye  that  could 
take  in  the  whole  immensity  of  nature,  as  the 
extinct i»n  of  the  pleia4e*,  or  seven  stars,  would 
cause  in  our  visible  firmament.  The  range  of 
material  existence  may,  indeed,  have  certain 
limits  assioned  to  it ;  but  stx:h  limits  can  be  per- 
ceived only  by  that  Eye  which  beholds,  at  one 
glance,  the  whole  of  infinite  spauie.  To  the 
view  of  every  ^ni/e  mind,  it  must  always  appear 
boundless  and  incomprehensible.  Were  it  pos- 
sible that  we  could  ever  arrive  at  the  outskirts  of 
creation,  after  having  surveyed  nit  that  exists  in 
the  inai'Tial  universe,  we  might  be  said,  in  some 
measure,  to  comprehend  the  Creator  himself; 
having  perceived  the  utmost  limits  to  which  his 
power  ani  intelligence  have  been  extended.  For, 
although  we  admit,  that  the  perfections  of  the 
Creator  are  tf|/fmte ;  yet  we  have  no  tangible 
measure  of  these  perfections,  but  what  appears 
in  the  immense  variety  and  extent  of  material 
and  intellectual  existence.  And  we  may  hence 
conclude,  that  the  highest  order  of  created  intel- 
lects, afier  spending  myriads  of  ages  in  their  re- 
search, will  never  come  to  a  period  in  their  inves- 
tigations of  the  works  and  the  wajrsof  God. 

Even  although  we  could  conceive  certain  li- 
mits to  the  material  universe,  and  that,  aAer  the 
lapse  iiT  millions  of  ages,  a  holy  intelligence  had 
finished  his  excursions,  and  made  the  tour  of  the 
universal  system  which  now  exists, — yet.  who 
can  set  bounds  to  the  active  energies  of  the  Eter- 
nal Mind,  or  say,  that  new  systems  of  creation, 
diflTerent  from  all  that  have  hitherto  been  con- 
structed, shall  not  be  perpetually  emerging  into 
existence  ?  By  the  lime  a  finite  being  had  ex- 
plored every  object  which  now  exists,  and  ac- 
quired a  knowledge  of  all  the  moral  and  physical 
revolutions  which  have  hap[>ened  among  the 
worlds  which,  at  present,  diversify  (he  voids  of 
sptcc    1  new  region  of  infinite  space  might  be 


replenished  with  new  orders  of  material  and  itf 
tellectual  existence  :  and,  were  he  to  return  to 
the  point  from  which  he  at  first  set  out,  after 
numerous  ages  liad  elapsed,  he  would,  doubt* 
less,  beh  Id  new  chairges  and  revolutions  in 
many  provinces  of  the  Creator's  dominions- 
new  heavens  and  new  earths— and  new  species 
of  sentient  and  intellectual  beings,  difTereut  from 
all  those  he  at  first  contemplated. 

That  such  is  the  plan  of  the  Creator's  opera* 
tions,  is  not  a  mere  conjecture  or  surmise,  but  is 
warranted  from  observations  which  have  been 
made  on  the  phenomena  of  the  celestial  bodies 
New  stars  have,  at  different  periods,  appeared 
in  the  heavens;  which  are  plam  indications  of 
the  continued  exertion  of  creating  power.  Some 
planets  have  burst  asunder  into  different  frag- 
ments, and  stars  which  had  (hone  kr  ages  have 
disappeared,  and  their  existence,  in  their  former 
state,  cannot  now  be  traced.*  Such  facts  evi- 
dently show,  that  soma  important  revolutions 
have  taken  place  in  relation  to  the  fwdies  which 
have  thus  been  withdrawn  from  our  view.  Hav- 
ing fir  ages  run  their  destined  course,  either  iheif 
constitution  has  undergone  an  essential  change, 
or  they  have  been  removed  to  another  region  of 
immensity,  to  subserve  other  purposes  in  the 
magnificent  arrangements  of  the  Sovereign  in- 
telligence. The  observations  made  by  Sir  Wil- 
liam Herschel  on  the  nebulottr  appearances  in 
the  heavens,  and  on  the  changes  and  modifica- 
tions which  thoy  undergo,  lead  to  the  conclusion, 
that  new  systems  are  gradually  forming  in  the 
distant  regions  of  the  universe.  Aixl,  if  the  crea- 
ting energy  of  the  Omnipotent  is  at  present  in 
constant  operation,  and  has  been  so  for  ages  past, 
who  shall  dare  to  affirm,  that  it  shall  ever  cease 
its  exertion  through  all  the  ages  of  eternity  ? 

Here,  then,  we  have  presented  to  our  contem- 
plation, an  assemblage  of  material  and  intellectual 
existence,  to  which  the  human  mind  can  affix  no 
boundaries, — which  is  continually  increasing, 
and  still  an  infinity  of  space  remaining  for  per- 
petual accessions,  during  the  lapse  o(  endless 
ages, — an  assemblage  of  beings,  which,  in  point 
of  number,  of  magnitude,  and  of  extent,  seems 
to  correspond  with  a  boundless  duration.  So 
that,  we  have  no  reason  to  doubt,  that  "  the 
saints  in  light"  will  be  perpetually  acquiring  new 
discoveries  of  the  divine  glory,  new  prospects 
into  the  immensity  of  God's  operations,  new 
views  of  the  rectitude  and  grandeur  of  his  moral 
government,  new  accessions  to  their  felicity,  and 
new  and  transporting  trains  of  thought,  without 
the  least  interruption,  as  long  as  eternity  endures. 


'Stars  which  are  marked  In  ancient  catalogues, 
are  not  now  to  be  found,  and  others  are  now  vislbis 
which  were  not  known  to  the  ancients-  Some  have 
Kradually  Increase*!  in  lirllU.-iiiry.  Some  thai  were 
formerly  vartaJbU.  now  shine  with  a  steady  lustre, 
while  others  have  been  constantly  dlminishlnf  la 
brightness. 


THRONE  OF  GOD. 


103 


THRONE    OF    OOD. 

There  is  just  one  idea  more  that  may  he  sug- 
gested, in  addition  to  the  several  views  exhibited 
above,  in  order  to  raise  to  a  higher  pilch  of 
sublimity,  our  views  of  the  grandeur  of  the  Di- 
vine Being,  and  of  the  magnificence  of  his  works. 

The  Scriptures  frequendy  refer  to  a  particular 
place,  circumstance,  or  manifestation,  termed  the 
throne  of  God;  as  in  the  following  passages: — 
"  Heaven  is  my  throne,  and  the  earth  is  my  foot- 
stool." "  The  Lord  hath  prepared  his  throne  in 
the  heaven*."  "  A  glorious  high  throne,  from 
the  beginning,  is  the  place  of  thy  sanctuary." 
"  Therefore  are  they  before  the  throne  of  God, 
■nd  serve  him  day  and  night  in  his  temple." 
"  Blessinu,  and  honour,  and  glory,  and  power, 
be  unto  Him  that  sits  upon  the  throne." — These, 
and  similar  expressions  and  representations,  must 
oe  considered,  either  as  merely  metaphorical,  or 
as  referring  to  some  particular  region  of  the  uni- 
verse, where  the  Divine  glory  is  reflected,  in 
some  peculiarly  magnificent  manner,  from  mate- 
rial objects  ;  and  where  the  manifestations  of  the 
Divine  character  are  most  illustriously  displayed. 
If  there  be  a  reference  to  the  splendour  and  mag- 
nitude of  a  particular  portion  of  creation,  there 
is  an  astronomical  idea,  which  may  help  us  to 
ferm  some  conception  of  this  "  glorious  high 
hrone,"  which  is  the  peculiar  residence  of  the 
Sternal.  It  is  now  considered  by  astronomers, 
as  highly  probable,  if  not  certain, — from  late  ob- 
servations, from  the  nature  of  gravitation,  and 
other  circumstances,  thai  all  the  systems  of  the 
universe  revolve  round  one  common  centre,^ 
and  that  this  centre  may  bear  as  great  a  propor- 
tion, in  point  of  magnitude,  to  the  universal 
assemblage  of  systems  as  the  sun  does  to  his 
surrounding  planets.  And,  since  our  sun  is  five 
hundred  times  larger  than  the  earth,  and  all  the 
other  planets  and  their  satellites  taken  together, 
—on  the  same  scale,  such  a  central  body  would 
be  five  hundred  times  larger  than  all  the  systems 
and  worlds  in  the  universe.  Here,  then,  may  be 
a  vast  universe  of  itself — an  example  of  material 
creation,  exceeding  all  the  rest  in  magnitude  and 
splendour,  an  i  in  which  are  blended  the  glories 
aC  every  other  sy.^tem.  If  this  is  in  reality  the 
case,  it  mav,  with  the  most  emiihatic  propriety, 
be  termed,  the  throxe  of  God. 

This  is  the  most  sublime  and  magnificent  idea 
that  can  possibly  enter  into  the  mind  of  man 
We  feel  op;)ressed  and  overwhelmed  in  endea- 
vouring to  form  even  a  faint  representation  of  it. 
But,  however  much  it  may  overpower  our  feeble 
conceptions,  we  ought  not  to  revolt  at  the  idea 
of  so  gi  iriotis  an  extension  of  the  works  of  God  ; 
since  no'hin*  less  magnificent  seems  suitable  to 
a  being  of  infinite  perfections. — This  grand  cen- 
tral body  mav  be  considered  as  the  Capital  of  the 
universe.  From  th:s  glorious  centre,  embassies 
maf  be  occasiooally  despatched  to  all  burroundiog 


worlds,  in  every  region  of  space.  Here,  too, 
deputations  from  all  the  different  provinces  of 
creation,  may  occasionally  assemble,  and  the  in- 
habitants of  different  worlds  mingle  with  each 
other,  and  learn  the  grand  outlines  of  those  physi- 
cal operations  and  moral  transactions,  which 
have  taken  place  in  their  respective  spheres. 
Here,  may  be  exhibited  to  the  view  of  unnum- 
bered multitudes,  objects  of  sublim.ity  and  glory, 
which  are  no  where  else  to  be  found  within  the 
wide  extent  of  creation.  Here,  intelligences  of 
the  highest  order,  who  have  attained  the  most 
sublime  heights  of  knowledge  and  virtue,  may 
form  the  principal  part  of  the  population  of  this 
magnificent  region.  Here,  the  glorified  body  of 
the  Redeemer  may  have  taken  its  principal  stap 
tion,  as  "  the  head  of  all  principalities  and  pow- 
ers :"  and  here  likewise,  Enoch  and  Elijah  may 
reside,  in  the  mean  time,  in  order  to  learn  the 
history  of  the  magnificent  plans  and  operations 
of  Deity,  that  they  may  be  enabled  to  commu- 
nicate intelligence  respecting  them  to  their  breth- 
ren of  the  race  of  Adam,  when  they  ithall  again 
mingle  with  them  in  the  world  allotted  for  their 
abode,  after  the  general  resurrection.  Here,  the 
GRANDEUR  of  the  Deity,  the  glory  of  his  physi- 
cal and  moral  perfections,  and  the  immensity  of 
his  empire,  "lay  strike  the  mind  with  more  bright 
effulgence,  and  excite  more  elavated  emotions  of 
admiration  and  rapture,  than  in  any  other  pro- 
vince of  universal  nature.  In  fine,  this  vast  and 
splendid  central  universe  may  constitute  that  au- 
gust mansion  referred  to  in  Scripture,  under  the 
the  designation  of  the  third  heavens — th» 

THRONE   OF  THE   ETERNAL the  HEAVEN  OF 

HEAVENS — THE  HIGH  AND  HOLT  PLACE^ 
and  THE  LIGHT  THAT  IS  INACCESSIBLE  AND 
FULL  OF  GLORY.* 

•  Within  the  limits  of  the  last  1 50  years,  It  has  heen 
found,  thr\t  the  principal  fixed  stars  have  a  certain 
apparent  motion,  which  is  nearl.v  uniform  and  regu- 
lar, and  is  quite  perceptible  in  the  course  of  thirty 
or  forty  years.  The  star  Arciurus,  for  example,  has 
l)een  observed  to  move  three  minutes  and  three  se- 
conds in  the  course  of  seventy-eight  years.  Most 
of  the  stars  have  moved  toward  the  south.  The 
stars  in  the  northern  quarter  of  the  heavens  seem 
to  widen  their  relative  positions,  while  those  in  the 
southern  appear  to  contract  their  distances.  These 
motions  seem  evidently  to  indicate,  that  the  earth, 
and  all  the  other  bodies  of  the  solar  system,  are  mov- 
ing in  a  direction  from  the  stars,  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  sky,  toward  those  in  the  northern.  Dr. 
Herschel  thinks,  that  a  comparison  of  the  changes 
now  alluded  to,  indicates  a  motion  of  our  sun  with 
his  attending  planets  towards  the  constellation  Her- 
cules. This  progressive  movement  which  our  sys- 
tem makes  in  absolute  space  is  justly  supposed  to  be 
a  portion  of  that  curve,  which  the  sun  describes 
around  the  centre  o(  IhM  nebula  to  which  he  belongs; 
and,  that  all  the  other  stars  belonging  to  the  same 
nebula,  describe  similar  curves.  And  since  the  uni- 
verse appears  to  be  composed  of  thousands  of  n«- 
bulte,  or  starry  systems,  detached  from  each  other, 
it  Is  reasonable  to  conclude,  that  all  the  starry  sys- 
tems of  the  universe  revolve  round  one  common 
centre,  whose  bulk  and  attnictive  influence  are  pro- 
portion.-ible  to  the  size  and  the  number  of  the  bodies 
which  perform  their  revolutions  around  It  Wf 
Icnow,  thai  the  law  of  gravitation  extends  Its  influ* 


ll 


104 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


Pertiapa  name  whote  minds  are  not  accuatom- 
ed  lo  auch  bold  excursions  throiij^h  iho  refjioiia 
or  material  existence,  may  be  apt  to  consider  (he 
gran'd  idea  which  has  now  been  suggested,  and 
many  of  the  preceding  details  as  too  improbable 
and  extravaijani  to  claim  our  serious  attention. 
In  reply  to  such  an  insinuation,  let  it  be  consi- 
dered, in  ihe^rst  plaet,  thai  nothing  has  been  sta- 
led but  what  corresponds  to  the  whole  analogy 
of  nature,  and  to  several  sublime  iniiinations 
contained  in  the  system  of  divine  Revelation. 
It  is  a  fact,  which,  in  the  present  day,  cannot  be 
dejiiod  by  any  one  acquainted  with  the  subject, 
that  the  material  universe,  as  far  as  our  eye  and 
our  glasses  can  carry  us,  consists  of  a  count- 
less multitude  of  vast  bodies,  which  completely 
baffle  our  feeble  powers  in  attempting  to  form  any 
adequate  conception  of  them.  This  amazing 
fact,  placed  within  the  evidence  of  our  senses, 
shows  us,  that  it  is  impossible  for  the  human 
mind  to  form  too  extravagant  ideas  of  the  uni- 
verse, or  to  conceive  its  structure  to  be  more  glo- 
rious and  magnificent  than  it  really  is.f 

Again,  nothing  short  of  such  sublime  and 
magnificent  conceptions  seems  at  all  suitable  to 
the  idea  of  a  Being  of  iT\finile  perftction  and  of 
eternal  duration.  If  we  admit,  that  the  divine  Be- 

ence  from  the  sun  to  the  planet  Uerschel,  at  tlie 
distance  of  eighteen  huinlred  millions  of  miles,  and 
to  the  remotest  parts  of  the  orl)lts  of  the  comets, 
which  stretch  far  tieyond  this  limit ;  and  there  Is  the 
strongest  reason  to  believe,  that  it  forms  a  connect- 
ing bond  between  all  the  bodies  of  the  universe, 
however  distant  from  each  other.  This  Ijelng  ad- 
mitted,—the  motion  of  the  different  systems  now 
alluded  to,  and  the  immensUy  of  the  central  body, 
from  which  motion  of  every  kind  originates,  to  pro- 
duce the  order  and  harmony  of  the  universe,— ap- 
pear to  be  necessary,  in  order  to  preserve  the  balance 
of  the  universal  system,  and  to  prevent  the  numer- 
ous glol>es  in  the  universe  from  gradually  approach- 
ing each  other,  In  the  course  of  ages,  and  becoming 
one  universal  wreck.— We  are  mechanically  con- 
nected with  the  most  distant  stars  visible  through 
our  telescopes,  by  means  of  li^M,  which  radiates 
from  those  distant  luminaries,  mingles  with  the  solar 
rajrs,  penetrates  our  atmosphere,  and  effects  our  op- 
tic nerves  with  the  sensation  of  colours,  <>iniilar  to 
those  produced  by  the  rays  of  the  sun.  And  we  have 
equal  reason  to  conclude,  that  we  are  likewise  me- 
ehanic.illy  connected  with  these  Ijodles  by  the  law 
of  gravitation.  So  that  the  Idea  thrown  out  above, 
however  grand  and  overwhelming  to  our  feeble 
powers.  Is  not  a  mere  conjecture,  but  is  founded  on 
observation,  and  on  the  general  analogies  of  the 
tmi  verse. 

♦  In  descending  to  the  minute  parts  of  nature,  we 
obtain  ocular  demonitratinn  of  farts  which  overpower 
our  ftcultlcs.  and  which  would  be  altogether  incredi- 
ble, were  they  not  placed  within  the  evidence  of  the 
•enscs.  In  a  drop  of  water,  in  which  certain  vege- 
table sulMtances  have  been  infused,  mllliont  of  llv- 
in(  creatures  have  been  seen,  and.  In  some  Instances 
where  the  anlmalculm  are  transparent,  their  eyes, 
Htd  the  peristaltic  motion  of  their  ttoweln  have 
been  perceived.  The  m<nt//«n'.«*  of  the  blood  vessel, 
and  other  parts  of  the  structure  of  surhrrcaiures,  is 
a*  wonderful,  and  as  Incomprehen^itde,  on  the  one 
hand,  as  the  magnitude  and  Immensity  of  the  uni- 
verse are  on  theother, — demonstrating,  that,  inthe 
wotlcs  of  the  Creator,  there  Is  an  Inflnlty  on  either 
h.ind.  whlrh  limited  latallactf  wUl  never  be  able  ftilljr 
M  comprebeud. 


ing  is  infinite,  pervading  the  immenaity  of  i 
with  his  presence,  why  should  we  be  reluctant 
lo  admit  the  idea,  that  his  almi/ihly  energy  u 
exerted  throughout  the  boundlesx  regions  of  spac«7 
fur  it  is  jusi  such  a  conclusion  as  the  noiion  of  an 
infinite  intelligence  should  naturally  lead  us  to 
deduce.  Whether  does  it  appear  lo  ciirrc^pond 
more  with  the  notion  of  an  infinite  Being,  to 
believe,  that  his  creative  power  has  been  con- 
fined to  this  small  globe  of  earth,  and  a  few  spark- 
ling studs  fixed  in  the  canopy  of  the  sky,  or  lo 
admit,  on  the  ground  of  observation  aitd  analogy, 
that  he  has  launched  into  existence  millions  of 
worlds — that  all  the  millions  of  systems  within 
the  reach  of  our  vision,  are  but  as  a  particle  of 
vapour  to  the  ocean,  when  compared  with  the 
myriads  which  exist  in  the  unexplored  regiooa 
of  immensity — that  the  whole  of  this  vast  assem- 
blage of  suns  and  worlds  revolves  arouiMl  the 
grand  centre  of  the  universe — aixl  that  this  centre 
where  the  throne  of  Go<i  is  placed,  is  superior  to 
all  (he  other  provinces  of  creation  in  ma^cniiude, 
beauty,  and  magnificence?  Who  would  dare  to 
prove  that  such  conceptions  are  erroneous,  or 
impossible,  or  unworthy  of  that  Being  who  sits 
on  the  throne  of  the  universe  ?  To  attempt 
such  a  proof  would  be  nothing  less  than  to  set 
bounds  lo  Omnipotence — to  prescribe  limits  to 
the  o|>erations  of  him  "  whose  ways  are  past  find* 
ing  oot.' 

"Can  man  conceive  beyond  what  God  can  dot 

Nothing  liut  qvUt  impottible  is  hard. 

He  summons  into  being  with  like  ease 

A  whole  creation,  and  a  tlnglt  grain. 

Speaks  he  the  word  ?  a  thousand  worlds  are  borai 

A  thousand  worldb?    There's  space  for  millions 

more; 
And  in  what  space  can  his  great  Flat  fall  f 
Condemn  me  not.  cold  critic  !  but  Indulge 
The  warm  imagination  ;  why  condemn  T 
Why  not  indulge  such  thoughts  as  swell  our  heaitl 
With  fuller  admiration  of  that  Povtr 
Which  gives  our  hearts  with  such  high  thoughts  lit 

swell  t 
Why  not  Indulge  in  his  augmented  praise  t 
Darts  not  his  glory  a  still  brighter  ray, 
The  less  Is  left  tc  chaos,  and  the  reaJma 
Of  hideous  night  V 

These  views  and  reasonings  are  fully  combo* 
rated  by  the  sublime  descriptions  of  Deity  cob« 
tained  in  the  Holy  Scriptures. — "  Canst  thou  bj 
searching  find  out  God  ?  canst  thou  find  out  the 
Almighty  to  |>erfection  ?"  "  He  is  the  high  and 
lofty  One  who  inhabi'eih  eternity  " — 'He  is  glo- 
rious in  power" — ''He  dwells  in  litiht  unap- 
proachable and  full  of  glory  "— -"  Grrai  is  our 
Lord  and  of  great  power,  his  greaincss  it  in^ 
searchable ;  his  undersianHine  is  infinite  '^ — "  Can 
any  thing  be  ti»o  hard  for  Jehovah  ?  "  The  ev- 
er last  ing  God  ihe  Lord,  the  Creator  of  the  ends 
of  the  earih,  faintcih  not,  neither  is  weary,  there 
is  no  searching  of  his  understanding" — "  He  do- 
eth  grt-ai  things,  past  finding  out.  an<l  wonders 
without  number."  "  He  mcteih  out  the  heavens 
with  a  span,  and  comprehendeih  the  dust  of  iho 


GRANDEUR  OF  THE  DEITT. 


105 


earth  in  a  measure."  "  By  the  word  of  the  Lord 
were  the  heavens  made,  and  all  the  host  of  them 
oy  the  Spirit  of  his  mouth."  "  He  spake,  and 
-'twas  done ; — He  commanded,  and  it  stood  fast." 
"  He  stretched  forth  the  heavens  alone,  and 
bringeth  forth  their  hosts  by  number."  "  Lo 
these  are  porta  of  his  ways,  but  how  little  a  por- 
tion is  heard  of  him ;  and  the  thunder  of  his  power 
who  can  understand  ?  Behold  the  heaven,  and 
the  heaven  of  heavens  cannot  contain  him '." 
"  The  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  God,  and 
the  firmament  showelh  forth  his  handy-work." 
*'  Thine,  O  Lord  !  is  the  greatness,  and  the  glory, 
and  the  majesty,  for  all  in  heaven  and  earth  is 
thine,  and  thou  art  exalted  above  all."  "  Behold 
the  heaven  and  the  heaven  of  heavens  is  the 
Lord's."  "  Jehovah  hath  prepared  liis  throne  in 
the  heavens,  and  his  kingdom  ruleth  over  all."  "  I 
will  speak  of  the  glorums  honour  of  thy  majesty, 
and  of  thy  wondrous  works."  "  Blessed  be  thy 
glorious  name  who  art  exalted  above  all  blessing 
and  praise."  "  Thou,  even  thou,  art  Lord  alone ; 
thou  hast  made  heaven,  the  heaven  of  heavens, 
with  all  their  host,  thou  preservest  them  all,  and 
the  host  of  heaven  worshippeth  thee."  "  Who 
can  utter  the  mighty  acts  of  the  Lord  ?  who  can 
show  forth  all  his  praise  ?"  "  Touching  the  Al- 
mighty, we  cannot  find  him  out."  "  He  is  ex- 
cellent in  power,  and  his  glory  is  above  the  earth 
and  heavens." 

Such  sublime  descriptions  of  the  Divine  Being, 
which  are  interspersed  throughout  various  parts 
of  Revelation,  lead  us  to  form  the  most  august 
conceptions  of  his  creative  energy,  and  plainly 
indicate,  that  it  is  impossible  for  the  highest 
created  intellect  to  form  a  more  magnificent  idea 
of  his  designs  and  operations  than  what  in  re- 
ality exists. 

In  short,  though  some  of  the  preceding  views 
may  not  precisely  correspond  to  the  facts  which 
shall  ultimately  be  found  to  exist  in  the  universe, 
— they  ought,  nevertheless,  to  be  entertained  and 
rendered  familiar  to  the  mind,  since  they  open 
a  sublime  and  interesting  train  of  thinking;  and 
since  they  cannot  go  beyond  the  magnificence 
of  Jehovah's  kingdom,  nor  be  very  different  from 
what  actually  exists  in  the  universe.  They  form 
a  kind  of  sensible  substratum  of  thought  for  the 
mind  to  fix  upon,  when  it  attempts  to  trame  the 
loftiest  conceptions  of  the  object  of  our  adora- 
tion.— It  may  be  laid  down  as  a  principle  which 
ought  never  to  be  overlooked  in  Theology, — that, 
mur  conceptions  of  the  grandtur  of  God  are  pre- 
cisely, or,  at  least,  nearly  commensurate  mth  our 
conception*  of  the  grandeur  and  extent  of  his  ope- 
rations throughout  the  universe.  We  all  admit, 
that  the  Deity  is  infinite,  both  in  respect  of  space 
and  of  duration.  But,  an  infinity  of  empty  space, 
and  an  infinity  of  duration,  abstractly  considered, 
convey  no  precise  or  tangible  ideas  to  the  mind, 
to  guide  it  in  forming  distinct  coaceplions  of 
(h«  Deity  or  of  any  other  beings.  It  is  onlj 
14 


when  the  immensity  of  space  is  considered  as 
diversified  with  an  immense  variety  and  multipli- 
city of  objects,  and  when  eternal  duration  is  con- 
templated as  connected  with  a  constant  succes- 
sion of  glorious  scenes  and  transactions,  that 
the  soul  of  man  can  expand  its  views  and  ele- 
vate its  conceptions  of  the  incomprehensible  Je- 
hovah. 

If  these  sentiments  be  admitted,  it  will  follow, 
that  the  man  whose  ideas  are  confined  within 
limits  of  a  few  hundred  miles,  or  even  within 
the  range  of  the  globe  we  inhabit,  must  have 
his  views  of  Deity  confined  within  nearly  the 
same  sphere.  For  we  have  no  sensible  mea- 
sures of  the  attributes  of  God,  but  those  which 
are  derived  from  the  number  and  extent  of  his 
actual  operations.  When  we  attempt  to  think 
of  Him,  without  the  assistance  o(  his  visible 
works,  our  thoughts  instantly  run  into  confusion, 
and  sink  into  inanity.  And,  since  we  find,  that 
the  material  works  of  God  are  so  "  great  above 
all  measure,"  so  widely  extended,  and  so  mag- 
nificent in  the  scale  of  their  operation,  it  is  of 
the  utmost  importance,  in  a  religious  point  of 
view,  that  the  mind  accustom  itself  to  range  at 
large  through  the  wide  extent  of  creation — to 
trace,  by  analogy,  from  what  is  known,  the  pro 
bable  magnitude,  arrangement,  and  grandeur  of 
what  is  removed  beyond  the  limits  of  our  vi- 
sion— to  add  magnitude  to  magnitude,  system  to 
system,  and  motion  to  motion,  till  our  thoughts 
are  overwhelmed  with  the  mighty  idea.  And, 
though  we  may  occasionally  frame  some  erro- 
neous or  inadequate  notions,  when  forming 
our  conceptions  of  certain  subordinate  particu- 
lars, yet,  we  need  not  fear,  that  in  point  of  num- 
ber, magnitude,  and  variety,  our  conceptions  can 
ever  go  beyond  the  realities  which  exist  within 
the  range  of  universal  nature,  unless  we  suppose, 
that  "  man  can  conceive  beyond  what  God  can 
do."  Such  trains  of  thought  will  tend  to  expand 
and  elevate  the  mind,  and  give  it  a  sublime 
turn  of  thinking  ;  and  will  naturally  produce 
an  ardent  desire  of  beholding  a  brighter  display 
of  the  magnificence  of  the  Creator  in  the  eternal 
world. 

From  what  has  been  now  detailed  respect- 
ing the  numerous  and  august  objects  that  may 
be  presented  to  the  contemplation  of  celestiaj 
intelligences,  we  may  conclude,  that  the  chief 
subjects  of  study  in  the  heavenly  world  will  be 
History  and  Philosophy.  Under  the  department 
of  history,  may  be  comprehended  all  the  details 
which  will  be  exhibited  to  them  respecting  the 
origin,  progress,  and  consummation  of  the  re- 
demption of  man,  and  the  information  they  may 
receive  respecting  the  natural  and  moral  scenery, 
and  the  prominent  providential  occurrences  and 
arrangements  of  other  worlds. 

As  it  is  evident,  that  matter  exists  chiefly  fcr 
the  sake  of  sensitive  and  intelligent  bMBgs,  ao, 


Jl 


106 


THE  PHILOSOPHT  OK  A  FUTURE  STATEL 


k  b  highly  probable,  if  not  demoiMlratively  cer- 
tain, that  the  peopling  oC  worlds  with  rational 
•reaiurea  is  intended  chiefly  to  display  the  moral 
tKaraeter  of  the  Creator  in  hw  providential  di5- 
pensaiiona,  and  in  the  whole  seriea  of  his  moral 
administration  towards  the  numerous  worlds  and 
orders  of  creatures  which  exist  throughout 
his  dominions.  All  hix  other  perfections,  par- 
ticularly his  power  and  intelligence,  appear  to 
be  exerted  in  subserviency  to  this  grand  object, 
and  to  the  distribution  of  happiness  through- 
out the  universe.  In  so  far,  then,  as  the  facts 
respecting  his  moral  government,  in  other 
worlds,  are  made  known  to  the  redeemed  in 
heaven,  in  so  far  will  their  views  of  his  moral 
attributes,  and  of  the  principles  of  his  admini»- 
traiion  in  the  universe,  be  enlarged  and  expand- 
ed. In  the  disclosures  which,  in  ihe  course  of 
ages,  may  be  made  on  this  subject,  displays  of 
the  eternal  rigfUeoutnesi  of  Jehovah,  of  his  retriF- 
butivejtutioe,  of  his  "  tender  mercy"  and  of  his 
homuUe*$  benevolence,  may  be  exhibited,  which 
will  astonish  and  enrapture  the  mind  nmre  highly 
than  even  the  magnificence  and  grandeur  of  his 
physical  operations,  and  hll  it  with  admiration 
of  the  amiable  and  adorable  excellerx:ie8  of  the 
Sovereign  Ruler  of  the  universe.  If  we  account 
it  a  pleasant  study  to  investigate  the  habits  and 
economy  of  some  of  the  insect  tribes  ; — if  we 
riiould  reckon  it  highly  gratifying  to  learn  the 
history  of  all  the  events  which  have  befallen 
every  nation  and  tribe  of  mankind  since  the 
world  began,  particularly  those  which  relate  to 
our  first  parents  in  paradise,  and  after  their  ex- 
pulsion from  it,— to  the  antediluvians,  to  the  ten 
tribes  of  Israel,  to  the  Christians  in  the  first  cen- 
turies, to  the  Waldenses,  to  the  Assyrians,  Baby- 
lonians and  American  Indians, — how  delightful 
and  gratifying  must  it  be,  to  learn  the  history  of 
angels,  principalities  and  powers,  and  to  become 
acquainted  with  the  leading  trsuisactions  which 
have  occurred  among  beings  of  a  higher  order 
and  of  different  species,  dispersed  among  ten 
thousands  of  worlds !  Great  and  marvellous  as 
the  history  of  our  world,  and  of  human  redemp- 
tioB  appears,  it  may  be  far  surpassed  by  the 
ereota  which  eternity  will  unfold.  "  The  day 
W  coming,"  (to  use  the  words  of  a  celebrated 
Bodem  writer  *)  when  the  whole  of  this  wond- 
rous history  shall  be  looked  back  upon  by  the 
eye  of  remembrance,  and  bo  regarded  as  one 
incident  in  the  extended  annals  of  creation,  and 
with  all  the  illustration,  and  all  the  glory  it  has 
thrown  on  the  character  of  the  Deity,  will  it  be 
geeo  as  a  single  step  in  the  evoltiiion  of  his  de- 
aigiM  ;  and  as  long  as  the  time  may  appear,  from 
the  first  act  of  oOr  redemption  to  its  final  accom- 
pliihroenl,  and  dose  an4  exclusive  as  we  may 
think  the  attentions  of  CkU  upon  it,  it  will  b« 
fcund  that  it  baa  led  him  hf|(h  room  enough  for 


t 


^ 


•Dr. 


all  his  concerns,  and  that  on  the  high  scale  of 
eternity,  it  is  but  one  of  those  passing  and  pphe- 
meral  transaction!*,  which  crowd  the  history  ofa 
never-ending  adminisiraiion." 

Under  the  department  of  Pkdotaphy  may  be 
included  all  those  magnificent  displays  which  will 
be  exhibited  of  the  extent,  the  magnitude,  the 
motions,  the  mechanism,  the  scenery,  the  inha- 
bitants, and  the  general  constitution  of  other  sy^ 
tems,  and  the  general  arrangement  and  order  of 
the  universal  system  comprehended  under  the 
government  of  the  Almighty.  On  these  topics, 
with  all  iheir  subordinate  and  infinitely  diversified 
ramificutions,the  minds  nf  redeemed  intelligences 
from  this  world  will  find  ample  scope  lor  the  ex- 
ercise of  all  their  powers,  and  will  derive  from 
their  investigations  of  them  perpetual  and  unin- 
terrupted enjoyment,  throughout  an  endless  ex- 
istence. 

That  the  subjects  of  contemplation  now  stated, 
will,  in  reality,  form  the  chief  employments  of 
renovated  men  and  other  intellectual  beings,  in  a 
future  slate,  may  also  be  proved  from  the  repre- 
sentations given  in  the  word  of  God  of  the  pr»- 
sent  exercises  of  these  intelligences.  In  the 
book  of  Revelation,  the  angels,  under  ihe  figure 
of  "  living  creatures  full  of  eyes,"  and  the  "  el- 
ders," or  representatives  of  the  church  of  the 
redeemed,  are  represented  as  falling  down  before 
the  throne  of  the  Eternal,  saying,  "  Thou  art 
worthy,  O  Lord,  to  receive  glory,  honour,  and 
power,  for  thou  halt  created  all  thingM,  and  for 
thy  pleasure  they  are  and  were  crtaled."  Here, 
the  material  works  of  God  are  represented  as  the 
foundation  or  reason  of  the  thanksgiving  and  ado 
rations  of  the  heavenly  host ;  and  the  language 
evidently  implies,  that  these  works  are  the  sub- 
ject of  their  contemplation — that  ihey  have  beheld 
a  bright  display  of  divine  perfection  in  their  struc- 
ture and  arrangement. — that  they  are  enraptured 
with  the  enlarged  views  of  the  divine  glory 
which  these  works  exhibit — and  that  their  Itearta, 
full  of  gratitude  and  admiration,  are  ever  ready  lo 
burst  forth  in  ascriptions  of"  glory,  honour,  and 
power  to  him"  who  called  the  vast  assemblage 
of  created  beings  into  existence. — In  another 
scene,  exhibited  in  the  same  book,  the  saints  who 
had  come  out  of  great  tribulation,  and  had  gotten 
the  victory  over  all  enemies,  are  represented 
with  the  harps  of  God  in  their  hands,  celebrating 
the  divine  praises  in  this  triumphant  song, 
"  Great  and  marvellous  are  thy  works.  Lord 
God  Almighty — just  and  true  are  thy  ways,  thou 
King  of  saints." — The  first  part  of  this  song 
may  be  considered  as  the  result  of  their  con(en>- 
plations  of  the  magnificent  fabric  of  the  universe, 
and  the  omnipotent  energies  which  its  move> 
ments  display  ;  and  the  last  part  of  it  as  the  re- 
sult of  their  study  and  investigation  of  th^  moral 
government  of  God  in  his  providential  arrange* 
ments  towards  men  and  angels,  and  towards  all 
the  worlds  wboee  moral  economy  may  be  opeaed 


4 


FUTURE  MISERY  OF  THE  WICKED. 


107 


to  their  view.  For  the  words  of  the  song  plainly 
imply,  that  they  have  acquired  such  an  expansive 
view  of  ihfc  works  of  God  as  constrains  them  to 
tleclare,  that  they  are  "  great  and  marvellous  ;" 
and  that  they  have  attained  such  an  intimate 
knowledg.e  of  the  divine  dispensations  towards 
the  intelligent  universe,  a  seiiables  them  to  per- 
ceive (hat  all  the  ways  of  the  King  of  heaven 
are  "  righteous  and  true," 

From  the  preceding  details  we  may  also  learn, 
what  will  form  one  constituent  part  of  the  misery 
of  the  wicked  in  the  future  world.  As  one  part 
of  the  happiness  of  the  righteous  will  consist  in 
"  seeing  God  as  he  is,"  that  is,  in  beholding  the 
divine  glory  as  displayed  in  the  physical  and 
moral  economy  of  the  universe, — so,  it  will,  in 
all  probability,  form  one  bitter  ingredient  in  the 
future  lot  of  the  unrighteous,  that  they  shall  be 
deprived  of  the  transporting  view  of  the  Cre- 
ator's glory,  as  displayed  in  the  magnificent  ar- 
rangements he  has  made  in  the  system  of  nature. 
Confined  to  one  dreary  corner  of  the  universe, 
surrounded  by  a  dense  atmosphere,  or  a  congeries 
of  sable  clouds,  they  will  be  cut  off  from  all  in- 
tercourse with  the  regions  of  moral  perfection, 
and  prevented  from  contemplating  the  sub- 
lime scenery  of  the  Creator's  empire.  This 
idea  is  corroborated  by  the  declarations  of  Scrip- 
ture, where  they  are  represented  "  as  banished 
from  the  new  Jerusalem,"  "  thrust  out  into  outer 
darkness,"  and  reserved  for  "  the  blackness  ot 
darkness  for  ages  of  ages."  And,  nothing  can 
bo  more  tormenting  to  minds  endowed  with  ca- 
pacious powers,  than  the  thought  of  being  for  ever 
deprived  of  the  opportunity  of  exercising  them 
on  the  glorious  objects  which  they  know  to  exist, 
but  which  they  can  never  contemplate,  and  about 
which  they  never  expect  to  hear  any  transporting 
information. 

If  it  be  one  end  of  future  punishment  to  make 
wicked  men  sensible  of  their  folly  and  ingratitude, 
and  of  the  mercy  and  favours  they  have  abused, 
it  is  probable,  that,  in  that  future  world  or  region 
to  which  they  shall  be  confined,  every  thing 
will  be  80  arranged,  as  to  bring  to  their  recollec- 
tion, the  comforts  they  had  abused,  and  the  divine 
goodness  they  had  despised,  and  to  make  them 
feel  sensations  opposite  to  those  which  were  pro- 
duced by  the  benevolent  arrangements  which  ex- 
ist in  the  present  state. — For  example,  in  the 
present  economy  of  nature,  every  one  of  our 
senses,  every  part  of  our  bodily  structure,  every 
movement  of  which  our  animal  frame  is  suscep- 
tible, and  the  influence  which  the  sun,  the  at- 
mosphere, and  other  parts  of  nature,  produce  on 
our  structure  and  feelings,  have  a  direct  tendency 
to  communicate  pleasing  sensations.  But,  in 
that  world,  every  agency  of  this  kitid  may  be  re- 
versed, as  to  the  effect  it  may  produce  upon  per- 
cipient beings.  Our  sense  oftottek  is  at  present 
acoaoipanied  with  a  thousand  modificatkntf  of 


feelings  which  are  accompanied  with  pleasure ; 
but  there,  every  thing  that  comes  in  contract  with 
the  organs  of  feelingrnay  produce  the  most  pain- 
ful sensations.  Here,  the  variety  of  colours  which 
adorn  the  face  of  nature,  delights  the  eye  «ind 
the  imagination, — there,  the  most  gloomy  and 
haggard  objects  may  at  all  times  produce  a  dismal 
and  alarming  aspect  over  every  part  of  the  sur- 
rounding scene.  Here,  the  most  enchanting  music 
frequently  cheers,  and  enraptures  the  human 
heart,  there,  nothing  is  heard  but  the  dismal 
sounds  "  weeping,  and  wailing,  and  gnashing  of 
teeth."  Ungrateful  for  the  manifold  blessings 
they  received  in  this  world  from  the  bountiful 
Giver  of  all  good,  the  inhabitants  of  that  drearj 
region  will  behold  their  sin  in  their  punishment, 
in  being  deprived  of  every  thing  which  can  ad- 
minister to  their  sensitive  enjoyment. 

With  regard  to  their  moral  state,  similar  effects 
will  be  produced.  Here,  they  hated  the  society 
of  the  righteous,  and  loved  to  mingle  with  evil 
doers  in  their  follies  and  their  crimes  ;  there  they 
will  be  for  ever  banished  from  the  company  of  the 
wise  and  the  benevolent,  and  will  feel  the  bitter 
effects  of  being  perpetually  chained  to  the  so- 
ciety of  those  n>alignant  associates  who  will  be 
their  everlasting  tormentors.  Here  they  delighted 
to  give  full  !«cope  to  their  depraved  appetites  and 
passions,  there,  they  will  feel  the  bitter  and  hor- 
rible effects  of  the  full  operation  of  such  lusts  and 
passions,  when  unrestrained  by  the  dictates  of 
reason,  and  the  authority  of  the  divine  law.  If, 
to  these  sources  of  sorrow  and  bitter  deprivations, 
be  added  the  consideration,  that,  in  such  minds, 
the  principles  of  malice,  envy,  hatred,  revenge,and 
every  other  element  of  evil,  which  pervaded  their 
souls  while  in  this  life,  will  rage  without  control, 
we  may  form  such  a  conception  of  future  misery 
as  will  warrant  all  the  metaphorical  descrip- 
tions of  it  which  are  given  in  Divine  Revela» 
tion,  without  supposing  auiy  farther  interptosi- 
tion  of  the  Deity,  in  the  direct  infliction  rf 
punishment.  While  he  leaves  them  simply  to 
"eat  of  the  fruit  of  their  own  toays,  and  to  6« 
JiUed  with  their  own  devices"  their  punishment 
must  be  dreadful,  and  far  surpassing  every  sp»- 
cies  of  misery  connected  with  the  present  state 
of  the  moral  world. 

On  the  other  hand,  a  consideration  of  the  infi- 
nitely diversified  sources  of  bliss  to  which  our  at- 
tention has  been  directed,  has  a  powerful  ten- 
dency to  impress  the  minds  ot  the  saints  with 
a  lively  perception  of  the  unbounded  nature  ol 
divine  benignity,  and  of  "  the  love  of  Grod 
which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord."  It  is  chiefly 
in  connection  with  such  expansive  views  of  the 
attributes  and  the  government  of  the  Deity,  that 
the  love  of  God  towards  the  redeemed  appears 
"  boundless,"  and  "  passing  comprehension ;" 
for  it  introduces  them  into  a  scene  which  is  not 
only  commensurate  with  infinite  duration,  but  is 
boundless  in  its  prospects  of  knowledge,  of  fell- 


loe 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


citj,  and  of  glory.  And,  iherefore,  amidat  all 
the  other  employments  of  the  heavenly  state, 
they  will  never  furgei  their  obligation  to  that 
unmerited  grace  and  mercy  which  rescued  their 
souls  firom  destruction,  but  will  mingle  with  alt 
their  sublime  investigations, — ascriptions  of 
"  blessing,  and  honour,  and  glory,  and  power,  to 
Him  that  sits  upon  the  throne,  and  lo  tho  Lamb, 
for  ever  and  ever." 

The  substance  of  what  has  been  detailed  in 
this  department  of  my  subject  may  be  now 
briefly  stated  in  the  following  summary  : 

The  redeemed  in  heaven  will  enjoy  perpetual 
and  uninterrupted  felicity — the  foundation  of  this 
felicity  will  be  laid  in  their  complete  freedom 
from  sin,  and  their  attainment  of  moral  perfec- 
tion— their  renovated  faculties  will  be  employ- 
ed in  contemplating  the  divine  glory — the  di- 
vine glory  consists  in  the  manifestation  of  the 
divine  perfections — the  sensible  display  of  these 
perfections  will  be  given,  (and  can  only  be  given) 
in  the  works  of  creation,  in  the  intelligences 
which  people  the  material  world,  their  ordem, 
gradations,  history,  and  present  state — in  the 
variety  of  scenery  which  the  abodes  of  intelli- 
gence exhibit — in  the  economy  and  moral  order 
which  prevail  among  them, — and  in  the  various 
dispensations  of  Divine  Providence  in  reference 
to  all  worlds  and  orders  of  beings. 

With  regard  to  the  happiness  of  heaven,  the 
Scriptures  convey  to  us,  in  general  propositions, 
certain  intimations  of  its  nature,  qualities,  and 
objects,  and  of  the  qualifications  which  are  requi- 
site in  order  to  its  enjoyment.  The  discoveries 
which  science  has  made  in  the  visible  creation 
form  so  many  illustrations  of  the  scriptural  decla- 
rations on  this  subject  j  and  it  is  undoubtedly  our 
duty  to  direct  our  trains  of  thought,  and  to  expand 
our  conceptions  of  the  felicities  of  the  future 
world,  by  every  illustrative  circumstance  which 
can  be  traced  in  the  scene  of  nature  which  the 
Almighty  has  presented  to  our  view.  For  the 
word  anid  the  works  of  God  must  always  har- 
monize, and  reflect  a  mutual  lustre  on  each  other. 
What  we  find  to  be  actually  existing  within  the 
visible  scene  of  the  universe,  can  never  contra- 
dict any  of  the  statements  of  Revelation ;  but, 
00  the  contrary,  must  tend  to  elucidate  some  one 
or  other  of  its  interesting  communications.  And 
aiDce  we  find,  in  our  survey  of  the  system  of 
nature,  an  assemblage  of  astonishing  objects 
which  tend  to  raise  our  conceptions  of  the  Su- 
prame  Being,  and  of  tho  sublime  and  diversified 
Mture  of  future  felicity, — it  becomes  us  to  prose- 
cote  those  trains  of  thought  which  the  analo- 
giei  of  Nature  and  of  Revelation  suggest,  in 
order  to  enlarge  the  capacities  of  our  minds,  to 
exalt  our  ideas  of  celestial  bliss,  and  to  prepare 
uf  ibr  more  expansive  and  sublime  contempla- 
tioos,  in  that  world  where  the  physical  aitd  mo- 
ral obstniciioiu  which  now  impede  our  progress, 


and  obscure  our  intellectual  views,  shall  be  oaa> 
pletely  and  for  ever  removed.  4|^ 

From  the  whole  of  what  we  have  stated  on 
this  d>  partment  of  our  subject,  we  may  learn 
thr  value  of  the  human  $cul,  and  the  imyirlanet 
which  ouglU  to  be  attached  to  our  immortal 
deitinatum.  What  a  shadow  does  human  life 
appear  when  contrasted  with  the  scenes  of 
futurity!  What  a  small  point  in  duration  do 
the  revolutions  of  time  present  when  compared 
with  a  boundless  eternity!  What  a  limited 
scene  does  this  world,  with  all  its  glories,  ex- 
hibit, when  set  in  competition  with  the  extent, 
and  the  splendours  of  that  empire  which 
stretches  out  into  immensity,  and  shall  endure 
for  ever !  And  is  man  to  be  trans|>orted  to 
other  regions  of  the  universe,  to  mingle  with 
the  inhabitants  of  other  worlds,  and  lo  exist 
throughout  an  endless  duration  ?  What  a  noble 
principle  does  the  human  mind  appear,  when 
we  consider  it  as  qualified  to  prosecute  so  many 
diversified  trains  of  thought,  to  engage  in  so 
sublime  investigations,  to  attain  the  summit  of 
moral  perfection,  and  to  expatiate  at  large, 
through  the  unlimited  dominions  of  the  Almighty, 
while  eternal  ages  are  rolling  on!  How  im[jort- 
ant,  then,  ought  every  thing  to  be  considered 
which  is  connected  with  the  scene  of  our  eternal 
destination  !  If  these  truths  be  admitted,  reason 
and  common  sense  declare,  that  a  more  inte- 
resting and  momerUou*  subject  cannot  possibly 
occupy  the  mind  of  man.  It  is  so  profoundly 
interesting,  and  connected  with  so  many  awful 
and  glorious  consequences,  that  we  must  be 
utterly  dead  to  every  noble  and  refined  feeling, 
if  we  be  altogether  indifferent  about  it. 

If  there  were  Only  a  bare  probabilitt/  for  the 
opinion,  that  man  is  immortal,  and  that  the  scenes 
to  which  I  have  alluded  might  possibly  be  real- 
ized, it  ought  to  stimulate  the  most  anxious  in- 
quiries, and  awaken  all  the  powers  and  energies 
of  our  souls.  For  it  is  both  our  duty  and  our 
highest  interest  to  obtain  light  and  satisfaction, 
on  a  point  on  which  our  present  comfort  and 
our  ultimate  happiness  must  depend.  Bui,  if 
the  light  of  nature,  and  the  dictates  of  revela- 
tion both  conspire  to  demonttrate  the  eternal 
destiny  of  mankind,  nothing  can  exceed  the  folly 
and  the  infatuation  of  those  who  trifle  wiili 
their  everlasting  interests,  and  even  try  every 
scheme,  and  prosecute  every  trivial  object,  thai 
may  have  a  tendency  to  turn  aside  their  thought! 
from  this  important  subject.  Yet,  how  often  dc 
we  find,  in  the  conduct  of  the  various  classes  o( 
mankind,  the  merest  trifles  set  in  competition 
with  the  scenes  of  happiness  or  of  misery  that 
lie  beyond  the  grave.  The  grovelling  pleasures 
derived  from  hounding  and  horse-racing,  balla^ 
masquerades,  and  theatrical  amusements  ;  the 
acquisition  of  a  few  paltry  pounds  or  shillings, 
the  rattling  of  dice,  or  the  shuffling  of  a  pack  of 


aUALIFICATIONS  FOR  HEAVEN. 


109 


4llrda,  will  absorb  the  minds  of  ihonsands  who 
profess  to  be  ratiunaJ  beings,  while  they  refuse 
to  spend  one  serious  hour  in  reflecting  on  the 
fate  of  their  immortal  spirits,  when  their  bodies 
shall  have  dropped  into  the  tomb.  Nay,  such 
is  the  indifference,  and  even  antipathy  with 
which  this  subject  is  treated  by  certain  classes 
of  society,  that  it  is  considered  as  unfashionable, 
and  in  ceitain  cases,  would  be  regarded  as  a 
species  of  insult,  to  introduce,  in  conversation, 
a  sentiment  or  a  reflection  on  the  eternal  destiny 
of  man.  "  The  carelessness  which  they  betray 
in  a  matter  which  involves  their  existence, 
their  eternity,  their  all,  (says  an  energetic 
French  writer)  awakes  my  indignation,  rather 
than  my  pity.  It  is  astonishing.  It  is  horrify- 
inff.  It  is  monstrous.  I  speak  not  this  from 
the  pious  zeal  of  a  blind  devotion.  On  the  con- 
trary, I  affirm,  that  self-love,  that  self-interest; 
that  the  simplest  light  of  reason,  should  inspire 
these  sentiments;  and,  in  fact,  for  this  we  need 
but  the  perceptions  of  ordinary  men. — It  requires 
but  little  elevation  of  soul  to  discover,  that  here 
there  is  no  substantial  delight ;  that  our  plea- 
sures are  but  vanity,  that  the  ills  of  life  are 
innumerable;  and  that,  after  all,  death,  which 
threatens  us  every  moment,  must,  in  a  few  years, 
perhaps  in  a  few  days,  place  us  in  the  eternal  con- 
dition of  happiness,  or  misery,  or  nothingness." 
It  is,  therefore,  the  imperative  duty  of  every 
man  who  makes  any  pretensions  to  prudence  and 
rationalitv,  to  endeavour  to  have  his  mind  im- 
pressed with  a  conviction  of  the  reality  of  a 
futare  and  invisible  world,  to  consider  its  import- 
ance, and  to  contemplate,  in  the  light  of  reason 
and  of  revelati  in,  the  grand  and  solemn  scenes 
which  it  displays.      While    the    least    doubt 


hovers  upon  his  mind  in  relation  to  this  subject, 
he  should  give  himself  no  rest  till  it  be  dispelled. 
He  should  explore  every  avenue  where  light  and 
information  may  be  obtained;  be  should  prose- 
cute his  researches  with  the  same  earnestness 
and  avidity  as  the  miser  digs  for  hidden  trea- 
sures ;  and  above  all  things,  he  should  study, 
with  deep  attention  and  humility,  the  revelation 
contained  in  the  Holy  Scri[>tures,  with  earnest 
prayer  to  God  for  light  and  direction.  And  if 
such  inquiries  be  conducted  with  reverence,  with 
a  devotional  and  contrite  spirit,  and  with  perse- 
verance, every  doubt  and  difficulty  that  may  have 
formerly  brooded  over  his  mind  will  gradually 
evanish,  as  the  shades  of  night  before  the  orient 
sun.  "  If  thou  criest  after  knowledge,  and  lift- 
est  up  thy  voice  for  understanding;  if  thou  seek- 
est  her  as  silver,  and  searchest  for  her  as  for  hid 
treasures — then  shall  thou  understand  the  fear  of 
the  Lord,  and  find  the  knowledge  of  God.  For 
the  Lord  giveth  wisdom,  out  of  his  mouth  cometh 
knowledge  and  understanding.  In  all  thy  ways 
acknowledge  him,  and  he  shall  direct  thy  paths. 
Then  shall  thy  light  break  forth  in  obscurity,  and 
thy  darkness  shall  be  as  the  noon-day." 

In  fine,  if  we  are  thoroughly  convinced  of  our 
relation  to  an  eternal  world,  it  will  be  our  con- 
stant endeavour  to  cultivate  those  heavenly  dis- 
positions and  virtues,  and  to  prosecute  that 
course  of  action  which  will  prepare  us  for  the 
enjoyments  of  the  heavenly  state.  "  For  with- 
out holiness  no  man  can  see  the  Lord  :  and  we 
are  assured  that  "  no  unclean  thing  can  enter  the 
gates  of  the  New  Jerusalem,"  and  that  neither 
"  thieves,  nor  extortioners,  nor  the  covetous, 
nor  the  effeminate,  nor  dninkards,  nor  revilers, 
nor  idolaters  shall  inherit  the  Kingdom  of  God." 


PART  IV. 


OK  THE  MORAL  ftUALIFICATIONS  REQUISITE  TO  THE  ENJOYMENTS  OP  THE  PEUCITY  OP 
THE  FUTURE  WORLD. 


There  is  scarcely  an  individual  who  admits 
the  d  jctrine  of  the  immortality  of  man,  who 
does  not  indulge  a  cer'ain  degree  of  hope,  that 
he  shall  be  admitted  into  a  happier  world,  when 
his  spirit  winjs  its  way  from  this  earthly  scene. 
Even  the  man  of  the  world,  the  profligate  and 
the  debauchee,  notwithstanding  their  conscious- 
ness of  uuilt,  and  of  the  opposition  of  their  affec- 
tions to  ih»  Divine  Law,  and  the  duties  of  the 
Christian  life,  are  frequently  found  buoying 
themselves  up,  in  the  midsl  of  their  unhallowe/ 
course-i,  with  the  vain  expectation,  that  an  All- 
Merciful  Creator  will  not  suffer  them  ultimately 
to  sink  in'o  perdition,  but  will  pity  their  weak- 
ness an  I  follies,  and  receive  them,  when  they  die, 
into  the  joys  of  heaven.  Such  hopes  arise  from 
ignorance  of  the  divine  character,  and  ot  that  in 


which  true  happiness  consists,  and  from  fallaci- 
ous views  of  the  exercises  ofafuture  state  and  tho 
n  iture  of  its  enjoyments.  For,  in  order  to  enjoy 
happiness  in  any  stale,  or  in  any  region  of  tho  uni- 
verse, the  mind  must  be  imbued  with  a  relish  for 
the  society,  the  contemplations,  and  the  employ- 
ments peculiar  to  that  region  or  state,  and  feel 
an  ardent  desire  to  participate  in  its  enjoyments. 
What  pleasure  would  a  miser  whose  mind  is 
wholly  absorbed  in  the  acquisition  of  riches,  feel 
in  a  world  where  neither  gold  nor  silver,  nor  any 
other  object  of  avarice  is  to  be  found  ?  What 
entertainment  would  a  man  whose  chief  en- 
joyment consists  in  hounding,  horse-racing, 
routes,  and  masquerades,  derive  in  a  scene 
where  such  amusements  are  for  ever  abolished? 
Could  it  be  supposed  that  those  who  now  find 


110 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


tb«ir  hi((hen  inlellectual  pleuurea  in  Novel* 
and  Romances,  and  in  listening  lo  lalesof  acan- 
dal,  would  ex|)erience  any  hi^h  degree  of  en- 
joymunt  in  a  world  where  there  is  oothing  but 
■ulutanlial  realities,  and  where  the  inhabiiants 
are  united  in  bonds  of  the  purest  alfection?^>r, 
that  those  whose  minds  never  rise  beyond  the 
pleasures  of  gambling,  card-playing,  and  gossip- 
pin^  chit-chat,  would  feel  any  relish  for  the  re- 
fined enjoyments,  the  sublime  contemplations, 
and  the  enraptured  praises  of  the  heavenly  in- 
habiian's?  All  the  arrangements  of  the  celes- 
tial state,  behoved  lo  be  changed  and  overturned, 
and  angels,  archangels,  and  redeemed  men, 
banished  from  its  abodes,  before  such  characters 
could  tind  entertainments  agreeable  to  their 
former  habits  and  desires.  Although  they  were 
admitted  into  the  mansions  of  bliss,  they  would 
be  miserably  disappointed  ;  and  would  feel  them- 
selves in  a  situdiion  similar  to  that  of  a  rude 
savage  or  a  Russian  boor,  were  he  to  be  intro- 
duced into  an  assembly  of  princes  and  nobles. 
They  would  perceive  nothing  congenial  to  their 
former  pursuits  ;  they  would  feel  an  inward  reluc- 
tance to  the  pure  and  holy  exercises  of  the  place, 
and  they  would  anxiously  desire  to  fly  away  to 
regions  and  to  companions  more  adapted  to 
their  grovelling  views  and  affections.  For,  it  is 
the  decree  of  Heaven — a  decree  founded  on  the 
moral  laws  which  govern  the  intelligent  universe, 
and  which,  like  the  law  of  the  Medes  and  Per- 
siiuis,  cannot  be  changed, — that  "  IVithout  holi- 
tuM  no  man  can  tee  the  Lord,^'  and  that  "  no  im- 
pure person  that  workeih  abomination,  ormakeih 
a  lie,  can  enter  within  the  gates  of  the  Heavenly 
Jerusalen.'." 

The  foundation  of  felicity  in  the  future  state, 
is  substantially  the  same  as  that  which  forms  the 
basis  of  happiness  in  the  present  world.  However 
elevated  the  station  in  which  an  individual  may 
be  placed,  however  much  wealth  he  may  possess, 
and  however  splendid  his  rank  and  equipage,  he 
can  enjoy  no  mbHantial  felicity,  while  he  remains 
the  slave  of  grovelling  appetites  and  affections, 
and  while  pride  and  envy,  ambition  and  revenge, 
exercise  a  sovereign  control  over  his  mind. 
While  destitute  of  supreme  love  to.  God,  and  be- 
nevoli-nt  affections  towards  man,  and  of  the 
Christian  virtues  which  flow  from  these  fuiida- 
roental  principles  of  moral  action,  the  mind  must 
rema^  a  stranger  to  true  happiness,  and  to  all 
those  expansive  views,  and  deliifhtful  feelings, 
which  Yaise  ihe  soul  above  the  pleasures  of  sense, 
and  the  trivial  vesatioas  and  disappointments  of 
the  pri'sent  life. 

The<«e  |K>sitions  could  be  demonstrated,  were 
it  necessary,  by  numerous  facts  connected  with 
the  nwral  scenery  of  human  society.  Whence 
proceeds  that  ennui,  which  is  felt  in  the  fa-'liion- 
able  work],  in  the  absence  of  balls,  parties,  ope- 
ras, and  theatrical  entenainmrnia?  Whence 
arise  those  domestic  broils,  thoee  family  feuds 


and  contentions,  which  are  so  common  in  tHt 
higher,  as  well  as  in  th<-  lower  ranks  of  life,  aurf 
which  embitter  every  enjoyment  ?  W  hence  does 
it  happen,  that,  in  order  lo  obtain  gratihcaiioa, 
and  to  render  exiiiience  tolerable,  so  many  tho«- 
sands  of  rational  beings  condescend  lo  indul^ 
in  the  most  childish,  foolish,  and  brutal  diver- 
sions? Even  in  the  most  polis)ic>d  circles  of 
society,  many  who  pride  themselves  on  their  su- 
periority to  ihe  vulgar  throng,  are  found  deriving 
their  chiefgratification.  not  only  inscatlenng  des- 
truction among  the  brutal  and  the  feathered  iribea, 
but  in  mingling  among  the  motley  rabttle  of  a  cock- 
pit, and  in  witnessing  a  cou[ile  of  boxure  encoiii>> 
tcring  like  furious  fiends,  and  covering  each  other 
wiih  wounds  and  gore.  Whence  arise  the  torments 
that  are  felt  from  wounded  pride  and  disappointed 
ambition?  and  how  does  it  happen  tlint  social 
parties  cartnot  enjoy  themselves  for  a  couple  of 
hours,  without  resorting  to  cards  and  dioe,  gam- 
bling and  guesipping,  and  the  circulation  of  talea 
of  scandal  ?  How  is  it  to  be  accounted  for,  that 
suicide  is  so  frequently  (K)nimitled  by  per-ons  in 
the  higher  circles,  who  are  surrounded  with 
luxuries  and  splendour ;  and  that  murmuring, 
discontentment,  and  ingratitude,  mark  ihe  dispo- 
sitions and  conduct  of  the  lower  ranks  of  society  T 
All  tliese  effects  proceed  from  the  absence  of 
Christian  principles  and  Hispoeitions,  and  from 
the  narrow  range  of  objects  to  which  the  intel- 
lectual powers  are  confined.  The  man  who  is 
actuated  by  Christian  views  and  affections,  looks 
down  with  indifference  and  contempt,  on  the  de- 
grading pursuits  to  which  I  have  alluded  :  his  soul 
aspires  after  objects  mote  congenial  lo  his  ra- 
tional and  immortal  nature ;  and  in  the  pursuit 
of  these,  and  the  exeiciite  of  the  virtues  which 
religion  inculcates,  he  enjoys  a  refined  pleasure 
which  the  smiles  of  the  world  cannot  produce, 
and  which  its  frowns  cannot  destroy. 

As  in  the  present  life  there  are  certain  mental 
endowments  necessary  for  securing  substantial 
happiness,  so,  there  are  certain  moral  qualifica- 
tions indUptntaJUy  requisite  in  otder  lo  pre|>«re  ua 
for  relishing  the  entertainments  and  the  employ- 
ments of  the  life  to  come.  The  ft>undati(>n  of  fu- 
ture felicity  must  be  laid  in  "  repentance  towards 
God,  and  faith  towards  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 
We  must  be  convinced  of  our  sin  and  depravity 
as  descendants  of  the  first  Adam,  of  the  demerit 
of  our  offences,  of  thesfiotless  purity  and  rii  rnal 
rectitude  of  that  Being  whom  xve  have  offrnded, 
and  of  the  danger  to  which  we  are  exfiosed  as 
the  violators  of  his  law.  We  must  receive,  with 
humility  and  gratitude,  the  salvation  exhibited 
in  the  Goe|>el,  and  "  behold,"  with  the  eye  of 
faith,  "  the  Lamb  of  God  who  taketh  away  the 
sins  of  the  world."  We  must  depend  on  the  aid 
of  the  Spirit  of  God  to  enable  us  lo  counteract 
the  evil  propensities  of  our  nature,  to  renew  our 
s</uls  after  the  divine  image,  and  lo  inspire  ua 
with  ardent  desires  lo  abound  all  in  those  "  fhiitk 


LOVE  TO  GOD. 


Ill 


ef  righteousness  which  are  to  the  praise  and  glory 
of  God."  We  must  "  add  to  our  faith,  fortiludt 
and  resolution,  and  to  fortitude  knowledge,  and  to 
knowledge,  temperance,  and  to  temperance,  pa- 
tience, and  to  patience,  godliness,  and  to  godli- 
ness, brotherly  kindness  and  charity.  For,  if 
these  things  be  in  us  and  abound,  they  will  per- 
mit us  to  be  neither  barren  nor  unfruitful  in  the 
knowledge  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ : — and  so  an 
entrance  shall  be  abundantly  administered  unto 
us  into  the  everlasting  kingdom  of  our  Lord  and 
Saviour."* 

The  foundation  of  Religion  being  thus  laid  in 
the  exercise  of  such  Christian  graces,  the  follow- 
ing dispositions  and  virtues,  among  many  others, 
will  be  cherished  and  cultivated,  and  will  form 
substantial  qualifications  for  enabling  us  tu  par- 
ticipate in  "  the  inheritance  of  the  saints  in  light." 

I.  Supreme  love  to  God,  the  original  source 
of  happiness.  This  is  the  first  duty  of  every 
rational  creature,  and  the  most  sublime  affection 
that  can  pervade  the  humain  mind.  It  glows  in 
the  breasts  of  angels  and  archangels,  of  cheru- 
bim and  seraphim,  yea,  there  is  not  an  inhabitant 
of  any  world  in  the  universe  who  has  retained 
his  primitive  integrity,  in  whose  heart  it  does 
not  reign  triumphant.  It  unites  all  holy  intelli- 
gences to  their  Creator  and  to  one  another;  and 
consequently,  it  must  qualify  us  for  holding  a  de- 
lightful intercourse  with  such  beings,  wherever 
they  exist,  and  in  whatever  region  of  the  universe 
our  future  residence  may  be  appointed.  It  enli- 
vens the  adorations  of  the  angelic  tribes,  when 
thoy  exclaim,  "  Thou  art  worthy,  O  Lord,  to  re- 
ceive glory,  and  honour,  and  thanksgiving,  and 
power."  It  animates  them  in  all  their  celestial 
services ;  it  inspires  them  with  a  noble  ardour 
in  executing  the  commands  of  their  Sovereign, 
and  it  qualifies  its  possessor,  to  whatever  world 
be  may  belong,  for  co-operating  with  them,  in 
carrying  forward  that  scheme  of  universal  be- 
nevolence, towards  the  accomplishment  of  which 
all  the  arrangements  of  the  Creator  ultimately 
tend. 

This  holy  aflfection  is  congenial  to  every  view 
we  can  take  of  the  character  and  operations  of 
the  Deity,  and  its  obligation  is  deduced  from  the 
dearest  principles  of  Reason,  as  well  as  from  the 
dictates  of  Revelation.  It  is  founded  on  every 
attribute  of  the  Divinity,  and  on  every  part  of 
his  physical  and  moral  administration.  His  om- 
nipotence is  every  moment  exerted  in  supporting 
the  frame  of  the  universe,  in  bringing  about  the 
alternate  succession  of  day  and  night,  summer 
and  winter,  seed-time  and  harvest,  and  in  direct- 
ing the  operation  of  the  elements  of  nature,  in 
such  a  way  as  lo  contribute  to  the  happiness  of 
man.  His  wisdom  and  intelligence  are  display- 
ed in  proportionating  and  arranging  every  object 
in  the  system  of  natu.-e,  in  such  a  manner,  that 

.    '  a  Peter  1. 5, «,  7,  »,  ii     Doddridge's  Translation. 


every  thing  is  preserved  in  order  and  harmony ; 
and  in  organizing  the  bodies  of  men  and  other 
creatures,  so  as  to  prevent  pain,  and  to  produce 
a  combination  of  pleasurable  sensations.  His 
goodness  extends  over  all  his  works,  and  is  dis- 
played towards  every  rank  of  sensitive  and  in- 
telligent existence.  Il  appears  in  the  splendours 
of  the  sun,  in  the  radiance  of  the  moon,  in  the 
glories  of  the  starry  firmament,  in  the  beautiful 
assemblage  of  colours  which  diversify  the  face  of 
Nature,  in  the  plants  and  flowers,  which  adorn 
the  fields,  in  the  gentle  zephyrs,  in  the  rains  and 
dews  that  fertilize  the  soil,  in  the  provision  made 
for  the  sustenance  of  the  innumerable  beings  that 
inhabit  the  air,  the  waters,  and  the  earth,  and 
"  in  filling  the  headb  of  men  with  food  and  glad- 
ness." His  mei^  and  forbearance  are  exer- 
cised towards  all  men,  even  to  the  most  profligate 
and  abandoned,  in  supporting  them  in  existence 
and  loading  them  with  his  benefits,  even  when 
they  are  engaged  in  acts  of  rebellion  against  him. 
For  he  commandeth  his  sun  to  arise  on  the  eiAl 
as  well  as  on  the  good,  and  sendeth  rain  both  on 
the  just  and  on  the  unjust.  He  displays  his  long- 
suffering,  for  many  years,  towards  the  thought- 
less prodigal,  and  the  violators  of  his  law,  to 
demonstrate,  that  "  he  desires  not  that  any  shouki 
perish,  but  that  all  should  come  to  repentance." 
A  Being  possessed  of  such  attributes,  and  in- 
cessantly displaying  such  beneficence  through- 
out creation,  demands  the  highest  affection  and 
veneration  of  all  his  intelligent  offspring ;  so 
that  it  is  the  dictate  of  enlightened  reason  as 
well  as  of  revelation,  "  Thou  shalt  love  the 
Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  with  all 
thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  strength."  For,  it  is 
from  him  as  the  original  source  of  felicity,  that 
all  our  sensitive  and  intellectual  enjovmenls  pro- 
ceed, and  on  him  we  depend  for  all  the  blessings 
that  shall  accompany  us  in  every  future  stage  of 
our  existence.  Love  to  God,  is  therefore,  the 
most  reasonable  and  amiable  affection  that  can 
glow  in  the  human  heart,  and  the  spring  of  every 
virtuous  action,  and  of  every  pleasing  and  rap- 
turous emotion.  If  we  are  possessed  of  this  di- 
vine principle,  we  shall  delight  in  his  worship, 
and  bow  with  reverence  at  his  footstool ;  we  shall 
feel  complacency  in  his  character  and  adminis- 
tration ;  we  shall  contemplate  with  admiration, 
the  incomprehensible  knowledge,  the  omnipotent 
power,  and  the  boundless  beneficence  displayed 
in  the  mighty  movements  of  creation  and  pro- 
vidence ,•  we  shall  feel  the  most  lively  emotions 
of  gratitude  for  the  numerous  blessings  he  be- ' 
stows  ;  we  shall  be  resigned  to  his  will  under 
every  providential  arrangement,  and  we  shall 
long  for  that  happy  world  where  the  glories  of  his 
nature,  and  the  "  kindness  of  his  love"  shall  be 
more  illustriously  displayed.  But  the  man  who 
is  destitute  of  this  amiable  affection,  is  incapable 
of  those  sublime  and  rapturous  emotions  which 
animate  tlie  minds  of  celestial  intelligences,  and 


IMS 


THK  PHILOSOPHY  OK  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


titog«tlier  unqatlified  for  mingling  in  their  aoci- 
«tj.  He  ii  a  retx*!  again«(  :h«  divine  goT«R> 
meat,  a  nuinance  in  the  univene  of  God,  ale 
slave  of  itrovelling  appetitea  and  paMiuns,  and 
consequently,  unfit  for  participating  in  the  rxer^ 
ciaet  and  enjDvmenIs  of  the  sainta  in  ftlory. 
-  2.  L/ivt  to  mankind  is  nnoiher  affection  which 

il  inditpi'nsably  requisite  lo  qualify  us  fur  parli- 
cipaiin)^  in  the  joys  of  heaven.  This  distinguish- 
ing chara<*ierislic  of  the  saints  naturally  and  ne- 
eesaarily  flows  from  love  to  (he  Supreme  Being. 
"Pot  (says  the  apostle  John)  everyone  that 
!oveth  him  who  begat,  loveth  them  also  who  arc 
begotten  of  him.  If  God  loved  us  we  ought  also 
to  love  one  another.  If  a  man  say,  I  love  God, 
and  hateth  his  brother,  he  is  a  liar ;  for  he  who 
loveth  not  his  brother  whom  he  hath  seen,  how 
can  he  love  God  whom  ho  hath  not  seen."  As 
the  spring  flows  from  the  fountain  and  partakes 
of  its  qualities,  and  as  the  shadow  always  ac- 
companies the  substance,  and  is  produced  by  it, 
■o  love  to  man  uniformly  accompanies  the  love 
of  God,  and  is  produced  by  the  powerful  influ- 
ence which  this  governing  principle  exerts  over 
the  mind. 

This  afleclion  is  accordant  with  the  dictates 
of  reason,  and  congenial  to  the  best  feelings  of 
the  human  heart.  When  we  consider  that  our 
fellow-men  derived  their  origin  from  the  same 
almighty  Being  who  brought  us  into  existence — 
that  they  are  endowed  with  the  same  physical 
functions  as  ourselves,  and  the  same  moral 
and  intellectual  powers, — that  they  relish  the 
same  pleasures  and  enjoyments,  possess  the  same 
feelings,  and  are  subjected  to  the  same  wants 
and  afflictions — that  they  are  involved  in  the 
same  general  depravity,  and  liable  to  the  same 
temptations  and  disasters — that  they  are  jour- 
neying along  with  us  to  the  tomb,  and  that  our 
dust  must  soon  mingle  with  theirs — when  we 
consider  the  numerous  relations  in  which  we 
stand  to  our  brethren  around  us,  and  to  all  the 
inhabitants  of  the  globe— our  de|)er»dence  U(>on 
all  ranks  and  descriptions  of  men,  and  upon  al- 
most every  nation  under  heaven  for  our  sen- 
■itive  and  intellectual  enjoyments, — und  that 
thousands  of  them  are  traversing  sea  and  land, 
and  expi>sing  themselves  to  innumerable  dan- 
gers, in  order  to  supply  us  with  the  comfiTts  and 
the  luxuries  of  life — when  we  consider,  that  they 
are  all  destined^ito  an  immortal  existence,  and 
■hall  survive  the  dissolution  of  this  globe,  and 
bear  a  part  in  the  solemn  scenes  uhieh  shall 
open  to  view  when  time  shall  be  no  more — in 
short,  when  we  consider,  that  (he  Great  Father 
of  all,  without  respect  of  persons,  makes  the 
same  vital  air  to  give  play  to  their  lungs,  (he 
same  water  to  cleanse  and  refresh  them,  the 
•■me  rains  and  dews  to  fructify  their  fields,  the 
same  sun  to  enlighten  their  day,  and  the  same 
moon  to  rheer  the  darkness  of  their  nighi — we 
■nM  b*  convinced,  that  love  to  oar  brethren  of 


mankind  is  ihe  law  of  the  Creator,  and  the  matt 
rational  and  amiable  affection  that  can  animate 
the  human  heart  in  relation  tosubordmate  inieU 
ligences.  He  who  is  dentitute  of  thi«  affeciion 
is  a  pest  in  society,  a  rebel  and  a  nuisance  in 
the  kingdom  of  God,  and,  of  coun>e^  unqualified 
for  the  enjoyment  of  celestial  bliss.  *•  For  he 
who  hateth  liis  brother,  is  a  murderer ;  and  we 
know  (hat  no  murderer  liaih  eternal  life  abiding 
in  him."* 

But,  our  love  is  not  to  be  confined  to  oar 
brethren  of  the  race  of  Adam.  It  must  take  a 
loftier  flight,  and  comprehend  within  its  expan- 
sive grasp,  all  the  holy  intelligences  in  the  uni- 
verse, in  so  far  as  their  nature  and  qualities  have 
been  made  known  to  us.  We  must  love  the  an- 
gelic tribes.  They  are  beings  who  stand  near 
the  summit  of  the  scale  of  inlellectiial  exis- 
tence ;  they  are  endowed  with  faculties  su|K-rior 
to  man ;  they  dwell  in  the  glt>rious  presence 
of  God,  and  are  employed  as  his  ministers  in 
superintending  the  aflfairs  of  his  government. 
They  are  [HMsessed  of  wonderful  activity,  in- 
vested with  powers  of  rapid  motion,  ttnd  flou- 
rish in  immortal  youth.  They  are  adorned  with 
consummate  holiness  and  rectitude,  and  with  pe- 
culiar loveliness  of  character.  Pride  and  vanity, 
envy  and  malice,  wrath  and  revenge,  never  ran- 
kle in  their  breasts.  They  never  indulge  in  im- 
piety, never  insult  the  Redeemer,  nor  bring  a 
railing  accusation  against  their  brethren.  They 
glow  with  an  intense  and  immortal  flame  of  love 
to  their  Creator  ;  they  are  incessantly  employed 
in  acts  of  benevolence ;  they  occasional  I  v  descend 
to  our  world  on  embassies  of  mercy,  and  are 
ministering  spirits  to  the  heirs  of  salvation.  On 
all  these  accounts  they  demand  our  esteem,  our 
approbation,  and  our  affectionate  regard.  And, 
although  they  are  at  present  placed  beyortd  the 
reach  of  our  beneficence,  and  we  have  no  oppor> 
tunity  of  expressing  our  benevolent  wishes,  yet 
we  may  afterwards  be  joined  to  iheir  society, 
and  co-operate  with  them  in  their  labours  of  love. 
The  indispensable  necessity  of  love  to  man- 
kind, and  to  every  class  of  holy  intelligences,  aa 
a  preparation  for  heaven,  will  appear,  when  we 
consider,  that  we  shall  mingle  in  their  society, 
and  hold  intimate  fellowship  with  them  in  the 
eternal  world.  For  the  inhabitants  of  our  workl 
who  are  admitted  into  heaven,  are  represented 
in  Scripture,  as  joining  "  the  general  assembly 
and  church  of  the  first-born,  the  spirits  of  just 
men  made  perfect  and  the  innumerable  company 
of  angels  ;"  and  her>ce  they  are  exhibited,  in  the 
book  of  Revelation,  as  joining  with  one  heart 
and  one  mind  in  contemplating  the  divine  opera- 
tions, and  in  celebrating  the  praises  of  their  com- 
mon Lord.  In  the  society  of  that  blessed  world, 
love  pervades  every  bosom,  it  reigns  for  ever 
triumphant;  and  therefore,  every  exercise  an4 

•  I  John  lU.  iIl 


HUMILITY. 


n^ 


tntercoiis'^  is  conducted  With  affection,  harmony, 
and  peace.  Among  the  other  evils  which  shall 
oe  banished  from  the  New  Jerusalem,  it  is  de- 
clared in  the  book  of  Revelation,  that  "  there 
shall  be  no  more  crying"  or,  as  the  words  should 
be  rendered,  "  there  shall  be  i;o  more  clamour, 
broils,  or  contentions"  arising  from  the  operaiion 
of  maliunatit  principles.  No  jarring  affection  is 
ever  felt,  no  malevolent  wish  is  ever  uttered,  and 
no  discordant  voice  is  ever  heard,  among  all  the 
myriads  of  those  exalted  intelligences.  Kind- 
ness and  benignity  expansive,  benevolence,  con- 
descension and  humility,  are  the  characieristics 
of  all  the  inhabitants  of  heaven.  Without  these 
qualities  the  celestial  world  would  become  a  scene 
of  eternal  confusion,  and  happiness  would  be 
banished  from  its  ab</dcs.  If,  therefore,  we  would 
be  qualified  to  associate  with  those  glorious  be- 
ings and  to  participate  in  their  enjoyments,  we 
must  cultivate  the  same  virtues,  and  be  animated 
by  similar  dispesi4ions,  otherwise,  we  could  ex- 
perience no  delight  in  the  society  of  angels, 
and  of  "  the  spirits  of  the  just  made  perfect." 
Were  an  individual  whose  heart  is  full  of  ran- 
cour and  envy,  who  delights  in  broils  and  conten- 
tions, and  in  the  exercise  of  revenge,  to  be  ad- 
mitted ino  that  society,  he  would  find  no  asso- 
ciates actuated  by  congenial  feelings,  he  would 
disturb  the  harmony  of  the  celestial  choir,  and 
would  be  instantly  expelled,  with  every  mark  of 
indignation  and  horror,  from  those  blessed 
abodes.  "  For  what  fellowship  hath  rishleous- 
ness  with  unriuhteousness  ?  what  communion 
hath  light  with  darkness  .'  and  what  concord 
hath  Christ  with  Belial  ?"  By  a  law  which 
pervades  the  whole  moral  universe  wherever  it 
extends,  which  can  never  be  rescinded,  and 
which,  like  ihe  law  of  gravitation  in  the  materi- 
al world,  connects  all  the  individuals  of  which  it 
is  composed  in  one  harmonious  system  ;  such 
characters  must,  of  necessity,  be  for  ever  exclu- 
ded from  the  mansions  of  the  blessed.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  man  whose  heart  glows  with  love 
to  his  Creator,  and  with  expansive  affection  to 
mankind,  and  towards  all  holy  beings,  is  secured 
of  eternal  happiness,  as  the  necessary  result  of 
the  pos-uession  of  such  divine  principles  ;  and 
must  enjoy  felicity,  while  such  principles  re- 
main in  exercise,  during  all  the  future  periods  of 
his  existence,  and  in  every  region  of  the  universe 
to  which  he  may  be  transported. 

3.  Humility  is  another  essential  qualification 
for  enjoying  the  felicity  of  the  future  world. 
There  is  nothing  that  appears  more  prominent 
in  the  character  of  the  bulk  of  mankind,  than 
pride,  which  displays  itself  in  a  thousand  differ- 
ent modes  in  Ihe  intercourses  of  society.  It  is 
uniformly  accompanied  with  haughtiness  of  de- 
meanour. selP«onceit,  obstinacy,  arrogance,  and 
k  whole  train  of  malignant  pas8ion^<  and  affec- 
tions. It  is  the  pest  of  general  society,  the 
source  of  domestic  broils  and  contentions,  and 
15 


the  greatest  corse  that  can  fall  on  a  Christian 
church,  when  it  insinuates  itself  into  the  minds 
of  those  who  "  love  to  have  the  pre-eminence." 
It  is  a  source  of  torment  to  its  possessor,  and  to 
all  around  him;  and  of  all  the  niaiignant  pas- 
sions which  rankle  in  the  human  breast,  it  is  the 
most  inconsistent  with  the  present  character  and 
condition  of  man.  It  is  peculiar  to  fallen  and 
depraved  intelligences,  for  it  is  certain,  from  ihe 
very  consiitution  of  the  moral  system,  that  no 
emotions  of  pride  or  haughtiness  are  ever  felt  ia 
the  breasts  of  angels,  or  any  other  holy  beings; 
because  such  affections  are  incompatible  with 
the  principle  of  love  to  God  and  to  our  fellow>> 
creatures. 

In  opposition  to  this  principle,  which  predo* 
minates  in  the  minds  of  fallen  man,  and  apostate 
Sin^eh,— ^humility  is  a  distinguishing  character- 
istic of  the  sons  of  God,  whether  on  earth  or  in 
heaven.  Hence,  we  are  told  that  "  God  re» 
sisteth  the  proud,  but  giveth  grace  to  the  hum- 
ble"—that  even  "  a  proud  look  is  an  abomina* 
tion  in  his  sight,"  while  he  beholds  with  coai» 
placency  "  the  humble  and  the  contrite  spirit.'* 
Hence,  we  are  exhorted  "  to  clothe  ourselves 
with  humility  ;"  and  "  to  forbear  one  another 
in  all  lowliness  and  meekness  of  mind,  and  to 
esteem  others  better  than  ourselves."  Humility 
consists  in.  a  just  sense  of  our  character  and  con» 
dition,  both  as  depending  beings  and  as  apos* 
tate  creatures,  accompanied  wiih  a  correspon- 
denttrain  of  dispositions  and  affections.  Howe^ 
Vfr  much  this  disposition  has  been  disrelished  by 
Hume  and  other  infidels,  who  consider  it  as  both 
vicious  and  contempiible, — when  viewed  in  its 
true  light,  it  appears  congenial  to  the  best  feel- 
ings of  our  nature,  and  to  the  plainest  deductions 
of  reason.— When  we  consider  our  condition  as 
creatures,  d'^pendent  every  moment  on  a  Supe- 
rior Being  "  for  life,  and  breath,  and  all  things," 
when  we  reflect  on  the  curious  organization  of 
our  corporeal  frame,  the  thousands  of  veins,  arte- 
ries, muscles,  bones,  lacteals,  and  lymphatics, 
which  are  interwoven  through  its  constitution; 
the  incessant  pulsation  of  the  heart  in  the  centre 
of  the  system  and  the  numerous  other  functions 
and  movements  over  which  we  have  no  control, 
— when  we  reflect  on  our  character  as  guilty  and 
depraved  creatures,  in  the  presence  of  Him 
"  who  is  of  purer  eyes  than  to  b  ,'hold  iniquity ;" 
and  on  the  numerous  diseases,  pains,  sorrowsj 
and  physical  evils  from  the  war  of  the  elements, 
to  which  we  are  subjected, — when  we  consider^ 
that,  ere  long,  our  bodies  must  crumble  into  dust, 
and  become  the  prey  of  noisome  reptiles  ;— 
when  we  reflect  on  the  low  station  in  which  toe 
are  placed  in  the  scale  of  intelligent  existenc«-~ 
that  we  are  only  like  so  many  atoms,  or  micro- 
scopic animalculte  when  contrasted  with  the  in- 
numerable myriads  of  bright  intelligences  that 
people  the  empire  of  God — and  that  the  globe 
on  which  we  dwell  is  but  as  "  the  drop  of  % 


114 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


bucket,"  when  comparrd  with  the  millioM  oT 
laon  re«plen<ient  worlds  that  roll  Ihrougl^he 
TUt  ■ptcm  of  creation  ; — and,  in  ahurl,  «nBn 
wa  consider  the  grandeur  of  that  Omnipotent 
Being  whose  presence  pervades  every  rrj;ion  of 
immensity,  and  in  whose  si^hi  "  all  the  inhabit- 
ants of  I  he  world,  are  as  grasshoppers,  and  are 
counted  to  him  as  less  than  nothing  and  vanity," 
there  is  no  disposition  that  appears  more  con* 
fiMinable  to  (he  character  and  condiiiun  of  man, 
than  "  lowliness  of  mind,"  and  none  more  un- 
reasonable and  inconsistent  with  the  rank  and 
circumsianci-8  in  which  he  is  placed,  than  pride, 
haughtiness  and  arrogance. 

This  amiable  disposition  forms  a  peculiar  trait 
in  the  character  of  angels  and  other  pure  intelli- 
gences. It  is  poor,  puny,  sinfu!  man,  alone,  who 
dares  to  be  proud  and  arrogant.  It  is  that  re- 
bellious worm  of  the  dust  alone,  ( if  we  except 
the  angels  of  darkness,)  that  looks  down  with 
supercilious  contempt  on  his  fellow-creatures, 
and  attempts  to  exalt  himself  above  the  throne  of 
God.  No  such  affections  are  ever  felt  in  the 
breast  of  superior  beings  who  have  kept  iheir  first 
Otate.  In  proportion  to  the  enlar>;ed  capacity 
of  their  minds  ;  in  proportion  to  the  expansive 
views  they  have  acquired  of  the  dominions  of 
Jehovah,  in  proportion  to  the  elevated  concep- 
tions they  have  attained  of  the  character  and  at- 
tributes of  their  Creator,  in  a  similar  proportion 
are  their  minds  inspired  withhumility,  reverence 
and  lowly  adoration.  Havinv  taken  an  extensive 
•urvey  of  the  operations  of  Omnipotence,  having 
winged  their  way  to  numerous  worlds,  and  be- 
held scenes  of  wisdom  and  benevolence,  which 
the  eye  of  man  hath  not  yet  seen,  nor  his  imagi- 
nation conceived,  and  having  contemplated  dis- 
plays of  inlellioence  and  power,  which  are  beyond 
the  reach  even  of  their  own  superior  fa.^ulties  to 
comprehend — ^hey  see  themselves  as  hni  e  and 
imperfi-ct  creatures,  and  even  as  it  were  fools,* 
in  the  presence  of  Him  whose  glory  is  iiieff,ible 
and  whose  ways  are  past  finding  out. — Hence, 
they  are  represented  as  "  covering  their  faces 
with  their  wings,"  in  the  presence  of  their  So- 
vereign ;t  and,  in  the  B>K>k  of  Revelation,  they 
are  exhibi-ed  as  "  casting  their  crowns  before  the 
throne,  and  saying  thou  art  worthy,  O  Lord,  to 
receive  glory,  and  honour,  and  power. "J  What 
aatrikini;  contrast  does  such  a  scene  present  to 
dW  hanghty  airs,  and  the  arrogant  conduct  of  the 
proud  beings  that  dwell  on  this  terrestrial  ball, 
who  are  at  the  same  time  immersed  in  ignorance 
and  folly,  immorality  and  crime! 

In  their  intercoursrs  with  the  inhabitants  of 
oar  world,  and  the  offices  they  perform  as  minis- 
tering ipirila  to  the  beira  of  calvation,  the  same 


*  In  the  book  of  Job,  P.llphat,  when  dcscrlbln?  the 

KTeCtlons  of  the   AlmiKht)',  declares,   tliat   "  •»>« 
ren*  are  not  clean  in  his  sifht,"  and  that  even 
his  anitels  he  chargelh  wllh/oUtf."  Job  iv.  m  xv.is. 
tlsakhrLS.  I  Rev.  It.  lo.  1 1 


humble  and  con«tescending  demeanor  is  displajred. 
One  of  the  highest  order  of  those  cele-iial  mes* 
■angers — "  Gabriel,  who  stand*  in  the  presence 
of  God," — winged  his  fli;;ht  from  his  heavenly 
mansion  to  our  wretched  world,  and,  directing 
his  course  to  one  of  the  most  despicable  villages 
of  Galilee,  entered  into  ihe  huvel  of  a  poor  vir> 
gin,  and  delivered  a  message  of  joy,  with  the 
most  affectionate  and  condescending  gratulatioos. 
Another  of  these  benevolent  beings  entered  the 
dungeon  in  which  Peler  was  bound  with  chains, 
knocked  off  his  fetters,  addressed  him  in  the  lan- 
guage of  kindness,  and  delivered  him  from  the 
hands  of  his  furious  persecutors.  When  Paul 
was  tossing  in  a  storm,  on  the  billows  cjf  the 
Adriatic,  a  forlorn  exile  from  his  native  land,  and 
a  poor  despised  prisoner,  on  whom  the  grandees 
of  this  world  looked  down  with  contempt, ^-an- 
other of  these  angelic  beings,  "  stood  by  him," 
during  the  darkness  of  the  night  and  the  war  of 
the  elements,  and  consoled  his  mind  wiih  the  as- 
surance of  the  divine  favour  and  protection. 
Lazarus  was  a  poor  despised  individual,  in  ab- 
ject poverty  and  distress,  and  dependent  on  ch^ 
rily  for  his  subsistence.  He  lay  at  the  gate  of  a 
rich  man,  without  friends  or  attendants,  desiring 
to  be  fed  with  the  crumbs  that  fell  from  his  table. 
His  body  was  covered  with  boils  and  ulcers, 
which  were  exposed  without  covering  to  the  open 
air ;  for  the  "  dogs  came  and  licked  his  sores." 
What  nobleman  or  grandee  would  have  conde- 
scended to  make  a  companion  of  a  felbw-crea- 
ture  in  such  loathsome  and  abject  circumstances  ? 
Who,  even  of  the  common  people,  woukl  have 
received  such  a  person  into  their  houses,  or  de- 
sired his  friendship  ?  Who  would  have  accounted 
it  an  honour,  when  he  died,  to  attend  his  funeral  ? 
Celestial  beings,  however,  view  the  circum- 
stances, and  the  characters  of  men  in  a  very  dif- 
ferent light,  from  that  in  which  they  appear  to 
"  the  children  of  pride."  Poor  and  despised  as 
Lazarus  was,  a  choir  of  angels  descended  from 
Iheir  mansions  of  glory,  attended  him  on  his 
dying  couch,  and  wafted  his  disembodied  spirit 
to  the  realms  of  bliss. 

Since,  then,  it  appears,  that  angelic  beings, 
notwithstanding  their  exalted  stations,  and  the 
superior  glories  of  their  character,  are  "  clothed 
with  humility," — it  must  form  a  distinguishing 
trait  in  our  moral  characters,  if  we  expect  to  be 
admitted  into  their  society  in  the  world  to  come. 
For  how  could  we  enter  into  harmonious  fellow- 
ship with  these  pure  intelligences,  if  we  were 
actuated  with  dispositions  diametrically  opposite 
to  theirs,  and  what  happiness  would  result  from 
such  an  association,  were  it  possible  to  be  effect- 
ed ?  A  proud  man,  were  he  admitted  into  hea- 
ven, could  feel  no  permanent  enjoyment.  The 
external  glory  of  the  place  might  dazxle  his  eyes 
fur  a  little,  but  he  would  feel  no  relish  for  the  so- 
ciety and  th«  employments  of  that  world.  The 
peculiar  honour  conferred  on  patriarchs,  pro> 


FOLDY  OF  PRIDE. 


115 


,phet8,  and  epostles,  and  the  noble  army  of  mar- 
tyrs, and  the  exalted  stations  of  (he  cherubim  and 
seraphim,  would  excite  his  envy  and  ambition, 
and,  ere  long,  he  would  attempt  to  sow  the  seeds 
of  discord,  and  to  introduce  anarchy  and  confu- 
sion among  the  hosts  of  heaven.  So  that  the 
passion  uf  pride,  when  cherished  in  the  soul  as 
the  governing  principle  of  action,  is  utterly  in- 
compatible with  our  admission  into  the  regions 
of  harmony  and  love. 

Let  me  ask  the  man  in  whose  heart  pride  and 
haughtine^js  predominate,  if  he  really  imagines 
that  he  can  be  a  candidate  for  a  glorious  and  im- 
oiorlal  existence  ?  Does  he  not  at  once  perceive 
the  inconsistency  of  such  a  thought  with  the  dic- 
tates of  reason,  and  the  nature  of  future  felicity  ? 
— Of  what  has  he  any  reason  to  be  proud  ?  Is 
he  proud  of  his  birth?  of  his  ancestors  ?  of  his 
VJealth?  of  his  ttation?  of  his  beaviy  ?  of  his 
personal  accomplishmerUs  ?  o{  \ns  gallantry  ?  of 
hia  debaucheries?  of  his  military  priTUieM.?  or  of 
the  thousands  of  human  being*  he  has  slain  tn 
tattle  ?  Is  he  proud  of  his  skill  in  music,  in 
dancing,  in-tencing,  in  fox-hunling,  and  in  gam- 
bling? of  his  knowledge  in  languages,  in  lite- 
rature, in  arts  and  sciences?  Or  is  he  proud 
that  he  is  subjected  to  the  asthma,  the  gra- 
vel, the  dropsy,  and  the  gout,  that  his  fune- 
ral will  be  attended  by  a  train  of  mourners, 
and  that  a  monument  of  marble  will  be  erect- 
ed to  his  memory,  when  his  carcass  is  putre- 
fying with  the  reptiles  of  the  dust?  Suppose 
'■he  were  admitted  into  the  celestial  mansions- - 
which  of  all  these  topics  would  he  choose  for  the 
theme  of  his  conversation,  and  the  ground  of  his 
boasting?  Would  he  attempt  to  entertain  the 
dherubim  and  the  seraphim,  by  telling  them  how 
many  rude  chieftains  he  was  descended  from, 
how  many  ancient  families  he  was  connected 
with,  and  how  many  acres  of  land  he  possessed 
as  a  patrimony  in  that  wretched  world  which  is 
soon  to  be  wrapt  in  flames  ?  Would  he  tell  them 
of  his  expertness  as  a  marksman,  of  his  dexte- 
rity as  a  horse  racer,  of  his  adroitness  as  a  boxer, 
of  his  skill  in  manoeuvring  an  army,  of  the  vil- 
lages he  had  burned,  of  the  towns  he  had  pil- 
laged, or  of  the  thousands  he  had  butchered  in 
stoming  a  city  ? — He  would  be  overwhelmed 
with  shouts  of  indignation,  and  instantly  hissed 
from  their  abodes. — Would  he  boast  of  his  skill 
in  languages  andantiquitins,  or  of  his  knowledge 
in  arts  and  sciences?  What  a  poor  ignoramus, 
(if  I  may  use  the  expression)  would  he  appear 
in  the  presence  of  Gabriel,  the  angel  of  God, 
who  has  so  frequently  winged  his  way,  in  a  few 
hours,  from  heaven  to  earth,  and  surveyed  the 
regions  of  imniimbered  worlds  !  Would  a  poor 
worm  of  the  earth,  whose  view  is  confined  within 
a  few  miles  around  it,  boast  of  its  knowledge  in 
the  presence  of  beings  endowed  with  such  capa- 
cious powers,  and  who  have  rangeii  over  so  vast 
£  portion  uf  the  universe  of  God  ?    And,  H  he 


has  nothing  else  to  boast  of,  why  is  he  proud  ? 
What  a  pitiful  figure  he  wouU  make  among  th« 
inteUigeTit  and  adoring  hosts  of  heaven  ?  While 
such  a  disposition,  therefore,  predominates  in  the 
mind,  its  possessor  can  enjoy  no  substantial  feli- 
city either  in  this  life  or  in  the  life  to  come. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  man,  who,  like  his  Re» 
deemer,  is  "  meek  and  lowly  in  heart,"  has  "the 
witness  in  himself,"  that  he  has  obtained  the  ap- 
probation of  his  God,  that  he  is  assimilated  to 
angelic  beings  in  his  temper  and  affections,  that 
he  has  the  principle  of  eternal  life  implanted  ia 
his  soul,  and  that  he  is  in  some  measure  qualified 
for  joining  in  the  exercises,  and  enjoying  the 
felicity  of  the  heavenly  state.  "  For  thus  saith 
the  high  and  lofly  One  that  inhabiteth  eternity, 
whose  name  is  holy;  I  dwell  in  the  high  and 
holy  place, — with  him  also  that  is  of  a  ctmtrite 
and  humble  spirit,  to  revive  the  spirit  of  the  hum- 
ble, and  to  revive  the  heart  of  the  contrite  ones." 

4.  Active  Beneficence,  with  all  its  accompany- 
ing virtues,  is  another  characteristic  of  (he  maa 
who  is  training  for  the  heavenly  inheritance. 
Wherever  the  principle  of  love  to  God  and  man, 
and  the  grace  of  humility  are  in  exercise,  they 
will  uniformly  lead  the  individual  who  is  under 
their  influence  to  "  aboiuid  in  the  fruits  of  right- 
eousness, and  to  use  every  active  endeavour  to 
promote  the  comfort  and  happiness  of  mankind. 
He  will  endeavour,  as  far  as  his  power  and  influ- 
ence extend,  to  relieve  the  wants  of  the  poor, 
the  fatherless  and  the  widow,  to  soothe  the  dis- 
consolate, to.  comfort  the  afflicted,  to  shelter  the 
houseless  and  benighted  traveller,  to  instruct  the 
ignorant,  and  to  meliorate  the  moral  and  physical 
condition  of  every  rank  of  society.  He  will  pa- 
tronize every  scheme  which  has  for  its  object  to 
remove  the  evils  which  exist  in  the  social  siale^ 
to  increase  the  comforts  of  mankind — to  improve 
the  soil — lo  facilitate  human  labour — to  clear  awaj 
nuisances  from  (he  habitations  of  men — to  pro- 
mote order,  cleanliness, and  domestic  enjoyment 
— lo  train  the  minds  of  the  young  to  knowledge 
and  viitue — to  introduce  improvement  in  the  me- 
chanical arts,  and  to  diffuse  useful  science  among 
all  ranks.  Above  all  things  he  will  endeavour, 
in  so  far  as  his  station  and  opportunities  permit, 
to  promote  the  spiritual  improvement  and  the 
eternal  happiness  of  mankind,  and  will  study  to 
render  all  his  other  exertions  subservient  to  the 
attainment  of  this  most  interesting  and  momen- 
tous object.  In  contributing  to  the  accomplish- 
ment of  this  end,  he  will  give  his  countenance 
and  support  to  every  institution,  and  to  every  ra- 
tional itcheme  which  is  calculated  to  promote  the 
knowledge  of  the  scriptures  of  truth,  throughout 
our  own  country,  and  in  other  lands,  and  to  make 
known  "  the  salvation  of  God "  over  all  the 
earth.— In  such  benevolent  exertions  he  will  per- 
severe, even  in  the  face  of  every  species  of  op- 
position, obloquy,  and  reproach,  through  the  whole 
course  of  his  -axiatenco  in  this  world,  till  de&tk 


116 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  A  PUTURE  STATE. 


transport  him  to  a  nobler  sphere  of  action  and 
enjoyment. 

The  necessity  of  acquiring  habits  of  active 
beneficence,  in  order  to  our  preparation  for  the 
felieity  of  the  future  world,  will  appear,  if  we 
coDsidnr,  that  heaven  is  a  socio/  ttale,  and  that 
a  considerable  portion  of  its  happiness  will  con- 
sist in  the  mutual  interchange  of  benevolent  af- 
fections and  beneficent  actions.  There  will, 
indeed,  be  no  p'>or  and  distressed  objects  to  be 
relieved  and  comforted,  no  sorrows  to  be  allevi- 
ated, and  no  physical  nor  moral  evils  to  be  coun- 
teracted ;  for,  in  the  New  Jerusalem  "  there 
■hall  be  no  more  death,  neither  sorrow  nor  cry- 
ing, neither  shall  there  be  any  more  pain,  for 
the  former  things  shall  have  passed  away,  and 
Ood  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their  eyes." 
But  itfl  inhabitants  will  be  for  ever  employed  in 
acta  of  beneficence  towards  each  other,  corres- 
ponding tu  their  dignified  stations,  and  the  cir- 
cumstances in  which  they  are  placed.  This  is 
evident  from  the  very  nature  of  Love,  which 
pervades  the  hearts  of  the  whole  of  that  "  mul- 
titude which  no  man  can  number."  Love  can 
be  manifested  only  by  its  f/fecU,  or  by  those  ex- 
ternal acts  of  kindness  and  benignity  which  tend 
to  communicate  happiness  to  others;  and,  there 
can  be  nu  doubt,  that,  in  a  thousand  ways  in- 
comprehensible to  UK,  the  inhabiiants  of  the 
upper  world  will  be  tho  means  of  diffusing  ec- 
static delight  through  the  bosoms  of  surroundin" 
intelligences,  which  will  form  a  pait  of  that  joy 
which  is  "  unspenkable  and  full  of  glory."  The 
sympathetic  feelings  they  will  express  for  each 
other,  boih  in  respect  to  their  former  and  their  pr» 
sentcDndition,  the  interest  they  will  take  in  listen- 
ing to  each  other's  history,  the  scenes  of  felicity 
to  which  they  will  conduct  each  other,  the  noble 
and  enrapturing  subjects  of  conversation  with 
which  thry  will  entertain  one  another,  the  ob- 
jecto  of  beauty  and  sublimity  to  which  they  will 
direct  each  other's  attention,  the  lectures  on  di- 
vine subjects,  which  the  more  capacious  and 
exalted  spirits  among  them  may  deliver  to  their 
younger  brethren  of  "  the  church  of  the  first- 
born," and  the  intelligence  from  distant  worlds 
which  the  aoraphim  may  communicate,  on  re- 
turning from  their  embassies  of  love  to  other 
regions — may  n>rm  a  part  of  thoae  beneficent 
■ervicu!!,  into  which  nvery  inhabitant  of  that 
world  will  eni;age  with  peculiar  pleasure.  To 
communicate  happiness  in  every  possible  mode, 
to  make  surrounding  associates  exult  with  joy, 
and  to  stimulate  them  to  celebrate  the  piaises 
of  the  "  Giver  of  all  Good,"  will  be  their  un- 
CMsing  desi-e  and  their  everlasting  delight. 

We  have  every  reason  to  believe,  that  a  vast 
■yttem  of  universal  Bei>eTolence  is  going  on 
throUKhoui  the  universe  of  God,  and  that  it  is 
the  grand  object  of  his  moral  government  to  dis- 
tribute happineas  amonij;  unnumbered  worlds, 
la  prosecuting  ihia  object,  be  employs  created 


intelligences,  aa  bis  ministers  in  accompliahtng 
his  designs,  and  for  cuimnunicating  enjovment 
to  each  other.  With  ret>pect  to  the  aiigeis,  we 
are  informed  by  Paul,  that  "  they  are  all  mini*' 
tering  ipiriu,  sent  forth  to  minister  tu  them  who 
shall  be  heirs  of  salvatitm."  Hence  we  leaiii 
from  sacred  history,  that  they  delivered  Peter 
from  the  fury  of  Herod  and  thu  Jewish  rulers,— 
Daniel  from  the  ravenous  lions — Lot  from  the 
destruction  of  Sodom,  and  Jacob  from  the  hauda 
of  Esau;  that  they  strengthened  and  refreshed 
Elijah  in  the  wilderness,  comforted  Daniel  wheo 
covered  with  sackcloth  and  ashes,  directed  J<^ 
seph  and  Mary  in  iheir  journey  to  Egypt,  and 
Cornelius  to  Peter,  to  receive  the  knowledge  of 
salvation;  that  they  communicated  "  go<id  ti- 
dings of  great  joy"  to  Zacharias  the  father  of 
John  the  Baptist,  to  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  to 
the  shepherds  in  the  plains  of  Bethlehem,  and 
consoled  the  hearts  of  the  disconsolate  disciplea, 
by  proclaiming  the  resurrection  of  their  Lord 
and  Master  ; — and  we  have  reason  to  coodude, 
that  such  ministrations  are  appointed  to  becoi^ 
tinned  throughout  all  the  pernxis  ot'lime. 

It  is  not  improbable  that  the  spirits  of  juat 
men  made  perfect  are  likewise  occasiouallT 
employed  in  similar  services.  When  thevistoo 
of  the  New  Jerusalem  was  exhibited  to  Joha 
by  a  celestial  messenger,  he  "  fell  down  to  wofw 
ship  before  the  feet  of  the  messenger,  who  show^ 
ed  him  these  things."  But  the  messenger  for- 
bade him,  saying, — "  See  thou  do  it  not  ;  for/ 
an  thy  feUnw-tervant,  and  of  thy  brethren  tht 
prophets,  and  of  them  that  keep  (or  are  interested 
in)  the  sayings  of  this  book."  These  words 
would  naturally  lead  us  to  conclude,  that  ihia 
messenger  was  a  departed  saint,  since  he  desig- 
nates himself  a  brother,  ti  prophet,  and  a  fellino- 
Mervant,  Perhaps  it  was  the  spirii  of  Moses,  of 
David,  of  Isaiah,  of  Jeremiah,  or  of  Daniel,  wlv) 
would  account  it  an  honour  to  be  employed  is 
such  a  service  by  their  exalted  Lord.  Bui 
whether  or  not  such  a  supposition  may  be  admit>. 
ted,  certain  it  is,  that  the  saints  will  hereafter 
be  employed  in  active  beneficent  services,  ic 
concert  with  other  holy  beings,  so  long  as  ihei* 
existence  endures.  For  they  are  constitutea 
"  Kings  and  Priests  to  tho  God  and  Father  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  and  are  "  workers  to- 
gether with  God,"  in  carrying  forward  the  plana 
of  his  government. 

Since,  th^n,  it  appears,  that  the  inhabitants 
of  heaven  are  incessantly  employed  in  acts  of 
beneficence,  the  habit  of  beneficence  which  ia 
acquired  in  this  world,  along  with  its  ac> 
companying  virtues,  may  be  considered  as 
a  preparation  and  a  qualification  for  that 
more  extensive  s -here  of  moral  action  into 
which  tho  saints  shall  be  introduced,  when  they 
wing  their  way  from  this  earthly  ball  tu  the 
regions  above.  And,  consequently,  those  who 
never  engage  in  "  works  of  laith  and  labours  of 


SOCIETY  OP  HEAVEN. 


117 


love,"  and  who  are  governed  by  a  principle  of 
aelfithness  in  the  general  tenor  of  their  conduct, 
must  be  considered  as  unquali6ed  for  taking  a 
part  in  the  benevolent  employments  of  the  celes- 
tial world.* 

Let  us  now  consider  for  a  little,  the  happiness 
which  must  flow  from  an  association  with  intel- 
ligent beings  animated  with  the  sublime  prin- 
ciples and  holy  dispositions  to  which  I  have  now 
adverted. 

In  the  present  world,  one  of  the  principal 
sources  of  misery,  arises  from  the  malevolent 
dispositions,  and  immoral  conduct  of  its  iniiabi- 
tants.  Pride,  ambition,  malignant  passions, 
falsehood,  deceit,  envy,  and  revenge,  which  ex- 
ercise a  sovereign  sway  over  the  hearts  of  the 
majority  of  mankind— have  produced  more  mi- 
sery and  devastation  among  the  human  race, 
than  the  hurricane  and  the  tempest,  the  earth- 
quake and  the  volcano,  and  all  the  other  concus- 
sions of  the  elements  of  nature.  The  lust  of 
ambition  has  covered  kingdoms  with  sackcloth 
and  ashes,  levelled  cities  with  the  ground,  turned 
villages  into  heaps  of  smoking  ruins,  transformed 
fertile  hclds  into  a  wilderness,  polluted  the  earth 
with  human  gore,  slaughtered  thousands  and 
millions  of  human  beings,  and  filled  the  once 
cheerful  abodes  of  domestic  life,  witli  the  sounds 
of  weeping,  lamentation,  and  woe.  Injustice 
and  violence  have  robbed  society  of  its  rights 
and  privileges,  and  the  widow  and  fatherless  of 
their  dearest  enjoyments.  Superstition  and  re- 
venge have  immolated  their  millions  of  victims, 
banished  peace  from  the  world,  and  subverted 
the  order  of  society.  The  violation  of  truth  in 
contracts,  aflirmations,  and  promises,  has  in- 
volved nations  in  destruction,  undermined  the 
foundations  of  public  prosperity,  blasted  the 
good  name  and  the  comfort  of  families,  perplexed 
and  agitated  the  minds  of  thousands  and  millions, 
and  thrown  contempt  on  the  revelations  of  hea- 
ven, and  the  discoveries  of  science.  Malice, 
envy,  hatred,  and  similar  affections,  have  stirred 
up  strifes  and  contentions,  which  have  invaded 
the  peace  of  individuals,  families,  and  societies, 
and  imbittered  all  their  enjoyments.  It  is 
scarcely  too  much  to  affirm,  that  more  than  nine- 
tenths  of  all  the  evils,  perplexities,  and  sorrows, 
which  are  the  lot  of  suffering  humanity,  are 
owing  to  the  wide  and  extensive  operation  of 
such  diabolical  principles  and  passions. 

What  a  happiness,  then,  must  it  be,  to  mingle 
in  a  society  where  such   msilignant  affections 

•  Tills  subject  mi?ht  have  been  illustrated  at 
greater  length ;  but  as  the  author  has  already  had 
occasion  to  enter  into  a  minute  discussion  of  the 
principles  of  moral  action,  and  their  relation  to  the 
inhabitants  of  all  worlds,  in  his  work  on  "  The  Phi- 
losophy of  Religion,"— he  refers  his  readers  to  that 
tie.ilise,  for  a  more  ample  elucidation  of  the  several 
topics,  to  which  he  has  briefly  adverted  In  the  pre- 
ceding pages—  particularly  to  Chap.  L  throughout, 
Chap.  II.  Section  3,  4,  5,  8,  8,  and  the  Qeneral  Con- 
ttutUmi, 


shall  never  more  shed  their  baleful  influence, 
and  where  love,  peace,  and  harmony,  mutual 
esteem,  brotherly-kindness  and  charity,  are  for 
ever  triumphant !  To  depart  from  a  world 
where  selfishness  and  malignity,  strife  and  dis- 
sensions, wars  and  devastations  so  generally 
prevail,  and  to  enter  upon  a  scene  of  enjoyment 
where  the  smiles  of  benevolence  beam  from  the 
countenances  of  unnumbered  glorious  intelli- 
gences, must  raise  in  the  soul  the  most  ecstatic 
rapture,  and  be  the  ground-work  of  all  those 
other  "  pleasures  which  are  at  God's  right  hand 
for  evermore." — Even  in  this  world,  amidst  the 
physical  evils  which  now  exist,  what  a  scene  of 
felicity  would  be  produced,  were  all  the  illus- 
trious philanthropic  characters  now  living,  or 
which  have  adorned  our  race  in  the  ages  that  are 
past,  to  be  collected  into  one  society,  and  to  as- 
sociate exclusively,  without  annoyance  from 
"  the  world  that  lieth  in  wickedness  !"  Let  us 
suppose  a  vast  society  composed  of  such  cha- 
ract  rs  as  Moses,  Elijah,  Jeremiah,  Daniel, 
Paul,  James  and  John,  the  Evangelists,  men 
who  accounted  it  their  highest  honour  to  glorify 
God  and  to  promote  the  salvation  of  mankind, — 
such  philanthropists  as  Howard,  Clarkson,  Ven- 
ning, and  Sharpe,  who  displayed  the  most  be- 
nignant afft":tions,  and  spent  their  mortal  exist- 
ence in  unwearied  efforts  to  meliorate  the  con- 
dition of  the  prisoner,  and  reheve  the  distresses 
of  the  wretched  in  every  land — to  deliver  the 
captive  from  his  oppressors — to  unloose  the 
shackles  of  slavery — to  pour  light  and  vital  air 
into  the  noisome  dungeon,  and  to  diffuse  bless- 
ings among  mankind  wherever  they  were  found ; 
— such  profound  philosophers  as  Locke,  Newton, 
and  Boyle,  whose  capacious  intellects  seemed  to 
embrace  the  worlds  both  of  matter  and  of  mind, 
and  who  joined  to  their  mental  accomplishments, 
modesty,  humility,  equanimity  of  temper,  and 
general  benevolence  ; — such  amiable  divines  as 
Watts,  Doddridge,  Bates,  Hervey,  Edwards, 
Lardner,  and  Dwight,  whose  hearts  burned  with 
zeal  to  promote  the  glory  of  their  Divine  Ma8> 
ter,  and  to  advance  the  present  and  everlasting 
interest  of  their  fellowmen.  To  associate  per- 
petually with  such  characters,  even  with  the  iii>- 
perfections  and  infirmities  which  cleaved  to  them 
in  this  sublunary  region,  would  form  something 
approaching  to  a  paradise  on  earth. 

But,  let  us  suppose  such  characters  divested 
of  every  moral  and  mental  imperfection,  endowed 
with  every  holy  principle  and  virtue  that  can 
adorn  a  created  intelligence,  and  with  capacious 
intellectual  powers  in  vigorous  and  incessant 
exercise,  dwelling  in  a  woild  where  every  natu- 
ral evil  is  removed,  where  scenes  of  glory  meet 
the  eye  at  every  step,  and  where  boundless  pro^ 
pects  stretch  before  the  view  of  the  enraptured 
mind.  Let  us  further  suppose,  intelligences  in- 
vested with  faculties  far  more  energetic  and 
«ublime— who  have  ranged  through  the  imiiwn| 


119 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  KUTURE  STATB. 


■hjr  of  cre«tion,  who  h*»e  mingled  with  the  iu- 
habitanu  of  ten  thousand  worlds,  who  have 
lewTted  the  biaiory  of  (he  divine  dispeoaations 
in  relation  to  theoi  all,  and  who  ar«  inapired 
with  every  amiable  and  bcni^riMnt  feeling,  and 
whh  hiitnility,  love  and  condescension  ;— 4et  u« 
■uppoae  ambamadof*  of  this  description,  from 
Ducnerous  worlds,  occasionally  joining  this  celes- 
tial society,  and  "rehearsing  the  mighty  acts 
of  Jehovah,"  as  displayed  in  the  regions  from 
whence  they  came, — let  us  suppose,  "  the  man 
Christ  Jesus"  president  among  them,  in  the  ef- 
fulgence of  his  giory,  and  unfolding  his  peerless 
excellences  to  every  eye, — let  us  suppose  these 
glorious  beings  engaged  in  conversaiiuits,  con- 
ttimplaiions,  investigations,  thanksgivings,  adora- 
tions, and  beneficent  services,  corresponding  to 
the  magnificence  of  the  region  in  which  they 
reside,  and  to  the  dignity  of  their  natures — and 
we  have  a  fainl  picture  of  the  social  enjoyments 
of  the  celestial  world.  This  is  the  society  of 
heaven,  the  general  assembly  of  the  church  tri- 
umphant, for  which  we  roust  now  be  inspired 
with  a  divine  relish  and  for  which  we  must  now 
be  prepared  in  the  temper  and  disposition  of  our 
minds,  if  we  expect  to  be  hereafter  admitted  into 
that  "  house  not  made  with  hands  which  is  eter- 
nal in  the  heavens." 

O  blessed  and  glorious  society !  where  no  con- 
tentions ever  arise,  where  no  malignant  spirit 
interrupts  the  universal  harmony,  where  no  male- 
volent affection  is  ever  displayed,  where  no  pro- 
vocation disturbs  the  serenity  of  the  mind,  where 
not  one  revengeful  thought  arises  against  the  most 
depraved  inhabitant  of  the  universe,  where  a 
single  falsehood  is  never  uttered,  where  folly, 
impertinence  and  error  never  intrude,  where  no 
frown  sits  lowering  on  the  countenance,  and  no 
cloud  ever  intercepts  the  sunshine  of  benevo- 
bnce  !^where  "  Holiness  to  the  Lord"  is  in- 
scribed on  every  heart,  where  every  member  is 
knit  to  another  by  the  indissoluble  bonds  of  af- 
fection and  esteem,  where  a  friendship  is  com- 
menced which  shall  never  be  dissolved,  where 
kwe  glows  in  every  bosom,  and  benignity  beams 
firom  every  countenance,  where  moral  excelleoce 
is  displayed  in  its  roost  sublime,  and  diversified, 
and  transporting  forms,  where  "  a  multitude 
which  no  roan  can  number,  from  all  nations,  and 
kindreds,  and  people,  and  tongues,"  join  in  uni- 
son with  angels  and  archuigela,  principalities 
and  |K>wers,  in  swelling  the  song  of  salvation  to 
Him  that  sits  upon  the  throne,  and  to  the  Lamb 
:  was  slain,  for  ever  and  ever ! — ye  glorious 
of  beaven,  who  minister  to  the  heirs  of 
Mlvation  on  earth !  Ye  redeented  inhabitants 
Croa  our  world,  "  who  came  out  of  great  tribu- 
btioa,  and  are  now  before  the  throne  of  Ood, 
■ad  serve  him  day  and  night  in  his  temple  !"  we 
loof  to  join  your  blessed  society.  You  dwell 
■audst  scenes  of  magnificence  and  the  splendours 
«f  •temal  day  i^ou  are  tat  vror  secwe  froai 


sin  and  sorrow,  and  every  evil  anneyaaee  ;— 
your  joys  are  uninierrupttrd,  ever  incrvasing,  and 
ever  new ;— your  prnxpects  are  boundless  as  dM 
universe,  and  vour  duration  p<-rmanenl  as  th» 
throne  of  the  EiPinal  I — We  dwell  "  in  houses  ot 
day  whose  foundaiiun  i.4  in  the  dust :"  we  so- 
journ in  "  a  land  of  pits  and  snares,"  and  within 
*'  the  recion  of  the  shadow  of  death:"  we  walk 
amidst  scenes  of  sorrow  and  suffering,  sumiunded 
by  "  the  tents  of  strife,"  and  exposed  to  the 
malice  of  "  lying  lips  and  deceitful  tongues  !" 
From  our  earthly  prison,  to  which  we  are  now 
chained  as  "  prisoners  of  ho|>e,"  wo  lift  up  our 
eyes  to  your  happy  mansions,  with  longing 
desires,  and  exclaim,  "  O  tiiat  we  bad  the  wings 
of  a  seraph,  that  we  might  fly  away  to  your 
blissful  seals  and  be  at  rest  !"  We  long  to  join 
"  the  general  a.<<serobly  and  church  of  the  first* 
bom,  which  are  written  in  heaven — the  spirits  of 
ju.<t  men  made  perfect — the  innumerable  conw 
pany  of  angels — Jesus  the  Mediator  of  the  new 
covenant,  and  God  the  Judge  of  all."   . 

May  the  Father  of  all  mercies,who  hath  begot- 
ten us  to  the  lively  hope  of  an  incorruptible  inhe- 
ritance, grant  that  we  may  persevere  in  the  Chris- 
tian course,be  kept  from  falling,  be  "guarded  by 
his  almighty  power,  through  faith  unto  salvation," 
and  that  in  due  lime,  an  entrance  may  be  abun- 
dantly administered  to  ns  into  the  everlasting 
kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ." 
To  whom  be  glory  for  ever  and  ever.     Amen. 

From  the  subject  to  which  our  attention  has 
now  been  directed,  we  may  learn,  what  will  con- 
stitute one  bitter  ingredient  in  the  punishment 
that  awaits  the  wicked  in  the  future  world.  As  the 
principle  of  love,  which  pervades  the  minds  of  the 
inhabitants  of  heaven,  with  the  diversified  raroh- 
fications  into  which  it  diverges,  forms  the  groumf- 
work  of  all  the  other  enjoyments  of  the  celestial 
world,— so  the  principle  of  malignity  which  pre- 
dominates in  the  hearts  of  the  wicked,  will  be 
the  source  of  the  greater  part  of  that  misery  they 
are  doomed  to  sufler  in  the  eternal  stale. — "  We 
cannot  form  a  more  dreadful  picture  of  futur* 
punishment  than  by  conceiving  the  principles  of 
falsehood,  deceit,  and  malignity,  and  the  passions 
of  pride,  hatred,  malice,  and  revenge,  raging  with 
uncontrolled  and  perpetual  violence.  We  need 
represent  to  ourselves  nothing  more  horrible  ia 
the  place  of  punishment,  than  by  supposing  the 
Almighty  simply  permitting  wicked  men  to  give 
full  scope  to  their  malevolent  dispositions  ;  lea^ 
iiig  them  '  to  eat  of  the  fruit  of  their  own  ways, 
and  to  be  filled  with  their  own  devices.'  The  ef^ 
fects  produced  by  the  uncontrolled  operation  of 
such  principles  and  passions,  wouU  be  such  as 
may  be  fitly  represented  by  the  emblems  of  the 
worm  that  never  dies,  of  '  devouring  fire,'  and  of 
their  necessary  concomitants,  '  weeping  and 
wailing  and  gnashing  of  teeth."'* 

*  FkUasophy  of  ReUfflen,  pp.  S6.  ia. 


EXAMPLES  OF  MALIGNITY. 


119 


In  order  to  illustrate  this  sentiment,  ami  to  in>- 
press  it  more  deeply  upon  the  mind  of  the  reader, 
I  shall  select  two  or  three  facts  in  relation  to  cer- 
tain characters  whose  names  stand  conspicuous 
in  the  annals  of  history. 

Every  reader  of  history  is  acquainted  with  the 
character  and  actions,  of  Anliochas  Epiphanes, 
whose  name  stands  so  high  on  the  rolls  of  impi- 
ety and  crime.  Having  besieged  the  city  of 
Jerusalem,  he  took  it  by  storm,  and,  during  the 
three  days  it  was  abandoned  to  the  fury  of  the 
soldiers,  he  caused  forty  thousand*  men  to  be  in- 
humanly butchered :  he  exercised  every  species 
of  cruelty  upon  the  citizens,  and  unmercifully  put 
to  death  all  those  who  fell  into  his  hands,  and 
whom  he  considered  as  his  enemies.  He  de- 
spatched Appollonius  at  the  head  of  22,000  men, 
with  orders  to  plunder  all  the  cities  ofJudea,  to 
murder  all  the  men,  and  sell  the  women  and 
ciiildren  for  slaves.  He  accordingly  came  with 
his  army,  and  to  outward  appearance,  with  a 
peaceable  intention  ;  neither  was  he  suspected  by 
^he  Jews,  as  he  was  superintendent  of  the  tribute 
in  Palestine.  He  kept  himself  inactive  till  the 
next  Sabbath,  when  they  were  all  in  a  profound 
quiet,  and  then,  on  a  sudden,  began  the  work  of 
slaughter.  He  sent  a  portion  of  iiis  men  to  the 
temple  and  synagogues,  with  orders  to  cut  to 
pieces  all  who  were  found  in  these  places  of 
resort ;  whilst  the  rest  going  through  the  streets  of 
the  city,  massacred  all  who  came  in  their  way. 
He  next  ordered  the  city  to  be  plundered  and 
set  on  fire,  pulled  down  all  their  stately  buildings, 
am'  carried  away  captive  ten  thousand  of  those 
who  had  escaped  the  slaughter.  Not  yet  satisfied 
with  the  blood  of  the  Jews,  Antiochus  resolved 
either  totally  to  abolish  their  religion,  or  to  de- 
stroy their  whole  race.  He  issued  a  decree  that 
all  nations  within  his  dominions  should  forsake 
their  old  religion  and  gods,  and  worship  those  of 
the  king,  imder  the  most  severe  penalties.  He 
dedicated  the  temple  at  Jerusalem  to  Jupiter 
Olympus,  and  set  up  his  own  statue  on  the  altar 
of  burnt-offering  ;  and  all  who  refused  to  come 
and  worship  this  idol  were  either  massacred  or 
put  to  some  cruel  tortures,till  they  either  complied 
or  expired  under  the  hands  of  the  executioners. 
He  put  todciiih  Eleazar,  one  of  the  most  illustri- 
ous ofthe  Jews,  a  venerable  old  man,  ninety  years 
of  age,  and  a  doctor  ofthe  law,  "  whose  life  had 
been  one  continuo<l  series  of  spotless  innocence," 
auid  his  execution  was  accompanied  with  the  most 
cruel  torments.  He  seized  the  scien  brothers 
commonly  called  the  Maccabees,  along  with  their 
mother,  and  camed  them  to  bo  scourged  in  a 
most  inhuman  manniT,  in  order  to  compel  them 
to  swallow  gwinn's  flesh,  which  their  law  forbade, 
tnd  when  they  refused,  he  was  so  exasperated  that 
ho  ordered  brazen  pans  and  cauldrons  to  be 
heated;,  and,  when  they  were  red,  he  caused  the 

*  RoUln  states  the  number  at  eo,ooo. 


tongue  of  the  eldest  to  be  cut  off — had  the  skin 
torn  from  his  head,  and  the  extremities  of  his 
hands  and  feet  cut  off,  before  his  mother  and 
his  brethren.  After  being  mutilated,  he  was 
brought  close  to  the  lire,  and  fried  in  the  pan. 
The  second  brother  was  then  taken,  and,  after 
the  hair  of  his  head,  with  the  skin,  was  torn  away, 
he  was  tortured  in  the  same  manner  as  his  elder 
brother;  and  in  like  manner  were  the  other  five 
brethren  put  to  deatli, — the  last  of  whom,  who  was 
the  youngest,  he  caused  to  be  tprtured  more 
grievously  than  the  rest.  Last  of  all  the  mother 
also  suffered  death. "f 

Hearing,  some  time  afterwards,  that  the  Jews 
had  revolted,  he  assembled  all  his  troops,  which 
formed  a  mighty  army,  and  determind  to  destroy 
the  whole  Jewish  nation,  and  to  settle  other  peo- 
ple in  their  country.  He  commanded  Lysias,  one 
of  his  generals,  to  extirpate  them  root  and  branch,  - 
so  as  not  to  leave  one  Hebrew  in  the  country. 
When  in  Persia  advice  was  brought  him  of  the 
defeat  of  Lysias,  and  that  the  Jews  had  retaken 
the  temple,  thrown  down  the  altars  and  idols 
which  he  had  set  up,  and  re-established  their 
ancient  worship.  At  this  news  his  fury  rose  to 
madness.  In  the  violence  of  his  rage,  he  set  out 
with  all  possible  expedition,  like  an  infernal  fiend, 
venting  nothing  but  menaces  on  his  march,  and 
breathing  only  final  ruin  and  destruction  to  every 
inhabitant  of  Judea,  and  to  all  that  appertained 
to  them.  He  commanded  his  coachman  to  drive 
with  the  utmost  speed,  that  no  time  might  be 
lost  for  fully  satiating  his  vengeance,  threatening 
at  the  same  time,  with  horrid  imprecations,  to 
make  Jerusalem  the  burying  place  of  the  whole 
Jewish  nation,  and  not  to  leave  one  single  inha- 
bitant within  its  confines.  But  the  Almighty, 
against  whose  providence  he  was  raging,  inter- 
posed, and  stopped  him  in  his  wild  career.  "  Ho 
was  seized,"  says  Rollin,  "  with  incredible  pains 
in  his  bowels,  and  the  most  excessive  pangs  of 
the  colic."  Still,  his  pride  and  fury  were  not 
abated  :  he  suffered  himself  to  be  hurried  away 
by  the  wild  transport  of  his  rage,  and  breathing 
nothing  but  vengeance  against  the  land  of  Judea 
and  its  inhabitants,  he  gave  orders  to  proceed 
with  still  greater  celerity  in  his  journey.  But  as 
his  horses  were  running  forward  impetuously, 
he  fell  from  his  chariot,  and  bruised  every  part  of 
his  body  in  so  dreadful  a  manner,  that  he  suffered 
inexpressible  torments  ;  and  soon  after  finished 
an  impious  life  by  a  miserable  death. 

The  Turks,  in  their  wars  with  neighbouring 
states,  both  in  former  and  present  times,  have 
been  proverbial  for  the  malevolence  they  have 
displayed,  and  the  cruelties  they  have  exercised 
towards  their  enemies.  The  following  is  only 
one  instance  out  of  a  thousand  which  might  bo 
produced,  ofthe  desperate  length  to  which  human 
beings  will  proceed  in  treachery  and  in  the  in- 

♦  The  details  of  these  shocking  cruelties  may  be 
seen  in  RoUin's  Ancient  History,  voL  7. 


190 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


diction  of  torment,  when  under  the  influence  of 
a  princi|>lr  of  nialienity. 

In  the  war  with  Turkey  and  the  states  of  Ve- 
nice, abt>ui  the  year  1571,  the  Venutian«  were 
besieged  by  the  Turks  in  the  ciiy  of  Pamagotta 
in  the  island  of  Cyprus.  Through  famine  and 
want  of  ammunition,  tlie  Venetian  garrison  was 
oom|>elled  to  enter  u|K>n  terms  of  capitulation. 
A  treaty  was  accordini;ly  set  on  Piot,  and  hos- 
tages exchanged.  The  following  terms  were 
agreed  to  by  both  parties  : — Tliat  the  officers  and 
soldiers  should  march  dui  with  all  the  honours  of 
war,  drums  beating,  colours  flying,  five  pieces  of 
cannon,  all  their  baggage,  and  be  conveyed  in 
safety  to  Condia,  under  an  escort  of  three  Turk- 
ish gallies;  and  that  the  inhabitants  should  re- 
main in  the  free  use  of  their  religion,  untouched 
_  in  their  pro()crty,  and  in  full  possession  of  their 
freedom.  Next  day  Bragadino,  the  Venetian 
commander,  went  to  pay  his  compliments  to 
Mustapha,  the  Turkish  general,  attended  by 
some  of  his  chief  officers.  At  first  they  met 
with  a  civil  reception,  Musla|>ha  ordering  a  seat 
to  be  placed  for  Bragadino  on  his  own  right  hand. 
They  soon  entered  into  discourse  about  the 
piisoners,  and  Mustapha  taxing  Bragadino  with 
some  violences  committed  by  the  garrison  during 
the  suspension  granted  for  settling  a  capitulation, 
Bragadino,  with  a  generous  disdain,  denied  the 
charge.  Upon  which  Mustapha,  rising  up  in  a 
fury,  ordered  him  to  be  bound  hand  and  foot,  and 
the  others  to  be  massacred  before  his  face,  with- 
out regard  to  hospitality,  their  bravery,  the 
treaty  subsisting,  or  their  being  unarmed. 

Bragadino  was  reserved  for  a  more  cruel 
treatment :  after  being  insulted  with  the  most 
vilifying  and  opprobrious  language  ;  after  under- 
going the  most  excrutiating  tortures  ;  after  having 
his  ears,  nose,  and  lips  slit,  his  neck  was  stretch- 
ed upon  a  block,  and  trampled  upon  by  the  das- 
tardly Mustapha,  who  asked  him  where  was 
now  that  Chritt  whom  he  worshipped,  and  why 
be  did  not  deliver  him  out  of  his  hands?  At  tho 
same  time  the  soliliers  on  board  the  fleet  were 
despoiled  of  every  thing,  and  lashed  to  the  oars. 
Thia  day's  work  being  finished,  Mustapha  enter- 
ed the  city,  where  he  gave  immediate  orders, 
that  Tiepolo,  a  |>ersou  of  high  rank  and  authority, 
should  be  hanged  upon  a  gibbet.  A  few  davs 
aAer,  before  Bragadino  had  recovered  from  the 
wounds  he  had  received,  he  was  carried  in  deri- 
sion to  all  the  breaches  made  in  the  walls,  loaded 
with  buckets  filled  with  earth  and  mortar,  and 
onlered  to  kiss  the  ground  as  often  as  he  passed  by 
Mustapha  ,  a  spectacle  that  raised  pangs  of  pity 
in  the  callous  hearts  of  the  meanest  Turkish  sol- 
dieis.but  could  not  move  compassion  in  the  obdu- 
rate breast  of  Mustapha.  Afterwards,  the  brave 
Bragadino  was  cooped  up  in  a  cage,  and  igno- 
■sinionsly  hung  to  a  sail-yard  in  one  of  the 
gallies,  where  his  intrepid  soldiers  were  chained 
to  the  oars.     This  sight  rendered  them  almost 


furious :  they  exclaimed  against  (he  hasrnoas, 
the  treachery  of  Muslapha  ;  they  called  aloud  Cm 
revenge,  and  desired  to  be  set  at  liberty,  Ihatlbey 
might,  even  without  arms,  rescue  their  brave 
general,  and  inflict  ihe  deserved  punishment 
uoon  their  mean,  dastardly,  and  cowardly  foes. 
Their  request  was  answered  with  crti  I  lashes; 
Bra(,'adino  was  taken  down,  conducted  to  the 
murkel-place,  amidst  the  din  of  trumpets,  drums, 
and  other  warlike  instruments,  where  he  xoai 
flayed  aiive,  and  a  period  put  to  his  glorious  life. 
His  skin  was  hung,  by  way  of  trophy,  to  the  sail- 
yard  of  a  galley  sent  round  all  the  coasts  to  insult 
the  Venetians.  His  head,  with  those  of  Andrea 
Bragadino,  his  brother,  Loduvico  Martinenga, 
and  the  brave  duirino,  were  sent  as  presents  to 
Sclim  the  Turkish  Emperor.* 

Could  an  infernal  fiend  have  devised  more  ex- 
cruciating tortures,  or  have  acted  with  greater 
baseness  and  malignity  than  this  treacherous 
and  cruel  monster  ?  What  a  horrible  thing  would 
ii  be  to  be  subjected  to  the  caprice  and  under 
the  control  of  such  a  pioud  and  vindictive  spi- 
rit every  day,  only  for  a  year,  much  more  for 
hundrc<ls  and  thousands  of  years  !  A  group  cA 
such  spirits  giving  vent  to  their  malevolent  pas- 
sions without  control,  are  sufficient  to  produce 
a  degree  of  misery  among  surrounding  intelli- 
gences, surpassing  every  thing  tiiat  the  human 
mind,  in  the  present  state,  can  possiblv  conceive. 

When  the  Norman  barons  and  chevaliers, 
under  William  the  Conqueror,  had  obtained 
possession  of  England,  they  displayed  the  moet 
cruet  and  malignant  dispositions  towards  the 
native  inhabitants.  They  afflicted  and  ha- 
rassed them  in  every  state,  forcing  them  to  work 
at  the  building  of  their  castles;  and  when  the 
castles  were  finished,  they  placed  on  them  a 
garrison  of  wicked  and  diabolical  men.  They 
seized  all  whom  they  thought  to  possess  any 
thing — men  and  wonien — by  day  and  night ;  they 
carried  them  off;  imprisoned  them  ;  and,  to  ob- 
tain from  them  gold  or  silver,  inflicted  on  them 
tortures  such  as  no  martyrs  ever  underwent. 
Some  they  suspended  by  their  feet,  with  their 
heads  hanging  in  ^moke ;  others  were  hung  by 
the  thumb,  with  fire  under  their  feet.  They 
pressed  the  heads  of  some  by  a  leathern  thong,  so 
as  to  break  the  bones,  and  crush  the  brain  ; 
others  were  thrown  into  ditches  full  of  snakes, 
toads,  and  other  reptiles ;  others  were  put  in 
the  ctilt^fhre  it  crucit.  This  was  the  name  given 
in  the  Norman  tongue  to  a  sort  of  chest,  short, 
strait,  and  shallow,  lined  with  sharp  stones,  into 
which  the  sufferer  was  crammed  to  the  disloca- 
tion of  his  limbs. — In  most  of  Ihe  castles  was  a 
horrible  and  frightful  engine  used  for  putting  to 
the  torture.  This  was  a  bundle  of  chains  so 
heavy  that  two  or  three  men  could  hardly  lift 
them.      The    unfortunate    person   upon   whom 

■  See  "  Modem  Onlversal  HUtor/,"  toL  t7,  p*. 
406,  40*. 


EXAMPLES  OF  MALIGNITY. 


li^i 


they  were  laid,  was  kept  on  his  feet  by  an  iron 
roliar  fixed  in  a  post,  ami  could  neither  sit,  nor 
lie,  nor  sleep.  They  made  many  thousands  die 
ot"  hunger.  They  laid  tribute  upon  tribute  on 
the  towns  and  villages.  When  the  towns- 
people had  no  longer  any  thing  to  give,  they 
plundered  and  burned  the  town.  You  might 
have  travelled  a  whole  day  without  finding  one 
soul  in  the  towns,  or  in  the  country  one  culti- 
vated field.  The  poor  died  of  hunger,  and  they 
who  had  formerly  possessed  something,  now 
begged  their  bread  from  door  to  door.  Never 
were  more  griefs  and  woes  poured  upon  any 
land ; — nay  the  Pagans  in  their  invasions  cau  ■ 
sed  fewer  than  the  men  of  whom  I  now  speak. 
They  spared  neither  the  church-yards,  nor  the 
churches  ;  they  look  all  that  could  be  taken,  and 
then  set  fire  to  the  church.  To  till  the  ground 
bad  been  as  vain  as  to  till  the  sand  on  the  sea- 
shore.* 

What  scenes  of  wretchedness  do  such  proud 
and  malignant  demons  produce  even  in  the  pre- 
sent world!  Can  such  spirits  be  supposed  quali- 
fied for  joining  the  general  assembly  and  church 
of  the  first-born,  and  for  taking  a  part  in  the  be- 
neficent operations  of  heaven  ?  If  they  exist  at 
all  in  a  future  world,  they  must  exist  in  misery  ; 
and  so  long  as  such  diabolical  passions  continue 
to  rage,  they  must  produce  "  lamentation  and 
wo"  among  all  the  associates  with  which  they 
are  surrounded. — Even  within  the  confines  of 
mortality,  the  man  who  is  under  the  despotic 
Bway  of  pride,  ambition,  and  similar  malevolent 
passions,  imbitters  every  enjoyment  he  might 
otherwise  possess,  produces  pain  in  the  minds 
of  others,  and  experiences  in  his  own  soul  pangs 
cimilar  in  kind  to  those  which  are  felt  in  the 
place  of  punishment.  I  shall  illustrate  this  po- 
sition by  the  spirit  and  temper  displayed  by  two 
illustrious  individuals  who  have  lately  departed 
to  the  invisible  state  ; — the  one  renowned  in  the 
political,  the  other  in  the  literary  world. 

The  first  character  to  which  I  allude  is  that 
of  Nupoleon  Buonaparte.  This  extraordinary 
man,  who  for  nearly  twenty  years  dazzled  the 
whole  Eastern  hemisphere,  like  a  blazing  me- 
teor, aiipears  to  have  been  actuated  by  the  most 
extravagant  and  restless  ambition.  Thouijh 
he  exercised  many  cruelties  in  the  midst  of  his 
career,  as  at  JatTa  and  other  places,  yet  delight  in 
deeds  of  atrocity  formed  no  part  of  his  ruling 
passion,  and  were  only  occasionally  resorted  to, 
in  order  to  accom[ilish  his  ambitious  projects. 
The  agitated  state  of  mind  into  which  he  was 
thrown  by  his  love  of  con^iuest,  and  the  daring 
enterprises  in  which  he  embarked,  is  strikingly 
depicted  by  M.  Segur,  in  tiis  "  History  of  Na- 
poleon's Expedition  to  Russia."  When  at 
Vitepsk,  on  his  way  to  Moscow,  M.  Si^gur 
says — "  He  at  first  hardly  appeared  bold  enough 

•  Thierry's  "  History  of  the  Norman  Conquest," 
I  vols.  1825. 


to  confess  to  himself  a  project  of  such  great  te- 
merity— [the  marching  against  Moscow.]  But 
by  degrees  he  assumed  courage  to  look  it  in  the 
face.  He  then  began  to  deliberate,  and  the  state 
of  great  irresolution  which  tormented  his  mind, 
atfected  his  whole  frame.  He  was  observed  to 
wander  about  his  apartments,  as  if  pursued  by 
some  dangerous  temptation  :  nothing  could  rivet 
his  attention  ;  he  every  moment  began,  quitted, 
and  resumed  his  labour ;  he  walked  about  with- 
out any  object ;  inquired  the  hour,  and  looked  at 
his  watch  ;— completely  absorbed,  he  stopped, 
hummed  a  tune  with  an  absent  air,  and  again 
began  walking  about.  In  the  midst  of  his  per- 
plexity, he  occasionally  addressed  the  persons 
whom  he  met  with  such  half  sentences  as  '  Well 
— What  shall  we  do  ! — Shall  we  stay  where  we 
are,  or  advance? — How  is  it  possible  to  stop 
short  in  the  midst  of  so  glorious  a  career?'  He 
did  not  wait  for  their  reply,  but  still  kept  wan- 
dering about,  as  if  he  was  looking  for  something, 
or  somebody,  to  terminate  his  indecision. — At 
length,  quite  overwhelmed  with  the  weight  of 
such  an  important  consideration,  and  oppressed 
with  so  great  an  uncertainty,  he  would  throw 
himself  on  one  of  the  beds  which  he.had  caused 
to  be  laid  on  the  floor  of  his  apartments.  His 
frame,  exhafsted  by  th^  heat  and  the  struggles 
of  his  mind,  could  only  bear  a  covering  of  the 
slightest  texture.  It  was  in  that  state  that  he 
passed  a  portion  of  his  day  at  Vitepsk." 

The  same  restless  agitations  seemed  to  have 
accompanied  him  at  every  step  in  this  daring 
expedition.  "  At  Borodino,"  says  the  same 
writer,  "  his  anxiety  was  so  great  as  to  prevent 
him  from  slee|)ing.  He  kept  calling  incessantly 
to  know  the  hour,  inquiring  if  any  noise  was 
heard,  and  sending  persons  to  ascertain  if  the 
enemy  was  still  before  him, — Tranquillized  fora 
few  moments,  anxiety  of  an  opposite  description 
again  seized  him.  He  became  frightened  at  the 
destitute  state  of  the  soldiers,  &c.  He  sent  for 
Bessieres,  that  one  of  his  marshals  in  whom  he 
had  the  greatest  confidence  : — he  called  him 
back  several  times,  and  repeated  his  pressing 
questions,  &c.  Dreading  that  his  orders  had 
not  been  obeyed,  he'  got  up  once  more,  and 
questioned  the  grenadiers  on  guard  at  the  en- 
trance of  his  tent,  if  they  had  received  their  pro- 
visions. Satisfied  with  the  answer,  he  went  in, 
and  soon  fell  into  a  doze.  Shortly  after  he  called 
once  more.  His  aid-de-cainp  found  him  now 
supporting  his  head  with  both  his  hands;  he 
seemed,  by  what  was  overheard,  to  be  meditat- 
ing on  the  vanities  of  glory. — '  IVkat  is  voar,^ 
A.  trade  of  barbarians,  the  whole  art  of  which 
eonsi^  in  being  the  strongest  on  a  given  point.' 
He  then  complained  of  the  fickleness  of  fortune, 
which  he  now  began  to  experience.  He  again 
tried  to  take  some  rest.  But  the  marches  h's  nad 
just  made  with  the  army,  the  fatigues  of  the  pre- 
ceding days  and  nights,  so  many  cares,  and  hi* 


193 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


intense  and  anxious  expectations,  had  worn  him 

Kt.  An  irriiaiii;"  fver,  a  liry  <:(iiij>h,  and  ex- 
ssive  thirst  consumed  turn.  During  thu  re- 
mainder uT  iht- ni^jht  ho  made  v.itn  atlcm|it.i  to 
quench  the  hurnui);  ihir.st  thul  consumed  him." 

What  man  that  cvur  i-njoyed  ihe  pleasurt-s  of 
Irmnqiiillity,  would  envy  such  a  slate  of  mind  a.s 
that  which  has  now  btn-n  descritxid,  although  llio 
indiviilual  wvru  surrounded  with  every  earthly 
((lory  ?  iSuch  mad  ambition  as  that  wliich  raged 
in  the  breast  of  this  singular  personage,  must  be 
a  per|>etiial  torment  to  its  possessor,  in  whatever 
region  of  the  universe  he  exists,  and  must  pro- 
duce baleful  elfects  ou  every  one  within  the 
sphere  ol  its  inrtuence.^The  coolness  with 
which  such  characters  calculate  on  the  destruc- 
tion of  human  life,  and  the  miseries  which  their 
lawless  passions  produce  on  their  fellow-crea- 
ture?, appears  in  the  following  extract. 

"  He  asked  Rapp,  if  he  thought  we  should 
gain  the  victory  ?  '  No  doubt,'  was  the  reply, 
'  but  it  will  be  sanguinary.'  '  I  know  it,'  re- 
lumed Napoleon,  '  liui  I  have  80  000  men ;  I 
■hall  lose  20,000  ;  I  shall  enter  Moscow  with 
60,000  ;  the  stragglers  will  then  rejoin  us,  and 
afterwards  the  battalions  on  the  march ;  and  we 
fchall  be  stronger  than  we  were  before  the  bat- 
tle.' " 

The  other  personage  to  whom  I  alluded  is 
Lord  Byron. 

The  following  sketches  of  his  character  are 
taken  from  "  Recollections  of  the  life  of  Lord 
Byron,  from  the  year  1808  to  the  year  1818. 
Taken  from  authentic  documents,  &c.  by  R.  C. 
Dallas,  Esq." 

"  He  reduced  his  palate,"  says  Mr.  Dallas, 
"tea  diet  the  most  simple  and  abstemious — hut 
the  passions  of  his  heart  were  too  mighty  ;  nor 
did  it  ever  enter  his  mind  to  overcome  Ihtm.  Re- 
sentment, anger,  and  hatred,  held  full  sway  over 
hiro;  and  his  greatest  gratification  at  that  time, 
was  in  overcharging  his  pen  with  gall,  which 
flowed  in  every  direction,  against  individuals, 
his  country,  the  world,  the  universe,  creation, 
and  the  Creator. — Misanthropy,  disgust  of  life, 
leading  to  skepticism  and  impiety,  prevailed  in 
hia  heart,  and  imbittored  hit  existence.  Unac- 
customed to  female  society,  he  at  once  drt-aded 
and  abhorred  it.  As  fur  doroastic  happiness  he 
had  no  idea  of  it.  '  A  large  family,'  he  said, 
'  ap|>eared  like  opposite  ingredients,  mixed  per 
force  in  tlie  same  salad,  an  i  I  never  relished  the 
composition.'  He  was  so  completely  disgusted 
with  his  relations,  especially  the  female  part  of 
them,  tliat  he  completely  avuided  them.  '  I  con- 
sider,' said  he,  '  collalerial  ties  as  the  work  of 
prejudice,  ard  not  the  bond  of  the  heart,  which 
must  choose  for  itself  unshackled.' — In  corre- 
■pondencewtih  such  dispositions  and  senlimrnts, 
"  he  talked  oTliis  relation  to  the  Karl  of  Carlisle 
with  indignation."  Having  received  from  him 
«  frigid  latter,  "  he  deiermioed  to  lash  hia  rela- 


tion with  all  the  gall  he  couM  throw  into  •atira." 
— He  declaimed  against  the  ties  of  conian- 
guiniiy,  and  abjured  even  'he  »ociely  of  hii 
sister,  from  which  he  entirely  withdrew  him- 
self, until  after  the  publication  of  "  Childe  Ha- 
rold," when  at  length  he  yielded  to  my  persua- 
sions, and  made  advances  to  a  fi  ieiidly  corr^ 
sjiorKlence." 

Here  we  have  a  picture  of  an  individual,  in 
whom  *'  resentment,  auger,  and  hatred,"  reign- 
ed without  control :  who  could  vent  his  rage 
even  against  the  Creator,  and  llie  universe  he 
had  formed,  who  hated  his  fellow-creatures,  and 
even  his  own  existence;  who  spurned  at  the 
ties  of  relationship,  and  "abjured  even  the  mv 
ciety  of  his  sister."  What  horrible  mischieb 
and  miseries  would  a  character  of  this  descrip- 
tion produce,  were  such  malevolent  passions  to 
rage  with  unbounded  violence,  without  being 
checked  by  those  restraints,  which  human  laws 
impose  in  the  present  81.116  ! 

I  shall  state  only  another  example  of  this 
description,  taken  from  Captain  Cochrane'! 
"  Travels  in  Russia." — On  arriving  at  the 
Prussian  frontiers,  says  the  captain,  "  Mj 
passport  demanded,  myself  interrogated  by  a 
set  of  whiskered  ruffians,  obliged  to  move  from 
one  guard  to  another,  the  object  of  sarcasm  and 
official  tyranny,  I  wanted  no  inducement,  fa^ 
tigued  as  I  was,  to  proceed  on  my  journey,  but 
even  this  was  not  permitted  me.  A  large  public 
room,  full  of  military  rubbish,  and  two  long 
benches  serving  as  chairs,  to  an  equally  long 
table,  were  the  place  and  furniture  allotted  mo. 
I  aske<i  the  landlord  for  supper;  he  laughed  at 
me ;  and  to  my  demand  of  a  bed,  grinning^ 
pointed  to  the  floor,  and  refused  me  even  a  por- 
tion of  the  straw  which  had  been  brought  in  for 
the  soldiers.  Of  all  the  demons  that  ever  existed, 
or  have  been  imagined  in  human  shape,  I  thought 
the  landlord  of  the  inn  the  blackest.  The  figure 
of  Gil  Peres  occurred  to  me,  but  it  sunk  in  the 
comparison  with  the  wretch  then  befure  me  for 
ill  nature,  malignity,  and  personal  hideousneas. 
His  face  half  covered  with  a  black  beard,  and 
large  bristly  whiskers,  his  stature  below  the 
common,  his  head  sunk  between  his  shoulders 
to  make  room  for  the  protuberance  of  his  back  ; 
his  eyes  buried  in  the  ragged  locks  of  his  lank 
grisly  hair; — added  to  this  a  club  f(.>oi,  and  a 
voice  which,  on  every  attempt  to  i^peak,  was 
like  the  shrieking  of  a  screech-owl. — and  you 
have  some  faint  idea  of  this  mockery  of  a 
man." — Here,  we  have  presented  to  view  a 
human  l>eing,  who,  in  the  malignity  of  his  mind, 
and  in  the  c<informa;ion  of  Lis  body,  bears  a  cer- 
tain resemblance  to  those  wretched  beings  in 
whose  oreasts  benevolence  never  glows,  and  in 
whose  dwellings  nothing  is  seen  but  the  moat 
haggard  and  deformed  objects,  and  nothing  neard 
but  horrid  imprecations,  and  tiie  sounds  of  wo. 

Let  us  now  suppose,  for  a  moment,  a  vui 


EXAMPLES  OF  DEPRAVITY. 


ISS 


Bssemblage  of  beings  of  the  description  to  which 
I  have  adverted,  collected  in  a  dark  and  dreary 
region.  Let  us  suppose  many  thousands  of 
millions  of  such  characters  as  Nern,  who  set 
fire  to  Rome,  that  he  might  amuse  him<elf  with 
the  waitings  and  lamentations  which  this  cala- 
mity inspired,  and  insulted  Heaven  by  offering 
thanksgivings  to  the  gods,  after  murdering  his 
wife  and  his  mother, — Tiberius  who  delighted 
in  torturing  his  subjects,  and  massacring  them 
in  the  most  tormenting  and  cruel  manner, — Ca^ 
ligula,  celebrated  in  the  annals  of  folly,  cruelly, 
an  J  impiety,  who  murdered  many  of  his  subjects 
with  his  own  hand,  and  caused  thousands  who 
were  guilty  of  no  crimes  to  be  cruelly  butchered, 
— Anliochus  Epiphanes,  who  butchered  forty 
thousand  of  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  in  cold 
blood,  and  rushed  forward,  like  an  infernal  de- 
mon, with  the  intention  of  destroying  every  in- 
habitant of  Judea, — Hamilcnr,  who  threw  all 
the  prisoners  that  came  into  his  hand,  to  be  de- 
voured by  wild  beasts, — Aidrubal,  who  put  out 
the  eyes  of  all  the  Roman  captives  he  had 
taken  during  two  years,  cut  off  their  noses, 
fingers,  legs,  and  arms,  tore  their  skin  to  pieces 
with  iron  rakes  and  harrows,  and  threw  them 
headlong  from  the  top  of  his  battlements, — 
Jenghiz  Kkan,  who  caused  seventy  chiefs  to  be 
thrown  into  as  many  caldrons  of  boiling  water, 
and  took  pleasure  in  beholding  his  army  behead- 
ing a  hundred  thousand  prisoners  at  once, — Ta- 
merlane, who  displayed  his  sportive  cruelty  in 
pounding  three  or  four  thousand  people  in  large 
mortars,  or  building  them  among  bricks  and 
mortar  into  a  wall, — Mitslapha,  who  treache- 
rously murdered  the  Venetian  officers,  after  hav- 
ing entered  into  a  treaty  with  them,  and  who 
beheld  with  delight  the  noble-minded  Bragadino, 
whom  he  haA  cruelly  tortured,  flayed  alive, — 
Buonaparte,  whose  mad  ambition  sacrificed  so 
many  millions  of  human  beings,  and  Lord  By- 
ron,* in  whose  breast  "  resentment,  anger,  and 
hatred,"  raged  with  violence,  and  who  made  his 
gall  flow  out  "  against  individuals,  his  coimtry, 
the  world,  the  universe,  creation,  and  the  Crea- 
tor;"— let  us  suppose  such  characters  associated 
together  in  a  world  where  no  pleasing;  objects 
meet  the  eye,  or  cheer  the  heart  and  imagination  ; 
and  let  us  likewise  suppose,  that  the  malignant 
principles  and  boisterous  passions  which  reigned 
in  their  minds  during  the  present  state,  still  con- 
tinue to  rage   with  uncontrolled   and  perpetual 

*  The  Author  tnjsts,  that  none  of  his  readers  will 
for  a  moment  suppose,  that,  In  bringins  forwartl 
the  al»ove-mentloi>pi1  chararters  as  examples  of  ma- 
lignity, he  presumes  to  decide  on  their  eternal  des- 
tiny. His  object  merely  Is  to  show,  that  such  ma- 
lisnant  principles  and  jiassions  as  they  displaj-ed  In 
the  t;eneial  tenor  of  their  conduct,  if  rfariutfty 
persisted  in,  necessarily  led  to  mUery.  with  rejant 
to  Buonaparte  and  Lord  Byron,  he  Is  disposed  to 
Indulge  a  hope,  that  their  malevolent  dispositions 
were  in  some  measure  coiintemcted,  b<;fore  they 
passed  Into  the  eternal  world.  The  groun<ls  of  hU 
hope,  on  this  point,  are  stated  In  (he  Appendix. 


violence  against  all  surrounding  associates;  it 
is  evident,  that,  in  such  a  case,  a  scene  of  misery 
would  bo  produced,  beyond  the  power  of  the 
human  mind  either  to  conceive  or  to  describe. 
If  so  dreadful  etfe<;ts  have  been  produced,  by 
such  diabolical  (lassions,  even  in  the  present 
world,  where  Providence  "  sets  restraining 
bounds  to  the  wrath  of  man,"  and  where  be- 
nignant dispositions  are  blended  with  the  evil 
principles  which  so  generally  prevail,  what 
must  be  the  effects  where  pure  maUgnily,  with- 
out any  mixture  of  benevolent  feelings,  reigiis 
univer.iaUy ,  is  perpetually  tormenting  its  objects, 
is  ever  increasing  in  its  fury,  and  is  never  con- 
trolled by  physical  obstructions  or  by  moral  con- 
siderations !  This  is  the  society  of  hell ;  this 
is  the  essence  of  future  misery :  this  is  "  the 
worm  that  never  dies,  auid  the  fire  that  is  never 
quenched  ;"  and  the  natural  effects  produced  by 
it  is  universal  anguish  and  despair, — "  weeping,  ■ 
and  wailing,  and  gnashing  of  teeth." — If  such 
be  the  end  of  the  ungodly,  and  the  malignant 
despiser  of  God's  law,  and  the  riches  of  bis 
mercy  as  manifested  in- Christ  Jesus, — how 
careful  should  we  be  to  counteract  every  evil 
propensity  and  passion,  and  how  fervently  ought 
we  to  join  in  the  prayer  of  the  Psalmist,  and 
in  the  resolution  of  Jacob:  "  Gatlier  not  my 
soul  with  sinners,  nor  my  life  with  bloody  men." 
"  O  my  soul,  come  not  thou  into  their  secret ; 
unto  their  assembly,  mine  honour,  be  not  thou 
united  !" 

Let  none  imagine,  because  I  have  selected 
some  of  the  more  atrocious  characters  recorded 
in  history,  as  illustrations  of  the  effects  of  de- 
pravity— that  only  such  are  "  vessels  of  wrath, 
fitted  for  destruction."  The  principle  of  malevo- 
lence is  substantially  the  same  in  every  heart 
where  it  is  predominant,  however  miich  it  may 
be  varnished  over  by  hypocrisy,  dissimulation, 
and  the  various  forms  of  politeness  which  pre- 
vail in  ihe  world  ;  and  it  requires  only  a  certain 
stimulus  to  excite  it  to  action,  and  full  scope  to 
exert  its  energies,  in  order  to  produce  the  most 
horrible  and  extensive  effects.  Several  of  tha 
atrocious  characters  to  which  I  have  alluded, 
appeared,  in  the  commencement  of  their  career, 
to  be  possessed  of  a  certain  portion  of  benevo- 
lence, and  of  other  amiable  qualities.  Nero,  in  the 
beginning  of  his  reign,  showed  several  marks  o 
the  greatest  kindness  and  condescension,  affa- 
bility, complaisance,  and  popularity.  When  he 
was  desired  to  sign  his  name  to  a  list  of  male- 
factors that  were  to  be  executed,  he  exclaimed, 
"  fVould  to  Heaven  I  could  not  torite  ."' — 
Caligula  began  his  reign  with  every  promising 
appearance  of  becoming  the  real  father  of  his 
people.  Tiberius  at  first  concealed  his  thoughts 
under  the  mask  of  an  impenetrable  dissimulation. 
He  governed  with  moderation,  and  even  appear- 
ed to  excel  in  modesty.  But  afterwards,  whei 
these  individuals  became  intoxicated  with  power, 


184 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


mnd  had  thrown  aside  all  condidrrationii  of  mo- 
rality and  (ircoriim,  the  latent  priMci|ilrs  of 
malignity  buret  forth  in  all  tlicir  violence,  till 
they  became  a  Hcourge  and  an  execration  to 
mankind.  So  « ill  il  luip(M>n  wiili  those  who  now 
harbour  m;iliriouB  and  vimiiclive  pasxions,  under 
a  cloak  of  disiiiiniilaiioii  and  fashionable  polile- 
neas,  when  they  enter  the  invisible  world  under 
the  dominion  of  such  affcotions.  When  the  re- 
straints of  society,  of  common  decorum,  nnd  of 
human  laws,  are  completely  removed  ;  when  ihey 
have  lost  all  hopes  of  the  divine  mercy;  when 
they  find  themselves  surrounded  by  none  but  ma- 
lignant associates,  and  when  tliey  feel  the  effects 
of  their  infenial  malice  and  revenge — those  pas- 
sions, which  sometimes  lay  dumiant  in  this  life, 
wi'l  be  roosed  into  action,  and  rage  with  ungo- 
remable  fury  against  every  one  around,  against 
themselves,  "  against  the  universe,  and  against 
the  Creator." 

Nor  let  it  be  imaginftd,  that  God  will  interpose 
at  the  hour  of  death,  and,  by  an  exertion  of  his 
power  and  benevolence,  destroy  the  principles  of 
sin,  and  prepare  such  characters  for  the  jays  of 
heaven.  Such  an  interference,  in  every  indivi- 
dual ca.se,  would  imply  a  continued  miracle,  and 
would  be  inoonsiatent  with  the  established  order 
of  the  divine  government;  as  it  would  supersede 
the  use  of  ail  those  instructions,  admoiiitiotis, 
and  moral  preparations  which  Qod  hath  appoint- 
ed for  rendering  liis  people  "  meet  for  the  inherit- 
ance ciC  the  saints  in  light ;"  and  would  prevent 
the  m'>ral  renovation  of  the  world,  which  is  now 
gradually  efTecling  by  the  exertions  of  those  who 
are  "  renewed  in  the  spirit  of  their  minds."  It 
is  tnie,  indeed,  that  the  mercy  of  God  is  infiiiite, 
and  that  so  long  as  there  is  life,  there  is  hope  ; — 
to  tliat  the  moet  abandoned  sinner  has  no  reason 
to  despair,  while  he  remains  within  the  coniioes 


of  the  present  slate.  But  as  for  those  who  puf 
from  lime  into  eternity,  evidently  under  th« 
power  of  revengeful  ami  de|'ritved  pa^8ions,  we 
have  but  slender  grounds  mi  whlrh  to  hope  that 
they  shall  ever  aflerwardy  be  prepared  for  the 
felicity  uf  heaven. 

From  the  whole  of  what  I  have  stated  in  this 
department  of  my  suhjci::,  it  is  evident,  that  (her« 
are  tuM  diffirevt  rtuUx  in  the  future  world  ;  or, 
in  other  wordii,  a /i((iim  aii<l  a  AW/ ;  a  state  of 
happiness,  ami  a  state  of  misery.  If  human 
beings  are  to  exist  at  all  in  iinother  region  of 
creation,  and  throughout  un  unlimi'ed  duratioo, 
it  is  necessary  that  there  be  a  ^eparati<)n  effect- 
ed, on  the  ground  of  their  leuduig  dispositions 
and  characters.  The  nature  of  things,  the  moral 
constitution  of  the  universe,  and  the  happiness 
of  the  intelligent  creation,  as  ^^ ell  as  the  decree 
of  the  Creator,  require,  that  such  an  arrangement 
should  take  place.  For  it  is  altogether  incom- 
patible with  the  laws  of  moral  order,  that  pride, 
hatred,  malignity,  and  revenge,  should  dwell  in 
the  same  abode  with  humility,  benevolence, 
friendship,  and  love  :  or,  that  beings,  actuated  by 
principles  and  affections  diametrically  opposite 
to  each  other,  could  engage  with  haimony  in  the 
same  employments,  and  relish  the  same  pleasures. 
"Were  such  an  incongruous  associulion  permitted, 
the  moral  universe  would  soon  become  a  scene 
of  universal  anarchy,  and  happiness  be  banished 
from  all  worlds.  So  that  the  two  states  of  im- 
mortality revealed  in  Scri|)ture,  are  equally  ac- 
cordant with  the  dictates  of  reason,  and  with  the 
declaration  of  our  Saviour,  who  has  solemnly 
assured  us,  that  "  the  wicked  ^hall  depart  into 
everlasting  punishment,  and  the  righteous  into 
life  eternal." 


■  "ws- 


APPENDIX. 


The  following  fects  and  documents,  in  rela- 
tion to  Lord  Byron,  lead  us  to  indulge  the  hope, 
that,  prior  to  his  dissolution,  he  was  actuated  by 
sentiments  and  dispositions,  ditTerent  from  those 
which  are  slated  at  page  122. 

The  lady  of  Mr.  John  Shepherd  of  Frome, 
having  died  some  time  ago,  leaving  amongst 
her  papers,  a  prayer  which  her  husband  believ- 
ed lo  have  been  composed  on  behalf  of  the  noble 
poet,  Mr.  Shepherd  addressed  it  to  his  Lord- 
thip,  which  called  forth  the  reply  which  i.^  here 
subjoined. 

Frome,  Somerset,  Nov.  2lst,  1821. 
To  the  Right  Honourable  Lord  Byrori,  Pisa. 

My  Lord, — More  than  two  years  since,  a 
lovely  and  beloved  wife  was  taken  from  me,  by 
lingering  disease,  after  a  very  short  union.  She 
possessed  unvarying  gentleness  and  fortitude, 
and  a  piety  so  retiring,  as  rarely  to  disclose 
itself  in  words,  but  so  influential,  as  to  produce 
uniform  benevolence  of  conduct.  In  the  last 
hour  of  life,  aJter  a  farewell  look  on  a  lately  bom 
and  only  infant,  for  whom  she  had  evinced  in- 
expressible affection,  her  last  whispers  were, 
"  God's  happiness  !  God's  happiness  !"  Since 
the  second  anniversary  of  her  decease,  I  have 
read  some  papers  which  no  one  had  seen  during 
her  life,  and  which  contained  her  most  secret 
thoughts.  I  am  induced  to  communicate  to  your 
Lordship  a  passage  from  these  papers,  which, 
there  is  no  doubt,  refers  to  yourself;  as  I  have 
more  than  once  heard  the  writer  mention  your 
agility  on  the  rocks  at  Hastings  : — 

"  O  my  God,  I  take  encouragement  from  the 
assurance  of  thy  word,  to  pray  to  Thee  in  behalf 
of  one  for  whom  I  have  lately  been  much  in- 
terested. May  the  person  to  whom  I  allude, 
(and  who  is  now,  we  fear,  as  much  distinguished 
for  his  neglect  of  Thee,  as  for  the  transcendent 
talents  Thou  hast  bestowed  on  him)  be  awaken- 
ed to  a  sense  of  his  own  danger,  and  led  to  seek 
that  peace  of  mind  in  a  proper  sense  of  religion, 
which  he  has  found  this  world's  enjoyments 
unable  to  procure.  Do  thou  grant  that  his  fu- 
ture example  may  be  productive  of  far  more  ex- 
tensive benefit,  than  his  past  conduct  and  writings 
have  been  of  evil ;  and  may  the  Sun  of  Righte- 
ousness, which,  we  trust,  will,  at  some  future 
period,  arise  upon  him,  be  bright  in  proportion 
to  the  darkness  of  those  clouds  which  euilt  has 
raised,  and  soothing  in  proportion  to  the  keen- 
neas  of  that  agony  which  the  punishment  of  his 
vices  has  inflicted  on  him  !    May  the  hope,  that 


the  sincerity  of  my  own  efforts  for  the  attainment 
of  holiness,  and  the  approval  of  my  own  tove  to 
the  great  Author  of  religion,  will  render  this 
prayer,  and  every  other  for  the  welfare  of  man- 
kind, more  eflScacious— cheer  me  in  the  path  of 
duty  ;  but  let  me  not  forget,  thai,  while  we  are 
permitted  to  animate  ourselves  lo  exertion,  by 
every  innocent  motive,  these  are  but  the  losser 
streams  which  may  serve  to  increase  the  current, 
but  which,  deprived  of  the  grand  fountain  of  good, 
(a  deep  conviction  of  inborn  sin,  and  firm  belief 
in  the  efficacy  of  Christ's  death,  for  the  salvation 
of  those  who  trust  in  him,  and  really  seek  to 
serve  him)  would  soon  dry  up,  and  leave  us  as 
barren  of  every  virtue  as  before. — Hastings, 
July  31st,  1814." 

There  is  nothing,  my  Lord,  in  this  extract, 
which,  in  a  literary  sense,  can  at  all  interest 
you ;  but  it  may,  perhaps,  appear  to  you  worthy 
of  reflection,  how  deep  and  expansive  a  concern 
for  the  happiness  of  others,  a  Christian  faith  can 
awaken  in  the  midst  of  youth  and  prosperity. — 
Here  is  nothing  poetical  and  splendid,  as  in  the 
expostulalory  homage  of  M.  Delamartine  ;  but 
here  is  the  sublime,  my  Lord  ;  for  this  interces- 
sion was  offered  on  your  account,  to  the  supreme 
Source  of  happiness.  It  sprang  from  a  faith 
more  confirmed  than  that  of  the  French  poet, 
and  from  a  charity,  which,  in  combination  with 
faith,  showed  its  power  unimpaired  amidst  the 
languors  and  pains  of  approaching  dissolution. 
I  will  hope,  that  a  prayer,  which,  I  am  sure,  was 
deeply  sincere,  may  not  be  always  unavailing. 

It  would  add  nothing,  my  Lord,  to  the  fame 
with  which  your  genius  has  surrounded  you,  for 
an  unknown  and  obscure  individual  to  express 
his  admiration  of  it.  I  had  ra^er  be  numbered 
with  those  who  wish  and  pray,  that  "  wisdom 
from  above,"  and  "  peace,"  and  "  joy,"  may 
enter  such  a  mind. 

THE   ANSWER. 

Pisa,  Dee.  8th,  1821. 
Sir, — I  have  received  your  letter.  I  need 
not  say  that  the  extract  which  it  contains  has 
affected  me,  because  it  would  imply  a  want  of 
all  feeling  to  have  read  it  with  indifference. 
Though  I  am  not  quite  sure  that  it  was  intended 
by  the  writer  for  me,  yet  the  date,  the  place 
where  it  was  written,  with  some  other  circunv 
stances,  which  you  mention,  render  the  allusion 
probable.  But,  for  whomsoever  it  was  meant,  I 
have  read  it  with  all  the  pleasure  which  can  arise 


i86 


THE  PIIILCeOPHY  OP  A  FUTURE  STATE. 


from  to  melancholy  «  topic.  I  say,  pleatwre, 
oecause  yu<ir  brief  and  simplo  picture  of  the  life 
and  dememior  of  the  cxcellfnt  ptrnon  wlioiii  I 
trust  (hat  you  will  again  luuut,  cannot  bo  con- 
leroplatej  wiihout  the  admiration  duo  to  her 
Tirtuea,  and  her  pure  and  unpretending  piety. 
Her  last  momenls  were  particularly  Htriking  ; 
and  I  do  not  know,  iliai  in  the  coursu  of  rMding 
the  story  of  niankind,  and  still  less  in  my  obser- 
vations upon  the  existing  portion,  I  ever  met  with 
any  thing  ao  unostentatiously  beautiful.  Indis- 
putably, the  firm  bt.-lievers  in  the  gospel  have  a 
great  advantage  over  all  others — fur  this  simple 
reason,  tliat  if  true,  they  will  have  their  reward 
hereafter ;  luid  if  there  be  no  hereafter,  they  can 
be  but  with  the  infidel  in  his  eternal  sleep,  hav- 
ing had  the  assistance  of  an  exalted  hope  through 
life,  without  subsequent  disappointment,  since 
(at  the  worst  of  them)  "  out  of  nothing,  nothing 
can  arise,"  not  even  sorrow.  But  a  man's 
creed  does  not  depend  upon  hirmelf;  who  can 
say,  I  toill  believe  this,  that,  or  the  other?  and 
least  of  all  that  which  he  least  can  comprehend  ? 
I  have,  however,  observed,  that  those  who  have 
begun  with  extreme  faith,  have  in  the  end  greatly 
narrowed  it,  as  Chillingworth,  Clark,  (who  ended 
as  an  Arian,)  and  some  others;  while  on  the 
other  hand,  nothing  is  more  common,  than  for 
the  early  skeptic  to  end  in  a  firm  belief,  like 
Mau[>ertius  and  Henry  Kirke  White.  But 
my  business  is  to  acknowledge  your  letter,  and 
not  to  make  a  dissertation.  T  am  obliged  to  you 
for  your  good  wishes,  and  more  obliged  by  the 
extract  from  the  papers  of  the  beloved  object 
whose  qualities  you  have  so  well  described  in  a 
few  words.  I  can  assure  you,  that  all  the  fame 
which  ever  cheated  humanity  into  higher  notions 
of  its  own  importance,  would  never  weigh  on  my 
mind  against  the  pure  and  pious  interest  which 
8  virtuous  being  may  be  pleased  to  take  in  my 
welfare.  In  this  point  of  view,  I  would  not  ex- 
change the  prayer  of  the  deceased  in  my  behalf, 
for  the  united  glory  of  Homer,  CiBsar,  and  Na- 
poleon, could  such  be  accumulated  upon  a  living 
bead.  Do  me  the  justice  to  suppose,  that  "  video 
meliora  proboque,"  however  the  "  deteriora  se- 
quor"  may  have  been  applied  to  my  conduct.  I 
have  the  honour  to  be  your  obliged  and  obedient 
■errant,  Brnoir. 

P.  S.  I  do  not  know  that  I  am  addressing  a 
clar{Eyman;  but  I  presume  that  you  will  nut  be 
■flironted  by  the  mistake  (if  it  is  one)  on  the  ad- 
dress of  this  letter.  One  who  has  se  well  ex- 
plained, and  deeply  felt,  the  doctrines  of  religion, 
will  excuse  the  error  which  led  me  to  believe 
him  its  minister. 

This  letter,  every  one  will  admit,  exhibits 
Lord  Byron  in  a  much  more  amiable  point  of 
view  than  the  traits  of  his  character  sketched  by 
Mr.  Dallas,  prior  to  the  jrev  1818.     The  fol- 


lowing account  of  his  deatl.*^^  s^ctimesls  / 
extracted  from  "  Last  days  of  Lord  Byron." 

A  very  few  days  l)efore  his  Lordship's  death, 
Mr.  Parry  relates : — "  It  was  seven  o'clock  in 
the  evening  when  I  saw  him,  and  then  I  took  a 
chair  at  his  request,  and  sat  down  by  his  bed- 
side, and  remained  till  ten  o'clock.  He  sat  up  in 
his  bed,  and  was  then  calm  and  collected.  He 
talked  with  nie  on  a  variety  of  subjects,  con- 
nected with  himself  and  his  family.  He  spake 
of  death  also  with  great  composure,  and  though 
he  did  not  believe  his  end  was  so  very  near, 
there  was  something  about  him  so  serious  and  »<> 
firm,  so  resigned  and  composed,  so  different  from 
any  thing  I  had  ever  before  seen  in  him,  that  my 
mind  mi.igave,  and  at  times  foreboded  his  speedy 
dissolution.  '  Parry,'  he  said,  when  I  first  went 
to  him,  'I  have  much  wished  to  see  you  to- 
day. I  have  had  most  strange  feelings,  but  my 
head  is  now  better.  I  have  no  gloomy  thoughts, 
and  no  idea  but  I  shall  recover.  I  am  perfectly 
collected — I  am  sure  I  am  in  my  senses — but  a 
melancholy  will  creep  over  me  at  times.'  The 
mention  of  the  subject  brought  the  melancholy 
topics  back,  and  a  few  exclamatioiis  showed 
what  occupied  Lord  Byron's  mind  when  he  was 
left  in  silence  and  solitude.  '  My  wife !  my 
Ada !  my  country  !  the  situation  of  this  place — 
my  removal  impossible,  and  perhaps  death — all 
combine  to  make  me  sad.  I  am  convinced  of 
the  happiness  of  domestic  life.  No  man  on 
earth  respects  a  virtuous  woman  more  than  I  do  ; 
and  the  prospect  of  retirement  in  England,  with 
my  wife  and  Ada,  gives  me  an  idea  of  happi- 
ness I  have  never  experienced  before.  Retire- 
ment will  be  every  thing  to  me,  for  heretofore  to 
me  life  has  been  like  the  ocean  in  a  storm.  You 
have  no  conception  of  the  unaccountable  thoughts 
which  come  into  my  mind  when  the  fever  attacks 
me. — Eternity  and  space  are  before  me,  but  on 
this  subject,  thank  God,  I  am  happy  and  at  ease. 
The  thought  of  living  eternally,  of  again  reviv- 
ing, is  a  great  pleasure.  Christianity  is  the 
purest  and  most  liberal  religion  in  the  world, 
but  the  numerous  teachers  who  are  continually 
worrying  mankind  with  their  denunciations  and 
their  doctrines,  are  the  greatest  enemies  of  re- 
ligion. I  have  read  with  more  attention  than  half 
of  them  the  Book  of  Christianity,  and  I  admire 
the  liberal  and  truly  charitable  principles  which 
Christ  has  laid  down.  There  are  questions 
connected  with  this  subject  which  none  but  Al- 
mighty God  can  solve.  Time  and  space  who 
can  conceive  ?  None  but  God — on  him  I  rely.' " 

Who  knows  but  the  prayer  of  the  amiable 
young  lady,  inserted  above,  was  the  mean  of 
leading  his  Lordship  to  indulge  such  sentiments, 
and  of  ultimately  securing  his  eternal  happiness  ! 
"  The  effectual  fervent  prayer  of  a  righteous 
man  availeth  much."  This  consideration  should 
not  only  excite  us  to  offer  up  intercessions  in 
behalf  of  particular  individuals,  but  also  to  uw 


APPENDIX. 


1S7 


every  prudent  and  delicate  mean — by  conversa- 
tion, epistolary  correspondence,  or  otherwise,  to 
rouse  the  attention  of  those,  especially  in  the 
higher  circles  of  life,  who  appear  unconcerned 
about  "  the  things  which  relate  to  their  everlast- 
ing peace." 

The  following  lines,  written  by  Lord  Byron, 
are  said  to  have  been  found  in  his  Bible  ; — 

"  Within  this  awful  volume  lies 
The  mystery  of  mysteries. 
Oh  !  happiest  tliey  of  human  race, 
To  whom  our  God  has  given  grace, 
To  he<v,  to  read,  to  fear,  to  pray. 
To  lift  the  latch,  and  force  the  way  ; 
But  better  had  they  ne'er  been  born, 
Who  read  to  doubt,  or  read  to  scorn." 

With  regard  to  Buonaparte,  we  have  nothing 
80  satisfactory  as  in  the  case  of  Byron,  that 
might  lead  us  to  conclude  that  his  moral  and  re- 
ligious sentiments  were  changed  for  the  better. 
In  his  solitude  at  St.  Helena,  however,  it  a[>. 
pears  that  the  subject  of  religion  occasionally  oc- 
cupied his  attention.    The  following  anecdote, 


extracted  from  La  Casas'  Journal,  will  show  the 
opinion  which  he  entertained  of  the  morality  d 
the  New  Testament : — 

In  a  conversation  on  the  subject  of  religion, 
which  he  had  with  his  friends  at  St.  Helena,  he 
said,  among  many  other  things,  "  '  How  is  it 
possible  that  conviction  can  find  its  way  to  our 
hearts,  when  we  hear  the  absurd  language,  and 
witness  the  acts  of  iniquity  of  the  greatest  num- 
ber of  those  whose  business  it  is  to  preach  to 
us  ?  I  am  surrounded  with  priests  who  preach 
incessantly  that  their  reign  is  not  of  this  world, 
and  yet  they  lay  hands  upon  every  thing  they 
can  get.  The  Pope  is  the  head  of  that  religion 
from  heaven,  and  he  thinks  only  of  this  world,' 
&c.  The  Emperor  ended  the  conversation  by 
desiring  my  son  to  bring  him  the  New  Testa- 
ment, and  taking  it  from  the  beginning,  he  read 
as  far  as  the  conclusion  of  the  speech  of  Jesus  on 
the  mountain.  He  expressed  himself  struck  with 
the  highest  admiration  at  the  purity,  the  sublimity, 
the  beauty  of  the  morality  it  contained,  and  we  all 
experienced  the  same  feeling." 


THE 


PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION; 


♦1 

i 


OR, 


AN  ILLUSTRATION 


MORAL  LAWS  OF  THE  UNIVERSE. 


BY   THOMAS    DICK, 

AirrHOR  or  a  variety   or  literary  and  scientific  coMMUiticATion 
IN  Nicholson's  philosophical  journal,  the  annals 

or    PHILOSOPHY,    ETC.    ETC. 


'  Knowledge  Is  power."  —  Lord  Bacon. 
'  Love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law."—  Pant 


HARTFORD: 
PUBLISHED  BY  SUMNER  &  GOODMAN 
1  843. 


-N 


PREFACE, 


To  delineate  the  moral  bearings  of  the  Christian  Revelation,  —  to  disjJay  the 
reasonableness  and  the  excellence  of  its  precepts,  and  the  physical  and  rational 
grounds  on  which  they  rest,  —  and  to  exhibit  a  few  prominent  features  in  the 
moral  aspect  of  the  world, — were  some  of  the  principal  objects  which  the  author 
had  in  view  in  the  composition  of  the  following  work.  He  is  not  aware  that  a 
similar  train  of  thought  has  been  prosecuted,  to  the  same  extent,  by  any  preceding 
writer;  and  is  therefore  disposed  to  indulge  the  hope  that  it  may  prove  botn 
entertaining  and  instructive  to  the  general  reader,  and  to  the  intelli^nt  Christian. 

It  may  not  be  improper  to  remind  the  reader  that  the  author's  object  simply  is, 
to  illustrate  the  topics  he  has  selected  as  the  subject  of  this  volume.  As  he  has 
taken  his  fundamental  principles  from  the  sytitem  of  revelation,  he  was  under  no 
necessity,  as  most  ethical  writers  are,  to  enter  into  any  laboured  metaphysical 
discussions  on  the  foundation  of  morality,  and  the  motives  from  which  moral 
actions  should  proceed.  —  The  truth  of  revelation  is,  of  course,  taken  for  granted ; 
and  all  who  acknowledge  its  divine  authority,  will  readily  admit  the  principles 
which  form  the  basis  of  the  system  here  illustrated.  But,  although  it  formed  no 
particular  part  of  the  author's  plan  to  illustrate  the  evidences  of  the  Christian 
revelation,  he  trusts  that  the  view  which  is  here  given  of  the  benignant  tendency 
of  its  moral  requisitions,  will  form  a  powerful  presumptive  argument  in  support 
of  its  celestial  origin. 

The  Christian  reader  may  also  be  reminded,  that  it  is  only  the  philosophy  of 
religion  which  the  author  has  attempted  to  illustrate.  It  formed  no  part  of  his 
plan  to  enter  into  any  particular  discussion  on  the  doctrines  of  revelation,  or  on 
those  topics  which  haVe  so  frequently  been  the  subject  of  controversy  in  the 
Christian  church.  It  is  not  to  support  the  tenets  of  Calvinism,  Arminianism, 
Baxterianism,  Arianism,  or  any  other  ism  which  distinguishes  the  various 
denominations  of  the  religious  world,  that  these  illustrations  are  presented  to 
public  view  ;  but  to  elucidate  an  object  which  it  appears  to  be  the  grand  design 
of  revelation  to  accomplish,  and  in  the  promotion  of  which  every  section  of  ine 
Christian  church  is  equally  interested,  and  to  which  they  would  do  well  to 
"  take  heed." — In  his  illustration  of  this  subject,  the  author  has  kept  his  eye 
solely  on  the  two  revelations  which  the  Almighty  has  given  to  mankind, — 
THE  SYSTEM  OF  NATURE,  and  the  SACRED  RECORDS  just  OS  they  Stand, —  without 
any  regard  to  the  theories  of  philosophers,  the  opinions  of  commentators,  or 
the  systems  of  theologians.  He  is  disposed  to  view  the  revelations  of  the 
Bible  rather  as  a  series  of  important /acts,  from  which  moral  instructions  are  to 
be  deduced,  than  as  a  system  of  metaphysical  opinions  for  the  exercise  of  the 
intellect. 


PREFACE. 

On  the  leading  topics  which  have  divided  the  Cliristian  world,  the  author  has 
formed  his  own  opinion,  and  has  adopted  those  which  he  iias  judged,  on  the 
whole,  to  be  most  correct ;  but  it  is  of  no  importance  to  the  reader  what  these 
opinions  are,  or  of  what  system  of  speculative  theology  he  is  inclined,  on  the 
whole,  to  support.  He  sets  very  little  value  ujwn  purely  speculative  opinions, 
except  in  so  far  as  they  tend  to  promote  the  grand  moral  objects  of  Christianity; 
and  while  he  assumes  tlie  unalienable  right  of  thinking  for  himself  on  the  subject 
of  religion,  he  is  disposed  to  allow  the  same  privilege  to  others.  He  believes, 
on  the  authority  of  Scripture,  that  "  God  is  the  Creator  of  heaven  and  earth ;" — 
that  "  he  is  righteous  in  all  his  ways,  and  holy  in  all  his  works  ;" — that  "  he  is 
good  to  all,  and  that  his  tender  mercies  are  over  all  his  works;" — that  "  he  so 
loved  tlie  world,  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth 
on  him  might  not  perish,  but  have  everlastmg  life ;"  —  that  "  Christ  died  for  our 
sins,  that  he  was  buried,  and  that  he  rose  again  from  the  dead  according  to  the 
Scriptures;"  —  that  "  he  is  the  propitiation  lor  our  sins,  and  that  he  ever  lives 
to  make  intercession ;"  —  together  with  all  the  other  facts  and  doctrines  with 
which  these  are  essentiaUy  connected.  But  he  views  the  recognition  of  such 
doctrines  and  facts  not  as  the  end  of  religion,  but  only  as  the  means  by  which 
the  great  moral  objects  of  Christianity  are  to  be  promoted  and  accomplished. 

In  illustrating  the  moral  state  of  the  world,  the  author  is  sorry  that  he  was 
obliged  to  compress  his  details  within  so  narrow  limits.  Few  readers,  however, 
will  appreciate  the  labour  and  research  he  was  under  the  necessity  of  bestowing, 
in  order  to  select  and  arrange  the  facts  which  he  has  detailed.  He  has 
occasionally  had  to  condense  a  long  history  or  narrative,  and  even  a  whole 
volume,  into  tlie  compass  of  two  or  three  pages ;  and  to  search  through  more 
than  twenty  volumes,  in  order  to  find  materials  to  fill  a  couple  of  pages.  With 
the  same  degree  of  research,  (excepting  the  mechanical  labour  of  transcription,) 
he  might  have  filled  several  volumes  with  similar  illustrations ;  and  he  is 
convinced  that  a  work  of  this  description,  judiciously  executed,  would  prove 
highly  instructive,  as  well  as  entertaining,  not  only  to  the  Christian  world,  but 
to  readers  of  every  description. 

Various  topics  connected  ^^th  the  philosophy  of  religion  still  i*ai*m  to  be 
illustrated.  These  shall  form'  the  subject  of  discussion  in  a  future  illume, 
should  the  present  work  be  received  wifii  general  approbation. 

Pekth,  January,  1826. 


CONTENTS. 


INTRODUCTION. 

Objects  of  human  knowledge        ----.---.n 

CHAPTER  I. 

ON    THE    MORAL     RELATIONS     OP     INTELLIQENT    BEINGS     TO 
THEIR  CREATOR 15 

SECTION  1. 
On  the  primary  or  most  general  idea  of  Morality     •>-...        15 

SECTION  n. 
On  the  fundamental  principles  of  Morality     -------16 

SECTION  m. 
On  the  Omnipotence  of  God  --------.        _i7 

SECTION  IV. 
On  the  Wisdom  and  Goodness  of  God  ->....__tO 

SECTION  V. 
On  the  Mercy  and  Patience  of  God         -•......S9 


fH  00NTRNT8. 

SECTION  VI. 
On  the  Rectitude  of  the  Divine  Character  -       •       -        -        •       ...^.fl 

SECTION  VU. 
Modes  in  which  Love  to  Qod  is  displayed         ......  S8 

CHAPTER  IL 

SECOND  PRINCIPLE  OF  MORAL  ACTION  — LOVE  TO  ALL  SUB- 
ORDINATE  INTELLIGENCES         -  44 

SECTION  I. 
The  natural  equality  of  mankind  considered  as  the  basis  of  love  to  our  ndghbour      44 

SECTION  II. 

The  connexions  and  relations  which  subsist  among  mankind  considered  as  estab- 
lishing the  basis  of  love  to  our  neighbour         .......49 

SECTION  m. 

The  ultimate  destination  of  mankind  considered  as  a  basis  for  love  to  our  nei^ 
hour,  and  as  a  motive  to  its  exercise        --         ......59 

SECTION  IV. 

Love  to  God  and  our  neighbour  enforced  and  illustrated,  from  a  consideration  of 
the  miserable  effects  which  would  ensue  were  these  principles  reversed,  and 
were  rational  beings  to  act  accordingly  --..-.        ..M 

SECTION  V. 

Effects  which  would  flow  from  the  full  operation  of  the  principle  of  Love  to  Grod  and 
toman         .............55 

SECTION  VI. 
Universality  of  the  principles  of  Love  to  Qod  and  to  fellow  inteUigences       •        -    6S 

SECTION  VU. 
Tlie  preceding  views  corroborated  by  Divine  Revelation    ....        -    A) 


CONTENTS. 


SECTION  vin. 


On  the  practical  operation  of  Love,  and  the  various  modes  in  which  it  should  be  dis- 
played tow wds  reankind .-        -74 


CHAPTER  m. 

ON  THE  MORAL  LAW,  AND  THE  RATIONAL  GROUNDS  ON  WHICH 
ITS  PRECEPTS  ARE  FOUNDED 84 

The  first  commandment  -------..--85 

The  second  commandment   -------  -.88 

The  third  commandment  --.-----.--92 

The  fourth  commandment     ----------93 

The  fifth  commandment  -.------.--97 

The  sixth  commandment      .----.----99 

The  seventh  commandment       ----------  101 

The  eighth  commandment    ----------       104 

The  ninth  commandment-        ----------  106 

The  tenth  commandment      ----------112 

General  conclusions  and  remarks  founded  on  the  preceding  illustrations      -        -  115 


CHAPTER  IV. 

A  BRIEF  SURVEY  OF  THE  MORAL  STATE  OF  THE  WORLD  ;  OR, 
AN  EXAMINATION  OF  THE  GENERAL  TRAIN  OF  HUMAN  AC- 
TIONS, IN  REFERENCE  TO  ITS  CONFORMITY  WITH  THE  PRIN- 
CIPLES AND  LAWS  NOW  ILLUSTRATED 122 

SECTION  I. 

State  of  Morals  in  the  Ancient  "World -  123 

Warlike  dispositions  of  mankind  ---------       i25 

Atrocities  connected  with  war  ---------.  129 

SECTION  n. 

State  of  Morals  in  Modem  Times    -        -        -        -        -        --        .        -  133 

Moral  state  of  savage  nations        ...-----.       I33 

Warlike  attitude  of  savage  nations    ---------  140 

Inhumanity  of  uncivilized  tribes  to  unfortunate  travellers  -  -  .  -  141 
Malevolent  dispositions,  as  displayed  in  disfiguring  the  body  -  -  -  .  i4g 
Malevolence  as  it  appears  in  the  religion  of  savage  tribes        -        .        -        .       145 

SECTION  ni. 

Moral  State  of  Civilized  Nations       --.-...._  149 


00NTBMT8. 


SECTION  IV. 

Moral  sUteofthe  professing  Christian  Worid   -.-...        .164 

Moral  state  of  the  Protestant  Church,  and  of  the  dispositions  generally  manifested 
among  Christians  in  our  ot^rn  country    ........  ]73 

General  reflections        ...------..       179 

Means  by  which  the  practice  of  Christian  morality  might  be  promoted ,        •        -  181 
Coaclusioaa  from  the  general  principles  illustrated  in  this  volume    ...      I88 


PHILOSOPHY   OF  RELIGION. 


INTRODUCTION. 


The  objects  of  human  knowledge  may  be  re- 
duced to  two  classes — the  relations  of  matter  and 
the  relations  of  mind ;  or,  in  other  words,  the  ma- 
terial and  the  iniellectiuU  universe.  Of  these  two 
departments  of  science,  the  intellectual  universe 
is,  in  many  respects,  the  most  interesting  and  im- 
portant. For,  in  so  far  as  our  knowledge  and  re- 
searches extend,  it  appears  highly  probable,  if  not 
absolutely  certain,  that  the  material  universe  ez- 
Ut8  solely  for  the  sake  of  sentient  and  intelligent 
beings— in  order  to  afford  a  sensible  manifestation 
of  the  attributes  of  the  great  First  Cause,  and  to 
MTve  as  a  vehicle  of  thought  and  a  medium  of 
enjoyment  to  subordinate  intelligences.  So  in- 
timately related,  however,  are  these  two  objects 
of  human  investigation,  that  a  knowledge  of  the 
one  cannot  be  obtained  but  through  the  medium 
of  the  other.  The  operations  of  mind  cannot  be 
carried  on  without  the  intervention  of  external 
objects ;  for  if  the  material  universe  had  never 
existed,  we  could  never  have  prosecuted  a  train 
of  thought  ;*  and  the  beauties  and  sublimities  of 
external  nature  can  be  perceived  only  by  thinking 
beings,  without  the  existence  of  which,  the  ma- 
terial universe  would  remain  like  a  mighty  blank, 
and  might  be  said  to  have  been  created  in  vain. 
Hence  it  appears,  that,  previous  to  our  inquiries 

•  The  whole  train  of  Ideas  which  passes  through 
our  minds  on  any  subject  may  be  considered  as  the 
imajges  of  external  objects  variously  modifled  and 
combined.  These  Images  we  receive  through  the 
medium  of  our  senses,  by  which  we  hold  a  com- 
munlcatiun  with  the  material  world.  All  our  Ideais 
of  God,  and  of  the  objects  of  religion,  are  derived 
from  the  same  source.  The  Illustrations  of  the 
attributes  of  the  Deity,  and  of  his  moral  adminis 
(ration,  contained  In  Scripture,  are  derived  from 
the  external  scenes  of  creation,  and  from  the  re- 
lations of  human  society;  consequently,  had  the 
material  world  never  existed,  we  could  have  form- 
ed no  conceptions  of  the  divine  perfections  similar 
to  those  which  we  now  entertain,  nor  have  prosecu- 
ted a  train  of  thought  on  any  other  subject ;  for  the 
material  universe  is  the  basis  of  all  the  knowledge 
we  have  hitherto  acquired,  or  can  acquire,  respec  Ing 
ourselves,  our  Creator  or  other  intelligences.  Any 
person  who  is  dis|>osed  to  call  in  question  this  posi. 
Uon  must  be  prepared  to  point  out,  distinctly  and  spe- 
cifically, those  Ideas  or  trains  of  thought  which  are 
not  derived  through  the  medium  of  the  external 
•eases,  and  from  the  objects  on  which  they  are 
wercised. 


into  the  nature  and  relations  of  mind,  it  is  neceo* 
sary,  in  the  first  place,  to  study  the  phenomena  of 
the  material  world,  and  the  external  actions  of  all 
those  percipient  beings  with  which  it  is  peopled) 
for  the  knowledge  of  the  facts  we  acquire  in  rela- 
tion to  these  objects  must  form  the  ground-work 
of  all  our  investigations. 

We  are  surrounded,  on  every  hand,  with 
minds  of  various  descriptions,  which  evince  the 
faculties  of  which  they  ai'e  possessed,  by  the  va- 
rious senses  and  active  powers  with  which  they 
are  furnished.  These  minds  are  of  various  gra- 
dations, in  point  of  intellectual  capacity  and 
acumen,  from  man  downwards  through  all  tho 
animated  tribes  which  traverse  the  regions  of 
earth,  air,  and  sea.  We  have  the  strongest  rea- 
son to  believe,  that  the  distant  regions  of  the 
material  world  are  also  replenished  with  intel- 
lectual beings,  of  various  orders,  in  which  there 
may  be  a  gradation  upwards,  in  the  scale  of 
intellect  above  that  of  a  man,  as  diversified  as 
that  which  we  perceive  in  the  descending  scale, 
from  man  downwards  to  the  immaterial  princi- 
ple which  animates  a  muscle,  a  snail,  or  a  mi- 
croscopic animalcula.  When  we  consider  the 
variety  of  original  forms  and  of  intellectual  ca- 
pacities which  abounds  in  our  terrestrial  system, 
and  that  there  is  an  infinite  gap  in  the  scale  of 
being  between  the  human  mind  and  the  Supreme 
Intelligence,  it  appears  quite  conformable  to  the 
magnificent  harmony  of  the  universe,  and  to  the 
wisdom  and  benevolence  of  its  Almighty  Author, 
to  suppose,  that  there  are  beings  within  the 
range  of  his  dominions  as  far  superior  toman  in 
the  comprehension  and  extent  of  mental  and  cor- 
poreal powers,  as  man  is,  in  these  respects,  su- 
perior to  the  most  despicable  insect :  and  that 
these  beings,  in  point  of  number,  may  exceed  all 
human  calculation  and  comprehension.  This 
idea  is  corroborated  by  several  intimations  con- 
tained in  the  records  of  revelation,  where  we 
have  presented  to  our  view  a  class  of  intelligences 
endowed  with  physical  energies,  powers  of  rapid 
motion,  and  a  grasp  of  intellect,  incomparably  su- 
perior to  those  which  are  possessed  by  any  of  tbt 
beings  which  belong  to  our  sublunary  system. 


IS 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


To  contemplate  the  vtrioui  orders  of  intelli- 
geDces  which  people  the  material  univerte,  and 
the  relations  which  subsist  among  them— the  ar- 
rangements of  the  d:ffkrent  worlds  to  which  they 
raapeciively  belong — the  corporeal  vehicles  by 
which  thejr  hold  a  correspondence  with  the  ma- 
'erial  system — the  relation  in  which  they  siand  to 
«ther  worlds  and  beings,  from   which  they  are 
Mparated  by  the  voids  uf  space — and  the  excur- 
lions  they  occasionally  make  to  diflereni  regions 
of  that  vast  empire  of  which  they  form  a  part — 
to  trace  the  superior  intellectual  faculties  and  the 
•ensilive  organs  with  which  they  are  endowed— 
the  profound  investigations  they  have  made  into 
the  economy  of  the  universe— the  trains  of  thought 
which  they  pursue,  and  the  magnificent  objects 
en  which  their  faculties  are  employed— the  emo- 
tions with  whicli  they  view  the  scenes  and  trans- 
actions of  such  a  world  as  ours — the  means  by 
which  they  have  been    carried   forward   in  the 
career  of  moral  and  intellectual  improvement — 
the  history  of  (heir  transactions  since  the  period  at 
which  they  were  brought  into  existence — the  pe- 
culiar dispensations  of  the  Creator,  and  the  re- 
volutions that  may  have  taken  place  among  ihem 
—the  progressions    they  have  made   from  one 
■tage  of  improvement  to  another — the  views  they 
have  acquired  of  the  perfections  and  the  plans  of 
their  Almighty  Sovereign — the  transporting  emo- 
tions of  delight  which  pervade  all  their  faculties 
^-and  the  sublime  adorations  they  offer  up  to  the 
Fountain  of  all  their  felicity — would  constitute  a 
■ource  of  the  most  exquisite  gratification  to  every 
holy,  intelligent,  and  inquiring  mind.  But,  since 
we  are  at  present  confined  to  a  small  comer  of 
the  universe  of  God,  and  surrounded  by  immea- 
surable voids  of  space,  which  intervene  between 
our  habitation  and  the  celestial  worlds,  through 
which  no  human  power  can  enable  us  to  pene- 
trate, we  must  remain   ignorant  of  the  nature 
and  economy  of  those  intellectual  beings,  till  our 
■ouls  take  their  flight  from  these  "  tabernacles  of 
day,"  to  join  their  kindred  spirits  in  the  invisiNe 
world.  While  we  remain  in  our  sublunary  m»n- 
aion,  our  investigaiions  into  the  world  of  mind 
must,  therei^>re,  of  necessity,  be  confined  to  the 
nature  and  attributes  of  (he  Uncreated  Spirit,  and 
to  the  faculties  of  our  own  minds  and  those  of  the 
■ensitive  beings  with  which  we  are  surrounded. 
These  faculties,  as  they  constitute  the  irgiru- 
nents  by  which  all  our  knowledge,  both  human 
and  divine,  is  acquired,  have  employed  the  at- 
tention of  philoanphers  in  every  age,  an^  have 
be«n  the   theme  of  many  subtle  and  ingenuous 
qwculatioM ;  and  they,  doubtless,  form  an  in- 
tereating  subject  of  investigation  to  the  student 
of  intellectual  science. 

But,  of  all  ibe  views  we  can  take  of  the  world 
«f  mind,  the  moral  rtlation*  of  intelligent  beings, 
and  the  laws  founded  on  these  relations,  are  topics 
by  &r  llie  most  interesting  snd  important.  This 
nibjeet  nky  k*  treated  ia  a'  men  definite  and 


tangible  manner  than  the  theories  which  hare 
been  formed  respecting  the  nature  and  operaliooa 
of  the  intellectual  powers.  Illustrations  level  to 
every  capacity,  and  which  come  home  to  tvtrj 
one's  bosom,  may  be  derived  both  from  reason 
and  experience,  from  the  annals  of  history,  and 
the  records  of  revelation.  It  is  not  involved  in 
the  same  difficutiies  and  obscurity  which  have 
perplexed  the  philosophy  of  the  inielltct ;  and 
there  are  certain  principles  which  may  be  traced 
in  relation  to  ihis  subject,  which  apply  tu  all  the 
rational  inielligcDCes  that  God  has  formed,  how- 
ever diversified  in  respect  of  the  regions  of  the 
universe  which  they  occupy,  and  in  the  extent 
of  their  intellectual  powers.  Above  all,  thia 
subject  is  more  intimately  connected  wilh  the 
present  and  future  hap|>iness  of  man  than  any 
other  which  comes  within  the  range  of  human 
investigation  ;  and  therefore,  forms  a  prominent 
and  legitimate  branch  of  what  may  be  temed 
"  The  Phikwophy  of  Religion." 

That  the  moral  relatione  of  intelligent  minda, 
and  the  temper  and  conduct  corresponding  with 
these  relations,  are  essentially  connecied  with 
the  happineaa  of  every  rational  agent,  might  be 
made  to  appear  from  a  variety  of  cases,  in  which 
the  reversing  of  certain  moral  laws  or  principles 
would  inevitably  lead  to  disorder  and  misery, 
I  shall  content  myself  wilh  stating  the  following 
illustration: — We  dwell  in  an  obscure  corner  of 
God's  empire ;  but  the  light  of  modern  science 
has  shows  us,  that  worlds,  a  thousand  times  larger 
than  ours,  and  adorned  with  more  refulgent  splen- 
dours, exist  within  the  range  of  that  system  of 
which  we  form  a  part.  It  has  also  unfolded  to 
our  view  other  systems  diiipersed  throughout  the 
void)  cf  space,  at  immeasurable  difitances,  and 
in  such  vast  profusion,  that  our  minds  are  unable 
to  grasp  their  number  and  their  magnitude.  Rea- 
son and  revelation  lead  us  to  conclude,  that  all 
these  worlds  and  systems  are  adorned  with  dia* 
plays  ofdivine  wi»dom,  and  peopled  with  myriads 
of  rational  inhabitants.  The  human  mind,  after 
it  has  received  notices  of  such  stupendous  scenes, 
naturally  longs  for  a  nearer  and  more  intimate  ii^ 
spection  of  the  grandeur  and  economy  of  thoee 
distant  provinces  of  the  Creator's  empire  ;  and 
is  apt  to  imagine,  that  it  woukl  never  weary,  but 
would  feel  unmingled  enjoyment,  while  it  winged 
its  flight  from  one  magnihcent  scene  of  creation 
to  another.  But  although  an  inhabitant  of  our 
world  were  divested  of  the  quality  of  gravitation, 
endowed  with  powers  of  rapid  motion  adequate 
to  carry  him  along  "  to  the  suburb*  of  creation," 
and  permitted  by  his  Creator  to  survey  all  the 
wonders  of  the  universe,  if  a  principle  of  k>ve 
and  kindly  affection  towards  fellow-intelligencea 
did  not  animate  his  mind,  if  rage  and  revenge, 
pride  and  ambition,  hatred  and  envy,  were  ince»> 
santly  rankling  in  his  breast,  he  could  feel  no 
transporting  emotions,  nor  taste  the  sweets  •( 
true  enjoyment.     The  vast  noiverte,    throogh 


INTRODUCTION. 


iS 


uTiich  he  roamed,' wodld  be  tran^ormed  into  a 
tpaciuus  hell ;  its  beauties  and  sublimities  could 
not  prevent  misery  from  raking  possession  of  his 
4oui  I  and,  at  every  stage  of  his  excursion,  he 
could  not  fdil  to  meet  with  the  indications  of  his 
Creator's  frown.  For  there  appears,  from  rea- 
son aiid  experience,  as  well  as  from  the  dictates 
of  revelation,  an  absolute  impossibility  of  en- 
joymg  happiness  so  long  as  malevolent  affections 
retain  their  ascendancy  in  the  heart  of  a  moral 
intelligence,  in  whatever  region  of  universal  na- 
ture his  residence  may  be  found. 

Hence  we  may  learn,  that  the  highest  attain- 
ments in  science  to  which  any  one  can  arrive, 
though  they  may  expand  the  range  of  his  intel- 
lectual views,  will  not  ensure  to  their  possessor 
substantial  and  unmingled  enjoyment,  while  his 
heart  is  devoid  of  benevolent  affections,  and  while 
he  is  subjected  to  the  influence  of  degrading  and 
immoral  passions.  If  ii  be  possible  that  any  one 
BOW  exists  in  the  literary  world,  who  has  devoted 
his  life  to  the  sublimest  investigations  of  science, 
and  has  taken  the  most  extensive  views  of  the 
arrangements  of  the  material  world,  and  yet 
who  remains  doubtful  as  to  the  existence  of  a 
Supreme  Intelligence,  and  of  an  eternal  slate  of 
destination ;  who  is  elated  with  pride  at  the 
splendour  of  his  scientific  acquirements ;  who 
treats  his  equals  with  a  spirit  of  arrogance  ;  who 
looks  down  with  a  haughty  and  sullen  scowl  on 
the  inferior  ranks  of  his  fellow-men ;  who  is 
haughty,  overbearing,  and  revengeful  in  his  ge- 
neral deportment,  and  who  is  altogether  inditife- 
rent  as  to  the  moral  principles  he  displays, — I 
would  envy  neither  his  happiness  nor  his  intel- 
lectual attainments.  He  can  enjoy  none  of  those 
delightful  emotions  which  flow  from  the  exercise 
of  Christian  benevolence,  nor  any  of  those  con- 
solations which  the  good  man  feels  amidst  the 
various  ills  of  life  ;  and,  beyond  the  short  span  of 
mortal  existence,  he  can  look  forward  to  no 
brighter  displays  of  the  grandeur  of  the  material 
and  intellectual  universe,  but  to  an  eternal  depri- 
vation of  his  powers  of  intelligence  in  the  shades 
of  annihilation. 

It  must,  therefore,  be  a  matter  deeply  interest- 
ing to  every  intelligent  ageni,  to  acquire  correct 
notions  of  the  fundamental  principles  of  moral 
action,  and  to  form  those  habits  which  will  tit 
him  for  the  enjoyment  of  true  felicity,  to  what- 
ever region  of  the  universe  he  may  afterwards  be 
transported. — In  the  illustration  of  this  subject, 
f  shall  pursue  a  train  of  thought  which  I  am 
not  aware  has  been  prosecuted  by  any  previous 
writers  on  the  subject  of  morality,  and  shall  en- 
deavour to  confirm  and  illustrate  the  views  whif-h 
may  be  exhibited,  by  an  appeal  to  the  discoveries 
of  revelation. 

We  have  an  abundance  of  ponderous  volumes 
on  the  subject  of  moral  philosophy  ;  but  the  dil^ 
ferent  theories  which  have  been  proposed  and 
diiicussed,  and  the  metaphysical  mode  in  which 


the  subject  has  been  generally  treated,  have  sel- 
dom led  to  any  beneficial  practical  results.  To 
attempt  to  treat  the  subject  of  morals  without  a 
reference  to  divine  revelation,  as  most  of  our  co- 
lebraied  moral  writers  have  done,  seems  to  be 
little  short  of  egregious  trifling.  It  cannut  serve 
the  purpose  of  an  cxperimeTit,  to  ascertain  how 
far  the  unassisted  faculties  of  man  can  go  in  ac- 
quiring a  knowledge  of  the  foundation  and  the 
rules  of  moral  action;  for  the  prominent  princi- 
ples of  Christian  morality  are  so  interwoven  into 
the  opinions,  iirtercourses,  and  practices  of  mo- 
dern civilized  society,  and  so  familiar  to  the  mind 
of  every  man  who  has  been  educated  in  a  Ctjris- 
tian  land,  that  it  is  impossible  to  eradicate  the 
idea  of  them  from  the  mind,  when  it  attempts  to 
trace  the  duty  of  man  solely  on  the  principles  of 
reason.  When  the  true  principles  of  morality" 
are  once  communicated  through  the  medium  of 
revelation,  reason  can  demonstrate  their  utility, 
and  their  conformity  to  the  character  of  God,  to 
the  order  of  (he  universe,  and  to  the  relations 
which  subsist  among  intelligent  agents.  But  we 
are  by  no  means  in  a  situation  to  determine  whe- 
ther they  could  ever  have  been  discovered  by  the 
investigations  and  efforts  of  the  unassisted  powers 
of  the  human  mind.  The  only  persons  who  could 
fairly  try  such  an  experiment  were  the  Greeks 
and  Romans,  and  other  civilized  nations,  in  an- 
cient times,  to  whom  the  light  of  revelation  was 
not  imparted.  And  what  was  the  result  of  all 
their  researches  on  this  most  important  of  all 
subjects  ?  What  were  the  practical  eflVcts  of  all 
the  flne-spiin  theories  and  subtle  speculations 
which  originated  in  the  schools  of  ancient  philo> 
Sophy,  under  the  tuition  of  Plato  and  Socrates, 
of  Aristotle  and  Zeno  ?  The  result  is  recorded 
in  the  annals  of  history,  and  in  the  writings  of 
the  apostles.  "  They  became  vain  in  their  ima- 
ginations, and  their  foolish  hearts  were  darkened. 
They  were  filled  with  all  unrighteoasness,  forni- 
cation, wickedness,  covetousncss,  maliciousness^ 
envy,  murder,  deceit,  malignity  ;  they  were  back- 
biters, haters  of  God,  despiteful,  proud,  invent- 
ors of  evil  things,  disobedient  to  parents,  without 
natural  affection,  implacable,  and  unmerciful." 
Their  general  conduct  was  characterized  by 
pride,  lasciviousness,  and  revenge;  they  indulged 
in  the  commission  of  unnatural  crimes ;  they 
were  actuated  by  restless  ambition,  and  they 
gloried  in  covering  the  earth  with  devastation 
and  carnage. 

It  is  true,  indeed,  that  some  of  the  sects  of 
philosophers  propounded  several  maxims  and 
moral  precepts,  the  propriety  of  which  caimot 
be  questioned;  but  none  of  them  could  agree 
respecting  either  the  foundation  of  virtue  or  the 
ultimate  object  toward  which  it  should  be  di- 
rected, or  that  in  which  the  chief  happiness  of 
man  consists;  and  hence  it  happened,  that  the 
precepts  delivered  by  the  teachers  of  philosophy 
had  little  influence  on  their  own  coaduct,  «nd 


14 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


hr  left  on  that  of  the  unthinking  multiiud*. 
Where  do  we  find,  in  any  oT  the  phi'osophicml 
■eboob  of  Greece  aiid  Kume,  a  recommendation 
of  Mich  precepu  as  these,  "  Love  your  enemies ; 
do  good  to  them  who  hate  you ;  and  pray  ibr 
tbon  who  despiteful  ly  use  you  and  persecute 
you  V*  In  opposition  to  such  divine  injunctions, 
we  can  trace,  in  the  maxims  and  conduct  of  the 
ancient  sages,  a  principle  of  pride  insinuating 
itself  into  the  train  of  their  most  virtuous  ac- 
tions. Il  has  been  reclconed  by  some  a  wise  and 
a  witty  answer  which  one  of  the  philosophers 
returned  to  his  friend,  who  had  advised  him  to 
revenge  an  injury  he  had  suffered ;  "  What, 
(says  he)  if  an  ass  kicks  me,  must  I  needs  kick 
him  again?"  Some  may  be  disposed  to  cunsi- 
der  such  a  reply  as  indicating  a  manly  spirit, 
and  true  greatness  of  soul ;  but  it  carries  in  it  a 
proud  and  supercilious  contempt  of  human  na- 
ture,  and  a  haughtiness  of  mind,  which  are  alto- 
gether inconsisinnt  with  the  mild  and  benevolent 
precepts  of  Him,  who,  in  the  midst  of  his  severest 
■uflerings  from  men,  exclaimed,  "  Father,  forgiv* 
them,  for  ihey  know  not  what  they  do." 

It  appears  somewhat  preposterous  to  waste 
our  time,  and  the  energies  of  our  minds,  in  la- 
boured metaphysical  disquisitions,  to  ascertain 
the  foundations  of  virtue,  and  the  motives  from 
which  it  is  to  be  pursued  ;  whether  it  consists 
in  utility,  in  (he  fitneu  of  things,  or  in  the  regu- 
lations of  states  and  political  associations,  and 
whether  it  is  to  be  prosecuted  from  a  principle 
of  self-love  or  of  benevolence,  when  every  useful 
question  that  can  be  started  on  this  subject  may 
be  immediately  solved  by  a  direct  application  to 
the  revelations  of  heaven,  and  an  infallible  rule 
derived  for  the  direction  of  our  conduct  in  all 
the  circumstances  and  relations  in  which  we 
may  be  placed.  Even  although  ilie  moral  philo- 
sopher were  to  reject  the  Bible,  a*  a  revelation 
fnm  God,  it  would  form  no  reason  why  its  an- 
nunciations should  be  altogether  overlooked  or 
rejected.  As  an  impartial  investigator  of  the 
history  of  man,  of  the  moral  constitution  of  the 
mind,  and  of  the  circumstances  of  our 
Dt  conditioQ,  he  ia  bound  to  take  into  riew 


every  fact  and  every  circtimvtanoe  which  m&y 
have  a  bearing  on  (be  important  quest  ion  which 
he  undertakes  to  decide.  Now,  it  is  a  foet, 
thai  such  a  book  as  (he  Bible  actually  exis(»— 
that,  amidst  (he  wreck  of  thousands  o(  volumoa 
which  (lie  stream  of  time  has  carried  into  obli> 
vion,  it  has  survived  for  several  thousands  of 
years — that  its  announcements  luive  directed 
the  opinions  and  the  conduct  of  myriads  of  man- 
kind— that  many  of  the  most  illustrious  charac- 
ters that  have  adorned  our  race  have  spbmittod 
to  its  dictates,  and  governed  their  tempers  and 
their  actions  by  its  moral  precepts — (hat  iboae 
who  have  been  governed  by  its  maxims  have 
been  distinguished  by  uprightness  of  conduct, 
and  been  moat  earnest  and  successful  in  promot- 
ing the  happiness  of  mankind — (ha(  this  book 
declares,  that  a  moral  revulsion  has  taken  place 
in  the  constitution  of  man  since  he  was  placed 
upon  this  globe— and  that  the  whole  train  of  its 
moral  precepts  proceeds  on  the  ground  of  his 
being  considered  as  a  depraved  intelligence. 
These  are  facts  which  even  the  infidel  philoaiH 
pher  mu(t  admit ;  and,  instead  of  throwing  theia 
into  the  shade,  or  keeping  them  entirely  out  oC 
view,  he  is  bound,  as  an  unbiassed  inquirer,  to 
take  them  all  into  account  in  his  researches  into 
the  mural  economy  of  the  human  race.  In  par- 
ticular, he  is  bound  to  inquire  into  the  probability 
c^  the  alleged  fact  of  the  depravity  of  man,  and 
to  consider,  whether  the  general  train  of  humaa 
actions,  the  leading  facts  of  history  in  reference 
to  all  ages  and  nations,  artd  the  destructive  effects 
of  several  operations  in  the  system  of  nature, 
have  not  a  tendency  to  corroborate  (his  important 
point.  For  the  fact,  that  man  is  a  fallen  inleU»- 
gciice,  must  materially  modify  every  syctem  of 
ethics  that  takes  it  into  account.  Shoukl  this 
fact  be  entirely  overk>oked,  and  yet  ultimately  be 
fuuiM  to  rest  on  a  solid  foundation,  then,  all  the 
speculations  and  theories  of  those  moialists  who 
profess  to  be  guided  solely  by  the  dictaiea  of 
unassisted  reason,  may  prove  (o  be  nothing  moro 
than  the  reveries  of  a  vain  imagination,  and  to 
be  built  on  "  the  baseless  fabric  of  a  vision." 


CHAPTER  I. 


ON  THE  MORAL  RELATIONS  OP  INTELLIGENT  BEINGS  TO  THHR  CREATOR. 


SECTION  I. 

■05    rUE    PBIMART    OR    MOST    OENERAI,    IDEA 
OF   MORALITY. 

I  CORCEITE,  that  the  first  or  most  general 
idea  of  morality  is,  Order, — or,  that  harmo- 
nious disposition  and  arrangement  of  intelligent 
beings,  which  is  founded  on  the  nature  of  things, 
and  which  tends  to  produce  the  greatest  sum  of 
happiness. 

Phymtal  Order,  or  the  order  of  the  material 
universe,  is  that  by  which  every  part  is  made  to 
harmonize  lo  the  other  part,  and  all  individually 
to  the  whole  collectively.  Thus,  the  adaptation 
of  light  to  the  eye,  and  of  the  eye  to  light ;  the 
adaptation  of  the  structure  of  the  ear  and  of 
the  lungs  to  the  constitution  of  the  atmosphere, 
and  its  various  undulations  ;  the  adaptation  of 
the  waters,  the  vegetable  productions  of  the 
field,  the  minerals  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  the 
colours  produced  by  the  solar  rays,  and  all  the 
other  parts  and  agencies  of  external  nature,  to 
the  wants  and  the  happiness  of  sentient  beings  ; 
the  adaptation  of  day  and  night  to  the  labour  and 
rest  appointed  for  man  ;  and  the  regularity  of  the 
motions  of  the  planetary  bodies  in  their  circuits 
round  the  sun — constitute  the  phi/sical  order,  or 
harmony  of  the  visible  world ;  and  it  is  this 
which  constitutes  its  principal  beauty,  and  which 
evinces  the  wisdom  of  its  Almighty  Author. 

Moral  Order  is  the  harmony  of  intelligent 
beings  in  respect  to  one  another,  and  to  their 
Creator,  and  is  founded  upon  those  relations  in 
which  they  respectively  stand  to  each  other. — 
Thus,  reverence,  adoration,  and  gratitude,  from 
creatures,  correspond  or  harmonize  with  the  idea 
of  a  self-existent,  omnipotent,  and  benevolent 
Being,  on  whom  they  depend,  and  from  whom 
they  derive  every  enjoyment, — and  love,  and 
good  will,  and  a  desire  to  promote  each  other's 
happiness,  harmonize  with  the  idea  of  intelli- 
gences of  the  same  species  mingling  together  in 
social  intercourses.  For,  it  will  at  once  be  ad- 
mitted, that  affections  directly  opposite  to  these, 
and  universally  prevalent,  would  tend  to  destroy 
the  moral  harmony  of  the  intelligent  universe, 
and  to  introduce  anarchy  and  confusion,  and 
consequently  minery,  among  all  the  rational  inha- 
bitants of  the  material  world. 

The  following  brief  illustration,  by  way  of 
contrast,  may,  perhaps,  have  a  tendency  more 
{Muticulsrly  to  impress  th«  mind  with  Uie  idea 


of  order  intended  to  be  conveyed  in  the  abow 
stated  definitions. 

Suppose  the  principle  which  unites  the  plane- 
tary globes  in  one  harmonious  system,  to  be 
dissolved,  and  the  planets  to  run  lawlessly  through 
the  sky — suppose  the  planet  Jupiter  to  forsake 
his  orbit,  and  in  his  course  to  the  distant  regions 
of  space,  to  impinge  against  the  planet  Saturn, 
and  to  convulse  the  solid  crust  of  that  globe  from 
its  surface  to  its  centre,  to  disarrange  the  order 
of  its  satellites,  to  shatter  its  rings  into  pieces, 
and  to  carry  the  fragment  of  them  along  with 
him  in  his  lawless  career, — suppose  the  sun  to 
attract  his  nearest  planets  to  his  surface  with  a 
force  that  would  shake  them  to  their  centres, 
and  dissolve  their  present  constitution, — suppose 
the  moon  to  fly  from  her  orbit,  and  rush  towards 
the  planet  Venus, — the  earth  to  be  divested  of 
its  atmosphere,  the  foundations  of  its  mountains 
to  be  overturned,  and  to  be  hurled  into  the  plains, 
and  into  the  ocean ;  its  seas  and  rivers  to  for- 
sake their  ancient  channels,  and  to  overflow  the 
land,  and  its  human  inhabitants  swept  promis- 
cuously along  with  the  inferior  animals  into 
dens  and  caves,  and  crevices  of  the  earth,  and 
into  the  bottom  of  the  ocean : — in  such  a  scene, 
we  should  have  presented  to  our  view  a  specimen 
of  physical  confusion  and  disorder ;  and  it  would 
form  an  impressive  emblem  of  the  state  of  rational 
beings,  whose  moral  order  is  completely  sub- 
verted. 

Again,  suppose  the  rational  inhabitants  of  our 
globe  to  be  universally  set  against  each  other,  in 
order  to  accomplish  their  misery  and  destruction 
— suppose  the  child  rising  in  opposition  to  his 
parents,  the  wife  plotting  the  destruction  of  her 
husband,  the  brother  insnaring  his  sister,  and 
decoying  her  to  ruin, — teachers  of  all  descrijH 
tions  inculcating  the  arts  of  deception,  of  revenge, 
and  of  destruction,  and  representing  every  prin- 
ciple and  fact  as  contrary  to  what  it  really  is— 
falsehoods  of  every  description  industriously 
forged  and  circulated  as  facts  through  every  rank 
of  society — rulers  setting  themselves  in  opposi- 
tion to  the  populace,  and  plotting  their  destruc- 
tion, while  they  are  at  the  same  time  actuated 
by  a  principle  of  pride,  of  envy,  and  malice 
against  each  other — the  populace  setting  them- 
selves in  opposition  to  their  rulers,  exterminating 
them  from  the  earth,  subverting  every  principle 
of  law  and  order,  gratifying,  without  control, 
every  principle  of  revenge,  avarice,  lasciviou»» 
nen  and  teasiutl   indulgence,  and  enjoying  « 


>'  1 


16 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


dUbolical  satiifaction  in  coniemplaiing  tho 
acenes  of  miterjr  they  have  created  : — in  short, 
0rery  one  beholding  in  his  neighbotir  the  male- 
volence uT  a  fiend  aimed'  with  instruments  of 
deatruction,  and  devising  schemes  to  secure  his 
misery  and  ruin.  Suppose  the  lower  animals, 
impelled  by  revenge,  to  rise  up  in  indignation 
Against  man,  and  to  swell  the  horrors  oTihis  ge- 
neral anarchy — suppose  the  superior  orders  of 
ioteUigences  to  mingle  in  this  scene  of  confusion, 
to  exert  thuir  high  physical  and  intellectual 
powers  in  adding  fuel  to  these  malevolent  prii>- 
eiples  and  operations,  and  in  attempting  to  drag 
other  intelligences  of  a  still  higher  order  from 
their  seats  of  bliss — suppose  all  these  intelli- 
gences actuated  by  an  implacable  hatred  of  their 
Creator,  combined  to  deface  the  beauties  of  the 
material  creation,  and  then  to  engage  in  a  war 
of  universal  extermination  throughout  the  whole 
intelligent  system  in  every  region  of  the  universe : 
auch  a  stale  uf  things,  if  it  could  exist  in  the 
universe,  would  form  a  perfect  contrast  to  mora/ 
order ;  it  would  present  a  scene  in  which  exist- 
ence could  not  be  desirable  to  any  intelligent 
mind,  and  in  which  happiness  could  not  possibly 
be  enjoyed  by  any  rational  being,  but  by  Him 
who  is  eternally  happy  independently  of  his 
creatures.  Moral  order,  then,  is  completely  op- 
posed to  such  a  state  of  things  as  has  now  been 
represented  ;  it  consists  in  every  being  holding 
its  proper  station  in  the  universe,  acting  accord- 
ing to  the  nature  of  that  station,  and  using  its 
powers  and  faculties  for  the  purposes  for  which 
they  were  originally  intended ;  and  the  grand 
object  intended  to  be  accomplished  by  this  order, 
is,  the  happiness  of  the  whole, — without  which 
misery  would  reign  uncontrolled  throughout  all 
the  ranks  of  intelligent  existence. 

This  state  of  the  moral  world  is  most  fi-e- 
quently  designated  in  scripture  by  the  term  holi- 
tuM,  Of  the  ideas  included  under  this  term, 
and  several  of  its  kindred  epithets,  very  vague 
and  imperfect  conceptions  are  frequently  enter- 
tained. Its  leading  or  generic  idea,  from  what 
has  been  now  stated,  will  evidently  appear  to  be, 
«  conformity  to  order,  founded  on  the  relations  of 
intelligent  beings  to  each  other  ;  or,  in  other 
words,  it  consists  in  a  complete  conformity  to 
the  law  of  God,  (which  is  founded  on  those  re- 
lations) including  both  the  action  and  the  prin- 
tipU  from  which  it  flows.  In  reference  to  cre- 
ated beiags,  holiness  may,  therefore,  be  defined 
to  Im  a  amfomutfi  to  the  moral  order  of  the  uni- 
vtrH,—'*ni,  in  relation  to  the  Creator,  it  is  that 
ftrfielieiH  of  hit  nature,  which  lead*  him  to  pro- 
■Mfe  tk*  mtoral  order  and  happineu  of  intelligent 
being;  and  to  counteract  every  thing  tohich  stand* 
m  oppotithn  to  this  object. 

That  the  leading  ideas  and  definitions  now 
stated  are  correct,  will,  perhaps,  more  distinctly 
appear  in  the  course  of  the  following  discussions 
and  iUustratioos ;  but  sbouki  any  one  be  disposed 


to  call  in  question  the  statements  now  giTen  in 
reference  to  the  prinrisry  idea  of  morality,  his 
dif&rence  of  opinion  on  this  point  will  not  mat*' 
rially  affect  the  leading  train  of  sentiment  prae»- 
euied  in  the  further  elucidation  of  ihissubjecL 


SECTION  II. 

Oir   THK   rURDAMKRTAL  PaiRCIPLES  OF  MO- 
BALITY. 

The  leading  idea  of  morality  or  holiness,  n 
now  stated,  resolves  itself  into  the  two  following 
prit)ciples — love  to  God  the  Creator,  and  love  t» 
fellow  intdUgenet*.  These  are  the  two  grand 
springs  on  which  the  whole  moral  machine  of 
the  universe  depends.  All  the  diversi/ird  ac- 
tions by  which  happiness  is  diffused  among  in- 
telligent agents,  are  only  so  many  ramifications 
of  these  two  simple  and  sublime  principles, 
which  connect  all  holy  beings  throughout  the 
wide  empire  of  God,  in  one  harmonious  union. 
This  we  are  not  lefl  to  infer  merely  from  the  na- 
ture of  things,  but  have  the  authority  of  the 
supreme  Legislator,  as  our  warrant  for  placing 
these  principles  as  the  foundation  of  all  moral 
virtue  among  every  class  of  moral  agents.  For 
thus  saith  our  Saviour,  "  Thou  shalt  lotk 
THE  Lord  thy  God  with  all  trv  heaht, 

A5D    WITH   ALL  THY  MIND,    AHD    WITH    ALI 

THY  STRENGTH.  Thii  u  the  firtt  and  great 
commandment.  The  second  it  tike  unto  it  : 
Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as  thy- 
self. On  ihf-se  two  yrinciple*  hang  all  the  laie 
and  the  prophet*." 

These  principles,  now  that  they  are  commi>- 
nicated,  and  sanctioned  by  divine  authority,  ap- 
pear quite  accordant  to  the  dictates  of  enlighten- 
ed reason,  and  calculated  to  promote  the  happi- 
ness of  the  intelligent  creation  ;  yet  we  never 
find  that  the  moral  systems  of  pagan  philosophers, 
in  any  country,  were  built  on  this  foundation,  or 
that  they  assumed  them  as  indispensable  axioms 
to  guide  them  in  their  speculations  on  the  sub- 
ject of  ethics . 

In  elucidating  this  topic,  I  shall  endeavour  to 
show  the  reasonableness  and  the  utility  of  these 
principles  of  moral  action,  from  a  consideration 
of  the  nature  of  God,  and  the  relations  in  which 
intelligent  beings  stand  to  him  as  the  source  of 
their  existence  and  felicity — from  the  nature  of 
subordinate  intelligences,  and  the  relations  in 
which  they  stand  to  one  another — from  the  mi- 
sery which  must  inevitably  follow,  where  such 
principles  are  violated  or  reversed — from  the 
happiness  that  would  necessarily  flow  from  their 
full  operation — and,  lastly,  that  they  apply  to  the 
circunwtances  of  all  created  intelligences  wher- 
ever existing,  throughout  the  boundless  universe 
— I  have  used  the  plural  term  prineipUt,  to  e» 


OMNIPOTENCE  OF  GOD. 


17 


press  the  foundation  of  moral  action,  because 
our  Saviour  has  arranged  them  under  two  dis- 
tinct heads,  in  the  passage  just  now  quoted  ; 
but  strictly  speaking,  there  is  but  one  principle, 
namely,  Lave,  which  divides  itself,  as  it  were, 
into  two  great  streams,  one  directing  its  course 
towards  the  supreme  Source  of  all  felicity,  and 
the  other  towards  all  the  subordinate  intelligences 
He  has  created. 

First  Principle — Love  to  God. 

Love,  considered  in  reference  to  the  Supreme 
Being,  may  be  viewed  as  dividmg  itself  into  a 
variety  of  streams  or  kindred  emotions,  all  flow- 
ing from  one  source.  The  most  prominent  of 
these  emotions  are  the  following — Admiraiion, 
which  consists  in  a  delightful  emotion,  arising 
from  a  contemplation  of  the  wonderful  works  of 
God,  and  of  the  wisdom  and  goodness  which  they 
unfold — Reverence,  which  is  nearly  allied  to  ad- 
miration, is  a  solemn  emotion,  mingled  with  awe 
and  delight,  excited  in  the  mind,  when  it  contem- 
plates the  perfections,  and  the  grand  operations 
of  the  Eternal  Mind — Gratitude,  which  consists 
in  affection  to  the  Supreme  Being,  on  account 
of  the  various  benefits  he  has  conferred  upon  us 
—Humility,  which  consists  in  a  just  sense  of  our 
own  character  and  condition,  especially  when  we 
compare  ourselves  with  the  purity  and  perfection 
of  the  divine  character.  To  ihese  emotions 
may  be  added  Complacency  and  delight  in  the 
character  and  operations  of  God — Adoration 
of  his  excellencies,  and  an  unlimited  Dependence 
upon  him  in  reference  to  our  present  concerns, 
and  to  our  future  destination.  I  have  stated 
these  different  modifications  of  the  first  princi- 
ple of  morality,  because,  in  the  following  illus- 
trations, they  may  all  occasionally  be  taken  into 
account,  when  an  allusion  is  made  to  the  affec- 
tions, which  the  character  and  operations  of  the 
divine  Being  have  a  tendency  to  excite. 

Love  is  that  noble  affection  which  is  excited  by 
amiable  objects  ;  and  therefore,  in  order  fo  its 
being  rational,  permanent,  and  delightful,  it 
must  be  founded  on  the  perception  of  certain 
amiable  qualities  or  attributes  connected  with  its 
object.  In  order  to  demonstrate  the  reasonable- 
ness of  this  affection  in  reference  to  God,  it  is 
only  requisite  to  consider  his  character  and  per- 
fections, and  the  relation  in  which  he  stands  to 
tis  as  the  Author  of  our  existence  and  enjoy- 
ments. But,  as  a  comprehensive  view  of  this 
subject  would  require  volumes  for  its  illustration, 
I  shall  confine  myself  to  the  illustration  of  only 
two  or  three  lineaments  of  the  divine  character. 


SECTION  IVL. 

ON  THE  OMNIPOTENCE  OF  OOO. 

We  naturally  venerate  and  admire  a  character 
in  which  physical  energy  is  combined  with  high 

3 


intellectual  powers,  when  these  powers  are  uni- 
formly exerted  in  the  counteraction  of  vice  "and 
misery,  and  in  the  promotion  of  happiness.  On 
this  ground,  the  Omnipotence  of  God  is  calcula- 
ted to  affect  the  mind  with  that  particular  modi- 
fication of  love,  which  is  designated  by  the  term 
Reverence.  Were  it  possible  that  any  human 
being  could  construct  a  machine,  by  means  of 
which,  in  combination  with  his  own  physical 
powers,  he  could  transport  himself  and  his  trea- 
sures from  one  region  of  the  globe  to  another, 
at  the  rate  of  200  miles  in  an  hour,  and  were  he, 
at  the  same  time,  to  devote  his  treasures,  and  his 
moral  and  intellectual  energies  to  the  improve- 
ment and  melioration  of  the  various  tribes  of 
mankind  in  every  clime  through  which  he  pass- 
ed, such  an  object  could  not  fail  of  exciting  in 
our  minds  a  sentiment  of  arfmiration  and  reve- 
rence. Were  one  of  the  highest  orders  of  cre- 
ated intelligences  to  descend  from  his  celestial 
mansion,  and  to  display  himself  to  our  view  in 
all  the  bright  radiance  of  his  native  heaven — 
wero  he  to  take  his  station  over  the  regions  of 
Thibet  or  Hindostan,  and,  after  having  excited 
the  attention  of  a  wondering  populace,  wore  he  to 
detach  the  huge  masses  of  the  Himalaya  moun- 
tains from  their  foundations,  and  toss  them  into 
the  depths  of  the  Indian  Ocean,  and,  in  the 
course  of  a  few  hours,  transform  the  barren 
wastes  of  that  dreary  region  into  a  scene  of 
beauty  and  luxuriant  vegetation,  and  cause 
splendid  cities  to  arise,  where  formerly  nothing 
was  presented  to  the  view  but  a  bleak  and  fright> 
ful  wilderness— at  such  a  display  of  physical 
power,  combined  with  benevolent  design,  wo 
could  not  withhold  a  feeling  of  awe,  and  a  senti- 
ment of  reverence,  almost  approaching  to  reli- 
gious adoration. 

If,  then,  the  contemplation  of  physical  and 
mental  energies,  with  which  even  created  beings 
may  possibly  be  invested,  would  excite  our  ad- 
miration and  reverence,  what  powerful  emotions 
of  this  description  must  the  energies  of  the  Un- 
created Mind  be  calculated  to  produce,  when 
they  are  contemplated  by  the  eye  of  enlightened 
reason,  and  in  the  light  of  divine  revelation! 
When  this  huge  globe  on  which  we  dwell  existed 
in  the  state  of  a  shapeless  and  unformed  mass  ; 
when  land,  and  water,  and  air,  were  blended  in 
wild  confusion,  and  chaos  and  darkness  extended 
their  dominion  over  all  its  gloomy  regions,  at 
His  command  "  light  sprung  out  of  darkness, 
and  order  out  of  confusion  "  the  mountains 
reared  their  projecting  summits,  the  valleys  were 
depressed,  the  caverns  of  the  ocean  were  hol- 
lowed out,  and  the  waters  retired  to  the  places 
which  He  had  appointed  for  them.  The  fields 
were  clothed  with  luxuriant  verdure ;  Eden  ap- 
peared in  all  its  beauty;  the  inferior  tribes  of 
animated  existence  took  possession  of  the  air, 
the  waters,  and  the  earth,  and  man  was  formed 
in  the  image  of  his  Maker,  to  complete  tkii 


18 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


wondrooa  aceoe.  At  thi*  prriod,  too,  the  earth 
received  such  a  powerful  impulite  front  ihv  haixl 
of  ill  Creator,  as  has  carried  it  along  through  the 
voids  of  space,  with  all  its  ruriiiiure  and  inha- 
bilants,  in  the  niost  rapid  career,  for  six  ihou«and 
years ;  having  already  moved  through  a  8|>ace 
of  S.480,000,000,000  miles,  and  will  still  conti- 
nue its  unremitting  course  for  thousands  of  years 
to  come,  till  the  "  mystery  of  Providence  be 
finished." 

Would  we  be  struck  with  admiration  and  as- 
tonishment, at  beholding  a  superior  created  in- 
telligence tossing  a  mountain  into  the  sea  7 
What'strong  emotions  of  reverence  and  awe, 
then,  ought  to  pervade  our  minds,  when  we  be- 
hold the  Almighty  every  moment  producing 
effects  infinitely  more  powerful  and  astonishing ! 
What  would  be  our  astonishment,  were  we  to 
behold,  from  a  distance,  a  globe  as  large  as  the 
earth  tossed  from  the  hand  of  Omnipotence,  and 
flying  at  the  rate  of  a  thousand  miles  every 
minute  !  Yet  this  is  nothing  more  than  what  is 
every  day  produced  by  the  unceasing  energies 
of  that  Power  which  6rst  called  us  into  exist- 
ence. That  impulse  which  was  first  given  to 
the  earth  at  its  creation  is  still  continued,  by 
which  it  is  carried  round  every  day  from  west  to 
east,  along  vvith  its  vast  population,  and  at  the 
sane  time  impelled  forward  through  the  regions 
of  space  at  the  rate  of  sixty-eight  thousand  miles 
in  an  hour.  Nor  is  this  among  the  most  wonder- 
ful effects  of  divine  power  :  it  is  only  one  compa- 
ratively small  Sfiecimen  of  that  omnipotent  energy 
which  reiiides  in  the  Eternal  Mind.  When  we 
lift  our  eyes  towards  the  sky,  we  behold  bodies  a 
thousand  times  larger  than  this  world  of  ours, 
impelled  with  similar  velocities  through  the 
mighty  expanse  of  the  universe.  We  behold  the 
planetary  globes  wheeling  their  rapid  courses 
around  the  sun,  with  unremitting  velocity — the 
comets  returning  from  their  long  excursions  in 
the  distant  regions  of  space,  and  flying  towards 
the  centre  of  our  system  with  a  velocity  of  hun- 
dredNof  thousands  of  miles  an  hour— the  sun  him- 
self impelled  toward  some  distant  region  of  space, 
and  carrying  along  with  him  all  his  attendant 
planeta--and,  in  a  word,  we  have  the  strongest 
reason  to  conclude,  that  all  the  vast  systems  of 
the  universe,  which  are  more  numerous  than 
language  can  express,  are  in  rapid  and  incessant 
motion  around  the  throne  of  the  Eternal,  carry- 
ing forward  the  grand  designs  of  infinite  wis<lom 
which  they  are  destined  to  accomplish.* 

It  Bust,  however,  be  admitted,  that  the  mani- 
tMtltion  of  power,  or  great  physical  energy, 
■batractly  considered,  is  not  of  itself  calculated 
to  produce  that  emotion  of  reverence  which 
flows  from  love,  unless  the  being  in  whom  it 
miilna  nrint  it  for  the  purposes  of  benevolence. 
A  luperior  being,  endowed  with  great  physical 


*  See  a  more  comprehensive  Illustration  of  this 
mOiatX  in  "  The  Oirittan  Philosopher,"  pp.  t— s*. 


and  intellectual  energies,  which  wer»  exertMi 
><>lely  fur  the  purpove  of  destruction,  couM  in- 
spire no  feelings  but  those  of  dread  and  alarm ; 
and  were  it  poscible  to  conceive  an  omnipoUmi 
being  divested  of  the  attribute  of  benevolence, 
or  possessed  of  a  capricious  character,  he  wouU 
form  the  moat  terrible  object  which  the  human 
mind  couU  conieniplate.  But  the  attribute  of 
infinite  power,  when  conjoined  with  inhnile  wi»- 
dom  and  goodness,  conveys  an  idea  the  most  gl<H 
rious  and  transporting.  Every  display  of  divine 
power  to  whidi  I  have  now  alluded,  has  the 
communication  of  happiness  ibr  its  object.  The 
motionof  the  earth  around  its  axis  every  twenty- 
four  hotirs,  is  intended  to  distribute  light  and 
darkness,  in  regular  proportions,  to  all  the  inha- 
bitants of  the  earth,  and  to  correspond  to  the 
labour  and  rest  appointed  for  man.  It  produce* 
a  variety  which  is  highly  gratifying  to  the  ra- 
tional mind ;  fur,  while  our  fellow-men  on  the 
opposite  s.de  of  the  globe  are  enjoying  the 
splendours  of  the  noonday  xun,  the  shades  of 
night,  which  at  that  time  envelope  our  hemi 
sphere,  are  the  means  of  disclosing  to  our  view 
the  magnificent  glories  of  the  starry  frame. 
Were  this  motion  to  cease,  this  world  and  all 
its  inhabitants  wouki  be  thrown  into  a  stat^  of 
confusion  and  misery.  While  the  inhabitants 
of  one  hemisphere  enjoyed  the  splendours  of 
perpetual  day,  the  glories  of  the  nocturnal  hea- 
vens would  be  for  ever  veiled  from  their  view, 
and  the  inhabitants  of  the  other  hemisphere 
would  be  enveloped  in  the  shades  of  eternal 
night.  While  the  one  class  was  suffering  under 
the  scorching  effects  of  excessive  heat,  the  other 
would  be  frozen  to  death  amidst  the  rigours  of 
insufferable  cold — vegetable  nature,  in  both  cases, 
would  languish,  and  the  animal  tribes  would  be 
gradually  extinguished. 

The  same  benevolent  intention  may  be  per- 
ceived in  that  exertion  of  power  by  which  the 
earth  is  carried  forward  in  its  anntuU  course 
around  the  sun.  From  this  motion  we  derive  all 
the  pleasures  we  enjoy  from  the  vicissitude  of 
the  seasons  ;  without  which  the  variety  of  nature 
that  appears  in  the  beauties  of  spring,  the  luxuri- 
ance of  summer,  the  fruits  of  autumn,  and  tbe 
repose  of  winter,  would  be  completely  destroyed. 
And,  it  is  worthy  of  notice,  that  all  this  variety 
is  enjoyed  every  moment  by  some  one  tribe  or 
other  of  the  human  family  ;  for  while  it  is  sum- 
mer in  one  region,  it  is  winter  in  another ;  and 
while  one  class  of  our  fellow-men  is  contemplat- 
ing the  opening  beauties  of  spring,  another  is 
gathering  in  the  fruits  of  harvest.  The  Mme 
benevolent  designs,  we  have  every  reason  to  be- 
lieve, are  displayed  in  those  more  magnificent  ex- 
ertions of  divine  power  which  appear  among  all 
the  rolling  worlds  on  high  ;  for,  in  so  far  as  uur 
observations  extend,  all  the  arrangennents  of  the 
planetary  globes  appear  cakulated  to  promote  the 
happiness  of  sentient  and   intellectual  beings. 


OMNIPOTENCE  OF  GOD. 


19 


While,  therefore,  we  contemplate  the  opera- 
tions of  divine  power,  either  in  the  earth  or  in 
the  heavens,  we  perceive  every  thing  which  is 
calculated  to  inspire  us  with  love,  admiration, 
and  reverence.  Whtsn  we  lie  down  on  our  pil- 
lows in  the  evening,  how  pleasing  it  is  to  reflect, 
that  the  power  of  our  Almighty  Father  will  be 
exerted  in  carrying  us  round  in  safety  several 
thousands  of  miles,  during  our  repose  in  sleep, 
in  order  that  our  eyes  may  be  again  cheered  with 
the  morninj;  light  ?  When,  amid  the  gloom  and 
storms  of  winter,  we  look  forward  to  the  reviving 
scenes  of  spring,  we  know  that  we  must  be  car- 
ried forward  more  than  a  hundred  millions  of 
miles,  before  we  can  enjoy  the  pleasures  of  that 
delightful  season  ;  and  when  spring  arrives,  we 
must  be  carried  through  the  voids  of  space  a 
hundred  millions  of  miles  farther,  before  we  can 
reap  the  fruits  of  summer  and  harvest.  How  de- 
lightful, then,  is  the  thought,  that  the  omnipotent 
energy  of  our  heavenly  Father  is  incessantly 
exerted  in  producing  such  a  vvonderful  effect, 
accompanied  by  such  a  variety  of  beneficent 
changes,  all  contributing  to  our  enjoyment  !* 

What  is  the  reason,  then,  why  we  feel  so  li»de 
admiration  and  reverence  at  the  beneficent  ope- 
rations of  divine  power  ?  If  we  should  be  struck 
with  veneration  and  wonder  at  beholding  a  su- 
perior created  intelligence  tossing  a  range  of 
mountains  into  the  sea,  why  do  we  behold,  with 
80  much  apathy,  effects  ten  thousand  times  more 
energetic  and  astonishing  ?  One  general  reason, 
among  others,  undoubtedly  is,  that  the  moral 
constitution  of  man  has"  suffered  a  melancholy 
derangement ;  in  consequence  of  which,  the  train 
of  his  thoughts  and  afleciions  has  been  turned 
out  of  its  original  channel.  The  Scriptures  are 
clear  and  explicit  on  this  point ;  they  declare,  in 
the  most  positive  terms,  that  "  the  carnal  mind 
isenmity  against  God,"  and  that,  inconsequence 
of  this  depraved  principle,  the  wicked  "  walk  in 
the  vanity  of  their  minds,  being  alienated  from 
the  life  of  God.  They  say  to  the  Almighty,  De- 
part  from  us,  for  we  desire  not  the  knowledge  of 
thy  ways.  God  is  not  in  all  their  thoughts,  and 
through  pride  of  their  countenances  they  will  not 
call  upon  God." — Another  reason  is,  that  the 
almighty  Agent  who  produces  so  stupendous  ef- 
fects remnins  invisible  to  mortal  eyes.  Were  a 
celestial  in'elligence  to  appear  in  a  splendid  and 
definite  form,  and  to  produce  such  effects  as  I 


•In  this,  and  other  places  of  this  work,  the  truth 
of  the  annuiil  and  diurml  motions  of  the  earth  is 
taken  for  granted,  because  I  conceive  it  Is  suscepti- 
ble of  the  cli'Hrest  demonstration— (See  "  Chris- 
tian Philoso()her,"  pp.  23,  S3,  147,  li9.)  But, 
should  the  truth  of  this  position  he  cMq(\  in  ques- 
tion or  denied,  it  will  not  materially  afTect  the  pro- 
priety of  such  moral  rettections  as  are  here  stated; 
for,  In  this  ctise,  a  similar,  or  even  a  much  taealer 
display  of  omnipotence  must  be  admittcl  In  refer- 
ence to  the  motions  of  the  heavenly  bodies,  in 
bringing  about  the  succession  of  day  and  night,  and 
the  changes  of  the  seasons. 


have  supposed,  the  connexion  between  the  agent 
and  tlie  effects  produced,  would  forcibly  strike 
the  senses  and  the  imagination.  But  he  who  sits 
on  the  throne  of  the  universe,  and  conducts  all 
its  movements,  is  a  being  "  who  dwells  in  light 
unapproachable,  whom  no  man  hath  seen,  or  con 
see."  He  can  be  contemplated  only  through  the 
sensible  manifestations  he  gives  of  his  perfections ; 
and,  were  the  train  of  our  thoughts  properly  di- 
rected, we  would  perceive  him  operating  in  every 
object  and  in  every  movement.  We  would  hear 
his  voice  in  the  wind  and  the  ihunder,  in  the 
earthquake,  the  storm,  and  the  tempest ;  we 
would  see  him  in  the  beauties  and  sublimities  of 
sublunary  nature,  in  the  splendours  of  the  sun, 
and  the  glories  of  the  nocturnal  sky ;  and,  in 
whatever  situation  we  might  be  placed,  we  would 
feel  ourselves  surrounded  with  the  omnipotent 
energies  of  an  ever-present  Deity. 

The  contemplation  of  God  as  an  omnipotent 
being,  is  calculated  to  inspire  the  mind  with  love 
and  confidence  in  the  prospect  of  futurity.  The 
promises  addressed  to  us  by  a  wise.and  benevo- 
lent being  can  excite  in  us  trust  and  dependence, 
only  in  so  far  as  we  are  convinced  of  his  ability 
to  secure  their  fulfilment.  If  almighty  power 
were  not  an  attribute  of  the  Eternal  Mind,  or 
were  we  iinrble  to  trace  its  operations  in  visible 
existing  facts,  then  all  the  promises  and  delinea- 
tions of  revelation,  in  reference  to  unseen  and 
eternal  objects,  might  prove  to  be  nothing  more 
than  iiTiaginary  scenes,  that  could  never  be  real- 
ized. But  the  good  man,  who  perceives  omnipo- 
tent energy  in  incessant  operation  throughout  all 
the  scenes  of  the  universe  which  surround  him, 
feels  the  most  perfect  security  in  looking  forward 
to  the  scene  of  his  future  destination,  and  to 
those  chanses  and  revolutions  which  shall  suc- 
ceed the  period  of  his  present  existence.  He 
knows  that,  in  a  few  years  at  most,  that  immor- 
tal principle  which  now  animates  his  frame,  will 
take  its  flight  from  its  earthly  mansion  to  a  world 
unknown.  To  what  regions  it  will  direct  its 
course  ;  what  scenes  and  prospects  will  be  un- 
folded to  its  view ;  what  intercourse  it  may  have 
with  the  spirits  of  departed  men,  or  with  other 
intelligences ;  in  what  state  it  shall  pa.ss  its  ex- 
istence till  the  consummation  of  the  present  plan 
of  Providence — whether  it  shall  remain  as  a 
naked  spirit  entirely  disconnected  with  the  visi- 
ble universe,  or  be  clothe<l  with  some  eiherial 
vehicle,  to  enable  it  to  hold  a  correspondence 
with  other  regions  of  the  material  creation — he 
is  at  present  unable  to  determine.  He  knows 
that  his  body,  too,  shall  disappear  from  the  living 
world,  and  be  reduced  to  corruption  and  ashes. 
In  what  manner  the  essential  particles  of  this 
body  shall  be  preserved  distinct  from  those  of  all 
other  human  bodies,  after  they  have  been  tossed 
about  by  the  winds,  and  blended  with  the  other 
elements  of  nature ;  by  what  means  they  shall 
be  reunited  into  a  more  glorious  form;   and  bow 


20 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


(he  separata  apirit  ihall  be  enabled  to  recognize 
iU  renovated  and  lnti^-|i>Kl  parlnet  at  the  resur- 
rection "f  (he  just — ho  can  f>rm  no  concppiioii. 

He  knows,  that  (he  ghibe  on  which  he  now 
reaider  is  doomed  to  be  dissolved  amid:*t  devour- 
ing flames,  when  "  (he  elements  shall  melt  wi(h 
fervent  heal,  and  (he  earth,  and  (he  works  (hat 
are  therrin,  shall  be  burnt  up'' — that  the  ashos 
of  all  the  myriads  of  the  race  uf  Adam  shall  issue 
from  the  caverns  of  (he  ocean,  and  from  (he 
chamel  hoiise<>,  in  every  region  of  the  land — that 
they  shall  be  moulded  into  new  organical  struo 
tures,  united  with  (heir  kindred  spirits,  and  be 
convened  in  one  grand  assembly  before  Go<l,  the 
Judge  of  all.  He  knows,  that  "  new  heavens  and 
a  new  earth"  will  be  arranged  for  the  residence 
of  the  "  redeemed  from  among  men  ;"  but  in 
what  region  of  the  universe  this  abode  may  be 
prepared,  what  scenes  it  will  unfold,  and  by  what 
means  the  innumerable  company  of  (he  righ(eous 
shall  be  transported  from  amidst  the  ruins  of  this 
globe  to  that  celestial  habitation — he  is  at  pre- 
sent at  a  loss  to  form  even  a  conjecture.  He 
knows,  (hat  after  these  solemn  changes  have 
been  eflVcied.  ages  numerous  as  (he  drops  of  (he 
ocean  will  roll  over  him — that  worlds  numerous 
as  the  stars  of  heaven  will  still  run  their  destined 
rounds — that  other  systems  may  undergo  impor- 
tant changes  and  revolutions — tha(  new  systems 
of  aea(ic)n  may  be  gradually  emerging  into  e.x- 
iMence,  and  (hat  scenes  of  magnificence  and 
glory,  different  from  all  that  ever  preceded  (hem, 
may  incessantly  rise  to  view,  throughout  (he 
lapse  of  unceasing  dura(  ion.  But,  in  the  pros- 
pect of  all  these  solemn  and  impor(ant  events,  he 
beholds — in  that  almighty  energy  which  wheels 
our  globe  around  from  day  to  day,  and  impels  it 
in  its  annual  course,  and  which  directs,  at  the 
same  time,  the  movements  of  all  the  hosts  of 
heaven — the  exertion  of  a  benevolent  power, 
which  is  calculated  to  inspire  him  with  love  and 
confidence,  and  which  is  able  to  secure  his  ha;^ 
piness  amidst  the  revolutions  of  worlds,  and 
amidst  all  the  scenes  through  which  he  nuy 
pass  during  an  immortal  existence.  Under  this 
impression,  he  can  adopt  the  affectionate  and 
triumphant  language  of  the  psalmist — <*  Whom 
have  I  in  heaven  but  thee,  and  (here  is  none 
upon  eardi  that  [  desire  beside  thee  !  My  heart 
and  my  flesh  shall  fail,  but  God  is  the  strength  of 
my  heart,  and  my  portion  for  ever." 

Thus  i(  npiiears,  that  (he  omnipotence  of  God 
it  ooe  of  (hose  attributes ')f  his  nature  whii-h  is 
particulartv  calculated  (o  fill  the  mind  with  sen- 
timents of  love  and  confidence,  admirntion  and 
reverence.  And,  if  such  emotions  be  at  all  excited 
in  the  mind,  they  must  rise  to  the  highest  pitch 
of  elevation  (o  which  we  can  carry  them  ;  for 
thore  is  no  other  object  or  being  that  possesses 
the  tune  |>rrfection,  or  can  claim  the  same  de- 
gree of  afTnction  and  love.  If  we  love  Go<l  at 
all,  it  must  b«  "  with  mil  our  heart,  with  all  our 


understanding,  and  with  all  our  strength."  The 
ronsiileradons  (o  which  I  have  now  adverted, 
have  been  (o<>  seldom  taken  in(o  view  in  moral 
and  religious  discnssioua  on  (his  topic.  The 
omnipotence  of  (he  Deiiy  is  sekluin  exhibi(ed  as 
a  ground  and  an  exoilemen(  of  veneration  and 
love,  and  ye(  it  stands,  as  it  were,  on  the  fure- 
fron(  of  (he  divine  charac(er,  giving  beauty  and 
efficiency  to  all  his  other  perfections:  without 
which  wisdom,  benevolence,  faithfulness,  mercy, 
and  patience,  would  degenerate  in(o  empty 
names,  and  form  no  solid  foundation  for  the  ex- 
ercise of  confidence  and  hope.  And,  therefore, 
it  is  the  duty  of  every  Christian  to  endeavour, 
by  every  pro[>er  means,  to  enlarge  his  concep- 
tions of  the  ojieradons  of  omnipotence,  and  to 
familiarize  his  mind  to  contemplations  of  the 
magnitude,  motions,  grandeur,  and  immensKy 
of  God's  works,  in  order  (hat  his  love  to  God 
may  be  elevated  an<l  expanded,  and  his  faith 
and  hope  strengthened  and  invigorated.  To  this 
attribute  of  Jehovah  the  innpired  writers  uni- 
formly direct  our  views,  as  a  s^mrce  of  joy  and 
confidence.  "  Praise  ye  the  Lord, — praise  him, 
ye  servants  of  (he  Lord  ;  for  I  know  (hat  Jeho- 
vah is  great,  and  (hat  our  Lord  is  above  all 
gods.  Whatever  the  Lord  pleased,  that  did 
he,  in  heaven,  and  in  earth,  in  the  seas,  and 
all  deep  places.  Great  is  the  Lord,  and  greatly 
to  be  praised ;  his  greatness  is  unsearchable.  I 
will  speak  of  (he  glorious  honour  of  (hy  majes(y, 
and  of  (hy  toondrou*  work*.  I  will  iifteak  of  (he 
might  of  (hy  (errible  acts,  and  will  declare  thy 
greatness  ;  to  make  known  to  (he  sons  of  men  (hy 
migh(y  operations,  and  (he  glorious  majesty  of 
thy  kingdom.  Happy  is  he  who  hath  (he  God 
of  Jacob  for  his  help,  whose  hope  is  in  (he  Lord 
his  God,  who  made  heaven  and  earth,  the  sea, 
and  all  that  in  them  is,  who  keepeth  truth  for 
ever." 


SECTION  IV. 

OIT  TBZ  WISDOM  ARD  OOODIfESS  OF  GOD, 

Another  feature  in  the  divine  character,  which 
is  calculated  to  excite  our  most  arden(  afTeclion, 
is,  the  JVitdom  and  Goodntti  of  God.  These 
two  attributes  may  be  considered  under  one  hiad, 
since  they  are  always  inseparable  in  (heir  ope- 
ration. Goodnets  proposes  the  end,  namely,  (he 
hapfiiness  of  (he  sensidve  and  in(elligent  crea- 
tion ;  and  IVitdom  selects  the  most  proper  meant 
for  its  accomplishment. 

Wherever  genius  ap|icars  combined  with  be- 
nevolent intentions  afxl  beneficent  operations, 
we  cannot  wi(hhold  a  certain  por(ion  ofafTection 
and  regard. 

When  we  behoU  a  man  like  Hcvmrd,  devw 
ting  his  wealth,  his  knowledge,  his  intellectim. 


WISDOM  AND  GOODNPSS  OF  GOD. 


SI 


Mid  active  powers,  to  alleviate  the  sorrows,  and 
to  promote  th ;  happiness  of  his  fellow-men — 
when  we  behold  him  in  retirement  at  his  native 
mansion,  a  universal  blessing  to  his  neighbours 
around  him,  furnishing  employment  for  the  poor, 
erecting  schools  for  the  instruction  of  iheir  chil- 
dren, watching  over  the  morals  of  his  neighbour- 
hood visiting  the  abodes  of  affliction,  acting  the 
part  of  a  physician  to  their  bodies,  imparling 
spiritual  instruction  to  their  souls,  promoting  ihe 
knowledge  and  practice  of  religion,  and  extend- 
ing his  benevolent  regards  to  persons  of  all  re- 
ligious persuasions — when  we  behold  him  leaving 
his  native  country  and  the  friends  of  his  youth, 
on  a  lour  of  benevolence  over  all  Europe  and 
the  East ;  hazarding  his  health  and  his  life  in 
the  service  of  humanity,  diving  into  the  depths 
of  dungeons,  plunging  into  the  infected  atmos- 
pheres of  hospitals  and  jails,  visiting  the  lonely 
and  squalid  prisoner,  entering  the  wretched 
hovels  of  sorrow  and  aiHiction,  administering 
consolation  and  relief,  and  surveying  the  di- 
mensions of  misery  and  distress  among  men  of 
all  nations,  for  the  purpose  of  devising  schemes 
for  the  relief  of  the  distresses  of  suffering  hu- 
manity, and  for  promoting  the  comforts  of  man- 
kind— when  such  a  character  appears  on  the 
stage  of  life,  there  is  no  class  of  the  human  race, 
whose  powers  are  not  completely  vitiated,  but 
must  feel  towards  it  strong  emotions  of  esteem 
and  affectionate  regard. 

But  what  are  all  the  wise  and  beneficent  de- 
signs of  a  fellow-mortal,  when  compared  with 
the  numerous  and  diversified  streams  of  benevo- 
lence which  are  incessantly  flowing  from  the  un- 
created source  of  felicity  !  They  are  but  as  a 
drop  to  the  ocean,  or  as  an  atom  when  compared 
with  the  immensity  of  the  universe.  On  him 
•all  beings  depend,  from  the  archangel  to  the 
worm  ;  from  Him  they  derive  their  comforts  ;  to 
Him  they  are  indebted  for  all  their  powers  and 
/acuities  ;  and  on  him  their  eternal  felicity  de- 
pends. Were  we  to  prosecute  this  subject  to 
any  extent,  it  would  lead  us  into  a  field  on  which 
volumes  might  be  written,  and  y«t  the  greater 
pari  of  the  displays  of  divine  beneficence  would 
remain  unrecorded.  I  shall  therefore  confine 
mvself  to  the  selection  of  only  a  few  instances 
of  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  God. 

Wherever  we  turn  our  eyes  in  the  world 
•around  us,  we  behold  innumerable  instances  of 
our  Creator's  beneficence.  In  order  that  the  eye 
and  the  inta^ notion  may  brt  gratified  and  charm- 
ed, he  has  spread  over  the  surface  of  our  ter- 
restrial habitation  an  assemblage  of  the  richest 
colours,  which  beautify  and  adorn  the  landscape 
of  the  earth,  and  present  to  our  view  a  pictu- 
resque and  diversified  scenery,  which  is  highly 
gratifying  to  the  principle  of  novelty  implanted 
in  the  human  mind.  On  all  sides  we  beliold 
a  rich  variety  of  beauty  and  magnificence.  Here, 
^resd  the  wide  plains  and  fertile  fiekla,  adorned 


with  fruits  and  verdure  ;  there,  the  hills  rise  in 
gentle  slopes,  and  the  mountains  rear  thnir  snowy 
tops  to  the  clouds,  distilling  from  their  sides  the 
brooks  and  rivers,  which  enliven  and  fertilize 
the  plains  through  which  they  flow.  Here,  the 
lake  stretches  into  a  smooth  expanse  in  the  bo- 
som of  the  mountains  ;  there,  the  rivers  mean- 
der through  the  forests  and  the  flowery  fields, 
diversifying  the  rural  scene,  and  distributing 
health  and  fertility  in  their  train.  Here,  we  be- 
hold the  rugged  cliffs  and  the  stately  port  of  tiie 
forest ;  there,  we  are  charmed  with  the  verdure 
of  the  meadow,  the  enamel  of  flowers,  the  azure 
of  the  sky,  and  the  gay  colouring  of  the  morn- 
ing and  evening  clouds.  In  order  that  this  scene 
of  beauty  and  magnificence  might  be  rendered 
visible,  He  formed  the  element  of  light,  without 
which  the  expanse  of  the  universe  would  be  a 
boundless  desert,  and  its  beauties  forever  veiled 
from  our  sight.  It  opens  to  our  view  the  moun- 
tains, the  hills,  the  vales,  the  woods,  the  lawns, 
the  flocks  and  herds,  the  wonders  of  the  mighty 
deep,  and  the  radiant  orbs  of  heaven.  It  paints 
a  tiiousand  different  hues  on  the  objects  around 
us,  and  promotes  a  cheerful  and  extensive  inter- 
course among  all  tlie  inhabitants  of  the  globe. 

Again,  in  order  to  gratify  the  sense  of  Aeorm^, 
He  formed  the  atmosphere,  and  endowed  it  with 
an  undulating  quality,  that  it  might  waft  to  our 
ears  the  pleasures  of  sound,  and  all  the  charms 
of  music.  The  murmuring  of  the  brooks,  the 
whispersof  the  gentle  breeze,  the  soothing  sound 
of  the  rivulet,  the  noise  of  the  waterfall,  the  hum 
of  bees,  the  buzz  of  insects,  the  chirping  of  birds, 
the  soft  notes  of  Ihe  niuhtingale,  and  the  melody 
of  thousands  of  the  feathered  songsters,  which 
fill  the  groves  with  their  warblings,  produce  a 
pleasant  variety  of  delightful  emotions  ; — theniH 
nierous  modulations  of  the  human  voice,  the  ar- 
ticulate sounds  peculiar  to  the  human  species, 
by  which  the  interchanges  of  thought  and  affec- 
tion are  promoted,  the  soft  notes  of  the  piano 
forte,  the  solemn  sounds  of  the  organ — and  even 
the  roaring  of  the  stormy  ocean,  the  dashings  of 
the  mighty  cataract,  and  the  rolling  thunders 
which  elevate  the  soul  to  sentiments  of  sublimity 
and  awe — are  all  productive  of  a  mingled  variety 
of  pleasures  ;  and  demonstrate  that  the  distribu- 
tion of  happiness  is  one  grand  end  of  the  opera- 
tions of  our  bountiful  Creator. 

To  gratify  the  sense  of  smelling,  he  has  per- 
fumed the  air  with  a  variety  of  delicious  odours, 
which  are  incessantly  exhaled  from  a  thousand 
plants  and  flowers.  Countless  millions  of  these 
odoriferous  particles,  which  elude  the  penetrating 
power  of  the  finest  microscope  to  discover,  are 
continually  wafted  about  by  Ihe  air,  and  floating 
around  us,  impervious  to  the  sight,  the  hearing, 
and  the  touch,  but  calculated  lo  convey  pleasure 
to  the  soul,  through  the  medium  of  the  olfactory 
nerves,  and  to  enable  us  to  "  banquet  on  the  ID* 
risible  dainties  of  nature." 


93, 


THE  PHILOCOniY  CF  RELIGION. 


To  gratify  the  teme  o(  feeling,  he  has  con- 
oectud  plea.iuro.with  the  coniacl  of  almost  every 
thin|(  we  have  occasion  to  touch,  and  has  ren- 
dered it  subnervieni  fur  warning  us  oi°  whatever 
may  be  di!Mi);reeable  or  daiii^erous.  Had  a  malo- 
Tolent  beinj»  ronstructed  the  body  of  man,  and 
lurried  the  arrangements  of  exlernul  nature,  ho 
mi){hl  have  rendered  the  coniacl  of  every  object 
of  (ouch  as  acutely  painful  as  when  we  clasp  a 
prickly  shrub,  or  thrust  our  fingers  against  the 
point  ot  a  needle. 

To  gratify  tile  ^ense  of  tatte,  and  to  nourish 
our  bodies,  he  has  furnished  us  wiih  a  rich  va- 
riety uf  aliments,  distributed  not  with  a  nijigardly 
and  a  sparing  hand,  but  with  a  luxuriant  pro- 
fusion, suited  to  the  tastes  of  every  sentient 
being,  and  lo  the  circumstances  of  the  inhabit- 
ants of  every  clime.  He  has  not  confined  his 
bounty  merely  to  the  relief  of  our  necessities,  by 
confining  us  to  the  use  of  a  few  tasteless  herbs 
and  roots,  but  has  covered  the  surface  of  the  earth 
with  an  admirable  profusion  of  plants,  herbs, 
grains,  and  delicious  fruits  of  a  thousand  difier- 
ent  qualities  and  tastes,  which  contribute  lo  the 
sensitive  enjoyment  and  comfort  of  man.  In 
almoat  every  re;;ion  of  the  earth,  corn  is  to  be 
ibund  in  the  valleys  surrounded  by  the  snowy 
BKNintaiiis  of  the  North,  as  well  as  in  the  verdant 
plains  of  the  Torrid  Zone.  In  warm  regions, 
cool  and  delicious  fruits  are  provided  for  the  re- 
freshment uf  the  inhabitants,  and  the  trees  are 
covered  with  luxuriant  foliage  to  screen  them 
from  the  intensity  of  the  solar  heat  !*  Every 
season  presents  us  with  a  variety  of  fruits  pecu- 
fiar  to  itself,  distributed  by  the  munificent  hand 
of  the  "  Giver  of  all  good."  The  month  of  June 
presents  us  with  cabbages,  cauliflowers,  and 
cherries ;  July,  with  gooseberries,  raspberries, 
peaches,  and  apricots ;  August  and  September 
scatter  before  us,  in  luxuriant  abundance,  plums, 
figs,  apples,  pears,  turnips,  carrots,  cresses,  po- 
tatoes, and,  above  all,  wheat,  oats,  rye,  and  bar- 
ley, which  constitute  the  "  staff  of  bread"  for  the 
support  of  man  and  beast  ;  and  although  we  are 
indebted  chiefly  to  the  summer  and  autumn  for 
these  rich  presents,  yet,  by  the  assistance  of 


*  The  manner  in  wfilch  the  Creator  has  contrived 
asuppir  for  the  thirst  of  man.  In  sultry  plare.t,  is 
worthy  of  a.lminitlon.— He  has  placed  amidst  the 
bumliv;  sam.ls  of  Africa,  a  plant,  whose  leaf,  twisted 
round  nice  n  rruct,  is  always  filled  with  a  laree  glass 
ttallof  fresh  water;  the  gullet  of  this  cruet  is  shut 
^  the  extremity  of  the  leaf  itself  so  ax  to  prevent 
Om  water  from  evaporating.  He  has  planted  in  some 
Other  districts  of  the  same  country,  a  frrcat  tree, 
eslled  by  the  negroes  boa,  the  truuli  of  which,  of  a 
pnxligious  bulk.  Is  naturally  hollowed  like  a  ci-ttem. 
U  the  rainy  season,  it  receives  its  fill  of  water,  which 
MMUmies  fresh  and  cool  In  the  greatest  heats,  by 
■ptuisof  the  tufted  foliage  wlilch  crowns  lis  sum- 
mL.  In  some  of  the  |«rched,  rocky  lidands  in  the 
IfMt  Indies,  tl>ere  Is  found  a  tree  rolled  the  water 
Umme,  so  full  of  sap,  that  if  you  rut  a  single  branch 
of  K,  as  much  water  Is  Immetliately  discharged  as  a 
man  can  drink  at  a  draught,  and  It  Is  perfectly  pure 
and  Umpld.    See  Pierre's  "  Btudie*  of  Nature:' 


human  art,  we  can  preserve  and  enjoy  ihe  greater 
part  during  winter  and  spring.  The  soil  which 
prixiuces  these  dainties  has  never  yet  lost  its  fet*- 
tilily,  though  It  has  brought  forth  tlie  harvests  aC 
six  thousand  years,  but  still  repa}*i  our  lahour 
wiih  Its  annual  Ireasures  ; — and,  were  selfish 
man  animated  with  the  same  liberal  and  generous 
views  as  his  miinificeat  Creator,  every  individual 
of  the  human  family  wmild  be  |>lenlifully  supplied 
with  a  share  of  these  rich  and  delicious  bounties 
of  nature. 

In  finr,  the  happiness  of  man  appears  to  be 
the  object  of  the  divine  rare,  every  retuniing 
season,  every  moment,  by  day  and  by  night.  By 
day,  He  cheers  us  with  the  enlivening  beams  of 
the  sun,  which  unfolds  to  us  itie  beauty  and  the 
verdure  of  the  fields ;  and  lest  the  constant 
efflux  of  his  light  and  heat  should  enfeeble  our 
bodies,  and  wither  the  tender  herbs,  be  com- 
mands the  clouds  to  interpose  as  so  many  mag- 
nificent screens,  to  ward  off  the  intensity  of  the 
solar  rays.  When  the  earth  is  drained  of  its 
moisture,  and  parched  with  heat,  he  bids  the 
clouds  condense  their  watery  treasures,  and  fly 
from  other  regions  on  the  wings  of  the  wind,  to 
pour  their  waters  upon  the  fields,  not  in  over- 
whelming and  destructive  torrents,  but  in  small 
drops  and  gentle  showers,  to  refresh  the  thirsty 
soil,  and  revive  the  vegetable  tribes.  He  haH 
spread  under  our  feet  a  carpet  of  lovely  green 
richer  than  all  the  productions  of  the  Persiar, 
loom,  and  has  thrown  around  our  habitation  ar 
azure  canopy,  which  directs  our  view  to  the  dis" 
tant  regions  of  infinite  space. — By  night,  he 
draws  a  veil  of  darkness  over  the  mountains  and 
the  plains,  that  we  may  be  enabled  to  penetrate 
to  the  regions  of  distant  worlds,  and  behukl  the 
moon  walking  in  brightness,  the  aspects  of  Ihe 
planetary  globes,  the  long  trains  of  comets,  artd 
the  innumerable  host  of  stars.  At  this  reason, 
too,  all  nature  is  still,  that  we  may  enjoy  in  quiet 
the  refreshments  of  sleep,  to  invigorate  otir  meiw 
tal  and  corporeal  powers.  "  As  a  mother  stills 
every  lilllr  noise,  that  her  infant  be  not  dis- 
turbed ;  as  she  draws  ihe  curtain  around  ita 
bed,  and  shuts  out  the  light  from  its  tender  eyes  ; 
so  God  draws  the  curtains  of  darkness  around 
us,  so  he  make-s  all  things  to  be  hushed  and  still, 
that  his  large  family  may  sleep  in  (wane." — In 
a  word,  if  we  look  around  us  to  the  forests  which 
cover  the  mountains,  or  if  we  Icok  downwards 
to  the  quarries  and  mines  in  the  bowels  of  the 
earth,  we  behold  abundance  of  materials  for 
constructing  our  habitations,  for  embellishing 
the  abodes  of  civilized  life,  and  for  carrying 
forward  improvements  in  the  arts  and  sciences. 
And,  if  we  consider  the  surrounding  atmosphere, 
we  shall  find  it  to  contain  the  principle  of  life, 
and  the  element  o^Jire.  by  means  of  »hi  h  our 
winter  evenings  are  cheered  and  illumina.rd  in 
the  absence  of  the  sun. — Contemplating  ail  titese 
benign  agencies  as  flowing  from  the  care  and 


■WISDOM  AND  GOODNESS  OP  GOD. 


08 


mind  may  adopt  the  beauiiful  language  of  the 
poet,  though  in  a  sense  goniewhat  different  from 
what  he  intended: 

For  me  kind  Nature  wakes  her  genial  power, 
Suckles  e;ich  herb,  and  spreads  out  every  dower-, 
Annual  lor  me,  the  grape,  the  rose  renew 
The  juice  neclHreous,  and  the  halniy  dew ; 
For  rae  the  mine  a  thousand  treasures  brings; 
For  me  nealth  gushes  from  a  thousand  springs  ; 
Seas  roll  to  watt  me,  suns  to  light  me,  rise ; 
My  footstool  earth,  my  canopy  tlie  skies."    Pope. 

Viewing  ihe  various  scenes  and  harmonies 
of  nature,  in  relation  to  man,  and  to  the  gratifi- 
cation of  his  ditferent  senses,  we  may  also  say, 
in  the  language  of  Akenside,  in  his  ooem  "  On 
the  Pleasures  of  Imagination,"  that 


1)en«wolence  of  our  Almighty  Parent,  the  pious     required  to  be  compressed  into  the  size  of  a  bait 

of  only  half  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  a  socket 
composed  of  a  number  of  small  bones,  to  be  hol- 
lowe<i  out  and  exactly  fitted  for  its  reception.  A 
bed  of  loose  fat  for  this  ball  to  rest  upon,  a  lid 
or  curtain  to  secure  it  from  danger,  a  variety  of 
muscles  to  enable  it  to  move  upwards  and  down' 
wards,  to  the  right  and  to  the  left,  and  a  nume- 
rous assemblage  of  minute  veins,  arteries,  nerves, 
lymplialics,  glands,  and  other  delicate  pieces  of 
animal  machinery,  of  which  we  have  no  distinct 
conception,  were  still  requisite  to  complete  this 
admirable  organ.  Even  in  this  state  it  would  be 
of  no  use  for  the  purpose  of  vision,  unless  it 
were  connected  with  the  brain  by  the  optic  nerve, 
through  the  medium  of  which  the  impressions  of 
visible  objects  are  conveyed  to  the  soul.  Still, 
in  addition  to  all  these  contrivances,  a  wonderful 
machinery  requires  to  be  in  action,  and  an  ad> 
mirabie  effect  produced,  before  a  landsca[>e  can 
be  contemplated.  Ten  thousand  millions  of  rays, 
compounded  of  a  thousand  ditferent  shades  of 
colour,  must  fJy  off  in  every  direction  from  thet. 
objects  which  compose  the  surrounding  scene, 
and  be  compressed  into  the  space  of  one-eighth 
(^  an  inch,  in  order  to  enter  the  eye,  and  must 
paint  every  object  in  its  true  colour,  form,  and 
proportion,  on  a  space  not  exceeding  half  an  inch 
in  diameter.  Were  any  one  of  the  parts  which 
compose  this  complicated  machine  either  want- 
ing or  deranged  ;  were  it  changed  into  a  different 


'  Kot  a  breeze 


Flies  o'er  the  meadow,  not  a  cloud  imbit>es 
The  setting  sun's  eH'ulgence  ;  not  a  strain 
From  all  the  tenants  of  the  warbling  shade 
Ascends,  but  whence  his  bosom  can  partake 

Fresh  pleasure  anil  delight. — 

The  rolling  waves,  the  sun's  unwearied  course. 
The  elements  and  seasons,  all  declare 
For  what  the  Eternal  Maker  lias  ordain'd 
The  powers  of  man :  we  feel  within  ourselves 
His  energy  divine :  He  tells  the  heart 
He  meant,  He  made  us  to  behold  and  love 
What  He  beholds  and  loves,  the  general  orb 
Of  life  ajid  being :  to  be  great  like  Him, 
Beneficent  and  active." 

Let  us  now  consider,  for  a  few  moments,  the 
wisdom  winch  is  displayed  in  the  harmonious 
adjustment  of  the  organs  of  sense  to  the  scenes 
of  external  nature.     All  the  scenes  of  beauty, 

grandeur,  and  benignity,  which  surroun<l  us,  in  form,  or  placed  in  a  different  position  ;  were  even 
the  earth  and  heavens,  would  remain  as  one  a  single  muscle  to  lose  its  capacity  of  acting,  we 
mighty  blank,  unproductive  of  enjoyment,  unless  might  be  for  ever  deprived  of  all  the  enchanling 
our   bodies   were   "fearfully   and    wonderfully"     prospectsof  the  earth  and  heavens,  and  enveloped 


framed,  and  endowed  with  organs  fitted  for  ena- 
blino  us  to  hold  a  correspondence  with  the  ma- 
terial world.  Ten  thousands  of  vessels,  tubes, 
bones,  muscles,  ligaments,  membranes,  motions, 
contrivances,  and  adaptations,  beyond  the  reach 
of  tlie  human  understanding  fully  to  investigate 


in  the  darkness  of  eternal  night.  Such  is  the 
skill  and  intelligence  requisite  for  accomplbhing, 
even  in  a  single  organ,  (he  purpsoes  of  divine 
benevoleiice. 

Again,  before  we  couM  enjoy  the  harmony  of 
sounds,  the  cliarms  of  music,  and  the  pleasures 


or  to  comprehend,  must  be  arranged,  and  act  in     of  conversation,  an  instrument  no  less  wonderful 


harmonious  concert,  before  any  one  sense  be- 
longing to  man  can  perceive  and  enjoy  its  objects. 
Before  the  ege  can  behold  a  landscape,  and  be 
charmed  with  its  beauties,  it  was  requisite  that 
three  humours  should  be  formed,  of  different 
sizes,  ditferent  densities,  and  different  refractive 
powers — three  coats,  or  delicate  membranes, 
with  some  parts  opaque,  and  some  transparent, 
some  black,  and  some  white,  some  of  them  formed 
of  radial,  and  some  with  drcular  fibres,  com- 


ihan  the  eye  required  to  be  constructed,  [n  the 
ear,  which  is  the  organ  of  hearing,  it  was  requi- 
site, that  there  should  be  an  outward  porch  for 
collecting  the  vibrations  of  the  air,  constructed, 
not  of  fleshy  substances,  which  might  fall  down 
upon  the  orifice,  or  absorb  the  sounds,  nor  of 
solid  bones,  which  wouU  occasion  pain  and  in- 
convenience when  we  repose  ourselves— but  cont- 
posed  of  a  cartilaginous  substance,  covered  with 
a  smooth  membrane,  endowed   with  elasticity, 


posed  of  threails  finer  than  those  of  the  spider's  and  bent  into  a  variety  of  circular  folds,  or  hol- 
web.  The  crystaliine  humour  required  to  be  lows,  for  the  reflection  of  sound.  It  was  farther 
composed  of  two  thousand  very  thin  spherical     requisite,  that  there  should  be  a  tube,  or  passage, 


lamina,  or  scales,  lying  one  upon  another,  every 
one  of  these  scales  oiade  up  of  one  single  fibre, 
sr  finest  thread,  WuQnd  in  a  most  stupendous 
manner,  this  way,  and  that  way,  so  as  to  run  se- 
veral courses,  and  to  meet  in  as  many  centres. 
This  curious  and  delicate  piece  of  erganizatioa 


composed  partly  of  cartilage,  and  partly  of  bone, 
lined  with  a  skin  or  membrane,  and  moistened 
witii  a  glutinous  matter,  to  form  a  communication 
with  the  internal  machinery  of  this  organ,  where 
the  principal  wonders  of  hearing  are  performed. 
Tbid  machinery  consists,  Brst,  (k  thetytnparmmf 


% 


u 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


or  drum  cifihe  etr,  which  consisiia  oTa  dry,  ihin, 
aiid  round  iiieiiibrane,  streiclieii  ii|mii  a  ixtuy  ring, 
10  as  aciuully  to  resuniblo  the  inxiruineiii  wc  call 
&  drum.  Under  this  membrane  is  a  small  nerve, 
or  tiring,  sireichnd  ti<{ht,  fur  llie  pur|Mi««  uf 
■trelchinj^  or  relaxing  (he  drum,  anu  increasing 
or  dimiiiishiiig  its  vibrations,  so  at  to  render  it 
capable  uf  reflecting  every  possible  tone.  Be- 
hind it  isacavity,  hewn  out  of  the  temjioral  bone, 
the  hardest  one  in  the  body,  in  which  there  seems 
to  be  811  echo,  by  which  ihn  sound  is  reflected 
with  the  uimost  precision.  This  cavity  contains 
four  very  small,  but  remarkable  bones,  denomi- 
nated the  hammer,  the  anvil,  the  orbicular  bone, 
and  the  *tirrup,  all  connected  togeiher,  and  ne- 
cessary I'ur  conlributing  to  the  exiension  and  vi- 
bration of  the  tympanum.  In  this  cavity  are  also 
fi>rmed  various  windings  or  cavities  filled  with 
air ;  and,  in  order  thai  ihe  air  may  be  renewed, 
there  is  an  opening  which  coininiinicaies  with 
the  back  pari  of  the  mouth,  called  the  Eustachian 
tube. 

The  next  apparatus  belonging  to  this  curious 
machine,  is  llie  laln/rintk,  which  is  composed 
of  three  pans,  the  vatibule  or  porch,  three  lemi- 
eirculttr  eanaU,  and  the  cochlea.  This  last  is  a 
canal,  vhich  takes  a  spiral  course,  like  the  shell 
of  a  snail,  and  is  divided  by  a  very  thin  lamina, 
or  septum  of  cords,  which  keeps  decreasing 
from  the  base  'to  the  top.  The  air  acting  on 
either  side  of  these  diminutive  cords,  produces 
a  motion,  nearly  in  the  same  manner  as  the 
sound  of  one  musical  instrument  excites  a  tre- 
mulous motion  in  the  cords  of  another.  All 
these  tubes,  and  winding  canals,  may  be  consi- 
dered as  so  many  sounding  galleries,  for  aug- 
menting the  smallest  tremours,  and  conveying 
their  impressions  to  the  auditory  nerves,  which 
conduct  them  to  the  brain.  Besides  the  seve- 
ral parts  now  mentioned,  a  number  of  arteries, 
veins,  lymphatics,  glands,  and  a  variety  of  other 
contrivances,  which  the  human  mind  can  neither 
trace  nor  comprehend,  are  connected  with  the 
Btechanism  of  this  admirable  organ. 

All  this  curious  and  complicated  apparatus, 
however,  would  have  been  of  no  avail  lor  tlie 
purpose  of  hearing,  had  not  the  atmosphere  been 
formed,  and  its  particles  endowed  with  a  tremu- 
lous motion.  Bui,  this  medium  being  prepared, 
a  toiinding  body  communicates  an  undiilatory 
notion  to  the  air,  as  a  stone  thrown  into  a  pond 
produces  circular  waves  in  the  water;  the  air, 
thus  put  in  motion,  shakes  the  drum  of  the  ear; 
the  tremours,  thus  excited,  produce  vibrations 
in  the  air  within  the  drum  ;  this  air  shakes  the 
handle  of  the  hammer;  the  hammer  strikes  the 
WTtI,  with  which  it  is  articulated;  the  anvil 
transmits  the  motion  to  the  stirrup,  to  which 
ita  longer  leg  is  fastened  ;  the  stirrup  transmits 
the  motion  it  has  received  to  the  nerves ;  and 
IIm  aervea,  vibrating  like  the  striogs  of  a  violin, 


or  lyre,  and  the  motion  being  still  further  auf* 
menled  in  the  labyrinth, — the  soul,  in  •  mao* 
her  altogeihrr  iniomfireliensible  to  us,  receives 
an  impression  proportioned  to  the  weakness  or 
intensity  of  the  vibration  produced  by  the  sound- 
ing body.  Such  IS  the  exquisite  and  complicated 
machinery  which  required  to  be  consiiucted, 
and  preserved  in  action  every  moment,  before 
we  couM  enjoy  the  benefits  of  sound,  and  the 
pleasures  of  articulate  conversation. 

Again,  before  we  could  enjoy  the  pleasures  of 
feeling,  an  extensive  system  of  organization  re- 
quired to  be  arranged.  A  system  of  nerves, 
originating  in  the  brain  and  spinal  marrow,  and 
distributed,  in  numberless  minute  ramifications, 
through  (he  heart,  lungs,  bowels,  blood-vesselsi 
hands,  feet,  and  every  other  part  of  the  body, 
was  requisite  to  be  interwoven  through  the 
whole  constitution  of  the  animal  frame,  before 
this  sense,  which  is  the  foundation  of  all  the  other 
seni^ations,  and  the  source  of  so  many  pleasures, 
could  be  produced.  Wherever  there  are  nerves, 
there  are  also  sensations;  and  wherever  any 
particular  part  of  the  body  requires  to  exert  a 
peculiar  feeling,  there  the  nerves  are  arrangix'^ 
and  distributed  in  a  peculiar  rainner,  to  produce 
the  intended  effect.  And  how  nicely  is  every 
thing  arranged  and  attempered,  in  this  respect, 
to  contribute  to  our  comfort !  If  the  points  of 
the  fingers  require  to  be  endowed  with  a  more 
delicate  sensation  than  several  other  parts,  they 
are  furnished  with  a  corresponding  number  of 
nervous  ramifications;  if  the  heel  require  to  be 
more  callous,  the  nerves  are  more  sparingly  dis- 
tributed. If  feelings  were  equally  distributed 
over  the  whole  body,  and  as  acutely  sensible  as  in 
the  membranes  of  the  eye,  our  very  clothes  would 
become  galling  and  insupportable,  and  we  should 
be  exposed  to  continual  pain  ;  and  if  every  part 
were  as  insensible  as  the  callus  of  the  heel, 
the  body  would  be  benumbed,  the  pleasures  we 
derive  from  this  sense  would  be  destroyed,  and 
the  other  organs  of  sensation  could  not  perform 
their  functions  in  the  manner  in  which  they  now 
operate.  So  that  in  this,  as  well  as  in  all  the 
other  sensitive  organs,  infinite  wisdom  is  admi- 
rably displayed  in  executing  the  designs  of 
benevolence. 

In  order  that  we  might  derive  cnjoymeni  from 
the  various  aliments  and  delicious  fruits  which 
the  earth  produces,  a  peculiar  organization,  dif- 
ferent from  all  the  other  senses,  was  requisite  to 
be  devised.  Before  we  could  relish  the  peculiar 
flavour  of  the  pear,  the  apple,  the  peach,  the 
plumb,  or  the  grape,  the  tongue,  the  principal 
organ  of  tatte,  required  to  be  formed,  and  its 
surface  covered  with  an  infinite  number  of  ner- 
vous papiLie,  curiously  divaricated  over  its  sur* 
fate,  to  receive  and  convey  to  the  soul  the 
impressions  of  every  flavour.  These  nerr^ 
required  to  be  guarded  with  a  firm  aiid  propar 


WISDOM  AND  GOODNESS  OP  GOD. 


SA 


tegument  or  covering,  to  defend  them  from  dan- 
ger, and  enable  them  to  perform  iheir  functions 
80  Ion"  as  iii'e  continues  ;  and  at  the  same  lime, 
lo  be  pertbraled  in  such  a  manner,  wiih  a  multi- 
tude of  pores,  in  the  papillary  eminences,  as  to 
give  a  free  admission  to  every  variety  of  laste. 
It  was  likewise  necessary,  that  these  papillary 
nerves  should  be  distributed  in  the  greatrst 
number,  in  those  parts  of  the  organ  to  which 
the  objects  of  taste  are  most  frequently  applied  ; 
and  hence  we  find,  that  they  are  more  numerous 
on  the  upper  than  on  the  lower  parts  of  the  tongue ; 
and,  therefore,  when  we  apply  highly-flavoured 
substances  lo  (he  under  part,  we  are  not  so  sen- 
sible of  the  taste,  till  we  remove  them  to  the 
upper  surface.  A  variety  of  veins,  arteries, 
glands,  tendons,  and  other  parts  with  which  we 
are  unacquainted,  are  also  connected  with  this 
useful  organ.  When  we  consider  how  frequently 
these  delicate  organs  are  used,  during  a  length 
of  years,  it  is  matter  of  admiration  how  well 
they  wear.  While  our  clothes  wear  out  in  the 
course  of  a  year  or  two,  while  the  hairs  of  our 
heads  turn  gray,  and  are  nipped  asunder  at  the 
roots,  and  while  age  shrivels  the  most  beautiful 
skin,  those  delicate  nervous  papillae  last  longer 
than  instruments  of  iron  or  steel ;  for  the  sense 
of  taste  is  generally  the  last  that  decays.  For 
the  besiowmeiit  of  this  sense,  therefore,  and  the 
pleasures  it  conveys,  we  have  abundant  reeison 
to  admire  and  adore  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of 
our  Almighty  Creator. 

Finally,  that  we  might  be  regaled  with  the 
scent  of  flowers,  and  the  aromatic  perfumes  of 
spring  and  summer,  and  that  none  of  the  plea- 
sures of  nature  might  bo  lost,  the  organ  o(gmeU- 
ing  was  ronstructed  lo  catch  the  invisible  odo- 
riferous eflluvia  which  are  continually  wafted 
through  the  air.  For  this  purpose  it  was  requi- 
site that  bones,  nerves,  muscles,  arteries,  veins, 
cartilages,  and  membranes,  peculiarly  adapted 
to  produce  this  effect,  should  be  arranged,  and 
placed  in  a  certain  part  of  the  body.  As  the 
bones  of  the  head  are  too  hard  for  this  purpose, 
the  nerves  of  smelling  required  to  have  a  bone 
of  a  peculiar  texture,  of  a  spongy  nature,  full  of 
little  boles,  like  a  sieve,  through  which  they 
might  transmit  their  slender  threads  or  branches 
to  the  papilloiis  membrane  which  lines  the  cavi- 
ties of  the  b<ine  and  the  top  of  the  nostrils.  The 
nostrils  required  to  be  cartilaginous  and  not 
fleshv,  in  order  to  be  kept  open,  and  to  be  fur- 
nished wi  h  appropriate  muscles  to  dilate  or  con- 
tract them  as  ihe  occasion  might  require.  It  was 
likewifie  requisite,  thai  they  should  be  wide  at 
the  bottom,  lo  collect  a  large  quantity  of  effluvia, 
and  narrow  at  the  top,  where  the  olfactory  nerves 
are  condensed,  that  the  effluvia  might  act  with 
the  greatest  vigour,  and  convey  the  ^ensalion  to 
the  brain.  By  means  of  these  and  numerous 
-Other  contrivances,  connected  with  this  organ,  we 
ar«  enabled  to  distinguish  the  qualities  of  our 
4 


food,  and  to  regale  ourselves  on  those  invisi- 
ble effluvia  which  are  incessantly  flying  off  from 
the  vegetable  tribes,  and  wafted  in  every  direc- 
tion through  the  atmosphere. 

Of  all  the  senses  with  vt'hich  we  are  furnished, 
the  sense  of  smelling  is  that  which  we  are  apt  to 
consider  as  of  the  least  importance;  and  some 
have  even  been   ready  to  imagine,  that  our  en- 
joyments would  scarcely  have  been  diminished, 
although  its  organs  had  never  existed.     But,  it 
is  presumptuous  in  man  to  hazard  such  an  opi- 
nion in  reference  to  any  of  the  beneficent  designs 
of  the  Creator.     We  know  not  what  relation  the 
minutest  operations,  within  us  or  around   us, 
mny  bear  to  the    whole  economy  of  nature,  or 
what  disastrous  effects  might  be  produced,  were 
a  single   pin  of  the   machinery    of  our    bodies 
broken  or  destroyed.     The   exhalations  which 
are,  at  this  moment,  rising  from  a  putrid  marsh 
in  the  centre  of  New  Holland,  and    hovering 
in  an  invisible  form,  over  that  desolate  region, 
may  be  forming   those  identical  clouds  which, 
the  next  month,  shall  water  our  fields  and  gar-- 
dens,  and  draw  forth  from  the  flowers  their  aro- 
matic perfumes.      The  sense  of  smelling  may 
be   essentially  requisite   to    the   perfection   of 
several  of  the  other  senses ;  as  we  know  that 
the  sense  of  feeling    is    inseperably  connected 
with  the  senses  of  seeing,  hearing,  and  tasting. 
Let  us  consider,  for  a  moment,    some    of  the 
agencies  whieh  require  to  be  exerted  when  this 
sense    is  exercised   and    gratified.     Before   we 
could    derive  pleasure  Irom  the  fragrance  of  a 
flower,   it  was   requisite  that  a  system  of  the 
finest  tubes,  filaments,  and   membranes  shoukl 
be  organized,  endowed  with  powers  of  absorp- 
tion and  perspiration,  furnished  with  hundreds 
of  vessels  for  conveying  the  sap  through  all  its 
parts,  and  perforated  with  thousands    of  pores 
to  give  passage  to  myriads  of  odoriferous  par- 
ticles, secreted  from   the    internal  juices.      It 
was  also   requisite  that  the  atmosphere  should 
be  formed,  for  the  purpose  of  affording  nourisb> 
ment  to  the    plant,  and  for  conveying  its  odo- 
riferous effluvia  to  the  olfactory  nerves.     The 
rains,   the  dews,  the  principle  of  heat,  the  re- 
volution of  the  seasons,  the  succession  of  day 
and   night,    the  principle   of  evaporation,   the 
agitation  of  the  air  by  winds,  and    the   tolar 
tight, — all   combine    their  influence    and    their 
agencies  in  producing  the  grateful  sensation  we 
feel  from  the  smell  of  a  rose.     So  that  the  sense 
of  smelling  is  not  only  connected  with  the  agen- 
cy of  all  the  terrestrial  elements  around  us,  but 
boars  a  relation  to  the  vast  globe  of  the  sun  him- 
self; for  an  energy  exerted   at  tlie  distance  of 
ninety-five  millions  of  miles,   and  a  motion  of 
200,000  miles  every  second,  in  the  particles  of 
light,  are  necessary  to  its  existence  ;  and  conse- 
quently, it  forms  one  of  the  subordinate  ends  for 
which   that  luminary  was  created  : — and,  being 
related  to  the  sun,  it  may  bear  a  certain  relatioo 


M 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


to  tnnil&r  a^pnci<^s  which  that  central  globe  it 
producing  ainoii^'  ihe  inhabituita  of  xurruuiiding 
worlds. 

Thiw  It  appears,  that  the  Tarious  senaea  of 
man,  as  wc. I  as  the  external  objects  which  con- 
tribute In  their  liraiificatiun,  are  the  results  of 
infinite  wisdom  and  goo<lness,  and  calculated 
to  promii'e  the  happiness  of  feensiiive  and  iniet- 
ligent  beings. 

But,  before  any  one  of  these  senses  could  per- 
form its  funi^tions.  it  required  lo  be  united  with 
a  most  wonderful  system  of  organization.  The 
heart  required  to  be  endowed  with  an  immense 
degree  of  muscular  power,  and  to  be  set  in  ac- 
tion in  the  centre  of  this  complicated  system — 
hundreds  of  arteries  required  to  be  bored,  and 
ramified,  and  arranged,  to  convey  the  blood  to  its 
remotest  extremities,  and  hundreds  of  veins  to 
bring  it  ba>-k  again  to  its  reservoir — thousands 
of  lacteal  and  lymphatic  tubes  to  absorb  nutri- 
ment from  the  food,  and  convey  it  to  the  circu- 
lating fluid — thousands  of  glands  to  secrete  liu 
mours  that  are  noxious  or  redundant  from  the 
mass  of  blood,  and  emunctories  to  throw  then, 
otf  fi'om  the  system— hundreds  of  muscles  for 
moving  the  diiferent  members  of  thn  body,  and 
fi)r  conveying  the  whole  corporeal  frame  from 
place  to  place — hundreds  of  fine  cords  infinitely 
ramified  over  the  whole  body,  to  convey  sensa- 
tion to  all  its  parts  ;  and  thousands  of  millions  of 
perforations  to  be  made  in  the  skin,  through 
which  the  insensible  perspiration  might  conti- 
nually flow.  To  support  this  fine  and  delicate 
system  of  vessels,  hundreds  of  bones  of  diver- 
sified firms,  and  diflferent  sizes,  and  connected 
together  by  various  modes  of  articulation,  re- 
quired to  be  Constructed  and  arranged,  and  nice- 
ly adapted  to  their  peculiar  functions  ;  and  hun- 
dreds of  lendons  and  ligaments,  to  connect  these 
bones  wj'h  the  muscles,  and  with  every  other 
part  of  the  animal  frame.  This  machine  re- 
quired to  he  preserved  in  constant  action,  whether 
we  be  oler-ping  or  waking,  sitting  or  standing,  in 
motion  or  at  rest.  The  heart  required  to  give 
ninety-xix  thousand  strokes  every  twenty-four 
hours,  to  xend  ofTstreams  of  the  vital  fluid  through 
hundreds  of  tubes,  and  to  impel  the  whole  mass 
of  bliKid  throu;;h  every  part  of  the  body  every 
four  minutes.  The  lungs  required  to  be  in  con- 
stant play,  expanding  and  contracting  their  thou- 
sand vesicles,  at  least  twenty  times  every  mi- 
nute, lo  imbibe  the  oxygen  of  the  atmosphere, 
aMif  to  transmit  its  enlivening  influence  lo  the 
circulating  fluids — the  stomach  to  be  dissolving 
the  fon<l,  and  preparing  it  l<>r  the  nouriNhinent  of 
the  body — the  liver  and  kidneys  to  be  drawing 
ofl"  their  secretions — the  lacteals  to  be  extracting 
nutritious  particles,  to  be  conveyed,  by  the  ab- 
sorbent vi-ssels,  into  the  mass  of  blood— and  the 
perspiration,  which  might  otherwise  clog  the 
wheels  of  the  whole  machine,  to  be  thrown  ofl* 
ince— antly  through  millious  of  pores.     All  this 


curious  ai>d  delicate  machinery,  constructed  of 
tlie  most  ftatiliy  Mikslances,  required  to  be  put  is 
motion,  and  to  be  preserved  iii  action  every  mo- 
ment, bef>ire  we  coulil  ronlemplate  the  benutiet 
of  a  land«ca|>e,  be  delighted  with  the  aounda  al 
music,  or  inhale  the  fragrance  of  a  rose. 

It  is  worthy  of  noticdi,  that,  in  the  construc- 
tion and  arrangement  of  these  numerous  and 
complicated  parts  and  foncliuns,  there  is  not  a 
single  instance,  that  any  physiologist  can  prtv 
duce,  in  which  pain  is  the  objtd  of  the  contri- 
vance. Of  all  the  llKiusanda  of  adaptations 
whicli  infinite  Wi-sdom  has  contrived,  there  is  not 
one  but  what  has  for  its  object  the  communication 
of  pleasure  to  the  sentient  being  in  which  it  is 
found.  If  a  number  of  small  muscles  are  cofv 
Heeled  with  the  eye,  it  is  for  the  purpose  of 
rendering  that  organ  susceptible  of  a  quick  and 
easy  motion  in  every  direction,  to  meet  every 
exigence.  If  the  arteries  are  fiimished  with  nu- 
merous valves,  opening  only  in  one  direction,  it 
is  intended  to  prev<  nt  the  blood  from  returning 
by  a  wrong  course,  and  endangering  the  whole 
structure  of  the  animal  machine.  If  a  joint  is 
formed  to  move  only  in  one  direction,  as  th« 
joints  of  the  fingers,  it  is  intended  to  prevent 
those  inconveniences  which  would  inevitably 
have  been  felt,  had  it  been  capable  of  moving  in 
every  direction.  If  Ciiother  kind  of  joint  is  coi>- 
siructed  so  as  to  move  in  every  direction,  it  is 
intended  to  enable  us  to  perform,  with  facility, 
those  m.'Vements  and  operations  which  would 
otherwise  have  been  either  impossiJatt,  or  have 
been  attended  with  the  greatest  inconvenience 
and  pain.  There  are  certain  parts  connected 
with  the  human  frame,  whose  precise  use  can- 
not be  accurately  determined,  but  this  is  owing 
lo  our  limited  knowledge  of  the  various  functions 
which  are  requisite  to  be  performed  in  this  conWy, 
plicated  machine.  In  no  instance  whatever  caa  ' 
it  lie  shown,  that  the  infliction  of  pain  is  the  ob- 
ject of  any  one  jiart  or  function  of  whose  use  we 
are  uncertain  : — and  it  is  conformable  to  the  dio> 
tales  of  the  soundest  reason  to  conclude,  that, 
since.every  part,  whoj^e  use  we  con  ascertain,  is 
adapted  to  communicate  pleasure,  every  other 
part,  throughout  every  branch  of  the  animal  sys> 
tem,  is  calculated  to  produce  a  similar  eflect. 

It  is  true,  indeed,  that  pain  is  frequently  felt 
in  the  different  members  which  compose  our 
corporeal  nystein  ;  but  this  is  not  owing  to  its 
original  const  rue  lion,  but  to  the  derangement 
which  its  parts  receive,  either  from  internal  dis- 
ease or  from  external  violence  :  and  such  cons^ 
quences  are  the  efft^cts  either  of  the  folly  of  man, 
in  ex|>oKing  his  body  to  danger,  or  in  using  its 
members  for  improper  piir|)0«e»,^)r  of  the 
phytiicnl  changes  which  have  hapiwned  in  the 
system  of  nature  since  mnn  was  created, — or 
of  ilinse  depraved  and  immoral  passions  which 
BO  frequently  agitate  and  convulse  his  corporeal 
frame. 


,^ 


WISDOM  AND  GOODNESS  OF  GOD. 


27 


Let  OS  now  endeavour,  if  we  can,  to  sum  up  a 
few  of  the  blessings  which  we  enjoy  from  these 
wise  arrangements  of  our  beneficent  Creator. 
Ill  our  bodies  tiiere  are  reckoneo  245  bones,  each 
of  them  having  forty  distinct  scopes  or  intentions, 
and  446  muscles  for  the  purpose  of  motion,  each 
having  at  least  ten  several  intentions.  All  these 
are  ready  every  moment  to  perform  their  func- 
tions; and  every  breath  we  draw,  whether  we 
be  in  motion  or  at  rest,  asleep  or  awake,  a  hun- 
dred muscles  at  least  are  in  constant  action.  In 
the  act  of  breathing,  we  respire  at  least  twenty 
times  every  minute ;  the  heart  exerts  its  muscu- 
lar force  in  propelling  the  blood  into  the  arteries 
sixty  times  every  minute ;  the  stomach  and  ab- 
dominal muscles  are  every  moment  in  action, 
ind  the  curious  little  bones  of  the  ear  are  ever 
ready  to  convey  sensations  of  the  softest  whisper 
to  the  brain.  So  that,  without  an  hyperbole,  or 
the  least  extravagance  of  expression,  it  may 
truly  and  literally  be  said,  that  we  enjoy  a  thou- 
aand  blessings  every  rrdnvte,  and,  consequently, 
sixty  thousand  every  hour,  and  one  million  four 
hundred  and  forty  thousand  every  day.  For,  if 
any  one  of  these  numerous  functions  were  to 
stop,  or  to  be  interrupted,  pain,  and  even  death 
itself  might  be  induced.  Let  us  ask  the  man 
who  is  gasping  for  breath,  under  an  incurable 


"  For  me,  when  I  forget  the  darling  theme.— 
Be  my  tongue  mute,  my  fancy  paint  no  mote, 
And,  (lead  to  joy,  forget  my  heart  to  beat." 

Under  an  impression  of  the  diversified  agencies 
of  Divine  Wisdom  which  are  incessantly  contri- 
buting to  our  enjoyment,  and  of  the  vast  profu- 
sion of  our  Creator's  beneficence  which  we  be- 
hold around  us,  and  .experience  every  passing 
hour,  can  we  forbear  exclaiming  with  the  eiura|H 
tured  poet : — 

"  When  all  thy  mercies,  O  my  God ! 

My  rising  soul  surveys, 
Transported  with  the  view,  I'm  lost 

In  wonder,  love,  and  praise. 
Through  every  period  of  my  life 

Ti.y  goodness  I'll  proclaim ; 
And,  after  death,  in  distant  worlds, 

Renew  the  glorious  theme. 
Through  all  eternity  to  Thee  i 

A  joyful  song  I'll  raise ; 
For,  oh !  eternity  's  too  short 

To  utter  aU  thy  praise." 

If,  then,  the  construction  of  our  bodies,  and 
the  terrestrial  scene  in  which  we  are  placed,  pre- 
sent so  many  striking  displays  of  wisdom  and. 
benevolence,  what  an  astonishing  and  transport- 
ing scene  of  divine  benignity  would  burst  upon 
the  view,  were  we  permitted  to  explore  those 
more  extensive  provinces  of  the  empire  of  Omni- 
potence, where  physical  amd   moral  evil  have 


asthma,  or  him  who  is  smarting  under  the  pain     never  shea  their  baleful  influence  to  interrupt 


of  a  toothache,  or  him  who  has  wounded  a  nerve, 
an  artery,  or  a  vein,  or  him  who  has  dislocated 
his  shoulder-blade,  if  he  woulfl  not  consider  it  as 
a  peculiar  blessing  to  have  the  functions  of  na- 
ture restored  to  their  original  action  ?  And  if 
one  member  out  of  joint,  or  one  function  out  of 
order,  produces  so  much  pain  and  uneasiness, 
how  grateful  ought  we  to  feel  for  the  thousands 
of  blessings  we  enjoy  every  moment,  while  the 


the  happiness  of  intellectual  natures!  Could 
we  soar  beyond  the  regions  of  the  planetary 
system;  could  we  penetrate  into  that  immensity 
of  worlds  and  beings  which  are  scattered  in 
magnificent  profusion  through  the  boundless 
Gelds  of  ether ;  could  we  draw  aside  the  veil 
which  now  conceals  the  grandeur  and  beauty  of 
their  physical  economy  and  arrangements ;  could 
we  behold  their  inhabitants  arrayed  in  robes  of 


.wheels  of  the  animal  machine  are  moving  on     beauty,  with  ecstatic  joy  beaming  from  their 
with  smoothness  and  harmony  !     If  we  consider     countenances,  basking  perpetually  in  the  regions 


the  number  of  years  during  which  these  blessings 
have  been  continued, — if  we  consider  the  mer- 
cies received  in  childhood,  which  have  been  long 
overlooked  or  forgotten, — if  we  count  the  many 
nights  which  we  have  passed  in  sound  repose, 
and  the  many  days  we  have  enjoyed  without 
bodily  pain, — if  we  reflect  on  the  numerous  ob- 
jects of  sublimity  and  beauty  with  which  our 


of  bliss,  united  to  one  another  by  indissoluble 
bands  of  love  and  affection,  without  the  least 
apprehension  of  evil,  or  of  an  interruption  to 
their  enjoyments  ;  and  looking  forward  witli  con- 
fidence to  an  interminable  succession  of  delighted 
existence;  could  we  retrace  the  history  of  their 
Creator's  dispensations  towards  them  since  the 
first  moment  of  their  existence,  and  the  peculiar 


eyes  have  been  delighted,  the  numerous  sounds  displays  of  divine  glory  and  benignity,  that  may 

which  have  charmed  our  ears  and  cheered  our  occasionally  be  exhibited  to  their  view, — it  is 

hearts,  and  the  numerous  gratifications  which  more  than  probable,  that  all  the  displays  of  wis- 

our  other  senses  have  received  ;  if  we  consider  dom  and  benevolence  which  we  now  behold,  nu- 

how  often  (I)od  has  been  provided  and  adminis-  merous  as  they  are,  would  be  thrown  completely 

tered  for  the  nourishment  of  our  bodies,   and  into  the  shade,  and  that  this  world  would  appear 

from  how  many  visible  auid  invisible  dangers  we  only  as  a  Lazar-house,  when  compared  with  the 

have  been  delivered — and,  if  we  view  all  these  bright  and  transporting  scenes  of  the  celestial 

countless  blessings  as  proceeding  every  moment  worlds.     This  we  are  infallibly  led  to  conclude, 

from  Him,  "  whose  hands  have  made  and  fash-  in  regard  to  a  certain  class  of  intelligences  in 

ioned  us,"  and  who  "  breathed  into  our  nostrils  the  future  state,  by  tiie  express  declarations  of 

the  breath  of  life,"  can  we  forbear  to  recognise  Scripture.     For  thus  it  is  written,  «'  Eye  hath 

our  Almighty  Benefactor  as  worthy  of  our  su-  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  neither  have  entered  into 

preroe  affection  and  our  most  lively  gratitude  ?  the  heart  of  roan,  the  things  which  God  italil 


S8 


THE  PHILOSOPHT  OP  RELIGIOrT. 


pivpvad  for  llwin  that  love  him."  And  if  re- 
■OVmtMl  men  ahall  exptrience  such  aiiiienur  eii- 
joymonta  in  iho  eiurnal  wurld,  (here  can  be  no 
doubt  that  all  those  intelligences,  in  every  region, 
who  have  relained  their  primitive  iiitegricy,  aie 
mt  this  moment  in  the  possession  of  similar 
traiMporting  enjoyments.  It  must,  therefore, 
have  an  additional  tendency  to  elevate  our  affec- 
tioM  to  the  Supreme  Intelligence,  when  we 
ri«w  Him  not  only  communicating  happiness  to 
the  various  tribes  of  beings  which  people  our 
globe,  but  also  distributing  streams  of  felicity  in 
boundless  profusion,  among  the  inhabitant:)  of 
unnumbered  worlds 

I  shall  now  conclude  my  illustrations  of  this 
topic,  by  exhibiting  a  few  instances  of  the  wis- 
dom and  goodness  of  God  as  delineated  in  the 
Sacred  Scriptures. 

"  The  Lord  is  good  to  all,  and  his  tender  mer- 
cies are  over  all  his  works  He  stretched  forth 
the  heavens,  and  laid  the  foundation  of  the  earth, 
and  formeth  the  spirit  of  man  within  him.  Ho 
planted  the  ear,  and  formed  the  eye ;  aixl  he 
breathed  into  our  nostrils  the  breath  of  life.  In 
his  hand  is  the  soul  of  every  living  thing,  and  the 
breath  of  all  mankind.  With  him  is  wisdom  and 
strength,  and  his  understanding  is  infinite.  He 
is  wonderful  in  counsel,  and  excellent  in  working. 
He  hath  established  the  world  by  his  wisdom, 
and  stretched  out  the  heavens  by  his  understand- 
ing. O  the  depth  of  the  riches  both  of  the  wis- 
dom and  the  knowledge  of  God!  how  unsearcha- 
ble are  his  operations,  and  his  ways  past  finding 
out !  He  causeth  the  vapours  to  ascend  from 
the  ends  of  the  earth  ;  he  bindelh  up  the  wa- 
ters in  his  thick  clouds,  and  the  cloud  is  not 
rent  under  them.  He  hath  compassed  the  wa- 
ters with  bounds,  until  the  day  and  night  come 
to  an  end.  He  visiteth  the  earth  and  water- 
eth  it  ,  he  greatly  enricheth  it  with  rivers  ;  he 
prepareth  com  for  its  inhabitants ;  he  water- 
eth  the  ridges  thereof  abundantly  ;  he  aettleth 
the  furrows  thereof;  he  maketh  it  sofl  with 
showers  ;  he  blesseth  the  springing  thereof ;  he 
erownelh  the  year  with  his  goodness,  and  his 
paths  drop  fiitneM.  The  pastures  are  clothed 
with  flocks :  the  valleys  are  covered  over  with 
eorn,  and  the  little  hills  are  encircled  with  joy.* 

*'  He  sendeth  the  springs  into  the  valleys 
which  run  among  the  hills  ;  they  give  drink  to 
erery  beast  of  the  field.  Beside  these  springs 
the  fbwis  of  heaven  have  their  habitation,  which 
sing  among  the  branches.  He  causeth  the  grass 
to  grow  for  the  cattle,  and  herb  for  the  service  of 
man ;  and  wine  that  maketh  glad  the  heart  of 
man,  and  oil  that  maketh  his  face  to  shine,  and 
bread  that  strengtheneth  his  heart.  He  planted 
the  tall  trees  and  the  cedars  of  Lebanon,  where 


*  In  this,  and  several  other  qtwutloni  from  the 
Scriptures,  the  lltsrml  rendertnc  from  the  Hebrew  Is 
subaUtuted  tn  place  of  the  common  iranslatloa,  and 
the  tuppitmenu  are  frequcnllr  omlUed. 


the  birds  make  their  nests,  and  the  sfbrKs  their 
dwellings.  The  high  hills  are  a  refuge  for  the 
wild  goats,  and  the  rocks  for  the  oiuit-s.  He 
appointed  the  miH>n  fur  seasons,  and  the  »m  to 
enlighten  the  world  ;  he  makes  darkness  a  cup* 
tain  for  the  night,  till  the  sun  arise,  whrn  man 
goelh  forth  to  his  work  and  to  his  labour  till  the 
evening.  How  manifold  are  thy  works,  O  Lord  ! 
In  ygitdom  hast  thou  made  them  all ;  the  earth  is 
full  of  thy  riches;  so  is  the  great  and  wide  sea, 
wherein  are  things  cre<^ping  innumerable,  both 
small  and  great  beasts.  These  all  wail  upon  thee, 
that  thou  mayest  give  them  their  meat  in  due 
season.  Tliou  givest  them — they  gather;  thou 
openest  thine  hand— ihey  arc  filled  with  gooiL 
Thou  hides!  thy  face — they  are  troubled  ;  thou 
sendest  forth  thy  spirit — they  are  created  ;  and 
thou  renewest  the  face  of  the  earth.  The  glory 
of  the  Lord  shall  endure  for  ever  ;  Jehovah  shall 
rf-joice  in  all  his  works.  He  is  Lord  of  heaven 
and  earth  ;  he  giveth  to  all,  life,  and  breath,  and 
all  things  ;  he  hath  made  of  one  blood  all  nations 
of  men,  to  dwell  on  all  the  face  of  the  earth  ;  and 
hath  determined  the  times  before  appoinied,  and 
the  bouruls  of  their  habitation.  For  in  him  we 
live,  and  move,  and  have  our  being.  I  will  sing 
unto  Jehovah  as  long  as  t  live;  I  will  sing  prai- 
ses to  my  God,  while  I  have  my  being;  I  will 
utter  abundantly  the  memory  of  his  great  good- 
ness, and  speak  of  all  his  wondrous  works." 

The  inspired  writers  rise  tostill  higher  slraina 
when  they  celebrate  the  Divine  Goodness  in  re- 
ference to  our  eternal  salvation. 

"  Praise  ye  Jehovah,  for  Jehovah  is  good  ;  he 
remembered  us  in  our  low  estate;  for  his  mercy 
endureth  for  ever.  I  will  praise  ihee,  O  Lord^ 
my  God,  with  all  my  heart,  and  I  will  glorify  thy 
name  for  evermore  ;  for  great  is  thy  mercy  toward 
me,  and  thou  hast  delivered  my  soul  from  the 
lowest  hell.  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he 
gave  his  only-begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  be- 
lieveih  on  him  should  not  perish,  but  have  ever- 
lasting life.  He  sent  an  angel  from  the  celestial 
glory  to  announce  his  birth  :  and  a  multitude  of 
the  heavenly  host  to  proclaim.  Glory  to  God  in 
the  highest,  peace  on  earth,  and  good  will  to 
men.  He  spared  not  his  own'Son,  but  delivered 
him  up  for  us  all — and  shall  he  not  with  him  also 
freelv  give  us  all  things  ?  Blessed  be  the  God 
and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  hath 
blessed  us  with  all  spiritual  blessings  in  heavenly 
things  in  Christ ;  in  whom  we  have  redrmpiioo 
through  his  blood,  the  forgireness  of  sins,  ac- 
cording to  the  riches  of  his  grace. — Blees  the 
Lord,  O  my  soul,  and  all  that  is  within  me  bless 
his  holy  name  ;  whoforgiveth  all  thine  iniquities, 
who  healeth  all  thy  diseases ;  who  redeemeih  thy 
life  from  destruction,  and  crowneth  thee  with  lov- 
ing kindness  and  tender  mercies.  As  the  heaven 
is  high  above  the  earth,  so  great  is  his  mercy 
toward  them  that  fear  him.  The  mercy  of  !»• 
hovah  is  from  everlasting  to  everlasting,  upoa 


MERCY  AND  PATIENCE  OP  GOD. 


29 


them  thai  fear  him  ;  and  his  righteousness  unto 
dlildren's  children.  Many,  O  Lord,  my  God,  are 
thy  wonderful  works,  which  thou  hast  done,  and 
thy  thoughts  to  us  ward ;  they  cannot  be  reckoned 
up  in  order  unto  thee ;  if  I  would  declare  and 
speak  of  them,  they  are  more  than  can  be  num- 
bered.— I  will  praise  thee,  for  I  am  fearfully  and 
wonderfuilv  made:  marvellous  are  thy  works. 
How  precious  are  thy  thoughts  (or  designs) 
towards  me,  O  God !  how  great  is  the  sum  of 
them  !  If  I  should  count  them,  they  are  more 
in  number  than  the  sand." 

Thus  it  appears,  that  both  the  system  of  na- 
ture, and  the  system  'of  revelation,  concur  in 
exhibiting  the  wisdom  and  benevolence  of  the 
Deity  as  calculated  to  excite  the  highest  degree 
of  ardent  affection  in  the  minds  of  the  whole  in- 
telligent creation.  If  an  atom  of  gratitude  is 
due  to  an  earthly  benefactor,  it  is  impossible  to 
set  bounds  to  that  affection  and  gratitude  which 
ought  incessantly  to  rise  in  our  hearts  towards 
the  Creator  of  the  universe,  who  is  the  "  Father 
of  mercies,  and  the  God  of  all  consolation.'' 
And,  therefore,  we  need  not  wonder,  that  "  holy 
men  of  old,"  whose  minds  were  overpowered 
with  this  sacred  emotion,  broke  out  into  language 
which  would  be  deemed  extravagant,  by  the  frigid 
moralists  of  the  present  age.  Under  a  sense  of 
the  unt>ounded  love  and  goodness  of  God,  the 
psalmist  felt  his  heart  elated,  and  formed  these 
pious  resolutions  :  "  Seven  times  a  day  will  I 
praise  thee,  O  Lord !  At  midnight  will  I  rise  to 
give  thanks  to  thee,  because  of  thy  righteous 
precepts,  I  will  rejoice  in  the  way  of  thy  pre- 
cepts, as  much  as  in  all  riches.  The  law  of  thy 
mouth  is  better  unto  me  than  thousands  of  gold 
and  silver.  Oh,  how  I  love  thy  law !  it  is  my 
meditation  all  the  day.  I  will  speak  of  thy  tes- 
timonies before  kings,  and  will  not  be  ashamed 
of  thy  commandments.  Whom  have  I  in  heaven 
but  thee  ?  and  there  is  none  upon  earth  that  I 
desire  beside  thee.  As  the  hart  pantelh  after 
the  brooks  of  water,  so  panteth  my  soul  after 
thee,  O  God  !"  Under  similar  emotions,  the 
Apostle  Paul  exclaims,  "I  am  persuaded  that 
neither  death,  nor  life,  nor  angels,  nor  principal- 
ities, nor  powers,  nor  things  present,  nor  things 
to  come,  shall  be  able  to  separate  us  from  the 
love  of  God,  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord." 


SECTION  V. 

OK  THZ   VXRCr    AKD   PATISHCE   OF   OOD. 

Another  feature  in  the  divine  character,  which 
is  peculiarly  calculated  to  excite  admiration,  &{- 
feci  ion,  and  gratitude,  is  the  vurty  and  patience 
of  Chd. 

Mercy  has  its  source  in  the  divine  goodness, 
and  may  be  considered  as  a  particular  modifica- 


tion of  the  benevolence  of  the  Deity.  Goodness 
is  the  genus,  mercy  the  species.  The  goodness 
of  God  extends  to  all  the  creatures  he  has  formed, 
of  whatever  description  or  character, — to  the 
fowls  of  the  air,  the  fishes  of  the  sea,  the  micro- 
scopic animalcula,  andthe  most  wicked  class  of 
human  beings,  as  well  as  to  angels,  archangels, 
and  other  superior  intelligences.  Mercy  can 
have  a  reference  only  to  those  who  have  sinned 
against  their  Maker,  and  rendered  themselves 
unworthy  of  his  favours.  It  consists  in  the  be- 
stowment  of  blessings  upon  those  who  have  for- 
feited every  claim  to  them,  and  have  rendered 
themselves  obnoxious  to  punishment.  It  cannot 
be  exercised  toward  "  the  angels  who  have  kept 
their  first  estate,"  or  towards  any  other  class  of 
holy  intelligences,  because  they  do  not  stand  ia 
need  of  its  exercise. — The  patience  or  forbear- 
ance of  God,  is  that  attribute  of  his  nature  which 
consists  in  his  bearing  long  with  sinners,  and 
refraining  from  inflicting  deserved  punishment, 
notwithstanding  their  impenitence,  and  long- 
continued  provocations. 

These  attributes  are  seldom  displayed,  in  our 
world,  by  one  man,  or  class  of  men,  towards 
another.  Instead  of  clemency,  mercy,  and  for- 
bearance, we  find  in  the  character  of  mankind, 
as  delineate''  in  the  page  of  history,  the  princi- 
ple of  revenge  operating  more  powerfully  than 
almost  any  other  disposition  ;  and,  therefore, 
when  any  striking  instance  of  mercy  and  long- 
suffering  is  exhibited  in  human  conduct,  we  ar« 
disposed  to  wonder  at  it,  and  to  admire  it  asau 
extraordinary  moral  phenomenon.  When  we  be- 
hold a  personage  who  is  possessed  of  every  de- 
gree of  moral  and  physical  power  for  crushing  his 
enemies — yet  remaining  calm  and  tranquil,  and 
forbearing  to  execute  deserved  punishment,  not- 
withstanding repeated  insults  and  injuries,  we 
are  led  to  admire  such  qualities,  as  indicating  a 
certain  degree  of  greatness  and  benevolence  of 
mmd.  On  this  principle,  we  admire  the  for- 
bearance of  David,  the  anointed  king  of  Israel, 
towards  Saul,  his  bitterest  enemy,  when  he  had 
an  opportunity  of  slaying  him  at  the  cave  of  En- 
gedi  ;  and  afterwards,  when  he  was  sleeping  in 
a  trench  at  Hachila; — and  at  the  clemency 
which  he  exercised  tawards  Shimei,  who  had 
cursed  and  insulted  him,  and  treated  him  most 
reproachfully.  On  the  same  principle,  we  ad- 
mire the  conduct  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  a  man 
of  known  courage  and  honour,  towards  a  certain 
rash,  hot-headed  youth.  Being  very  injuriously 
treated  by  this  impertinent  mortal,  who  next  pro- 
ceeded to  challenge  him,  and,  on  his  refusal,  spit 
on  him,  and  that  too  in  public  ; — the  knight  ta- 
king out  his  handkerchief,  with  great  calmness, 
tnade  him  only  this  reply:  "  Young  man,  if  I 
could  as  easily  wipe  your  blood  from  my  con- 
science, as  I  can  this  injury  from  my  face,  I 
would  this  moment  take  away  your  life." 

In  order  to  exhibit  the  mercy  and  long-rat 


80 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


fering  of  the  Deity  in  their  true  light,  let  us  con- 
sider, for  a  moment,  some  ofthe  leading  fealure* 
in  the  conduct  and  the  character  of  mankind— 
Wheltier  wo  go  back  to  the  remote  ages  of  on* 
tiquity,  or  review  the  present  moial  slate  of  the 
inhabitants  of  our  global  we  shall  find  the  fol- 
lowing, among  other  similar  trails,  in  the  charac- 
ter of  the  great  mass  of  this  world's  population  ; 
— An  utter  forgctfulnetn  of  God,  and  the  preva- 
lence of  abominable  idolatrie*.  Though  an  invi- 
sible and  omnipotent  energy  may  be  clearly  per- 
ceived in  that  majestic  machinery  by  "vhich  thp 
vault  of  heaven  appears  to  be  whirled  round  our 
globe  from  day  today  ;  and  though  every  return- 
ing season  proclaims  the  exuberant  goodness  of 
that  Being  who  arranged  our  terrestrial  habita- 
tion,— yet,  of  the  great  majority  of  human  beings 
that  have  hitherto  existed,  or  now  exist,  it  may 
with  truth  be  said,  that  "  God  is  not  in  all  their 
thoughts,  and  the  fear  of  God  is  not  before  their 
eyes."  And  how  grovelling  have  been  the  con- 
ceptions of  those  who  have  professed  to  offer 
their  adorations  to  a  superior  Intelligence !  They 
have  changed  the  glory  of  the  incorruptible  God 
into  an  image  made  like  to  corruptible  roan,  and 
have  invested  with  the  attributes  of  divinity  a 
block  of  marble,  the  stock  of  a  tree,  a  stupid  ox, 
and  a  crawling  reptile  :  to  which  they  have  paid 
that  worship  and  homage  which  were  due  to  the 
Almighty  Maker  of  heaven  and  earth. — Bla»- 
phemy  and  impiety  is  another  characteristic  of 
the  majority  of  our  species.  How  many  have 
there  been  of  our  wretched  race  in  all  ages,  and 
how  many  are  there  in  the  present  age,  who 
"  set  their  mouths  against  the  heavens  in  their 
blasphemous  talk,"  and  "  dare  defy  the  Omnipo- 
tent to  arms!"  They  say  to  God,  "Depart 
from  us,  for  we  desire  not  the  knowledge  of  thy 
ways  :  What  is  the  Almighty,  that  we  should 
serve  him  ?  and  what  profit  should  we  have,  if 
we  pray  unto  him  ?"  While  his  handSs  making 
their  pulse  to  beat,  and  their  lungs  to  play,  and 
while  he  is  distributing  to  them  com,  and  wine, 
and  fruits  in  rich  abundance,  they  are  blasphe- 
ming his  venerable  Majesty,  and  proslitutmg 
these  very  blessings  for  the  purpose  of  pouring 
dishonour  on  his  name. 

The  diabolieal  paadon$  which  men  have  dis- 
played towards  one  another,  is  another  striking 
trait  in  their  character.  War  has  been  their 
employment  and  their  delight  in  every  age. 
Thousands  of  rational  beings  of  (he  same  spe- 
cies have  set  themselves  in  array  against  thou- 
sands, uid  have  levelled  at  each  other  spears,  and 
arrows,  and  darts,  and  muatquetry,  and  cannon, 
and  every  other  instrument  of  destruction,  till 
lags  and  arms,  and  skulb,  and  brains,  were  min- 
ped  with  the  dust — till  the  earth  was  drenched 
with  human  gore — till  cities,  and  towns,  and 
villages,  were  tumbled  into  ruins,  or  given  up  as 
a  prey  to  the  devouring  flames — and  till  the 
bounties  of  Providence,  which  God  bad  provi- 


ded for  man  and  beast,  were  destroyed,  tud 
trampled  down  as  itie  mire  of  ihe  streets.  And, 
what  adds  to  the  enormity  of  such  dreadful  pa^ 
sions,  they  have  ofien  had  the  effrontery  lo  iii»- 
plore  the.  assistance  of  the  God  of  mercy  in  this 
work  of  horror  and  desiruciion.  When,  to  ait 
these  abominable  dispositions  and  practices,  we 
add,  the  the  numerous  other  acts  of  atrocity, 
that  are  daily  committed  in  every  quarter  of  the 
world, — the  oppression  and  injustice  which  llie 
poor,  the  widow,  and  the  fatherless  have  suffered 
from  the  overwhelming  hand  of  power  ;  the  per- 
secutions which  tyranny  has  inflicted  on  the  se- 
lect few,  who  have  raised  their  voices  against 
such  abominations  ;  the  falsehood,  and  treachery, 
and  |>erjury,  which  are  rampant  in  every  land  , 
the  lewd  and  unnatural  crimes  that  are  daily 
committed ;  tlie  thefts,  and  murders,  and  assaa- 
sinations,  that  are  incessantly  perpetrating  in 
some  one  region  of  the  world  or  onother ;  the 
haughty  pride  and  arrogance  which  so  many  of 
the  puny  sons  of  men  assume  ;  ihe  murmurings 
and  complainings  at  the  dispensations  of  Provi- 
dence, and  the  base  ingratitude  with  which  the 
majority  of  mankind  receive  the  bounties  of 
heaven  ; — and  when  we  consider,  for  how  many 
thousands  of  years  these  abominable  dispositions 
have  been  displayed,  we  have  reason  to  wonder 
that  condign  punishment  is  not  speedily  executed, 
and  that  the  Almighty  does  not  interpose  his 
omnipotence,  to  shatter  this  globe  to  atoms,  and 
to  bury  its  inhabitants  in  the  gulf  of  everlasting 
oblivion. 

Yet,  notwithstanding  these  depraved  and  un- 
grateful dispositions  ;  notwithstanding  that  this 
spacious  world,  which  was  erected  for  a  temple 
to  the  Deity,  has  been  turned  into  a  temple  of 
idols,  its  seas  and  rivers  stained,  and  its  fieUs 
drenched  with  the  blood  of  millions  of  human 
beings,  and  its  cities  transformed  into  a  sink  of 
moral  pollution  ;  in  spite  of  all  these  innumerable 
and  aggravated  provocations,  the  God  of  heaven 
still  exercises  his  mercy,  long-suffering,  and  for- 
bearance. He  impels  the  earth  in  its  annual  and 
diurnal  course,  to  bring  about  the  interchanges 
of  day  and  night,  and  the  vicissitades  of  the 
seasons  ;  he  makes  his  sun  to  arise  on  the  worU, 
to  cheer  the  nations  with  his  light  and  heat  ;  he 
sends  his  rains,  to  refresh  the  fiekJs,  both  of 
"the  just,  and  of  the  unjuti  ;"  he  causes  the 
trees,  the  herbs,  and  the  flowers,  to  bud  and  bk>e> 
som  every  returning  spring;  he  ripens  the  fields  in 
harvest ;  he  crowns  the  year  with  his  bounty,  and 
encircles  the  little  hills  with  rejoicing.  Instead 
of  "  sending  forth  his  mighty  winds,"  in  ince»> 
sant  storms  and  hurricanes,  to  tear  up  whole 
forests  by  their  roots,  and  to  lay  waste  the  pro- 
ductions of  the  soil,  he  fans  the  groves  and  the 
lawns  with  gentle  breezes,  and  odoriferous  gales. 
Instead  of  opening  the  caUracU  of  heaven,  and 
dashing  down  overwhelming  torrents,  to  delugs 
the  plains,  and  frustrate  the  hopes  of  man,  he 


MERCY  AND  GOODNESS  OF  GOD. 


SI 


refreshes  the  parclied  ground  with  gentle  show- 
ers, as  if  they  proceeded  from  a  watering-pot. 
Instead  of  confining  oursensitive  enjoyments  to 
bread  and  water,  as  if  we  were  the  tenants  of  a 
jail,  he  has  strewed  our  gardens  and  fields  with 
every  variety  of  luxuriant  delicacies,  to  gratify 
every  appetite.  Instead  of  directing  the  light- 
nings to  set  on  fire  the  mountains,  and  to  level 
our  cities  to  the  ground,  and  the  thunders  to  roll 
incessanllv  around  us,  he  commands  this  terrific 
meteor  to  visit  us  only  at  distant  intervals,  and 
in  its  gentler  operations,  just  to  remind  us  what 
tremendous  instruments  of  destruction  he  is  ca- 
pable of  wielding,  and  that  we  ought  to  "  be  still 
and  know  that  He  is  God,"  and  that  "  he  has 
punished  us  less  than  our  iniquities  deserve." 
O  that  man  would  praise  the  Lord  for  his  mer- 
cy, and  for  his  long-suffering  towards  the  chil- 
dren of  men  ! 

This  character  of  God  is  peculiar  to  himself, 
and  cannot  be  supposed  to  belong,  unless  in  a 
very  inferior  degree,  to  any  created  inlelligence. 
Were  the  meekest  man  that  ever  appeared  on  the 
theatre  of  our  world — or  were  even  one  of  the 
highest  intelligences  in  heaven  to  be  invested 
with  a  portion  of  the  attribute  of  omniscience  ; 
could  he  penetrate,  at  one  glance,  over  all  that 
hemisphere  of  our  globe  on  which  the  sun  shines, 
and,  at  the  next  glance,  survey  the  other  hemi- 
sphere which  is  enveloped  in  darkness  ;  could  his 
eye  pierce  into  the  secret  chambers  of  every  habi- 
tation of  human  beings,  in  every  city,  and  town, 
and  village,  and  especially  into  those  haunts  where 
crimes  are  veiled  by  the  shades  of  night  from 
every  human  eye  ;  could  he  behold  at  one  glance 
all  the  abominations  that  are  hourly  perpetrating 
in  every  region  of  the  world — the  pagan  wor- 
shippers in  Thibet  and  Hindostan,  performing 
their  cruel  and  execrable  rites — the  wheels  of 
Juggernaut  crushing  to  death  its  wretched  devo- 
tees— the  human  victims  which  are  tortured  and 
sacrificed,  to  gratify  the  ferocity  of  some  bar- 
barous chief — the  savage  hordes  of  New  Zea- 
land, feasting  on  the  flesh  of  their  fellow-men, 
whom  they  have  cruelly  butchered,  and  drinking 
their  blood  out  of  human  skulls — the  Indians  of 
America,  tearing  with  pincers  the  flesh  of  their 
prisoners,  and  enjoying  a  diabolical  pleasure  in 
beholding  their  torments — the  haughty  inquisi- 
tors of  Spain  insulting  their  devoted  victims, 
in  the  name  of  the  merciful  Saviour,  and  prepar- 
ing tortures,  and  stakes,  and  flames  far  their  de- 
struction— the  assassin  plunging  his  dagger  into 
his  neighbour's  bosom — the  midnight  robber  en- 
tering into  the  abode  of  honest  industry,  stran- 
gling its  inmates,  and  carrying  off  their  treasures 
— the  kidnapper  tearing  the  poor  African  from 
bis  wife  and  children,  and  native  land — ihe  un- 
feeling planter  and  overseer  lashing  his  degraded 
■laves — tyrants  and  persecutors  dragging  "  the 
excellent  ones  of  the  earth"  to  prisons,  to  dun- 
geons, and  to  gibbets — the  malevolent  and   en- 


vious man  devising  schemes  for  the  ruin  and 
destruction  of  his  neighbour — the  mutinous 
crew,  in  the  midst  of  the  ocean,  rising  up  against 
their  superiors,  slashing  them  with  their  sabres, 
and  plunging  their  bodies  into  the  deep^the 
gamester  ruining  a  whole  family  by  a  throw  of 
the  dice — the  skeptic  sporting  with  the  most 
sacred  truths — the  atheist  attempting  to  defy  the 
Omnipotent — the  prostitute  wallowing  in  the 
mire  of  iincleanness — the  drunkard  blaspheming 
the  God  of  heaven  in  his  midnight  revels — nu- 
merous tribes  of  human  beings,  in  every  quarter 
of  the  globe,  dashing  out  each  other's  brains  in 
mutual  combat — hypocritical  professors  of  reli- 
gion, harbouring  malice  and  revenge  against  their 
brethren — and  thousands  of  other  iniquitous 
scenes  which  are  daily  presented  before  the  pure 
eyes  of  Omniscience  ;  could  he  behold  all  the 
abominable  acts  of  this  description  which  are 
perpetrated  on  the  surface  of  our  globe,  in 
the  course  of  a  single  day,  and  were  the  elements 
under  his  control,  for  executing  condign  punish- 
ment on  transgressors, — it  is  more  than  probable, 
that,  before  another  day  dawned  upon  the  world, 
the  great  globe  we  inhabit  would  be  shattered  to 
its  centre,  and  enveloped  in  devouring  flames. 
For  no  finite  intelligence  could  refrain  his  in- 
dignation for  a  length  of  years,  or  could  pene- 
trate into  all  the  reasons,  why  "sentence against 
an  evil  work  should  not  be  speedily  executed  ;" 
why  the  murderer  should  not  be  arrested  by  death 
before  his  hand  is  lifted  up  to  strike;  why  the 
tyrant  should  not  be  cut  off  before  his  victims 
are  secured  ;  and  why  the  slave  should  be  doom- 
ed to  drag  out  so  many  long  years  under  the  rod 
of  a  relentless  master.  But  God  beholds  all 
these  actions  in  all  their  bearings  and  relations 
to  the  plan  of  his  government,  and  in  all  their 
eternal  consequences  ;  and  beholding  them,  he 
"  keeps  silence,"  and  refrains  from  executing 
immediate  and  deserved  punishment. 

This  part  of  the  divine  character,  when  seri- 
ously considered,  is  calculated  to  excite  strong 
emotions  of  admiration  and  wonder  :  and  these 
emotions  must  be  raised  to  their  highest  pitch, 
when  we  consider  the  many  instruments  of  ven- 
geance which  are  every  moment  wielded  by  the 
hand  of  the  Almighty.  If  forbearance  were 
owing  to  impotence,  or  a  want  of  means  for  the 
infliction  of  retributive  justice,  our  admiration 
would  cease.  But  all  the  elements  of  nature  are 
under  the  immediate  control  of  the  Governor  of 
the  universe  ;  and,  in  a  thousand  modes  incom- 
prehensible by  us.  He  could  make  them  tho  in- 
struments of  his  vengeance  to  chastise  a  guilty 
world.  "  For  in  his  hand  is  the  soul  of  every 
living  thing,  and  the  breath  of  all  mankind."  Let 
us  consider,  (or  a  little,  some  of  those  agents 
which  lie  within  the  sphere  of  our  knowledge  in 
the  system  of  nature. 

Of  all  the  elements  of  nature,  there  is  non« 
more  delightful  and  beautiful  in  its  effects  thar 


88 


Tim  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


light.  "  Truly  the  light  is  iweet,  and  a  pleasant 
thing  it  is  for  the  eyes  to  behold  the  sun."  It 
diffuses  a  thousand  shades  of  culouring  over  the 
hills,  the  vales,  the  rivers,  and  ihe  boundless  deep, 
and  opens  to  our  view  the  glorious  host  of  hea- 
vcn.  Yet  this  delightful  visitant,  by  a  slight 
modihcaiiun,  from  the  hand  of  Omnipoience,  is 
capable  of  being  tiansfurmed  into  ihe  m<>8l  de- 
•traciive  element  in  nature.  Light  flies  from  the 
■un  at  the  rale  of  200,000  miles  in  a  second  of 
time ;  and  it  is  owing  to  its  |>articles  being  al- 
most infinitely  small,  that  we  feel  no  inconveni- 
ence from  their  rapid  velocity.  But,  were  the 
Creator  lo  condense  several  millions  of  these 
p«rlicles  into  one,  or  impel  them  with  a  still 
greater  velocity,  the  solid  crust  of  our  globe 
would  be  perforated  and  shattered  in  every  point 
by  this  celestial  artillery,  and  its  inhabitants 
would  soon  be  battered  to  atoms. 

Again,  the  atmotphere  which  surrounds  us, 
and  in  which  we  live  and  breathe ;  which  con- 
tains the  principles  of  life  ;  which  fans  us  with 
its  gentle  gales,  and  wafts  to  our  ears  the  har- 
monies of  music — is  capable  of  being  converted 
into  an  instrument  of  terror  and  destruction.  It 
b  composed  chiefly  of  two  different  ingredients  ; 
one  of  these  is  the  principle  of  flame, — and  if 
the  other  ingrclient  were  extracted  from  the  at- 
mosphere, and  this  principle  left  to  exert  its  na- 
tive energy  without  control,  instantly  the  forests 
would  be  in  a  blaze  ;  the  hardest  metals,  atid  the 
most  solid  rocks,  would  melt  like  wax;  the  wa- 
ters of  the  ocean  would  add  fuel  to  the  raging 
element ;  and,  in  a  few  minutes,  the  whole  ex- 
panse of  our  glebe  would  be  enveloped  in  one 
devouring  flame. 

Again,  the  globe  on  which  we  reside  is  whirl- 
ing round  its  axis  every  twenty-four  hours,  and 
is  carried  round  the  sun  with  a  still  greater  ve- 
locity. Should  that  Almighty  arm  which  first 
impelled  it  in  its  career,  cause  these  motions 
suddenly  to  cease,  mountains  would  be  tumbled 
into  the  sea,  forests  turn  up  by  their  roots,  cities 
overthrown  and  demolished,  all  nature  would  be 
thrown  into  confusion,  and  terror  and  destrijction 
would  overwhelm  the  inhabitants  of  the  world. 
Not  only  the  stopping  of  the  earth's  motions, 
but  even  a  new  direction  given  to  its  axis  of  ro- 
tation, would  be  productive  of  the  most  fatal 
effects.  The  earth's  axis  at  present  is  directed 
to  certain  points  of  the  heavens,  from  which  it 
never  deviates,  but  in  a  very  small  degree  ;  but 
were  the  hand  of  Omnipotence  to  bend  it  so  as 
to  make  it  point  in  a  different  direction,  the  ocean 
would  abandon  its  present  bed,  and  overflow  the 
land  ;  and  a  second  universal  deluge  would  over- 
whelm all  the  monuments  of  human  grandeur, 
and  sweep  the  earth's  inhabitants  into  a  watery 
grave. 

Again,  not  only  the  elements  which  immedi- 
ately w^tund  us,  but  even  celestial  bodies  which 
are  jiM  new  invisible  lo  our  sight,  and  removed 


to  the  distance  of  a  thousand  milliona  of  nilw 
nii^ht  ba  employed  an  ministers  of  vengeance. 
There  are  at  least  a  hundred  eomtU  connected 
with  the  solar  system,  which  are  moving  in  all 
directions,  and  crossing  the  orbits  of  ihe  esrih, 
and  the  other  planets.  Were  the  oibit  of  one  of 
tliese  bodies,  in  its  approach  to  the  sun,  lo  be 
bent  in  a  direction  to  that  of  the  earth,  the  most 
alarming  phenomena  would  be  exhibited  in  the 
heavens.  A  ruddy  globe,  larger  in  appearance 
than  the  moon,  would  first  announce  terror  lo  the 
inhabitants  of  the  earth— every  day  this  terrific 
object  would  increase  in  size,  till  it  appeared  to 
fill  the  celestial  hemisphere  with  its  tremendous 
disk  ; — the  light  of  the  sun  wouU  be  eclipsed^ 
the  stars  would  disappear — the  ocean  would  be 
thrown  into  violent  agitation,  and  toss  its  billows 
to  the  clouds — the  earth  would  "  reel  lo  and  fro, 
like  a  drunkard" — and  universal  alarm  and  con- 
fusion would  seize  upon  all  the  tribes  of  the  liv- 
ing world.  At  length,  this  tremendous  orb  would 
approach  with  accelerated  velocity,  and,  striking 
the  earth  with  a  eraih,  as  if  heaven  and  earth 
had  burst  asunder,  would  shiver  the  globe  into 
fragments,  and  for  ever  exterminate  the  race  of 
man. 

It  will  at  once  be  admitted,  by  every  one  who 
acknowledges  the  incessant  agency  of  a  Supreme 
Being  in  the  movements  of  the  universe,  that  any 
one,  or  all  of  these  effects  combined,  are  within 
the  compass  of  Omnipoience  :  and  not  only  so, 
but  they  might  all  be  accomplished  with  lerrific 
energy  in  the  course  of  a  few  moments.  If  puny 
man,  by  his  mechanical  dexterity,  can  suddenly 
stop  a  stupendous  machine  which  he  has  put  in 
motion — if  he  can  impel  red-hot  balls  at  the  rate 
of  500  miles  an  hour — if  he  can  extract  the  oxy- 
gen from  a  small  portion  of  the  atmosphere,  and 
cause  it  to  set  on  fire  the  hardest  metallic  sub- 
stances— we  cannot  doubt  for  a  moment,  that, 
with  infinitely  greater  ease,  the  Almighty  could 
stop  the  earth  in  its  career,  separate  the  comp<v 
nent  parts  of  the  atmosphere,  set  on  fire  the 
foundations  of  the  mountains,  or  impel  ihe  blaz- 
ing comet  towards  the  earth,  to  crush  it  to  atom*. 
That  God  has  been  a  constant  spectator  of  the 
wickedness  of  man  for  four  thousand  years  ;  that 
he  has,  during  all  that  period,  wielded  in  hit 
hands  so  many  terrific  ministers  of  vengeance  ; 
and  that  he  has  hitherto  refrained  from  executing 
deserved  punishment  un  the  workers  of  iniquity 
— is,  therefore,  a  striking  evidence  that  his  mercy 
is  infinite,  and  that  he  is  "  long-suffering  and 
slow  to  anger,  not  willing  that  any  should  |>erish, 
but  that  all  should  come  to  repentance." 

It  would,  however,  be  a  most  unwarrantable 
conclusion,  from  this  circumstance,  to  imagine 
that  God  behoMs  with  indiflference  the  scenes  of 
iniquity  thai  are  hourly  presented  before  him.  In 
order  lo  show  that  he  is  not  an  unconcerned  spec- 
tator of  the  ways  of  men,  and  that  the  instrti- 
ments  of  punishment  are  always  in  his  hand,  he 


MERCY  AND  PATIENCE  OF  GOD. 


as 


Sometimes  "  cometh  out  of  his  place,  to  punish 
the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  for  their  iniquity/' 
and  displays  the  holiness  of  his  nature,  by  '■  ter- 
rible tbini^s  in  righteousness."     In  such  visita- 
tions, "  his    way   is   in  the   whirlwind  and  the 
storm ;  clouds  and  darkness  are  round  about  him ; 
a  fire  goeth  before  him,  and  burneth  up  his  ene- 
mies round  about ;    the  stormy  winds  are   his 
messengers,  and  flames  of  fire  his  ministers  ;  the 
clouds  pour  out  their  waters ;  the  sky  sends  forth 
a  sound  ^  the  voice  of  his  thunder  is  in  the  hea- 
vens ;  his  lightnings  enlighten  the  world ;   the 
earth  quakes  and  the  people  tremble."     The  hur- 
rieome,  wiiich  tears  up  whole  forests  by  the  roots, 
and  tosses  them  about  as  stubble,  which  levels 
the  loftiest  spires  with  the  ground,  and  dashes  the 
stateliest  ships  against  each  other,  till  they  are 
brokef^  into  shivers,  and  plunged  into  the  deep  ; 
the  lightnings,  which  fill  the  atmosphere  with 
their  blaze,  which  shatter  the  strongest  buildings, 
and  strike  whole  herds  of  cattle  into  a  lifeless 
group;'  the  pestilence,  "  which  walketh  in  dark- 
ness," and  cuts  off  thousands  of  its  victims  in  a 
day ;   the  volcano,  belching  forth  rivers  of  fire, 
causing  surrounding  cities  to  tremble,  and  send- 
ing forth  its  bellowings  over  a  circuit- of  a  thou- 
sand miles ; — these,  and  many  other  agents  which 
are  in  operation  in  the  system  of  nature,  are  ex- 
perimental proofs  of  the  dreadful  energy  of  those 
ministers  of  destruction,  which  are   constantly 
uader  the  superintendence  of  the  Almighty,  and 
of  his  occasionally  using  them  for  the  purpose  of 
chastising  the  nations  for  their  iniquities. 

In  particular,  the  earthquake  is  one  of  the  most 
terrible  and  destructive  instruments  of  vengeance. 
In  the  year  1755,  the  shock  of  an  earthquake  was 
felt  at  Lisbon,  which  levelled  to  the  ground  more 
than  half  of  that  populous  city,  and  buried  fifty 
thousand  of  its  inhabitants  in  the  ruins.  The 
chock  extended  its  influence  over  an  extent  of 
four  millions  of  square  miles ;  and  therefore,  it 
is  easy  to.  conceive,  that,  had  a  little  greater  im- 
pulse been  given  to  the  physical  agents  which 
produced  this  terrible  effect,  the  solid  globe  on 
which  we  stand  might  have  been  convulsed  to  its 
centre,  and  all  its  inhabitants  crushed  to  death, 
amidst  the  universal  ruin. 

We  have  also  an  experimental  proof,  that 
there  are  physical  principles  in  the  constitution 
of  our  globe,  sufficient  to  give  it  a  shock  through- 
out every  part  of  its  solid  mass,  and  that  such  a 
shock,  at  one  period,  it  actually  received.  When 
the  wickedness  of  man  became  great  upon  the 
earth,  "  when  every  imagination  of  the  thoughts 
of  his  heart  was  only  evil  continually,"  the 
fountains  of  the  great  deep  were  broken  up,  the 
cataracts  of  heaven  were  opened,  and  the  whole 
solid  crust  of  our  globe  received  such  a  shock  as 
rent  the  mountains  asunder,  and  hurled  them 
into  the  plains ;  the  effects  of  which  are  stil! 
visible,  in  every  Alpine  district,  and  in  the  sub- 
terraneous caverns  of  the  earth.  Of  all  the 
5 


millions  of  the  race  of  Adam  that  then  existed, 
only  eight  individuals,  after  having  been  tossed 
for  seven  months  on  the  tremendoi's  billows  of  a 
boundless  ocean,  survived,  to  tell  to  their  poste- 
rity the  tidings  of  this  universal  wreck.  The 
dreadful  scenes  of  horror  and  consternation 
which  must  have  been  presented  at  this  awful 
crisis  ;  the  stupendous  forces  which  must  have 
been  in  operation  in  the  atmosphere  above,  and 
in  the  foundations  of  the  earth  beneath,  and  the 
tremendous  clash  of  elemental  war  which  must 
have  ensued,  throughout  every  region  of  earth, 
air,  and  sea, — it  is  beyond  the  power  of  the 
human  imagination  to  depict,  in  all  their  terrific 
grandeur.  But  we  have  every  reason  to  con- 
clude, that  the  bottom  of  the  ocean  was  lifted  up 
to  the  level  of  the  loftiest  mountains,  that  disrup- 
tions of  the  mountains  and  of  the  densest  rocks  en- 
sued, that  dreadful  explosions  resounded  through- 
out the  whole  expanse  of  nature,  and  that  the 
mighty  waters  hurled  their  billows  with  resist- 
less fury  in  every  direction,  rolling  immense 
rocks  and  forests  from  one  continent  to  another, 
and  whirling  the  wrecks  of  different  regions  to 
the  opposite  extremities  of  the  globe. 

Were  it  at  any  time  the  intention  of  the 
Almighty  to  inflict  deserved  punishment  on  a 
particular  district,  or  class  of  men,  without  de- 
ranging the  wnole  structure  of  our  globe,  we  have 
also  an  experimental  proof  how  easily  this  could 
be  effected,  even  without  infringing  the  esta- 
blished laws  of  nature.  He  has  only  to  condense 
the  powerful  energies  of  the  electrical  fluid  in  a 
large  cloud,  and  to  despatch  it  on  the  wings  of 
the  wind,  to  discharge  its  thunderbolts  on  any 
particular  city,  or  mountain,  or  plain, — and  the 
work  of  destruction  is  instantly  accomplished. 
A  striking  instance  of  this  kind  happened,  in 
the  year  1772,  in  the  island  of  Java,  in  the  East 
Indies.  On  the  11th  of  August,  at  the  dead 
hour  of  night,  a  bright  cloud  was  observed  cover- 
ing a  mountain  in  the  district  of  Cheribon,  and 
at  the  same  moment  several  reports  were  heard, 
like  those  of  a  cannon.  The  people  who  dwelt 
on  the  upper  parts  of  the  mountain  not  being  able 
to  fly  with  sufficient  swiftness,  a  great  part  of 
the  cloud,  about  nine  miles  in  circumference, 
detached  itself  under  them,  and  was  seen  at  a 
distance,  rising  and  falling  like  the  waves  of  the 
sea,  and  emitting  globes  of  fire  so  luminous,  that 
the  night  became  as  clear  as  day.  The  effects 
of  this  dreadful  explosion  were  astonishing. 
Every  thing  was  destroyed  for  twenty  miles 
around.  The  houses  were  demolished ;  the 
plantations  were  buried  in  the  earth  ;  vast  num- 
bers of  goats,  sheep,  and  horses,  and  1500  head 
of  cattle  were  destroyed  ;  and  above  two  thou- 
sand human  beings  were  in  a  moment  plunged 
into  the  gulf  of  eternity.*     "  With  God  is  terri- 

*  In  this,  and  the  other  illustrations  of  this  suliject 
stated  alxive,  I  consider  the  Divine  Bemg  as  the 
grand  agent  in  directing  the  operations  of  the  elo- 


THE  PraLOSDI'IlY  07  RELIGION. 


ble  imJ6«ty.  Who  can  ttand  berore  hii  indig- 
nation?  who  can  abide  in  the  BcrcenosK  of  his 
anger?  The  raouniains quake  before  him  ;  the 
hilk  melt,  and  the  earth  is  burned  al  his  pre- 
■ence." — "  Let  all  the  earth  fi'nr  the  Lord  ;  let 
all  th«  inhabitants  of  the  world  startd  in  awe  of 
hin." 

Thus  it  appears,  that  God  is  not  an  unconcern- 
ed spectator  of  the  ways  of  men — thai  ho  haa 
every  moment  at  his  command  the  most  de- 
atnictive  elements  of  nature — and  that  we  have 
abundant  proofs  that  these  destructive  elements 
have  been  occasionally  used,  for  inflicting  con- 
dign punishment  on  the  workers  of  iniquity. 
Notwithstanding  these  resources  of  vengeance, 
we  find,  by  experience,  that  his  mercy  is  exer- 
cised, from  year  to  year,  and  from  century  lo  cen- 
tury, towards  a  world,  the  majority  of  whose 
inhabitants  are  daily  trampling  under  foot  hi  sa- 
cred institutions,  and  his  holy  laws.  The  in- 
stances which  occur,  of  the  devastations  of  the 
hurricane,  the  thunder,  the  volcano,  the  earth- 
quake,'and  the  pestilence,  are  comparatively  few, 
ind  seem  intended  chiefly  to  arouse  the  attention 
of  thoughtless  and  ungrateful  man  ;  to  prevent 
him  from  running  to  the  extreme  of  wickedness  ; 
and  to  convince  him  that  the  Most  High  ruleih 
in  the  kingdoms  of  men,"  and  that  "  verily 
there  is  a  God  who  judgeih  in  the  earth."  Hence 
we  may  perceive  the  striking  emphasis  of  the 
language  of  the  inspired  writers  :  "  The  Lord 
is  tloio  to  anger"  and  yet  "  great  in  power." 

This  display  of  the  exercise  of  perfect  self- 
command  in  the  Divine  Mind,  is,  therefore, 
calculated,  as  well  as  his  wisdom  and  goodness, 
to  inspire  us  with  emotions  of  reverence,  admi- 
ration, and  love.     "  The  Lord  is  merciful  and 


ments,  but  without  infringing  those  gpneral  laws 
which  are  found  to  operate  wltli  undevlating  con- 
stancy in  the  system  of  the  universe.  To  explore 
the  manner  in  which  these  general  laws  are  illrected 
to  produce  certain  specific  eflects,  in  rfference  to 
particular  retions  ami  tribes  of  mankind,  must  ob- 
viously be  Iwyond  the  limits  of  our  faculties;  unless 
we  could  onter  Into  all  the  desipns  of  the  F.temat 
Blind,  when  he  nave  birth  to  the  universe,  and  ar- 
ranged its  elementary  parts;  and  unlesa  we  could 
take  a  comprehensive  view  of  the  remotest  tenden- 
cies of  the  elements  of  nature,  and  the  times  and 
elircuinstances  In  which  they  shall  produce  a  s|>cclfic 
and  eztraonllnary  eflTecl.  All  theHC  tendencies  and 
Circumslances  were  tjefore  the  mind  of  the  Ktenial 
Jehovah,  when  he  established  the  plan  of  his  moral 
goremmeni ;  ;ind,  therefore,  whatever  events  may 
occur  in  the  physical  system,  must  be  considered  as 
U>eaccom|ilii>hment  of  his  moral  purposes,  in  refer- 
ence to  the  moral  agents  he  has  created.  It  would 
be  presumptuous  in  so  limited  a  tieing  as  man,  to 
determine,  in  every  case,  what  is  the  precise  moral 
teasoQ  of  tite  extraordinary  destructive  cflerts  of 
phjrslcal  axents.  We  can  only  say,  in  irenpral,  ih:it 
OMTare  connected  wilh  the  sin  and  depravity  of 
Man.  Bat,  at  that  solemn  day,  when  the  reasons  of 
the  divtne  dispensations  shall  be  laid  opi'n,  it  will 

Ktkapi  tw  found,  that  such  uncommon  and  alarm- 
I  effects  were  the  punishmeut  of  acemvated 
liineiiaiiliim.  the  peculiar  malignity  and  tendency 
•f  inuk  were  removed,  in  a  Kreat  measure,  beyond 
IteiphM*  Of  (aoeral  obaerratlon, 


gracious,  slow  to  anger^  and  plenleout  in  tnwey. 
As  the  heaven  is  hioh  above  the  earth,  so  great 
is  his  mercy  toward  them  that  fear  him.  BInss 
the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  and  forget  not  all  bia 
benefiu." 


SECTION  VI. 

or    THE    RECTITUDE    OF    THE     DITimB 
CHAKACTER. 

Another  perfection  in  the  character  of  God, 
which  is  calculated  to  inspire  confidence  and  a^ 
feci  ion,  is  his  Juttice,  or,  the  RectitwU  of  his 
nature. 

The  rectitude  of  the  Divine  Being,  in  its  most 
extensive  sense,  consists  in  doing  ti^t  which,  in 
all  cases,  is  right,  upon  the  whole  ;  or,  in  other 
words,  that  which  will  have  the  greatest  ten- 
dency to  promote  the  order  and  happiness  of  his 
universal  empire.  It  includes  under  it,  the 
idea  of  distributive  justice,  which  consists  in  r^ 
warding  the  good,  and  punishing  the  bad,  ac- 
cording to  equitable  laws,  calculated  to  produce 
harmony  and  happiness  throughout  the  whole 
intelligent  system.  This  perfection  of  the  Deity 
may  be  considered  as  a  branch  of  his  general 
benevolence,  which  appears  to  be  the  source  of 
all  his  moral  attributes,  and  the  spring  of  all 
his  actions.  The  display  of  his  natural  and 
moral  perfections,  and  the  general  happiness  of 
the  intelligen'-es  which  exist  throughout  his  iD>- 
mense  and  eternal  empire,  appear  to  be  the  great 
objects  in  view,  in  his  moral  government  of  the 
universe  :  and,  in  order  lo  secure  these  objects, 
it  is  requisite  that  justice  be  impartially  admi- 
nistered, according  to  the  eternal  rules  of  recti- 
tude, and  that  '*  every  one  be  rewarded  according 
to  his  works." 

That  this  attribute  is  possessed  by  the  Divine 
Being,  in  the  highest  degree,  appears  from  the 
following  considemtions.  He  exists,  and  has 
always  existed,  completely  independent  of  all  his 
creatures  ;  he  is  in  the  actual  possession  of 
boundless  felicity,  which  no  other  being  can  in- 
terrupt ;  and  is  consequently  liable  to  no  evil, 
nor  diminution  of  enjoyment.  He  ii,  omnipctent, 
and  therefore  can  accomplish  whatever  he  plea- 
ses, and  can  effectually  prevent  whatever  might 
detract  from  his  happiness,  or  disturb  the  order 
of  his  government.  He  has,  therefore,  nothing 
to  fear  from  any  other  being,  and  can  desire 
nothing  from  his  creatures  lo  increase  his  feli- 
city. Consequently,  iw  pouibU  motive  or  temp- 
tation can  txixt,  to  indooe  him  to  inflict  an  act  of 
injustice  on  any  of  the  intellectual  boings  he  has 
formed.  Injustice,  among  men,  proceeds  either 
from  want  of  intelligence  to  discriminate  be- 
tween what  is  right  and  wrong  ;  from  want  of 
power  lo  bring  their  purposes  into  eflfecl ;  from 


JUSTICE  OP  GOD. 


S9 


the  Tear  of  some  evil  or  disadvantage  which  may 
arise  from  the  impartial  distribution  of  justice; 
from  the  idea  of  some  imaginary  good  of  which 
they  might  be  deprived  ;  from  some  mental  de- 
fect incident  to  the  present  state  of  humanity ; 
from  some  prejudice  against  the  individuals  to- 
wwds  whom  justice  ought  to  be  administered  ; 
or  from  the  indulgence  of  some  cruel  and  de- 
praved dispositions.  But  none  of  these  causes 
or  motives  can  exist  in  the  mind  of  the  All-per- 
fect and  infinite  Creator.  His  comprehensive 
eye  takes  in,  at  one  glance,  all  the  circumstances, 
even  the  most  ramute,  en'which  a  righteous  de- 
cision depends ;  he  is  no  "  respecter  of  per- 
sons ;"  he  can  indulge  no  malevolent  disposi- 
tions ;  he  can  expect  no  accession  of  enjoyment 
from  an  act  of  injustice  ;  he  has  nothing  to  fear 
from  the  execution  of  his  decisions  ;  his  power  is 
all-sufficient  to  bring  them  into  full  effect,  at  the 
time,  and  in  the  manner,  which  is  most  condu- 
cive to  the  happiness  of  the  universe  ;  and  his  be- 
nevolence, which  is  displayed  throughout  all  his 
works,  effectually  prevents  him  from  withholding 
good,  or  inflicting  evil,  beyond  the  desert  of  the 
subjects  of  his  government. 

This  character  of  the  Deity  is  amply  exhibit- 
ed and  confirmed  in  the  declarations  of  Sacred 
Scripture,  where  it  is  asserted,  that  "  He  is  a 
God  of  truth,  and  without  iniquity ;  just  and 
right  is  he."  "  Thou  art  just,"  says  Nehemiah, 
"  in  all  that  is  brought  upon  us ;  for  thou  hast 
done  right,  but  we  have  done  wickedly."  "  Shall 
mortal  man  be  more  just  than  God?  Surely  God 
will  not  do  wickedly,  neither  will  the  Almighty 
pervert  judgment.  Wilt  thou  condemn  Him 
that  is  most  just?  Is  it  fit  to  say  to  a  king, 
Thou  art  wicked;  or  to  princes,  Ye  are  ungod- 
ly ?  How  much  less  to  him  who  accepteth  not 
the  persons  of  princes,  nor  regardeth  the  rich 
more  than  the  poor?" — "The  righteous  Lord 
loveth  righteousness;  he  shall  judge  the  world  in 
righteousness ;  he  shall  minister  judgment  to  the 
people  in  uprightness.  Justice  and  judgment 
are  the  foundation  of  his  throne.  The  Lord  our 
God  is  righteous  in  all  his  works  which  he 
doth."  "  1  am  the  Lord  who  exercise  judgment 
and  righteousness  in  the  earth."  "  God  is  not 
unrighteous  to  forget  your  work  and  labour  of 
love  which  ye  have  showed  towards  his  name. — 
Great  and  marvellous  are  thy  works.  Lord  God 
Almighty  ;  just  and  true  are  thy  ways,  thou  King 
of  saints."  The  equitable  laws  which  he  has  pro- 
mulgated to  his  creatures ;  the  justice  he  re- 
quires to  be  exercised  by  one  man  to  another ; 
his  promises  of  reward,  and  his  threatenings  of 
punishment ;  and  the  impressive  judgments 
which  he  has  executed  on  individuals,  on  nations, 
and  on  the  world  at  large,  all  bear  testimony  to 
the  existence  of  perfect  rectitude  in  the  divine 
character. 

But,  although  Scripture  and  Reason  combine 
to  attesting  the  immutable  justice  of  God,  wears 


unable,  in  many  instances,  to  trace  the  display 
of  this  perfection  in  his  dispensations  towards  the 
inhabitantsof  our  world.  This  is  owing,  in  part, 
to  the  false  maxims  by  which  we  P>rm  a  judgment 
of  his  procedure  ;  to  the  limited  views  we  are 
obliged  to  take  of  the  objects  of  his  government; 
to  the  want  of  a  comprehensive  knowledge  of  the 
whole  plan  of  his  dispensations,  and  the  ends  to 
be  effected  by  them ;  to  the  limited  views  we 
have  acquired  of  the  whole  range  of  his  univer- 
sal dominions  ;  and  to  our  ignorance  of  the  rela- 
tions which  may  subsist  between  our  world  and 
the  inhabitants  of  other  provinces  of  the  divine 
Empire.  We  behold  many  of  "  the  excellent  of 
the  earth,"  pining  in  the  abodes  of  poverty,  and 
almost  unnoticed  by  their  fellow-men  ;  while  we 
behold  the  wicked  elevated  to  stations  of  power, 
and  encircled  with  riches  and  splendour.  From 
a  false  estimate  of  true  enjoyment,  we  are  apt 
to  imagine,  that  misery  surrounds  the  one,  and 
that  happiness  encircles  the  other ;  and  that  ^ 
there  is  an  apparent  act  of  injustice  in  these  dif- 
ferent allotments  ;  whereas,  God  may  have  placed 
the  one  in  the  midst  of  worldly  prosperity  as  a 
punishment  for  his  sins,  and  the  other  in  obscu- 
rity, as  a  stimulus  to  the  exercise  of  virtue.  We 
behold  a  man  of  piety  and  benevolence  falling 
before  the  drgger  of  an  assassin,  who  escapes 
with  impunity  :  we  are  startled  at  the  dispensa- 
tion, and  confounded  at  the  mystery  of  provi- 
dence, and  are  apt  to  exclaim,  "  Is  there  not  a 
God  that  judgeth  in  the  earth  ?"  But,  we  are  ig- 
norant of  the  relation  >^•hich  such  an  event  bears 
to  the  general  plan  of  the  divine  government— 
of  the  links  in  the  chain  of  events  which  preced- 
ed it,  and  of  those  which  shall  follow  in  its  train. 
We  are  ignorant  of  the  relation  it  bears  to  par- 
ticular families  and  societies,  or  to  the  nation  at 
large  in  which  it  happened,  and  even  to  all  the 
nations  o'.  the  earth.  An  event  apparently  trivial, 
or  mysterious,  or,  according  to  our  views,  un- 
just, may,  for  aught  we  know,  form  an  essential 
link  in  that  chain  of  events  which  extends  from 
the  Cummencement  of  time  to  its  consummation, 
which  runs  through  a  thousand  worlds,  and 
stretches  into  the  depths  of  eternity.  We  all 
know,  that  some  of  the  most  appalling  scenes  of 
terror  and  destruction  have  often  proceeded  from 
an  apparently  trivial  accident,  and  that  events  of 
the  greatest  importance  have  originated  from 
causes  so  inconsiderable  as  to  be  almost  over- 
looked. The  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Socie- 
ty, which  now  engages  the  attention  of  the  whole 
mass  of  the  Christian  world,  and  whose  be- 
neficent effects  will  soon  extend  to  the  remotest 
corners  of  the  world,  derived  its  origin  from  a 
casual  conversation  between  a  few  obscure  indi- 
viduals, on  the  subject  of  distributing  the  Scrip- 
tures. And  the  apparently  trivial  circumstance, 
of  observing  that  a  certain  mineral  substance, 
when  left  free  to  move  itself,  uniformly  points 
towards  the  north,  has  been  the  means,  not  only 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


of  the  knowledge  we  hare  acquired  of  ihe  difTer- 
•nt  regions  of  our  globe,  but  of  im|>arting  to 
■iHioiMi  of  mankind  incalculable  blessings,  which 
wB  deanend  to  their  posterity  to  the  latest  gene- 
ndhna. 

Hence  it  appcan,  that,  in  our  prrsent  circum- 
stances, wt<  are  altogether  incompt- tent  to  form  a 
correct  judgment  of  what  is  just  or  unjust  in  the 
present  di!t|>ensations  of  iho  Almighty,  unless  we 
oould  survey,  with  the  oye  of  a  seraph,  the 
ample  plan  of  the  divine  government, — the  whole 
Ohain  oTGud's  dispensations  towards  our  race,— 
the  numerous  worlds  and  beings  over  which  his 
moral  government  extends, — the  relation  which 
the  events  now  passing  among  us  bear  to  other 
moral  intelligences,  either  as  subjects  of  con- 
temptation,  as  warnings  of  the  danger  of  apos- 
tacy  from  God,  or  as  motives  to  universal 
subjection  and  obedience, — and  the  connexions, 
bearings,  and  dependencies  of  the  whole  of  that 
moral  system  which  embraces  unnumbered 
worlds,  and  constitutes  one  grand  and  boundless 
empire,  under  the  government  of  the  Creator. — 
Sven  then,  with  the  eye  and  the  mind  of  a  finite 
intelligence,  we  should  occasionally  meet  with 
events  which  would  surpass  our  comprehension, 
and  be  altogether  inexplicable,  on  the  gro4ind8  of 
the  knowledge  we  had  previously  acquired,  and 
■hould  still  De  constrainud  to  exclaim,  "  O  the 
depth  of  the  riches  both  of  the  wisdom  and  the 
knowledge  of  Grod  I  How  unsearchable  are  his 
judgments,  and  his  ways  past  finding  out !" 

But  al  hough  "clouds  and  darkness"  at  pre- 
sent haog  over  the  ways  of  the  Almighty,  so 
that  we  cannot,  in  every  instance,  perceive  the 
rectitude  of  his  procedure,  we  may  rest  satisfied 
that  "justice  and  judgment  are  for  ever  the 
foundation  of  his  throne;"  and  we  are  assured, 
by  the  Sacred  Oracles,  that  a  period  is  approach- 
ing, when  the  mystery  of  Providence  will  be  un- 
folded, and  when  all  its  dark  and  perplexing 
events,  in  reference  to  this  world,  will  be  ex- 
plained to  the  full  conviction  of  all  its  assembled 
inhabitants.  For  "  God  hath  appointed  a  day 
in  which  he  will  judge  the  world  in  righttoxunett 
by  that  man  whom  he  hath  ordained  ;  whereof  he 
Imlh  given  axsurance  unto  all  men,  in  that  he 
hath  rained  him  from  the  dead."  Then  "  the 
secrets  of  all  hearts*'  shall  be  disclosed,  and 
every  man  rewarded  "  according  to  his  works  ;" 
for,  "God  shall  bring  every  work  iniojudgment, 
with  tvwy  recret  thing,  whether  it  be  good,  or 
whether  it  be  evil."  Then  it  will  be  clearly 
perceived,  that  "  verily  there  is  a  reward  for  the 
righteous,  and  that' there  is  a  God  that  judgeth  in 
the  earth."  Then  the  rectitude  of  Jehovah,  in 
every  part  of  his  moral  administration,  will 
shine  forth  in  all  its  liutre ;  a  visible  and  ever- 
lasting distinction  will  be  made  between  the 
righteous  and  the  wicked,  sod  the  whole  intelli- 
gent creaiioa  will  plainly  discern  between  "  him 
that  served  Qod,  and  him  that  served  him  not." 


In  the  mean  time,  Qod  has  not  left  himself 
without  a  witness  to  the  impartiality  of  his  jus- 
tice in  his  allotnicniM  towards  men,  in  that  he  has 
invariably  connected  mittry  with  tht  vioiatian  ^ 
hit  lau$,  and  hapyincu  with  the  oftservonee  ^ 
Otem.  However  different  the  allotments  of 
mankind  may  be,  in  regard  to  wealth,  honour,  or 
station,  it  holds  invariably  true,  that  "  there  is 
no  peace,"  or  substantial  happiness,  "  to  the 
wicked ;"  and  that  "  the  man  is  blt»md  who 
fears  the  Lord,  and  delights  in  his  command- 
ments."* Place  a  man  cm  the  highest  pinnacle 
of  earthly  grandeur,  and  let  him  indulge  in 
schemes  of  ambition,  avarice,  pride,  revenge, 
cruelty,  and  other  violations  of  the  divine  law, 
and  he  may  as  soon  attempt  to  stop  the  sun  in 
his  course,  as  to  expect  substantial  enjoyment 
while  lie  continues  in  the  indulgence  of  such  ma- 
levolent passions.  Place  another  in  the  most 
obscure  abode  of  human  life,  and  let  him  exercise 
piety,  benevolence,  humility,  and  every  other 
Christian  temper  ;  and  he  will  enjoy  a  peace,  an 
equanimity,  and  a  portion  of  happiness,  which 
the  wicked  can  never  possess,  and  which  the 
wealth  of  the  world  can  neither  give  nor  take 
away.  Hence  it  is,  that  we  behold  so  many  in- 
stances of  disgust  at  life,  and  of  selMestruciion, 
among  those  who  are  elevated  to  stations  of  [raw- 
er, and  surrounded  with  every  kind  of  sensitive 
enjoyment. — This  consideration,  of  itself,  should 
silence  every  murmur  that  is  apt  to  arise  at  the 
dispensations  of  God's  providence,  and  convince 
us  that  "  he  is  righteous  in  all  his  ways,  and 
holy  in  all  his  works." 

On  the  whole,  then,  it  appears,  that  the  justice 
of  God  has  a  tendency  to  inspire  us  with  confW 
dence,  and  love,  and  joy,  no  less  than  his  mercy 
and  benevolence.  Were  it  not  for  this  perfection 
of  the  divine  character,  omnipotence  might  be- 
come a  most  terrific  and  tremendous  attribute  of 
the  Deity.  We  should  have  no  motive  but  that 
of  fear  to  stimulate  us  to  obedience  ;  we  shouki 
feel  no  security  against  danger,  and  distress,  and 
the  perpetual  recurrence  of  spectacles  of  ven- 
geance, and,  in  the  course  of  ages,  the  spacious 
universe  might  be  transformed  into  an  immense 
region  of"  lamentation,  and  mourning,  and  wo." 
Were  it  not  for  this  perfection,  the  (>enevoleiKe 
of  the  Deity  would  degenerate  into  weakness  and 
imbecility.  Wicked  men,  and  other  depraved 
intelligences,  presuming  on  freedom  from  impu- 
nity, and  their  diabolical  passions  acquiring 
strength  and  vigour,  by  long  exercise,  would  carry 
misery  and  destruction  in  their  train,  wlierever 
they  exerted  their  energies  ;  and  would  interrupt, 
and  ultimately  destroy  the  harmony  and  felicity 
of  the  intelligent  universe.  But,  while  we  re- 
cognize the  rectitude  of  the  divine  character  as 
an  immutable  attribute  of  Deity,  we  can  look 
forward  with  confidence  through  all  the  revoki- 

•PsaLcztt.  t. 


DUTY  OP  "LOVE  TO  GOD. 


sr 


°*i<im  of  time,  and  to  all  those  eternal  scenes 
which  shall  succeed  the  demolition  of  the  pre- 
sent system  of  things,  fully  assurod,  that  God 
is  the  universal  Protector  of  his  unnumbered  off- 
spring — ihat  his  power  will  never  be  interposed 
to  inflict  an  act  of  injustice — that  no  intelligent 
being  will  ever  suffer  a  punishment  beyond  his 
desert — and  that  no  happiness  which  his  bene- 
volence has  deviseii,  and  his  word  has  promised, 
will  ever  be  withheld  from  those  "  who  put  their 
trust  in  his  name,  and  hearken  to  the  voice  of  his 
commiindments." 

Thus  I  have  endeavoured  to  show,  that  Zone  to 
God,  which  is  the  first  principle  of  the  moral 
law,  is  founded  upon  the  natural  and  moral  per- 
fections of  the  Deity — that  the  attributes  of  omni- 
potence, wisdom,  goodneit,  mercy,  forbearance, 
and  juxtice,  are  calculated  to  excite  this  noble 
afliectiun  to  the  highest  degree  in  the  minds  of 
all  holy  intelligences.  I  might  also  have  illus- 
trated this  subject  from  considerations  drawn 
from  the  infinity,  the  eternity,  the  immutability, 
the  holiness,  and  veracity  of  God.  But  the 
lliustrations  already  stated,  will,  I  presume, 
be  sufficient  to  demonstrate,  that  this  affection, 
in  conjunction  with  all  its  kindred  emotions, 
■ought  to  occupy  the  highest  place  in  the  human 
heart,  and  in  the  minds  of  all  created  intelli- 
gences. 

It  may,  perhaps,  be  insinuated  by  some,  that 
the  preceding  illustrations  have  been  carried  to 
a  greater  length  than  the  nature  of  the  subject  re- 
quired— and  it  is  readily  admitted,  that  the  mere 
Ipgica!  argument  did  not  require  so  extended 
illustrations.  Every  person  who  knows  the 
meaning  of  the  terms  made  use  of,  will  at  once 
admit,  that,  sin««God  is  a  Being  possessed  of 
almighty  power,  infinite  wisdom,  boundless 
benevolence,  mercy,  forbearance,  and  perfect 
rectiiude— he  ought  to  be  loved  affectionately  and 
supremely.  But  such  general  and  metaphysical 
reasoning,  though  perfectly  conclusive  and  in- 
controvertible, possesses  but  a  slender  influence 
over  the  mind,  in  exciting  it  to  the  cultivation  of 
holy  affections.  For  the  sake  of  impression,  it  is 
essentially  requisite,  that  the  various  mamfesta- 
ixons  of  divine  perfection  should  be  presented 
to  the  view,  in  order  that  the  mind  may  have  a 
tangible  train  of  thought  before  it,  to  stimulate 
its  activiiies,  and  its  religious  emotions.  Ge- 
neral views  and  reasonings  on  any  subject,  and 
especially  on  the  subject  of  religion,  produce  a 
very  slight  impression  on  the  majority  of  mati- 
iiind.  It  is  not  owing  so  much  to  the  want  of 
conviction  of  the  truth  of  certain  important  pro- 
positions in  religion,  that,  divine  truths  take  so 
slender  a  hold  of  the  mind,  as  to  the  want  of 
those  definite  and  impressive  conceptions  which 
can  be  acquired  only  by  a  minute  and  attentive 
survey  of  the  works  and  the  dispensatinns  of 
God.  And,  in  this  point  of  view,  the  preceding 
illustrations,  had  the  limited  natute  of  the  present 


work  permitted,  might  have  been  qrosecuted  to  a 
much  greater  extent. 

I  might  also  have  illustrated  this  subject  from 
a  consideration  of  the  relations  in  which  God 
stands  to  us,  and  to  all  his  creatures.  He  is 
our  Creator,  and  we  are  the  workmanship  of  his 
hands.  He  formed  our  bodies,  and  he  sustains 
our  spirits.  His  physical  energy  is  felt  by  us 
every  moment,  in  making  our  hearts  to  beat,  and 
our  lungs  to  play,  and  in  impelling  the  crimson 
fluid  which  circulates  in  our  bodies,  through  a 
thousand  different  tubes.  To  him  we  are  in- 
debted for  life,  ^d  all  its  comforts ;  and  for  all 
the  powers,  capacities,  and  privileges,  which 
dignify  our  nature,  and  exadt  us  above  the  lower 
ranks  of  existence.  He  is  our  Preserver  and 
bountiful  Benefactor,  who  "  sustains  our  souls 
in  life,"  who  supports  the  course  of  nature,  ia 
its  diversified  movements,  and  "  daily  loads  us 
with  his  benefits."  To  his  superintending  pro- 
vidence we  are  indebted  for  the  food  we  eat,  the 
water  we  drink,  the  clothes  we  wear,  the  air  we 
breathe,  the  light  which  cheers  us,  the  splendours 
of  the  sun,  the  milder  radiance  of  the  moon,  the 
magnificence  of  the  starry  sky,  the  rains  and 
dews  which  fertilize  the  soil;  the  earth,  with 
its  riches  and  abundance  ;  the  trees,  plants,  and 
waving  grain,  which  enfich  our  fields ;  the 
flowers  which  deck  the  meadows,  the  beautiful 
and  magnificent  cok>urkig  which  is  spread  over 
the  terrestrial  landscape,  the  succession  of  day 
and  night,  and  the  vicissitude  of  the  seasons. 
In  short,  to  him  we  are  indebted  for  all  the  ob- 
jects and  movements  around  us,  which  reader 
our  abode  on  earth  convenient,  desirable,  aad 
productive  of  enjoyment. 

He  is  our  Father,  and  we  are  his  children. 
He  watches  over  us  with  a  tender  care  ;  and, 
"  as  a  father  pitieth  his  children,  so  the  Lord 
pitieth  them  that  fear  him."  This  tender  and 
indissoluble  relation  binds  us  to  him  by  the 
strongest  ties,  and  is  calculated  to  excite  the 
most  ardent  filial  affection  and  gratitude.  He 
is  our  Sovereign  and  Lawgiver,  and  we  are  his 
subjects;  ana  all  his  laws  are  framed  on  the 
principles  of  eternal  and  immutable  rectitude, 
and  are  calculated  to  promote  the  harmony  and 
happiness  of  the  whole  intelligent  creation.  He 
is  our  Master,  and  we  are  his  servants,  and  "  his 
commandments  are  not  grievous."  He  is  our 
Friend  in  adversity,  our  Protector  in  danger 
and  in  distress  ;  our  Instructor,  who  has  impart- 
ed to  us  knowledge  and  understanding  ;  and  our 
Redeemer,  who  "spared  not  his  own  Son,  but 
delivered  him  up  for  us  all,"  that  we  might  be 
rescued  from  the  gulf  of  depravity  and  ruin,  and 
exalted  to  a  state  of  consummate  felicity.  In 
fine,  he  is  that  being  who  is  the  inexhaustible 
fountain  of  light,  of  life,  and  of  joy  to  all  beings — 
on  whom  depend  all  our  future  prospects  in  this 
world,  and  al'.  the  transporting  scenes  to  which 
we    look  forward    in    an  ioterminable  stale  </ 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


existence. — All  these,  and  many  other  relations, 
in  which  w«  siaiid  lo  the  Gud  of  heavrn,  de- 
tnontiraie,  that  lupreme  love  to  this  beneficent 
Being,  is  the  first  and  highest  duty  of  every  ra- 
tkxul  creature .  and  they  present  the  most 
powerful  raoiives  to  stimulate  us  to  its  exercise. 
But,  to  illustrate  these  topics,  in  minute  detail, 
would  be  inconsistent  with  the  limited  plan  of 
tl>e  present  work  ;  and  it  is  the  less  necessary, 
M  several  of  them  have  already  been  brought 
into  view,  in  the  course  of  the  preceding  illus- 
tntioos. 


SECTION  vn. 

MOnBt    IH    WBICH     LOVE   TO  ODD   IS    DII- 
PLATED. 

I  shall  now  offer  a  remark  or  two  on  the  na- 
tere  of  this  sublime  affection,  and  the  manner  in 
which  it  ought  to  be  manifested.  Love  to  God 
is  not  a  single  and  solitary  affection  in  the  hu- 
man breast,  which  evaporates  in  a  few  transient 
and  undefined  emotions  ;  but  is  the  spring  of 
every  holy  activity,  and  is  intimately  connected 
with  every  virtuous  emotion,  with  every  pious 
sentiment,  with  every  religious  requirement, 
with  every  sensitive  enjoyment,  with  our  pre- 
■rnt  comforts,  and  our  future  and  eternal  pros- 
pects. 

It  includes  in  it,  complacency,  or  delight  in  the 
ckar»eler  and  adminUbrrUion  of  God.  Viewing 
him  as  a  self-exisient  and  eternal  Being, — fill- 
ing immensity  with  his  presence,  launching  in- 
numerable worlds  into  existence,  upholding  them 
all  by  the  "  word  of  his  power,"  and  superin- 
tending the  minutest  concerns  of  all  his  offspring, 
fixxn  the  loftiest  seraph,  through  all  the  inferior 
gradations  of  existence,  to  the  smallest  aniroal- 
cula, — the  mind  feels  the  most  delightful  emo- 
tions, in  regarding  the  happiness  of  the  universe 
as  perfectly  tecure  under  his  physical  and  moral 
adminisiration.  Contemplating  his  bounty  to 
angels  and  to  men,  lo  the  birds  of  the  air,  the 
fishes  of  the  sea,  and  the  numerous  tribes  which 
traverse  the  surface  of  the  land, — his  mercy  to- 
wards our  fallen  race, — his  long-suffering  and 
forbearance  towards  wicked  nations  and  iiidivi- 
dnals,— his  faithfulness  in  the  accomplishment 
of  his  promises  and  threatening*, — and  ihe  un- 
erring rectitude  of  his  (lispensatio<is  towards  all 
llis  creatures, — the  mind  feels  supreme  appro- 
bation and  complacency  in  his  attributes,  pur- 
poses, and  administraiions;  beholding  in  his  cha- 
racter an  excellence  and  amiableness,  a  moral 
dignity  and  grandeur  which  is  not  to  be  found  in 
any  created  intelligence.  Even  in  reference  to 
these  acts  of  hin  government  which  appear 
dreadfiil  and  appalling — in  the  volcano,  the  earth- 
quake, tbe  thunders,  the  hurricane,  the  tempest, 


and  the  doom  c(  the  impenitent,  its  approbatioi 
and  complacency  are  not  withheld,  convinced 
that  perfect  rectitude  is  the  rule  of  his  procedure, 
and  that  his  righteousness  will  one  day  be 
brought  lo  light  before  an  assembled  world. 

Love  (o  God  include*  admiration  oj  hi*  tiini»- 
derful  work*.  The  man  whose  aifuctioos  are 
directed  to  the  Supreme  Intelligence  is  not  an 
indifferent  spectaiur  of  the  manifestations  of 
Deity.  He  beholds  the  magnificent  canopy  of 
heaven  daily  moving  around  him  in  silent  gran- 
deur ;  his  eye  penetrates  beyond  the  apparent 
aspects  of  the  twinkling  luminaries  which  adorn 
it,  and  surveys  the  hand  of  the  Almighty  wheei- 
ing  stupendous  globes  tlirough  the  immeasura- 
ble regions  of  space,  and  extending  his  operations 
throughout  unnumbered  systems,  dispersed  over 
the  boundless  expanse  of  the  universe.  He  be- 
holds the  great  globe  on  which  be  is  placed,  im- 
pelled by  the  same  omnipotent  arm,  prosecuting 
its  course  through  the  depths  of  space,  and  cir- 
cling around  the  sun,  to  bring  about  the  revolu- 
tions of  the  seasons.  He  contemplates  the  vast 
ranges  of  mountains  that  stretch  around  it— (he 
mass  of  waters  in  the  mighty  ocean,  and  its  nu- 
merous tribes  of  animated  being»^the  "dry 
land,"  with  all  its  furniture  and  inhabitants— 
the  vast  caverns,  chasms,  and  shattered  strata 
which  appear  in  its  interior  recesses — and  the 
atmosphere  with  which  it  is  surrounded,  with 
the  clouds,  the  lightnings,  and  the  tempests 
which  diverijif)  its  aspect.  He  traces  the  footr 
steps  of  the  Almighty  in  his  moral  administra- 
tion—in  the  deluge  which  swept  away  the  in- 
habitants of  the  antediluvian  world — in  the 
burning  of  Sudom,  the  dividing  of  the  Red  sea, 
the  thunders  and  lightnings  of  Sinai — the  mani- 
festaiion  of  the  Sod  of  God  in  human  flesh;  his 
sufferings,  death,  resurrection,  and  triumphant 
ascension^in  the  propagation  of  the  gospel  in 
the  face  of  every  opposition,  in  the  rise  and  fall 
of  empires,  the  dethronement  of  kings,  the  bat- 
tles of  warriors,  and  the  convulsions  of  nations. 
And,  while  he  contemplates  such  objects  and 
operations,  his  admiratian  is  excited  by  the  in- 
comprehensible knowledge  displayed  in  the  con- 
trivance of  the  universe,  the  boundless  benevcv 
lence  which  extends  over  all  these  works,  and 
the  omnipotent  power  by  which  all  the  mighty 
movements  of  Creation  and  Providence  are  ef- 
fected. And,  while  he  admires,  he  is  filled 
with  strong  emotions  of  rrtxrenes  of  the  glorious 
perfections  of  that  Being,  whose  mighty  hand 
conducts  those  stupendous  movements,  and  he 
feels  the  full  force  of  the  impressive  exhortation 
of  the  psalmist,  "Lei  all  the  earth  fear  the 
Lord  ;  let  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  world  stand 
in  awe  of  him  :  for  he  spake,  and  it  was  done ; 
he  commanded,  and  it  stood  fast."  Even  the 
abstract  conceptions  we  have  of  the  immmmty 
of  the  Divine  Being,  by  wnich  he  is  present  in 
every  part  of  infinite  space — the  eternity  of  tm 


HUMILITY  AND  RESIGNATION. 


89 


duration,  and  the  range  of  his  omniscience  which 
embraces  an  intimate  knowledge  of  the  thoughts, 
the  purposes,  and  the  actions  of  all  creatures  ; 
are  calculated  to  overpower  the  mind  with  emo- 
tions of  veneration  and  awe,  blended  with  feel- 
ings of  affection  and  delight  at  the  recollection  of 
the  relation  in  which  we  stand  to  this  glorious 
Intelligence. 

Again,  Love  to  God  includes  Humility  and 
self-abasement  in  the  divine  presence.  There 
is  no  disposition  which  appears  more  incom- 
patible with  supreme  affection  for  the  Creator 
than  pride,  haughtiness,  and  arrogance.  "  God 
resisteth  the  proud."  Even  "  a  proud  look"  is 
declared  to  be  an  "  abomination"  in  his  sight. 
And,  if  the  indulgence  of  pride  be  inconsistent 
with  the  love  of  God,  humility  must  be  regarded 
•s  one  of  its  essential  and  distinguishing  accom- 
paniments. When  a  man  who  loves  God  re- 
flects on  his  condition  and  character — that  he  is  a 
creature  who  derived  his  existence  from  a  supe- 
rior Being,  to  whom  he  is  indebted  for  all  his 
powers  and  faculties,  and  by  whose  power  and 
mercy  he  is  every  mDment  preserved  in  ex- 
istence ;  when  he  considers  his  station  in  the 
universe — that  he  is  only  like  an  atom,  in  the  im- 
mensity of  creation,  when  compared  with  the 
innumerable  beings  which  people  its  wide  do- 
mains— that  he  stands  near  the  lowest  part  of 
the  scale  of  intelligent  existence,  and  that  "  all 
the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  are  as  grasshoppers" 
before  Hira  who  sits  on  the  throne  of  the  heavens ; 
when  he  recollects  that  he  has  apostatized  from 
the  God  who  made  him,  that  he  is  guilty  of 
innumerable  violations  of  his  righteous  laws,  and 
stands  condemned  at  the  bar  of  Him  "  who  is  of 
purer  eyes  than  to  behold  iniquity  ;"  when  he 
contemplates  the  circumstances  in  which  he  is 
now  placed  in  consequence  of  his  transgressions 
— the  pains,  diseases,  poverty,  bereavements, 
and  reproaches,  to  which  he  is  subjected ;  the 
storms,  and  tempests,  and  elemental  war  to 
which  he  is  exposed ;  the  degradation  which 
awaits  his  body  at  the  hour  of  dissolution  and  in 
the  mansions  of  the  tomb ;  and  the  ignorance, 
the  errors,  and  follies  into  which  he  has  fallen; — 
when  he  considers  that  "  lowliness  of  mind"  is  a 
characteristic  of  the  most  exalted  of  created  in- 
telligences, who  "veil  their  faces"  in  the  divine 
presence,  and  cheerfully  extend  their  benevolent 
regards  to  the  meanest  human  being  who  is  an 
"  heir  of  salvation  ;"  and,  above  all,  when  he  re- 
flects on  the  ineffable  grandeur  of  that  Being 
before  whom  "  all  nations  are  as  the  drop  of  a 
bucket,"  he  is  convinced  that  pride  is  the  most 
unreasonable  principle  that  can  exist  in  the  hu- 
man breast,  and  that  the  most  profound  humUitt/ 
ought  for  ever  to  characterize  his  thoughts  and 
actions,  both  in  the  presence  of  God,  and  before 
the  eyes  of  men.  On  such  a  character  only  will 
"  the  High  and  Lofty  One  who  inhabits  eternity," 
«ok  with  complacency,  and  in  such  a  heart  alone 


can  the  love  of  God  be  expected  to  reside  in 
all  its  generous  and  noble  exercises.  Such  a  dis- 
position, mingling  with  all  the  other  benevolent 
affections,  will  rendet-  them  sweet  and  delightful ; 
it  will  render  us  amiable  in  the  eyes  of  our  fel- 
low-men; it  will  secure  ,us  against  all  the 
wretched  effects  and  boisterous  passions  which 
flow  from  haughtiness  and  pride;  it  will  mitigate 
the  sorrows,  the  perplexities,  and  anxieties  to 
which  we  are  subjected  in  our  earthly  pilgrim- 
age ;  it  will  enable  us  to  preserve  our  minds 
tranquil  and  serene  amidst  the  provocations,  the 
aflfronts,  and  the  contentions  to  which  we  are  ex- 
posed in  our  intercourses  with  general  society, 
and  will  prepare  us  for  associating  with  the  in- 
habitants of  that  happier  world,  where  seraphic 
love,  profound  reverence  of  the  Divine  Majesty, 
and  profound  humility,  mingle  with  all  their  in- 
tercourses and  employments. 

Resignation  to  the  providential  dispensations 
of  the  Almighty  is  another  manifestation  and  ac- 
companiment of  love  to  God.  To  be  habitually 
discontented,  and  to  murmur  and  repine  under 
the  allotments  of  his  providence,  must  obviously 
appear  to  be  inconsistent  with  sincere  and  ardent 
affection  for  the  Supreme  Disposer  of  events. — 
Resignation  to  the  will  of  God  is  the  duty  of 
every  intelligent  creature  towards  the  Creator ; 
and  in  proportion  to  the  degree  in  which  this 
principle  exists,  will  be  the  happiness  of  the  in- 
tellectual being  that  exercises  it.  Angels  are 
perfectly  happy,  because  they  are  perfectly  sub- 
missive to  the  will  of  their  Creator — being  fully 
contented  with  the  station  allotted  them  in  the 
universe,  and  completely  resigned  to  all  the  fu- 
ture services  and  allotments  which  Infinite  Wis- 
dom has  ordained.  Wherever  pure  affection 
towards  God  actuates  the  mind  among  the  in- 
habitants of  our  world,  it  produces  a  disposition 
similar  in  kind,  though  inferior  in  degree,  to 
that  which  animates  the  breasts  of  the  cherubim 
and  the  seraphim  in  the  regions  of  bliss. 

He,  who  is  actuated  by  this  noble  principle, 
regards  every  providential  event  as  the  appoint- 
ment of  his  Father  in  heaven.  The  devouring 
flames  may  consume  his  habitation  to  ashes,  and 
scatter  his  treasures  to  "  the  four  winds  of  hea- 
ven ;"  the  ship  in  which  his  wealth  is  embarked 
may  be  dashed  against  the  rocks,  and  sink  "  as 
lead  in  the  mighty  waters  ;"  his  friends  may  for- 
sake him  in  the  season  of  his  deepest  anxiety  and 
distress ;  the  wife  of  his  bosom,  whom  he  ten- 
derly loved,  may  be  snatched  from  his  embrace  by 
the  cold  hand  of  death  ;  his  children,  dearer  to 
him  than  his  own  soul,  may  fall  victims,  one 
after  another,  to  some  pestilential  disease,  and 
be  for  ever  removed  from  his  sight  to  the  "  land 
of  deep  forgeifulness  ;"  his  familiar  friend  in 
whom  he  trusted  may  "  lift  up  his  heel  against 
him,"  and  load  him  with  unmerited  reproaches ; 
his  own  body  may  be  chastened  with  sore  pain 
and  loathsome  disease ;  a  fall  from  a  horse  may 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


br«sk  the  boa«a  of  hi»  leg,  and  rond«r  liim  lame 
fbr  life  ;  a  random  blow  may  bruUe  hi*  eye-baIN, 
and  deprive  him  of  all  the  eniertainmenia  of 
vision  ;  he  may  be  stretched  for  many  long  years 
on  the  bed  of  languishing;  his  country  may 
•ither  be  ravaged  %nd  laid  waste  by  destroying 
armies,  or  rains  and  inundations  may  sweep 
ttway  the  produce  of  his  fields.  But  under  all 
such  calamities,  he  bows  with  submisition  to  the 
will  of  Him  "  who  rules  in  the  whirlwind  and 
directs  the  storm ;"  not  because  he  has  f  irtified 
hw  mind  with  a  stoical  apathy  and  indifference 
towards  the  evils  of  life ;  not  because  he  is  inca- 
pable of  feeling  the  evils  he  is  doomed  tu  suffer ; 
ibr  be  may  feel  them  in  the  acuiest  degree,  even 
while  he  exercises  full  resignation  ;  but  he  is  re- 
signed, because  he  feels  assured  that  they  are  the 
appointment  of  his  Almighty  Friend — that  they 
are  parts  of  the  plan  of  unerring  wisdom — that 
tbey  are  intimately  connected  with  the  whole 
ehain  of  providence  that  runs  through  his  pre- 
sent existence — that  they  are  intended,  in  the 
scheme  of  infinite  benevolence,  to  promote  his 
happiness  in  a  way  which  his  limited  faculties 
are  unable  at  present  to  comprehend— and  that 
tbey  have  a  bearing  on  the  scenes  and  enjoy- 
■nenis  of  the  eternal  world.  And  therefore,  under 
the  pressure  of  his  most  painful  feelings,  he  is 
enabled  to  adopt  the  triumphant  language  of  the 
prophet,  "  Although  the  fig-tree  shall  not  blos- 
som, neither  fruit  be  in  the  vine ;  the  labour  of 
the  olive  fail,  and  the  fields  yield  no  meat ;  the 
flock  be  cut  off  from  the  fold,  and  there  be  no 
herd  in  the  stall ;  yet  will  I  rejoit^e  in  the  Lord, 
I  will  be  glad  in  the  God  of  my  salvation."  While 
others  murmur  and  rage,  and  toss  themselves 
like  a  wild  bull  in  a  net,  and  curse  the  supposed 
authors  of  their  calamities,  ho  is  enabled  to 
"  poiness  his  soul  in  patience,"  convinced  of  the 
ivctitudeufthe  divine  dispensations;  andthusdis- 
plays  a  nobleness  of  mind,  and  a  heroism  which 
is  "  above  all  Greek,  above  all  Roman  fame." 
Again,  Love  to  God  comprehends  Gratitude 
tot  the  benefits  he  bestows.  Gratitude  is  that 
particular  modification  of  love  which  flows  out 
towards  God,  considered  as  the  Author  and  Be- 
stower  of  all  felicity:  it  is  love  excited  by  kind- 
ness communicated  from  benevolent  motives.  It 
is  one  of  the  roost  natural  and  obvious  manifes- 
tations of  that  general  principle  which  I  have  been 
hitherto  illustrating ;  for  ingratitude  is  altogether 
inconsistent  with  love  to  a  benefactor.  In  order 
to  kindle  this  amiable  affection  into  a  lively 
ianw,  (bo  iierson  in  whose  bosom  it  glows  en- 
daavours  to  take  a  minute  and  expansive  survey 
flf  the  "  loving-kindness  of  God,"  and  of  the 
«MbU«m  variety  of  bene6t8  he  is  continually  re- 
MMaf.  He  feels  grateful  to  God  Km- his  existence, 
Ibr  the  powers  and  capacities  with  which  he  is  en- 
),  for  the  rank  which  he  hoMs  in  the  scale  of 
existence ;  in  being  raised  above  the 
I  of  the  valley,  and  furnished  with  faculties 


superior  to  the  beasts  of  th«  forest  and  the  fowl*- 
of  heaven.  He  feels  grateful  that  he  was  brought 
into  existence  in  a  Christian  land,  and  in  civil- 
ized society ;  that  the  "  glad  tidings  of  salva- 
tion" have  rtf ached  bis  ears;  that  "God  so 
loved  the  world,  that  He  gave  his  only  begotten 
Son,  that  wliosoever  believeth  on  him  might  not 
perish,  but  have  everlasting  life,"  and  that  every 
enjoyment  requisite  fur  his  present  and  future 
happiness  is  secured  through  this  plan  of  divine 
benevolence.  But  he  does  not  rest  satisfied 
with  vagtie  and  general  views  of  these  important 
benefits ;  he  contemplates  the  degradation  into 
which  sin  had  plunged  him,  the  greatness  of  the 
misery  from  which  the  love  of  God  has  delivered 
him,  the  moral  perfection  of  his  nature  to  which 
he  is  now  training,  the  serenity  of  mind  he  ex- 
periences in  the  practice  of  the  divine  precepts, 
the  security  he  feels  for  his  present  and  future 
safety  undef  the  protection  of  Omnipotence,  the 
"  strong  consolation"  under  the  evils  of  life 
which  the  promises  of  God  lead  him  to  expect, 
the  victory  over  death  of  which  he  is  secured 
"  through  Christ  Jestis  bis  Lord,"  the  resiu^ 
rection  of  bis  body  at  the  close  of  time,  the  "  new 
heavens  and  the  new  earth"  to  which  he  is  de- 
stined at  the  dissolution  of  this  sublunary  system, 
the  alliance  into  which  he  is  brought  to  the  an- 
gelic tribes  and  other  pure  intelligences,  his  moral 
capacity  for  associating  with  every  holy  being  in 
the  universe,  and  the  endless  succession  of  tran»- 
porting  scences  which  will  burst  upon  his  view 
through  the  ages  of  eternity.  While  contempla- 
ting these  high  privileges,  in  all  their  bearings 
and  varied  ramifications,  emotions  of  affvctioo 
and  gratitude  arise  in  his  breast  which  can  only 
be  expressed  in  the  language  of  elevated  devotion, 

**  O  How  shall  words  w^ith  equal  warmth 

The  gratitude  declare 
That  glows  within  my  ravish'd  heart  I 
But  Thou  canst  read  It  there." 

"  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul !  and  all  that  is 
within  me  bless  his  holy  name.  Give  thanks  to 
the  Lord,  and  forget  not  all  his  benefits;  who 
forgiveth  all  thine  iniquities,  who  healeth  all  thy 
diseases  ;  who  redeemeth  thy  life  from  destruo- 
tion,  and  crowneth  thee  with  loving-kindness 
and  tender  mercies." 

Nor  does  he  feel  less  grateful  to  God  for  his 
kindness  as  displayed  in  the  material  world,  and 
in  the  ordinary  course  of  his  providence.  He 
feels  grateful  for  these  scenes  of  sublimity  and 
beauty  with  which  the  visible  universe  is  adonv- 
ed — for  the  sun  when  he  ascends  the  vault  of 
heaven,  and  diffuses  his  radiance  over  the  moun- 
tains and  the  vales — for  the  moon,  when  shs 
"  walks  in  brightness"  through  the  heavens, 
and  cheers  the  shades  of  night — (or  the  planets, 
while  they  run  their  ample  rounds,  and  evinc«r 
by  their  magnitude  and  motions,  the  eteraa) 
omuipotence  of  their  Maker — for  tlM  is 


SUBLIMITY  OF  THE  PRINCIPLE  OP  LOVE. 


41 


Me  host  or  stars,  which  unite  their  splendours  to 
adorn  the  canopy  of  the  sky,  and  display  the 
riches,  and  grandeur,  and  boundless  extent  of 
God's  universal  kingdom — for  the  light,  which 
darts  with  unconceivable  rapidity  from  the  celes- 
tial luminaries,  and  diffuses  a  thousand  shades 
of  colour  on  the  terrestrial  landscape — for  the 
surrounding  atmosphere,  which  supports  the  ele- 
ment of  fire,  conveys  the  clouds  over  every  re- 
gion, and  sustains  and  invigorates  the  functions 
of  animal  life — for  the  variety  of  beautiful  and 
majestic  scenery  which  diversifies  our  terrestrial 
system — for  the  towering  cliffs,  the  lofty  moun- 
tains, and  the  expansive  vales — for  the  mean- 
dering river,  gliding  through  the  fields,  and  dif- 
fusing health  and  fertility  wherever  it  flows — for 
the  riches  which  abound  in  the  gardens,  the 
forests,  and  the  fields,  and  the  mineral  treasures 
contained  in  the  bowels  of  the  mountains — for 
the  harmony  of  musical  sounds,  the  mellifluous 
notes  of  the  nightingale  and  the  lark,  and  the 
melodious  warblings  which  resound  from  the 
vales,  the  mountair»s,  and  the  groves — for  the 
flowers  which  enamel  the  meadows,  the  trees, 
the  shrubs,  and  the  waving  grain  which  adorn 
the  earth  with  picturesque  beauty — for  the  ani- 
mated beings  which  contribute  to  our  comfort, 
the  bee  which  collects  for  us  honey  from  every 
opening  flower,  the  sheep  which  yields  its  fleeces 
for  our  clothing,  and  thousands  of  other  creatures 
which  contribute  to  supply  us  with  food,  rai- 
ment, furniture,  and  innumerable  enjoyments. 
In  all  these,  and  similar  objects,  he  perceives 
ample  reasons  for  elevating  his  soul  in  lively 
gratitude  to  his  bountiful  Benefactor. 

When  he  turns  his  eyes  upon  himself,  and 
considers  the  wonderful  machinery  which  gives 
life  and  motion  to  his  frame,  he  perceives  the 
strongest  reason  for  the  exercise  of  incessant 
admiration  and  gratitude.  He  feels  grateful  for 
every  joint  of  his  fingers,  and  for  every  move- 
ment of  his  wrist,  by  which  he  is  enabled  with 
the  utmost  ease  to  perform  a  countless  variety 
of  manual  operations  essential  to  his  comfort — 
for  the  hundreds  of  bones  which  support  his 
animal  system,  with  their  various  articulations, 
and  the  hundreds  of  muscles  and  tendons  which 
are  interwoven  with  every  part  of  the  machine, 
which  enable  it  to  perform  without  the  least 
obstruction,  a  thousand  varied  movements  sub- 
servient to  his  health,  convenience,  and  plea- 
sure. He  cannot  walk  through  his  apartment, 
nor  lift  his  eyes  to  the  heavens,  nor  move  a  joint 
of  his  finger,  nor  draw  a  single  breath,  without 
perceiving  an  evidence  of  the  wisdom  and  in- 
telligence of  his  Almighty  Maker.  He  per- 
ceives, that  if  only  one  joint  were  wanting,  or 
one  muscle  out  of  action,  or  one  movement  out  of 
a  thousand  interrupted,  he  would  instantly  be 
subjected  to  a  thousand  painful  sensations  *vhich 
would  throw  a  gloom  on  every  earthly  enjoyment. 
But  especially,  when  he  reflects  on  the  wonders 
6 


of  vision — the  thousands  of  millions  of  rays  that 
are  every  moment  darting  from  the  objects 
around  him,  crossing  each  other  in  an  infinity 
of  directions,  and  yet  conveying  to  every  eye  a 
distinct  [jerception  of  their  colours,  motions,  and 
diversified  aspects ;  when  he  reflects  on  the 
facility  with  which  he  can  turn  his  eye  in  every 
direction,  upwards  and  downwards,  to  the  right 
hand  and  to  the  left,  and  in  a  moment  take  in  the 
landscape  of  the  earth  and  the  heavens  "  at  a 
small  inlet  which  a  grain  might  close ;"  when 
he  considers  the  numerous  and  complicated 
movements  continually  going  on  within  him — 
the  heart,  like  a  powerful  engine  in  perpetual 
motion,  impelling,  with  prodigious  force,  streams 
of  blood  through  a  thousand  diflerent  tubes — the 
numerous  lacteal  and  lymphatic  vessels  absorb- 
ing nutriment  from  the  food,  and  conveying  it 
through  every  part  of  this  wonderful  machine: 
when  he  considers  that  these  incessant  motions 
are,  as  it  were,  the  immediate  hand  of  the 
Divinity  within  him,  over  which  he  can  exer- 
cise no  control,  and  which  are  all  intended  to 
preserve  his  existence  and  minister  to  his  enjoy- 
ment,— he  cannot  forbear  exclaiming,  in  the 
language  of  grateful  admiration,  "  How  pre- 
cious are  thy  wonderful  contrivances  concern- 
ing me,  O  Grod  !  how  great  is  the  sum  of  them ! 
If  I  should  count  them,  they  are  more  in  num- 
ber than  the  sand.  I  will  praise  thee,  for  I  am 
fearfully  and  wonderfully  made  !" 

He  does  not  overlook  such  instances  of  "  the 
loving-kindness  of  God,"  because,  to  some,  they 
may  appear  minute  and  trivial.  He  does  not 
contrast  them  with  what  are  reckoned  spiritual 
and  more  important  blessings;  nor  attempt  to 
institute  comparisojis  between  the  beneficent 
operations  of  Omnipotence,  in  order  to  throw  a 
certain  portion  of  them  into  the  shade.  He  con- 
siders all  the  operations  of  God  from  the  plan 
of  redemption  for  guilty  men,  and  the  mission  of 
his  Son  into  our  world,  to  the  minutest  muscle 
that  moves  the  joint  of  a  finger,  or  the  ray  of 
light  that  darts  from  a  flower  of  the  field,  as 
parts  of  one  vast  system  of  boundless  benevo- 
lence, as  essentially  connected  together  as  the 
links  of  a  chain;  and,  in  regard  to  himself,  he 
views  all  the  variety  of  blessings  now  alluded 
to,  as  one  undivided  stream  of  unbounded  bene- 
ficence, commencing  with  the  first  moment  of 
his  existence,  running  through  all  the  scenes  and 
circumstances  of  his  terrestrial  existence,  and 
expanding  into  the  unfathomable  ocean  of  eter- 
nity. In  the  whole  series  of  contrivances  and 
events  which  relate  to  his  present  and  future 
existence,  both  in  what  we  consider  the  mi- 
nutest and  the  most  magnificent  works  of  the 
Deity,  he  perceives  the  stamp  of  infinite  per- 
fection, and  a  connexion  of  plan  and  of  opera- 
tion, which  excludes  all  attempts  at  comparisons 
and  contrasts.  Under  such  impressions,  and 
with  such  views  of  the  concatenation  of  ererj 


49 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


p«rt  of  the  tehriiM  of  divine  benevolence,  he  is 
led  to  contemplate  llio  kindness  of  Ciod  at  every 
(tep,  and  in  every  object,  and  is  ever  ready  to 
exclaim,  "  What  shall  I  render  to  the  Lord  fur 
uU  his  benefits  toward  mc  ?" 

In  lino,  supreme  love  to  God  includes  in  its 
exerctBe,  a  delight  in  the  public  and  private  ex- 
erciies  of  his  worship,  a  constant  endeavour  to 
yield  a  willing  and  unreserved  obedience  to  ail 
ihe  institutions  he  has  appointed,  and  to  all  the 
laws  he  has  issued  forth  for  counteracting  the 
depravity  of  our  natures,  and  for  raising  us  to  a 
state  of  moral  perfection;  an  active  and  enlight- 
ened zeal  for  the  honour  of  his  name,  and  for 
promoting  those  institutions  which  have  a  ten- 
dency to  advance  his  kingdom  in  the  earth ;  a 
sincere  and  disinterested  affection  to  all  our  fcl- 
low-men,  and  particularly  to  every  class  of  holy 
intelligences ;  a  cordial  approbation  of  ail  his 
plans  and  movements  in  creation  and  provi- 
dence ;  and  devout  aspirations  after  that  higher 
state  of  existence,  where  the  glories  of  his  na- 
ture and  "  the  kindness  of  his  love"  shall  be 
more  clearly  unfolded,  and  where  love  shall  glow 
in  one  uninterrupted  and  perpetual  emotion. 

Thus,  it  appears  that  love  to  God  consists  in 
complacency  in  his  character  and  administration, 
and  is  inseparably  connected  with  admiration  of 
his  wonderful  works,  with  humility,  resignation, 
and  gratitude. 

I  cannot  conclude  my  remarks  on  this  topic 
without  adverting,  for  a  little,  to  the  nobleness 
and  sublimity  of  this  first  and  fundamental 
spring  of  all  moral  action.  From  what  has  been 
ailready  stated,  it  appears  that  love  to  God  is 
the  most  reasonable  and  amiable  affection  that 
can  animate  the  human  mind  ;  for  that  Being 
who  is  the  object  of  it  is  the  sum  of  all  perfec- 
tion, the  standard  of  all  moral  and  physical 
excellence,  and  the  source  of  all  the  felicity 
enjoyed  by  every  rank  of  existence  throughout 
the  boundless  universe.  It  is  also  the  most  *ub- 
lime  and  expansive  affection  that  can  pervade  the 
mind  of  any  created  intelligence.  It  excites  the 
most  rapturous  emotions  when  we  contemplate 
the  harmonies,  the  beauties,  and  the  sublimities 
of  the  universe ;  for  it  recognizes  them  as  the  dis- 
plays of  boundless  wisdom  and  boundless  good- 
ness ;  as  the  production  of  that  Almighty  Being 
who  stands  in  the  relation  of  our  Father  ^nd  our 
tMend ;  and  leads  us  to  conclude,  that  that  power 
and  intelligence  which  gave  birth  to  all  that  is 
grand  and  beautiful  in  heaven  and  on  earth,  will 
be  ibr  ever  exercised  in  contributing  to  our  eternal 
enjoyment.  Without  such  a  recognition,  crea- 
tidi  appears  only  like  an  immense  desert,  and  is 
apt  to  fill  the  mind  with  apprehension  and  terror  ; 
for  it  can  feel  no  pleasurable  emotions  in  con- 
templating the  operations  of  a  Being  for  whom 
it  entertains  no  affectionate  regard.  But,  in 
our  aolitary  walks  in  the  fields  and  the  gardens, 
amidft  the  emanationa  of  divine  munificeoce ; 


in  our  journeys  through  the  fertile  plaina ;  in  oar 
excursions  through  the  Alpine  scenes  of  nature  ; 
in  our  invest  igai  ions  into  the  structure  of  iht 
animal  and  vegetable  tribes  ;  and  in  our  contem- 
plations on  ti>e  wonders  of  the  starry  sky — love 
tiirows  a  radiance  on  all  these  objects,  and  ex- 
cites an  interest  which  cannot  be  apprceiated 
by  that  mind  which  has  never  felt  the  force  of 
this  sacred  emotion. 

It  renders  us  sufierior  to  the  ills  o(  life,  while, 
under  its  influence,  we  bow,  in  cordial  submi»- 
sion,  to  the  divine  disfiefsations,  as  the  result 
of  perfect  wisdom,  rectitude,  and  benevolence. 
It  enables  us  to  recognize  the  hand  of  a  Divine 
Benefactor  in  every  enjoyment,  and  the  rod  of 
an  affectionate  Father,  in  every  trial  and  afflic- 
tion to  which  we  are  subjected.  It  raises  the 
soul  above  the  carfcing  cares  and  degrading  pur- 
suits of  the  world,  and  enables  it  to  look  down 
with  heroic  indifference  on  all  those  trivial  inci- 
dents and  fancied  insults  which  irritate,  and  ii>- 
flame,  and  torment  "  the  children  of  pride."  It 
preserves  the  mind  in  calm  serenity  amidst  the 
raging  of  the  tempest,  the  rolling  thunders,  the 
whirlwind,  and  the  hurricane,  the  eruptions  of 
the  volcano,  and  the  convulsions  of  tlie  earth- 
quke  ;  while  it  recognizes  the  Ruler  of  the  storm, 
who  presides  amidst  the  crash  of  warring  ele- 
ments, as  its  omnipotent  Protector  and  its 
eternal  refuge.*  It  enables  the  man  in  whoee 
bosom  it  resides,  to  contemplate  with  composure 
the  downfall  of  kings  and  the  revolutions  of  na- 
tions, to  anticipate  the  hour  of  his  dissolution 
without  dismay,  and  to  look  forward  with  forti- 
tude to  the  ruins  of  dissolving  nature,  when  "the 
elements  shall  melt  with  fervent  heat,"  and  the 
earth,  with  all  its  magnificence,  shall  be  wrapt  in 
flames  ;  confident  that,  under  "  the  shadow  of 
the  wings  of  the  Almighty,"  he  shall  remain  in 
perfect  security,  amidst  "  the  wreck  of  matter 
and  the  crush  of  worlds." 

This  divine  principle  assimilates  us  to  angels, 
and  to  every  other  class  of  holy  intelligences. 
It  renders  us  qualified  for  a^ociating  with  these 
superior  intellectual  natures — for  entering  into 
their  vast  and  comprehensive  views — for  con- 
versing with  them  on  the  sublime  topics  which 
occupy  their  attention — for  bearing  a  part  in 
their   extensive   schemes   of  universal  benevo- 

•  The  celebrated  Klrchfr,  In  his  relation  of  the 
dreadful  c.-irthquake  in  Calabria,  In  1638,  which 
overthrew  the  city  of  Euphemla,  of  which  he  was 
a  sperlator,  expresses  hU  feelings  on  that  occasion 
In  the  following  words  -. — "  The  universal  ruin 
around  mc,  the  rrash  of  falling  houses,  the  totter- 
ing of  towers,  and  the  gronns  of  the  dying,  all  con 
tribute<l  to  raise  terror  and  desimlr.  On  every  side 
of  me,  I  saw  nothing  but  a  scene  of  ruin  and  d.tnger 
threatenlni;  wherever  I  should  fly.  I  commended 
myself  to  Ood,  as  my  last  grrat  refuge.  At  that 
hour,  0  how  vain  was  every  sublunary  happiness  ! 
wealth,  honour,  empire,  wisdom,  all  mere  useless 
sounds,  and  as  empty  as  the  bubbles  of  the  deep. 
Just  stnnding  on  the  threshold  of  eternity,  nothinc 
but  Ood  was  my  pleasure;  and  the  nearer  I  ap 
proached,  1  only  loved  him  the  more.** 


SUBLIMITY  OF  THE  PRINCIPLE  OF  LOVE. 


4S 


lence— -and  for  contributing,  along  with  them,  to 
the  order  and  prosperity  of  God's  everlasiing 
kingdom.  It  secures  to  us  the  friend.ship  and 
afTeciion  of  all  the  virtuous  inhabitants  uf  the 
universe,  and  renders  us  fit  for  affectionate  in- 
tercourse with  them,  wherever  we  may  after- 
wards exist,  throughout  the  boundless  expanse  of 
creation.  Should  we  ever  be  permitted,  during 
the  lapse  of  eternal  duration,  to  wing  our  flight 
from  world  to  world,  in  order  to  enlarge  our 
views  of  God's  unbounded  em[)ire,  the  exercise 
of  this  holy  afloction  would  secure  to  us  a  friendly 
reception  and  an  affectionate  intercourse  among 
all  the  pure  intelligences  within  the  range  of  his 
moral  administration  :  {or,  as  this  principle  is 
founded  on  the  nature  of  God,  who  is  eternal 
and  unchangeable,  it  must  pervade  the  minds  of 
the  inhabitants  of  all  worlds  that  have  retained 
their  primitive  integrity.  It  is  this  divine  affec- 
tion which  excites  the  rapturous  flame  that 
glows  in  the  breasts  of  the  angelic  tribes,  which 
enlivens  the  songs  and  the  adorations  of  the 
cheruoim  and  the  seraphim,  which  inspires 
ihem  with  a  noble  ardour  in  executing  the  com- 
mands of  their  Creator,  and  which  animates 
them  in  their  flight  from  ihe  celestial  regions  to 
this  obscure  corner  of  creation,  when  ihey  min- 
ister to  the  heirs  of  salvation.  It  was  this  noble 
principle  which  impelled  the  angel  Gabriel  in 
his  rapid  flight  through  the  celestial  spaces, 
when  he  descended  to  announce  to  Daniel  the 
answer  to  his  supplications,  and  to  Zacharias  and 
Mary  the  birth  of  the  Saviour;  which  animated 
the  anfjels  who  unbarred  the  prison  doors  to 
Peter,  and  gave  assurance  to  Paul  of  the  divine 
protection,  while  he  was  tossing  on  the  tem- 
pestuous billows  of  the  Adriatic  sea;  and  which 
fanned  the  flame  of  devotion  in  the  heavenly  host, 
when  they  sung,  in  the  plains  of  Bethlehem, 
"  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  peace  on  earth, 
and  good  will  towards  men." 

In  fine,  this  sublime  affection  assimilates  us  to 
God,  who  is  benevolence  itself,  who  supremely 
loves  his  own  character,  and  who  is  incessantly 
displaying  his  benevolence,  in  all  its  infinitely 
diversified  effects,  throughout  the  intelligenl  uni- 
verse. Il  assimilates  us  to  Jesus  the  Son  of 
the  Hi(;he8t,  whp  is  "  the  brightness  of  the  Fa- 
ther's glory  ,iind  the  express  image  of  his  person," 
and  who  is  for  ever  actuated  with  fervent  zeal 
for  the  honour  of  God,  and  for  the  happiness  of 
man.  Il  constitutes  the  foundation  of  all  felicity  ; 
it  o[iens  Ihe  gates  to  perpetual  enjoyment ;  it 
secures  its  possessor  of  eternal  happiness,  as  its 
natural  ami  necessary  result,  and  prepares  him 
for  mingling  in  the  employments  of  the"  innu- 
merable Company  of  angels  and  the  spirits  of 
just  men  made  perfect:"  for  all  the  transimrting 
scenes  of  glory,  and  all  the  avenues  to  felicity, 
whirh  will  be  opened  to  the  immortal  spirit, 
while  ages,  numerous  as  the  sand,  are  rolling  on, 


while  mighty  worlds  are  emerging  out  of  no- 
thing, and  innumerable  orders  of  beings  are 
starling  into  existence,  may  be  considered  as  so 
many  infinitely  diversified  streams  flowing  from 
supreme  affection  to  the  blessed  God,  as  the 
spring  of  every  rapturous  enjoyment.  Possessed 
of  this  divine  principle,  we  secure  the  most  ho- 
nourable connexions,  become  benefactors  to  the 
intelligent  universe,  participators  of  the  enjoy- 
ments of  seraphic  natures,  agents  for  carrying 
forward  the  plans  of  Infinite  Benevolence,  and 
"  workers  together  with  God,"  in  accomplishing 
his  eternal  designs.  Without  it,  we  become 
nuisances  in  the  kingdom  of  God,  rebels  against 
his  government,  pests  to  fellow  intelligences, 
destitute  of  the  noblest  of  all  affections,  deprived 
of  substantial  enjoyment  in  the  present  world, 
and  exposed  to  misery,  without  interruption,  in 
the  world  to  come. 

If  such  be  the  native  effects  of  supreme  love  to 
God,  and  if  this  principle  lie  at  the  foundation 
of  all  genuine  morality,  how  foolish  and  pre- 
posterous is  it  for  Christian  moralists  to  wander 
through  the  dark  labyrinths  of  Greek  and  Roman 
literature,  and  the  intricate  mazes  of  modem 
skeptical  philosophy,  in  search  of  any  other  prin- 
ciples of  moral  action  ?  It  is  like  groping  for  the 
light  of  the  sun  in  the  windings  of  a  subterraneous 
grotto,  and  preferring  the  glimmering  of  a  taper 
to  the  full  blaze  of  the  orb  of  day.  It  is,  to  for- 
sake "  the  fountain  of  living  waters,  and  to 
hew  out  to  themselves  broken  and  empty  cisteros, 
that  can  hold  no  water." 

In  order  to  invigorate  and  expand  this  affec- 
tion in  the  mind,  it  is  requisite  that  we  take  a 
comprehensive  view  of  all  the  manifestations  of 
that  Being  towards  whom  it  is  directed,  as  exhi- 
bited in  the  history  of  his  operations  recorded  in 
the  volume  of  inspiration  ;  in  the  details  of  his 
moral  government  among  the  nations,  both  in 
ancient  and  in  modern  times,  which  may  be  col- 
lected from  the  writings  of  historians,  voyagers, 
travellers,  and  missionaries  ;  in  the  economy  ol 
the  inferior  tribes  of  animated  beings  ;  in  the 
diversified  scenery  of  nature  around  us  in  our 
terrestrial  system ;  and  in  the  sublime  move- 
ments that  are  going  forward,  among  distant 
worlds,  in  the  firmament  of  his  power ;  for,  the 
more  we  know  of  the  manifestations  of  the 
Creator,  the  more  acquaintance  shall  we  have  of 
the  Creator  himself;  and,  in  proportion  as  our 
knowledge  of  his  character  is  enlarged,  in  a 
similar  proportion  will  our  love  be  ardent  and 
expansive.  Such  extensive  views  and  contem- 
plations are  indispensably  requisite,  in  order  to 
a  full  recognition  of  the  divine  injunction: 
"  Thnt  shall  love  the  Lord  thy  God  viith  all  thy 
heart,  and  with  all  thy  strength,  and  with  all  thiiu 
understanding."  This  is  the  first  and  the  great 
commandment. 


CHAPTER   IL 

SBCOND  PRINCIPLE  OF  MORAL  ACTION-LOVE  TO  ALL  SUBORDINATE  INTELUOENCEB. 


Ih  the  commencement  of  the  last  chapter,  I 
had  occasion  to  remark  that,  strictly  speaking, 
the  fundamental  principle  or  affection  which 
gives  birth  to  all  the  ramifications  of  moral 
action,  ia  but  one,  namely.  Love.  This  noble 
affection  may  be  considered  as  dividing  itself 
into  two  great  streams,  one  directing  its  course 
towards  the  Creator,  as  the  supreme  source  of 
all  felicity,  and  the  other  expajiding  itself  to- 
wards all  the  intellectual  beings  which  he  has 
formed. 

Having,  in  the  preceding  pages,  endeavoured 
to  illustrate  the  foundation  and  the  reasonable- 
ness  of  the  principle  of  love  to  God,  from  a  con- 
•ideration  of  his  perfections,  character,  and  re- 
lations, and  having  described  some  of  those 
kindred  affections  by  which  its  existence  in  the 
ninds  of  moral  agents  is  manifested,— I  shall 
now  endeavour  to  exhibit  the  foundation,  and 
the  reasonableness,  of  that  modification  of  love 
which  is  directed  towards  created  intelligences, 
and  which  may  be  termed  the  second  principle  of 
moral  action — THO0  shalt  love  thv  neioh- 
souR  AS  THrsELV.  Taking  it  for  granted  that 
tkis  is  the  fundamental  law  prescribed  by  the 
Creator  for  regulating  the  conduct  of  intelligent 
beings  towards  each  other — because  the  Supreme 
Lawgiver  has  proclaimed  it  as  such  in  the  reve- 
lation which  he  has  given  us  of  his  will — (  shall 
endeavour  to  exhibit  the  reasonableness  and  the 
beauty  of  this  amiable  principle — from  the  na- 
ture of  man,  and  the  relations  in  which  all  the 
individuals  of  the  human  race  stand  to  each 
other — from  the  happiness  which  would  fjow 
from  the  uniform  operation  of  this  principle— and 
from  the  misery  which  would  inevitably  ensue 
were  it  completely  eradicated  from  the  minds  of 
moral  agents. 

Before  proceeding  to  the  illustration  of  these 
particulars,  it  may  be  proper  to  remark,  that  by 
"  cur  neighlxtur^'  is  to  be  understood  Tiien  oj  every 
aodmi  and  of  every  elinu,  whether  they  avow 
rtunw/lfft  at  our  frienila  or  our  enemies,  and 
wkaUoer  may  be  their  language,  their  religion, 
Vieir  rank,  or  station.  The  inhabitanu  of  New 
Zealand,  of  Patagonia,  of  New  Holland,  of 
iheLadronei,  of  Kamtschatka,  or  of  Greenland, 
are  our  neighbours,  in  the  sense  intended  in  the 
divine  injunction  above  quoted,  as  well  as  thoae 
who  reside  in  our  own  nation  and  in  our  more 
immediate  neighbourhood.  For  with  all  these, 
and  otlicr  tribes  of  mankind,  we  may  happen  to 


have  intercourses,  either  directly  or  indirectly, 
and  towards  them  ail  we  ought  to  exercise  aa 
affection  analogous  to  that  which  every  man 
exercises  towards  himself  This  we  are  deci- 
sively taught  by  our  Saviour  in  the  parable  of 
the  good  Samaritan,  in  which  it  is  clearly  shown, 
that  under  the  designation  of  neighbour,  we  are 
to  include  even  our  bitterest  enemies.  His  apos- 
tles avowed  the  same  sentiment,  and  taught, 
that  in  ilie  bonds  of  Christian  love,  no  distinc- 
tion should  exist  between  ''  Jews  and  Greeks, 
Barbarians,  Scythians,  bond,  or  free."  For 
they  are  all  members  of  the  great  family  of  God, 
and  recognized  as  chikirea  by  the  universal 
parent. 


SECTION  I. 

THE  NATURAL  EQUALITY  OF  MAITKIKD  CON- 
SIDERED AS  THE  BASIS  or  LOTS  TO  OUR 
NEIOHBOUR. 

J  SHALL  now   exhibit   a  few  considerations 

founded  on  the  Natural  Equality  of  Mankind,  io 
order  to  evince  the  reasonableness  and  the  ne- 
cessity of  the  operation  of  the  principle  of  love 
towards  all  our  fellow-men. 

In  the  first  place,  Men,  of  whatever  rank,  kin- 
dred, or  tribe,  are  the  offspring  of  the  great 
Parent  of  the  universe.  They  were  all  created 
by  the  same  Almighty  Being,  aixi  to  him  they 
are  indebted  for  all  the  members  and  functions  of 
their  animal  frames,  and  for  those  powers,  ca- 
pacities, and  endowments,  which  render  them 
superior  to  the  cli>ds  of  the  valley  and  to  the 
beasts  of  the  forest.  They  derived  their  origin 
too,  as  to  their  bodies,  from  the  same  physical  prin- 
ciples and  from  the  same  earthly  parent.  "  Of  the 
dust  of  the  ground"  the  body  of  the  first  man  was 
formed;  and  from  Adam,  the  primogenitor  of  the 
human  race,  have  descended  all  the  generations 
of  men  which  now  exist,  or  will  hereafter  exist, 
till  the  close  of  time.  This  is  equally  true  of  the 
prince  and  of  his  subjects  ;  of  the  monarch  ar- 
rayed in  purple,  and  seated  on  a  throne,  and  of 
the  beggar,  who  is  clothed  in  rags,  and  embraces 
a  dunghill ;  of  the  proud  nobleman,  who  boasts 
oTa  long  line  of  illustrious  ancestors,  and  of  the 
obscure  peasant,  whose  progenitors  were  unn<^ 
ticed  and  unknown.  All  derived  their  origin  (roro 


EdUALITY  OF  MANKIND. 


46 


the  dust,  and  all  return  to  the  dust  a^ain.  This 
consideration,  on  which  it  is  unnecessary  to 
dwell,  shows  the  reasonableness  of  union  and  sS- 
feclion  among  men,  on  the  same  grounds  from 
which  we  conclude  that  brothers  and  sisters  be- 
longing to  the  same  family  ought  to  manifest  a 
friendly  afTeciion  for  each  other. 

Secondly,  Men  of  all  nations  and  ranks  are 
equal  in  respect  to  the  mechanism  of  their  bodies 
and  the  mental  faculties  with  which  they  are  en- 
dowed. Whether  their  bodies  be  rudely  covered 
with  the  skins  of  beasts,  or  adorned  with  the 
splendours  of  royalty  ;  whether  they  be  exposed 
naked  to  the  scorching  heats  and  piercing  colds, 
or  arrayed  in  robes  of  silk  and  crimson — in  their 
construction  and  symmetry  they  equally  bear  the 
impress  of  infinue  wisdom  and  omnipotence. 
The  body  of  the  meanest  peasant,  who  earns  his 
scanty  subsistence  from  day  to  day  by  the  sweat 
of  his  brow,  is  equally  admirable,  in  the  motions 
of  its  fingers,  the  structure  of  its  limbs,  and  the 
connexion  and  uses  of  its  several  functions,  as 
the  body  of  the  mightiest  and  the  proudest  baron 
who  looks  down  upon  him  with  contempt.  The 
organs  of  vision  comprise  as  many  coats  and 
hLmours,  muscular  fibres,  and  lymphatic  ducts, 
and  form  as  delicate  pictures  upon  the  retina — 
the  bones  are  equally  numerous,  and  as  accurate- 
ly articulated — the  muscles  perform  their  func- 
tions with  as  great  precision  and  facility — the 
lymphatic  and  absorbent  vessels  are  as  numerous 
and  incessant  in  their  operations — and  the  heart 
impels  the  blood  through  a  thousand  veins  and  ar- 
teries with  as  great  a  degree  of  rapidity  and  of 
purity  in  the  corporeal  frame  uf  a  poor  African 
slave,  who  is  daily  smarting  under  the  lash  of  an 
unfeeling  planter,  as  in  the  body  of  the  Emperor 
ofChina,  who  sways  his  sceptre  over  half  the  in- 
habitants of  the  globe.  All  the  external  trappings 
which  fiiscinate  the  vulgar  eye,  and  by  which  the 
various  ranks  of  mankind  are  distinguished,  are 
merely  adventitious,  and  have  no  necessary  con- 
nexion with  the  intrinsic  dignity  of  man.  They 
are  part  of  the  consequences  of  the  depravity  of 
our  species  :  in  most  instances  they  are  the  re- 
sults of  vanity,  folly,  pride,  and  frivolity  ;  and 
they  constitute  no  essential  distinction  between 
man  and  man  ;  for  a  few  paltry  guineas  would 
suffice  to  deck  the  son  of  a  peasant  with  all  the 
ornaments  of  a  peer. 

Men  are  also  nearly  on  a  level  in  respect  to 
the  mental  faculties  which  they  possess.  Every 
man,  however  low  his  station  in  the  present 
world,  is  endowed  with  a  spiritual  principle  which 
he  received  by  "  the  inspiration  of  the  Al- 
mighty," which  is  superior  to  all  the  mechanism 
and  modifications  of  matter,  and  by  which  he  is 
allied  to  beings  of  a  superior  order.  The  facul- 
ties of  consciousness,  perception,  memory,  con- 
ception, imagination,  judgment,  reasoning,  and 
moral  feeling,  are  common  to  men  of  all  casts 
and  nations.    The  power  of  recollecting  the  past, 


and  of  anticipating  the  future— of  deducing  con- 
clusions from  premises  previously  demonstrated 
— of  representing  to  the  mind  objects  and  scenes 
which  havelong  ceased  to  exist;  of  forming  in 
the  imagination  new  co  nbinations  of  the  objects 
of  sense  ;  of  perceiving  the  qualities  of  moral  ac- 
tions, and  distinguishing  between  right  and 
wrong  ;  of  recognizing  a  supreme  intelligent 
Agent  in  the  movements  of  the  universe,  and  of 
making  perpetual  advances  in  knowledge  and  fe- 
licity ;  faculties  which  distinguish  man  from  all 
the  other  tribes  which  people  the  ear:h,  air,  or 
sea ;  are  possessed  by  the  dwarfish  Laplander  and 
the  untutored  peasant,  as  well  as  by  the  ruler  of 
kingdoms,  the  enlightened  statesman,  and  the 
man  of  sciince.  It  is  true,  indeed,  that  there  is 
a  mighty  difference  among  men  in  the  direction 
of  these  faculties,  in  the  objects  towards  which 
they  are  directed,  in  the  cultivation  they  have 
received,  and  in  the  degree  of  perfection  to  which 
they  have  attained.  There  are  innumerable  gra- 
dations in  the  improvement  and  the  energies  ol 
intellect,  from  the  harrow  range  of  thought  pos- 
sessed by  a  Greenlander  or  an  Esquimaux,  to 
the  sublime  and  expansive  views  of  a  Bacon,  or 
a  Newton.  But,  this  difference  depends  more 
on  the  physical  and  moral  circumstances  in 
which  they  »re  placed  than  on  any  intrinsic  dif- 
ference in  the  faculties  themselves.  Place  the 
son  of  a  boor  or  of  a  Laplander  in  circumstances 
favourable  to  the  developement  of  his  mental 
powers,  and  afford  him  the  requisite  means  for 
directing  and  increasing  their  activity,  and  he 
will  display  powers  of  intelligence  equal  to  those 
which  are  found  in  the  highest  ranks  of  civilized 
life.  A  sound  understanding,  a  correct  judg- 
ment, vigour  of  mind,  control  over  the  irascible 
passions,  and  other  mental  endowments,  though 
destitute  of  polish,  will  as  frequently  be  found 
in  the  lower  walks  of  life  as  in  the  elevated  ranks 
of  opulence  and  power. 

The  philosopher,  however,  as  well  as  the  man 
of  rank,  is  apt  to  look  down  with  a  contemptuous 
sneer  on  the  narrow  conceptions  of  the  hus- 
bandman, the  mechanic,  and  the  peasant  ;  and  is 
disposed  to  treat  them  as  if  they  were  an  inferior 
species  of  intelligent  beings.  He  does  not  al- 
ways consider  thai  the  profound  and  the  subtle 
speculations,  which  are  dignified  with  the  title  of 
philosojiky,  are  frequently  of  less  importance  to 
the  progress  of  the  humaui  mind,  and  to  the  en- 
joyment of  substantial  comfort,  than  the  deduc- 
tions of  common  sense  and  the  dictates  of  a 
sound  though  plain  understanding ;  that  they 
torment  him  with  feelings,  doubts,  and  perplexi- 
ties, which  sometimes  shake  the  whole  fabric  ol 
his  knowledge,  and  lead  him  into  labyrinths,  out 
of  which  he  can  scarcely  extricate  his  way ; 
while  the  man  of  plain  understanding,  guided  by 
a  few  certain  and  important  points  of  truth,  pro- 
secutes the  path  of  virtue  with  safety  and  success. 
For  it  may  be   considered   as    an   established 


4t, 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  CP  RSLIQION. 


naiim,  that  the  moit  iatarciiting  and  laliitary 
tru'Ju  conoectixl  with  the  lia(>pinexs  of  man  are 
Milher  niinieruui  nor  difficult  tu  b«  ari|iiiro<l, 
and  are  level  to  the  comprehension  of  men  c/ 
•very  nation  and  of  every  rank.  Bm  however 
KTOvelling  may  be  the  atfuclionii,  and  however 
limited  the  intulleclual  views  of  tiie  untutored 
rank*  of  society,  Oiof  are  capable  of  being  trained 
to  the  knowledge  anJ  the  practice  of  eveiy  ihinij 
which  re^.irds  their  present  comfort  and  their 
future  happiness  ;  and  tu  devise  and  execute  the 
means  by  which  this  object  maybe  accomplish- 
•d,  is  one  way  among  iBany  others  hv  which  our 
iove  to  mankind  should  be  displayed  and  demon- 
•trat4.-d.  We  have  no  reason  to  complain  of  tlie 
>  want  of  mental  energy,  or  of  the  ignorance   and 

folly  of  the  lower  orders  of  mankind,  and  to 
despise  them  on  this  account,  while  we  sit  still 
in  criminal  apathy,  and  refuse  to  apply  tho<ie 
means  which  are  reqiisite  to  raise  them  from 
their  state  of  moral  and  intellectual  devrailalion. 
Thirdly.  Mankind  are  on  an  equality,  in  re- 
spect of  that  m  )ral  depravity  with  which  they  are 
all  infected.  From  whatever  cause  it  may  be 
conceived  to  have  originated,  the  fact  is  certain, 
that  a  moral  disease  has  spread  itself  through  all 
the  branches  of  the  human  family,  in  whatever 
■talion,  or  in  whatever  regions  of  the  glohe  they 
may  be  placed.  Whether  we  look  back  on  the 
"  generations  of  old,"  or  survey  the  moral  state 
oTthe  nations  in  mo-lern  times  ;  whether  we  tuni 
our  eyes  to  the  abodes  of  «<ivage  or  of  civilized 
fife  ;  whether  we  contemp'ate  the  characters  of 
the  higher  orders  of  society,  or  the  practices 
which  abound  among  the  inferior  ranks  of  social 
life ;  the  stamp  of  depravity,  in  one  shape  or 
another,  appears  impressed  upon  the  general 
conduct  of  mankind.  In  the  case  of  nations, 
this  depravity  has  manifested  itiielf  in  those  wars, 
dissensions,  devastatio  is,  and  contentions  for 
territory  and  power,  which  have  in  all  ages  con- 
vulsed the  human  race  and  disturbed  the  peace 
of  the  world.  Among  lesser  societies,  families, 
and  individuals,  it  is  displayed  in  the  operation 
of  the  principles  of  pride,  ambition,  tyranny, 
persecution,  revenge,  malice,  envy,  falsehood, 
<leceit,  covetousness,  anger,  and  other  malignant 
paationt,  which  have  infeste<t  all  ranks  and  con- 
ditioiM  of  men.  This  depravity  infects  the 
bi|bw  ranks  of  mankind  equally  with  the  lower, 
though  among  the  f>rmer  it  is  sometimes  var- 
nished over  with  a  fairer  exterior  :  and  t'ieref<>re, 
there  is  no  rank  or  order  of  men  that  have  any 
Talid  reason  on  this  ground  for  despi-iing  their 
fellow-creatures,  or  withholding  from  them  the 
exercise  of  love  and  afTection.  For  "  there  is 
none  righteous,  no,  not  one  :  for  all  have  sinned, 
and  come  short  of  the  glory  of  God."  And  in 
this  point  of  view,  love  ought  to  exercise  its  be- 
neiiosat  energies,  in  endeavouring  to  CMmtera'-t 
the  stream  ofhuman  corruption,  and  in  dissemi- 
natiog  thoae  divine  principles  which  are  calcu« 


laied  to  raise  mankind  to  the  moral  digmtj  of 
their  nature. 

Fourthly,  Mankind  poasess  subetaniially  the 
same  pleasures  and  enjoyments.  It  is  a  trite 
saying,  but  it  is  nevertheless  a  true  and  important 
one,  that  happiness  d'los  not  depend  u|k>o  the 
rank  and  stations  we  occupy  in  life,  nor  upon  the 
quantity  of  wealth  or  riches  we  possess.  The 
pleasures  which  flow  fiom  the  movements  of  the 
system  of  nature,  and  from  the  beauties  which 
adiirn  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  sre  common 
and  open  to  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  globe.  The 
rising  sun,  the  smiling  day,  the  flowery  land- 
scape, the  purling  streams,  the  lofty  m  luiitains, 
the  fertile  vales,  thj  verdure  of  the  meadows,  the 
ruddy  hues  of  the  evening  clouds,  the  rainbow 
adorned  with  all  the  colours  of  light,  the  corusca- 
tions (if  the  northern  lights,  iho  music  of  the 
groves,  the  songs  of  the  nightingale  and  the  lark, 
the  breath  of  spring,  the  fruits  of  harvest,  the 
azure  sky,  the  blazing  comet,  the  planet"  in  their 
courses,  the  moon  walking  in  brightness,  and  the 
radiant  host  of  stars,  convey  to  the  niiml  thou- 
sands of  del  ghtful  images  and  sensations,  which 
charm  the  cottager  and  the  mechanic  no  less 
than  the  sons  of  opulence  and  fame.  The  plea- 
sures of  the  senses,  of  eating  and  'drinking,  of 
aflyctionate  friendship,  of  social  and  domestic 
intercourse,  of  a  cheerful  contented  mind,  of  fer- 
vent piety  towards  God,  and  of  the  hope  of  im- 
mortality beyond  the  grave,  may  be  enjoyed  by 
men  of  every  colour,  and  rank,  and  condition  in 
life  :  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  cottage,  as  well  a* 
by  the  potentate  who  sways  his  sceptre  over 
kingdoms.  Nor  does  it  materially  detract  from 
these  enjoyments  in  the  case  oC  the  p<.>asant, 
that  his  body  is  frequently  hung  with  rags,  that 
he  subsists  on  the  coarsest  fare,  and  rcfioees 
under  the  thatch  of  a  miserable  hut.  For  habit 
is  the  great  leveller  of  mankini;  it  reconciles 
us  to  innumerable  inconveniences  and  privations, 
and  blunts  the  edge  of  the  keenest  pleasures. 
The  owner  <»f  a  princely  mansion  frequently 
loathes  the  nvist  delicious  dainties  on  his  table, 
and  walks  through  his  magnificent  apartments, 
surrounded  with  paintings  and  decorations,  with 
as  much  apathy  and  imlifference  as  if  he  were 
in  an  Indian  wigwam  or  a  clay-built  cottage. 
So  that,  in  the  pleasures  of  sense,  of  affection, 
an:l  senlimcnt.  there  is  no  essential  distinction 
between  the  high  and  the  low,  the  rich  and  the 
poor.  But  shiHiiil  it  be  insinuated  that  the  poor 
and  the  ignoble  have  fewer  enjoyments  thifti  the 
rich,  then  it  will  follow,  that  towards  them  in  a 
particular  manner  rnir  benevolent  afTei-tions  ought 
to  be  directed,  in  order  that  they  may  enjoy  a 
comfielent  portion  of  those  physical  and  iniellec- 
iiial  pleasures  which  the  Creator  has  provided  for 
all  his  creatures. 

Fifthly,  Men  in  every  cooditioa  and  in  every 
clime  have  the  same  wants,  and  are  exposed  to 
the  same  disasters  and  afBtclions.    Hunger  and 


"EGIUALITY  OF  MANKIND. 


4T 


(blrst,  cold  and  heat,  motion  and  rest,  are  com- 
mon (0  all  orders  and  conditions  of  men ;  and  in 
order  to  supply  and  alleviate  such  wants,  the  aid 
of  our  fullow-inen  is  indispensably  requisite,  to 
enable  us  to  oblain  r<x>d,  raiment,  liuht,  warmth, 
corafurlable  accommodation,  and  shelter  from  the 
blasts  of  the  tempest.  We  all  stand  in  need  of 
comfort  and  advice  in  the  hour  of  difficulty  and 
danger  ;  we  all  long  for  the  love,  and  friendship, 
and  good  offices  of  those  around  us  ;  and  we  all 
thirst  for  an  increase  of  knowledge,  happinefis, 
and  joy.  And  those  wants  and  desires  can  be 
supplied  and  gratified  only  by  the  kindly  inter- 
course and  affection  of  kindred  spirits. 

All  are  exposed  to  the  same  sorrows  and  af- 
flictions. Disappointments,  anxiety,  disgrace, 
accidents,  pain,  sickness,  disease,  loss  of  health, 
fortune,  and  honour,  bereavement  of  children, 
friends,  and  relatives,  are  equally  the  lot  of  the 
prince  and  the  peasant.  The  prince  in  the  cradle 
is  a  being  as  weak  and  feeble,  as  dependent  on 
his  nurse,  has  as  many  wants  to  be  supplied,  is 
liable  to  as  many  diseases  and  accidents,  and 
requires  as  many  exertions  to  learn  to  lisp,  to 
speak,  and  to  walk,  as  the  new-born  babe  of  his 
meanest  subject.  Nay,  the  rich  and  the  power- 
ful are  frequently  exposed  to  miseries  and  vexa- 
tions from  fancied  insults,  affronts,  and  provoca- 
tions, from  frustrated  hopes,  from  pride,  vanity, 
and  ill-humour,  from  ahwrtive  projects  and  dis- 
concerted plans,  to  which  tn<s  poor  are  generally 
strangers.  If  we  enter  into  one  of  the  abodes  of 
poverty,  where  one  of  the  victims  of  disease  is 
reclining,  we  may  behold  a  poor  emaciated  mor- 
tal, with  haggard  looks  and  a  heaving  breast, 
reposing  on  a  pillow  of  straw,  surrounded  by 
ragged  children  and  an  affectionate  wife,  all 
eager  to  sooth  his  sorrows  and  alleviate  his  dis- 
tress. If  we  pass  through  a  crowd  of  domestics 
and  courtly  attendants  into  the  mansion  of  opu- 
lence, where  disease  or  the  harbinger  of  death 
has  seized  one  of  its  victims,  we  may  also  behold 
a  wretch,  pale,  blotched,  and  distorted,  agonizing 
under  the  pain  of  the  asthma,  the  gravel,  or  the 
gout,  and  trembling  under  the  apprehensions  of 
the  solemnity  of  a  future  judgment,  without  one 
sincere  friend  to  afford  him  a  drop  of  consola- 
tion. Neither  the  splendour  of  his  apartment, 
nor  the  cosily  crimson  with  which  his  couch  is 
hung,  nor  the  attentions  of  his  physicians,  nor 
the  number  of  his  attendants,  can  prevent  the 
bitter  taste  of  nauseous  medicines,  the  intolera- 
ble pains,  the  misgivings  of  heart,  and  the  pangs 
of  conscience  which  he  feels  in  common  with 
the  meanest  wretch  who  is  expiring  on  a  dung- 
hill. 

Lastly,  All  ranks  come  to  the  same  termina- 
tion of  their  mortal  existence.  "  Dust  thou  art, 
and  unto  dust  thou  shalt  return,"  is  a  decree 
which  has  gone  forth  against  every  inhabitant  of 
our  globe,  of  whatever  kindred,  rank,  or  nation. 
The  tombs  of  mighty  princes,  of  intrepid  gen»* 


rals,  of  illustrious  statesmen,  may  be  adorned 
with  lofty  columns,  with  sculptured  marble,  and 
flattering  inscriptions ;  but  within  these  var- 
nished monuments  their  bodies  present  putrid 
carcasses,  as  loathsome,  and  as  much  the  prey  of 
worms  and  corruption,  as  the  corpse  of  theif 
meanest  vassal.  Their  eyes  are  equally  impe- 
netrable to  the  light  of  day,  their  ears  are  equally 
deaf  to  the  charms  of  music,  and  their  tongues 
are  equally  silent  in  this  land  of  deep  forgetful- 
ness.  This  consideration  of  itself  fully  demon- 
strates, if  any  demonstration  be  necessary,  the 
natural  equality  of  mankind,  and  that  there  is 
no  essential  difference  between  the  noble  and  the 
ignoble,  the  emperor,  and  the  slave.  And  since 
mankind  are  all  equally  liable  to  afflictions  and 
distresses,  auid  are  all  journeying  to  the  tomb, 
nothing  can  be  more  reasonable  than  the  exercise 
of  love,  with  all  its  kindred  affections,  towards 
every  class  of  our  fellow-men,  in  order  to  alle- 
viate their  sorrows,  and  to  cheer  them  on  their 
passage  through  this  region  of  mortality. 

Thus  it  appears,  that  there  is  a  natural  equal- 
ity subsisting  among  mankind,  \n  respect  of  their 
origin,  their  corporeal  organization,  their  intel- 
lectual powers,  their  moral  depravity,  their 
wants,  their  afflictions,  their  pleasures,  and  en- 
joyments, anJ  the  state  to  which  they  are  reduo 
ed  afler  they  have  finished  the  career  of  theit 
mortal  existence.  The  illustration  of  such  cir- 
cumstances would  be  quite  unnecessary,  were  it 
not  that  a  certain  proportion  of  mankind,  under 
the  influence  of  pride  and  other  malignant  pas- 
sions, are  still  disposed  to  look  down  on  certain 
classes  of  their  fellow-mortals  as  if  they  were  a 
species  of  beings  of  an  inferior  order  in  the  scale 
of  existence.  To  the  propriety  of  the  senti- 
ments now  stated,  the  sacred  Scriptures  bear 
ample  testimony.  "  The  rich  and  the  poor  meet 
together  ;  the  Lord  is  the  maker  of  thrm  all."* 
"  Did  not  he  that  made  me  in  the  womb  make 
ray  servant,  and  did  he  not  fashion  us  alike ?"f 
"  God  hath  made  of  one  blood  all  nations  of  men 
for  to  dwell  on  all  the  face  of  the  earth,  and  hath 
determined  the  limes  before  appointed,  and  the 
bounds  of  their  habitation  ."J 

Since,  therefore,  it  appears,  that  mankind  are 
equal  in  every  thing  that  is  essential  to  the  hu- 
man character,  this  equality  lays  a  broad  founda- 
tion for  the  exercise  of  universal  love  towards 
men  of  all  nations,  tribes,  conditions,  and  ranks. 
It  must  obviously  appear  contrary  to  every  prin- 
ciple of  reason,  repugnant  to  every  amiable  feel- 
ing, and  inconsistent  with  the  general  happiness 
of  the  species,  that  intelligent  beings,  who  are  all 
children  of  the  same  Almighty  Parent,  members 
of  the  same  great  family,  and  linked  together  by 
so  many  fraternal  ties,  should  "  bite  and  devour 
one  another,"  engage  in  hostile  enterprises 
against  each  other,  look  down  with  scorn  and 

■•  PrOT.  Mil.  S.     t  Job  xxxL  15.    I  Acts  xvll.  O. 


48 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


contempt  on  each  other,  or  even  behold  with  in- 
difference (he  condition  of  tho  meanest  member 
of  the  family  to  which  they  belong.  On  the  othnr 
hand,  it  u  consistirni  with  the  dictates  of  enlight- 
ened  reason,  congi-niol  to  the  best  feelings  of  hu- 
man nature,  and  indispeniuibly  requisite  to  the 
promoiion  of  universal  happiness,  that  such  be- 
iogs  ahould  be  united  in  <ho  bonds  of  affection 
and  harmony,  that  ihoy  should  sympathize  with 
the  distressed,  delight  in  beholding  the  happi- 
ne«s  of  all,  "  rejoice  with  them  that  do  rejoice, 
and  weep  with  ihem  thai  weep ;" — that  every  one, 
whether  he  be  near  or  far  off,  whether  he  be  rich 
or  poor,  whelher  he  be  learned  or  unlearned, 
whether  he  belong  to  this  or  the  other  civil  or 
religious  society,  whether  his  colour  be  black  or 
white,  whether  ho  be  blind,  or  deaf,  or  lame, 
whether  he  be  an  inhabitant  of  Greenland,  Ice- 
land, Barbary,  Germany,  France,  or  Spain, 
whatever  may  be  his  language,  manners,  or  cus- 
toms, shouli  be  recognized,  wherever  he  may  be 
found,  as  a  friend  and  brother  ;  and  a  cordial  in- 
terest fell  in  every  thing  that  concerns  his  welfare 
and  comfort.  Such  a  recognition  of  man  as  man, 
is  a  duty  which  necessarily  flows  from  the  na- 
tural equality  of  mankind,  and  is  congenial  to  the 
conduct  of  the  Universal  Parent  towards  all  his 
human  offspring.  For,  in  his  love  to  his  numerous 
family,  and  without  respect  of  persons,  he  makes 
the  same  vital  air  to  give  play  to  their  lungs,  the 
same  sun  to  cheer  and  enlighten  them,  and  the 
same  rains  and  dews  to  refresh  their  P.ekis,  and 
to  ripen  the  fruits  of  harvest. 

Let  it  not,  however,  be  inferred,  from  what 
has  been  now  stated,  that  we  mean  to  sap  the 
foundations  of  that  subordination  of  ranks  which 
exists  in  this  world.  This  gradation  in  society 
Is  the  appointment  of  God,  and  necessarily  flows 
from  the  circumstances  and  relations  in  which 
man  is  plaiced  in  this  first  stage  of  his  existence  ; 
and,  were  it  completely  overthrown,  society 
would  be  plunged  into  a  scene  of  anarchy  and 
confusion  ;  and  the  greater  part  of  the  individuals 
which  compose  it,  would  become  a  lawless  ban- 
ditti. Whether  or  not  there  exists  a  subordina- 
tion of  oflice  and  rank  among  ntperior  intulligen- 
ces  of  the  same  species,  or  among  the  inhabitants 
of  other  globes,  we  are  unable  at  present  to  de- 
termine ;  but  in  the  actual  condition  of  society 
in  the  world  in  which  we  dwell,  a  state  of  com- 
plete independence,  and  a  perfect  equality  of 
wealth,  siaiion,  and  rank,  are  impossible,  so  long 
as  there  exists  a  diversity  in  the  capacities, 
tempers,  and  pursuits  of  men.  On  the  diversity 
of  rank,  and  the  relations  which  subsist  between 
the  different  daiues  of  society,  as  parents  and 
children,  masters  and  servants,  princes  and  sub- 
jecta,  is  founded  a  great  proportion  of  those 
moral  laws  which  God  hath  promulgated  in  his 
word,  for  regulating  the  inclinatiooa  and  the  con- 
duct of  mankind. 

Uivenity  of  fortune  and  itatioa  appears  abso- 


lutely inevitable  in  a  world  where  morsl  eril  ex- 
ists, and  where  its  inhabitants  are  ex|KM«d  to 
dangers,  difficulties,  and  distress.  Wtieiher  the 
inhabitaiHs  of  a  worki,  where  moral  perfection 
reigns  triumphant,  can  exist  in  a  state  of  perfect 
felicity,  and  move  forward  in  progressive  im- 
provement, without  a  subordination  of  rank,  it  is 
not  for  us  to  determine.  But  in  such  a  world  as 
ours,  it  is  a  wise  and  gracious  appeintnnent  uf 
the  Creator,  and  is  atteiided  with  many  and  im- 
portant advantages.  Were  there  no  diversity  uf 
wealth  and  station,  we  should  be  deprived  of 
many  of  the  comforts,  conveniences,  and  assis- 
tances which  we  now  enjoy.  Every  one  would 
be  obliged  to  provide  for  himself  food,  drink, 
clothing,  furniture,  shelter,  medicines,  and  re» 
creations;  and  in  the  snason  of  sickness,  danger, 
and  distress,  he  would  have  few  or  none  to  alle- 
viate his  aflliction,  and  contribute  to  his  com- 
fort. But,  in  consequence  of  the  divcmitv  which 
DOW  exists,  an  opportunity  is  afforded  of  em- 
ploying 'he  several  capacities  and  eiidnwmenis 
of  mankind  in  those  lines  of  active  ezeriion,  for 
which  they  are  respectively  fitted,  and  of  render- 
ing them  subservient  for  the  improvement  aixl 
happiness  ol'genend  society.  One  exercises  tfa^ 
trade  of  a  weaver,  aixither  that  of  a  baker  ;  one 
is  a  shoemaker,  another  a  taik>r ;  one  is  an  archi- 
tect, another  a  farmer  ;  one  is  a  teacher  of  sci- 
ence or  religion  ;  others  have  their  minds  enter- 
tained and  improved  by  his  instructions.  One  is 
appointed  a  ruler  over  a  city,  another  over  & 
kingdom ;  one  is  ennployed  in  writing  for  the 
amusement  and  instruction  of  mankind,  another 
is  employed  in  printing  and  publishing  his  writ- 
ings. By  this  arrangement,  the  |K>wers  and  c^ 
pacities  in  which  individuals  excel,  are  gradually 
carried  to  the  highest  degree  of  att.\inable  per- 
fection ;  and  the  exertions  of  a  single  individual 
are  tendered  subservient  to  the  ease,  the  conve- 
nience, and  the  mental  improvement  of  thou 
sands. 

It  is  not  to  the  diversity  of  rank  and  station, 
that  the  evils  which  exist  among  the  various 
classes  of  society  are  to  be  attributed  ;  but  to  the 
influence  of  a  spirit  of  pride,  on  tlie  one  hand, 
and  a  spirit  of  insubordination  on  the  other— to 
thft  want  of  a  diipoiiition  to  discharge  the  dutiea 
peculiar  to  each  station,  and  to  the  deficiency  of 
those  kindly  affections  which  ought  to  be  mani- 
foaled  towards  every  human  being,  by  men  in  all 
the  ranks  and  departments  of  life.  If  love,  in  all 
its  benevolent  ramifications,  were  to  pervade  the 
various  ranks  oC  social  life,  kings  would  nevsr 
oppress  their  subjects,  nor  masters  act  imjustlj 
towards  their  servants  ;  nor  would  subjects  and 
servants  refuse  to  submit  to  just  laws,  and  equW 
table  regulations.  All  would  act  their  parts  with 
harmony  and  delight  in  this  great  mural  machine, 
and  every  station  and  rank  would  contrib^ite,  in 
its  sphere,  to  the  prooperity  and  happiness  of 
another.     For  the  poor  cannot  do  without  the 


-RELATIONS  OF  MANKIND. 


fieJi,  nor  the  rich  without  the  poor ;  the  prince 
Without  his  subjects,  nor  subjects  without  wise 
and  enlightened  rulers,  and  equitable  laws.  All 
are  linked  together  by  innumerable  lies  ;  and  the 
recognition  of  these  ties,  and  the  practice  of  the 
reciprocal  duties  which  arise  out  of  them,  form 
the  source  of  individual  happiness,  and  the  bonds 
of  social  enjoyiueat 


SECTION  II. 

THE  CONNEXIOITS  AND  RELATIONS  WHICH 
SUBSIST  AMOKO  MANKIND  CONSIDERED  AS 
E8TABLISHINU  THE  BASIS  OF  LOVE  TO 
OOR    NEIOHBODR. 

The  relations  which  subsist  among  mankind 
lay  a  foundation  for  the  exercise  of  the  benevo- 
lent a/fections,  and  for  the  various  duties  of  social 
life ;  and  these  relations  are  far  more  numerous 
and  extensive  than  the  generality  of  mankind  are 
disposed  to  admit.  The  relations  of  parents  and 
children,  of  husbands  and  wives,  of  brethren  and 
Bisters,  of  masters  and  servants,  of  rulers  and 
subjects,  of  teachers  and  scholars,  of  buyers  and 
sellers,  &c.  are  recognized  by  all  as  involving  an 
obligation  to  the  exercise  of  certain  correspond- 
ing duties  and  affections.  The  moment  we  con- 
template the  relation  of  a  parent  and  a  child,  we 
at  once  perceive  the  obligation  of  love  on  the  part 
of  the  parent,  and  of  reverence  and  obedience  on 
the  part  of  the  child  ;  and,  in  every  other  relation, 
a  corresponding  duty  is  involved,  resulting  from 
the  nature  of  that  relation,  and  founded  on  the 
principle  of  love.  But  as  these  relations,  and 
their  co'responding  duttes  and  affections  have 
been  frequently  illustrated,  I  shall  advert  taa  va- 
riety of  circumstances,  generally  overlooked, 
which  demonstrate  the  universal  connexion  of  hu- 
man beings  with  each  other,  and  the  reasonable- 
ness of  the'  exercise  of  love  towards  all  man- 
kind. 

Wherever  we  turn  our  eyes  towards  the  great 
(kmily  of  mankind — whether  we  look  around  on  the 
land  of  our  nativity,  or  to  distant  continents,  and 
the  oceans  which  surround  them,  we  behold  thou- 
sands of  human  beings  toiling  for  our  ease,  our 
convenience,  our  pleasure,  and  improvement. — 
Here,  we  behold  the  ploughman  turning  up  the 
furrows  of  the  soil,  and  the  sower  castuig  in  the 
seed  which  isto  produce  the  fruits  of  harvest: — 
there,  we  behold  the  reaper  cutting  down  the  corn 
whicS  is  to  serve  for  our  nourishment.  On  the 
one  hand,  we  behold  the  cow-herd  lending  his 
cattle,  which  are  to  afford  us  milk,  butter,  and 
cheese  ;  on  the  other,  we  behold  the  shepherd 
tending  his  flocks,  whose  wool  is  to  provide  us 
with  warm  and  comfortable  clothing.  One  is 
preparing  leather  from  the  hides  of  oxen,  another 
u  taping  it  into  shoes  and  boots.     One  is  spin- 


ning flax  and  cotton  into  yam,  another  is  weav* 
ing  it  into  linen  and  muslin,  to  cover  and  adorn 
us.  One  is  dressing  the  vine,  whose  juice  is  to 
cheer  and  refresh  us;  another  is  treading  the 
wine-press,  and  preparing  the  wine  for  our  use. 
Here,  we  behold  the  blacksmith  toiling  and 
sweating  at  the  anvil,  preparing  tongs,  and 
shovels,  and  grates,  for  our  apartments ;  there, 
we  behold  the  carpenter,  with  his  hammer,  and 
plane,  and  saw,  fitting  up  beds,  and  tables,  and 
chairs,  for  our  ease  and  accommodation.  Here, 
one  is  preparing  our  food,  and  another  our  cloth- 
ing ;  there,  one  is  preparing  our  drink,  and 
another  our  medicines.  In  one  chamber,  the 
student  of  nature  and  of  science  is  preparing,  at 
the  midnight  lamp,  those  compositions  which  are 
to  convey  entertainment  and  instruction  to  the 
minds  of  the  public;  in  another,  the  herald  of 
salvation  is  meditating  on  those  divine  subjects, 
which  he  is  about  to  proclaim  for  the  illumination 
and  comfort  of  assemble^d  multitudes.  In  short, 
to  whatever  department  of  human  society  we  di- 
rect our  attention,  and  to  whatever  quarter  we 
turn  our  eyes,  in  the  busy  scene  around  us,  w« 
behold  thousands  of  our  fellow-men  exerting  their 
corporeal  and  intellectual  powers  in  those  em- 
ployments which  will  ultimately  contribute  either 
to  our  ease,  our  entertainment,  our  security,  our 
accommodation,  our  subsistence,  or  our  moral 
and  intellectual  improvement. 

But  our  connexions  with  human  beings  are 
not  confined  to  our  immediate  neighbourhood,  nor 
even  to  the  nation  in  which  we  reside.  There 
is  scarcely  a  region  of  the  globe  towards  which 
we  can  direct  our  view,  in  which  we  do  not  bo- 
hold  innumerable  links  which  connect  us  with  die 
great  family  of  mankind.  Let  us  turn  our  eyes 
to  the  West  India  islands,  and  we  shall  behold 
the  poor  African  slave  toiling  under  the  scorch- 
ing heat  of  a  tropical  sun,  and  smarting  under 
the  cruel  lash  of  an  unfeeling  overseer,  in  order 
to  provide  for  us  sugar,  molasses,  anil  rice,  to 
mingle  with  our  dainties,  and  to  regale  ourappe* 
lites.  If  we  direct  our  view  to  the  e  npire  </ 
China,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  globe,  twelve 
thousand  miles  distant  from  the  former  region, 
we  shall  behold  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands 
of  our  brethren  of  the  human  &mily  busily  em- 
ployed in  planting  the  lea  tree,  in  plucking  its 
leaves,  in  exposing  them  to  the  steam  of  boiling 
water,  in  spreading  them  out  to  dry,  in  assorting 
them  into  itifTerent  parcels,  in  packing  and  ship- 
ping them  off  for  distant  shores,  that  we,  at  a 
distance  of  nine  thousand  miles,  may  enjoy  a  de- 
licious beverage  for  our  morning  and  evening 
meals. '^  If  we  turn  our  eves  on  India  and  Persia, 


•  For  a  portion  of  this  l)everaee  we  are  Indebted 
even  to  some  of  the  monkey  trilw.  As  the  tea  shrub 
often  grows  on  the  ruegert  brinks  ofsteep  nnoimtalns, 
access  to  which  is  dangerous,  and  sometimes  im- 
practicaMe.  the  Chinese,  in  order  to  come  at  the 
leaves,  make  use  of  a  singular  stratagem.    Thew 


60 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


w«  sImII  find  roultitiKies  of  men,  women,  and 
children  tsoiduously  «mpluyed  in  culiivaiing  (he 
mulberry  plant,  in  hatching  and  rearing  silk- 
wormi,  in  winding  and  twining  ihe  delicate 
tlireadt  which  proceed  from  these  insects,  and 

Creparing  ihem  for  (he  loom,  in  order  thai  our 
idies  may  be  adorned  with  this  linest  production 
of  nat'jre  and  art.  Let  us  pass  in  imagination 
to  the  frozen  regions  of  Sibrria  and  Kamischatka, 
to  (he  inhospitable  shores  of  Onalaska  and  the 
Aleutian  isles,  and  we  shall  behold  numbers  of 
wralher-bcaten  wretches  exposed  to  innumerable 
dangers  by  sea  and  land,  traveming  snowy  moun- 
tains, forests,  marches,  and  deserts,  suffering 
frequent  shipwrecks  on  the  coasts  of  unknown 
islands  inhabited  by  savage  tribes,  and  exposed, 
night  and  day,  to  the  chilling  frosts  of  the  polar 
region,  and  the  attacks  of  ravenous  wolves,  in 
order  to  collect  the  skins  of  otters,  and  furs  of  va- 
rious descriptions,- to  adorn  the  dress  of  our  fe- 
male frii-nds,  and  to  shelter  them  from  the 
winter's  cold.  Let  us  pass  to  the  forests  of  Nor- 
way, Sweden,  Canada,  and  Jumaica,  and  hun- 
dreds of  hardy,  weather-beaten  peasants,  exposed 
to  many  accidents  and  privations,  will  be  seen 
cutting  down  the  tall  firs,  larches,  and  mahogany, 
aawing  I  hem  into  planks  and  logs,  and  conveying 
them  in  floats  along  rapid  rivers  towards  the  sea, 
to  be  shipped  for  cMir  country,  for  the  purposu  of 
being  formed  into  floors  and  roofs  for  our  build- 
ings, and  into  elegant  furniture  to  decorate  our 
apartments. 

Not  only  in  distant  islands  and  continents, 
but  even  in  the  midst  of  the  vast  ocean,  multi- 
tudes of  our  brethren  are  toiling  for  our  pleasure, 
convenience,  and  comfort.  See  yonder  vessel 
in  the  Southern  Atlantic  ocean,  which  has  just 
weathered  the  storms  on  the  southern  cape  of 
Africa,  and  narrowly  escaped  the  dangers  of 
thipwreck  on  a  rocky  shore.  For  several  weeks 
the  hardy  mariners  have  been  beating  against 
the  wind  in  the  midst  of  thunders,  lightnings, 
and  tempests,  with  mountainous  waves  con- 
tinually breaking  over  them,  darkness  surround- 
ing ihem  for  many  sleepless  nights,  and  the  dread 
of  impendini;  destruction  filling  them  with  trem- 
bling and  h  irror.  And  why  have  they  been  ex- 
posed to  danger  so  dreadful  and  appalling  ?  That 
they  might  convey  to  our  shores,  from  China 
and  Hindostan,  stores  of  tea,  cuAiee,  sugar,  por- 
oebin,  silks,  carpeu,  and  precious  stones,  to 
■upply  luxuries  to  our  tables,  and  ornaments  to 
our  dress.  See  yonder  reMei,  too,  which  is 
toning  in  the  midst  of  the  Northern  ocean, 
passing  between  shoals  and  icebergs,  and  liable 
every  moment  to  be  crushed  to  pieces  between 
mountains  of  ice.    Her  mariners  have  long  been 

■Map  places  are  generally  frequented  by  ^reat  nun^ 
benofaaonkeys,  whlnh,  being  Irritated  and  provok' 
ed,  to  avenge  themselves,  tear ofT the  hmnches,  and 
shower  them  down  u(>oi!  those  who  have  insulted 
thum.  The  Chinese  immediately  collect  these  branch- 
m  and  (Ulp  off  Ibeu  leavesv— AKy.  Ait.  An.  Tea. 


exposed  to  the  rigours  of  an  arc'ie  sky,  and  bare 
narrowly  escaped  being  plunged  into  the  deep 
by  Ihe  stroke  of  an  enormous  whale,  in  order 
that  we  might  be  supplied  wiih  seal-akins,  whale- 
bone, and  oil  fur  our  lamp*. 

Even  in  the  bowels  of  the  ocean  thousands  of 
poor  wretches,  on  the  coasts  of  Califonia,  Ceylon, 
Persia,  and  China,  are  diving  amidsi  its  waves, 
remaining  whole  half  hours,  at  sixty  feet  below 
the  surface  of  iis  waters,  exposed  to  (he  danger 
of  being  devoured  by  sharks  snd  other  monsttn 
of  the  deep,  in  order  to  collect  ptarlt  Cv  orna- 
ments to  the  ladies  of  Europe,  Asia,  Africa,  and 
America. — In  short,  wherever  we  tuin  our  eyea 
on  the  surface  of  the  mighty  deep,  we  contem- 
plate a  busy  scene  of  human  beings  ploughing 
the  ocean  in  every  direction,  and  toiling,  in  the 
midst  of  dangers,  storms,  and  temjicsis,  in  order 
to  promote  the  accommodation  of  their  fellow- 
mortals,  who  dwell  on  opposite  reicions  of  the 
globs.  On  the  one  hand,  we  behold  ihousanda 
of  hardy  Russians,  Swedes,  and  Norwegians, 
steering  their  vessels  along  the  Baltic  and  the 
German  sea,  to  convey  to  our  shores  copper, 
timber,  pitch,  skins,  hemp,  and  tallow ;  on  the 
other,  we  behold  the  Americans  ploughing  the 
waves  of  the  Atlantic,  with  stores  «/  mahogany, 
sugar,  rice,  flour,  tobacco,  rum,  and  brandy. 
Along  the  vast  Pacific  ocean,  the  Spanuih  gal- 
leons are  conveying  to  Europe,  gold,  silver, 
pearls,  precious  stones,  and  .til  the  other  richea 
of  Peru.  Even  from  the  southern  icy  ocean, 
where  nature  appears  bound  in  the  fetters  of 
eternal  ice,  the  adventurous  mariner  is  convey- 
ing to  our  shores  furs  of  various  kinds,  with  the 
products  of  seals  and  whales.  And,  in  return 
for  the  supply  we  receive  from  foreign  regions, 
our  British  sailors  are  traversing  every  sea  and 
ocean,  and  distributing  to  the  inhabitants  of 
every  clime  the  productions  of  our  arts,  sciences, 
and  manufactures. 

Even  in  (he  subterraneous  apartments  of  tfao 
globe,  as  well  as  ii|>on  its  surface,  many  thou> 
sands  of  human  beings  are  labouring,  in  confined 
and  gloomy  regions,  to  promote  our  comforts  and 
enjoyments.  The  copper  mines  in  Sweden  are 
situated  at  more  than  a  thousand  feet  below  the 
surface  of  the  ground,  and  contain  a  vast  nunv 
ber  of  subterraneous  apartments,  branching  in 
all  directions.  In  these  dreary  abodes,  twelve 
hundred  wretched  beings  are  doomed  to  pass 
their  existence,  deprived  of  (he  cheerful  light  ol 
day — (oiling,  almost  naked,  in  the  midst  of  hot 
and  sulphureous  vapours,  and  under  severe  task- 
masters, in  order  that  we  may  be  supplied  with 
the  best  species  of  copper,  f<»r  forming  our  ket- 
tles, cauldnms,  and  cojiper-plale  engravings. 
The  salt  mines  of  Hungary  and  Poland,  the  gold 
and  silver  mines  of  Poioai  and  Peni  and  hun- 
dreds of  similar  subterraneotis  mansions,  in 
various  parts  of  the  earth,  present  to  our  view 
numerous  groups  of  our  fellow-men,  all  engaged 


RELATIONS  OP  MANKIND. 


51 


in  similar  toils  and  labours,  in  order  that  we  may 
enjoy  the  riches,  the  elegancies,  and  the  con- 
veniences of  life.  In  our  own  country,  how 
many  thousands  of  our  brethren  are  labouring 
in  the  dark  recesses  of  the  earth,  far  beneath  its 
surface,  exposed  to  the  suffocation  of  the  choke- 
damp  and  the  explosions  of  the  ^re-damp,  in 
procuring  for  us  that  invaluable  fossil,  which 
warms  and  cheers  our  winter  apartments,  which 
cooks  our  victuals,  and  enables  us  to  carry  on 
the  various  processes  of  our  arts  and  manufac- 
tories ! 

Thus  it  appears,  that  we  are  connected  with 
our  fellow-men,  in  every  quarter  of  the  world, 
hy  thousands  of  ties ; — that  millions  of  human  be- 
ings, whom  we  have  never  seen,  nor  never  will 
see  on  this  side  the  grave,  are  labouring  to  pro- 
mote our  interests,  without  whose  exertions  we 
should  be  deprived  of  the  greatest  proportion  of 
our  accomodations  and  enjoyments.  While  we 
are  sitting  in  our  comfortable  apartments,  feast- 
ing on  the  bounties  of  Providence,  thousands, 
and  ten  thousands  of  our  brethren  of  mankind,  in 
different  regions  of  the  globe,  are  assiduously 
labouring  to  procure  for  us  supplies  for  some 
future  entertainment.  One  is  sowing  the  seed, 
another  gathering  in  the  fruits  of  harvest ;  one  is 
providing  fuel,  and  another  furs  and  flannel,  to 
guard  us  from  the  winter's  cold;  one  is  convey- 
ing home  the  luxuries  and  necessaries  of  life, 
another  is  bringing  intelligence  from  our  friends 
in  distant  lands  ;  one  is  carrying  grain  to  the 
mill,  another  is  grinding  it,  and  another  is  con- 
veying it  along  the  road  to  our  habitations  ;  one 
is  in  search  of  medicines  to  assuage  our  pains, 
and  another  is  in  search  of  consolation  to  sooth 
our  wounded  spirits.  In  Ihu  midst  of  these  ne- 
ver-ceasing exertions,  some  are  crossing  deep 
and  dangerous  rivers,  some  are  traversing  a  vast 
howling  wilderness  ;  some  are  wandering  amidst 
swampy  moors,  and  trackless  heaths ;  some  are 
parched  with  thirst  in  sandy  deserts  ;  some  are 
shivering  and  benumbed  amidst  the  blasts  of 
winter ;  some  are  toiling  along  steep  and  dan- 
gerous roads,  and  others  are  tossing  in  the  midst 
of  the  ocean,  buffeted  by  the  winds  and  raging 
billows. 

And,  since  we  are  connected  with  our  fellow- 
creatures  by  so  many  links,  is  it  not  reasonable, 
i»  it  not  congenial  to  the  nature  of  man,  that  we 
should  be  connected  with  them  by  the  ties  of 
sympathy  and  benevolent  affections  ?  It  is  true, 
indeed,  that  the  various  classes  of  mankind  in 
every  country,  who  are  toiling  for  our  ease  and 
gratification,  seldom  or  never  think  of  us  in  the 
midst  of  their  difficulties  and  labours.  Perhaps 
they  have  no  other  end  in  view  than  to  earn  their 
daily  subsistence,  and  provide  food  and  clothing 
for  their  families ;  perhaps  they  are  actuated  by 
the  most  selfish  motives,  and  by  principles  of 
vanity  and  avarice ;  and  some  of  them,  perhaps, 
under  the  influence  of  that  depravity  which  is 


common  to  the  species,  may  be  secretly  cursing 
and  reproaching  us  as  individuals,  or  as  a  nation. 
But,  from  whatever  motives  their  labours  and 
exertions  proceed,  it  is  a  fact  which  cannot  be 
denied,  and  which  they  cannot  prevent,  that  we 
actually  enjoy  the  benefit  of  them ;  and,  that,  with- 
out them,  we  should  be  deprived  of  the  greater 
part  of  those  comforts  and  enjoyments  which 
render  existence  desirable,  and  which  cheer  us 
in  our  pilgrimage  to  the  grave. 

We  have,  therefore,  in  almost  every  artificial 
object  that  surrounds  us,  and  in  every  enjoyment 
we  possess  from  day  to  day,  so  many  sensible 
emblems  of  our  connexion  with  every  branch  of 
the  great  family  of  mankind.  When  we  sit  down 
to  a  dish  of  tea,  we  are  reminded  of  the  crowded 
and  busy  population  of  China,  where  this  plant  is 
produced,  and  of  the  poor  African  slave,  through 
whose  sorrows  and  toils  the  sugar  we  mix  with 
it  is  prepared.  And  shall  we  not  feel  a  kindly 
affection  for  those  whose  labours  procure  us  such 
a  refreshing  beverage  ?  And  should  not  our  love 
prompt  us  to  every  active  exertion  by  which  their 
miseries  may  be  alleviated,  and  their  intellectual 
and  religious  improvement  promoted  ?  When 
we  look  at  the  pearls  which  adorn  us,  we  are  re- 
minded of  the  poor  wretch  who  has  plunged  to 
the  bottom  of  the  deep,  and  scrambled  among 
projecting  rocks,  to  the  danger  of  his  life,  in  or- 
der to  procure  them.  When  we  look  at  a  cop- 
per-plate engraving,  we  are  reminded  of  the  dark 
and  cheerless  recesses  of  the  copper  mines, 
where  hundreds  are  employed  in  digging  for  this 
useful  metal.  When  we  enjoy  the  comfort  of  a 
cheerful  fire,  we  are  reminded  of  the  gloomy  sub- 
terraneous regions  to  which  so  many  of  our  coun- 
trymen are  confined,  and  the  toils  and  dangers  to 
which  they  are  exposed,  before  our  coals  can  be 
dragged  from  the  bowels  of  the  earth.  And  while 
we  feel  delighted  with  the  diversified  enjoyment 
which  flows  from  the  labour  and  industry  of  every 
class  of  mankind,  is  it  reasonable  that  we  should 
look  with  indifference  on  any  one  of  them  ?  Is 
it  not  accordant  with  the  dictates  of  enlightened 
reason,  and  with  every  thing  that  we  consider  as 
amiable  in  the  nature  of  man,  that  we  should 
embrace  them  all  in  the  arms  of  kindness  and 
brotherly  affection,  and  that  our  active  powers, 
so  far  as  our  influence  extends,  should  be  em- 
ployed in  endeavouring  to  promote  their  present 
and  everlasting  happiness?  At  present,  they 
seldom  think  about  the  benefits  they  are  procur- 
ing for  us  and  others  by  their  useful  labours  ;  but 
were  their  circumstances  meliorated,  were  their 
miseries  relieved,  were  their  minds  expanded  by 
instruction,  were  their  moral  powers  cultivated 
and  improved,  were  they  to  behold  the  various 
branches  of  the  human  family  for  whom  they  are 
labouring,  exerting  every  nerve  to  promote  their 
moral  improvement  and  domestic  enjoyment,  it 
would  produce  many  pleasing  emotions  in  their 
breasts,  in  the  midst  of  all  their  toilsome  !»• 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP"  RELIGION. 


boura,  to  reflect  that  their  exertion  are  the 
inean«  of  distributin(f  r)umeroui  comforU  and 
MMveniences  amuo);  imin  of  dilferent  nalioni, 
naka,  kindreds,  and  languages.  Their  mindt 
would  lake  a  more  extensive  range  among  the 
Tario«i*  tribes  of  mankind  with  which  they  are 
oonoected,  as  intelligences  of  the  same  species  ; 
tbey  would  learn  to  trace  the  remotest  ooiise* 
quences  oi'  every  branch  of  labour,  and  of  every 
mechanical  operatii>n  in  which  they  are  engaged, 
and  they  would  thus  fed  thenrwelves  more  inli- 
maiely  related  to  every  individual  of  the  great 
iamily  to  which  they  belong. 

That  it  is  the  intention  of  the  Creator  that  an 
extensive  and  afTeciionaie  intercourse  should  be 
carried  on  between  the  remotest  tribes  of  man- 
kind, appears  even  from  the  physical  constitu- 
tion and  arrangement  of  our  globe.  The  surface 
of  the  earth  is  every  where  indeiMed  with  rivers 
of  various  dimensions,  winding  in  every  direc- 
tion through  the  continents  and  the  larger 
islands,  and  sonte  of  them  running  a  course  of 
•everal  thousands  of  miles.  la  the  eastern  con- 
tinent, above  four  hundred  rivers  of  large  di- 
BMnsions  are  rolling  from  the  roountaiiis  towards 
the  sea  ;  and  in  (he  western  continent,  more 
than  one  hundred  and  forty  majestic  streams  are 
to  be  found,  connecting  the  highest  and  the  ro- 
motest  parts  of  the  land  with  the  ocean,  besides 
thousands  of  streams  of  smaller  dimensions. 
The  water  of  the  sea  is  formed  of  such  a  con- 
sistency, or  specific  gravity,  that  it  is  capable  of 
supporting  large  floating  edifices ;  while,  at  the 
same  time,  its  parts  are  so  yielding  as  to  permit 
•uch  vehicles  to  move  with  rapidity  along  its 
surface,  through  its  waves  and  billows.  In  vir- 
tue of  this  arrangement,  the  ocean,  instead  of 
standing  as  an  everlasting  barrier  between  the 
nations,  has  become  a  medium  for  the  most 
speedy  intercourse  between  distant  lands.  The 
atmosphere  which  surrounds  the  globe,  contri- 
butes likewise  by  its  agency  to  promote  the  same 
important  end.  By  the  impulsion  of  its  differ- 
«at  rotUMes  in  various  directions,  our  ships  are 
walied  with  cortsiderable  velocity  along  ihe  sur- 
iaoe  of  rivers,  seas,  and  oeeans,  to  the  remotest 
axtremities  of  the  globe.  By  means  of  these  ar- 
rangements which  the  Creator  has  established, 
the  treasures  of  the  mountains,  and  of  the  inland 
parts  of  the  cootinents  and  islands,  are  conveyed 
towards  the  sea,  and  transported  from  one  island 
and  continent  to  another  ;  and  thus  the  various 
tribes  of  mankind  have  an  opportunity  of  visiting 
oaeh  other,  of  cultivating  an  afl*ectionate  inter- 
eourae,  and  of  contributing  to  their  mutual  en- 
jofnoot.  And  aa  it  i>  probable  that  there  exist 
to  aMiiro  certain  powara  or  principles  not  yet 
diteOTored,  the  agency  of  which  may  be  applied 
tothe  propelling  of  machines  and  vehicles  over 
Iftnd  feiid  water,  and  through  the  regions  of  the 
aimoophere,  with  a  velocity  much  superior  to 
what  baa   hitherto  been  efiocted ; — it  appears 


evident,  that  the  Creator,  in  forming  roeh  prin- 
ci[>les,  and  in  permitting  man  to  discover  their 
nature  and  energies,  intended  that  Ihey  shoukl 
be  applied  fur  priNnoling  a  rapid  and  endearing 
intercourse  among  all  the  branches  of  that 
large  family  which  he  has  placed  upon  the  giobo^ 
And  I  have  no  doubt,  that  in  the  future  ages  of 
the  world,  by  means  of  improvements  in  art 
and  science,  such  intercourse  will  be  carried  on 
in  the  spirit  of  benevolence,  to  an  extent  and 
with  a  rapidity  of  which  wo  cannot  at  present 
form  any  adequate  conception. 

It  appears,  thnn  to  be  one  great  design  of  (ho 
Creator,  in  connecting  mankind  by  so  many 
links,  and  in  rendering  them  dependent  upon 
each  other,  though  placed  in  opfKMite  regions  of 
the  globe,  to  lay  a  broad  foundation  for  the  exer- 
cise of  the  benevolent  atfeciions  between  men  of 
all  naiions,  and  ultimately  to  unite  the  whole  hu> 
man  race  in  one  harmonious  and  affectionate  so- 
ciety. And  it  is  obviously  the  duty  of  every 
human  being  to  cultivate  (hose  dispositions,  and 
to  prosecute  that  (rain  of  action  which  have  a 
teiMlency  to  accomplish  the  plans  of  the  Univer- 
sal Parent,  and  to  promote  the  happiness  of  his 
intelligent  offspring.  In  so  doing,  he  contributes 
(o  his  own  individual  happiness,  and  at  the  same 
time  to  that  of  all  the  moral  inte  ligences  iniiea- 
ven  and  earth  with  which  he  is  connected. 


SECTION  in. 

THE  ITLTIHATE  DESTINATIOTV  OF  MAIfnin> 
COiTSIDERED  AS  A  BASIS  FOR  LOVE  TO  OUK 
NEIOHBOUR,  AITD  AS  A  MOTITE  TO  ITS 
EXERCISE. 

The  present  world  is  not  (he  ultimate  desti- 
nation of  mankind.  I(  is  only  a  passing  acene 
through  which  they  are  now  travelling  to  that  in>- 
morial  existence  which  will  have  no  (erminadoo. 
Man  is  a(  present  in  the  infancy  of  his  being  ; 
his  faculties  are  only  beginning  to  expand,  his 
moral  powers  are  feeble  and  depraved,  his  intel- 
lectual views  are  circumscribed  within  a  narrow 
range,  and  all  the  relations  in  which  he  stands 
demonstrate  that  the  present  scene  is  connected 
with  (he  fudire,  and  is  in(roduc(ory  to  a  higher 
sphere  of  ac(ion  and  enjoyment.  "  We  know," 
says  (he  Apostle  Paul,  "  that  if  this  earthly 
house  of  our  tabernacle  were  dissolved,  we  have 
a  building  of  Crod,  an  house  not  made  with 
hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens."  And  our  Sa- 
viour declares,  (hat  "  the  hour  is  coming,  in 
which  all  tha(  are  in  (heir  graves  shall  hear  his 
voice,  and  shall  come  forth,"  and  that  "  our 
Tile  bodies  shall  be  changed,  and  fashionnd  like 
unto  his  glorious  body,"  and  shall  enter  into  the 
enjoyment  of  a  new  world,  "  which  is  incomip* 
tible,  unde&led,  and  which  (adeth  not  away." 


RELATIONS  OF  MANKIND. 


5S 


The  capacity  of  making  perpetual  advances 
in  knowledge  and  moral  improvement  in  a  fu- 
ture stale  of  existence,  is  that  in  which  ihe  true 
dignity  of  man  consists;  and  in  this  capacity, 
and  the  high  destination  with  which  it  is  con- 
nected, there  is  no  difference  between  the  high 
and  the  low,  the  slave  who  is  chained  to  a 
galley,  and  the  sovereign  at  whose  nod  the  na- 
tions tremble.  They  are  equally  destined  to  im- 
mortality, and  will  exist  in  a  future  world,  when 
time  and  all  the  arrangements  of  the  present 
state  shall  come  to  a  close.  If  man  were  only 
the  creature  of  a  day,  whose  prospects  are 
bounded  by  this  terrestrial  scene,  and  whose 
hopes  terminate  in  the  tomb,  it  might  appear  a 
matter  of  comparatively  little  importance  whether 
or  not  our  benevolent  regards  were  extended  to 
our  fellow-men,  except  in  so  for  as  our  self-in- 
terest and  avarice  were  concerned.  The  happi- 
ness of  a  fellow-creature  might  then  be  consider- 
ed as  a  matter  of  indifference,  and  his  dissolu- 
tion, at  death,  a  circumstance  as  trivial  as  the 
falling  of  a  leaf  in  autumn,  or  the  sinking  of  a 
stone  to  the  bottom  of  the  ocean.  Even  in  this 
case,  however,  it  would  still  be  conducive  to  hu- 
man happiness  during  the  short  and  uncertain 
span  of  our  existence,  that  all  the  branches  of 
the  human  family  were  cemented  together  in 
union  and  affection.  But  when  we  refle.ct  that 
all  the  intelligent  beings  around  us,  with  whom 
we  more  immediately  associate,  and  all  those  in 
distant  lands  with  whom  we  are  connected  by 
the  ties  of  one  common  nature,  and  on  whom  we 
de[)end  for  many  of  our  comforts,  are  destined 
along  with  ourselves  to  an  eternal  world,  in 
another  region  of  the  Creator's  empire ;  and 
that  the  aSections  we  now  cultivate,  and  the 
conduct  we  pursue  in  reference  to  our  brethren, 
have  an  intimate  relation  to  that  immortal  ex- 
istence ; — this  consideration  stamps  an  import- 
ance on  the  exercise  of  brotherly  affection  which 
is  beyond  the  power  of  human  language  to  ex- 
press. It  shows  us,  that  the  dispositions  which 
we  now  indulge,  and  the  manner  in  which  we 
treat  the  meanest  of  our  fellow-creatures,  may 
be  recognised  and  attended  with  the  most  im- 
portant effects  a  thousand  millions  of  years 
hence,  and  may  run  parallel  in  their  conse- 
quences even  with  eternity  itself. 

We  may,  perhaps,  view  it  as  a  matter  of  tri- 
vial moment  in  what  manner  we  now  conduct 
ourselves  towards  a  servant  or  a  slave ;  whether 
we  render  his  life  miserable  by  hard  labour, 
cruel  insults,  and  contem)>tuous  treatment,  or 
study  to  promote  his  comfort  and  domestic  enjoy- 
ment ;  whether  we  neglect  to  instruct  him  in  the 
knowledge  of  his  duty  to  his  God  and  to  his  fel- 
low men,  or  labour  to  promote  his  moral  and  re- 
ligious improvement.  We  may  view  with  in- 
difference or  contempt  the  person  and  the  family 
of  a  poor  pious  neighbour,  who  has  earned  a 
scanty  subaistence  by  the  sweat  of  his  brow,  and 


may  behold  his  body  laid  in  the  grave  with  as 
much  apathy  as  we  behold  the  carcass  of  a  dog 
thrown  into  a  pond.  But  could  we  follow  the 
pious  man  beyond  the  precincts  of  the  tomb,  into 
that  immortal  scene  which  has  burst  upon  his 
disencumbered  spirit ;  could  we  trace  the  gradual 
expansion  of  his  faculties  towards  objects  which 
lie  beyond  the  grasp  of  mortals,  and  the  perfec- 
tion of  his  moral  powers ;  could  we  behold  his 
mouldered  frame  starling  up  to  new  life  at  "  the 
resurrection  of  the  just,"  and  arrayed  in  new 
splendour  and  beauty  ;  could  we  contemplate  him 
placed  in  a  station  of  dignity  and  honour  among 
the  sons  of  God,"  in  that  glorious  residence  to 
which  he  is  destined  ;  his  intellectual  powers  ex- 
panding, grasping  the  most  sublime  objects,  and 
pushmg  forward  in  the  career  of  perpetual  im^ 
provement,  without  the  least  stain  of  moral  im- 
perfection : — would  we  now  treat  such  a  one  with 
malevolence,  or  even  with  indifference  or  n&. 
gleet  ?  And  were  we  placed  by  his  side  in  such 
a  dignified  station,  what  would  our  feelings  be 
when  we  recollected  the  apathy,  the  ind  fference, 
and  even  the  contempt  with  which  he  was  treated 
in  this  sublunary  scene  ?  On  the  other  hand, 
could  we  follow  the  poor  wretched  slave  to  the 
future  world,  and  contemplate  the  degradation 
and  misery  t:  which  he  is  there  reduced  in  con- 
sequence of  our  malevolence  and  neglect,  what 
emotions  of  horror  and  indignation  should  we 
not  feel  at  the  recollection  of  that  pride  and  dis- 
affection which  led  us  to  act  so  basely  towards 
a  fellow-immortal,  whom  it  was  in  our  power  to 
have  trained  to  wisdom,  to  excellence,  and  to  a 
happy  immortality  ?  When,  therefore,  we  be- 
hold individuals  withholding  their  benevolent  re- 
gard from  their  brethren  of  mankind,  and  treat- 
ing them  with  haughtiness  and  contempt,  we 
must  conclude  that  such  persons  overlook  the 
true  dignity  of  man,  and  secretly  disbelieve  the 
reality  of  an  immortal  state  of  existence,  whatever 
professions  Ihey  may  make  to  the  contrary.  For 
the  consideration  of  the  eternal  destiny  of  man- 
kind reflects  a  dignity  on  the  meanest  human  be- 
ing, and  attaches  an  importance  to  all  our  affec- 
tions and  actions  in  relation  to  him,  unspeakably 
greater  than  if  his  existence  were  circumscribed 
within  the  narrow  limits  of  time,  and  throws 
completely  into  the  shade  all  the  degrading  cir* 
cumstances  with  which  he  is  now  surrounded. 

When  we  consider  our  brethren  of  the  human 
family  in  the  light  of  immortai  intelligences,  and 
look  forward  to  the  scenes  of  the  eternal  world, 
a  crowd  of  interesting  reflections  naturally  ariset 
in  the  mind.  A  wide  and  unbounded  prospect 
opens  before  us.  Amidst  new  creations  and  the 
revolutions  of  systems  and  worlds,  new  displays 
of  the  Creator's  power  and  providence  burst  upoa 
the  view.  We  behold  ourselves  placed  oo  • 
theatre  of  action  and  enjoyment,  and  passing 
through  "  scenes  and  changes"  which  bear  IM 
resemblance  to  the  transactions  and  ev«nta  cl 


A 


64 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


ibit  lublunary  world.  We  behold  ourselves 
mingling  wiih  beings  of  a  stiperi<ir  order,  cuUi- 
vating  nobler  adections,  and  enj^ged  in  more 
•ubiimo  employmeots  than  those  which  now  oc- 
cupy our  attention.  We  behohl  ourselves  as40- 
cialed  with  men  of  aU  nations  and  kindreds,  and 
with  those  who  lived  in  the  rcmotout  periods  of 
lime.  Millions  of  years  roll  on  after  millions,  our 
capacities  and  powers  of  intellect  are  still  ex- 
paiiding,  and  new  scenes  of  beauty  and  magnifi- 
canco  are  perpetually  bursting  on  the  astonished 
naind,  without  any  prospect  of  a  termination. — 
Amidst  those  eternal  scenes,  we  shall  doubtless 
enter  into  the  most  intimate  connexions  with  per- 
sons whom  we  have  never  seen,  from  whom  we 
are  now  separated  by  continents  and  oceans, with 
those  whose  bodie-!  are  now  mouldering  in  the  dust, 
with  those  who  have  not  yet  entered  on  the  stage 
of  existence,  and  with  those  with  whom  we  now 
refuse  to  associate  on  account  of  their  rank,  and 
itation,  and  religious  opinions.  That  roan,  into 
whose  dwelling  we  would  not  at  present  deign 
to  enter,  and  with  whom  we  would  abhor  to  min- 
gle in  the  public  services  of  religion,  may  then  be 
one  of  our  chief  companions  in  the  regions  of 
bliss,  in  directing  and  expanding  our  views  of  the 
glory  and  magnificence  of  God.  The  man  whom 
we  now  hate  and  despise,  and  whose  offers  of  as- 
sistance we  would  treat  with  disdain,  may  in 
that  happier  world  be  a  principal  agent  in  opening 
(o  our  view  new  sources  of  contemplation  and 
delight.  That  servant  whom  we  now  treat  as  a 
being  of  inferior  species,  at  whom  we  frown  and 
scold  with  feelings  of  proud  superiority,  may  be 
our  instructor  and  director,  and  every  way  our 
superior,  in  that  region  where  earthly  distinctions 
are  unknown.  That  humble  instructor  whom 
we  now  despise,  and  whose  sentiments  wo  treat 
with  contempt,  may,  in  that  world  ofintelligence 
and  love,  be  our  teacher  and  our  guide  to  direct 
our  views  of  the  attributes  of  the  Deity,  of  the 
arrangements  of  his  providence,  and  of  the  glories 
of  his  empire.  There  the  prince  may  yield  prece- 
dence to  his  subjects,  the  master  to  the  slave, 
and  the  peer  to  the  humblest  peasant.  For  no 
pre-eminence  of  birth,  fortune,  or  learning,  no 
excellence  but  that  which  is  founded  on  holiness 
and  virtue,  on  moral  and  intellectual  endow- 
ments, will  have  any  place  in  the  arrange- 
menta  of  that  world  where  human  distinctions  are 
ibr  ever  abolished  and  unknown.  And  shall  we 
BOW  refuse  to  acknowledge  those  who  are  to  be 
our  friends  and  companions  in  that  future  world  ? 
Ij  it  not  agreeable  to  the  dictates  of  reason  and 
to  the  voice  of  God  that  we  should  regard  them 
with  complacency  and  affection,  whatever  be  the 
tub  they  now  wev,  whatever  be  their  colour  or 
MUrea,  and  in  whatever  island  or  continent 
ihM  any  now  reside? 

boHMt,  indeed,  be  admitted,  that  all  the  inha- 
I  of  our  world  will  not  be  exalted  to  dignity 
ia  the  future  Mate.    A  great  pro- 


portion of  them,  in  their  present  slate  oCdBpnri'  ' 
ty  and  degradation,  are  aliogvther  unaualified  for 
participating  in  the  exercives  and  enjoyments  of 
celestial  intelligences.  Whole  iiatioiu  arn  still 
overspread  wiili  intellectual  darkness,  ignorant 
of  their  eternal  destination,  and  immersed  in  im- 
moralities anl  vile  abominations.  And,  even  in 
those  countries  where  the  light  of  revelation  hae 
dispelled  the  gloom  of  heathenism,  a  vast  mass  of 
human  beings  are  to  be  found,  "  having  their  un- 
derstandings darkened,  alienated  from  the  life  of 
God,"  and  sunk  into  the  mire  of  every  moral  pol- 
lution. Still,  wo  have  no  reason,  on  this  ac-  ' 
count,  to  overlook  their  native  dignity,  and  their 
high  destination.  Every  human  being  we  see 
around  us,  however  low  in  rank,  or  degraded  by 
vice,  ia  endowtd  with  an  immortal  nature,  and  is 
capaUe  of  being  rcutetl  to  the  dimity  of  an  inhabit- 
ant of  heaven ;  and  there  is  not  a  single  indivi- 
dual to  whom  we  can  point,  either  in  our  own 
country  or  in  other  lands,  in  relation  to  whom  we 
are  authorized  to  affirm,  that  he  will  not  be  a 
participator  in  immortal  bliss.  And,  therefore, 
every  man  with  whom  we  associate,  and  whom 
we  recognize  in  the  circle  of  society  around  lu, 
ought  to  be  viewed  as  one  with  whom  we  may  as-  ' 
sociate  in  the  world  to  come.  And  as  to  those 
who  appear  to  be  partially  enlightened  and  reno- 
vated in  their  minds,  we  ought  not  to  withhold 
our  affection  and  complacency  on  account  of  their 
ignorance,  their  contracted  views,  or  erroneous 
opinions.  We  should  view  them,  not  as  they  are 
in  their  present  state  of  infancy  and  weakness, 
but  as  they  will  be  when  arrived  at  maturity  and 
manhood  ;  not  as  they  appear  in  the  6rst  weak 
essays  of  their  intellectual  powers,  and  in  the 
lowest  step  of  their  existence,  but  as  they  will  ap-  ' 
pear  in  their  career  of  improvement  after  a  lapse 
of  millions  of  ages.  Carrying  forward  our  views 
to  those  eternal  scenes,  and  accompanying  our 
brethren  of  the  human  family  through  all  the  gra- 
dations of  their  existence  in  future  worlds,  we 
behold  their  faculties  in  progressive  expansion, 
their  minds  approximating  nearer  to  the  source 
of  eternal  wisdom,  their  views  of  the  empire  of 
Omnipotence  continually  enlarging,  their  know-  > 
ledge  of  the  plan  of  redemption,  and  its  numerous  ^ 
bearings,  for  ever  increasing  ;  their  love  and  aA 
fection  to  God  and  to  fellow  intelligences  waxing 
into  a  more  ardent  flame ;  every  evil  propensity 
corrected,  every  imperfection  removed,  every 
blossom  of  virtue  fully  expanded ,  and  "  joy  nn- 
speakable  and  full  of  glory"  pervading  every 
faculty  of  their  souls.  And  can  we  behold  intel- 
ligent minds,  capable  of  so  high  and  dignified  at- 
tainments, and  the  companions  of  our  future 
destiny,  with  indifTerence  or  contempt  ?  Is  there 
not  here  a  broad  foundation  laid  for  the  most  ex- 
pansive emanations  of  love  towards  every  mem- 
ber of  the  great  family  of  mankind,  however  , 
much  he  may  be  obscured,  and  sullied  1^  My 
and  tin  b  this  firat  aUfe  of  hia  exiateace  1 


EFFECTS  OF  MALEVOLENCE. 


56 


In  the  mean  time,  while  the  greater  part  of 
mankind  are  immersed  in  ignorance  and  vice, 
while  the  image  of  their  Maker  is  defaced,  and 
their  immorral  powers  prostituted  to  the  vilest 
passions,  the  most  noble  and  honourable  opera- 
tion in  which  love  ran  be  engaged,  is  to  devise 
and  execute  sithemes  by  which  our  degraded 
brethren  may  be  raised  to  intellectual  and  moral 
excellence:  to  train  up  young  immortals  in  re- 
ligion and  virtue  ;  to  diffuse  the  principles  of 
useful  knowledge  among  all  ranks  ;  to  counteract 
the  diabolical  spirit  of  war  and  contention  :  to 
abolish  slavery  in  every  shape  ;  to  meliorate  the 
social  and  domestic  condition  of  the  lower  orders 
of  society;  to  publish  the  revelation  of  God  in 
every  language,  and  to  send  forth  the  messen- 
gers of  salvation  to  every  land,  to  instruct  men  of 
all  nations  and  kindreds  and  tongues  in  the 
knowledge  of  the  true  God,  and  of  the  path  which 
leads  to  a  blessed  inmiortality.  Thus  shall  we 
be  enabled  to  manifest  our  love  towards  all  our 
brethren  of  the  human  family;  thus  shall  we  con- 
tribute to  render  them  worthy  of  our  highest  af- 
fection, and  to  prepare  them  for  the  exalted 
exercises  and  employments  of  the  life  to  come. 


SECTION  IV. 

LOVE  TO  GOD  AKD  OUR  ITEIGRBOUR  ENFORCED 
AND  ILLOSTRATED,  FROM  A  CONSIDERA- 
TION OF  THE  MISERABLE  EFFECTS  WHICH 
WOULD  ENSUE  WERE  THESE  PRINCIPLES 
REVERSED,  AND  WERE  RATIONAL  BEINGS 
TO    ACT    ACCORDINOLr. 

The  two  leading  principles  which  I  have  en- 
deavoured to  illustrate,  in  the  preceding  pagps, 
form  the  basis  of  the  moral  order  of  the  intelli- 
gent universe.  Consequently,  were  these  prin- 
ciples reversed,  and  were  moral  agents  to  act 
accordingly,  the  moral  world  would  soon  be  trans- 
formed into  a  scene  of  the  most  di?mal  anarchy 
and  confusion.  Every  action  would  be  dictated 
by  feeling*  of  pure  malevolence,  and  misery  in 
every  sha|(e  would  be  the  great  object  which  hu- 
man beings  would  exert  their  powers  to  accom- 
plish. Could  we  suppose  for  a  moment,  that  so- 
ciety could  subsist  for  any  length  of  lime  under 
the  unrestrained  operation  of  such  aprincijile,  the 
following,  annong  many  thousands  of  similar  ef- 
fects, would  be  ihe  natural  and  necessary  results. 

Every  individual  would  exhibit,  in  every 
action,  the  character  of  a  fiend  ;  and  every  fami- 
ly would  disjilay  a  miniature  piitlure  of  hell. — 
Between  the  husb:iiid  and  wife  there  would  be 
nothing  but  incessant  brawling,  dissensif-n,  and 
execratimi.  Whatever  was  ardently  desired  by 
the  one  would  be  as  resolutely  and  obstinately 
opposed  by  the  other ;  and  the  fury  and  resentment 
excited  by  unsatisfied  desires,  and  disappointed 


hopes,  would  destroy  every  vestige  of  peace  and 
tranquillity,  and  stimulate  a  host  of  infernal  pas-' 
sions  to  rage  without  control.  Their  children 
would  be  actuated  by  the  same  diabolical  tempers. 
The  son  would  take  an  infernal  pleasure  in  curs- 
ing, insulting,  and  reproaching  "  the  father  that 
begat  him,"  and  in  trampling  with  scorn  and  in- 
dignation on  the  mother  who  gave  him  birth. — 
Brothers  and  sisters  would  live  under  the  con- 
tinual influence  of  malice  and  envy,  "  hatefiil,  and 
hating  one  another."  Whatever  actions  tended 
to  irritate,  to  torment,  and  to  enrage  the  passions 
of  each  other,  and  to  frustrate  their  desires  and 
expectations,  would  be  performed  with  a  grin  of 
infernal  delight.  Mutual  scuffles  and  execrations 
would  ensue.  One  would  have  his  eye-ball  bruis- 
ed, or  knocked  out  of  its  socket,  another  would 
have  his  teeth  driven  out  of  his  jaws  ;  one  would 
have  his  hair  torn  from  its  roots,  another  his 
skull  fractured  with  repeated  blows ;  the  legs  of 
one  would  be  full  of  bruises  and  putrifying 
sores,  and  the  face  of  another  all  over  covered 
with  blotches  and  scars,  most  hideous  to  behold  ; 
and,  in  the  progress  of  contention,  the  hand  of  a 
brother  would  plunge  his  dagger  into  a  brother's 
heart.  In  larger  societies,  fraud,  falsehood,  de- 
ceit, seduction,  quarrels,  oppression,  plunder,  ra- 
pine, murder,  and  assassination,  would  be  the 
common  occurrences  of  every  day  and  every  hour. 
The  seller  would  uniformly  endeavour  to  cheat 
the  buyer,  and  the  buyer  would  endeavour, by  every 
kind  of  fraud,  or  open  force,  to  deprive  the  sel- 
ler of  the  value  of  his  commodities.  Poison  would 
be  sold  for  medicine,  and  deleterious  n  ixtures  and 
poisonous  druiS  would  be  mixed  up  with  the  com- 
mon articles  of  food,  that  the  venders  might  enjoy 
the  diabolical  pleasure  of  hearing  of  the  painS, 
the  agonies,  and  the  dying  groans  of  the  victims 
of  their  villany.  The  debauchee  would  triumph 
in  the  number  of  victims  he  had  rendered  wretch- 
ed and  forlorn  by  his  wiles  and  depraved  pas- 
sions ;  the  strong  would  oppress  the  weak,  aad 
rejoice  in  depriving  them  of  every  comfort,  and 
the  powerful  would  exult  in  trampling  under  their 
feet  the  persons  and  the  property  of  the  poor,  and 
in  beholding  the  extent  of  the  miseries  they  had 
created. 

In  the  common  intercourse  of  life,  every  one 
would  be  maltreated,  insulted,  and  reproached, 
as  he  walked  along  the  street ;  the  lip  would  be 
shot  out  with  a  diabolical  grin  at  every  passen- 
ger, which  would  be  returned  with  the  frown  and 
the  scowl  of  a  demon.  Every  passenger  that 
met  another  on  the  highway  would  be  encoun- 
tered with  blows,  execrations,  and  reproaches; 
and  he  who  met  his  neighbour  unawares  in  the 
recesses  of  a  forest,  would  receive  a  dagger  in 
his  breast  b^'fire  he  was  aware  of  his  danger. 
Words  would  be  exchanged  between  man  and 
man  that  would  cut  each  other's  hearts  "  like  the 
piercings  of  a  sword,"  and  horrible  contentions, 
accompanied  with  rage  and  fury,  and  wounda 


M 


THE  PtflLOSOPIlY  OF  RELIGION. 


and  bniiMt  would  b«  pretented  lo  ihe  view  in 
•Tery  ciiy,  and  villa);o,  and  rural  icpno.  When 
one  had  finished  a  hou«e  (o  ■hcllcr  him  from  ihe 
•torm,  a  number  nf  deaperadoca,  in  horrid  com- 
bination, w<iuld  overturn  the  mansion,  and  crush 
him  anion);  ihe  riiinx.  When  one  had  planted 
Tinea  and  fiuii-froeg,  others  would  seize  the  o(>- 
portunity,  when  they  were  beginning  to  bud  and 
bloMOfn,  to  tear  them  up  by  the  roots ;  persons 
who  sowed  the  aeed  in  spring  could  have  no  con- 
fidence that  ihey  would  ever  reap  the  fruits  in 
autumn  ;  and  no  one  could  have  the  least  secu- 
rity that  ttip  wealih  and  property  he  possessed 
to-day  would  be  his  to-morrow.  No  one  could 
feel  secure  fur  a  single  hour,  that  his  life  was 
not  in  danver  frum  the  sword  of  the  murderer  or 
the  assassin ;  every  man  would  live  in  continual 
fear  and  alarm  ;  no  pleading  prosiwcts  rkor  hopns 
of  future  enjoyment  would  ever  calm  the  tumul- 
tuous passions,  or  cheer  the  distracted  mind  ;  all 
confidence  between  man  and  man  would  he  com- 
pletely destroyed :  falsehood  in  every  ahape 
would  walk  triumphant ;  the  mind  would  be  dis- 
tracted amidst  its  ignorance  of  the  scenes  and 
events  that  were  happening  around  it ;  fur  no  in- 
telligence could  be  believed,  and  no  one  could 
certainly  know  the  reality  of  any  object  or  event, 
unless  he  beheld  it  with  his  own  eyes.  Schools, 
seminaries  of  learning,  universities,  and  acade- 
mies would  have  no  existence,  and  no  one  could 
gain  an  acquaintance  with  any  principle  or  fact 
in  the  universe  around  him,  except  in  so  far  as 
he  had  made  the  investigation  by  means  of  his 
own  senses  and  powers.  Tormented  by  tumul- 
tuous passions  raging  within,  in  continual  alarm 
from  despt-radues,  plunderers,  and  assassins  rag- 
ing around,  looking  back  on  the  past  with  horri- 
ble recollections,  and  contemplating  the  future 
with  terror  and  dismay,  the  mind  would  feel  it- 
self fixed  in  a  scene  of  misery  and  wretchedness, 
which  no  words  could  describe  nor  pencil  deli- 
neate. 

If  we  could  suppose  a  number  of  such  beings 
leagued  together  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  the 
schemes  of  malevolence  more  completely  into 
affect,  one  of  their  employments  would  be  to  set 
fire  to  houses  and  villages,  in  order  that  they 
might  enjoy  the  infernal  pleasure  of  seeing  their 
feUow-cre.-uures  deprived  of  every  shelter,  and 
oT  beholding  men,  women,  and  children  roasting 
in  the  flam'^.  Anoth^  employment  would  be 
to  poison  the  springs  oT  water,  that  they  might 
behold  one  after  another,  from  the  sucking  child 
to  Ihe  hoary  head,  seized  with  excruciating  pains, 
and  sinking  into  the  agonies  of  death.  Another 
gralificaii'm  of  malevolence  would  be  to  dam  up 
the  rivers  in  their  rapid  course,  tha:  they  mi^ht 
•vsrflow  the  circumjacent  plains,  in  order  that 
dMjr  might  feast  their  eyes  on  the  scenes  of  d»- 
vastation  and  ruin  that  would  thus  be  created, 
and  00  tho  terror  and  dttstruction  of  the  wretciied 
iahabiiaituk    The  conflagration  of  a  city,  with 


all  its  accompaniments,  the  crash  of  (allinf 
houses,  and  of  palaces  tumbling  into  ruin;  the 
terror  and  confusion  of  ii«  inhabitants,  the  wait- 
ings of  women  and  children,  and  the  groans  ot 
the  burning  victims,  would  be  a  feast  to  the  eyes 
and  muSic  to  the  ears  of  such  maiiimani  beings, 
as  they  once  were  lo  Nero,  when,  from  the  top 
of  a  high  lower,  he  beheld  Rome  wrapt  in  the 
flames  which  he  him.4elf  had  kindled,  and  sung 
on  his  lyre  the  deslruction  of  Troy.  Even  in 
the  midst  of  the  ocean  soch  revolting  scenes 
would  be  frequently  realized.  When  tMO  ships 
descried  each  other,  a  diabolical  onset  would 
ensue.  To  set  on  flames  the  respective  vessels, 
to  sink  them  in  the  deep,  or  to  cause  them  to 
burst  with  a  horrid  explosion,  wouU  be  the  otv- 
jecl  of  both  the  crews  ;  that  they  might  feast 
their  malevolence  on  the  spectacle  of  woimds 
and  carnage,  of  drowning  wretches  covered  with 
blood  and  scars,  ftsfhting  with  the  billows,  and 
scrambling  for  safety  among  the  shattered  frag- 
ments of  the  wreck. 

Were  it  possible  that  discoveries  in  art  and 
science  could  be  made  by  intelligences  actuated 
by  such  malignant  p&ssioos,  they  wo<ild  be  all 
applied  to  subserve  the  purposes  of  malevolence. 
The  force  of  gunpowder  would  be  employed  to 
blow  ships  and  houses  to  atoms,  to  shake  popu- 
lous cities  to  their  foundations,  and  to  create 
among  their  inhabitants  universal  horror  and 
alarm  ;  the  force  of  steam  would  be  employed  in 
producing  destructive  explosions,  and  in  propel- 
ling the  instruments  of  death  and  devastation 
among  a  surrounding  populace.  Air  balloons 
would  be  employed  for  enabling  them  to  carry 
thoir  malignant  schemes,  in  relation  to  distant 
tribes,  more  speedily  into  effect ;  for  hurling 
down  upon  towns  and  villages  stones,  and  bullets, 
and  darts;  and  for  enabling  them  to  escape  in 
safety  when  they  had  finished  the  work  of  de- 
struction. The  discovery  of  the  nature  of  light- 
ning,  and  its  identity  to  the  electrical  fluid,  in- 
stead of  being  apfdied  for  the  protection  of  per- 
sons and  of  buildings  from  the  stroke  of  that  ter- 
rific meteor,  would  be  destined  to  the  purpose  of 
devastation  and  destruction.  The  electricity  of 
the  atmosphere  and  the  liehtnings  from  the 
clouds  would  be  conducted  and  directed  so  as  to 
set  on  fire  stacks  of  com,  lo  shatter  loft>  build- 
ings, and  lay  grotips  of  men  an-i  rattle  prostrate 
with  the  dust.  Every  mechanical  power,  and 
all  the  combinations  of  physical  forces  which  srt 
can  produce,  would  be  applied  to  the  framing  of 
engines  for  torture,  devastation,  and  mai-sacre ; 
and  on  the  front  of  every  new  invention  would 
be  displayed,  as  if  engraved  in  legible  characters 

— TERROR,  MISERY,  AND  DEsTRDCTIOlf.     ■ 

Could  we  suppose  for  a  mo-iient  siirh  brings 
occasionally  combining  together  on  a  large  scale, 
for  the  purpose  of  more  extensively  gluuiiig  their 
malevolence,  their  conduct  towards  each  other  as 
nnbonM,  and  the  contests  in  which  they  would  be 


EFFECTS  OF  MALEVOLENCE. 


57 


engaged  in  Ihis  capacity,  would  he  tretnendous 
and  horrible  bevond  the  power  of  description. 
Every  malevolent  affection  would  be  brought  into 
action  ;  every  infernal  passion  would  be  raised 
to  its  highest  pilch  of  fury ;  every  one,  stimu- 
lated by  his  associates,  would  breathe  nothing 
but  revenge,  execrations,  slaughter,  and  utter 
extermination  against  opposing  armies;  every 
engine  of  human  destruction  which  ingenuity 
could  invent  would  be  brought  into  the  scene  of 
action  ;  the  yell  of  demons  would  accompany  the 
fierce  and  sanguinary  onset ;  and  a  scene  of 
horror  would  ensue  beyond  the  power  of  imagi- 
nation  to  conceive,  which  would  not  terminate 
till  the  one  class  of  combatants  had  exterminated 
the  other ;  till  they  had  trampled  down  and  de- 
stroyed the  fruits  of  their  ground,  and  turned 
their  land  into  a  wilderness  ;  till  they  had  burned 
their  villages  to  ashes,  and  tumbled  their  cities 
into  a  heap  of  ruins  ;  till  they  had  drenched  their 
fields  with  blood,  and  strewed  them  with  skulls, 
and  limbs,  and  the  mangled  carcasses  of  thou- 
sands and  ten  thousands  of  men,  women,  and 
children,  thrown  together  in  horrible  confusion. 
But  it  is  needless  to  dwell  on  such  scenes ;  since 
the  history  of  all  nations — since  even  the  history 
of  modern  Europe  presents  us  with  spectacles  of 
horror,  scarcely  inferior  to  those  I  have  now  de- 
scribed, and  with  moral  agents  who  bear  too 
striking  a  resemblance  to  those  whose  actions  are 
completely  subversive  of  the  second  command- 
ment of  the  law,  "  Thou  shdli  love  thy  neighbour 
CM  %se(/"." 

Such,  then,  would  be  some  of  the  dreadful 
effects  which  would  flow  from  a  subversion  of 
the  second  principleof  the  moral  law,  if  we  could 
suppose  that  organical  intelligences,  no<  endoived 
lotiA  immortal  bodies,  could  exist  for  any  length 
of  time  amidst  such  scenes  of  depravity  and 
wretchedness.  But  it  is  more  than  probable 
that  such  a  stale  of  society  could  not  long  sub- 
sist in  such  a  world  as  we  now  inhabit,  and 
among  rational  beings,  whose  corporeal  organi- 
zation is  constructed  after  the  model  of  the  hu- 
man frame.  The  whole  mass  of  society  in  every 
land  would  soon  be  transformed  into  one  bound- 
less scene  of  anarchy  and  confusion  ;  every  one 
would  flee  from  his  neighbour  as  from  an  infernal 
fiend  ;  a  war  of  universal  extermination  would 
commence  ;  nothing  would  be  beheld  over  all  the 
regions  of  the  globe  but  spectacles  of  rapine, 
devastation,  and  destruction  ;  and  nothing  would 
be  heard  among  all  the  eight  hundred  millions  of 
its  inhabitants  but  the  voice  of  execration,  and 
the  yells  of  lamentation,  and  mourning,  and  wo, 
till  at  length  every  beauty  which  now  adorns  the 
face  of  nature  would  be  effaced,  every  fertile  field 
transformed  into  a  desert,  every  human  habita- 
tion overturned,  and  every  inhabitant  of  the  earth 
sunk  into  oblivion.*     This  is  one  of  the  most 

•  Whether  such  scenes  as  some  of  them  now  de- 
scribed may  be  realized  In  the  tUttire  state  of  pu- 

8 


terrible  representations  we  can  form  of  the  hor- 
rors of  the  future  state  of  punishment,  where  ma- 
levolent ppssions  rage  wiihout  control;  and  the 
considerations  now  stated  demonstrate,  that  the 
man  who  is  actuated  by  a  principle  of  hostility 
towards  his  neighbour,  is  training  and  preparing 
himself  for  becoming  an  inhabitant  of  that  mise- 
rable and  dreary  region,  "  where  the  worm  dieth 
not,  and  the  fire"  of  malevolence  and  revenge 
"  is  never  quenched."  We  are  thus  instructed, 
that  if  there  be  a  future  state  at  all,  it  must, 
from  the  very  nature  and  constitution  of  things, 
be  a  state  of  misery  and  horror  to  every  man 
whose  mind  is  under  the  unrestrained  dominion 
of  depraved  affections  and  malignant  passions; 
so  tha^  there  is  no  possibility,  in  such  a  case,  of 
escaping  the  "  wrath  to  come,"  unless  the  moral 
constitution  of  the  intelligent  universe  were  en- 
tirely subverted. 

If,  then,  it  appears  that  such  dismal  conse- 
quences would  flow  from  the  subversion  of  this 
principle  or  law,  it  is  obvious  that  the  law  itself 
must  be  "  holy,  just,  and  good,"  and  calculated 
to  promote  the  [)erfection  and  happiness  of  all 
created  intelligences,  among  whom  it  is  found 
in  full  operation.  And  in  a  world  such  as  ours, 
where  this  law  is  partially  violated,  the  conse- 
quent miserv  which  is  suffered  will  be  nearly  in 
proportion  to  the  extent  to  which  this  violation 
is  carried,  and  to  the  number  of  individuals  who 
are  actuated  by  a  principle  of  opposition  to  its 
requirements. 

In  like  manner,  it  might  be  shown,  that  the 
most  dismal  eflTects  would  be  produced,  were  the 
first  principle  of  the  moral  law  reversed,  and  the 
malevolence  ofintelligent  beings  directed  towards 
their  Creator.  In  this  case,  instead  of  assem- 
bled multitudes  joining  in  solemn  adorations  of 
the  divine  character  and  perfections,  the  God  of 
heaven  would  be  blasphemed,  and  his  name  ab- 
horred in  every  land.  Instead  of  reverence  and 
profound  humility  in  the  presence  of  Jehovah,  a 
spirit  of  pride  and  independence,  and  an  impa- 
tience of  control,  would  pervade  every  mind. 
Instead  of  thanksgivings  for  the  bounties  of  his 
providence,  the  basest  ingratitude  would  be  mani- 
fested, and  the  most  marked  contempt  of  all  his 
favours.  Instead  of  cordial  submission  to  his 
wise  arrangements,  nothing  but  murmurings  and 
repinings  would  be  heard,  and  the  most  pre- 
sumptuous decisions  uttered  against  all  the  dis- 


nishment,  orwhetherthe  principles  of  the  moral  law 
will  be  entirely  subverted  among  the  miserable  be- 
ings who  are  subjected  to  tlial  punishment,  it  be- 
comes not  us  positively  to  determine.  But  we  can 
scarcely  conceive  a  more  horrible  idea  than  that  of 
intelligent  beings  acting  uniformly  from  principles 
of  pure  malevolence,  and  at  the  same  lime  endowed 
with  imnuirtal  bodies,  capable  of  sensations  similar 
to  those  we  now  feel.  In  this  case,  every  accumu- 
latod  wound  received  from  malignant  associates 
would  be  an  additional  source  of  pain  and  mlserr 
which  would  contmually  incre.iRfl.  »'"-;-.  ai*f 
prospect  of  relief  flrom  tte  stioa«.<?  vi  death. 


THE  PHILOSCPIIY  OP  RELIGION. 


pMHlUmt  of  his  providence.  Instead  oT  com- 
pbCMlcy  and  delight  in  his  character  and  oiiera- 
tioai,  insults  and  reproaches  would  burst  forili 
at  every  display  of  UH  wisdom,  justice,  and 
omnipoten'-e.  Iniiead  of  admiration  of  the 
beauty  and  grandeur  of  his  wondrrfiil  works  in 
heaven  aii>l  earili,  feelings  of  contemjit  and 
diadain  wuuid  be  mingled  with  all  tlieir  surveys 
of  the  operations  of  naiiire.  His  omnipotence 
would  be  disregarded,  his  benevolence  called  in 
«)uestion  <>r  despised,  and  his  wisdura  and  intelli- 
gence arraittncd.  Like  Alphonso,  king  of  Cas- 
tile, they  would  not  hesitate  to  affirm,  "  If  we 
had  been  of  God's  privy  council  when  he  made 
the  world,  we  would  have  advised  him  belter." 
Under  the  influence  of  such  diabolical  disposi- 
tions, the  harmony  of  the  visible  creation  would 
be  attempted  to  be  deranged,  and  its  beauties 
defaced,  in  so  far  as  their  limited  powers  would 
be  able  tocffi^t.  The  helds  would  be  stripped 
of  their  verdure  ;  the  forests  would  be  torn  up 
by  the  root*,  and  strewed  in  shapeless  masses 
along  the  plains  ;  the  vegetable  beauties  which 
now  diversify  the  rural  landscape  would  be  effa- 
ced ;  the  rivers  would  be  turned  out  of  their 
ooarses  to  overflow  the  adjacent  plains,  and  to 
tansfbrm  ihem  into  stagnant  marshes  and 
standing  pools ;  the  air  would  be  impregnated 
with  pestilential  vapours ;  and  the  grand,  and 
beautiful,  an.l  picturesque  scenes  of  nature  would 
be  stripped  of  their  glory,  leaving  noihing  but 
naked  ro-ks  and  barren  deserts,  covered  with 
the  wreck'i  of  nature,  to  mark  the  operations  of 
inalevolenne. 

Such  Would  be  the  dispositions  and  the  conduct 
ofintelligent  beings  were  the  first  principle  of  the 
moral  law  reversed,  and  their  actions  regulated 
by  a  priniriple  of  malevolence:  and  such,  in  a 
greater  or  lu'.s  degree,  are  the  dispositions  of 
every  man  in  whose  heart  the  love  of  God  has 
never  taken  up  its  residence.  Bevollin;;  as  the 
aceoee  now  supposed  must  appear  to  every  mind 
poaaessed  if  moral  feeling,  they  must  be  admit- 
ted to  be  the  necessary  results  of  malignant  pas- 
■ioiis  ragiii;  without  control.  And  if  there  be 
any  region  <if  creation  in  which  pure  malevolence 
actuates  ii-i  inhabitants,  we  must  suppose  the 
mlraiiiin>!  influence  of  the  Almighty  interposed, 
to  preiMrve  their  malignant  operations  within 
thoae  bouiil<  >vhicharr  consistent  with  the  plans 
of  hi*  nnordi  g  ivemmrnt  and  the  genefal  happi- 
oeai  of  ih.-  Ill  elli^entliniverse.  That  princi- 
plea  and  pr  ic  ic-s  have  existed  among  mankind, 
which,  if  li-r  to  ofierale  without  restraint,  would 
produce  all  the  effects  now  supposed,  appears 
from  the  d-scripiion  which  the  apostle  Paul 
givefl  of  the  -haracter  of  the  Gea>ile  world,  and 
e*wi  of  that  p'irtion  oTit  which  had  been  brought 
into  ft  civiliznd  state.  He  declares  that  "  they 
did  ant  Ilk''  to  retain  God  in  their  knowledge, 
but  dwnfed  the  clory  of  the  incorruptible  God 
inlau  image  made  like  to  corruptible  nan,  and 


to  birds,  and  four-footed  beasta,  and  creeping 
things,"  that  they  were  "  fillo'l  with  a!l  ui^ 
rigliieousiMss,  f>rnica<ion,  wickedness,  Cove- 
teousness,  mithciotunru  ,-"  that  they  were  "  full 
of  envy,  murder,  deceii,  malignity,  backbiters, 
haters  of  God,  drspiieful,  proud,  boasters,  ia> 
vrntors  uf  evil  things,  disobedient  to  {larents  ; 
without  undorsianding,  leithoul  natural  afftetutn, 
implacable,  unmerciful.  Who,  knowing  tha 
judgment  of  Gud,  that  they  who  commit  such 
tilings  are  worthy  of  deuth,  not  only  do  thesamo, 
but  have  pleasure  in  them  that  do  them." 
Were  practices  and  passion'!  of  this  description, 
which  are  all  directly  opposrd  to  the  principle  of 
benevolence,  to  operate  wiihout  control,  the 
universe  would  soon  bu  transformed  into  abounct 
less  scene  of  devastation  and  sterility,  of  misery 
and  horror,  of  lamen'ation  and  wo. 

Turning  our  eyes  from  such  revolting  scene*, 
I  shall  now  direct  the  attention  of  my  readers  to 
a  more  pleasing  picture,  and  endeavour  to  de- 
lineate some  of  the  happy  etfecls  which  would 
naturally  result  from  a  complete  conformity  in 
thought  and  action  to  the  principles  of  the  divine 
law. 


SECTION  V. 

EFFECTS    WHICH    WOCTLD     FLOW   FROM     THE 

FULL    OPERATIOIT    OF    THE    PHinCIPLE    or  ' 

LOTE    TO    GOD    ASD   TO    MAN. 

Were  this  divine  principle  in  full  operation 
among  the  intelligences  that  people  our  globe, 
this  world  would  be  triinsformed  into  n  paradise, 
the  moral  desert  would  be  changed  into  a  fruitful 
Beld,  and  "  blossom  as  the  rose,"  and  Eden  I 
would  again  appear  in  all  its  beauty  and  delighL 
Fiaud,  deceit,  and  artifice,  with  all  their  con- 
comitant train  of  evils,  would  no  longer  walk 
rampant  in  every  land.  Prosecutions,  lawsuits, 
and  all  the  innumerable  vexatious  liiigations 
which  now  disturb  the  peace  of  society,  would 
cease  from  among  men.  P^very  debt  would  ba 
punctually  paid;  every  commodity  sold  at  ita 
just  value  ;  every  article  of  merchandise  exhibit-  .  ♦«  | 
ed  in  its  true  character;  every  promise  failhfulljr  MjC 
performed  ;  every  dispute  amicably  adjusted ;,i  ' 
every  man's  character  held  in  estimation ;  everj 
rogue  and  cheat  banished  from  society ;  and 
every  jail,  bridewell,  and  house  of  correction, 
would  either  be  swept  away,  or  transformed  into 
the  abtides  of  honesty,  industry,  and  peace.  In- 
justice and  oppression  would  no  longer  walk 
triumphant  through  the  world,  while  the  poor, 
the  widow,  and  the  fatherless  were  groaning  un- 
der the  iron  rod  of  those  who  had  deprived  them 
of  every  comfort.  No  longer  would  the  captive 
be  chained  to  a  dungeon,  and  doomed  to  count, 
in  sorrow  and  solitude,  the  many  lr>ng  days  and 
years  he  has  been  banished  from  the  light  of  day 


1EPPECTS  OF  -BENEVOLENCE. 


60 


»nd  the  society  tffhis  dearest  friends.  No  longer 
should  w«)  see  a  hard-hearted  creditor  doom  a 
poor  uiiforiuiiaie  man,  for  the  sake  of  a  few 
shillings  or  pounds,  lo  rot  in  a  jail,  while  his  fa- 
mily, de|irived  of  his  industry,  were  pining  away 
in  wretcheditess  and  want.  No  longer  should 
we  hear  ihe  harsh  creaking  of  iron  doors,  pon- 
derous bulls,  and  the  clanking  of  the  chains  of 
criminals;  nor  the  sighs  and  groans  of  the  poor 
slave,  fainting  under  the  lash,  and  the  reproaches 
of  a  cruel  master.  The  bands  of  the  oppressed 
would  be  l'>i>3ed,  the  captives  would  be  set  at 
liberty,  the  iron  feiters  would  be  burst  asunder, 
and  a  universal  jubilee  proclaimed  ihrouuhout 
every  land.  The  haunts  of  riot  and  debauchery 
would  be  forsaken,  and  their  inmates  hissed  from 
the  abodes  of  men.  The  victims  of  seduction 
would  no  longer  crowd  our  streets  at  the  deal 
hour  of  night,  to  entice  the  "  simple  ones"  into 
the  paths  of  vice  and  destruction ;  but  purity, 
righteousness,  and  peace  would  "  run  down  our 
streets  like  a  river,"  distributing  safety,  happi- 
ness, and  repose. 

The  (onguu  of  the  slanderer  and  the  whisper- 
ings of  the  backbiter  would  no  longer  be  heard  in 
their  malicious  attempts  to  sow  the  seeds  of 
discord  and  contention  among  brethren.  False- 
hood ia  all  its  ramifications,  with  the  numerous 
train  of  evils  it  now  produces,  would  be  banished 
trom  the  intercourses  of  society ;  nor  would 
treachery  prove  the  ruin  of  families  and  societies, 
and  interrupt  the  harmony  of  the  commercial 
and  the  moral  world.  No  longer  should  we  hear 
of  the  embezzling  of  property  by  unfaithful  ser- 
vants, nor  the  blasted  hopes,  the  cruel  disap- 
pointments, and  the  ruin  of  credit  and  of  reputa- 
tion now  produced  by  the  votaries  of  falsehood. 
"The  lips  of  iruih  would  be  established  for  ever," 
and  the  liar  ar^i  deceiver  would  be  hissed  to  the 
shades  of  hell.  Our  property  would  remain 
sacred  and  secure  from  the  thief  and  the  mid- 
night robber,  and  o«ir  persons  from  the  attacks  of 
the  murderer  and  the  ass&ssin.  We  should  no 
longer  hesitate  to  prosecute  our  journeys  by  day 
or  by  nighi  for  fear  of  ihe  footpad  or  the  high- 
wayman, but  should  recognize  every  passenger 
a^  a  friend  and  protector.  Plunder  and  devasu- 
lion  would  cease  from  the  earth  •,  "  violence 
would  no  more  be  heard  in  our  land  •,  nor  wast- 
ing nor  destruction  in  all  our  borders  "  Exe- 
crations  and  malicious  insults  would  never 
harrow  up  the  feelings  of  our  fellow-men,  nor 
would  a  single  instance  of  revenge  he  heard  of 
among  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth. 

Pride,  whicii  now  stalks  about  with  stately 
steps  and  lofty  looks,  surveying  surrounding  in- 
telligences with  feelings  of  contempt,  would  be 
for  ever  bani!<hed  from  the  world.  Ambition 
would  no  longer  wade  through  slaughter  to  a 
throne,  nor  trample  on  the  rights  of  an  injured 
people.  Wars  would  cease  to  the  ends  of  the 
earth,  and  the  instruments  of  human  destruclioo 


would  be  beaten  into  ploughshares  and  pruning- 
hooks.  That  scourge  which  has  drenched  the 
earth  with  human  gore — which  has  convulsed 
every  nation  under  heave^i — which  has  produced 
fnf  jid  more  misery  than  all  the  destructive  ele- 
ments of  nature,  and  which  has  swept  from 
existence  so  many  millions  of  mankind — would 
be  regarded  as  the  eternal  disgrace  of  the  human 
character,  and  the  most  shocking  display  of  de- 
pravity in  the  a.nnals  of  our  race.  No  longer 
should  we  hear  "  the  sound  of  the  trumpet  and 
the  alarm  of  war,"  the  confused  noise  of  "  th« 
horseman  and  the  bowman,"  and  of  the  mighty 
armies  encamping  around  ''  the  city  of  the  inno- 
cent," to  hurl  against  its  walls  the  instruments 
of  destruction.  No  longer  should  we  behold  the 
fires  blazing  on  the  mountain  tops,  to  spread  the 
alarm  of  invading  armies  :  nor  the  city,  which 
was  once  full  of  inhabitants,  "  sitting  solitary," 
without  a  voice  being  heard  within  its  dwellings 
but  the  sighs  of  the  disconsolate  and  the  groans 
of  the  dying.  Human  wolves  thirsting  for  the 
blood  of  nations,  would  cease  to  prowl  among 
men.  Nation  would  not  lift  up  sword  against 
nation,  neither  would  they  learn  war  any  more. 
The  instruments  of  cruelly,  the  stake,  the  rack, 
the  knout,  and  the  lash,  would  no  longer  lacerate 
and  torture  tlie  wretched  culprit ;  cannons,  and 
guns,  and  swords,  and  darts  would  be  forged  no 
more ;  but  the  influence  of  reason  and  affection 
would  preserve  order  and  harmony  throughout 
every  department  of  society.  The  traveller, 
when  landing  on  distant  shores,  and  on  the  i»- 
lands  of  the  ocean,  would  no  longer  be  assailed 
with  stones,  spears,  arrows,  and  other  instru- 
ments of  death,  and  be  obliged  to  flee  from  the 
haunts  of  his  own  species,  to  take  refuge  in  the 
lion's  den,  or  on  the  bosom  of  the  deep ;  but 
would  be  welcomed  as  a  friend  and  a  messenger 
of  peace.  The  animosities  which  now  prevail 
among  religious  bodies  would  cease  ;  the  nick- 
names by  which  tho-difTerent  sects  of  religionists 
have  been  distinguished,  would  be  erased  from 
the  vocabulary  of  every  language  ;  Christians 
would  feel  ashamed  of  those  jealousies  and  evil 
surmisings  which  they  have  so  long  manifested 
towards  each  other,  and  an  affectionate  and  har^ 
monious  intercourse  would  be  established  among 
all  the  churches  of  the  saints. 

These,  and  a  thousand  other  evils,  which  now 
render  this  world  a  vast  wilderness  of  perturba- 
tion, wretchedness,  and  sorrow,  woidd  be  com- 
pletely eradicated,  were  the  principle  of  holy  lov« 
in  incessant  operation ;  and  in  their  place  a 
scene  of  loveliness  and  moral  beauty  would  burst 
upon  the  view,  which  would  diffuse  joy  and 
ecstatic  delight  through  every  bosom. 

Every  family  would  become  a  mansion  of 
peace  and  love — a  temple  consecated  to  the 
God  of  heaven,  from  which  the  incense  of  prayer, 
and  praise,  and  pious  aspirations,  would  daily 
ascend  in  sweet  memorial  to  the  throne  4iboTe. 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


Domettle  broiU  and  con'entions  would  cease ; 
brother*  mid  iiisier*  would  be  cemened  iii  the 
olosett  biiii.U  ul'huly  alFcction  ;  the  law  of  kiiid> 
ncM  wuuhl  awcll  their  hearts  and  dM'ell  u|>un 
their  tongii<-:i ;  serenltjr  and  joy,  and  a  desire  to 
please,  wxuid  appear  un  every  countenance  ;  a 
mutual  cxchiiiige  uf  sentiment  and  generous 
affections  w<hiU  circulate  juy  from  faiiier  to  son, 
and  from  children  to  parents;  and  all  ihe  mem- 
bers of  the  Idinily  circle,  animated  by  the  same 
benevuleni  spirit,  would  "  dwell  together  in 
unity."  I'u  cuniinunicate  useful  knowledge,  to 
train  each  oiher  to  piety  and  virtue,  to  point  out 
the  different  spiieres  in  which  benevolence  should 
act,  to  a3!ll^il  in  every  kindly  office,  to  suoth  each 
other  in  disiress,  and  to  direct  each  other  in  the 
path  to  an  endless  life,  would  be  the  unceasing 
desire  and  ende.ivour  of  every  inmate  of  the 
family  mansion.  From  every  such  mansion,  the 
radiations  uf  love  would  fly  from  family  to  family, 
from  one  humlet  and  village  to  another,  from  one 
town  and  ciiy  to  another,  from  one  nation  to 
another,  and  from  one  continent  to  another,  till 
all  the  families  of  the  earth  were  converted  into 
"  the  dwellings  of  the  God  of  Jacob." 

In  larger  communities  the  principle  of  love 
would  etfeciuae  a  mighty  change.  That  spirit 
of  jealousy  and  selfishness,  of  avarice  and  mono- 
poly, which  now  produces  so  many  jarrings,  con- 
tentions, and  collisions  of  interests  among  town 
councils.  Corporations,  and  other  smaller  asso- 
ciations, would  cease  to  operate.  Every  one 
would  see  and  /ee/,  that  the  prosperity  of  the 
whole  is  also  the  prosperity  of  every  portion  of 
the  general  community.  Boisterous  disputa- 
tions, sneers,  hisses,  reproaches,  and  angry  pas- 
sions, would  be  banished  from  the  deliberations 
of  every  society  ;  and  candour,  good-will,  and 
kindly  afTeoiions  would  animate  the  minds  of  all 
its  members.  Righteous  laws  would  be  enacted, 
and  distributive  jusiice  equitably  administered. 
Every  nation  would  f()rm  one  great  and  harmoni- 
ous family  ;  all  its  members  being  linke  I  together 
by  the  ties  uf  kindness  and  reciprocal  affection. 
Its  magistrates  would  become  "  nursing  fathers" 
to  the  whole  body  of  the  people,  to  promote  their 
peace,  their  domestic  comfort,  their  knowledge, 
and  their  general  improvement ;  and  throughout 
all  ranks  of  the  community  nothing  would  ap- 
pear but  submission,  obedience,  reverence,  and 
respect. 

The  mutual  intercourse  of  nations  would  be 
established  on  the  principles  of  friendship  and 
affection,  and  on  the  basis  of  immutable  jusiice 
and  eternal  truth.  Raised  above  petty  jealousies, 
secure  from  the  alarms  of  war,  and  viewing  each 
Other  as  branches  nf  the  same  great  familv,  and 
as  children  of  the  same  Almighty  Parent, — 
every  nation  and  empire  wouU  feel  an  interest 
in  promoting  the  prosperity  of  another,  and  would 
rejoice  in  beholding  its  happiness  and  improve- 
tnent.  Commerce  would  be  free  and  unshackled, 


and  the'  productions  of  nature  and  of  aft  < 
quickly  be  trani)|H>ried  into  tyery  nation  froai 
every  clime.  Travellers  aivl  navigators  wou(4 
visit  foreign  shores  without  daiijter  r>r  alarm  from 
insidious  or  hostile  tribes,  and  would  land  on 
the  most  obscure  island  of  the  ocean,  fully  as- 
sured of  protection  and  comfort,  and  the  wel- 
come of  friendship  and  affection.  Every  vessel 
that  ploughed  the  deep  would  brcome  a  floatmg 
temple,  from  which  incense  and  a  pure  offering 
would  daily  ascend  to  the  Ruler  of  the  skies  i 
and  its  mariners  would  join,  with  one  heart  and 
one  mind,  in  imploring  upon  each  other  the  bless- 
ing and  protection  of  the  God  of  heaven.  The 
beams  of  love  and  affection  would  gladden  every 
land,  and  add  a  new  luslre  to  ihe  natural  beauties 
of  its  landscape.  The  inhabitants  of  China  and 
Japan  would  l>e  hailed  as  benefactors  when  they 
arrivrd  on  our  coasts  with  their  cargoes  of  tea, 
sugar,  silk,  and  porcelain ;  and  the  natives  of 
France  and  Great  Britain,  when  they  transport- 
ed their  manufactures  to  these  distant  empires, 
would  be  welcomed  as  friends,  and  conducted, 
without  the  least  jeakiusy  or  suspicion,  through 
ail  their  cities  and  rural  scenes,  to  survey  the 
beauties  of  nature  and  art  with  which  those 
couniries  are  adorned.  The  natives  of  Papua 
and  New-Zealand  would  land  on  our  shores 
without  spears,  or  darts,  or  other  hostile  wea- 
pons, and  be  recognized  as  friends  and  brethren  ; 
and  our  countrymen,  when  traversing  the  dif- 
ferent regions  of  the  globe,  would  alwa'^s  meet 
with  a  cordial  reception  when  landing  on  their 
catsts.  For  national  jealousies  and  antipathies 
would  cease  ;  and  instead  of  selfish  and  revenge- 
ful passions,  reason  would  be  cultivated,  and 
its  powers  expanded  ;  the  smile  of  benevolence 
and  the  hand  of  benefice  nee  would  gladden  the 
inhabitants  of  every  clime,  and  "righteousness 
and  praise  would  spring  forth  before  all  the 
nations." 

Under  the  benignant  influence  of  the  spirit  of 
love,  useful  intelligence  of  every  description 
would  bo  rapidlv  and  extensively  communicated; 
the  sciences  would  be  improve*!,  and  carried 
forward  to  [wrfoction  ;  the  jealousies  which 
now  exist  among  scientific  men  would  cease  to 
operate,  and  every  fact  on  which  science  is 
built  would  be  impartially  investigated,  and  ex- 
hibited in  its  true  aspect ;  the  arts  would  flourish, 
and  be  carried  to  the  highest  pitch  of  improve- 
ment ;  no  secrets  in  arts  or  trades  would  be  lock- 
ed up  in  the  brea.tt  of  the  discoverer  ;  but  every 
useful  hint  would  at  once  be  communicated  to 
the  public;  every  invention  woukJ  uniformly  be 
applied  to  the  promotion  of  a  benevolent  ob- 
ject, and  the  arts  of  destniction  wouW  cease  to 
be  cultivated,  and  be  held  in  universal  detesta- 
tion. Under  the  hand  of  art.  the  habitations  of 
men  would  be  beautified  and  adorned,  to  coi^ 
respond  with  the  purity  and  improvement  of 
their  moral  feeling,  aod  a  new  luslre  would 


EFFECTS  OF  BENEVOLENCE. 


S\ 


be  thrown  ovt"  the  face  of  nature.  Towns  and 
villages  woulc<  be  built  on  spacious  plans,  divest- 
ed of  all  that  gloom  and  filth  which  now  disgrace 
the  abodes  of  millions  of  human  beings,  and 
which  form  an  emblem  of  their  physical  and 
moral  wretchedness ;  and  the  landscape  of  every 
country  would  present  a  scene  of  grandeur,  fertil- 
ity, and  picturesque  beauty.  Those  immense 
treasures  which  have  been  so  long  expended  in 
the  arts  if  war  and  devastation  would  be  em- 
ployed in  turning  immense  deserts  into  fruitful 
fields,  in  beautifying  the  aspect  of  rural  nature, 
in  planiing  orchards  and  vineyards,  in  forming 
spacious  roads,  in  establishing  seminaries  of 
instruction,  in  erecting  comfortable  habitations 
for  the  lower  orders  of  society,  and  promoting 
their  domestic  enjoyjnent.  What  an  immense 
variety  of  obj-cts  of  this  description  would  be 
accomplished  within  the  limits  of  Great  Britain 
by  means  of  a  thousand  millions  of  pounds,  which 
we  all  know  have  been  lately  expended  within 
the  space  of  twenty-four  years,  in  carrying  for- 
ward the  work  of  destruction  ! 

Under  the  influence  of  the  reign  of  love,  the 
instruction  of  all  ranks,  in  every  department  of 
useful  knowledge,  would  be  rapidly  promoted  ; 
ignorance  and  error,  with  all  their  attendant 
evils,  would  soon  evanish  from  the  minds  even 
■of  the  lowest  orders  of  society  ;  seminaries  would 
be  erected  and  established  on  a  liberal  basis,  for 
instructing  every  class  of  mankind  in  all  those 
branches  of  science  which  tend  to  expand  the 
capacity  of  the  human  raind,  and  to  extend  the 
range  of  its  contemplations.-;  the  hours  of  active 
labour  would  be  abridged,  in  order  that  they 
might  have  leisure  for  the  cultivation  of  their 
understanding  and  the  exercise  of  their  moral 
powers.  To  add  to  their  stock  of  knowledge, 
and  to  increase  the  sum  of  happiness  around 
them,  would  be  considered  as  interesting  and  as 
delightful  as  it  now  is  to  the  sons  of  Mammon 
to  "  add  house  to  house,  and  field  to  field,''  and 
to  riot  on  the  eains  of  avarice.  Societies  would 
be  formed  for  mutual  improvement  in  knowledge 
and  virtue  ;  lectures  delivered  on  every  interest- 
ing and  useful  subject;  experiments  performed  to 
illustrate  the  order  and  mechanism  of  nature  ; 
and  instruments  of  every  description  procured 
for  exh. biting  the  wisdom  and  omnipotence  of 
the  Creator  and  the  glories  of  the  universe.  The 
revelation  of  heaven  would  be  studied  with  in- 
telligence in  all  its  aspects  and  bearings,  and 
every  passion,  affection,  and  active  exertion 
would  be  directed  by  its  moral  requisitions. 
The  human  mind,  thus  trained  and  carried  for- 
ward in  wisdom  and  holiness,  would  shed  a 
moral  radiance  around  it,  and  be  gradually  pre- 
pared for  entering  on  a  higher  scene  of  contem- 
plation and  enjoyment. 

Amonir  all  ranks  of  men,  a  spirit  of  selfishness 
and  avarice  would  be  extinguished,  and  in  itj> 
-stead  a  spirit  of  noble  generosity  and  beae&- 


cence  would  pervade  the  whole  mass  of  society. 
That  divine  maxim  inculcated  by  our  Saviour, 
"  //  is  more  blexsed  to  givethan  to  receive"  would 
be  engraven  on  every  heart,  and  appear  in  every 
action.  This  sublime  principle  forms  a  promi- 
nent trait  in  the  character  of  God,  and  in  all  his 
arrangements  towards  his  creatures;  and  it  ani- 
mates the  minds  of  superior  intelligences  in  their 
assi>ciations  with  each  other,  and  in  their  occa- 
sional intercourses  with  the  inhabitants  of  our 
world.  In  imitation  of  these  glorious  beings,  the 
human  race  would  consider  it  as  the  grand  end 
of  their  existence,  not  merely  to  acquire  wealth, 
knowledge,  or  power,  but  to  employ  themselves 
in  the  unceasing  ditfusion  of  beneficence  to  all 
around.  To  communicate  happiness  through- 
out all  the  ranks  of  their  fellow-men  with  whom 
they  mingle,  to  sooth  the  disconsolate  and  the 
desponding,  to  relieve  the  distressed,  to  instruct 
the  ignorant,  to  expand  the  intellect,  to  animate 
and  direct  the  benevolent  affections,  to  increase 
the  enjoyments  of  the  lower  orders  of  the  com- 
munity, to  direct  the  opening  minds  of  the  young, 
to  lead  them  by  gentle  steps  into  the  paths  of 
wisdom  and  holiness,  and  to  promote  every 
scheme  which  has  a  relation  to  the  public  good, 
would  form  the  constant  aim  of  all  conditions  of 
men  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest.  Every  house 
would  be  open  to  the  weary  and  benighted  travel- 
ler, every  heart  would  welcome  him  to  the  re- 
freshments and  repose  it  afforded,  every  coun- 
tenance would  beam  benignity,  every  comfort 
would  be  afforded,  every  wish  anticipated,  and 
every  stranger  thus  entertained  would  "  bless 
the  mansion,"  and  implore  the  benediction  of 
heaven  on  all  its  inmates.  The  houseless  child 
of  want  would  no  longer  wander  amidst  scenes 
of  plenty,  tattered  and  forlorn,  pinched  with  po- 
verty, exposed  to  the  piercing  blasts,  and  obliged 
to  repose  under  the  open  canopy  of  heaven,  (or 
want  of  more  comfortable  shelter ;  the  poor 
would  soon  cease  out  of  the  land,  every  one 
would  be  active  and  industrious,  and  every  one 
would  enjoy  a  comfortable  portion  of  the  boun- 
ties of  Providence.  And  what  a  happy  world 
would  it  be  were  kindness  and  affection  the  cha- 
racteristic of  all  its  inhabitants!  The  face  of 
nature  would  wear  a  more  cheering  aspect,  "  the 
desert  would  rejoice  and  blossom  as  the  rose," 
the  flowers  would  look  more  gay,  the  "  little  hills" 
would  be  encircled  with  joy,  the  light  of  heaven 
would  appear  more  glorious  and  transporting,  a 
thousand  delightful  emotions  would  spring  up  in 
the  mind  amidst  every  rural  scene,  and  every  so 
cial  intercourse  would  be  a  source  of  unmingled 
bliss.  Paradise  would  be  restored,  heaven  would 
descend  to  earth,  and  an  emblem  would  be  pre- 
sented of  the  joys  of  the  blessed  above. 

O  blissful  and  aiis|iicious  era  !     When  wik 
thou  arrive  to  still  the  restless  agitation  of  ma- 
lignant passions,  to  promote  peace  on  earth  and  * 
good  will  among  men  ?    When  will  the  benere* 


62 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


lenc«  of  kngela  and  archangels  descend  to  dwell 
with  man  upon  earth,  to  expel  aeltUhneM  from 
the  hum.in  breast,  to  hush  every  dis<>rd>:red  aflec- 
tion,  and  lo  restore  tranquillity  and  ordiT  among 
the  bewildered  race  of  Adam  ?  When  will  the 
spirit  of  love,  in  all  its  beneficent  energies,  de- 
■cend  from  the  Father  of  light  tu  arrest  the  con- 
vulsions of  nations,  to  heal  the  wounds  of  suffer- 
ing humanity,  to  transform  fields  of  slaughter  into 
regions  uf  tranquillity,  to  soften  the  ferocious 
tempers  of  ''  the  people  who  delight  in  war,"  to 
unite  in  one  holy  and  harmonious  society  men  of 
every  language  and  of  every  tribe?  Not  till 
Christianity  shall  have  shed  its  lienign  influ- 
ence on  erery  lend;  not  till  "the  knowledge  of 
the  Lord  shall  cover  the  earth,''  and  the  can- 
nons, and  swords,  and  spears,  and  battle-axes 
of  the  warrior  shall  be  broken  to  shivers,  and 
forged  into  ploughshares  and  pruning-hooks. 
"  Then  shall  the  wolf  dwell  with  the  lamb,  and 
the  leopard  shall  lie  down  with  the  kid,  and  the 
calf,  and  the  young  lion,  and  the  fatling  toge- 
ther, and  a  iilile  child  shall  lead  them."  "  Then 
judgment  shall  dwell  in  the  wilderness,  and 
righteoU'tness  in  the  fruitful  field.  And  the  work 
of  righteousness  shall  be  peace,  and  the  effect  of 
righteousne^is,  quietness  and  assurance  for  ever. 
And  all  people  shall  dwell  in  peaceable  habitations, 
and  insuredwellings,and  inquiet  resting-places." 
In  fine,  under  the  reign  of  love,  roost  of  the 
evils,  both  |>hysical  and  moral,  under  which  men 
are  now  doomed  to  suffer,  would  be  either  greatly 
mitigated  or  completely  abolished.  It  is  scarcely 
too  much  to  affirm,  that  nine-tenths  of  all  the 
evils  that  affect  humanity  are  the  result  of  the 
malice  and  unkindness  of  mankind  towards  each 
Other.  If  all  the  sorrow  and  wretchedness  pro- 
duced by  fraud,  falsehood,  avarice,  extortion, 
injustice,  oppression,  perjury,  seduction,  trea- 
chery, litiga  ions,  slander,  pride,  ambition,  re- 
venge, ronbery,  murder,  plunder,  and  devasta- 
tion, were  extirpated,  little  would  remain  besides 
the  incidental  evils  which  occasionally  flow  from 
the  elements  of  nature.  And  even  these  would 
be  greaily  mitigated  by  the  benevolent  operations 
of  art,  dire  ted  by  the  discoveries  of  science.  By 
clearing  the  surface  of  the  globe  of  immense 
foreats,  by  draining  stagnant  marshes,  and  by 
the  universal  cultivation  and  improvement  of  the 
foil,  the  seasons  would  be  meliorated,  and 
■torm«  and  temjtests  would  be  deprived  of  their 
wonted  violence  and  fury;  and  the  partial  phy- 
■ical  evils  which  still  remained  would  be  almost 
annihilated  to  the  sufferer,  by  the  sympathy, 
and  tendeiness,  aitd  the  kind  and  fostering  hand 
of  universal  benevolence.  Where  virtue,  tem- 
perance, serenity  of  mind,  and  social  joy  reigned 
triumphant,  and  where  none  of  the  ghasily  phan- 
toraa  of  skepticism  and  superstition  haunted  the 
mind,  dMNi^e  would  seldom  invade  the  human 
frame ;  the  span  of  mortal  existence  would  be 
exlaoded ;  death   wouU  become  calm  and  tran- 


quil, and  every  one  wo<ild  "  come  to  hia  grave, 
like  as  a  shock  of  com  coroeth  in  hia  srasua.* 
In  short,  under  (he  influence  of  the  emanatioM 
of  love,  malignity  wjuld  be  transformed  iuto  be- 
nevolence, vice  into  virtue,  oppreasion  into  jiuh 
tice,  cruelty  into  sympathy  and  tenderness,  set- 
fishiiess  into  beneficence,  conientiun  into  unity 
and  friendship.fraiid  in:t<  honesty ,  avarice  into  g^ 
neroaiiy,  pride  into  humility,  wretchedness  into 
comfort,  sorrow  into  joy ,  war  into  peace,  and  this 
spacious  globe,  now  the  receptacle  of  misery  and 
vice,  would  be  tran^ifurmed  into  ibu  temple  of 
concord,  happiness,  and  peace. 

Such  are  some  of  the  beneficial  effects  which 
would  be  experienced  in  the  social  state  of  the 
human  race,  were  a  princi(>le  of  benevolence  to 
pervade  the  mmds  of  mankind.  The  immeiMe 
mass  of  moral  evils,  under  which  the  earih  now 
grotuis,  would  be  removed  ;  the  moral  aspect  of 
society,  in  every  nation,  would  assume  a  new 
lustre  of  lovelinests  and  excellence;  and  nature 
herself  would  be  arrayed  in  new  robes  of  grace- 
fulness and  beauty.  For  it  wouM  be  easy  to 
show,  were  it  at  all  necessary,  that  every  parti- 
cular now  stated,  and  a  thousand  similar  effecta, 
would  be  the  natural  and  necesto;^  results  of  lovt, 
when  it  becomes  the  mainspring  of  human  actions 

I  shall  now  shortly  trace  some  of  ihe  effects  of 
love,  coaoidered  as  directed  more  immediately 
towards  God. 

Supreme  love  to  God  would  excite  compla- 
cency in  his  character  and  perfections ;  and  piety, 
in  all  its  fervent  and  dulighirul  emotions,  would 
naturally  flow  upwards  to  the  fountain  of  all 
purity.  His  glorious  character  would  be  vene- 
rated, and  his  name  revered  over  all  the  earth ; 
trophies  would  be  erected  to  his  honour,  and  tent- 
pies  consecrated  to  his  worship  in  every  land. 
Crowds  of  worshippers,  beaming  benignity  and 
devotion,  would  be  held  in  every  region,  con- 
verging towards  the  "  dwelling-place"  of  the 
Most  High,  and  enc<iuraging  one  another  in  such 
language  as  this  :  "  Come  ye  and  let  us  go  up 
to  the  mountain  of  the  Lord,  to  the  house  of  the 
God  of  Jacob,  and  he  will  teach  us  of  his  ways, 
and  we  will  walk  in  his  paths."  With  enlight- 
ened views  of  the  attributes  of  Jehovah,  with 
glowing  affections,  and  with  profound  reverence, 
would  they  join  in  the  sublime  exercises  of  the 
sanctuary,  and  listen  to  the  intimations  of  his 
will.  All  voices  would  be  tuned  lo  melodious 
strains,  and  the  solemn  organ,  and  tho«e  instru- 
ments of  music  which  are  now  devoted  to  Ihe 
gratificaiion  of  the  sons  of  fashionable  folly  and 
di-isipalion,  would  harmonize  in  exciting  devo- 
tional affections,  and  in  swelling  the  song  of  sal- 
vation "  to  Him  who  siis  upon  the  ihrone,  and  to 
the  Lamb  who  halh  redeemed  us  to  Go<l  by  hia 
blofxi."  Every  landscape,  in  every  point  of 
view,  would  presoni  a  noble  edifice  devoted  lothe 
worship  of  the  God  of  heaven,  adorned  with  every 
majestic  decoration  suitable  to  its  sanctity,  and 


EFFECTS  OF  BENEVOLENCE. 


63 


naring  its  spacious  dome  above  all  the  surround- 
ing habitations  of  men.  Its  gates  "  would  be 
open  continually  ;  *.hey  would  not  be  shut  day  nor 
nigiit,"  that  men  might  have  access  at  all  sea- 
sons to  bring  "  incense  and  a  pure  offering"  to 
the  shrine  of  Jehovah.  The  whole  earth  would 
soon  be  converted  into  one  universal  temple,  sa- 
cred to  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  from  which,  thanksgiving,  and  the  voice 
of  melo<ly,  and  the  holy  aspirations  of  gratitude 
and  love,  would  ascend  to  heaven  without  inter- 
mission, and  in  every  direction,  from  the  regions 
of  the  north  to  the  regions  of  the  south,  and 
"  from  the  rising  of  the  sun  to  the  going  down 
of  the  same."  Solemn  seasons  would  be  ap- 
pointed, and  spacious  plains  consecrated  for  the 
assembling  of  ten  thousands  of  "  the  sons  of 
God,"  not  for  carnage  and  devastation,  as  when 
the  warrior  "  mustereth  the  armies  to  the  battle," 
but  "  to  rehearse  the  mighty  acts  of  the  Lord," 
to  exchange  sentiments  and  feelings  of  affec- 
tionate regard,  and  to  swell  the  song  of  triumph 
over  sin  and  misery,  with  the  harmony  of  human 
voices  and  musical  instruments,  in  one  loud 
chorus  to  the  skies.  Then  the  name  of  Jehovah 
would  be  One  throughout  all  the  earth.  "  All 
his  works  would  praise  him,  and  his  saints  would 
bless  him.  They  would  abundantly  utter  the 
memory  of  his  great  goodness,  they  would  speak 
of  the  glorious  honour  of  his  majesty,  and  sing 
of  his  righteousness." 

Among  all  ranks  of  men  cordial  submission  to 
the  will  of  God,  and  contentment  under  the 
arrangements  of  his  providence  would  be  uni- 
formly manifested.  Every  one  would  consider 
the  situation  in  which  Providence  had  placed 
him  as  the  best  possible  for  promoting  his  present 
improvement  and  his  future  felicity,  viewing  it 
as  the  allotment  of  infinite  wisdom  and  benevo- 
lence. In  adversity  he  would  sustain  his  afflic- 
tions with  patience,  and  derive  from  them  "  the 
peaceable  fruits  of  righteousness."  In  prosperity 
he  would  acknowledge  God  as  the  source  of  all 
his  enjoyments,  and  devote  the  wealth  and  influ- 
ence he  possessed  to  the  promotion  of  religion, 
and  the  best  interests  of  his  fellow-men.  By 
day,  and  by  night,  and  at  every  returning  sea- 
son, the  overflowings  of  gratitude,  in  every 
heart,  would  burst  forth  in  songs  of  thanksgiving 
to  the  Giver  of  all  good.  Every  comfort  would 
be  recognized  as  "  coming  down  from  the  Fa- 
ther of  lights,"  and  every  pleasing  sensation 
produced  by  the  scenery  of  nature,  as  the  result 
of  his  wisdom  and  beneficence.  His  wonderful 
works,  which  are  now  overlooked,  or  gazed  at 
with  apathy  by  nine-tenths  of  the  inhabitants  of 
the  globe, would  be  contemplated  with  enlightened 
understandings,  and  with  emotions  of  reverence, 
admiration,  and  delight.  The  majestic  move- 
ments of  the  planetary  orbs,  the  glories  of  the 
starry  sky,  the  light  beaming  from  a  thousand 
stins  through  the  immeasurable  voids  of  spaco,  the 


mighty  ocean  with  all  its  wonders,  the  numerous  - 

rivers  rolling  into  its  abyss,  the  lofty  ranoes  of 
mountains  which  encircle  the  earth,  the  treasures 
of  the  fields,  the  riches  of  the  mines,  the  beau-  i 

ties  which  adorn  the  hills  and  plams,  the  won-         i 
ders  of  the  atmosphere,  the  admirable  structure 
and  economy  of  the  numerous  tribes  of  animated  ' 

beings, — these,  and  thousands  of  other   objects, 
considered  as  manifestations  of  the  attributes  of 
Deity,  would  supply   topics  of  conversation  in         ^ 
every  social  circle,  on  which  every  heart   would         ' 
dwell  with   increasing  delight.      "  They   would  ' 

speak  of  the  glory  of  his  kingdom,  and  talk  of 
his  power,  to  make  known  to  the  sons  of  men 
his  mighty  acts,  and  the  glorious  majesty  of  his 
kingdom."  The  work  of  human  redemption,  in  i 
its  origin  and  progress,  in  its  connexions  and  ' 
bearings,  in  the  lustre  it  reflects  on  the  perfec-  ! 
tions  of  the  Deity,  in  its  relation  to  the  angelic 
tribes,  and  in  its  glorious  and  happy  conse- 
quences on  thousands  of  millions  of  human  b&> 
ings  throughout  an  eternal  round  of  existence — 
the  person  of  the  Redeemer,  his  amiable  cha- 
racter, his  grace  and  condescension,  and  the 
glories  of  his  exalted  state — the  joys  of  departed 
saints,  the  general  resurrection,  with  all  its 
solemn  and  transporting  scenes,  the  new  hea- 
vens and  the  new  earth,  and  the  boundless  scene 
of  grandeur  and  felicity  which  will  open  to  the 
view  when  death  shall  be  swallowed  up  in  vio 
tory,  and  all  things  subjected  to  the  moral  order 
of  the  universe,  would  afford  subjects  of  sublime 
contemplation,  and  themes  for  social  converse, 
on  which  enlightened  and  renovated  minds 
would  expatiate  with  ever-growing  improve- 
ment and  ever-growing  pleasures. 

The  providential  dispensations  of  God  to- 
wards the  human  race,  would  form  another 
subject  of  investigation,  which  would  be  prose- 
cuted with  feelings  of  astonishment,  admiration, 
and  reverence.  The  history  of  all  nations 
would  be  carefully  perused — not  for  the  purpose 
of  admiring  the  exploits  of  mighty  conquerors 
and  barbarous  heroes,  and  feasting  the  imagina- 
tion on  spectacles  of  human  slaughter  and  devas- 
tation— but  for  exciting  abhorrence  of  those  de- 
praved passions  which  had  drenched  the  earth 
with  blood — for  drawing  forth  the  tear  of  pity  over 
the  graves  of  slaughtered  nations — (or  stimu- 
lating the  exercise  of  those  holy  affections  which 
restored  peace  and  tranquillity  to  the  world — for 
acquiring  a  display  of  the  rectitude  of  the  moral 
character  of  God,  and  the  equity  of  his  admi- 
nistration among  the  nations — for  tracing  the 
accomplishment  of  divine  predictions — for  illus- 
trating the  long-suffering  and  forbearance  of 
God,  and  for  exciting  admiration  of  that  inscru- 
table wisdom  by  which  the  whole  train  of  events 
was  conducted,  so  as  to  set  restraining  boimds 
to  the  wrath  of  man,  and  to  make  it  subservient 
to  the  introduction  of  the  reign  of  happiness  and 
peace.     lo  all  the  revolutions  of  past  ages,  and 


64 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGTOK. 


in  all  the  erents  tiMt  daily  patscd  in  reWew 
before  Ihem,  ihcy  wmild  uiiifortnly  rccfignite  ihe 
agency  and  the  |)iir)KMe«  t>f  that  Almighty  Bein^ 
"  wbotloth  according  loliia  will  in  the  armiea  o( 
heaven,  and  among  ih«  inhabitants  of  the  earth," 
and  who  is  carrving  forward  all  ihn  plans  ofhia 
coverninent  to  a  glorious  conKUinmaliun. 

Every  uscfal  invention,  every  new  instrument 
tor  investigating  the  operations  of  nature,  every 
new  discovery  in  Ihe  earth,  or  in  the  heavens, 
«Tery  exploration  of  an  unknown  region  of  the 
globe,  every  branch  of  commerce  and  nianufac- 
tare,  every  new  mode  of  faciliiating  labour  and 
improving  the  productions  of  the  soil ;  every 
improvement  in  the  ease  and  rapidity  of  travel- 
ling, and  of  conveying  intelligence  from  one  re- 
gion to  another,  and  every  art  and  science, 
would  be  consecrated,  in  some  form  or  other,  to 
Ihe  service  of  God,  and  to  the  accomplishment 
of  the  objects  of  general  benevolence.  One 
grand  diffusive  principle,  manifesting  its«lf  in 
numberless  ramifications,  would  pervade  the 
whole  mass  of  society ;  and  one  grand  aim,  the 
honour  and  glory  of  the  Creator,  and  the  uni- 
versal diffusion  of  happiness  in  every  direction, 
and  among  every  rank  of  sentient  and  intelligent 
beings,  would  be  the  unceasing  endeavour  of 
men  of  all  nations,  and  kindreds,  and  languages. 
The  whole  mass  of  this  world's  inhabitants 
would  appear  like  one  vast  celestial  army  march- 
ing forward  in  harmony  to  the  regions  of  bliss, 
every  one,  in  his  appointed  order,  passing  in 
peace  and  tranquillity  through  the  gates  of  death, 
to  join  the  general  assembly  above,  and  to  aug- 
ment and  enliven  the  congregation  of  the 
heavens. 

On  such  a  world  the  God  of  heaven  would 
look  down  with  complacency,  and  his  providen- 
tial care  would  be  exercised  in  averting  those 
physical  evils  which  now  increase  the  moral 
wretchedness  of  mankind.  His  eye  would  be 
continually  upon  them  for  good,  and  his  ear 
would  be  ever  open  to  their  requests.  Then 
that  glorious  scene  presented  to  the  view  of  the 
apostle  John,  would  be  fully  realized, — "  Be- 
hold the  tabernacle  of  God  is  with  men,  and  he 
will  dwell  with  them  ;  and  they  ahall  be  his  peo- 
ple, and  God  himself  shall  be  with  them,  and  be 
their  God.  And  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears 
from  their  eyes,  and  there  shall  be  no  more 
enrse,  neither  sorrow  nor  crying,  neither  shall 
th«re  be  any  more  pain  ;  for  the  former  things 
kav«  passed  away."  To  such  a  world  celestial 
OMssengers  woukl  rejoice  to  wing  their  down- 
ward flight,  on  messages  of  k>ve.  Their  visits, 
which  have  been  "few,  and  far  between," and 
which  have  been  long  interrupted  by  the  malevo- 
lence of  men,  would  bo  again  resumed  ;  and 
those  "  rooming  stars"  that  shouted  for  joy 
when  this  fair  creation  aroae  into  existence, 
would  be  filled  with  nmitterable  delight  when 
they  beheld  moral  order  realored,  and  the  lailee 


of  universal  love  irradiating  the  inhabitant!  dt 
our  globe,  and  wouhl  shout  even  wiiii  nKire 
ecstatic  joy  than  they  did  before,  "  Glory  to  God 
in  the  highest,  peace  on  earth,  and  good  will 
amoH);  men !" 

Alas !  such  a  picture  as  that  which  we  have 
now  fdintly  sketched,  hay  never  yet  been  realize*^ 
in  the  moral  aspect  of  the  inhabiianin  of  this 
world.  To  the  eye  of  an  angelic  inielligence, 
while  he  hovers  over  our  globe  in  his  flight 
through  the  plarwiary  regions,  nothing  appears 
but  a  vast  cloud  of  moral  darkness  and  depravity, 
with  here  and  there  only  a  few  (aint  radiations 
of  truth  and  love  emerging  from  the  general 
gloom.  He  beholds  throughout  the  whole  extent 
of  Afl-ica,  from  the  shores  of  Barhary  and  EgypI 
to  the  Ca|ie  of  Good  Hope — throughout  the  vast 
regions  of  Asia  and  its  numerous  islands,  and 
throughout  four-fifths  of  the  continent  of  America, 
little  else  than  one  wide  scene  of  moral  desola- 
tion, where  idolatry  and  superstition,  tyranny 
and  ambition,  treachery  and  cruelty,  war  and 
dissension,  reign  triumphant  among  almost  every 
tribe;  and  where  scarcely  a  ray  of  divine  light 
and  divine  love  gilds  the  horizon,  from  the  one 
end  of  these  extensive  regions  to  the  other. 
Even  in  Europe,  where  the  light  of  science  and 
of  revelation  is  converged  to  a  focus,  what  an 
immense  cloud  of  nwral  darkness  still  appears  en- 
veloping its  population  ?  The  fields  of  Waterloo, 
of  Leipsic,  of  Bnrodina,  and  of  Smolensko, 
where  so  many  thousands  of  human  beings 
were  sacrificed  to  the  denxin  of  war — the  vales 
of  Switzerland  and  Hungary,  the  plains  of 
France  and  Italy,  the  anarchy  and  commotions 
of  Spain  and  Portugal,  and  the  ensanguined 
shores  of  Turkey  and  Greece,  where  massacres 
have  been  perpetrated  with  the  rage  and  fury  of 
infernal  demons,  bear  witness  to  the  melancholy 
fact,  that  hatred  and  malignity  still  hold  the  as- 
cendency over  the  nations  of  Europe,  and  over 
all  the  efforts  of  benevolence  and  love. 

But,  wc  trust,  that  the  period  is  fast  approach- 
ing, when  the  breath  of  a  new  spirit  shall 
pervade  the  inhabitants  of  every  dime,  and  when 
holy  love  shall  unite  all  the  tribes  of  mankind  in 
one  harmonious  society.  When  the  messen- 
gers of  the  Prince  of  Peace  "  shall  run  to  and 
fro"  from  the  north  to  the  south,  and  from  the 
rising  to  the  setting  sun :  when  the  soimd  of  the 
goepel-trumpet  shall  re-echo  throughout  every 
land  ;  when  the  light  of  divine  revelation  shall 
diffuse  its  radiance  on  the  benighted  nations; 
when  its  sublime  doctrines  and  moral  requisi- 
tions shall  be  fully  understood  and  recognized  in 
all  their  practical  bearings,  and  when  the  energy 
of  (hat  Almighty  spirit  which  reduced  to  light 
and  order  the  dArk  and  shapeless  chaos,  shall 
be  exerted  on  the  depraved  and  benighted  minda 
of  the  mass  of  this  world's  population — then  the 
death-like  slumber  which  has  seixed  upon  the 
race  of  Adam  shall  be  broken ;  the  dead  in 


UNIVERSALITY  OF  THE  PRINCIPLE  OF  LOVE. 


65 


trespasses  and  sins  shall  awake  to  new  life  and 
activity ;  this  bedlam  of  the  universe  will  be  restor- 
ed to  reason  and  intellectual  freedom,  and  to  the 
society  of  angelic  messengers,  and  the  face  of  the 
moral  creation  will  be  renewed  after  the  image 
of  its  maker.  Then  wars  shall  cease  to  the 
ends  of  the  earth,  and  anarchy  and  dissension 
shall  convulse  the  nations  no  more ;  violence 
will  no  more  be  heard  in  any  land,  "  liberty  will 
be  proclaimed  to  the  captives,  and  the  opening  of 
the  prison-doors  to  them  that  are  bound."  The 
spirit  of  malevolence  will  be  vanquished,  its 
power  will  be  broken,  and  its  operations  demo- 
lished. The  order  and  beauty  of  the  celestial 
systern  will  be  restored.  "  Holiness  to  the 
Lord"  will  be  inscribed  on.  all  the  implements 
and  employments  of  mankind.  Kindness  and 
compassion  will  form  the  amiable  characteristic 
of  every  rank  of  social  life.  Love  will  spread 
her  benignant  wings  over  the  globe,  and  reign 
uncontrolled  in  the  hearts  of  all  its  inhabitants. 
For  thus  saith  the  voice  of  Him  who  sits  on  the 
throne  of  the  universe,  "  Behold  I  make  all 
things  new — I  create  new  heavens  aoid  a  new 
earth,  and  the  former  shall  not  be  remembered, 
nor  come  into  mind.  Be  ye  glad,  and  rejoice 
for  ever  in  that  which  I  create  ;  for  behold,  I 
create  Jerusalem  a  rejoicing,  and  her  people  a 
joy,  and  the  voice  of  weeping  shall  be  no  more 
heard  in  her,  nor  the  voice  of  crying." 


SECTION  VI. 

DRIVERSALITy  OF    THE  PHXNCIPLES  OF  LOVE 
TO  OOD,    AND  TO   FELLOW-INTELLIGENCES. 

The  grand  principles  of  morality  to  which  I 
have  now  adverted,  are  not  to  be  viewed  as  con- 
fined merely  to  the  inhabitants  of  our  globe,  but 
as  extending  to  all  intellectual  beings.  They 
form  the  basis  of  the  moral  laws,  which  govern 
all  intelligences  throughout  the  vast  universe,  in 
whatever  world  or  region  of  infinite  space  they 
may  have  their  physical  residence ;  and  they 
constitute  the  bond  which  unites  to  the  supreme 
intelligence,  and  to  one  another,  all  holy  beings, 
wherever  existing  in  the  wide  empire  of  Omnipo- 
tence. This  will  at  once  appear,  if  we  reflect 
(or  a  moment,  on  what  has  been  stated  in  the 
preceding  sections.  We  have  seen,  that,  if 
those  laws  or  principles  were  reversed,  and  were 
the  moral  agents  of  our  world  lo  act  accordingly, 
ROthing  would  ensue,  but  anarchy,  wretchedness, 
horror,  and  devastation,  and  ultimately  a  com- 
plete extermination  of  the  race  of  mankind.  And 
by  parity  of  reason,  it  will  follow,  that  were  the 
same  principles  to  operate  in  any  other  world, 
however  different  the  capacities,  relations,  and 
physical  circumstances  of  its  inhabitants  might 
be,  similar  disastrous  effects  would  be  the  inevi- 
9 


table  result ;  and  were  ihey  to  pervade  all  worlds, 
disorder  and  misery  would  reign  uncontrolled 
throughout  the  whole  intelligent  system. 

When  the  Creator  brought  any  particular 
world  into  existence,  and  peopled  it  with  inhabit- 
ants, we  must  suppose,  that  the  laws  to  which  I 
am  now  adverting,  were  either  formally  address- 
ed to  them  by  some  external  revelation,  or  so 
powerfully  impressed  upon  their  moral  constitu- 
tion, as  to  become  the  main-spring  of  all  their 
actions,  so  long  as  they  might  retain  the  original 
principles  implanted  in  their  minds  by  the  Author 
of  their  existence.  Any  other  supposition  would 
be  fraught  with  the  most  absurd  and  horrible 
consequences.  It  would  be  subversive  of  every 
idea  we  are  led  to  form  of  the  character  of  the 
Divine  Being,  inconsistent  with  the  perfect  bene- 
volence and  rectitude  of  his  nature,  and  incom- 
patible with  the  relations  in  which  rational  be- 
ings stand  to  Him  and  to  one  another,  and  with 
the  harmony  and  happiness  of  the  universe,  to 
suppose,  that  any  creatures  now  exist,  or  ever 
can  exist,  to  whom  such  commands  as  these 
would  be  given, — "  Thou  shalt  hate  thy  Creator, 
who  is  the  source  of  thine  existence ;"  and 
"  Thou  shalt  hate  all  thy  fellow-intelligences  with 
whom  thou  mayst  associate."  And  if  the  mind 
would  recoil  with  horror,  at  the  idea  of  such 
laws  issuing  forth  from  the  throne  of  the  Eternal 
to  any  class  of  moral  agents,  it  must  necessarily 
be  admitted,  that  the  opposite  principles  or  laws, 
to  which  I  allude,  are  promulgated  to  all  intelli- 
gences, and  are  obligatory  on  every  inhabitant 
of  all  the  worlds  which  lie  between  the  range  of 
Jehovah's  empire.  The  natural  scenery  with 
which  the  inhabitants  of  other  worlds  are  sur- 
rounded, the  organization  of  their  corporeal 
frames,  the  intellectual  capacities  with  which 
they  are  endowed,  the  stated  employments  in 
which  they  engage,  and  the  relations  in  which 
they  stand  to  each  other,  may  be  ver)  different 
from  those  which  obtain  in  our  terrestrial  sphere  ; 
but  the  grand  principles  to  which  I  refer,  must 
necessarily  pervade  every  faculty  of  their  minds, 
every  active  exertion,  and  every  relation  that 
subsists  among  them,  by  whatever  character  it 
may  be  distinguished,  if  they  be  found  existing 
in  a  state  of  happiness. 

The  moral  code  of  laws  in  other  worlds  may 
be  somewhat  differently  modified  from  ours,  ac- 
cording to  the  circumstances  in  which  the  inha- 
bitants of  each  respective  world  are  placed,  and 
the  relations  which  obtain  among  them  ;  but  the 
same  general  principles  vvill  run  through  every 
ramification  of  their  moral  precepts,  and  appear  in 
the  minutes  actions  they  perform, as  the  sap  which 
proceeds  from  the  trunk  of  a  tree  diffuses  itself 
among  the  minutest  and  the  most  distant  branch* 
es.  The«ev«nl/icomniandment  of  our  moral  code 
can  have  no  place  in  a  world  where  the  inhabit- 
ants "  neither  marry  nor  are  given  in  marriage  ;** 
where  the  succession  of  intelligent  beings  is  not 


THE  PHfLOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


eiirrl«i  OB  hj  any  prooera  bimIo^ohs  to  hnman 
g«lMrmtioa,  where  death  is  unknown,  aiiii  where 
rational  ageitt*  have  a  fixed  ami  permanent  at>o(le. 
The,^^  precept  of  our  law  cannot  bo  recognized 
io  a  world  where  the  relation*  of  parents  and 
children,  princes  and  mibjectjs,  superiors  and  in- 
iariors,  have  no  existence.  And  in  those  worlds 
where  tl>e  bounties  of  Divine  Providence  are 
equally  enjoyed  by  all,  or  where  external  comforts 
are  not  necessary  for  the  happiness  of  the  indi- 
vidual, as  in  our  world,  or  where  the  slightest 
temptation  to  interfere  witli  the  property  of 
another  does  not  exist,  there  will  be  no  necessity 
for  a  distinct  moral  regulation  corresponding  to 
the  eigtuh  commandment  of  our  moral  code. — 
But  in  every  world  where  happiness  exists,  and 
where  the  inhabitants  have  retained  their  original 
integrity,  love  to  God,  and  love  to  all  subordinate 
intelligences  with  which  they  are  connected,  will 
animate  every  heart,  regulate  every  desire,  and 
run  through  every  action.  And  in  those  worlds 
(if  any  such  exist  besides  our  own)  where  these 
principles  are  counteracted,  or  not  recognized  as 
the  foundation  of  moral  action,  misery  and  disor- 
der, in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  must  be  the  in- 
eritable  consequence. 

The  greater  part,  however,  of  the  precepts 
comprised  in  the  moral  law  given  to  man,  must 
be  considered  as  obligatory  upon  all  the  rational 
inhabitants  of  the  universe.  The ^rst  command- 
ment, which  forbids  the  recognition  of  any  object 
of  adoration,  or  of  supreme  affection,  besides  the 
eternal  Jehovah — the  lecond,  which  forbids  the 
representation  of  this  incomprehensible  Being  by 
any  visible  or  material  objects — the  third,  which 
enjoins  reverence  of  the  name  or  attributes  of 
God — and  the  spirit  of  the  fourth,  which  enjoins 
a  certain  portion  of  duration  to  be  set  apart  for 
solemn  acts  of  worship  and  adoration ,  are  appli- 
cable to  all  the  moral  agents  that  Jehovah  has 
created.  The  sixth  commandment,  which  forbids 
malice,  revenge,  and  injurious  actions  of  every 
description — the  ninth,  which  forbids  falsehood, 
and  inculcates  truth,  which  is  the  basis  of  the 
moral  universe — and  the  tenth,  which  forbids 
envy,  and  every  unhallowed  desire  to  deprive  our 
neighbour  of  any  portion  of  his  happiness — are 
•1*0  binding  upon  every  class  of  mural  intelligen- 
oee,  wherever  existing,  throughout  the  unlimited 
empire  of  God.  For,  if  we  suppose  any  one  of 
these  precepts  to  be  reversed,  and  moral  agents 
to  act  on  the  principle  of  this  subversion,  their 
moral  order  and  harmony  would  be  interrupted, 
and  consequently,  their  happiness  destroyed. — 
For  example,  let  the  law,  which  inculcates 
truth,  be  supposeti  to  be  universally  violated 
among  any  class  of  rational  beings,  and  instantly 
all  improvement  in  wisdom  and  knowledge  would 
cease ;  nothing  could  be  depended  upon  as  fact 
bat  what  was  obvious  to  the  senses  of  every  in- 
dividual ;  social  compacts  would  be  dissolved  ;  a 
HMtoal  repulsion  would  ensue,  and  every  social 


affect  ion  and  enjoyment  would  he  imhlnfed  and 
destroyed. 

By  overlooking  conKidrrations  of  this  kind,  the 
celebrated  Dr.  Chalmers,  in  his  "  Ehscourses  on 
the  Christian  Revelation  viewed  in  connexion 
with  Modern  Asirunomy,"  de|irived  himself  of 
an  imporinnt  argument  tn  prove  that  Christianity 
is  not  confined  to  this  sublunary  region.  For,  as 
it  is  the  great  object  of  the  Christian  Revelation 
to  bring  into  full  effect,  in  all  tlieir  practical 
bearings,  the  principles  1  have  been  endeavour- 
ing to  illustrate,  and  as  these  principles  must  bo 
interwoven  with  the  moral  code  of  all  worlds — it 
follows,  that  the  spirit  and  essence  of  our  religioa 
must  be  common  to  all  the  holy  inhabitants  of 
the  universe. 

From  what  has  been  now  stated  respecting 
the  universality  of  the  principle  of  love,  the  fol- 
lowing conclusions  may  be  deduced  : — 

1.  That  the  man  in  whose  heart  this  principle 
is  predominant,  and  whose  actions  are  directed 
by  its  influence,  is  qualified  for  associating  with 
the  pure  intelligences  of  all  worlds.  Were  we 
transported  to  the  surface  of  the  planet  Jupiter, 
and  had  we  access  to  mingle  with  its  vast  popu- 
lation ;  or  were  we  conveyed  to  one  of  the  pla- 
nets which  revolve  around  the  star  Sirius — if  the 
inhabitants  of  these  globes  have  retained  the 
primeval  purity  of  their  natures,  and  if  the  prin- 
ciple of  love  reigned  supreme  in  our  hearts,  we 
should  be  assured  of  a  welcome  reception  from 
those  distant  intelligences,  and  be  qualified  to 
mingle  with  them  in  their  adorations  of  our  com- 
mon Creator,  and  in  all  their  affectionate  and 
harmonious  intercourses.  We  should  only  have 
to  learn  the  mode  by  which  they  communicate  to 
each  other  their  ideas  and  emotions.  Love 
would  form  the  basis  of  every  union,  and  amal- 
gamate us  with  every  department  of  their  socie- 
ty. With  pleasure,  and  with  the  most  endearing 
affection,  would  they  point  out  to  us  the  peculiar 
glories  of  the  world  they  inhabit,  and  rehearse 
the  history  of  the  Creator's  dispensations  in  that 
portion  of  his  empire  ;  and  with  equal  pleasure 
should  we  listen  to  the  instructions  which  flow 
from  the  lips  of  Benevolence,  and  survey  those 
transporting  objects  and  arrangements  which  de- 
corate a  world  where  love  pervades  the  breasts 
of  all  its  inhabitants.  To  visit  a  distant  worki, 
although  it  were  in  our  power,  where  the  inha- 
bitants were  of  an  opposite  description,  could 
afford  no  gratification  to  an  intelligent  and  bene- 
volent mind,  but  would  overwhelm  it  with  anguirii 
and  dismay.  What  enjoyment  would  the  cap^ 
cious  mind  of  a  pure  intelligence  from  the  regions 
of  the  constellation  Orion,  derive  from  visiting  a 
world  inhabited  by  such  beings  as  the  inhabitants 
ofNootka  Sound,  New  Guinea,  or  New  Zealand, 
where  the  moral  and  intellectual  principle  is 
completely  debased,  and  where  the  beauties  of 
Nature  are  defaced  with  interminable  forests  and 
marshes,  and  the  hauntt  tit  beasu  of  prey  f  He 


UNIVERSAI.ITY  OP  THE  PRINCIPLE  OF  LOVE. 


67 


would  be  filled  with  disappointment  and  horror — 
he  might  <lrop  a  tear  of  pity  over,  the  wretched 
inhabitanis;  but  he  would  soon  wing  his  flight 
back  to  a  m.jte  delectable  region.  A  similar  dis- 
appoinlment  would  be  felt,  were  an  inhabitant  of 
our  world,  in  whose  mind  hatred  and  crueltj, 
avarice  and  ambition,  reigned  without  control — 
to  be  conveyed  to  a  world  of  happiness  and  love. 
The  novel  scenes  of  beauty  and  grandeur,  which 
would  burst  upon  his  sight,  might  captivate  his 
senses  for  a  little :  but  he  would  feel  no  enjoy- 
ment in  the  exercise  of  virtuous  affeclions  and 
rapturous  adorations,  to  which  he  was  never  ac- 
customed ;  he  would  find  no  objects  on  which  to 
gratify  his  cruel  and  ambitious  desires,  and  he 
would  be  glad  to  escape  from  the  abodes  of  af- 
fection and  bliss,  to  the  depraved  society  from 
whence  he  came.  Hence  we  may  learn,  that, 
however  expansive  views  we  may  liave  acquired 
of  the  range  of  the  Creator's  operations,  and  of 
the  immensity  of  worlds  which  are  diffused 
through  boundless  space,  and  however  ardent  de- 
sires we  may  indulge  of  visiting  the  distant  re- 
gions of  creation,  we  never  can  indulge  a  rational 
hope  of  enjoying  such  a  privilege,  were  it  possi- 
ble, unless  love  to  God  and  to  man  become  the 
predominant  disposition  of  our  minds.  For,  al- 
though we  were  invested  by  the  Almighty  with 
corporeal  vehicles,  capable  of  transporting  us 
from  one  region  of  creation  to  another,  with  the 
most  rapid  motion,  we  could  enjoy  no  solid  sa- 
tisfaction, while  we  remained  unqualified  for 
relishing  the  exercises,  and  mingling  in  the  asso- 
ciations of  holy  intelligences.  In  every  happy 
world  on  which  we  alighted,  we  should  feel  our- 
selves in  a  situation  similar  to  that  of  a  rude  and 
ignorant  lioor,  were  he  conveyed  to  a  palace,  and 
introduced  into  an  assembly  of  courtiers  and 
princes. 

2.  Another  conclusion  dediicible  from  this 
sobject  is,  that  by  virtue  of  this  grand  and  go- 
verning principle,  man  is  connected  with  the 
highest  order  of  intelligences,  and  with  the  inha- 
bitants of  the  most  distant  worlds  ;  and  his 
happiness  perpetually  secured.  When  we 
take  a  view  of  the  universe  by  the  light  of  mo- 
dern science,  oi!r  minds  are  overpowered  and 
confounded  at  the  idea  of  its  vast  and  unlimited 
range.  When  we  consider  that  it  would  require 
several  millions  of  years  for  a  cannon  ball,  flying 
at  the  rate  of  five  hundred  miles  an  hour,  to 
reach  the  nearest  stars — when  we  consider  that 
there  are  stars  visible  to  the  naked  eye,  at  least 
fifty  times  farther  distant  than  the.«e — when  we 
consider  that  there  are  stars  visible  by  ihu  tele- 
scope a  thousand  times  farther  distant  than  any 
of  the  firmer — and  when  we  consider  that  all  the 
suns  and  worlds  which  lie  within  this  unfathom- 
able range  are,  in  all  probability,  only  as  a 
grain  of  sand  to  the  whole  earth,  when  com- 
pared with  the  immensity  of  systems  which  lie 
beyond  them  in  the  unexplored  abyss  of  infinite 


space, — we  are  lost  in  the  immensity  of  creatioa, 
and  can  set  no  bounds  to  the  empire  of  the 
Almighty  Sovereign.  When  we  look  forward  lo 
that  eternal  slate  to  which  we  are  destined — 
when  we  consider  that  after  thousands  of  mil- 
lions of  genluries  have  run  their  rounds,  eternity 
will  be  no  nearer  to  a  termination,  and  that  ages, 
numerous  as  the  drops  of  the  ocean,  will  slill  roll 
on  in  interminable  succession, — we  behold  a 
lapse  of  duration,  and  a  succession  of  events 
stretching  out  before  us,  which  correspond  with 
the  immeasurable  spaces  of  the  universe,  and 
the  number  and  magnitude  of  the  worlds  with 
which  it  is  stored.  When  we  view  ourselves  as 
thus  connected  with  the  immensity  of  creation 
on  the  one  hand,  and  with  infinite  duration  oK 
the  other  ;  and  when  we  reflect  on  the  numerous 
changes  that  have  happened,  both  in  the  physical 
and  moral  aspect  of  our  globe,  within  the  period 
of  six  thousand  years,  we  cannot  but  conclude 
that  we  are  destined  to  pass  through  new  scenes 
and  changes  in  that  eternity  which  lies  before  us, 
of  which  at  present  we  can  form  noctjnception. 
After  remaining  for  thousands  of  millions  of 
years  in  that  world  which  will  be  prepared  for 
the  righteous  at  the  general  resurrection,  we 
may  be  transported  to  another  system  as  far  dis- 
tant from  tliat  abode  as  wc  now  are  from  the 
most  distant  stars  visible  lo  our  sight,  in  oider  to 
contemplate  new  displays  of  the  attributes  of 
God,  in  another  province  of  his  empire.  We 
may  afterwards  be  conveyed  to  an  unoccupied 
region  of  immensity,  where  new  creations,  dis- 
playing new  objects  of  glory  and  magnificence, 
are  starting  into  existence.  We  may  after- 
wards be  invested  with  the  wings  of  a  seraph, 
and  be  enabled  to  wing  our  way,  in  company  with 
angels,  from  world  to  world,  and  lo  visit  the  most 
distant  regions  of  that  immense  universe  over 
which  Omnipotence  presides.  In  short,  the 
imagination  can  set  no  limits  to  its  excursions, 
when  it  attempts  to  survey  the  revolutions  ana 
changes  that  may  take  place,  and  the  new 
scenes  of  glory  which  may  burst  upon  the  view, 
throughout  the  lapse  of  duration  which  will  have 
no  end. 

Now,  in  whatever  relation  man  may  stand  to 
anv  portion  of  the  universal  system,  throughout 
every  future  period  of  his  existence,  and  during 
all  the  revolutions  of  eternity,  love  will  unite  him 
to  all  other  holy  beings  with  whom  he  may  as- 
sociate, however  distant  their  abode  from  the 
spot  he  now  occupies,  however  different  its 
scenery  and  arrangements,  and  however  superior 
they  may  be  in  point  of  corporeal  organization 
and  intellectual  rapacity.  For  no  intelligence, 
in  any  region  of  the  universe,  in  whom  the  princi- 
ple of  love  predominates,  can  ever  be  supposed 
to  disdain  to  associate  with  another,  of  whatever 
rank  or  order,  who  is  actuated  bv  a  similar  affec- 
tion ;  otherwise  his  love  would  degenerate  into 
malevolence.     This  principle  will  unite  him  to 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


aagelt  and  archan^eU,  to  chenibina  and  sera- 
phim, to  throiie«,  (iomiaioni,  principaliliea,  and 
powen,  from  who.40  discourses  he  will  learn  the 
history  of  the  divine  dispensations,  the  wonders 
of  Almighty  power,  and  tli<>  "  manifold  wisdom 
of  God."  So  long  as  it  reigns  uncontrolled  in 
hit  heart,  it  will  secure  his  happiness  in  all 
places,  and  in  every  period  of  his  existence,  by 
a  law  established  by  the  Almighty,  and  founded 
on  his  perftjctiont ;  a  law  which  binds  together 
the  whole  intelligent  system,  and  forms  the  basis 
oTthe  feiciiyofthc  moral  universe.  So  that 
his  fu'ure  blessedness  is  for  ever  secure,  beyond 
the  reach  of  danger,  and  rests  upon  a  foundation 
■(able  and  permanent  as  the  throne  of  the 
Eternal. 

3.  From  what  has  been  now  staled,  we  may 
learn  that  there  it  but  one  religion tkroughtnU  the 
universe,  however  vast  its  magnitude  and  bound- 
less its  extension.  In  this  world,  numerous 
systems  of  religion  prevail,  and  thotisands  of 
different  opinions  in  relation  to  its  ceremonies 
and  objects;  but  experience  has  demonstrated, 
that  all  of  ihem,  except  one,  are  insufficient  to 
guide  rational  beings  to  substantial  felicity. 
And  of  this  one  system,  how  many  foolish  and 
inaccurate,  and  even  contradictory  opinions, 
have  been  firmed,  through  the  ignorance  and 
perversity  of  the  human  mind!  Though  all  its 
parts  have  a  direct  reference  to  the  actions  of 
intelligent  azents,  and  to  the  cultivation  of 
benevolent  affections,  yet  it  has  been  represented, 
even  by  its  professed  abetters,  as  a  congeries  of 
metaphysical  dogmas  and  spocuUtive  opinions ; 
and  in  this  |>oint  of  view  it  has  been  the  source 
of  perpetual  wrangling  and  contentions.  Though 
it  is  calculated  to  expand  the  understanding,  to 
warm  the  heart,  and  to  elevate  the  soul  to  God, 
yet  it  has  been  reduced,  by  the  cunning  artiSce 
of  man,  to  a  mass  of  mere  quibbles  and  unmean- 
ing ceremonies.  And  though  it  breathes  nothing 
but  peace  and  grK>d-wiU  to  man,  it  has  been 
employed  as  an  engine  of  persecution  and  of 
human  destruction.  It  is  only  in  proportion  as 
our  religion  approximatee  to  the  character  of  the 
religion  'vhich  is  common  to  all  holy  beings, 
that  it  is  worthy  of  our  veneration  and  our  ardent 
puniiii.  n.iiu  therefore,  in  order  to  determine 
the  truth  ant  importance  of  any  particular  sys- 
tem of  religiou'i  opinions,  the  best  test  we  can 
apply  to  il  is,  to  ascertain  what  bearings  it  has 
apon  the  grand  principles  to  which  we  h.ive  been 
advening.  "  Do  all  the  sentiments  and  tenets 
which  it  strenuously  supports,  like  the  lines  from 
the  circumference  to  the  centre  of  a  circle,  con- 
verge towards  the  promotion  o(  love  in  all  its 
practical  ramifications  ?  Are  the  opinions  we 
now  so  fi'TCely  maintain  of  such  a  nature,  that 
we  shall  probably  recognize  them  as  important 
practical  principles  a  million  of  years  hence,  in 
the  refinnt  of  distant  worlds?"  If  such  a  test 
were  ap(<iied  to  hundreds  of  opiniooa  which  have 


agitated  the  religious  world,  -and  obetructed  the 
operations  of  the  benevolrnt  affections,  they 
would  be  driven  away  from  the  Christian  sys- 
tem as  chaff  before  the  whirlwind  ;  and  Chris- 
tians would  feel  ashamed  of  the  imporiance  they 
atiachod  to  their  "  mint,  and  anise,  and  cum- 
min,"while  they  neglected  (he  weightier  matter* 
of  the  law,  "judgment,  mercy,  and  the  love  oi 
God."  How  many  false  and  foolish  opiniooe 
■hall  we  leave  behind  us  in  this  region  of  dark- 
ness and  contention,  when  we  enter  within 
the  confines  of  the  eternal  state  ?  How  sublime, 
how  lovely,  and  how  beautifying  will  religion 
appear  in  that  world,  where  it  will  be  conlen>> 
plated  in  its  native  simplicity,  and  stripped  of 
all  the  foreign  and  adventitious  circumstances 
which  now  obscure  its  brightness  and  glory !  I 
need  scarcely  say,  that  the  one  religion  to  which 
I  allude  is  Chriiiianily,  considered,  not  so  much 
in  the  scheme  of  mediation  which  it  unfolds, 
which  may  have  a  relation  solely  to  man  viewed 
in  his  character  as  a  sinner,  but  in  ihe  leading 
dispositions  and  virtues  it  inculcates,  and  in  the 
great  ohjeclx  which  all  its  doctrines,  facts,  and 
supernatural  communications  have  a  tendency 
to  accomplish.  In  these  points  of  view,  it  roust 
be  considered  as  imbodying  principles  and  laws 
which  pervade  the  religious  systems  ofail  worlds. 
Finally,  Love  is  a  principle  in  the  moral  and 
intelligent  system  which  bears  a  striking  analogy 
to  the  principle  of  attraction  in  the  material 
world.  Each  of  them  unites,  in  its  respective 
sphere,  all  the  beings  which  compose  it  in  one 
grand  and  harmonious  system ;  and  both  of  them 
combined  give  birth  to  all  the  moral  and  physical 
phenomena  which  diversify  the  inielleclual  and 
the  material  universe.  Bv  the  principle  of  at- 
traction, the  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  along  with 
their  habitations,  are  retained  to  its  surface,  and 
prevented  from  flying  off  in  wild  confiwion 
through  the  voids  of  space.  By  the  same  power 
the  mountains  rest  on  a  solid  basis,  the  rivers 
flow  from  the  mountains  to  the  plains,  and  the 
ocean  is  confined  within  its  appointed  chaunela. 
It  produces  the  various  phenomena  which  arise 
from  the  meandering  rill,  the  majestic  river,  and 
the  roaring  cataract.  It  produces  the  descent 
of  rain  and  dew,  and  the  alternate  flux  and  reflux 
of  the  tides.  1 1  prevents  the  waters  of  the  great 
deep  from  covering  the  mouniain-topa,  and 
mingling  in  confusion  with  the  clouds  of  heaven. 
It  binds  together  the  infinity  of  atoms  which  con- 
stitute the  globe  on  which  we  tread  ;  it  regulates 
the  variouj  movements  of  men  and  other  anima- 
ted beings  ;  it  forms  mechanical  powers,  an  I 
gives  impulsion  to  numerous  machines  and  en- 
gines. It  rolls  the  moon  in  regular  succession 
around  the  earth,  and  prevents  her  from  running 
lawlessly  through  the  sky.  It  extends  its  infl(»> 
ence  from  the  sun  to  the  remotest  planets,  con- 
ducting revolving  worlds,  with  all  their  satellitesi, 
in  their  aiiaple  circuits,  and  preserving  them  ail 


ANALOGY  OF  LOVE  TO  ATTRACTION. 


in  one  harmonious  system.  It  connects  the 
earth  and  ihe  planetary  globes  with  other  sys- 
tems in  the  distant  regions  of  space  ;  and  carries 
the  sun,  with  all  his  attendant  orbs,  around  the 
centre  of  that  nebula  to  which  it  belongs,  and 
all  the  systems  and  nebulae  of  the  universe 
around  ihe  throne  of  God. 

In  like  manner,  love  unites  all  holy  intelli- 
gences, wherever  dispersed  through  the  ampli- 
tudes of  creation,  in  one  amiable  and  harmonious 
system.  It  unites  man  to  God,  and  God  to  man. 
It  unites  the  renovated  inhabitants  of  our  globe 
to  angels  and  archangels,  and  qualifies  them  for 
entering  into  the  closest  bonds  of  friendship  and 
affection  with  superior  intelligences  that  people 
the  regions  of  distant  worlds.  It  produces  an 
expansive  and  harmonious  spirit,  and  an  ardent 
desire  to  diffuse  happiness  among  all  surround- 
ing beings.  It  gives  birth  to  tliose  sublime  emo- 
tions which  flow  out  towards  the  Creator  in  the 
various  forms  of  adoration,  complacency,  hope, 
confidence,  humility,  joy,  submission,  and  re- 
verence ;  and  it  is  the  spring  of  all  those  vir- 
tuous dispositions  which  flow  out  towards"  our 
fellow-creatures  in  the  form  of  mercy,  compas- 
sion, sincerity,  candour,  sympathy,  kindness, 
long-suffering,  gentleness,  meekness,  charity, 
generosity,  justice,  and  active  beneficence.  It 
impels  its  possessor  to  run  to  the  assistance  of 
the  distressed,  to  support  the  weak,  to  console 
the  desponding,  to  comfort  the  dying,  to  diffuse 
the  rays  of  heavenly  light  over  the  benighted 
mind,  and  to  rejoice  in  the  prosperity  of  ail 
around.  It  is  "  the  bond  of  perfection"  which 
unites  the  members  of  an  affectionate  family,  and 
preserves  the  union  of  the  faithful  in  all  the 
churches  of  the  saints.  It  uni'eg  man  to  man  by 
the  closest  ties,  however  different  in  language, 
customs,  colour,  and  complexion,  and  however 
far  removed  from  each  other  in  point  of  place. 
It  enables  the  Greenlander,  the  Icelander,  the 
African,  the  inhabitant  of  Hindostan,  and  the  in- 
habitant of  the  British  Isles,  in  whose  hearts  it 
resides,  to  recognize  each  other  as  "  the  sons  of 
Grod,"  and  as '•brethren  in  Christ  Jesus."  It 
sends  forth  the  imagination  over  every  quarter  of 
the  globe,  carrying  benevolent  wishes,  fervent 
prayers,  and  intercessions  for  men  of  all  kindreds 
and  ranks  ;  and  employs  every  active  endeavour 
to  promote  the  present  enjoyment  and  the  eter- 
nal felicity  of  the  family  of  mankind.  It  in- 
spires the  soul  with  emotions  of  delight,  when 
it  becomes  the  instrument  of  communicating 
happiness  to  ail  within  the  sphere  of  its  influ- 
ence. It  unites  the  host  of  seraphim  and  che- 
rubim in  one  vast  and  harmonious  association  ; 
so  that  no  jarring  affection  is  ever  felt,  and  no 
discordant  voice  is  ever  heard,  among  the  thou- 
sands and  ten  thousands  of  these  exalted  intelli- 
gences. It  preserves  every  member  of  the  holy 
and  intelligent  system  in  the  rank  and  orbit  pre- 
■cribed  by  Infinite  Wisdom,  and  leads  them  all  to 


rejoice  in  accomplishing  the  plans  of  their  ben»- 
volent  Creator.  Around  him,  as  the  sun  of  the 
moral  system — the  centre  of  light,  and  love,  and 
joy — they  all  revolve  in  their  appointed  order; 
cheered  by  the  emanation  of  his  love,  enlightened 
by  his  beams,  and  reflecting  a  radiance  upon  all 
the  beings  with  which  they  are  surrounded. 
Though  one  orb  differs  from  another  in  motion, 
in  magnitude,  and  in  glory,  yet  no  one  interferes 
with  another  to  impede  its  progress,  or  to  inter- 
cept the  emanations  of  liglit  and  joy  from  the 
Uncreated  Source  and  Centre  of  all  enjoyment. 

Were  the  principle  of  attraction  which  binds 
together  the  atoms  of  our  globe,  and  connects  the 
planetary  orbs  with  the  sun,  to  be  completely  dis- 
solved, the  earth  would  be  shattered  to  its  centre  ; 
the  waters  of  the  ocean  would  fly  upwards,  and 
be  dispersed  through  the  highest  regions  of  the 
atmosphere  ;  rocks  and  mountains  would  be  de- 
tached from  their  bases,  and  raised  aloft  above 
the  clouds ;  forests  would  be  lorn  up  from  their 
roots,  and  tossed  about  in  confusion  through  the 
sky  ;  the  moon  would  forsake  her  ancient  course  ; 
the  planets  would  run  lawlessly  through  the  im- 
mensity of  space,  and  mighty  worlds  would  be 
seen  dashing  against  each  other,  till  they  were 
shattered  to  pieces,  and  their  fragments  tossed 
about  in  disorder  throughout  surrounding  sys- 
tems. Effects  equally  disastrous  to  the  intelli- 
gent system  would  be  produced,  were  the  mflu- 
ence  of  love,  in  all  its  varied  emanations,  to  be 
completely  suspended  or  annihilated.  War  would 
be  proclaimed  in  heaven,  and  myriads  of  angels 
hurled  from  their  seals  of  bliss.  The  rapturous 
songs  and  adorations  of  seraphs  would  be  changed 
into  the  bowlings  and  execrations  of  demons. 
The  population  of  the  universe  would  be  trans- 
formed into  one  vast  assemblage  of  fiends  ;  its 
regions  of  beauty  and  fertility  would  become  one 
wide  scene  of  desolation  and  horror,  and  the  voice 
of  lamentation  and  misery  would  be  heard  re- 
sounding throughout  all  worlds.  On  earth  king- 
doms would  be  shaken  and  convulsed  ;  govern- 
ments overturned  ;  societies  dissolved  ;  families 
dispersed  ;  the  bonds  of  friendship  burst  asun- 
der ;  husbands  torn  from  their  wives,  and  parents 
from  their  children  ;  the  intercourse  of  nations 
suspended  ;  the  pursuits  of  science  and  religion 
abandoned  ;  every  rank  and  relation  overturned, 
end  virtue  banished  from  the  abodes  of  men. 
Deserting  all  social  beings,  and  forsaken  by  all, 
man  would  become  a  solitary  monster,  wandering 
without  plan  or  object,  an  enemy  to  himself  and 
to  his  species.  Anarchy  and  disorder  would 
reign  triumphant  over  the  whole  race  of  human 
beings,  and  the  bowlings  of  wretchedness  and 
despair  would  re-echo  from  every  land. 

Such  a  scene  of  moral  desolation  selfishnett 
and  malignity  have  a  natural  tendency  to  create  ; 
and  such  a  scene  they  have  actually  created  in 
our  world,  in  sofar  as  their  influence  htu  extended. 
The  power  of  attraction  has  never  been  coi»- 


70 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


pletoly  suspendsd  in  relation  to  our  glob«,  nor 
nu  the  moral  Governor  of  the  universe  suffered 
(he  principle  of  love  to  be  entirely  eradicated 
from  the  minds  of  its  inhabitanu.  But,  as  when 
the  law  of  gravitation  is  counteracted  in  case  of 
earthquake  and  volcanoes,  the  most  destlructive 
and  desolating  convulsions  ensue, — so  it  happens 
in  the  moral  world,  when  the  law  of  benevolence 
is  trampled  under  foot.  "  Nat  ion  rises  against 
nation,  and  kingdom  against  kingdom  ;"  hostile 
armies  encounter  like  tigers  rushing  on  their 
prey ;  "  firebrands,  arrows,  and  death"  are  scat- 
tered in  every  direciion ;  a  confused  noise  of 
chariots,  and  horsemen,  and  of  engines  of  de- 
struction, is  wafied  on  every  breeze ;  garments 
are  rolled  in  blood,  and  whole  plains  drenched 
with  human  gore,  and  covered  with  the  carcasses 
of  the  slain.  But  wherever  love  diffuses  its 
powerful  and  benign  influence,  there  harmony, 
happiness,  and  peace  are  enjoyed  by  every  rank 
of  sensitive  and  intellectual  existence.  In  every 
world  where  it  reigns  supreme,  the  intellectual 
faculty  is  irradiated,  the  affections  are  purified 
and  expanded,  transporting  joys  are  felt,  and, 
like  the  planetary  orbs  and  their  train  of  satel- 
lites, all  shine  with  a  steady  lustre,  and  move  on- 
ward in  harmonious  order,  around  the  Supreme 
Source  of  intelligence,  and  the  Eternal  Centre 
of  all  felicity. 


SECTION  VII. 

THE    PRECEDING     VIEWS    CORROBOBATED    B7 
DIVINE  REVELATION. 

IiT  the  preceding  sections  I  have  endeavoured 
to  illustrate  the  two  grand  principles  of  the  Mo- 
ral Law,  and  to  demonstrate  their  reasonableness, 
and  the  necessity  of  their  universal  o|>eraiion,  in 
order  to  the  promotion  of  the  happiness  of  the 
intelligent  system.  I  have  proceeded  all  along 
on  the  ground  of  revelation,  as  well  as  of  reason, 
and  the  nature  of  things.  But  since  these  im- 
portant principles  form  the  basis  of  the  system 
of  religion,  and  of  all  the  practical  conclusions 
I  may  afterwards  deduce  in  the  remaining  part 
of  this  work,  it  may  be  expedient  to  advert  a 
little  more  explicitly  to  the  declarations  of  Scrip- 
ture on  this  subject.  And  here  I  propose  very 
briefly  to  show,  that  it  is  the  great  end  of  Divine 
Revelation  to  illustrate  these  principles  in  all 
their  various  bearings,  and  to  bring  them  into 
practical  operation. 

This  position  is  expressly  stated  by  our  Sa- 
viour himself,  in  his  reply  to  the  scribe,  who  pro- 
poaed  the  question,  "  VVhich  is  the  great  com- 
Bandment  in  the  law  7"  "  Thou  shalt  love  the 
Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy 
•001,  aad  with  sll  thv  mind."  This  is  the  first 
and  great  comutanoment.     And  the  •eoood  ia 


like  unto  it ;  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbow  v 
thyself.  On  THESE  two  commandments  iiano 

ALL    THE     LAW   AND  THE  PROPHETS."      .TIlis 

declaration  evidently  im)>lies,  that  it  is  the  design 
of  the  whole  of  the  Old  Testament  Revetatiun,  to 
illustrate  aixl  enfirce  these  laws,  and  to  produce 
all  those  holy  tempers  which  are  comprised  in  the 
love  of  God,  and  of  our  neighbour.  This  ap- 
pears to  be  the  grand  object  of  ail  the  historical 
facts,  religimis  institutions,  devotional  exercises, 
moral  maxims,  prophecies,  exhortations,  pro- 
mises, and  threatenings,  which  it  records.  The 
history  of  the  f)rination  of  the  universe,  and  of 
the  beautiful  arrangement  of  our  globe,  as  de- 
tailed in  the  Book  of  Genesis,  is  cak:ulated  to 
display  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  the  Creator, 
and  to  draw  furih  our  affections  towards  Him 
who  is  the  Author  of  our  enjoyments,  and  who 
pronounced  evi-ry  thing  he  had  made  to  be  "  very 
good."  The  history  of  the  wickedness  of  tho 
antediluvian  world,  of  the  dreadful  effects  it  pro- 
duced in  the  state  of  society,  and  of  the  awful 
catastrophe  by  which  its  inhabitants  were  swept 
from  existence,  and  buried  in  the  waters  of  the 
deluge,  is  calculated  to  illustrate,  in  the  most 
striking  manner,  the  guilt  and  the  danger  of 
withdrawing  the  affections  from  God,  and  of  in- 
dulging a  principle  of  malevolence  towards  man. 
The  history  of  the  crimes  of  Sodom,  and  of  the 
fate  of  its  wretched  inhabitants;  the  destruction 
of  Pharaoh  and  his  aimies  at  the  Red  Sea ;  the 
history  of  the  idolatrous  practices  of  the  Israel- 
ites, of  their  murmurings  in  the  wilderness,  and 
of  the  punishments  inflicted  (or  their  rebellion  ; 
the  fate  of  Korah,  Daihan,  and  Abiram,  and  of 
the  worshippers  of  Baal :  The  destruction  of  the 
nations  of  Canaan  ;  the  judgments  which  pur- 
sued the  Jewish  nation,  during  tliK  whole  period 
of  their  history,  on  account  of  their  defection 
from  God,  and  the  calamities  which  befell  them 
at  the  period  of  the  Babylonish  captivity — toge- 
ther with  all  the  other  facts  connected  with  tho 
history  of  that  people  and  tif  llie  surrounding  na- 
tions, are  intended  to  exhibit  tho  dismal  conse- 
quences, and  the  moral  wretchedness  which  in- 
evitably follow,  when  the  affections  of  mankind 
are  withdrawn  from  the  God  of  Heeven.and  lefi 
to  grovel  in  the  mire  of  depravity  and  vice. 

The  institutions  of  the  Jewish  Church  were 
appointed  for  promoting  the  knowledge  and  the 
love  of  God,  and  for  exciting  an  abhorrence  of 
every  thing  which  is  contrary  to  the  rectitude 
and  polity  of  his  nature.  Among  the  tribes  that 
inhabited  the  land  of  Canaan,  prior  to  the  en- 
trance of  the  Israelites,  and  among  all  the  sur- 
rounding natioes,  the  worship  of  false  gods,  the 
grossest  superstitions,  and  the  roost  abominable 
vices  universally  prevailed.  It  was  one  great 
end  of  the  laws  and  ceremonies  enjoined  upon 
Israel,  to  excite  the  highest  degree  of  abhorrence 
at  every  thing  which  was  connected  with  iJolo* 
try,  to  portray  ita  wickedness  and  foUy,  to  rivtt 


ILLUSTRATIONS  PROM  SCRIPTURE. 


71 


the  afTections  of  the  people  to  the  worship  of  the 
true  God,  lo  preserve  them  uncontaminaled  from 
the  malignaiil  disposition,  and  the  vile  prac- 
tices of  the  neighbouring  nations,  and  to  iristruct 
them  in  the  naiure  and  attributes  of  the  Deity ; 
that  they  might  be  "  a  peculiar  people  to  Jeho- 
vah, sepdrated  from  all  the  people  that  were  on 
the  face  of  the  earth."  Hence,  the  tbilowing  in- 
timation and  injunction  are  placed  on  the  front 
of  the  moral  code  of  laws  delivered  to  that  nation, 
"  Hear,  OlsVa^  'he  Lord  our  God  is  one  Lord. 
Thou  shalt  have  no  other  gods  before  me."  To 
promote  harmony  and  affection  between  man  and 
man  ;  to  enforce  the  exercise  of  justice  and  equity 
in  all  their  dealings ;  to  inculcate  chastity  and 
purity  of  affection,  kindness  to  strangers,  com- 
passion, tenderness,  and  sympathy  ;  obedience 
to  parents,  charitable  dispositions  towards  the 
poor  and  needy,  and  tenderness  and  mercy  to- 
wards the  inferior  animals,  were  the  croat  ob- 
jects of  the  various  laws  and  regulations  com- 
prised in  their  moral  and  political  code. 

The  devotional  portions  of  the  Old  Testament, 
particularly  those  contained  in  the  book  of 
Psalms,  have  the  same  general  tendency.  The 
descriptions  of  the  work  of  creation  and  provi- 
dence, the  adorations  of  the  majesty  of  the  God 
of  Israel,  the  celebration  of  the  divine  character 
and  excellences,  and  the  ascriptions  of  thanks- 
giving and  praise  for  the  mercy,  long-suffering, 
and  goodness  of  God,  with  which  these  divine 
compositions  abound,  are  calculated  to  raise  the 
affections  to  Jehovah  as  the  source  of  every 
blessing,  and  to  inspire  the  soul  with  love,  admi- 
ration, and  reverence.  In  many  of  these  sublime 
odes,  particularly  in  the  llSth  Psalm,  the  mind 
of  (he  Psalmist  is  absorbed  in  meditation  on  the 
excellency  of  the  divine  precepts,  and  the  happi- 
ness which  the  observance  of  them  is  calculated 
to  convey  to  the  soul.  "  O  how  I  love  thy  law  !" 
says  David ;  ''  it  is  my  meditation  all  the  day. 
The  law  of  thy  mouth  is  better  unto  me  than 
thousands  of  uf  gold  and  silver.  I  have  rejoiced 
in  thy  testimonies  as  much  as  in  all  riches." 
The  moral  maxims  contained  in  the  writings  of 
Solomon  are  likewise  intended  to  draw  f;)rlh  the 
desires  afier  God,  to  counteract  the  influence  of 
the  depraved  passions  of  the  human  heart,  and 
to  proroDte  the  exercise  of  candour,  sincerity,  jus- 
tice, and  benevolence  among  mankind.  The  ex- 
hortations, remonstrances,  and  denunciations  of 
the  prophets,  were  also  intended  lo  recall  the  af- 
fections of  the  people  of  Israel  to  the  God  from 
whom  they  had  revolted,  to  show  the  unreason- 
ableness of  their  conduct  in  "  forsaking  the  foun- 
tain" of  their  happiness;  to  display  the  purity, 
the  excellence,  and  the  eternal  obligation  of  the 
divine  precepts,  and  to  warn  them  of  the  inevita- 
ble misery  and  ruin  which  will  overtake  the  work- 
ers of  iniquity.  In  short,  all  the  promises  and 
threatenings  of  the  word  of  God,  all  the  consider- 
ations addressed  to  the  hopes  and  the  fears  of 


men,  all  the  providential  dispensations  of  God, 
all  the  manifestations  of  the  divine  character  and 
perfections,  and  all  the  descriptions  of  ihe  glories 
of  heaven,  and  of  the  terrors  of  hell,  have  a  ten- 
dency to  illustrate  the  indispensable  obligation 
of  love  to  God,  and  lovo  to  all  mankind,  in  order 
to  secure  our  present  comfort  and  eternal  felicity. 
And,  as  it  was  the  main  design  of  the  Old 
Testament  economy  to  illustrate  a^nd  enforce  the 
principle  of  love  lo  God  and  to  man,  so  it  is,  in 
a  particular  manner,  the  great  object  of  the 
Christian  Revelation,  to  exhibit  the  law  of  love 
in  all  its  bearings  and  practical  applications.  In 
one  of  ihe  first  sermons  delivered  by  our  Saviour, 
and  the  longest  one  recorded  in  the  Evangelical 
History,  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  the  main 
design  is  to  explain  and  enforce  these  principles, 
in  relation  both  to  God  and  to  man,  and  to  sweep 
away  all  the  false  glosses  which  Ignorance  and 
Prejudice  had  mingled  with  their  interpretations 
of  the  Divinp  Law.  In  one  part  of  this  dis- 
course, our  Lord  declares,  that  we  may  as  soon 
expect  to  see  "  heaven  and  earth  pass  away,"  or 
the  whole  frame  of  the  universe  dissolved,  as 
that  "  one  jot  or  one  tittle  shall  pass  from  the 
law."  For,  as  it  is  a  law  founded  on  the  nature 
of  God,  it  must  be  of  eternal  obligation,  and  can 
never  be  abrogated  with  regard  to  any  class  of 
rational  bei.igs,  in  consistency  with  the  perfec- 
tions of  the  divine  nature.  As  it  is  a  law  abso- 
lutely perfect,  comprehending  within  its  range 
every  disposition  and  affection,  and  every  duty 
which  is  requisite  for  pronjoting  the  order  and 
happiness  of  intelligent  agents,  nothing  can  be 
taken  from  it  without  destroying  its  peifection; 
and  nothing  can  be  added  to  it  without  supposing 
that  it  was  originally  imperfect.  And  as  it  was 
intended  to  preserve  the  harmony  and  to  secure 
the  felicity  of  the  intellectual  beings  that  people 
the  earth  and  the  heavens,  the  fabric  of  universal 
nature  must  be  destroyed,  before  this  law  can  be 
set  aside  or  cancelled.  For  we  have  already 
seen,  (Sect.  IV.)  that,  were  it  reversed,  the 
whole  intelligent  system  would  be  transformed 
into  a  scene  of  confusion,  misery,  and  horror. 
For  the  purpose  of  affoiding  an  immense  theatre, 
on  which  the  operations  of  this  law  might  be 
displayed,  the  earth  with  all  its  furniture  and 
decorations,  and  the  heavens,  with  all  their 
hosts,  were  called  into  existence  ;  and,  therefore, 
were  it  either  cancelled  or  reversed,  neither  the 
glory  of  the  Creator  would  be  displayed,  nor  the 
happiness  of  his  intelligent  creation  secured. 
The  mighty  expanse  of  the  universe,  enclosing 
so  many  spacious  worlds,  would  become  one 
boundless  moral  desert,  in  which  no  "  fruits  of 
righteousness"  would  appear,  nor  any  trace  of 
the  beauty  and  benevolence  of  the  Eternal  Mind. 
— In  the  same  discourse,  our  Saviour  enforces 
the  duty  of  love  towards  even  our  most  bitter 
enemies  and  most  furious  persecutors.  "  Ye 
have  heard  that  it  hath  been  said,  Thou  shall 


It 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


low  thy  neighbour,  uidhmta  thine  enemy.  But 
I  mty  until  you.  Love  your  enemies  ;  bless  them 
th«t  curse  you;  do  good  lo  them  that  hale  you; 
and  pray  fur  them  th»<  despitefully  use  you,  and 
peraecuie  you  ;  that  you  may  be  the  children  of 
your  Paihfr  whi)  is  in  heaven ;  for  he  makeih 
hit  tun  lo  arise  on  the  evil  and  on  the  good,  and 
■Bodeth  rain  on  the  Just  and  on  the  unjusi." 
This  is  one  of  th^most  sublime  exrrcises  of  the 
principle  of  love,  in  reference  to  our  fellow-men  ; 
ud  it  it  enforced  from  the  most  sublime  moiive 
wad  consideration — the  conduct  of  Benevolence 
ilaelf  towards  a  race  of  rebellions  and  ungrateful 
creatures. 

All  the  other  irkstruciions  of  ihis  Divine  Tea- 
cher—his  parables,  exhortaWons,  admonitions, 
warnings,  and  consolatory  addresses,  though  re- 
ferring to  particular  cases  and  circumstances — 
had  the  same  general  object  in  view.  When  his 
disciples  would  h.-ive  called  for  fire  from  heaven, 
to  consume  the  Samaritans,  he  kindly,  but  with 
energy  and  decision,  reminded  them,  ihal  a  prin- 
ciple of  malignity  <vas  imbodied  in  their  unhal- 
lowed desires,  which  is  directly  opposed  to  the 
law  of  love.  "  Ye  know  not  what  manner  of 
■piritye  ar.eof;  fur  the  Son  of  man  is  not  come 
to  destroy  men's  lives,  but  lo  save  ihem."  Among 
fan  last  instructions  to  his  followers,  when  he 
WM  about  to  depart  from  the  scene  of  his  earthly 
inlgrimase,  love  was  the  grand  theme  on  which 
he  repeaiediv  expatiated.  "  A  new  command- 
ment give  [  unio  you,  that  ye  love  one  another  ; 
as  I  hav>-  loved  you,  that  ye  also  love  one  ano- 
ther. Bv  this  shtll  all  men  know  that  ye  are 
By  disciples,  if  ye  have  love  one  to  another." 
"  These  things  I  command  you,  that  ye  love  one 
another.* 

And,  as  the  promotion  of  the  spirit  of  love  was 
the  great  obj-ci  of  his  instructions,  so  his  whole 
life  was  an  uninterrupted  exemplification  of  the 
purest  benevoUnee,  both  towards  friends  and  to- 
wards enemies.  Never  did  that  holy  affection 
which  unites  the  angelic  tribes,  and  diffuses  joy 
among  ihe  poor  inhabitants  of  all  worlds,  appear 
within  the  confines  of  our  world,  so  amiable,  so 
diainteresied,  and  so  ardent,  as  during  the  period 
of  the  public  ministry  of  Jesus,  and  particularly 
towards  the  close  of  his  earthly  career.  In  the 
Unmedlate  prospect  of  sufferings,  dreadful  be- 
jood  our  roncepiinns,  his  love  to  mankmd  was 
"strong  as  death,"  which  the  many  waters  of  af- 
fliction which  surrounded  him  were  unable  to 
quench  Hit  whole  soul  seemed  to  be  absorbed 
ii  affect  inn  towards  his  disconsolate  ditciples,  and 
fel  a  desire  to  cheer  and  animate  their  drooping 
•pints.  His  last  addresaes,  as  recorded  by  the 
Kvangelist  John,  breathe  a  spirit  of  tenderness 
■id  compassion,  and  ofDivine  benignity,  of  which 
m  hav"  no  parallel   in  the  annals  of  our  race." 

To  disT>l.'iv  his  kittdn«M  and  condetcension, 
and  to  teac*i  his  disciple*  to  peform  with  cheer- 
fclnaaalhe  huiableat  odtcaa  of  friendship,  he  roae 


from  supper ;  he  laid  aside  hia  gannenli ;  b« 
took  a  towel;  he  girded  himself;  he  po<ired  wa- 
fer into  a  bason ;  he  began  to  wash  the  disci- 
ples' feet ;  and  he  wiped  them  with  the  towel 
wherewith  he  was  girded.  He  then  addressed 
them  in  such  language  as  this  : — "  Let  not  yout 
heart  be  trouMt^J  ;  in  my  Father's  house  ar« 
many  mansions  ;  I  go  to  prepare  a  place  fur  yon. 
And,  if  r  go  and  prepare  a  place  for  you,  I  will 
come  again  and  receive  you  to  mynelf;  that 
where  I  am  there  ye  may  be  also.  I  will  not 
leave  you  comfortless  ;  I  will%ray  the  Father, 
and  he  shall  give  you  another  comforter,  even 
the  Spirit  of  truth,  which  shall  abide  with  you 
for  ever.  Whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  in  my  name, 
I  will  do  it.  Peace  I  leave  with  you  ;  my  peace 
I  give  unto  you  ;  not  as  the  world  giveih,  giv* 
I  unto  you.  Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled,  nei* 
ther  let  it  be  afraid."  Iti  his  last  prayer,  which 
accompanied  these  benedictions,  the  same  ardent 
flow  of  affection  burst  from  his  benevolent  heart — 
"  Holy  Father  !  keep,  through  thine  own  name, 
those  whom  thou  hast  given  me,  that  tliey  may 
be  one  as  we  are."  But  hit  love  was  not  con- 
fined to  the  select  few  with  whom  he  was  sur- 
rounded at  this  interesting  hour.  His  mental 
eye  surveyed  the  various  tribes  which  people  this 
department  of  creation — it  pierced  through  all 
the  succeding  generations  of  mankind — and  he 
embraced  in  his  expansive  affections  the  whole 
race  of  the  faithful  till  the  close  of  time. 
"  Neither  pray  1  for  these  alone  ;  but  for  them 
also  who  shall  believe  on  me  through  their  word ; 
that  they  all  may  be  one,  as  thou,  Father,  art  in 
me,  and  I  in  thee ;  that  they  also  may  be  one  in 
us."  Even  towards  his  bitteroat  enemies  hia 
benevolent  emotions  flowed  out,  in  earnest  sup- 
plications for  their  forgiveness.  Neither  "  the 
floods  of  ungodly  men,""  which  compassed  him, 
nor  the  torrents  of  abuse  which  were  poured 
upon  him  while  he  was  nailing  lo  the  cross,  could 
overpower  that  heavenly  flame  which  burned  in 
his  holy  breast.  In  the  midst  of  til  the  mocke- 
ries, insults,  and  indignities  which  he  endured, 
when  he  was  made  "  a  spectacle  to  angels  and 
to  men,"  his  aflleciionate  desire*  ascended,  with 
the  smoke  of  the  evening  sacrifice,  to  the  throne 
of  God,  in  behalf  of  his  murderert^"  Father, 
forgive  them  ;  for  they  know  not  what  they  do." 
O,  what  a  striking  contrast  is  here  presented,  to 
those  scenes  of  pride,  malignity,  and  revenge, 
which  have  so  long  disgraced  ihe  race  of  Adam, 
and  spread  lamentation,  and  mourning,  and  ter- 
ror, among  families,  societies,  and  nations  ! 
What  a  happy  world  wouM  this  become,  were  it 
peopled  with  such  amiable  characters,  and  were 
all  who  profess  to  be  followers  of  Jesiit,  instead  of 
contending  about  "questions  which  gender  strife," 
to  vie  with  each  other  in  imitating  his  mild  and 
benevolent  spirit !  Then  Christianity  wouW  ap- 
pear in  its  native  lustre,  and  receive  the  homa^ 
duei»its  divine  character^  and  the  name  of  J«- 


ILLUSTRATIONS  FtLOM  SCRJiPTtTRE. 


7» 


aovah  would  soon  be  proclaimed  throughout  all 
the  earth,  and  the  joys  of  his  salvation  felt  in 
every  clime. 

Again,  it  is  one  great  end  of  the  death  of  Christ 
to  destroy  the  principle  of  malignity  in  the  hu- 
man heart,  and  to  promote  the  operation  of  the 
law  of  love.  "While  we  were  enemies,  (says 
the  Apostle  Paul,)  we  were  reconciled  to  God 
by  the  death  of  his  Son."  "  We  are  sanctified 
through  the  offering  of  the  body  of  Jesus  Christ 
once  for  all."  "  He  loved  us,  and  washed  us 
from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood."  "  They  who 
were  enemies  in  theirmind,  and  by  wicked  works, 
he  reconciled  in  the  body  of  his  flesh  through  death, 
to  present  them  holy  and  unblameable,  and  unre- 
provable  in  his  sight."  Love  to  his  heavenly 
Father,  and  love  to  mankind,  impelled  him  to 
"  bumble  him.self,  and  to  become  obedient  to 
death,  even  the  death  of  the  cross."  And,  in 
order  that  this  divine  principle  might  be  kept 
Alive,  and  form  a  bond  of  union  among  all  his  fol- 
lowers, he  appointed  an  ordinance,  consisting  of 
sensible  signs,  in  commemoration  of  his  death, 
to  be  observed  in  all  ages  as  a  memorial  of  his 
love,  and  to  remind  his  friends  of  the  indispen- 
sibie  obligation  under  which  they  are  laid  to  love 
one  another.  To  promote  the  san>e  benevolent 
design,  he  arose  from  the  dead,  ascended  to 
heaven,  sent  down  the  Spirit  of  Holiness  to  abide 
in  the  Church,  and  now  presides  in  the  celestial 
world  as  "  a  Prince  and  a  Saviour,  to  give  re- 
pentance and  the  remission  of  sins." 

And,  as  .the  instructions  and  the  example  of 
Jesus  Christ  were  calculated  to  exhibit  the  prin- 
ciple of  love  in  all  its  interesting  aspects,  and  to 
promote  its  practical  influence,  so  the  preaching 
and  the  writings  of  his  Apostles  had  the  same 
imooriant  object  in  view,  as  the  ultimate  scope 
of  all  their  ministrations.  The  one  half  of  every 
epistle  to  the  Christian  churches  is  occupied  in 
delineating  the  practical  bearings  of  this  holy  af- 
fection. Like  the  lines  which  proceed  from  the 
centre  to  the  circumference  of  a  circle,  the  va- 
rious radiations  of  Christian  affection  are  traced 
from  love,  as  the  grand  central  point,  and  exhi- 
bited in  all  their  benign  influence  on  individuals, 
families,  churches,  and  the  diversified  relations 
which  subsist  in  civil  and  Christian  society. 
"  Above  all  things,"  says  the  Apostle,  "  put  on 
love,  which  is  the  bond  of  perfection.  Though 
we  speak  with  the  tongues  ofmen  and  angels,  and 
have  not  love,  we  are  become  as  sounding  brass, 
or  a  tinkling  cymbal.  And  tboii^  we  under- 
stand all  mysteries,  and  all  knowledge,  and  be- 
stow all  our  goods  to  feed  the  poor,  and  have  not 
love,  it  profit eth  nothing.  Love  sufTereth  long, 
and  is  kind  ;  love  cnvieth  not,  vaunteth  not  itself, 
doth  not  b<;have  itself  unscemlv,  seeketh  not  her 
own,  is  not  easily  provoked,  thinketh  no  evil. 
Prophecies  shall  fail,  languages  shall  cease, 
earthly  knowledge  shall  vanish  away,  btit  love 
lever  faileth."  "  Love  worketh  no  ill  to  his 
10 


neighbour ;  therefore,  love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the 
law.  All  the  law  is  comprehended  in  this  say- 
ing, namely.  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as 
thyself.  The  works  of  the  flesh,"  or  those  which 
flow  from  a  principle  of  malignity,  "  are  these  : 
fornication,  uncleanness,  idolatry,  hatred,  vari- 
ance, emulations,  wrath,  strife,  seditions>  envy- 
ings,  murders,  revellings,  and  such  like.  But 
the  fruit  of  the  spirit  is  love,  joy,  peace,  long-suf- 
fering, gentleness,  goodness,  fidelity,  meekness, 
and  temperance."  "  Let  love  be  without  dis- 
simulation, and  walk  in  love  as  Christ  also  hath 
loved  us.  Be  kindly  affectioned  one  toward 
another  with  brotherly  love,  in  honour  preferring 
one  another.  Distributing  to  the  necessity  of 
saints  ;  given  to  hospitality.  Bless  them  that  per- 
secute you  ?  bless,  and  curse  not.  Rejoice  with 
them  that  do  rejoice,  and  weep  with  them  that 
weep.  Husbands,  love  your  wives,  even  as  Christ 
also  loved  the  church ;  children,  obey  your  parents 
in  the  Lord;  fathers,  provoke  not  your  childreit 
to  wrath,  but  bring  them  up  in  the  nurture  and 
admonition  of  the  Lord.  Servants,  be  obedient  to 
your  masters,  with  good  will  doing  service  as  to 
the  Lord,  and  not  unto  men  ;  and  ye  masters,  do 
the  same  thing  unto  them,  forbearing  threatening, 
knowing  that  your  master  also  is  in  heaven." 
"  Put  on,  as  the  elect  of  God,  holy  and  beloved, 
bowels  of  mercies,  kindness,  humbleness  of  mind, 
meekness,  long-suffering  ;  forbearing  one  another 
in  love,  and  forgiving  one  another,  if  any  maa 
have  a  quarrel  against  any  ;  even  as  Christ  for* 
gave  you,  so  also  do  ye." 

Such  is  the  general  scope  of  the  instructions 
which  the  apostles  delivered,  in  all  their  com- 
munications to  the  Christian  churches,  whether 
composed  of  Jews  or  Gentiles.  And,  had  it  not 
been  for  the  strong  prejudices  of  the  Jews,  and 
the  erroneous  conceptions  of  the  Gentiles,  which 
the  apostles  had  to  combat,  it  is  probable,  that 
the  whole  of  their  epistles  would  have  been  solely 
occupied  in  delineating  the  practical  eff'-cts  of 
love  to  God,  and  to  our  brethren  of  rr.anKind, 
and  its  glorious  consequences  in  the  future 
world.  And,  as  it  was  the  great  aim  of  the 
apostles  themselves,  in  their  writings  and  per- 
sonal administrations,  to  illustrate  the  numerous 
bearings  ofChristian  love,  so  they  gave  solemn 
charges  to  their  successors  in  the  work  of  the 
ministry,  to  make  all  their  instructions  subset^ 
vient  to  the  promotion  of  the  same  important  ob- 
ject. Almost  the  whole  of  the  epistles  addressed 
to  Timo'hy  and  Titus,  which  relate  to  the  du- 
ties and  the  objects  of  the  Christian  ministry,  has 
a  reference,  not  to  the  discussion  of  metaphysical 
questions  in  theologv,  which  "  are  unprofitable 
and  vain,"  but  to  the  illustration  and  the  inculcat- 
ing of  those  practical  duties  which  flow  from  the 
spirit  of  love,  and  to  the  counteracting  of  those 
proud,  malignant,  and  speculative  dispositions 
which  are  opposed  to  the  meekness  and  benignity 
of  tlie  gospel  of  peace. 


74 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


I  nii^  abo  have  chown,  by  numerous  quota- 
tioM,  that,  in  tba  general  epUtles  uf  Peter, 
Jamea,  and  Juhn,  the  vame  grand  object  to  which 
I  have  been  adverting  is  steadily  and  uniibrmly 
kept  in  view.  The  first  epUlle  uf  John  is  almost 
uekMively  devoted  to  the  illustration  of  the  love 
ttOM  and  oTnuui;  and  on  this  themo,  in  which 
bisaoul  appears  lo  be  almost  entirely  absorbed, 
he  expatiates  with  peculiar  ener^  and  delight : 
"  We  know  that  we  have  passed  from  death  to 
life,  because  we  love  the  brethren.  He  that 
loveth  not  his  brother  abideth  in  death.  Who- 
soever hateth  his  brother  is  a  murderer;  and  ye 
kn'>w  that  no  murderer  hath  (the  principle  of) 
eternal  life  abiding  in  hint.  Behold,  what  man> 
aerof  love  Die  Father  hath  bestowed  on  us,  that 
we  should  be  called  the  sons  of  Giod  !  Beloved, 
let  us  love  one  another ;  for  love  is  of  God  :  and 
every  one  that  loveth  is  bom  of  God,  and  knowoth 
God.  He  that  loveih  not  knoweih  not  God  ; 
fr  Qod  is  love.  No  man  hath  seen  God  at  any 
time.  If  we  lore  one  another,  God  dwelletli  in 
H,  and  his  love  is  perfected  in  us.  If  any  man 
B&y,  I  love  God,  and  haieih  his  brother,  he  is  a 
bar  ;  for  he  that  loveih  not  his  brother,  whonvbe 
hmth  Men,  how  can  he  love  God,  whom  he  hath 
W>t  seen  ?"  It  is  recorded,  by  some  ancient  au- 
thors, that  when  this  apnetle  was  grown  old,  and 
•neble  to  preach,  he  used  to  be  led  to  the  church 
at  Ephesiis,  and  only  to  say  these  words  to  the 
people.  Little  cAt/dren,  hve  one  another."  Such 
was  the  importance  which  this  venerable  apostle 
attached  lo  love,  as  the  grand  and  governing  prin- 
ciple in  the  Christian  system. 

Finally,  The  procedure  of  the  last  judgment 
wiil  be  conducted  on  evidence,  deduced  from  the 
nanifestations  of  love.  Al  that  solemn  period, 
when  the  present  economy  of  Ehvine  Providence 
shall  come  to  a  termination  ;  when  the  elements 
•hall  melt  with  fervent  heat,  and  the  great  globe 
on  which  we  tread  shall  be  wrapt  in  flames; 
when  the  archangel  shall  descend,  and  sound 
an  alarm  with"  the  trump  of  Gtod  ;"  when  the 
graves  shall  open,  ani-l  give  forth  their  dead;  and 
when  all  the  generations  of  men,  "  both  small 
and  great,"  shall  stand  before  the  throne  ofGotI ; 
the  eternal  destiny  of  all  the  millions  of  mankind 
will  be  unalterably  determined,  on  the  ground  uf 
the  manifesialions  which  have  been  given  of  the 
existence  and  the  operation  of  the  principle  of 
love,  and  of  the  afl'ections  ai>d  conduct  to  which 
it  is  oppi>«ed.  *'  When  the  Son  of  man  shall 
oome  in  his  glory,  and  all  the  holy  angels  with 
biiB,  then  shall  he  sit  upon  the  throne  of  Ins 
gtory.  And  before  him  sitall  be  assembled  all 
aationa.  Then  shall  he  say  to  ihcm  on  his  right 
iMnd,  Come  ye  blessed  of  my  Fiitlier,  inherit  the 
Unpiom  prepared  for  you  from  the  foundation  of 
tfie  world.  For  I  was  an  hungered,  and  ye  gave 
ne  meat ;  I  was  thirsty,  and  ye  gave  me  drink  ; 
I  was  a  stranger,  and  ye  took  me  in ;  naked,  and 
ye  clothed  me  i  Lwassick,aod  ]w  vistteJ  me; 


I  was  in  prison,  and  ye  came  unto  me."  And, 
though  ye  had  no  opportunity  of  performing  these 
offices  to  me  in  person,  yet,  "  inasmuch  as  yr 
did  it  to  i>ne  of  the  least  of  these  my  brelbreOt 
ye  did  it  unto  me."  "  Then  shall  he  also  say  to 
them  on  the  left  hand.  Depart  from  me,  ye  curv- 
ed ;  for  I  was  an  hungered,  and  ye  gave  me  do 
meat ;  I  was  thirsty,  aiHi  ye  gave  me  no  drink  ; 
I  was  a  stranger  and  ye  took  me  not  in ;  naked, 
and  ye  clothed  me  not ;  sick,  and  in  prisoo,  and 
ye  visited  me  not.  Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  inas- 
much as  ye  did  it  not  lo  one  of  the  least  of  these, 
ye  did  it  not  to  me.  And  these  shall  go  away 
into  everlasting  punishment,  but  the  righteous 
into  life  eternal."  For  every  one  shall  be  re- 
warded according  to  his  works. — Such  is  the 
importance  which  will  be  attached  to  the  influ- 
ence of  this  holy  affection  over  the  human  mind, 
at  that  "  day  of  dread,  decision,  and  despair  ;" 
for  it  is  quite  obvious,  that  every  action  here 
specified  in  relation  to  the  righteous,  is  an  effect 
of  the  love  of  God  and  of  man  presiding  in  the 
heart ;  and,  therefore,  if  we  shall  ultimately  be 
found  doslitute  of  thu  holy  principle,  we  cannot 
expect  the  reward  of  the  faithful,  nor  "  have 
boldness  in  the  day  of  judgment."  • 

Thus  it  appears  that  it  is  the  great  end  of  all 
the  historical  facts,  the  religious  institutions,  the 
devotional  writings,  the  moral  maxima,  the  in- 
structions of  the  prophets,  the  warnings,  exhor- 
tations, promises,  and  threalenings,  comprised 
in  the  Jewish  revelation,  to  illustrate  and  enforce 
the  law  of  love  in  its  refereiKes  both  lo  God  and 
to  man — that  it  is  explained  and  illustrated  in  the 
various  instructions  delivered  by  our  blessed 
Saviour,  and  enforced  by  his  example— that  its 
numerous  bearings  and  niodiftcations  are  display- 
ed in  the  writings  of  all  the  apostles,  and  in 
their  instructions  to  Christian  teacher*  and,  that 
its  existence  in  tlie  heart,  tmd  its  operation  in 
active  life,  will  form  the  decisive  test  of  our  cha- 
racter at  the  final  judgment. 


SECTION  VIIL 
Oh  the  practical  operatioh  or  t-ovc,  awd 

THE    VARIOUS  MODES  Ilf  WHICH    IT  SHOOLD 
BE   DlbPLATED  TOWARDS  MANKIIVD. 

We  have  already  seen,  that  love  is  a  most 
noble  and  expansive  afTection.  It  is  not  like  a 
blazing  meteor  which  dazzles  the  eye  for  a  few 
moments,  and  then  vanishes  from  the  sight.  It 
does  not  consist  merely  in  a  few  transient  emo- 
liony ,  and  fruitless  wishes  for  the  good  of  others. 
It  does  not  waste  its  energies  in  eloquent  ha- 
rangues on  the  beauty  of  virtue,  in  theorizin»»  spe- 
culations on  the  principles  of  morals,  in  framing 
Quixotic  schemes  of  philanthropy,  or  in  weep- 
ing over  tales  of  fictitious  wo.  It  is  a  substantial 
and  an  ever  active  principle  ;  its  energies  are  ei- 
erted-for  the  ptirpuseof  comnuuicaiiiig  happii 


PRAC-nCAL  OPERATIONS  OP  BENEVOLENCE. 


75 


•to«Tery  rank  of  sensitive  and  intellectual  beings ; 
and  the  moral  world,  as  it  actually  exists,  ii  the 
grand  theatre  of  its  operations.  I  have  already 
endeavoured  to  illustrate  some  of  the  modifica- 
tions of  ihis  affection,  in  its  relation  to  God  ;*  and, 
in  tlie  preceding  sections  of  this  chapter,  have 
occasionally  adverted  to  some  of  its  benignant 
effects  in  reference  to  man.  It  may,  however, 
be  expedient,  in  this  place,  to  enter  a  little  more 
explicitly  into  the  practical  operations  of  benevo- 
lence, and  the  various  modes  by  which  its  influ- 
ence may  be  manifested  in  relation  to  our  bre- 
thren of  mankind. 

The  grand  object  which  love  proposes  to  ac- 
complish is  the  communication  ofhappiness.  And, 
in  order  to  stimulate  and  direct  us  in  its  opera- 
tions, the  character  and  agency  of  God  are  set 
before  us  as  our  examplar.  There  is  not  a  more 
amiable,  attractive,  nor  comprehensive  idea  of 
the  Divine  Being  any  where  to  be  found  than  that 
which  is  exhibited  by  the  Apostle  John,  in  three 
words — God  is  lotx.  He  is  the  eternal,  un- 
created Source  of  felicity,  from  which  flow  all 
those  streams  of  joy  which  gladden  the  hearts  of 
angels  and  archangels,  cherubim  and  seraphim  ; 
and  whatever  portion  of  happiness,  sensitive  or 
intellectual,  is  enjoyed  by  man  on  earth,  and  by 
all  the  subordinate  tribes  of  animated  nature,  is 
derived  from  the  same  inexhaustible  fountain. 
For  the  purpose  of  communicating  happiness,  he 
called  the  material  universe  into  existence,  to 
serve  as  an  immense  theatre,  on  which  his  bene- 
volence might  be  displayed  to  countless  orders 
of  sensitive  and  intelligent  creatures ;  and  aH 
the  perfections  of  his  nature  m6y  be  considered  as 
so  many  agents  employed  for  the  execution  of 
this  noble  design.  Impelled,  as  it  were,  by  this 
essential  and  characteristic  affection  of  the  Di- 
vine Mind,  all  the  attributes  of  Deity  are  inces- 
santly operating  throughout  the  immensity  of 
creation  in  the  view  of  the  inhabitants  ofall  worlds. 
His  Omnipotence  is  employed  in  supporting  the 
worlds  already  created,  and  in  bringing  new 
systems,  and  new  orders  of  beings  into  exist- 
ence; and  his  JVisdom,  in  devising,  select- 
ing, and  arranging  those  means  which  are  requi- 
site for  accomplishing  the  plaas  of  benevolence. 
Towards  those  wretched  beings  who  have  abused 
his  goodness,  and  wandered  from  happiness,  his 
Mercy  is  proclaimed  ;  and  his  Pattence  and  for- 
bearance are  long  exercised,  in  order  to  lead 
them  to  repentance,  and  to  the  paths  of  felicity. 
His  Justice,  conjoined  with  his  power,  is  exer^ 
cised  for  the  purpose  of  restraining  the  efforts  of 
malevolence,  for  preventing  the  inroads  of  anar- 
chy and  confusion,  and  for  preserving  the  order 
«nd  happiness  of  the  intelligent  creation.  In  this 
view,  all  the  judgments,  however  dreadful  and 
appalling,  which  have  been  inflicted  on  the  work- 
era  of  iniquity  in  every  age,  have  had  a  tendency 

*8ee  p»gen  M— ei 


to  accomplish  the  purposes  of  benevolence,  in 
reference  to  the  universal  system.  For,  the  ge- 
neral good  of  God's  universal  empire,  considered 
as  one  whole,  must  be  viewed  as  the  great  end 
which  benevolence  is  accomplishing,  and  the 
partial  exclusions  from  happiness,  which  now 
happen  in  the  case  of  certain  clajtses  of  moral 
agents,  must  be  regarded  as  necessary  arrange- 
ments subservient  to  this  important  end.  His 
inGnite  Knowledge,  extending  to  all  events,  past, 
present,  and  to  come;  and  his  Omniscient  eye, 
piercing  into  the  secret  purposes  of  every  heart, 
surveying  the  various  tribes  of  men,  and  the  cir- 
cumstances of  all  the  worlds  which  float  in  the 
immensity  of  space,  and  comprehending  the  re- 
motest consequeiices  of  all  actions  throughout 
infinite  duration,  enable  Him,  in  every  instance, 
to  form  those  arrangements  by  which  the  objects 
of  benevolence  may  be  accomplished  mi  the  most 
extensive  scale,  and  by  which  the  everlasting 
happiness  of  the  holy  and  intelligent  system  may 
be  most  effectually  secured. 

For  the  purpose  of  displaying  his  love  to  the 
moral  intelligences  of  our  world,  he  has  given 
us  a  revelation  of  his  character  and  will ;  he  has 
exhibited  his  law  as  a  law  of  love ;  he  has  pro- 
mised the  agency  of  his  holy  Spirit,  to  produce 
in  us  those  dispositions  which  his  law  requires  ; 
and  he  has  given  the  most  affecting  display  of 
his  love,  in  the  mission  of  his  Son  into  the 
world.  "  In  this,"  says  the  Apostle  John,  "  was 
manifested  the  love  of  God  towards  us  ;  because 
that  God  sent  his  only-begotten  Son  into  the 
world,  that  we  might  live  though  him.  Herein 
is  love ;  not  that  we  loved  God,  but  that  he  lov- 
ed us,  and  sent  his  Son  to  be  a  propitiation  for 
our  sins.  Beloved,  if  God  so  loved  us,  how  ought 
we  to  love  one  another  ?" 

Now,  we  are  commanded  in  the  Sacred  Scrip- 
tures to  be  imitators  of  God  in  his  benevolent 
operations,  and  especially  in  those  cases  in 
which  love  requires  to  surmount  every  obstacle, 
and  to  exert  all  its  powers  in  opposition  to  ha- 
tred, enmity,  and  ingratitude.  "  Be  ye  perfect," 
says  our  Saviour,  "  as  your  Father  who  is  in 
heaven  is  perfect.  Love  your  enemies ;  bless 
them  who  curse  you ;  do  good  to  them  who  hate 
you ;  and  pray  for  them  who  despitefully  use  you 
and  persecute  you.  That  you  may  be  the  chil- 
dren of  your  Father  who  is  in  heaven  :  for  he 
maketh  his  sun  to  rise  on  the  evil  and  on  the 
good  ;  and  sendeth  rain  on  the  just  and  on  the 
unjustP  So  that  his  enemies  subsist  on  his 
bounty,  and  are  cheered  and  refreshed  by  his  pro- 
vidential care.  In  like  manner,  the  operation  of 
love  on  the  part  of  man  may  be  consideredas  the 
whole  energy  of  an  intelligent,  mind,  directing 
itsfaculties  of  perception,  judgment,  reasoning, 
and  imagination,  along  with  its  physical  pow- 
ers, to  the  production  of  happiness  both  among 
friends  and  enemies,  so  far  as  its  influence  can 
«xt«nd.  Ir  the  prosecution  ofthisaoble  end,  man 


w 


THE  PHILOeOt>HY  OF  RELIGION. 


beeomm  "  a  worker  together  with  Qod,"  a  subor- 
dinate agent  in  carrjring  forward  thoiie  plana  of  In- 
finite  Benuvolence  which  will  itsue  in  the  uliimale 
happinea*  uf  the  moral  universe.  And  as  the 
Almighty,  in  hia  benevoleutoperations,  preserves 
the  harinuny  of  the  universe  by  certain  laws  of 
oi^Jer  which  he  has  established,  as  is  apparent 
in  the  arrangement  of  the  planetary  system,  and 
in  the  physical  and  moral  economy  of  our  ter- 
reatrial  sphere  ;  so  it  is  thu  duty  of  man,  in  all 
the  movements  to  which  love  impels  hiin,  to  imi- 
tate liiii  Creator  in  ih'is  reppect,  and  to  employ  the 
intellectual  I'aciilties  with  which  he  is  endued,  for 
regulating  the  exercise  of  the  benevolent  prin- 
ciple, for  adapting  and  proportioning  means 
to  ends,  and  for  discriminating  between  rational 
and  enthusiastic  schemes  of  exertion;  so  that 
order  may  facilitate  his  movements,  and  ihat  the 
greatest  sum  of  happiness  may  result  from  his 
active  endeavours. 

We  ma^now  attend  more  particularly  to  the 
practical  operations  of  love,  and  the  objects  to- 
wards which  it  should  be  directeu. 

The  principal  objects  towards  which  our  be- 
nevolence should  be  directed  are,  iTittUigent  bt- 
tMgi ;  and  in  the  sphere  of  action  to  which  we 
are  at  present  confined,  man  is  the  chief  object 
whom  we  have  it  in  our  power  to  benefit  by  our 
benevolent  exertions.  Our  benevolent  affections, 
indeed,  ought  to  expand  towards  all  the  holy 
intelligences  of  which  we  have  any  intimation  ; 
and,  in  another  stage  of  our  existence,  we  may 
have  an  opportunity  of  mingling  with  other  or- 
ders of  intellectual  beings,  and  of  co-operating 
with  them  in  diffusing  happiness  throughout  the 
universe  ;  but  while  we  continue  in  this  sublu- 
nary region,  the  improvement  and  happiness  of 
our  fellow-men  is  the  chief  object  to  which  our 
exertions  must  necessarily  be  confined  ;  and  when 
we  view  the  present  state  of  the  moral  world  in 
all  nations  and  climates,  we  behold  a  field  of  ex- 
ertion sufficiently  ample  to  employ  all  the  ener- 
gies of  benevolence  that  have  ever  yet  been  div 
played,  or  perhaps  ever  will  be  displayed  during 
the  existing  economy  of  tfur  world. 

Man  may  be  considered  in  two  points  of  view  : 
as  possessed  of  a  body,  which  is  susceptible  of 
agreeable  or  disagreeable  sensations  and  feel- 
ings ;  and,  as  endued  with  a  mind,  or  spiritual 
principle  which  is  capable  of  perpetual  im- 
provement in  knowledge  and  virtue,  and  which 
is  destined  an  endless  exwtence.  In  both  these 
respects,  love  will  exert  its  powers  in  meliorat- 
ing the  condition  and  promoting  the  enjoyments 
of  mankind.  In  regard  to  his  oorportal  lyUtm, 
man  has  various  want*,  which  require  to  be 
npplied,  and  he  is  subjected  to  various  m^tr- 
ing*  which  require  to  be  soothed  and  allevi- 
ated. He  stands  in  need  of  foo<i,  raiment,  shel- 
ter from  the  blasts  of  the  tempests,'  comfort- 
able lodging  and  accommodation,  light  to  cheer 
•Bd  enable  him  to  proaacuta  his  employments, 


pure  atmospheric  air  to  invigofmte  his  anima. 
system,  and  water  to  cleanse  and  refresh  bim. 
He  is  exposed  to  corporeal    weakness  and   to 
mental   imbecility ;   to  pain,  sickness,  and  di^ 
ease ;  to  the  lots  of  sight,  of  hearing,  and  of 
bodily  feelings;  to  the  decrepitude  of  old   age, 
and  to  all  those  lingering  disorders  which  termi* 
naie  in  dissolution.     He  is  also  exposed  to  the 
afflictions  occasioned  by  the  loss  of  friends  and 
relatives  ;   to  dejection  of  mind,   to  remorse  of 
conscience,  to  doubt,  despondency,  and  despair  , 
and  to  a  long  irnin  of  anxieties,  vexations,  per- 
plexities, and  troubles  of  varlou^  kinds.     Now, 
in  reference  to  the  wants  of  mankind,  love,  when 
genuine  and  araent,  will  endeavour  lo   supply 
them  wherever   a  deficiency  is   knoMn  to  exist, 
and    in  reference  to  their  calamities  and  sorrows, 
it   win  use  its  utmost  exertions  to  relieve  and 
assuage    them,  in  as  far  its    powers  and   influ- 
ence can  extend.     In  this  respect,  every  one, 
however  low  his  situation  in  life,  however  li- 
mited   the  range  of  his  knowledge,  and  how- 
ever contracted  the  sphere  of  his  influence  may 
be,  has  it  in  his  power,  in  a  greater  or  less  de- 
gree, 10  communicate  blessings    to  his  brethren 
of  mankind.     He   can   visit  the  sick  bed  of  an 
afflicted  neighbour  ;  he  can  supply  a  cup  of  cold 
water  to  cool  his  parched  tongue  ;    he  can  wipe 
the  sweat  from  his  forehead  ;  he  can  smooth  his 
pillow  ;   he   can  turn    him  round  on  his  bed  of 
languishing,   that  he  may  enjoy  a  more  comfort- 
able repose;   and  he  can  cheer  him   with  those 
expressions  of  tenderness  and    aflTectiun,  which 
have  a  tendency  above  all  other  acts  of  kindness 
to  sooth   and  revive   the  downcast  spirit.     He 
can  assist  his  neighbour  by  his  strength,  or  by 
his  skill,  by  his  counsel  and  advice,  and  by  tak- 
ing a    lively  interest  in  his  concerns ;    he  can 
promote  his  joy  by  rejoicing  in  his  prosperity  and 
success,  by  assisting  him  in  his  employment,  by 
rescuing  him   from  danger,  V  forgiving  the  in- 
juries ho  may  have    received,  by  acknowledging 
the  worth  of  the  skill,  virtues,  and  endowments 
of  which  he  is  possessed,  and  by  listening  with 
patience   and  complacency  to   his    sentiments, 
complaints,  or   grilvance!>.     He  can  even  pro- 
mote the  happiness  of  his  neighbour  in  ^negative 
way,  by  not  injuring  him  in  his  character  (v  re- 
putation ;  by  not  standing  in  the  way  of  his  pros- 
perity or  advancement ;  by  not  thwarting  him 
in  his  schemes  and  enterprises  ;    by  not   inter- 
rupting him  in  his  innocent  amusements ;    and 
by  refraining  from   every  thing  that  would  tend 
unnecessarily  to  injure  him  in  his  trade  or  pro- 
fession.    Such   friendly  attentions   to   promote 
the  comfort  of  his  ie)tow-men,  every  one  has  it 
in  his  power  to  bestow  :   and  upon  such  appa- 
rently trivial  actions  the  happiness  of  mankind 
in  general  more  immediately  depends,   than   on 
many  of  those  legislative  arrangements  which 
arrest  the  attention   of  a  whole  empire.     For, 
were  they  universally  performed,  the  greater  pW 


PRACTICAL  OPERATIONS  OF  BENEVOLENCE. 


77 


of  ihc  miseries  which   afflict  humaoity  would 
disappear  from  the  world. 

But,  in  cases  where  a  high  degree  of  intel- 
lectual talent,  of  wealth,  and  uf  influence  is  pos- 
sessed, love  is  enabled  to  take  a  wider  range  in 
its  beneficent  operations,  by  endeavouring  to 
counteract  public  evils,  at)d  to  promote  rational 
schemes  of  general  philanthropy.  When  we 
take  a  survey  of  the  condition  of  the  great  mass 
of  the  lower  orders  of  society,  we  find  them  la- 
bouring under  many  physical  eviU  and  inconve- 
niences, which  have  a  tendency  to  injure  their 
health  and  their  comfort,  and  to  obstruct  their 
moral  and  intellectual  improvement.  In  their 
private  habitations,  we  find  multitudes  of  them 
resiJing  in  places  where  ihey  are  almost  depriv- 
ed of  light  and  of  pure  air,  and  surrounded  with 
noxious  effluvia,  putrid  smells,  and  every  thing 
that  is  insalubrious  and  oiTensive  to  the  senses. 
We  find  whole  families  packed  into  a  narrow 
apartment  of  twelve  feet  square,  in  a  narrow  lane, 
where  the  rays  of  the  sun  never  penetrate,  where 
the  refreshing  breeze  is  seldom  felt,  and  where 
the  beauties  of  nature  are  never  beheld.  In 
public  manufactories  we  find  hundreds  of  men, 
women,  and  children,  with  pale  faces  and  ema 
ciated  looks,  breathing  a  polluted  atmosphere 
half^poisoned  with  deleterious  fumes,  steam, 
smoke,  or  noxious  gases.  In  large  cities,  we 
find  numbers  of  children,  through  the  careless- 
ness and  unprincipled  disposition  of  their  pa- 
rents, left  to  wallow  in  filth  and  wretchedness, 
without  even  rags  to  cover  their  nakedness,  and 
encouraged  in  the  haibits  of  pilfering,  and  of  every 
other  vice  which  can  debase  their  minds  and 
render  them  pests  to  society ;  and  we  behold 
others  doomed  to  the  degrading  employment  of 
chimney-sweeping,  deprived  of  the  attentions 
which  flow  from  the  tender  affection  of  parents, 
and  subjected  to  the  harsh  treatment  of  unfeel- 
ing masters.  We  behold  multitudes  of  human 
beings  torn  from  their  families  and  their  native 
land,  cooped  up  in  an  infernal  floating  dun- 
geon, carried  to  a  foreign  land,  sold  like  cattle 
to  an  avaricious  planter,  and  held  in  the  chains 
of  perpetual  slavery.  In  reference  to  all  these 
aqd  similar  evils  which  exist  in  human  society, 
love  will  exert  its  energies,  either  to  alleviate  or 
to  remove  them.  It  will  induce  one  individual 
to  investigate  their  cause*,  to  point  out  the  pro- 
per means  of  remedy,  and  to  publish  to  the  world 
the  result  of  his  deliberations  and  researches. 
It  will  induce  another  to  apply  the  discoveries 
of  natural  science  and  the  inventions  of  art  to 
the  purpose  of  improving  the  physical  condition 
of  mankind.  It  will  induce  a  third  individual, 
in  conjunction  with  others,  to  form  rational  plans 
of  melioration,  and  to  organize  societies  to  carry 
them  into  effect;  and  it  will  impel  others  to 
come  forward  with  their  wealth  and  influence  to 
provide  the  means  for  carrying  forward  on  the 
most  extensive  scale  the  pUina  of  general  bene- 


ficence. In  short,  the  whole  machinery  of  nature 
and  art,  of  mind  and  matter,  of  religion  and  liters 
tute,  of  science  and  legislation,  would  he  set  in 
motion  to  promote  the  external  enjoyments  of 
mankind,  were  love  a  predominant  principle  in 
human  society.  Cottages  on  commodious  and 
healthy  plans  would  be  reared  for  the  industri- 
ous poor ;  streets  would  be  formed  and  gardens 
allotted  them  for  their  pleasure  and  acx;ommo- 
datinn  ;  public  manufactories  would  be  arranged 
and  regulated  in  such  a  manner  as  to  contribute 
to  health,  to  comfort,  and  to  rational  improve- 
ment ;*  the  children  of  the  poor  would  be  fed 
and  clothed,  and  trained  up  to  habits  of  industry 
and  virtue ;  employment  would  be  provided  for 
all  classes  of  labourers  and  mechanics,  and  sub- 
sistence furnished  when  employment  could  not 
be  procured  ;  idleness  would  he  universally  difr 
couraged,  and  honourable  industry  would  be  re- 
warded in  such  a  manner  as  to  afford  not  only  the 
comforts,  but  even  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life  ; 
slavery  in  every  shape,  with  all  its  injustice  and 
cruelties,  would  be  abolished,  and  rational  liberty 
would  be  proclaimed  among  all  ranks  and  in 
every  clime. 

Thus  the  man  in  whose  heart  love  presides, 
takes  a  lively  and  sincere  interest  in  every  thing 
that  has  a  tendency  to  promote  the  external  com- 
fort and  weltare  of  his  neighbour.  He  is  com- 
passionate and  merciful,  gentle  and  indulsent, 
kind  and  tender-hearted,  generous  and  humane  ; 
he  feels  for  the  sorrows  of  suffering  humanity, 
and  his  wealth  and  activity  are  directed  to  re- 
lieve the  distresses  of  the  poor  and  the  afflicted, 
to  feed  the  hungry,  to  clothe  the  naked,  to  pro- 
tect the  widow  and  the  orphan,  to  encourage 
honest  industry,  to  meliorate  the  condition  of  the 
useful  mechanic,  and  to  increase  and  extend  his 
comforts  and  enjoyments.  Of  such  a  one  it  may 
be  said,  in  the  language  of  Job,  "  He  is  eyes  to 
the  blind,  feet  to  the  lame,  and  a  father  to  the  poor. 
When  the  ear  hears  him,  then  it  blesses  him, 
and  when  the  eyes  sees  him,  it  gives  witness  to 
him ;  because  he  delivers  the  poor  that  cries, 
and  the  fatherless,  and  him  that  hath  none  to  help 


•Some  may  be  disposed  to  insinuate,  that  such  at- 
tempts would  be  altogether  visionary,  and  could  ne- 
ver be  realized.  But  I  would  ask  such  persons, 
Have  such  schemes  ever  been  attemirtcd  to  be  rea  lie 
eU  on  an  extensive  scale  ?  Has  the  promotion  of  the 
health  and  comfort  of  the  industrious  poor  ever  be- 
come aparticular  o6;'«:/o/aa£«riof»  to  the  legislature, 
to  men  of  rank  and  influence,  and  to  the  whole  class 
of  opulent  manufacturers  ?  Is  it  not  a  fact,  that 
while  the  acquisition  of  wealth  is  made  the  main  ob- 
ject of  attention,  the  melioration  o{  the  condition  of 
the  industrious  labourer  and  mechanic  is  either  alto- 
gether overlooked,  or  viewed  as  a  very  subordinate 
object  of  attention!  He  is  generally  left  to  shift  for 
himself  the  best  way  he  can,  and  left  to  breathe  in  an 
impure  atmosphere  without  any  particular  aacrifict 
bein?  made  to  remedy  the  evil.  I  venture  to  affirm, 
that  were  the  comfort  of  the  lower  orders  of  society 
made  as  pirtlcular  an  object  of  attention  as  is  the 
acquisition  of  wealth,  every  obstacle  to  iU  accom- 
pUshmem  would  soon  be  lenwTed. 


78 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


him.  The  blensing  of  him  that  was  ready  to 
perish  comes  U(ion  him,  and  he  causes  the  widow's 
heart  to  sing  for  joy." 

But  the  activities  ofbenevolence  are  notconfw- 
•d  to  the  communication  of  sensitive  enjoyments. 
Man  is  a  rational  and  immortal,  as  well  as  a 
MMitive  bein); ;  and  the  operations  of  genuine 
love  will  have  for  their  iihimate  object  the  pro- 
motion of  his  best  interests  as  a  moral  and  intellec- 
tual  agent,  and  as  an  heir  ofimmurtality. 

When  we  consider  man  us  an  intellectual  be- 
ing, standing  in  various  important  relations  to 
his  God  and  to  his  fellow-creatures,  we  behold 
numerous  evils  which  require  to  be  remedied,  as 
well  as  in  the  circumstances  of  his  physical  con- 
dition. Though  the  human  mind  is  capable  of 
vast  expansion,  of  acquiring  an  immense  number 
of  sublime  and  interesting  ideas,  and  of  enjoying 
the  purest  pleasure  in  contemplating  the  objects 
which  lie  within  its  range,  yet  it  is  a  melancholy 
fact,  that  in  all  ages,  mental  darkness  has  en- 
veloped the  great  majority  of  our  race  ;  and  that 
the  grossest  ignorance  of  the  most  important 
truths,  accompanied  with  the  most  degrading  af- 
fections, still  prevails  among  the  greater  part  of 
the  population  of  every  region  of  the  globe.  We 
need  not  go  to  the  frozen  climes  of  Lapland  and 
Labrador,  to  the  filthy  huts  of  the  Grecniander 
and  the  Esquimaux,  to  the  rude  savages  of 
Nootka  Sound,  to  the  degraded  tribes  of  New- 
Holland  and  Van  Dieman's  Land,  to  the  wild 
and  wretched  Boshemen  and  CafTres,  or  to  the 
swarthy  sons  of  Central  Africa,  in  order  to  be 
convinced  of  this  lamentable  truth.  We  need 
only  to  look  around  us  among  the  various  ranks  of 
our  own  population,  and  we  shall  not  fail  to  see 
ignorance,  in  all  its  diversified  forms,  exerting  its 
malign  influence  over  the  minds  of  men,  accom- 
panied with  superstition,  enthusiasm,  bigotry, 
intolerance,  and  every  grovelling  affection  that 
can  debase  the  human  mind.  Multitudes  of  the 
young,  both  in  the  city  and  in  the  country,  are 
suffered  to  shoot  up  from  infancy  to  manhood,  as 
if  they  were  mere  animal  existences,  ignorant  of 
the  character  and  operations  of  God,  of  the  duties 
they  owe  to  their  Creator  and  to  one  another,  and 
of  the  eternal  state  of  existence  to  which  they 
are  destined.  Even  in  many  of  those  places 
where  instruction  is  attempted  to  be  communi- 
cated, what  a  pitiful  pictare  is  exhibited  of  ihu  re- 
■alts  of  education,  and  of  the  folly  which  attaches 
itielf  to  the  character  of  man  !  The  pronuncia- 
ikM  of  «  number  of  unmeaning  words,  the  recit- 
ing of  passages  which  (he  young  cannot  under- 
■tand,  the  repetition  of  a  few  propositions  in  re- 
ligion tn  which  no  ideas  are  attached,  and  the 
eaating  of  a  few  accounts,  are  considered  as  suf- 
6ctent  to  lead  them  forward  in  the  path  of  know- 
ledge and  virtue  ;  and  are  substituted  in  the  place 
of  those  definite  and  luminous  instructions  which 
are  requisite  to  expand  the  opening  intellect,  to 
convey  distinct  ideas  to  the  mind,  to  unibtd  the 


scenes  of  creation  and  providmne,  to  display  the 
character  of  God,  and  to  train  up  the  youthful 
mind  to  glory  and  immortality. 

Now,  in  reference  to  the  ignorance  which  pre* 
vails  in  the  world,  love  to  man,  as  an  intellectual 
being,  will  excite  to  active  endeavours  in  order 
to  counteract  its  influence.  It  will  prove  an  e»> 
ciiement  to  the  erection  of  seminaries  of  inslruc* 
tion  wherever  they  are  deficient ;  it  will  paironiae 
every  scheme  and  every  exertion  by  which  know> 
ledge  may  be  increased  ;  and  will  diffuse  mental 
illumination  as  far  as  the  sphere  of  its  influence 
extends.  It  will  not  rest  satisfied  with  the  form 
of  instruction,  without  the  substance;  with  the 
elements  of  language,  without  the  elements  of 
thought  ;  with  the  key  of  knowledge,  without 
knowledge  itself;  but  will  devise  rational  plans 
for  conveying  ttibitantial  information  to  tlie  minds 
of  the  young,  so  as  to  win  their  affections,  arrest 
their  attention,  and  carry  them  forward  with 
pleasure  in  the  paths  of  improvement.  It  will 
not  offer  them  stones  and  ashes  instead  of  bread, 
but  will  spread  before  them  an  intellectual  feast, 
and  "  feed  them  with  knowledge  and  understand- 
ing." It  will  not  confine  its  attention  merely  to 
the  instruction  of  the  young,  but  will  endeavour, 
by  writing,  by  conversation,  by  lectures,  by  lend- 
ing and  circulating  books,  by  establishing  public 
libraries,  and  by  ort;anizing  rational  and  scientific 
institutions,  to  diffuse  the  rays  ofintellectual  light 
among  men  of  all  ages,  ranks,  and  professions ; 
and  will  never  cease  its  exertions  till  ignorance, 
with  all  its  degrading  accompaniments,  be  ba- 
nished from  society,  and  till  the  light  of  truth  illu- 
minate the  inhabitants  of  every  land.  In  a  word, 
it  will  endeavour  to  render  every  branch  of 
knowledge  subservient  to  the  illustration  of  the 
character  and  the  revelation  of  God,  and  to  the 
preparing  of  mankind  for  the  employments  of 
that  nobler  state  of  existence  to  which  they  are 
destined. 

Again,  as  man  is  possessed  of  an  immortal  na- 
ture, and  in  his  present  state  of  sin  and  degrada- 
tion is  exposed  to  misery  in  the  future  workJ,  so  it 
is  one  of  the  highest  offices  of  love  to  endeavour 
to  promote  the  eternal  salvation  of  mankind.  For 
the  accomplishment  of  this  important  object,  all 
its  activities  are  concentrated,  and  ail  its  other 
labours  are  rendered  subservient.  To  improve 
the  physical  condition  of  man  as  a  sensitive  be- 
ing, and  to  enlarge  his  knowledge  as  an  intellec- 
tual, while  wc  overlook  his  eternal  interests, 
is  to  neglect  one  of  the  most  important  duties  of 
Christian  philanthropy.  The  sensitive  enjoy- 
ments of  man  are  conducive  to  his  happiness  so 
long  as  they  continue  ;  and  "  knowledge  is  plea- 
sant to  the  soul."  But  what  are  all  the  acquisi- 
tions and  enjoyments  of  time,  when  compared 
with  the  concerns  of  eternity  !  and  what  will  they 
avail,  if  their  possessor  be  found  unqualified  for 
the  employments  of  an  endless  life  !  If  the  soul 
of  man  be  an  immortal  principle,  and  if  the  least 


PROGRESS  OF  BENEVOLENCE. 


TO 


danger  exists  of  its  being  deprived,  though  igno- 
rance and  guilt,  of  happiness  in  the  future  world, 
no  words  can  express  the  importance  which 
ought  to  be  attached  to  this  "  labour  of  love." 
"  What  will  it  profit  a  man  if  he  shall  gain  the 
whole  world,  and  lose  his  own  soul  ?  or  what  shall 
a  man  give  in  exchange  for  his  soul  ?''  And  there- 
fore, the  man  in  whose  breast  true  benevolence 
resides,  will  consider  the  eternal  happiness  of  his 
fellow-immortals  as  the  grand  and  ultimate  ob- 
ject which  ought  always  to  be  kept  in  view, 
and  will  exert  all  his  faculties,  powers,  and  influ- 
ence, in  order  to  its  accomplishment.  He  will 
not  rest  satisfied  with  prayers  and  wishes  for  the 
salvation  of  men  ;  he  will  not  wait  for  any  ex- 
traordinary afflatus  of  the  Divine  Spirit  \  but 
will  prosecute  with  judgment  and  perseverance 
that  course  of  active  duty,  which  has  a  tendency 
to  produce  the  desired  effect.  So  far  as  the 
circle  of  his  influence  extends,  he  will  endeavour 
to  instruct  the  ignorant,  to  arouse  the  careless, 
to  reclaim  the  dissipated,  to  convince  the  skeptic, 
to  train  up  the  young  in  the  knowledge  of  God 
and  in  the  paths  of  virtue,  and  to  encourage  and 
animate  every  one  who  is  inquiring  the  way  to 
eternal  life.  He  will  exhibit  religion  in  its  most 
amiable,  and  attractive,  and  sublime  aspects; 
and  will  endeavour  to  fix  the  attention  on  the 
Jovely  tempers,  and  the  beneficial  effects  which 
the  observance  of  its  precepts  has  a  tendency  to 
produce.  He  will  not  make  it  his  chief  object  to 
convert  men  to  the  belief  of  certain  metaphysical 
dogmas  in  religion,  nor  to  gain  them  over  to  em- 
brace the  peculiarities  of  a  party ;  but  to  produce  in 
their  minds  a  cordial  acquiescence  in  the  plan  of 
salvation  which  the  Gospel  exhibits,  a  reverence 
of  the  divine  character  and  t>erfections, a  desire 
to  cultivate  holy  tempers,  and  a  fixed  determina- 
tion to  walkm  the  paths  of  God's  commandments. 

Such  a  character  will  give  every  due  encou- 
ragement by  his  advice  and  by  his  wealth  to 
Christian  churches,  and  to  faithful  and  intelli- 
gent minis'ers  of  religion.  He  will  patronize 
every  rational  scheme  which  has  for  its  object  to 
propagate  the  Gospel  of  peace  umnng  all  nations. 
He  will  encourage  the  translation  of  the  Scriptures 
into  the  languages  of  all  kindreds  and  tribes  ;  he 
will  give  countenance  to  societies  formed  for  cir- 
culating the  Bible  in  foreign  lands  ;  and  he  will 
assist  in  sending  forth  intelligent  and  philanthro- 
pic missionaries  to  b.irharous  and  unenlightened 
tribes,  for  the  purpose  of  diffusing  the  blessings 
of  knowledge,  civilization,  and  religion  ;  and  he 
will  rejoice  to  co-operate  in  such  benevolent 
schemes  with  all  who  sincerely  wish  to  promote 
the  best  interests  of  their  fellow  men,  by  what- 
ever name  they  are  distinguished,  and  to  what- 
ever section  of  the  Christian  church  they  may 
belong. 

In  short,  love,  when  genuine  and  ardent,  will 
set  itself  in  opposition  to  every  species  ofbigotry 
and  intolerance,  and  to  all  those  oetty  jealousies 


and  bitter  animosities  which  have  so  long  dis- 
tracted the  Christian  church,  which  have  thrown 
an  odium  on  its  character,  and  prevented  the 
harmonious  intercourse  of  the  followers  of  Jesus. 
It  will  make  every  sacrifice  consistent  with  the 
great  objects  of  Christianity,  and  will  use  every 
appropriate  mean  to  heal  the  unhappy  divisions 
which  exist  in  the  religious  worW,  and  to  pro- 
mote an  affectionate  union  of"  all  who  love  our 
Lord  Jesus  in  sincerity;"  in  order  that  the 
church  of  Christ  may  form  one  compact  harmo- 
nious body,  in  opposition  to  atheists,  skeptics, 
and  the  men  of  the  world,  and  in  order  that 
every  plan  and  effort  to  diffuse  the  knowledge 
and  influence  of  the  Christian  religion  may  be 
carried  more  speedily  and  more  extensively  into 
effect. 

With  regard  to  all  the  other  branches  of  Chris- 
tian morality,  and  to  all  the  virtues  which  can 
adorn  the  human  character,  in  every  station  and 
relation  in  life,  they  will  be  found  to  flow  from 
the  exercise  of  the  principle  I  have  now  been 
illustrating,  as  naturally  as  the  sap  flows  from 
the  trunk  of  the  remotest  ramifications  of  a  tree, 
or  as  the  gas  which  now  illuminates  our  streets 
and  churches  flows  from  the  main  gasometer, 
through  hundreds  of  pipes,  to  all  the  different 
burners.  Smcerity  and  veracity  in  our  words 
and  actions,  honesty  and  fair  dealing  in  trade 
and  commerce,  fidelity  to  compacts  and  engage- 
ments, a  regard  to  public  liberty,  an  equitable 
administration  of  justice,  condescension  and 
kindness  to  inferiors,  reverence  and  respect  to 
superiors,  submission  to  just  laws  and  regula- 
tions, friendship,  and  a  cordial  interchange  of 
friendly  sentiments  and  affections;  courtesy,  ci- 
vility, affability,  harmony,  and  good  neigbour- 
hood  ;  modesty,  chastity,  and  discretion;  for- 
giveness of  injuries,  hospitality  to  strangers, 
humanity  to  servants  and  dependants,  compassion 
to  the  distressed  ;  parental,  filial,  and  fraternal 
affection,  sympathy,  generosity,  temperance, 
and  fortitude,  together  with  all  the  other  social 
virtues  which  unite  man  to  man,  will  as  naturally 
flow  from  the  fountain  of  love,  when  it  exists 
in  the  human  breast,  as  water  flows  from  a 
reservoir,  through  all  the  pipes  which  distribute 
it  to  the  inhabitants  of  a  large  city.  For  he 
who  withholds  the  exercise  of  such  virtues,  or 
acts  in  direct  opposition  to  them,  can  never  be 
supposed  to  be  sincerely  attached  to  his  fellow- 
creatures,  or  to  consult  their  happiness;  and 
the  meaning  of  language  must  be  inverted  be- 
fore we  can  apply  to  him  the  epithet  benevolent ; 
and  the  order  of  the  moral  system  deranged, 
before  we  can  expect  happiness  to  flow  from  such 
a  conduct. 

The  cardinal  virtue?  have  been  arranged  by 
some  moralists  under  the  hea'sof  Prudence 
Temperance,  Fortitude,  and  Justice.  PrudetiM 
consists   in  judging  what  is  best,  in  the  choic« 


80 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


both  of  endi  utJ  meana,  particulmrly  in  reference 
to  our  own  interests,  and  to  ihe  i;ood  or  evil  Mhich 
VMy  result  from  our  choice.  Tempereuiee  is  that 
rirliM  which  mndt<rate«  and  restrains  Ihe  sensual 
appetites.  FortUudt  is  that  calm  and  steady 
habit  ofthe  mind  which  either  enables  us  bravely 
to  encounter  the  prospect  of  ill,  or  renders  us 
•erenii  and  invincible  under  its  immediate  pres- 
wre.  Justice  is  that  virtue  which  impels  us  to 
give  l->  every  person  what  is  his  due.  Now, 
it  coull  easily  be  shown,  that  love  is  the  impel- 
ling principle  which  excites  to  the  exercise  of 
alt  Ihtiie  virtues.  It  will  lead  us  to  pay  a  due 
regard  to  our  own  comfort  and  interest,  but  not 
•0  as  t4>  interfere  with  the  interests  or  to  obstruct 
the  happiness  of  others.  It  will  teach  us  to  pre- 
serve the  dumiiiion  of  the  soul  over  sense  and 
passion,  and  to  restrain  the  influence  of  the  sen- 
sual 8|if>eiiie3,  from  considerations  drawn  from 
our  oviuhapiiiness,  and  from  the  good  of  others. 
For,  an  intemperance  kindles  the  fire  of  resent- 
ment and  the  flames  of  lust,  excites  to  boisterous 
words  and  to  lawless  actions,  waste;)  the  sub- 
stance and  reduces  families  to  wretchedness 
and  ruin,  it  must  be  directly  opposed  to  the  prin- 
ciple of  benevolence.  It  will  inspire  us  with  a 
generous  and  heroic  indifference  to  the  preca- 
rious possessions  of  this  mortal  scene,  and  will 
excite  to  activity  and  perseverance  in  promoting 
human  hnppiness,  in  the  face  of  every  difficulty 
and  obsiruciion,  ami  in  spite  of  obstinacy  and 
ingratitude,  and  of  all  the  sneers  and  reproaches 
that  may  be  thrown  out  upon  us  on  account  of 
the  singularity  of  our  conduct.  And  as  JuMxct 
is  nothinj;  else  than  the  measure  ofbeneoolence, 
it  will  uniformly  direct  us  to  give  to  every  one 
his  due,  and  restrain  us  from  withholding 
from  our  nei>>hbour  any  thing  to  which  he  is  en- 
tilled  by  eqtiiiy  or  by  law.  And  in  cases  where 
the  division  of  property  is  concerned,  it  will  in 
many  instances  be  induced  to  relinquish  its 
right  when  only  a  few  paltry  pounds  or  shillings 
are  at  stake,  raiher  than  run  the  risk  of  dissolv- 
ing the  bonds  of  affection  and  friendship. 

The  duties  of  morality  have  by  other  mora- 
lists, particularly  by  the  modems,  been  arranged 
into  the  duties  we  owe  to  God,  as  piety,  rever- 
ence, and  cimfidence  ;  the  duties  we  owe  toother 
nun,  as  fidelity,  loyalty,  humanity,  and  justice  ; 
and  the  duties  we  owe  to  ourselves,  as  chastity, 
•obriety,  an  I  temperance.  From  what  has  been 
already  stated,  both  in  this  and  in  several  of 
the  preceding  sections,  it  will  obviously  ap- 
pear, that  all  these  classes  of  duties  necessarily 
flow  from  the  operation  nf  that  primary,  diffusive, 
and  ever  active  principle,  which  resides  origin- 
ally in  the  Eernal  Mind,  and  which  pervades 
the  minds  of  all  holy  intelligences. 

Finally,  The  rain  who  is  animated  by  the  noble 
principle  of  benevolence,  will  endeavour  to  dis- 
charge with  fidelity  every  social  and  relative 
duty,  and  will  feat  an  iulereat  in  the  domestic 


comfort  and  the  moral  and  religious  improvo- 
ment  of  all  arnund  him.  He  will  display  the 
activities  of  this  holy  affV-ction  more  immediately 
in  the  family  in  which  he  reside*,  as  a  friend,  a 
father,  a  husband,  a  son,  or  a  brother  ;  perfoftn- 
■ing  with  punctuality  all  the  dutii-s  which  such 
relations  include ;  promoting  unity,  harmony, 
affection,  and  a  reciprocal  interchange  of  all 
those  offices  of  kindness,  which  lend  to  secure 
mutual  confidence,  pleasure,  and  improvement. 
From  the  family,  his  affections  will  be  diffused 
to  the  neighbourhood  around,  in  all  the  forms  of 
kindness,  compassion,  faithfulness,  forgiveneaa, 
charity,  generosity,  humanity,  and  justice.  H« 
will  contemplate  every  member  of  society  as  a 
kinsman  and  a  brother  ;  he  will  feel  a  fraternal 
attachment ;  he  will  delight  in  h\a  success  and 
pro.apurity,  and  will  endeavour  to  encourage  the 
social  virtues,  and  to  multiply  the  sources  of 
enjoyment  wherever  his  influence  extends.  From 
the  circle  of  his  immediate  neighbourhood,  his 
affections  will  extend  over  all  the  nation  to 
which  he  belongs.  Its  prosperity  and  advance- 
ment in  arts,  sciences,  and  legislation,  its  peace 
and  tranquillity,  and  the  wisdom  and  rectitude 
of  its  rulers,  will  be  the  object  of  his  fervent 
prayers  to  the  God  of  heaven.  To  watch  over 
its  interests,  to  promote  the  improvement  of  ita 
constitution  and  its  laws,  to  expose  the  intrigues 
of  bribery  and  corruption,  to  resist  the  efforts  of 
tyranny  and  ambition,  and  to  defeat  every  en- 
croachment on  its  rights  and  liberties,  in  a  manly 
and  Christian  manner,  he  will  consider  as  a 
duty  which  he  owes  to  his  fellow-subjects,  to  his 
rulers,  and  to  succeeding  generations.  It  will 
be  his  chief  aim,  not  so  much  to  prevent  men 
from  becoming  thieves,  and  robbers,  and  mur- 
derers, as  to  make  them  pious,  virtuous,  and 
useful  members  of  the  general  community  ;  that 
every  one  may  live  ''  a  quiet  and  peaceable  life, 
in  all  godliness  and  honesty  " 

Nor  will  his  benevolence  be  confined  within 
the  limits  of  a  narrow-minded  and  st-lfish  patriot- 
ism : — his  affections  will  expand  to  surrounding 
nations,  and  embrace  the  interests  of  every  peo- 
ple, and  will  excite  him  to  co-operate  in  every 
scheme  by  which  civilization  and  science,  liberty 
and  Christianity,  may  be  promoted  among  all  the 
tribes  and  kindreds  of  the  earth.  He  will  occa- 
sionally transport  himself  in  imagination  to  dis- 
tant climes,  and  to  the  islands  scattered  over  tha 
face  of  the  ocean, — and  the  joy  or  sorrow  which 
is  felt  in  the  hut  of  ihe  Greenlandrr,  in  the  In- 
dian wigwam,  or  among  the  tents  of  the  Tartars, 
will  find  access  to  his  feeling  heart.  An  in- 
undation, an  earthquake,  the  eruption  of  a  vol- 
cano, a  destroying  pestilence,  or  the  horrors  of 
war,  happening  in  Persia,  China,  or  Japan,  will 
not  be  viewed  with  apathy  or  indifference,  be- 
rause  those  countries  are  placed  thousands  of 
miles  beyond  the  boundaries  of  his  own  ;  but  he 
will  sympathise  in  Ihe  aorrows  of  those  distant 


MORAL  SYSTEMS. 


Bl 


Suflferers,  as  well  as  in  the  calamities  which  befall 
his  brethien  in  his  native  land.  Nor  will  his  af- 
fections be  confined  lo  the  men  of  the  [iresent 
age,  but  will  stretch  forward  to  embrace  the 
sons  and  daughters  of  fuiiire  limes,  who  are  des- 
tined to  appear  on  the  theatre  of  this  world,  in 
successive  generations,  till  time  shall  be  no 
longer.  The  plans  which  he  now  forms,  the 
ground-works  of  the  improvements  which  he  is 
now  esiablishing,  and  the  diversified  operations  of 
benevolence  in  which  he  is  now  engaged,  will 
have,  for  their  ultimate  object,  the  diffusion  of  the 
light  of  science  and  of  religion,  and  the  commimi- 
cation  of  happiness,  in  various  forms,  lo  unnum- 
bered multitudes  of  the  human  race,  after  his 
spirit  shall  have  taken  its  flight  beyond  the 
bounds  of  this  terrestrial  sphere.  Nor  will  the  cur- 
rent of  his  love  towards  lellow-intelligences  be 
bounded  by  the  limits  of  time,  and  the  range  of 
this  sublunary  system,  but  will  run  forward  into 
those  interminable  ages,  which  shall  succeed  the 
dissolution  of  our  globe,  and  will  rise  upward  to 
the  inhabitants  of  those  glorious  worlds  which 
roll  in  the  distant  regions  of  creation.  Contem- 
plating the  diversified  scenes  in  which  he  may 
hereafter  be  placed,  and  the  various  orders  of 
intellectual  beings  with  which  he  may  mingle, 
his  soul  will  be  transported  at  the  prospect  of  en- 
tering upon  a  more  extensive  field  (iir  the  range 
of  his  benevolent  affections,  and  of  being  quali- 
fied to  receive  and  to  communicate  happiness  on  a 
more  enlarged  scale,  in  company  with  other  holy 
intelligences, — where  the  field  of  benevolence 
will  be  continually  expanding,  and  the  most  ex- 
quisite delight  springing  up  in  his  bosom,  and 
ever  increasing,  as  eternal  ages  are  rolling  un. 

Thus,  it  appears,  that  Benevolence  is  an  ex- 
pansive and  an  ever  active  principle,  difTus- 
ing  happiness  in  its  train  wherever  it  extends. 
Were  an  extensive  moral  machinery  to  be  set  in 
action  by  this  powerful  principle,  it  is  impossible 
to  describe  what  a  variety  of  blessings  would  soon 
be  distributed  among  mankind,  and  what  a  mighty 
change  would  be  effected  in  the  social  state  of 
human  beings,  and  on  the  whole  aspect  of  the 
moral  world.  And  from  what  has  been  already 
stated,  it  is  evident,  that,  although  intellectual 
talent,  wealth,  and  influence,  have  most  in  their 
power,  as  the  prime  directors  of  the  moral  ma- 
chine,— yet  there  is  no  individual  in  whom  this 
principle  resiiles,  however  limited  his  faculties, 
and  his  sphere  of  action,  but  has  it  in  his  power 
to  communicate  happiness  to  his  fellow  creatures, 
and  to  become  at  least  a  subordinate  agent  in  pro- 
moting the  plans  of  universal  benevolence. 

From  what  has  been  slated  above,  and  in  se- 
veral of  the  preceding  parts  of  this  work,  we 
may  learn,  that,  in  order  to  acquire  a  knowledge 
of  our  duty,  and  of  the  motives  which  should 
stimulate  us  to  its  performance,  ihete  is  no  need 
to  engage  in  the  study  of  voluminous  systems  of 
11 


ethical  ecience,  or  to  perplex  the  mind  with  la- 
boured disquisitions  on  the  principles  of  morals. 
The  general  path  of  duly  is  plain  to  every  one 
who  is  inclined  to  walk  in  it ;  and  whoever  wishes 
to  be  assisted  and  directed  in  his  progress  to- 
wards moral  perfection,  will  find,  in  the  Pro- 
verbs of  Solomon,  the  sermons  of  Jesus  Christ, 
and  the  practical  parts  of  the  apostolic  episdes, 
maxims,  and  precepts,  and  motives  inculcated, 
infinitely  superior  in  regard  both  to  their  author- 
ity and  their  excellence,  to  those  of  all  other 
systems  of  moral  philo.sophy,  whether  in  ancient 
or  in  modern  times.  This  seems  !o  be  partly 
ndmitted  even  by  moral  philosophers  themselves. 
The  celebrated  Dr.  Reid,  in  his  "  Essays  on 
the  Active  Powers  of  Man,"  after  a  variety  of 
learned  and  abstract  discussions  on  active  power, 
and  the  principles  of  human  action,  when 
treating  on  the  theory  of  morals,  says,  '  This 
is  an  intricate  subject,  and  there  have  been 
various  theories  and  much  controversy  about  it 
in  ancient  and  in  modern  times.  But  it  has  little 
connexion  with  the  knowledge  of  our  duty,  and 
those  who  differ  most  in  the  theory  of  our  moral 
powers,  agree  in  the  practical  rules  of  morals 
which  they  dictate.  As  a  man  may  be  a  good 
judge  of  colours,  and  of  the  other  visible  quali- 
ties of  objects,  without  any  knowledge  of  the 
anatomy  of  the  eye,  and  of  the  theory  of  vision; 
so  a  man  may  have  a  very  clear  and  compre- 
hensive knowledge  of  what  is  right  and  of  what 
is  wrong  in  human  conduct,  whenever  studied 
the  structure  of  our  moral  powers.  A  good  ear 
in  music  may  be  much  improved  by  attention 
and  practice  in  that  art ;  but  very  little  by  study- 
ing the  anatomy  of  the  ear,  and  the  theory  of 
sound.  In  order  to  acquire  a  good  eye,  or  a 
good  ear,  in  the  arts  that  require  them,  the  the- 
ory of  vision,  and  the  theory  of  sound,  are  by  no 
means  necessary,  and  indeed  of  very  little  use. 
Of  as  little  ncceasity  or  use  is  whcxt  we  call  the 
theory  of  morals,  in  order  to  improve  our  moral 
judgment." — Reid,  "  On  the  Active  Powen," 
Essay  V.  chap.  2. 

To  a  man  who  is  familiar  with  the  Scriptures, 
and  whose  mind  has  acquired  a  relish  for  the 
simplicity  and  excellence  of  the  Christian  code 
of  morals,  how  cold,  and  frigid,  and  uninteresting, 
do  the  labotired  disquisitions  of  our  most  cele- 
brated ethical  writers  appear!  Th^re  is  little 
to  be  found  in  such  writings  to  kiodle  the  fire  of 
holy  love,  and  to  inspire  the  soul  with  a  noble 
ardour,  in  carrying  forward  the  plan  of  divine 
benevolence.  What  powerful  stimulus  to  ex- 
alted virtue  can  be  expected  from  abstract  dis- 
cussions on  active  power,  on  liberty  and  necessity, 
on  theories  of  moral  action,  on  the  reason  and  fit- 
ness of  things,  on  self-love,  on  public  and  private 
interest,  on  the  law  of  honoiir,  and  the  like  ;  and 
of  how  little  practical  utility  are  the  results  oi 
such  disquisitions ;  since  every  principle  of  ac- 
tion, every  motive,  and  every  duty  conducive  la 


83 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


tfie  happiness  of  the  intelliguDt  sysiem,  is  laid 
down  ill  lheS<:ript(ires,  wiih  a piainness  and  per- 
ipicuily,  which  ruiidcr  them  level  to  thu  meanest 
uiidefWaiidiiij;  ?  And  wnat  shall  we  say  uf  those 
moralists  wh»  iea<'h  us,  that  "  modesty,  humility, 
aad  forgiveness  uf  injuries,"  beluiijj  tu  the  cloas 
of  vices  ;*  niid,  by  consequence,  that  pride, 
imprudence,  und  revenge,  are  to  be  ranked 
aaiong  the  virtueM  !  Such  virtue,  alas!  has  too 
long  prevailed  in  our  degenerate  world;  but  were 
it  universally  lu  prevail,  it  would  traiisforni  area- 
tion  into  a  clm<>9,and  banish  happiness  fruin  the 
universe.  What  beneticial  practical  eHTectshave 
ever  yet  been  produced  by  all  the  system?  oTethics 
which  have  hiiheriu  been  publislied  to  Ihe  world  '/ 
Let  us  look  back  on  ihe  naiions  of  antiquity,  on 
the  schools  of  Plato,  Socrates,  Epicurus,  and 
Zeoo;  let  us  survey  the  conducl  nf  our  modern 
dceptical  philosophers,  and  the  practices  of  our 
jouths  who  attend  courses  of  ethical  lectures  in 
our  universities  and  academies,  and  say,  whether 
the  general  depravity  of  human  nature  has  been 
counteracted,  and  a  spirit  of  universal  benevo- 
IwKe  has  been  cherished  and  promoted  by  such 
instructions.  I  vfnture  to  afSrm,  that  we  are 
&r  more  indebted  to  our  Saviour's  sermon  on 
the  mount,  and  to  the  practical  writings  of  the 
ftpostle  Paul,  fur  that  portion  of  morality  which 
has  given  a  p  'li^h  to  ihe  manners  of  modern 
•ocieiy,than  to  all  the  systems  of  eihics,  detached 
from  Christianity  .which  have  ever  been  published 
by  the  philosophers  either  of  Greece  or  Rome, 
or  of  the  Briiisli  empire  :  and  that  it  is  only 
by  following  out  the  instructions  of  these  divine 
teachers  that  we  can  expect  to  see  the  world 
regenerated,  and  vice  and  iniquity  banished  from 
cur  streets. 

In  throwing  out  the  preceding  hints,  I  have 
confined  my  attention  chiefly  to  the  intelligent 
creation.  But  it  is  evident,  that  where  a  prin- 
ciple of  genuine  love  actuates  the  mind,  it  will 
extend  its  benevolent  regards  even  to  the  lower 
orders  of  animated  existence.  Towards  them 
the  Creator  has  displayed  his  benevolence,  as 
well  as  towards  man.  He  has  framed  iheir  bo- 
dies in  as  curious  and  admirable  a  manner,  as 
the  bodies  of  mankind.  He  has  bestowed  upon 
than  organs  of  sensation  exactly  adapted  to  the 
■itOfttioM  they  occupy,  and  to  their  various  modes 
of  wbsistvnce.  He  has  formed  them  with  in- 
■tincts  which  enable  them  to  construct  their  habi- 
talimi,  to  select  ibeir  food,  to  protect  themselves 
6om  danger,  and  to  choose  the  fittest  places  for 
bringing  forth  their  young.  He  has  provided, 
ia  the  difTerent  de|>arimeiits  of  nature,  all  that 
variety  of  food  which  is  requisite  to  supply  the 
wants  of  the  whole  of  that  immense  assemblage 
ofliving  being*  which  traverse  the  air,  the  waters, 
and  the  earth.  "  These  all  wait  upon  Him, 
and  he  giveth  them  their  meal  in  due  season." 

'  This  Kmimwtt  U  tauf  hi  by  Mr.  Hume,  and  his 
foDowen. 


Their  sportive  motions,  their  varied  movementf, 
and  the  delight  with  which  they  seem  to  exer- 
cise their  faculties,  testify,  that  they  are  the 
objects  of  the  brn'-ficence  of  their  Almighty 
though  unknown  Maker.  So  that  God  not  cNily 
lakes  care  of  men,  but  of  the  fishes  of  Ihe  aeai 
the  creeping  insects,  and  the  fowls  fjf  heaven, 
for  "a sparrow  cannot  fall  to  Ihe  ground"  witln 
out  his  providential  permission. 

This    benevolent  care  of  the  Creator,  which 
extends  to  ihe  lowest  order  of  his  creatures,  in- 
filrucls  us,  that  our  benevolence  also  should  be 
displayed  towards  the  infurior  ranks  uf  sensitive 
existence — that  we  should  not  only  abstain  from 
vexing,  and  torturing,  and  unnecessarily  depriv- 
ing them  of  existence  ;  but  should  endeavour  to 
promote  their  comfort  and  enjoyment.     It  waj 
the  object  of  several  uf  the  laws  delivered  to  the 
Jews,    to    inculcate   compassion  and  humanity 
towards  their  domestic  animals :  and  Solomoo 
lays  it  down  as  a  moral  maxim,  that  "  the  right- 
eous man  regardeih  the  life  of  his  beaai."     Be- 
nevolence will    display  itself,  in    ibe   shape  of 
tenderness  and   humanity    towards  t^ery  crea- 
ture that  is  endowed  with  feeling  and  eensaiion ; 
but  it  cannot  be  supposed  to   have  a  powerful 
influence  over  that  man  who  can  wantonly  tor- 
ture a  poor  fly,  lash  a  feeble  old  horse,  wound  a 
bird  or  a  hare  for  mere  sport,  twirl  a  cockchaffer 
on  a  crooked  pin,  or  even  intentionally  trample 
under  fool  a  snail  or  a  worm,  that  is  doing  him 
no  injury.     The  benevolent  man  rejoices  in  the 
happiness  of  all  creation  around  him;  and,  were 
this  disposition  universally   prevalent,   not  only 
should   we  see  cock-Aghting,  dog-tivhiing,  bull- 
bailing,  and  other   cruel  and  degrading  sporta 
for  ever  abolished,  but  should  form  a  more  de- 
lightful intercourse  with  many  of  the  lower  ani- 
mals than  we     have  ever   yet    enjoyed. — The 
Arabians   never  beat  iheir  horses ;  they  never 
cut  their   tails;    they  treat   them  gently;  they 
speak  to  them,   and   seem  to  hokl  a  discourse; 
they  use  them  as  friends  ;  they   never  attempt 
to  increase  iheir  speed   by  the  whip,   nor  spur 
them  but  i«  cases  of  great  necessity.  They  never 
fix  them  to  a  stuke  in  the  fields,  but  suffer  them 
to  pasture  at  large  around  their  habilaliuns  ;  and 
they  come  running  the    moment  they  hear    the 
sound  of  their  master's  voict*.     In  consequence 
of  such  treatment,  these  animals   become  docile 
and  tractable  in  the  highest  degree.     They  re- 
sort at  night  to  their  tents,  and    lie  down  in  the 
midst  of  the  children,  without  ever  hurling  ihera 
in  the  slightest  degree.    The  little  boys  and  girls 
are  often  seen  upon  the  body  or  ihe  neck  of  Ihe 
marc,  while  the  beasts  continue  inoffensive  and 
harmless,    permit  ing    them    to   |)lay  with    and 
caress   ihem  without  injury. — Several   specie* 
of  birds  have  a  natural  altarhment  to  the  habita- 
tions  of   man  ;  but   his    malevolence    prevent* 
them  from  entering  into  any  intimate  and  frirudly 
association  ;  for  they  seem  to  be  fully  aware  of 


# 


-BENEVOLENCE  TOWARDS  ANIMALS. 


his  guns,  and  snares,  and  other  arts  of  destruo 
Cion,  which  make  them  shy,  even  in  cases  of  ne- 
<Jfcssity,  of  trusting  themselves  to  his  generosity 
and  proteciiiin.  How  many  amusing  and  in- 
structive associations  might  be  formed  with  this 
class  of  animals,  if  the  kindness  and  benevolence 
of  man  were  to  secure  their  conftdence  !  Even 
the  beasts  of  the  forest,  the  elephant,  the  lion, 
awl  the  tiijer,*  have  had  their  ferocious  disposi- 
tions softened  by  kindness  and  attention,  and 
have  become  the  protectors  and  the  friends  of 
man. 

Although  the  lower  animals  seem  to  be  itKa- 
pablo  of  making  improvements  when  left  to  them- 
selves, yet  experience  has  proved,  that,  under 
the  tuition  of  man,  they  are  capable  of  making 
considerable  advancement  in  knowledge,  and  in 
the  exercise  of  the  benevolent  affections.  Kind- 
ness and  atiection  will  frequently  soften  the  most 
savage  and  obdurate  dispositions  among  man- 
kind ;  and  it  is  not  improbable,  that  a  judicious 
and  universal  display  of  friendly  attentions  to- 
wards those  animals  which  occasionally  associ- 
ate with  man,  would  go  far  to  counteract  their 
malevolent  propensities,  and  to  promote  their 
harmony  and  affection.  I  never  was  more  delight- 
ed with  an  exhibition  of  animals  than  on  a  late 
occasion,  when  1  beheld  acflrf,  a  bird,  and  a  mouie 
living  in  the  same  cage,  in  the  most  cordial  har- 
mony and  peace — a  fact  which  demonstrates  that 
the  strongest  antipathies  of  the  animal  tribes  may 
be  overcome  by  the  care  and  attention  of  man. 
And  as  such  an  experiment  could  not  have 
been  attempted  with  success,  except  when  these 
animals  were  very  young,  it  shows  us  the  im- 
mense importance  of  an  early  attention  to  the 
training  of  our  youth  in  habits  of  kindness  and 
affection  towards  each  other,  and  of  humanity 
towards  every  sensitive  being  ;  and  that  it  ought 
to  be  the  great  care  of  parents,  nurses,  and  ser- 
vants, to  counteract  the^rat  a/ipearaTice  of  ma- 
levolent dispositions  in  very  early  1  ife,  however 
trivial  the  circumstances  in  which  such  disposi- 
tions are  manifested. 

The  (kmous  Baron  Trenck,  when  confined  in 
his  dungeon  in  Magdeburg,  had  so  tamed  a 
mous^,  that  it  would  play  round  him,  and,  eat 
round  him,  and  eat  from  his  mouth.  When  he 
whistled,  it  would  come  and  jump  upon  his 
shoulder.  Afier  his  cruel  keepers  had  given 
orders  that  he  should  be  deprived  of  its  society, 
and  had  actually  taken  it  away  blindfolded,  it 
found  its  way  back  again  to  the  door  of  his  dun- 
geon, waited  the  hour  of  visitation,  when  the  door 
would  be  opened,  and  immediately  testified  its 
joy,  by  its  antic  leaping  between  his  legs.  This 
mouse  was  afterwards  carried  off,  and  put  into  a 


•  An  experiment  was  lately  exhibited,  by  the 
keeper  of  the  animals  in  the  Tower  of  London, 
which  demonstrates,  that  even  the  rty«r  is  capable 
of  b«lng  tamed,  and  rendered  susceptible  of  friejidly 
feelings  towards  man. 


cage,  where  it  pined,  refused  all  sustenance,  and, 
in  a  few  days,  was  found  dead.  "  In  this  small 
animal,"  says  the  Baron,  "  1  discovered  proofs 
of  intelhgence  too  great  to  easily  gain  belief. 
Were  I  to  write  them,  such  philosphers  as  sup- 
pose man  alone  endowed  with  the  power  of 
thought,  allowing  nothing  but  what  they  call  in- 
stinct in  animals,  would  proclaim  me  a  fabulous 
writer,  and  my  opinions  heterodox  to  what  thtsy 
suppose  sound  philosofthy." — A  nobleman  c£ 
France,  a  Count  Lauzun,  was  condemned  to  a 
rigid  imprisonment.  Cut  off  from  all  human 
society,  and  allowed  no  means  of  diverting  his 
solitude,  he  made  a  companion  of  a  spider,  who 
had  spun  her  web  in  the  corner  of  his  cell.  He 
at  length  familiarized  her  so  far,  that  she  would 
come  upon  his  hand,  and  eat  from  it  a  portion  of 
his  food  which  he  gave  her.  The  jailer,  totally 
devoid  of  feeling,  thought  this  too  great  an  in- 
dulgence for  the  unfortiMiate  prisoner,  and  crush- 
ed  the  spider  to  death. 

Many  such  instances  could  be  brought  forward 
to  illustrate  the  affection  of  the  inferior  tribes, 
and  their  capability  of  improvement.  But  aU 
though  they  were  entirely  destitute  of  mental 
qualities  and  affections,  as  they  are  sensitive  be- 
ings, susceptible  of  pleasure  and  pain,  the  truly 
benevolent  roan  will  never  intentionally  inflict 
upon  them  uniiPcessary  pain,  and  far  less  will 
he  ever  enjoy  a  savage  delight,  like  some  mon- 
sters inhuman  shape,  in  beholding  them  writhing 
under  the  agonies  occasioned  by  barbarous  treat- 
ment. He  will  feel  a  joy  in  their  comfort,  and 
will  endeavour  to  counteract  their  malignant 
propensities,  and  to  train  them  up  in  those  ha- 
bits by  which  they  may  be  rendered  useful  to 
man,  and  pleasing  to  ach  other.  Were  such  a 
kind  and  humane  disposition  towards  the  lower 
animals  generally  to  prevail,  we  might  ulti- 
mately expect  the  literal  accomplishment  of 
those  predictions  recorded  in  ancient  prophecy  : 
— "  In  that  day  will  I  make  a  covenant  for  them 
with  the  beasts  of  the  field,  and  with  the  fowls 
of  heaven,  and  with  the  creeping  things  of  the 
ground ;  and  I  will  break  the  bow  and  the  sword, 
and  the  battle  out  of  the  earth,  and  will  make 
them  to  lie  down  safely."  "  I  will  cause  the 
evil  beasts  to  cease  out  of  the  land,  and  they 
shall  dwell  safely  in  the  wilderness,  and  sleep 
in  the  woods."  ''  The  wolf  shall  dwell  with 
the  lamb :  the  cow  and  the  bear  shall  feed  in 
one  pasture,  and  their  young  ones  shall  lie  down 
together ;  the  sucking  child  shall  play  on  the 
hole  of  the  asp,  and  the  weaned  child  shall  put 
his  hand  on  the  adder's  den.  They  shall  not 
hurt  nor  destroy  in  all  my  holy  mountain,  saith 
the  Lord." 

The  remarks  which  have  been  stated  in  this 
section,  in  reference  to  the  practical  influence 
of  the  principle  of  benevolence,  are  intended 
merely  as  a  few  insulated  hints  in  regard  to  some 
of  the  medes  in  which  it  may  be  made  to  ope> 


84 


THE  PHrLOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


rate.  To  itlustrire  iu  operation  in  detail,  and 
to  trace  its  |)r<i)(ress  in  all  in  diversified  bour- 
ings  and  ramitication<i,  would  be,  to  write  a  Body 
of  Practical  Morality,  which  would  till  several 
volumes->-a  work  which  is  still  a  desideratum  in 
Christian  literature.  I  cannot  conclude  thi<i 
chapter  more  appropriately  than  with  the  fol- 
lotsring  exce  lent  passage,  extracted  from  Lh, 
Dwight's  "  ijystem  of  Theology." 

"  The  divine  law  is  wholly  included  in  two 
precepts  :  T>iou  shall  love  the  Lord  thy  Ood 
urffA  cUl  Oy  heart  ■  and  thy  neighbour  at  thytelf. 
These  are  so  thnrt,  as  to  be  necessarily  included 
in  a  very  short  sentence  ;  so  intelligible,  as  to  be 
understood  by  every  moral  beinj;  who  is  ca|>dble 
ofcomprehending  the  meaning  of  the  words  God 
and  neighboin- ;  so  easily  remembered  as  to  ren- 
der it  im)iossible  fur  them  to  escape  from  our 
memory,  unless  by  wanton,  criminal  neglioence 
of  ours ;  and  so  easily  applicable  to  every  ease  of 
moral  action,  as  not  to  be  mistaken  unless  through 
indisposition  to  obey.  At  the  same  lime,  obedi- 
ence to  them  is  rendered  perfectly  obvious  andper- 
/eetty  easy  to  every  mind  which  is  not  indisposed 
to  obey  them.  The  very  disposition  itself, 
if  sincere  ^nd  entire,  is  either  entire  obedience, 


or  the  unfailing  means  of  that  ezterAal 
by  which  ihe  obedirnce  is  in  some  cases 
pleted.  The  duposition  to  obey  is  alio  cmf/lntd 
to  a  single  ifffertion  of  the  heart,  easily  dulio- 
giii»hrd  from  all  other  affections,  viz.  bve.  Jjove, 
saith  St.  Paul,  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  taw.  Ths 
humblest  and  mosi  ignorant  moral  creatures, 
therefore,  are  in  this  manner  efficaciously  pre* 
served  from  mistaking  their  duty. 

"  In  the  mean  time,  these  tioo  preeepts,  not- 
withstanding their  brevity,  ars  so  comprehensive 
as  to  include  every  possible  action.  The  arch- 
angel is  not  raised  above  their  control,  nor  can 
any  action  of  his  exceed  that  bound  which  they 
prescribe.  The  child  who  has  passed  the  verge 
of  moral  agency,  is  not  placed  beneath  their  re« 
gulalion  :  and  whatever  virtue  he  may  exercise, 
is  no  other  than  a  fulfilling  of  their  requisitioos. 
All  the  duties  which  we  immediately  owe  10 
God,  to  our  fellow-creatures,  and  to  ourselves, 
are,  by  these  precepts,  alike  comprehended  and 
required.  In  a  tvord,  endlessly  varied  as  moral 
action  may  be,  it  exists  in  no  form  or  instance 
in  which  he  who  perfectly  obeys  these  precepts 
will  not  have  done  his  duty,  and  will  not  find 
himself  justified  and  accepted  by  Glod." 


CHAPTER  III. 

as  THE  MORAL  LAW  AWD  THE  RATIONAL  GROUNDS  ON  WHICH  ITS  PRECBPT8  AHB 

FORMED. 


In  the  preceding  chapters,  I  have  endeavoured 
to  illustrate  the  foundation  of  love  to  God,  from 
a  consideration  of  his  attributes,  and  the  rela- 
tions in  which  he  stands  to  his  creatures.  I 
have  also  illustrated  tlie  rational  grounds  of  love 
to  our  neii^hbour,  from  a  consideration  q(  the 
natural  equality  of  mankind,  of  the  various  rela- 
tions in  which  they  stand  to  one  another,  and  of 
their  eternal  destination.  The  dismal  conse- 
quences which  would  result  from  a  total  subver- 
sion of  these  laws,  the  beneficial  effects  which 
wouU  flow  from  their  universal  operation,  their 
application  to  the  inhabitants  of  other  worlds, 
ihe  declarations  of  Scripture  on  this  subject, 
and  the  various  modes  in  which  benevolence 
•houM  display  its  activities,  have  also  been  the 
aubject  of  consideration. 

The  two  principles  now  illiistrated,  may  be 
ooosideredas  two  branches  proceeding  from  the 
■ame  trunk,  and  spreading  into  different  ramifi- 
cations. The  first  four  commandmenL<<  of  the 
moral  law  may  be  viewed  as  flowing  from  the 
principle  of  k>ve  to  God,  and  the  remaining 
sur  as  ramifications  of  the  principle  of  benevo- 
Imm,  or  love  to  man.     In  the  following  brief 


illustrations,  T  shall  endeavour  to  show  the 
reasonableness  of  these  moral  laws  in  relation  to 
man,  from  a  consideration  of  the  misery  which 
would  necessarily  result  from  their  universal 
violation,  and  of  the  h.-ippiness  which  would 
flow  from  universal  obedience  to  their  requi- 
sitions. 

These  laws  were  published  in  the  most  solemn 
manner,  to  the  assembled  tribes  of  Israel  in  the 
wilderness  of  Horeb.  While  Mount  SinaiVaa 
shaking  to  its  centre,  and  smoking  like  a  fiirnace ; 
while  flames  of  fire  were  ascending  from  its 
summit,  and  thick  darkness  surrounding  its 
base  ;  while  thunders  were  rolling  in  clouds 
above,  and  lightnings  flashing  amid«t  the  sur- 
rounding gloom  ;  and  while  the  earth  was  quak- 
ing all  around,  and  the  voice  of  a  trumpet  waxing 
louder  and  lotider, — in  the  midst  of  this  solemn 
and  terrific  scene,  God  spake  the  commandments 
with  an  audible  articulate  voice,  in  the  hear^ 
ing  of  the  trembling  multitude  assembled  round 
the  mountain.  A  combination  of  objects  and 
events  more  awful  and  impressive,  the  huraaa 
mind  can  scarcely  conceive ;  compared  wjth 
which,  the  pretended  pomp  of  Pagan  deilits. 


MORAL  LAW. 


8ft 


«nd  Tuptter  sliaking  Olympiis  with  his  imperial 
rod,  are  ianie,  ridiculous,  and  profane ;  and  ne- 
ver, perhaps,  since  the  commencement  of  lime, 
was  such  a  striking  scene  presented  to  the  view 
of  any  of  ihe  inhabitants  of  this  world.  The 
Sftost  solemn  preparations,  were  made  for  this 
divius  maiiifesiaiion;  the  people  of  Israel  were 
commanded  to  purify  themselves  from  every 
mental  and  corporeal  pollution,  and  strictly  en- 
joined to  keep  within  the  boundaries  marked  out 
for  them,  and  not  to  rush  within  the  limits  as- 
signed to  these  awful  symbols  of  the  Deity.  An 
assemblage  of  celestial  beings,  from  another 
region  of  creaiion,  was  present  on  this  occasion, 
to  perform  im|>ortant  services,  to  swell  the  gran- 
deur of  the  scene,  and  to  be  witness  of  the  impres- 
sive transact  ions  of  that  solemn  day.*  Mosis 
was  appomled  as  a  temporary  mediator  between 
God  and  iht-  people,  to  explain  to  them  in  m'ider 
terms  the  words  of  the  law,  and  the  further  inti- 
mations of  the  divine  will.  Yet  so  terrible  were 
(he  symbols  of  the  present  Deity,  that  even 
Moses  was  appalled,  and  said,  "  I  exceedingly 
fear  and  qu. ike."  In  order  that  the  impressive 
words  which  were  uttered  on  that  day  might  not 
be  f()rgottt.f)  in  future  generations,  they  were 
written  on  tables  of  stone  with  the  finger  of  God. 
They  were  not  simply  drawn  on  a  plane,  like 
the  strokes  of  writing  upon  paper,  but  the  cha- 
racters were  engraved, or  cutout  of  the  solid 
stone,  so  that  they  could  not  be  erased.  They 
were  not  written  on  paper  or  parchment,  or  even 
•n  wood,  but  on  <tonc,^which  is  a  much  more 
durable  material.  "  The  tables  were  written 
upon  both  their  tides,  on  the  one  side,  and  on 
the  other  were  they  written ;  and  the  tables 
were  the  work  of  God,  and  the  writing  was  the 
writing  of  God,  graven  upon  the  table8."t  This 
was  intended  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  any 
thing  being  added  to  the  law,  or  taken  from  it. 
The  tables  were  tteo  in  number,  the  one  contain- 
ing the  precepts  which  inculcate  lo»e  to  God, 
and  the  other  containing  those  which  enjoin  the 
love  of  our  neighbour.  These  laws,  thus  en- 
graven on  the  must  durable  materials,  were  de- 
posited in  the  most^sacred  part  of  the  tabernacle, 
in  the  ark  of  the  covenant  under  the  mercy-seat. 
All  the  striking  circumstances,  now  mentioned, 
were  evidently  intended  to  proclaim  the  Majesty 
and  Grandeur  of  the  Supreme  Legislator — the 
excei.eiicy  and  perfection  of  his  law — that  it  is 
the  eternal  and  unalterable   rule  of  rectitude — 

'  Stephen  Rays,  that  the  Jews  "  received  the  law 
'.V  the  (JisiK)sition  of  angels."  Grotius  observes, 
on  ttilB  pasisaire,  that  the  Greek  preposition  (eU) 
here  signittes  amidst,  and  that  (dlatafrat  agelim,) 
denotes  tr<K.;ii  of  angrels  ranged  in  military  order  j 
and  that  tlierc  is  .i  reference  to  Ueiit.  xxxtll.  a. 
"  The  Lord  came  from  SInal.  and  rose  up  from  8clr 
unto  them  ;  he  shined  forth  from  Mount  Paran, 
and  he  came  witli  ten  thousands  of  his  holy  ones  ; 
.from  his  right  hand  went  a  fiery  law  for  them." 

t  Exod.  xxxil.  45. 


that  it  is  of  perpetual  obligation  on  a'll  the  inha- 
bitants of  the  earth — that  it  is  the  rule  of  action 
to  angels  and  aichangels,  and  to  all  other  moral 
intelligences,  as  well  as  to  the  human  race— 
and  that  the  most  dieadful  consequences  must 
ensue  on  all  those  who  persist  in  violating  its 
righteous  precepts. 

The  proclamation  of  this  law  was  prefaced 
by  these  words,  "  I  am  Jehovah  thy  God," 
which  contain  a  ground  and  reason  for  our  obe- 
dience. They  evidently  imply,  that  he  is  the 
Self-existent  and  Eternal  Being  who  brought 
ths  vast  universe  into  existence,  who  "  garnished 
the  heavens,  and  laid  the  foundations  of  the 
earth,"  and  peopled  all  worlds  with  their  inha- 
bitants— that  he  has  sovereign  authority  to 
prescribe  a  rule  of  action  to  his  creatures— that 
he  knows  best  what  laws  are  requisite  to  pre- 
serve the  order  of  his  vast  empire,  and  to  secure 
the  happiness  of  the  intelligent  creation— that 
he  is  the  former  of  our  bodies,  the  Father  of 
our  spirits,  and  the  director  of  all  the  movements 
of  nature  and  providence,  from  whose  unceasing 
agency  every  joy  proceeds — and  tl)at  all  his  re- 
gulation:) and  arrangements  are  calculated  to 
promote  the  present  and  everlasting  felicity  of 
all  rational  agents  that  submit  to  his  authority.— ■ 
That  these  law"  are  not  mere  acts  of  Divine 
Sovereignty,  but  founded  on  the  nature  of  things, 
and  are  calculated  to  preserve  the  harmony  and 
order  of  the  inlelligent  universe,  will  appear 
from  the  following  illustrations  and  remarks. 

TBE    FIRST   COMMANDMEITT. 

Thou  thait  have  '■m  other  gods  before  me. 

All  the  commandments,  except  the  fourth 
and  hfih.are  expiessed  in  a  negative  form  :  But 
it  is  obvious,  that  every  negative  command  in- 
cludes a  requisition  of  the  duly  which  is  opposed 
to  the  sin  forbidden  ;  and  those  which  are  potitivt 
include  a  prohibition  of  the  conduct  which  is 
opposed  to  the  duty  required.  This  first  com- 
mandment, therefore,  though  expressed  in  the 
negative  form,  must  be  considered  as  including 
a  positive  injunction  to  love  God  with  all  our 
hearts,  to  ofier  a  tribute  of  supreme  adoration 
to  his  perfections,  and  to  exercise  the  graces  of 
hope,  gratitude,  submission,  and  reverence. 
Having  already  considered  the  precept  in  this 
point  of  view,  (pp.  85 — 96)  it  is  only  necessary, 
in  this  place,  to  attend  for  a  little,  to  \herugati%)e 
form  of  the  command.  The  prohibition  contained 
in  this  precept  must  be  considered  as  extending 
not  only  to  Polytheism,  and  the  various  objects 
of  worship  which  have  prevailed  in  the  heathen 
world,  but  to  every  thing  which  is  the  object  of 
our  supreme  affection  and  regard. 

It  is  a  dictate  of  enlightened  and  unprejudiced 
reason,  that  the  Being  lowborn  we  are  indebted 
for  onr  ezisteoce,  on  wtwHn  we  every  moment 


86 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


dep«nd,  who  dtrecti  the  movements  oTthe  nystem 
of  nature,  'vho  daily  loads  us  wiih  hiii  benefits, 
and  on  whom  our  hopes  of  etemsi  feliciiy  en- 
tirely depend^hould  be  con'em|>lsu>d  wilh  the 
DKMI  ardent  alTeciion  and  graiiiiido,  re^^arded  as 
the  most  excellent  and  venerable  of  all  beings, 
and  recognised  as  the  Supreme  Lfj(iNlaior,  whose 
laws  we  sre  bound,  by  every  tie  ofgraiiluHe,  to 
obey.  Wherever  such  sentimentyand  affections 
pervade  the  mind,  they  constitute  the  first  prin- 
ciples offiieiy,  the  source  of  all  holy  obedience, 
and  the  foundation  of  all  true  happiness.  Were 
they  universally  felt,  and  acted  upon  by  human 
beings,  the  Most  High  God,  would  be  adored  in 
every  land,  his  image  would  be  impressed  on 
every  heart,  his  righteous  law  would  never  be 
violated,  grovelling  desires  and  affections  would 
be  eradicated,  and  our  world  would  be  transform- 
ed into  an  abode  of  felicity,  where  joys  similar 
to  those  of  angels  would  succeed  to  scenes  of 
wretchedness  and  wo. 

On  the  other  hand,  where  the  unity  and  the 
attributes  of  the  <livine  Being  are  not  recognised, 
and  where  other  objects  ore  substituted  in  his 
place,  the  foundations  of  religion,  and  of  moral 
order  are  completely  subverted,  and  a  door  open- 
ed for  the  introduction  of  every  absurdity,  im- 
morality, and  vile  abomination,  that  can  de- 
grade a  rational  intelligence.  The  command 
under  consideration  is  placed  on  the  front  of  the 
divine  law  as  the  foundation  of  all  the  other  pre- 
cepts; and,  therefore,  wherever  it  is  violated,  or 
not  recognised,  a  regular  obedience  to  the  other 
subordinate  injunctions  of  religion  is  not,  in  the 
nature  of  things,  to  be  expected.  Were  its 
violation,  in  our  world,  complete  and  universal, 
it  is  impossible  to  say  what  would  be  the  mise- 
rable condition  of  human  beings  in  their  social 
capacity.  To  its  general  violation,  may  be 
traced  all  the  evils  under  which  humanity  has 
groaned  in  every  aee,  and  all  the  depraved  pas- 
sioiM,  and  slK>clting  immoralities  which  now 
disfigure  the  aspect  of  the  moral  world. 

There  i*  nothing  that  appears  more  prominent 
in  the  history  and  the  character  of  almoet  every 
nation  under  heaven,  than  an  infringement  of  this 
6r«t  and  funduroental  law  of  the  Creator.  A 
rational  ami  enlightened  mind,  on  the  firm  con- 
nderation  of  thiii  subject,  would  be  apt  to  sur- 
miie,  that  ouch  a  law  is  almost  superfluous  and 
OBnereseary.  There  is  such  an  immense  dis- 
proportion between  a  block  of  marble,  or  a  crawU 
ing  reptile,  and  that  Being  who  supports  the 
■ystem  of  universal  nature,  that  it  appears,  at 
6rst  view,  n^-xt  to  impossible,  that  a  reasonable 
being  sho<ild  ever  become  so  stupid  ar)d  deifaded, 
U  to  substitute  the  one  for  the  other,  and  to  offer 
kja  adorations  to  an  object  completely  devoid  of 
fife,  power,  and  intelligence.  Yei  experience 
teaches  u«.  that  there  is  no  disposition  to  which 
the  human  mind  is  more  proiie  than  "  to  de|>art 
from  llie  living  God,"  and  to  multiply  objecU  of 


idolatrous  worship.  This  will  appear,  if  we  lake 
but  the  slightest  glance  uT  the  objects  of  adoration 
which  have  prevailed,  and  which  still  prevail  ia 
the  pagan  world. 

At  one  period  of  the  world,  with  the  single  ex> 
ception  »f  the  small  nation  of  the  Jews,  idolatry 
overspread  the  face  of  the  whole  earth.  And  how 
numerous  and  degrading  were  the  objects  which 
the  blinded  nations  adored !  We  are  infof roed, 
by  Hrsiod,  Varro,  and  other  ancient  auihom, 
that  no  less  than  thirty  thmuand  subordinate  di- 
vinities were  comprised  within  that  system  of 
idolatry  which  prevailed  among  the  Greeks  and 
Romans.  They  had  both  celestial  and  terreit- 
trial  deities.  They  assigned  peculiar  gods  to 
the  foiintqins,  the  rivers,  the  hills,  the  mountains, 
the  lawns,  the  groves,  the  sea,  and  even  to  heU 
itself  To  cities,  fields,  houses,  edifices,  (ami- 
hes,  gates,  nuptial  chambers,  marriages,  births, 
deaths,  sepulchres,  trees,  nnd  gardens,  they  also 
appropriated  distinct  and  peculiar  deitiea. 
Their  principal  erUttial  deities  were  Jupiter, 
Mars,  Mercury,  Apollo,  Bacchus,  Venus,  Juno^ 
and  Minerva — their  terrettnal,  Saturn,  Ceres, 
Diana,  Nepiune.Cybele,  Proserpine,  ai>d  Pluto^ 
Their  chief  idol  was  Jiipiter,  whom  they  called 
the  father  of  gods  and  men ;  and  under  his  au- 
thority, Neptune  had  the  jurisdiction  of  the  sea, 
Juno,  of  the  oir,  Cybele,  of  the  earth,  and  Pluto, 
of  the  realm*  below.  Instead  of  worshipping  the 
living  and  immortal  God,  they  deified  a  host  of 
deadmtn,  called  heroes, distinguished  for  nothing 
so  much,  as  for  murder,  adultery,  sodomy,  rapine, 
cruelty,  drunkenness,  and  all  kinds  of  debauchery. 
To  such  contemptible  divinities,  splendid  lemplea 
were  erected,"^  adorations  addressed,  contly  oStn- 
ings  presented,  and  riles  and  ceremonies  perfona> 
ed,  subversive  of  every  principle  of  decency  and 
morality,  and  degrading  to  the  reason  and  the 
character  of  man. — A  system  of  idolatry  of  ■ 
similar  kind,  though  under  a  different  form,  pre^ 
vailed  among  the  Eoyptians.  The  meanest  and 
the  most  contemptible  objects— sheep,  rats,  bulls, 
dogs,  cows,  storks,  a(>es,  vultures,  and  other 
birds  of  prey  ;  wolves,  and  several  sorts  of  oxen, 
were  exalted  as  objects  of  adoration.  "  If  yoa 
go  into  Figypt,"  says  Luci«n,,"you  will  see 
Jupiter  wilh  the  face  of  a  rom,  Mercury  as  a 
fine  dog,  Pan,  is  become  a  goat;  another  god  is 
Ibit,  another  the  crocodile,  and  another  the  ape. 
There,  many  shaven  priests  gravely  tell  us,  thai 
the  gods  being  afraid  of  the  rebellion  of  the  giants, 
assumed  these  shapes."  Each  city  and  district 
in  Egypt  entertained  a  peculiar  devotion   for 


'The  temple  of  Olana  at  F.phftiu,  has  been  al- 
ways admired  as  one  of  the  noblest  pieces  of  archi 
tenure  that  the  world  ever  produced.  II  was  4M 
feet  lon«.  900  feet  brosd.  and  supported  by  U7  ro- 
lumnn  of  marble  to  feel  high;  «7  of  which  were 
beautifully  c:«rved.  DIodorus  Slcnhis  mentions, 
thai  the  rlrh  presents  made  to  the  temf)\t  of  ApcUt 
at  Delphos.  amounted  to  one  minton  three  hundrttf 
and  thirty  three  thoiisand  pounds. 


MORAL  LAW. 


8i 


some  animal  or  other,  as  the  object  of  its  adora- 
tion. The  city  of  Lentopolis  worshipped  a  lion ; 
the  city  of  Mendez,  a  goat ;  Memphis,  the  Apis ; 
and  the  people  at  the  lake  Myris,  adored  the 
crocodile.  These  animals  were  maintained,  in 
or  near  their  temples,  with  delicate  meats ; 
were  bathed,  anointed,  perfumed,  had  beds  pre- 
pared for  them  ;  and  when  any  of  them  happen- 
ed to  die,  sumptuous  funerals  were  prepared  in 
honour  of  the  god.  Of  all  these  animals,  the 
bull,  Apis,  was  held  in  the  greatest  veneration. 
Honours  of  an  extraordinary  kind  were  conferred 
on  him  while  he  lived,  and  his  death  gave  rise 
to  a  general  mourning. 

Such  was  the  abominable  idolatry  that  prevail- 
ed even  among  the  most  enlightened  nations  of 
antiquity.  They  changed  the  glory  of  the  incor- 
ruptible God  into  "  the  similitude  of  an  ox  that 
eateth  grass"  and  into  images  made  like  to  cor- 
ruptible man  and  to  birds,  and  to  four-footed 
beasts,  and  creeping  things.  And  ifthe  Egyp- 
tians, the  Greeks,  and  the  Romans,  who  are 
distinguished  from  the  rest  of  the  world  for  their 
improvements  in  literature,  science,  and  the 
arts,  had  so  far  renounced  their  allegiance  to  the 
Grod  of  heaven,  we  may  rest  assured  that  the 
surrounding  nations  were  sunk  still  farther  into 
the  pollutions  of  idolatry  and  of  mental  debase- 
ment. The  Phenicians,  the  Syrians,  the  Ca- 
naanites,  the  Chaldeans  and  Babylonians,  the 
Arabians,  the  Scythians,  the  Ethiopians,  and 
the  Carthaginians,  the  ancient  Grauls,  Germans, 
and  Britons,  were,  if  possible,  more  deeply  de- 
based ;  and  mingled  with  their  idolatrous  rites, 
many  cruel,  obscene,  and  vile  abominations. — 
Such  is  still  the  moral  and  religious  debasement, 
even  in  modem  times,  of  the  greater  part  of  the 
nations  which  dwell  upon  the  earth.  Even  the 
Hindoos,  the  Birmans,  the  Chinese,  the  Persians, 
and  the  Japanese,  though  ranked  among  the  most 
polished  nations  of  the  heathen  world,  are  sunk 
into  the  grossest  ignorance  of  the  true  God,  and 
are  found  perpetrating,  in  their  religious  worship, 
deeds  revolting  to  humanity,  and  stained  with 
horrid  cruelty  and  injustice. 

The  moral  effects  which  were  produced  by  a 
departure  from  this  fundamental  law  of  the  Crea- 
tor, were  such  as  correspond  with  the  abomina- 
tions of  that  religious  system  which  was  adopt- 
ed. Man  is  an  imitative  being  ;  and  he  gene- 
rally imitates  the  actions  of  those  whom  he 
conceives  to  be  placed  in  a  superior  rank  and 
station.  When,  therefore,  the  gods  were  intro- 
duced to  his  view,  as  swollen  with  pride,  mad 
with  rage,  fired  with  revenge,  inflamed  with  lust, 
engaged  in  wars,  battles,  and  contests,  delight- 
ing in  scenes  of  blood  and  rapine,  in  hatred  and 
mutual  contentions,  and  in  all  kinds  of  riot  and 
debauchery,  it  was  natural  to  suppose  that  such 
passions  and  crimes  would  be  imitated  by  their 
Uinded  votaries.  Accordingly  we  find,  that 
stich  vices  universally  prevailed,  even  among  the 


politest  nations  of  antiquity ;  and  some  of  their 
sacred  rites,  solemnized  in  honour  of  their  gods, 
were  so  bestial  and  shocking,  as  to  excite  horror 
in  every  mind  possessed  of  the  least  sense  of  de- 
cency and  virtue.  They  gloried  in  the  desolation 
and  destruction  of  neighbouring  nations.  To 
conquer,  and  oppress,  and  enslave  their  fellow- 
men,  and  to  aggrandize  themselves  by  slaughter 
and  rapine,  was  the  great  object  of  their  ambi- 
tion. The  law  of  kindness  and  of  universal 
benevolence  was  trampled  under  foot,  and  even 
the  common  dictates  of  humanity,  equity,  and 
justice,  were  set  at  defiance.  But  this  was  not 
all — Idolatry  soon  began  to  instigate  its  votaries 
to  the  perpetration  of  the  most  revolting  and  un- 
natural cruelties.  Dreadful  tortures  were  in- 
flicted on  their  bodies,  to  appease  their  offended 
deities ;  human  victims,  in  vast  numbers,  were 
sacrificed,  and  even  their  infants  and  little  chil- 
dren were  thrown  into  the  flames,  as  an  offering 
to  the  idol  which  they  adored. 

The  Mexicans  were  accustomed  to  treat  them- 
selves with  the  most  inhuman  austerities,  think- 
ing that  the  diabolical  rage  of  their  deities 
would  be  appeased  by  human  blood.  "  It  makes 
one  shudder,"  says  Clavigero, "  to  read  the  aus- 
terities which  they  practised  upon  themselves, 
either  in  atonement  for  their  transgressions,  or 
in  preparation  for  their  festivals.  They  mangled 
their  flesh  as  if  it  had  been  insensible,  and  let 
their  blood  run  in  such  profusion,  as  if  it  had 
been  a  superfluous  fluid  in  the  body.  They 
pierced  themselves  with  the  sharpest  spines  of 
the  aloe,  and  bored  several  parts  of  their  bodies, 
particularly  their  ears,  lips,  tongues,  and  the  fat 
of  their  arms  and  legs."  The  priests  of  Baal, 
we  are  told,  in  the  book  of  Kings,  "  cut  them- 
selves with  knives  and  lancets,  till  the  blood 
gushed  out  upon  them."  When  the  Carthagi- 
nians were  vanquished  by  Agathocles,  king  of 
Sicily,  they  conceived  that  their  god,  Jupiter  La- 
tialis  was  displeased  with  their  conduct.  In 
order  to  appease  him,  and  propitiate  his  favour, 
they  sacrificed  to  him,  at  once,  two  hundred  sons 
of  the  first  noblemen  of  their  state.  On  the  al- 
tars of  Mexico,  twenty  thousand  human  beings 
are  said  to  have  been  sacrificed  every  year;  and 
Jijly  thousand  were  annually  ofiered  up  in  the  va- 
rious parts  of  that  empire,  accompanied  with  cir- 
cumstances of  such  dreadful  cruelty  and  horror, 
as  makes  us  shudder  at  the  recital.  In  Hindos- 
tan,  even  at  the  present  day,  several  thousands 
of  women  are  annually  burned  on  the  funeral 
piles  of  their  deceased  husbands,  as  victims  to 
the  religion  they  profess ;  besides  multitudes  of 
other  human  victims,  which  are  crushed  to  death 
under  the  wheels  of  that  infernal  engine  which 
supports  the  idol  Juggernaut.  Were  the  one 
hundredth  part  of  the  abominations  which  have 
been  perpetrated  under  the  system  of  idolatry, 
in  those  countries  where  it  has  prevailed,  to  be 
fully  detailed,  it  would  exhibit  a  picture  of  d«- 


89 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


pravity  and  of  inferiMl  tf^enry,  at  which  the  hu- 
man mind  wuuM  shrink  back  with  horror  ;  and 
would  form  a  striking  coininenlary  on  the 
divine  declaration,  that  "  the  dark  places  of 
the  earh  are  full  of  the  habitation*  of  horrid 
enifthy." 

It  apprara,  then,  that  a  violation  of  the  first 
precept  of  the  moral  law  is  the  greatest  crime  of 
which  a  rational  creature  can  be  guilty  ;  for  it  is 
the  source  of  all  the  other  crimes  which  have  en- 
tailed  wretchedness  on  mankind,  and  strewed'ihe 
earth  with  devastation  and  carnage.  It  is  a 
comprehensive  summary  of  wickedness  ;  which 
includes  pride,  falsehood,  blaFpheiny,  malignity, 
rebellion,  hatred  of  moral  e.«;ellence,  and  the 
basest  ingratitude  towards  Him  from  whom  we 
derived  our  being,  wid  on  whom  we  depend  for 
all  our  enjoyments.  It  in  a  crime  which,  above 
all  others,  has  a  tendency  to  degrade  the  charac- 
ter of  man ;  for  where  it  aboundti,  the  human 
mind  is  sunk  into  the  lowest  state,  both  of  moral 
and  of  intellectual  debasement.  What  a  pitiful 
and  humiliating  sight  is  it,  and  what  emotions 
of  astonishment  must  it  excite  in  the  mind  of  an 
archangel,  to  behold  a  rational  and  immortal  in- 
telligence cutting  down  an  oak  in  the  forest,  burn- 
ing part  of  it  in  the  fire,  baking  bread,  and  roast- 
ing flesh  upon  its  embers,  and  (i>rmingthe  residue 
of  it  into  an  idol,  filling  down  and  worshipping  it, 
and  saying,  "Deliver  me,  for  thou  art  my  God  !"* 
And  when  we  behold  the  same  degraded  mortal 
sacrificing  the  children  of  his  own  bowels  before 
this  stump  of  a  tree,  can  we  refrain  from  exclaim- 
ing, in  the  language  of  the  prophet,  "  Be  asto- 
nished, O  ye  heavens,  at  this ;  and  be  ye  horri- 
bly afraid  !"  Were  idolatry  to  become  universal 
in  the  world,  there  is  no  crime,  no  species  of 
cruelty,  no  moral  abomination  within  the  com- 
pass of  the  human  heart  to  devise,  but  would 
soon  be  perpetrated  without  a  blush,  in  the  open 
face  of  day.  Had  not  God,  in  his  mercy,  com- 
municated a  revelation  of  his  will,  in  order  to 
Counteract  the  influence  of  Pagan  theology, — 
instead  of  cultivating  the  powers  of  our  minds, 
and  expanding  our  conception  of  the  Almighty, 
by  a  contemplation  of  his  word  and  works,  we 
might,  at  this  moment,  have  been  sunk  into  the 
lowest  depths  of  moral  degradation,  been  prostrat- 
ing ourselves,  in  adoration,  before  a  stupid  ox  or 
a  block  of  marble,  and  sarriflcing  our  sons  and 
daughters  to  an  infernal  Moloch.  It  is  one  of 
the  glories  of  Revelation,  and  ■  strong  proof  of  its 
divine  origin,  that  all  its  promises  and  threaten- 
ing, its  admonitions  and  reproofs,  it*  doctrines, 
its  laws  and  ordinances,  are  directly  opposed  to 
every  idolatrous  practice  ;  and  that  there  is  not  a 
•ingle  instance  in  which  the  least  countenance  is 
given  to  any  of  the  abominations  of  the  Pagan 
world. 

In  the  prawnt  age,  and  in  the  country  in  which 

*  SMiMlahilv. 


we  reside,  we  are  in  little  danfer  of  rptapsing 
into  the  practices  to  which  I  have  n<iw  adverted.    ] 
But  idolatry  is  not  confined  to  the  adoration  of 
Pagan  divinities:  it  has  it  seat  in  evrry  heart 
wliere  God  is  banished  from  the  ilKiughts,  and 
where  pride,  ambition,  and  avarice  occupy  the 
highest  place.     "  CocctoMStMts,"  oran  iuordinate 
love  of  wealth,  is  declared  by  the  A|K>»ilePaul  to 
be  "  idolatry  ;"  and  such  mental  idola'ry,  though 
more  refined  than  that  of  the  heathrn  world,  is 
almost  equally  abhorrent  to  the  Divine  Being,  and 
equally  subversive  of  the    grand    priiM-iple*  of 
Christian  morality.     If  the  acquisition  of  wealth 
and  riches  he  the  constant  and  itu/Tremcaim  of 
any  individual.  Mammon  is  the  god  whom  he 
regirlarly  worships,  and  the  God  of  heaven  is  de- 
throned from  his  seat  in   the   affections.     Such 
moral  effects  as  the  following    are  the    natural    : 
results  of  this  species  of  idolatry  :  It  steels  the    '• 
heart   against   every   benevolent   and    generous    ! 
emotion ;'  it  shuts  the  ears  to  the  cries  of  the  \ 
poor  and  needy  ;  it  engeitdera  cheating,  falsehood,   ' 
and  deceit ;  it  prevents  the  man  in  whftm  it  pr^    \ 
dominates  from  exerting  his  active  powers,  and   ] 
from  contributing  of  his  wealth  to  promote  the    | 
happiness  of  mankind  ;  it  chains  down  his  noble   i 
faculties  to  the  objects  of  time  and  sense  ;  it  leads   i 
him  to  love  and  to  serve  himself  more  than  the   . 
Creator;  it  wraps  him  up  in  selfishness,  and  an   i 
indifference  to  the  concerns  of  all  other  beings  ;   < 
it  destroys  the  principles  of  equity  and  justice  ;  it  J 
blunts  the  feelings  of  humitnity  and  compassion  ;   ':, 
and  prevents  him  from  attending  to  the  salvation  [ 
of  his  soul,  and  from  looking  at  those  things  which  > 
are  unseen  and  eternal.     And  in  every  other  case  j 
where  a    similar    principle  holds    the  supreme   • 
seat  in  the  aficctions,  similar  effects  will  be  pro-  % 
duced. 

'     THE  SXCOITD  COMJf  ARDMKltT. 

t 

Thim  thalt  not  make  unto  tkee  any  graven  imagt,  • 
nor  ant/  likeneu  of  any  thing  that  it  in  heaven  \ 
above,  or  that  is  in  the  earth  beneath,  or  that  i*i*  i 
the  xcatert  under  the  earth  :  thou  $halt  not  6010  4 
down  thyself  to  them,  nor  »erve  them.  z 

Thejirst  commandment,  which  I  have  illustrat- 
ed above,  respects  the  o^Teet  of  our  worship  ;  for- 
bidding  us  to  substitute  any  other  being  in  the 
room  of  God,  or  to  offer  it  that  homage  which  is 
due  to  the  eternal  Jehovah.  This  second  com- 
mandment respects  the  manner  in  which  he  is  to 
be  worshipped.  And  in  regard  to  the  manner  in  < 
which  the  Divine  Being  is  to  be  contemplated 
and  adored,  it  is  expressly  declared,  that  no  im^ 
age  nor  repreaentation  of  this  incomprehensibU 
Being  is  at  any  time,  or  on  any  account,  to  b* 
formed.  This  command,  like  the  former,  might 
at  first  sight  appear  to  he  unnecessary,  if  the  ] 
almost  universal  practice  of  mankind  had  not 
tamght  us  that  there  is  no  disposition  which  tbs 


IMAGE  WORSHIP. 


human  mind  is  more  apt  to  indulge,  than  to  en- 
deavour to  bring  the  invisible  Divinity  within 
the  range  of  our  senses,,  and  to  contemplate  him 
as  such  a  one  as  ourselves.  The  necessity  of 
this  injunction,  its  reasonableness,  and  the  folly 
and  absurdity  of  the  practice  against  which  it  is 
directed,  will  appear  from  the  following  consider- 
ations. 

The  Divine  Being  fills  the  immensity  of  space 
with  his  presence,  and  to  his  essence  we  can  set 
no  bounds.  He  inhabited  eternity,  before  the 
earth  or  the  heavens  were  brought  into  existence, 
rejoicing  in  the  contemplation  of  his  own  excel- 
lences, and  in  the  future  effects  of  his  power  and 
benevolence.  He  is  a  spiritual  uncompounded 
substance,  and  consequently  invisible  to  mortal 
eyes,  and  impalpable  to  every  other  organ  of 
sensation.  His  omnipotence  neither  man  nor 
angel  can  scan,  nor  can  they  explore  the  depths 
of  bis  wisdom  and  intelligence.  When  universal 
silence  and  solitude  reigned  throughout  the  in- 
finite void — when  not  a  sound  was  heard  nor  an 
object  seen  within  the  immeasurable  extent  of 
boundless  space — at  his  command,  worlds,  nume- 
rous as  the  sand,  started  into  being.  Thousands 
of  suns  diffused  their  splendours  through  the  re- 
gions of  immensity ;  the  ponderous  masses  of 
the  planetary  globes  were  launched  into  existence, 
and  impelled  in  their  rapid  courses  through  the 
sky  ;  their  surfaces  were  adorned  with  resplen- 
dent beauties,  and  replenished  with  myriads  of 
delighted  inhabitants.  The  seraphim  and  the 
cherubim  began  to  chant  their  hymns  of  praise, 
and  "  shouted  for  joy"  when  they  beheld  new 
worlds  emerging  from  the  voids  of  space.  Life, 
motion,  activity,  beauty,  grandeur,  splendid  illu- 
mination, and  rapturous  joy,  among  unnumbered 
intelligences,  burst 'npon  the  view,  where  a  little 
before  nothing  appeared  but  one  immense,  dark, 
and  cheerless  void.  And  ever  since  duration 
began  to  be  measured,  either  in  heaven  or  on 
earth,  by  the  revolutions  of  celestial  orbs,  the 
same  omnipotent  energy  has  been  incessantly 
exerted  in  directing  the  movements  of  all  worlds 
and  systems,  and  in  upholding  them  in  their 
vast  career.  Of  a  being  invested  with  attributes 
so  glorious  and  incomprehensible,  with  power 
so  astonishing  in  its  effects,  with  goodness  so 
boundless,  and  with  wisdom  so  unsearchable, 
what  image  or  representation  can  possibly  be 
formed  which  will  not  tend  to  contract  our  con- 
ceptions, and  to  debase  the  character  of  the  infi- 
nite and  eternal  Mind !  "  To  whom  will  ye 
liken  me,  or  shall  I  be  equal,  saith  the  Holt 
Owe." 

When  a  person  of  dignity  and  of  respectability 
of  character  is  caricatured,  and  associated  with 
objects  and  circumstances  that  are  mean,  ridicu- 
lous, and  grotesque,  it  has  a  tendency  to  degrade 
his  character,  and  to  lessen  our  veneration.  For 
the  respect  we  entertain  for  any  individual  is 
fbunded  on  the  view  we  take  of  him  in  all  the 

12 


aspects  in  which  he  may  be  contemplated.  For 
a  similar  reason,  every  attempt  to  represent  the 
Divine  Majesty  by  sensible  images,  must  have  a 
tendency  to  narrow  our  conceptions  of  his  glory, 
to  debase  his  character,  and  to  lessen  our  reve- 
rence and  esteem.  What  possible  similitude 
can  there  be  between  that  mighty  being,  who  by 
his  word  lighted  up  the  sun,  and  diffused  ten 
thousands  of  such  immense  luminaries  through 
the  regions  of  creation,  whose  hand  wields  the 
planets,  and  rolls  them  through  the  tracts  of 
immensity ;  between  him  who  "  meteth  out  the 
heavens  with  a  span,  and  holds  the  ocean  in  the 
hollow  of  his  hand,"  and  the  most  resplendent 
image  that  was  ever  formed  by  human  hands'. 
Even  the  sun  himself,  with  all  his  immensity  of 
splendour,  although  our  minds  were  expanded  to 
comprehend  his  vast  magnificence,  would  form 
but  a  poor  and  pitiful  image  of  Him,  whose 
breath  has  kindled  ten  thousand  times  ten  thou- 
sand suns.  How  much  less  can  a  block  of  mar- 
ble or  a  stupid  ox  adumbrate  the  glories  of  the 
King  eternal,  immortal,  and  invisible !  It  will 
doubtless  redound  to  the  eternal  disgrace  of  the 
human  character,  in  every  region  of  the  universe 
where  it  is  known,  that  ever  such  an  impious 
attempt  was  made  by  the  inhabitants  of  our  de- 
generate world,  as  to  compare  the  glory  of  the 
incorruptible  God  to  an  image  made  like  to  cor- 
ruptible man.  Wherever  such  attempts  have 
been  made,  there  we  behold  human  nature  in  its 
lowest  state  of  debasement  ;  the  intellectual 
faculties  darkened,  bewildered,  and  degraded  ; 
the  moral  powers  perverted  and  depraved  ;  gro- 
velling affections  predominating  over  the  dictates 
of  reason,  and  diabolical  passions  raging  without 
control.  Hence,  too,  the  debasing  tendency  of 
all  those  attempts  which  have  been  made  to 
introduce  into  the  Christian  church,  pictures  and 
images,  to  represent  "  The  invisible  things  of 
God,"  and  the  sufferings  of  the  Redeemer.  For, 
wherever  such  practices  prevail,  the  minds;<tf 
men  will  generally  be  found  to  entertain  ithe 
grossest  conceptions  of  the  Divine  Being, awtcf 
the  solemn  realities  of  religion.  j . 

But  the  principal  reason  why  any  represesti^ 
tion  of  Grod  is  expressly  forbidden  in  this  Cfwo- 
mandment,  is,  that  whenever  such  a  praciico 
commences,  it  infallibly  ends  in  adoring';:(he 
image  itself,  instead  of  the  object  ii  was  intended 
to  represent.  Or,  in  other  words,  the  breach  of 
this  commandment  necessarily  and  uniformly 
leads  to  a  breach  of  the  first.  Notwithstanding 
the  shock  which  the  human  mind  appears  to  have 
received  by  the  fall,  it  is  altogether  inconceivaWe, 
that  any  tribe  of  mankind  should  have  beea^oo 
debased  and  brutalized,  as,  in  the  first  instance, 
to  mistake  a  crocodile,  or  the  stump  of  aiaae, 
however  beautifully  carved,  for  the  Creatoitiof 
heaven  and  earth.  Such  objects  appear  to^ve 
been  first  used  as  tymhdU  or  representaiiow  of 
the  Deity,  in  order  to  assist  the  mind  in  foewpf 


90 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


■  ooRception  of  hi*  inriiiible  aitribiiien.  Btil  •• 
Iboy  had  a  dirrct  tendency  to  debiM  the  mind, 
and  to  ohacun*  the  glory  oT  the  Divinity,  in  |iro- 
ee«  of  time  they  bej^an  to  be  regarded  by  ihe 
igDorant  multitude  as  the  very  eods  themselves, 
which  they  were  at  first  intended  to  represent ; 
•nd  that  tribute  of  adoraiiun  was  paid  to  the 
^p»bol  itself,  which  was  originally  intended  to 
be  given  to  the  invisible  God,  through  this  sensi- 
We  medium.  And,  when  we  coniemplaie  kings 
Uid  princes,  poets  and  philosophers,  heroes  and 
■ages,  "  young  men  and  virgins,  old  men  and 
children,"  whole  provinces,  nations,  and  conii- 
nents,  prostrating  themselves  before  the  shrine  of 
such  despicable  and  abominable  idols,  and  the 
idea  of  the  true  God  almost  banishw  from  the 
world,  we  have  reason  to  feel  ashamed,  and  to 
be  deeply  humbled,  that  we  belong  to  a  race  of 
intelligences  that  have  thus  so  groaaly  prostituted 
dieir  rational  and  moral  powcra,  ) 

The  only  natto'al  image  t>r  representation  of 
Ood  which  is  set  ben>re  us  for  our  contemplation, 
ii,  tiie  boundless  universe  which  his  hands  have 
formed  ;  and  his  moral  image  is  displayed  in  the 
laws  which  he  has  published,  in  the  movements 
ofhis  providence,  and  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ 
his  Son,  who  is  "  the  image  of  the  invisible  God, 
and  the  brightness  ofhis  glory."  All  these  exhi- 
bitions of  the  Divine  Majesty,  we  are  command- 
ed to  study,  to  contemplate,  and  admire  ;  and  it 
is  essentially  requisite  in  order  to  our  acquiring 
correct  and  comprehensive  views  of  the  object  of 
our  adoration,  that  no  one  of  these  displays  of  the 
Divinity  should  be  overlooked,  or  thrown  into 
the  shade.  There  are  some  Christians,  who 
imagine  they  may  acquire  a  competent  know- 
ledge of  the  character  of  God,  although  they 
should  never  spend  a  single  moment  in  cotUem- 
plating  his  perfections  as  displayed  in  his  visible 
works.  In  regard  to  such,  I  hesitate  not  to  af- 
firm, that  they  are,  to  a  certain  extent,  idolateri, 
and  remain  wilful  idolaters,  contented  with  the 
OMCt  inadequate  and  grovelling  conceptions  oT 
the  Deity,  so  long  as  they  refuse  to  contemplate, 
with  fixed  attention,  and  with  intelligence,  the 
operations  ofhis  hands.  If  a  man's  ideas  never 
extend  beyond  the  bounds  ofhis  visible  horixon, 
or  beyond  the  limits  of  the  country  in  which  he 
resides,  and  if,  at  the  same  time,  he  has  over- 
looked the  moat  itriking  displays  of  divine  wis- 
dom and  goodneta  within  these  bounds — his  con- 
ceptions of  the  Divine  Being  himself,  will  nearly 
correspond  with  the  conceptions  he  forms  of  his 
works.  If  his  views  be  even  confined  within  the 
limits  of  the  globe  on  which  he  dwells,  his  con- 
captions  of  God  will  still  be  grovelling,  distorted, 
and  imperfect.  And,  therefore,  the  idea  which 
nch  an  individual  forms  to  himself  of  God,  may 
bo  inferior  to  that  which  is  due  to  one  of  the 
higher  orders  of  created  intelligrnces.  And,  if 
•o,  he  has  only  an  image  of  a  creature  in  his 
Bind,  instead  of  a  compreheaiiTe  cooceptioo  of 


the  Great  Creator.     We  have  too  much 

lo  believe,  that  there  are  muliitudes  in  the  iei>^  < 
giotis  work),  who  pass  f'lr  enlightened  Christians, 
whose  ideas  of  the  Supreme  Ruler  of  ihe  uni- 
verse do  not  rise  beyond  the  conceptions  m« 
ought  to  form  of  the  powers  and  capacities  of 
Gabriel  the  archangel,  or  of  one  of  the  highest 
order  of  the  seraphim. 

We  can  never  exp«-ct,  from  the  very  nature  of 
things,  to  be  able  to  explore  that^rpths  of  Jeho- 
vah's essence,  or  to  coniprehAKl  the  whole  range 
of  his  dominions  and  gnveminent.     But,  a  large   I 
ponioii  ofhis  operations  lies  open  to  our  inspec- 
tion ;  and  it  is  fron  an  enlightened  cuotempl** 
tion  of  vshat  is  prcscnied  to  our  TSnJn  iheviai- 
ble  universe,  that  we  are  to  form  tpfiSDceptians 
of  the  grandeur  of  the  Eternal  ^>tt|pl*     For,  it 
may  be  admitted  as  an  axiom,  borh  in  natural 
and  i0realed  theology,  that  our  conceptiotm'^-i 
Ood  will  nearly  earretpond  with  the  cwceplioiit' 
we  aoptire  of  the  nature  and  extent  of  hit  opera- 
tiona.     In  the  universe  around  us,  we  perceitre   ■■ 
an  image  of  his  infinity,  in  so  far  as  a  finite 
and  material  existence  can  adumbrate  the  attri-    j 
buies  of  an   Infinite  an4<^visible   E4^tence. 
When  we  lift  our  eyes  to^^rd^the  midn^t  sky, 
we  behold  a  thousand  suns  diffusing  their  splen- 
dours from  regions  of  space  immeasurably  dis- 
tant.     When    we   apply    a   telescope    to  any 
portion  of  this  vast  concave,  we  perceivH^lboo-    ' 
sands   more   which   the    unasisied   eye  cannot 
discern.     When  we    increase    the    magnifying    ] 
powers  of  the  instrument,  we  descry  numerous    i 
orbs  of  light,  stretching  still  farther  into  the  un- 
fathomable depths  of  space ;  so  that  there  appear 
no  limits  to  the  scene  of  creating  power.     When    ■ 
the  eye  of  reason  penetrates  beyond  all  that  is 
visible  through  the  most  pawrerful  telescopes,  it    , 
contemplates  a  boundless  region  teeming  with     ^ 
other  resplendent  suns  and  systems,  whose  num- 
ber and  magnificence  overwhelm  the  imagina- 
tion ;  so  that  no  limit  can  be  set  to  the  excursions    j 
of  the  intellect  when  it  wings  its  flight  over  the    i 
wide  empire  of  Jehovah.     Over  all   this  vast 
assemblage  of  material  splendour,  over  its  move-     ', 
ments,  and  over  all  the  diversified  ranks  of  intel-     ! 
ligenco  it  supports,  God  eternally  and  unchangc-     I 
ably  presides.     He  is  an  Ii\finxte  Being ; — and 
in  this  immense  universe  which  he  has  opened 
to  our  view,  he  has  given  us  an  image  of  his 
infinity,  which  corresponds  with  the  perfections     ) 
which  the  inspired  writers  ascribe  to  him — and    '| 
without  a  contemplation  of  which,  the  mind  must     < 
have  a  very  imworthy  and  circumscribed  idea  of     , 
the  attributes  of  the  Eternal  Mind.     Even  in 
many  of  the  objects  which  surround  us  in  this 
lower  world,  we  perceive  an  image  of  the  infinity 
of  the    Creator — particularly   in    those    living      \ 
worlds  which  are  contained  in  a  few  drops  of 
water,  some  of   the  inhabitants   of  which  are 
several  hundreds  of  thousands  of  limes  smaller 
than  the  least  grain  of  nod.— To  the  cootempla- 


IMAGE  WORSHIP. 


91 


tion  of  such  objects  we  are  directed  by  God 
hunself,  in  order  lo  acquire  an  impressive  view 
of  his  character  and  operations.  "  Lifl  up  your 
eyes  on  high,  and  behold  who  hath  created  these 
orbs,  that  bringeth  out  their  host  by  number :  he 
calleth  them  all  by  names,  by  the  greatness  of 
his  might,  for  that  he  is  strong  in  power." — 
And,  tho  prophets,  when  reasoning  against  idol- 
atry, present  lis  with  a  train  of  thought  similar 
to  that  to  which  I  have  now  adverted.  They 
describe  the  Almighty  as  ''  sitting  on  the  circle 
of  the  heavens,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth 
as  grasshoppsrs  in  his  sight."  They  represent 
him  as  "  measuring  the  waters  in  the  hollow  of 
his  hand,  weighing  the  mountains  in  scales,  and 
meting  out  the  hea»ens  vjith  a  span — before  whom 
all  nations  are  as  the  drop  of  a  bucket,  and  are 
coimted  to  him  less  than  nothing  and  vanity." 

It  is  strange,  indeed,  that  the  duty  of  contem- 
plating the  image  of  God  as  impressed  upon  his 
works,  should  be  so  much  overlooked  by  the 
great  body  of  the  Christian  world,  notwithstand- 
ing the  obvious  reasonableness  of  this  duty,  and 
the  pointed  injunctions  in  relation  to  it  which 
are  reiterated  in  every  department  of  the  word  of 
God.  It  is  still  more  strange,  that  the  instruc- 
tions of  manv  religious  teachers  have  a  tendency 
lo  dissuade  Chrisiiansfrom  engaging  in  this  duty, 
by  the  foolish  contrasts  they  attempt  to  draw  be- 
tween the  word  and  the  works  of  God  ;  so  that 
the  great  mriss  of  Christians  are  left  to  remain 
half  idolaters  for  want  of  those  expansive  concep- 
tions of  God  which  a  knowledge  of  his  works  is 
calculated  to  produce. 

It  is  also  most  uniccounlable,  on  every  prin- 
ciple of  reason,  and  of  Revelation,  that  the  wil- 
ful neglect  of  this  duty  should  never  be  account- 
ed either  as  a  sin,  or  as  a  want  of  that  respect 
which  is  due  lo  the  Majesty  of  heaven.  We 
have  known  persons  rebuked,  and  even  excluded 
from  a  Chri-!iian  Church,  for  holding  a  metaphy- 
sical sentiment  different  from  their  brethren  re- 
specting the  divine  plans  and  decrees;  but  we 
■ever  heard  of  an  individual  being  either  re- 
proved or  admonished  by  a  Christian  sonieiy, 
for  neglectin:;  to  coo'emplate  the  character  of 
God  as  displ.iyed  in  his  works,  althouot)  he  had 
lived  fifty  years  amidst  the  magnificence  of 
creation,  and  had  acquired  little  more  knowledge 
of  his  Creator,  from  this  source,  than  the  ox 
which  browses  on  the  grass.  Yet,  to  this  neglect 
is  to  be  imputed  a  great  proportion  of  those  gro- 
Telling  conceptions,  supersliiious  notions,  and 
distorted  views  of  the  doctrines  of  religion  which 
still  disgra'-e  the  Christian  world.  This  fact  is 
still  more  unacnoimtable,  when  we  consider  that 
a  knowledge-  of  the  abstrusities  and  technicali- 
ties of  science  is  not  requisite  in  order  to  the 
pei-forminoe  of  this  diily.  It  requires  only  the 
eye  of  sense,  of  reason,  and  of  devotion  lo  be  di- 
rected to  the  scene  of  divine  operation  within  us, 
ud  around  us,  and  to  be  occasionally  fixed  on  the 


object  we  contemplate,  in  order  to  appreciate 
the  perfections  nnd  the  glory  of  the  ever  present 
Deity.  Although  there  were  no  other  striking 
obj  cts  around  us,  the  single  fact  of  the  apparent 
revolution  of  the  ce'estial  concave,  with  all  its 
magnificent  orbs,  around  the  earth  every  twenty- 
four  hours,  is  sufficient  to  overpower  the  mind  of 
every  rational  observer  with  admiration  and 
wonder,  if  his  attention  were  seriously  directed 
to  it  only  for  a  single  hour.  The  ideas  of  ma- 
jesty, of  grandeur,  and  of  omnipotent  energy 
which  this  single  circumstance  is  calculated  to 
inspire,  are  such  as  irresistibly  to  lead  the  mind 
to  the  contemplation  of  a  Being  whose  perfections 
are  incomprehensible,  and  whose  ways  are  past 
finding  out.  Yet,  I  believe,  it  may  be  afiirmed 
with  truth,  that  more  than  one  half  of  the  Chris- 
tian world  are  ignorant  that  such  a  fact  exists  ;* 
such  is  the  indifference  and  the  apathy  with  which 
many  religionists  view  the  wonderful  works  of 
God. 

It  was  chiefly  owing  to  such  criminal  inatteiH 
tion  to  the  displays  of  the  Divine  Character  in 
the  works  of  creation,  that  the  inhabitants  of  tho 
Pagan  world  plunged  themselves  into  all  the 
absurdities  and  abominations  of  idolatry.  "  For 
the  invisible  things  ofGod,  even  his  eternal  power 
and  godhead,  are  clearly  seen  in  the  things  that 
are  made,"  if  men  would  but  open  their  eyes, 
and  exercise  their  powers  of  intelligence.  "  The 
heavens  declare  the  glory  of  Jehovah  ,"  they  de» 
dare  it  to  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth. 
"  There  is  no  speech  nor  lanouage  where  their 
voice  is  not  heard  :  their  line  is  gone  out  through 
all  the  earth,  and  their  words  lo  the  end  of  the 
world." 

"  In  reason's  ear  they  all  rejoice, 
And  utter  forth  a  glorious  voice  j 
Forever  singing,  as  they  shine, 
'  The  hand  that  made  us  is  divine.'" 

But  the  Heathen  world  did  not  listen  lo  the  in- 
structions thus  conveyed,  nor  did  they  apply 
their  understandings,  as  they  ought  to  have  done, 
to  trace  the  invisible  things  of  Go<l,  from  the  visi- 
ble displays  of  his  character  and  perfections,  in 
the  universe  around  them.  "  They  became  vain 
in  their  inia>;in;itions,  and  their  foolish  hearts 
were  darkened  ;  anH  professing  themselves  to  be 
wise,  Ihev  became  f(K)ls."  While  "the  harp 
and  the  viol,  the  tabret,  the  pipe,  and  the  wine 
were  in  their  feasts,  they  regarded  not  the  works 
of  the  Lord,  nor  considered  the  operations  of  his 
hand-!."  "Wherefore  they  were  given  up  by  God 
to  indulge'*  in  vile  affections,  and  "  lo  worship 
and  serve  the  creature  rather  'ban  the  Creator, 
who  is  blessed  for  ever."     And,  even  under  the 

"  Here  I  refer  simply  to  the  apparent  motion  Of 
the  heavens— leaving  every  one  to  form  his  own 
opinion  as  to  the  other  alternative — the  motion  of  the 
cartl).  In  ellhercase  tlie  mind  is  overpowered  with 
Ideas  of  grandeur  and  of  Almighty  power.  See  this 
topic  more  particularly  illustrated  in  "  Christ.  Philo- 
sopher," 


9« 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


Christian  dispensation,  we  have  too  much  reaton 
to  fear,  ihat  etfocii  somewhat  analogous  lo  ihr<e 
have  been  prxloced,  and  a»p«cies  of  menial  idul- 
atrypracturd  by  ihousanda  who  have  professed 
the  rcli;zi<in  ufJusu't;  owing  to  iheir  inattention 
to  the  vi.oililo  (>|ieralions  of  Jehovah,  and  to  their 
not  connecrmj;  ihem  with  the  displays  of  his 
chkractKf  and  agency  as  exhibited  in  the  revcla- 
tiou  of  his  word. 

THE   THIRD    COMMA  If DMEItT. 

Thou  thalt  not  takethename  oftht  Jjord  thy  God 
in  vain. 

The  name  f>r  any  person  is  that  which  distin- 
gtlishea  him  from  other  individuals.  Whatever 
word  is  employed  to  distinguish  any  objuct, 
whether  animate  or  inanimate,  is  its  name.  In 
like  manner,  the  Name  of  God  is  that  by  which 
be  is  distinguished  from  all  other  beings.  It  in- 
cludes those  lermt  which  express  his  nature  and 
character,  as  Jehovah — those  titles  by  which  his 
relation  to  his  creation  is  designated,  as  "  The 
Creator  of  the  ends  of  the  earth, — The  Father  of 
mercies, — The  God  of  salvation,"  &c. — the  at- 
tributes of  which  he  is  possessed,  as  his  Eternity, 
Omnipotence,  Holiness,  Justice,  &c. — the  v^orks 
which  he  has  exhibited  in  heaven  and  on  earth — 
the  movements  of  his  Providence,  and  the  Reve- 
lation* of  his  word.  By  every  one  of  these,  the 
chara-ter  of  God  is  distinguished  from  that  of 
all  other  beings  in  the  universe.  In  relation  to 
this  name  or  character  of  the  Divine  Being,  i(  ig 
solemnly  commanded  that  "  we  are  not  to  lake  it 
in  vain," — ihat  is,  we  are  not  to  use  any  of  the 
titles  or  designations  of  the  Divine  Majusty,  for 
trifling,  vain,  or  evil  purposes  ;  nor  are  we  to 
treat  any  displays  of  his  character  with  levity, 
profaneness,  or  irreverence. 

We  violate  this  command,  when  we  use  the 
name  ofGiid,  in  common  discours<>,  in  a  light  and 
irreverent  manner,  when  we  interlard  our  con- 
versations with  unnecessary  oaths  and  assevera- 
tions in  whi  h  this  name  is  introduced ;  when  we 
swear  to  what  we  know  to  be  false,  or  when  we 
multiply  oailii  in  reference  to  vain  and  trifling 
concents  ;  when  we  imprecate  curses  and  dam- 
nation on  our  fellow-creatures ;  when  we  ap- 
proach God  in  praver,  without  those  feelings  of 
reverence  and  awe,  which  his  perfections  de- 
mnd ;  when  we  swear  by  any  object  in  heaven 
or  in  earth,  or  by  the  false  deities  of  the  heathen 
world ;  when  we  treat  his  wonderful  works  with 
indifference  or  contempt ;  when  we  endeavour  to 
caricature,  and  misrepresent  them,  or  attempt  to 
Arow  a  veil  over  their  glory  ;  when  we  insinuate 
ihat  his  most  glorious  and  mafinifirient  works 
were  mado  for  no  end,  or  for  no  end  worthy  of 
that  infinite  wiadom  and  intelligence  by  which 
they  were  contrived  ;  when  we  overlook  or  deny 
the  Divine  Agency,  which  is  displayed  in  the 
<|WWtiiiw  of  nature ;  when  we  murmur  and  re- 


pine at  his  moral  ditpenaalioM,  or  treat  the 
mighty  movements  of  his  providence,  whether 
in  ancient  or  in  modern  tiroes,  with  a  spirit  of 
levity,  with  ridicule,  or  with  contempt ;  when  we 
treat  the  revelations  of  the  Bible  with  indifference 
or  with  fcom  ;  when  we  make  the  declarations  of 
that  book,  which  unfolds  to  us  the  sublime  and 
adorable  character  of  Jehovah,  the  subject  of  mer- 
riment and  jest ;  when  we  endeavour  to  throw 
upon  them  contempt  and  ridicule,  with  the  view 
of  undeniiining  their  divine  authority  ;  and  when 
we  sneer  at  the  public  and  private  worship  of  God, 
and  at  the  ordinances  which  he  hath  appointed. 
— In  all  these  and  many  other  ways,  the  name  of 
God  is  profaned,  his  character  reproached,  and 
that  reverence  of  the  Divine  Being,  which  is  the 
foundation  of  all  religion  and  moral  order,  under- 
mined and  subverted. 

When  the  name  or  the  lilies  by  which  a  fellow- 
mortal  is  distinKuished,  are  made  the  subject  of 
banter  and  ridicule  in  every  company,  when  ibej 
are  brought  forward  for  the  purpose  of  giving  aa 
edge  to  a  sarcaatic  sneer  ;  and  when  his  employ- 
ments and  the  works  he  has  constructed  are  con- 
temned, and  associated  with  every  thing  that  is 
mean  and  degrading  ;  it  is  an  evidence  of  the  low 
estimation  in  which  he  is  held  by  the  individual 
who  does  ko,  and  has  a  tendency  to  debase  hta 
character  in  the  eyes  of  others.  On  the  same 
principle,  the  profanation  of  the  name  of  God,  has 
an  evident  tendency  to  lessen  our  admiration  of 
the  Majesty  of  Heaven,  and  to  banish  from  tho 
mind  every  sentiment  of  veneration  and  rev^ 
rence.  The  man  who  can  deliberately  violate 
this  command,  from  day  to  day, — thus  offering  a 
continual  insult  to  his  Maker — proclaims  to  ail 
aiound,  that  he  has  no  emotions  of  reverence  and 
affiaction  towards'  that  Almighty  Being,  whoM 
power  upholds  the  fabric  of  heaven  and  earth,  and 
who  dispenses  life  and  death  to  whomsoever  he 
pleases.  "  He  s.retcheth  out  his  hand  against 
God,  and  strengvheneth  himself  against  the  Al- 
mighty." He  proclaims  U)  every  reflecting  mind, 
that  pride,  enmity,  rebellion,  and  irreverence, 
are  deeply  seated  in  his  heart,  and  that  "  the  fear 
of  God,"  and  the  solemnities  of  a  future  jud^ 
ment  "  are  not  before  his  eyes." 

Were  the  violation  of  this  law  to  become  uni- 
veruJ  among  men — the  name  of  God,  among  all 
ranks,  ages,  and  conditions  of  life,  would  be  as- 
sociated, not  only  with  every  trifling  discnurse 
and  altercation,  but  with  every  species  of  rit>ald- 
ry  and  obscenity.  The  lisping  babe  would  be 
taught  to  insult  that  Mighty  Being,  from  whom 
it  so  lately  derived  its  existence  ;  and  the  man  of 
hoary  hairs,  even  in  the  agonies  of  death,  would 
pass  into  the  eternal  state,  imprecating  the  ven- 
geance of  his  Maker.  All  reverence  for  Jeh'»vah, 
woukJ,  of  course,  be  banished  from  society  ;  no 
temples  would  be  erected  to  his  honour  i  no  silent 
adorations  of  the  heart  would  ascend  to  his  throne ; 
no  votvs  would  be  paid  ;  no  foam  of  worship  ajK 


INSTITUTION  OP  THE  SABBATH. 


93 


pointed ;  no  tribute  of  thanksgiving  and  gratitude 
would  be  ofltsred  to  his  name,— but  the  voice  of 
profanity  anJ  of  execration,  amung  high  and  low, 
fich  and  poor,  the  young  and  the  old,  in  every 
social  intercourse,  and  in  every  transaction, 
would  resound  throughout  all  lands.  No  motives 
to  excite  to  m  »ral  action,  would  be  derived  fro'U 
the  authority  and  the  omnipresence  of  God,  and 
from  a  consideration  of  his  future  retributions  ; 
for  his  character  would  be  reproached,  and  his 
authority  trampled  under  fool  by  all  people. 
"  They  would  set  their  months  against  the  hea- 
vens in  their  blasphemous  talk,"  and  they  would 
say,  "  How  doth  God  know,  and  is  there  know- 
ledge in  the  Most  High  ?"  •'  What  is  the  Al- 
mighty that  we  should  serve  him,  and  what  profit 
shall  we  have,  if  we  pray  unto  him?"  "  The 
Lord  doth  not  see,  neither  doth  the  God  of  Jacob 
regard  us."  His  wonderful  works  would  either 
be  overlooked,  or  treated  with  contempt,  or  as- 
cribed to  the  blind  operation  of  chance  or  of  fate. 
They  would  be  represented  as  accomplishing  no 
end,  as  displ|iying  no  wisdom,  and  as  controlled 
by  no  intelligent  agency.  Their  apparent  irre- 
gularities and  defects  would  be  magnified,  and 
expatiated  upon  with  diabolical  delight;  while 
the  glorious  evidences  they  exhibit  of  infinite 
wisdom  and  beneficence  would  be  thrown  com- 
pletely into  the  shade.  The  dispensatiorts  of  his 
providence  would  be  viewed  as  an  inextricable 
maze,  without  order  or  design,  directed  by  chance, 
and  by  the  ever-varying  caprice  of  human  beinsfs. 
His  venerable  word  would  universally  become 
the  subject  of  merriment  and  laughter, — a  topic 
for  the  exercise  of  ribaldry  and  ridicule,  and  a 
theme  for  enlivening  the  unhallowed  song  of  the 
drunkard.  The  most  solemn  scenes  which  it  dis- 
plays, and  its  most  joyful  and  alarming  declara- 
tions, would  be  equally  treated  with  levity  and 
contempt.— Such  are  some  of  the  impious  prac- 
tices, and  horrible  effects  which  would  follow,  if 
the  name  of  Jehovah  were  universally  profaned. 
The  very  name  of  religion  would  be  blotted  out 
from  the  earth,  its  forms  abolished,  its  sanctions 
iKsregarded,  its  laws  violated,  virtue  and  piety 
annihilated,  the  flood-gates  of  every  evil  burst 
open,  and  moral  order  entirely  subverted. 

On  the  other  hand,  universal  reverence  of  the 
name  and  character  of  God  would  lead  to  the 
practice  of  all  the  iliilies  of  piety  and  morality. 
The  Most  High  would  be  recognised  with  senti- 
ments of  veneration  at  all  times;  and  the  silent 
adorations  of  the  heart  would  flow  out  towards 
him  in  all  places  ;  in  the  house,  and  in  the  street, 
in  the  bosom  of  the  forest,  and  in  the  fertile  plain, 
in  the  city,  and  in  the  wilderness,  under  the 
shades  ofnight,  anil  amidst  the  splendours  of  day. 
In  every  place,  temples  would  be  erected  for  his 
worship,  hallelujahs  of  praise  would  ascend,  and 
"  incense  and  a  purs  offering"  be  presented  to 
his  name.  With  reverence  and  godly  fear,  with 
•Rpumve  views  ofhistniagaificence  and  glory, 


with  emo'ions  of  affection  and  of  awe  would  his 
Worshippers  approach  him  in  prayer,  in  praise,  in 
contemplaMon,  and  in  all  the  services  of  his  sanc- 
tuary. 'I'he  whole  earth  would  be  consecrated 
as  one  grand  temple,  from  which  a  grateful  ho- 
mage would  ascend  from  the  hearts  and  from  the 
lips  of  millions  of  devout  worshippers,  in  all 
places,  from  the  rising  to  the  setting  sun.  In 
the  domestic  circle,  in  the  social  club,  in  the 
convivial  meeting,  in  the  streets,  in  "the  high 
places  of  the  city,"  in  t  e  public  walks,  in  the 
councils  of  the  nations,  and  in  every  other  inter- 
course of  human  beings,  the  name  of  God  would 
never  be  mentioned  nor  his  character  alluded  to, 
but  with  feelings  of  profound  and  reverential  awe. 
His  works  would  be  contemplated  with  admira- 
tion, with  reverence,  and  with  gratitude,  as  pro- 
claiming the  glory  of  his  kingdom,  the  depths  of 
his  wisdom,  and  the  extent  of  his  power.  His 
mighty  movements  among  the  nations  would  be 
regarded  with  submission  and  reverence,  as  ao 
cornplishing  the  eternal  purposes  of  his  will,  and 
his  holy  word  would  be  perused  by  all  classes  of 
men  with  affection  and  delight,  as  the  oracle 
which  proclaims  the  glories  of  his  nature  and  the 
excellence  of  his  laws,  the  blessings  of  his  salva- 
tion, and  the  path  which  conducts  to  eternal  feli- 
city in  the  life  to  come.  Such  are  some  of  the 
delightful  effects  which  would  follow,  were  a  sen- 
timent of  profound  reverence  to  pervade  the 
whole  mass  of  human  beings  ;— and  correspond- 
ing sentiments  of  love  and  affection  for  each  other, 
would  be  tho  necessary  and  unceasing  accom- 
paniments of  respect  and  veneration  for  their 
common  Parent. 

THE  FOnRTH  COMMAITDMENT. 

"Remember  Ike  Sabbalh  day,  to  keep  it  holy. 
Six  days  shalt  thou,  labour,  and  do  all  thy 
work ;  but  the  xeventh  day  is  the  Sabbath  of  the 
Lord  tfa/  God,"  ^. 

This  commandment  obviously  enjoins  the 
setting  apart  of  one  day  in  seven,  as  a  day  of  rest 
from  worldly  labour,  and  as  a  portion  of  time  to 
be  devoted  to  the  devotional  exercises  of  religion, 
and  particularly  to  the  public  worship  of  God. 
It  was  given  forth,  not  merely  to  display  the 
Sovereignty  of  the  Lawgiver ;  but  to  promote 
both  the  sensitive  and  the  intellectual  enjoyment 
of  man.  "  The  Sabbaih,"  says  our  Saviour, 
"whs  made /or  man.  and  not  man  for  the  Sab- 
bath." 

It  was  made  for  man,  in  the  Jirst  place,  as  a 
day  of  rest.  In  this  point  of  view,  it  is  a  most 
wise  and  merciful  appointment,  especially  when 
we  consider  tho  present  condition  of  mankind,  as 
doomed  to  labour,  and  toil,  and  to  the  endurance 
of  many  sorrows.  When  we  reflect  on  the  ty- 
rannical dispositions  which  prevail  among  man- 
kind, on  the  powerful  influence  of  avarice  over 
the  human  mind,  and  on  the  almost  total  absence 


94 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


aTbflneTolence  and  companion  towardu  suflering 
huroanily,  Mrherever  mich  dinposiiiuiiii  iirodomi- 
IMte,  wecarinol  bu!  admire  tlie  wLiiloni  and  Se- 
Devolence  of  ihc  Crralor,  in  ihe  appuintmi-nl  of 
a  weekly  jubile«  for  the  resi  and  refri-sliment  of 
labourer!  <ipent  wiih  loil.  On  this  day,  the  mas- 
Mr  has  an  upimriunity  of  divcslint;  his  mind  of 
worldly  rare:)  and  anxieiius,  the  servant  of  ob- 
taining liberty  and  respite  Trom  hisi  toilsome  em- 
pioymenis;  and  labourers  of  every  class,  of  en- 
joying repose  in  the  bokom  of  their  families. 
Such,  however,  are  the  avaricious  dispositions, 
and  the  contracted  views  of  a  great  proportion  of 
mankind,  that  ihey  are  apt  to  regard  the  institu- 
tion of  the  Sabhaih  as  an  obstruction  lo  the  ad- 
Tancementof  their  worldly  interests.  They  will 
calculate  how  much  lubour  has  been  lost  by  the 
rest  of  one  day  in  seven,  and  how  much  wealth 
might  have  been  gained,  had  the  Sabbath  not  in- 
tervened to  interrupt  their  employments.  But 
■11  such  sel5;ih  calculations,  even  in  a  worldly 
ptHnt  of  view,  proceed  on  the  principles  of  a 
narrow  and  short-sighted  policy.  We  know  by 
eiperience,  that,  on  the  six  days  out  of  seven 
appointed  f!>r  labour,  all  the  operations  requisite 
fbr  the  cultivation  of  the  fields,  and  fur  the  manu- 
facture of  every  useful  article  for  the  comfort  of 
mankind,  can  be  performed  with  ease,  and  with- 
out the  least  injury  to  any  class  of  men.  And 
what  more  could  be  accomplished,  although  the 
Sabbath  were  converted  into  a  day  of  labour  ? 
Were  this  violation  of  the  divine  command  to 
become  universal,  it  mi^ht  be  shown  that ,  instead 
of  producing  an  increase  of  wealth,  it  would  in- 
fallibly produce  an  increase  of  toil  and  misery 
in  relation  to  the  great  mass  of  manktnd,  without 
any  corresponding  pecuniary  compensation.  The 
labouring  class  at  present  receive  little  more  wa- 
ges than  is  barely  sufficient  to  procure  the  neces- 
saries of  life.  If  their  physical  strength  would 
permit  them  to  work  eighteen  hours  a  day,  in- 
stead of  twelve,  it  is  beyond  a  doubt,  that,  in  a 
very  short  time,  the  work  of  eighteen  hours  would 
be  demanded  by  their  employers  for  the  price  of 
twelve — i>articularly  in  all  cases  where  a  suffi- 
cieat  number  of  labourers  can  be  easily  obtained. 
In  like  manner,  were  the  Sabbath  to  be  used  as  a 
dajoT  labour,  tlie  wages  of  seven  days  would 
MOO  be  reduced  to  what  is  now  given  for  the  la- 
bMnr  of  six.  In  the  first  instance,  indeed,  l>efure 
Mich  a  change  was  thor'Mghly  eifected,  the  la- 
bearing  part  of  the  commnnily  would  acquire  a 
•erenth  part  more  wages  every  week  than  they 
did  before;  and  men  unaccustomed  to  reflection, 
■ad  who  never  look  beyond  a  present  temporary 
■dwaaUge,  wfNiid  imagine  that  they  had  acquired 
caewreaoarce  fur  increasing  their  workily  gain. 
Bat,  ia  a  very  short  time,  when  the  affairs  ofthe 
•ocial  Rate  were  brought  to  a  certain  equilibri- 
um, they  would  be  minerably  undeoeiTed  ;  and 
tbe  abolition  of  the  Sabbath,  instead  <irbrin<;ing 
aloag  with  it  an  iacroaae  of  waalih,  would  carry 


in  ill  train  an  increase  oflabour,— «  continued  ae- 
ries of  Cuilsume and  unreinitiing  exertions,  which 
would  waste  their  animal  poHers,  cut  »hi>rt  the 
years  of  their  mortal  existences,  "  make  their 
lives  bitter  with  hard  bondage,'*  and  deprive  iheai 
of  some  of  the  sweetest  enjoyments  which  they 
now  possess. 

And  as  the  sabbath  was  appointed  for  the  rest 
of  man,  so  it  was  also  intended  as  a  season  of 
repose  for  the  ir\feTior  animaU  which  labour  for 
our  profit.  "  The  seventh  day  is  the  Sabbath  of 
the  Lord  thy  God  ;  in  it  ihoti  shall  not  do  any 
work,  ihou.  nor  thy  son,  nor  thy  daughter,  thy 
man-servant,  nor  thy  maid-servant,  nor  /Ay  eattte, 
nor  the  stranger  that  is  wiihin  thy  gatet."  This 
injunction  exhibits  the  comp&Hsiunaie  care  and 
tenderness  ofthe  Creator  in  a  very  amiable  and 
impressive  point  of  view.  It  sltuws  us,  tliat  (be 
enjoyments  ofthe  lowest  ranks  of  sensitive  exis- 
tence are  not  beneath  his  notice  and  regard.  As 
he  knew  what  degree  of  relaxation  was  ntcesMiry 
for  the  comfort  of  the  labouring  aniniaU,  and  as 
he  foresaw  that  the  avarice  and  cruelly  of  man 
would  endeavour  to  deprive  them  oftlicir  due  re- 
pose, so  he  has  secured  to  them,  by  a  law  which 
is  to  continue  in  force  so  long  as  the  earth  en- 
dures, the  rest  of  one  day  in  seven  in  common 
with  their  proprietors  and  superiors.  And  this 
privilege  they  will  undoubtedly  enjoy  hereafter, 
in  a  more  eminent  degree  than  they  have  yet 
done,  when  man  himself  shall  be  induced  lo  pay 
a  more  cordial  and  unreserved  obedience  to  this 
divine  precept,— when  "  he  shall  call  ihe  Sab- 
bath a  delight,  and  the  holy  of  the  Lord  honour- 
able." 

Again,  the  Sabbath  was  appointed  for  man.  as  a 
seatonfoT  pious  recollection,  and  religious  eontrm- 
plaiion.  "  Remember  the  Sabbath  day,  lo  keep  it 
holy."  Amidst  the  numerous  cares  and  laboriuua 
employments  of  human  life,  it  is  impossible  to 
fix  the  mind,  fi>r  any  length  of  lime,  on  the  divine 
glory,  as  displayed  in  the  works  of  creation,  on 
the  imporiant  facts  and  doctrines  of  revealed  reli- 
gion, and  on  the  grand  realities  of  the  life  locome. 
And,  therefore,  if  the  labouring  classes  enjoyed  no 
regular  season  of  re)ioee  for  serious  reflection, 
and  religious  instruction,  the  objects  of  religion 
would  soon  be  entirly  neglected,  and  the  impres- 
sion of  a  future  world  evanish  from  the  mind. 
But  in  the  wise  arrangements  ofthe  beneficent 
Creator,  anop(Mirlunity  is  afforded  to  all  ranks  of 
men  f  >r  cultivating  their  moral  and  intellectual 
powers,  and  fur  directing  them  lothe  study  and 
contemplation  ofthe  most  glorious  and  interealing 
objects.  As  the  SHbbath  was  originally  institut- 
ed as  a  sacred  memorial  of  the  finishing  ofthe 
work  of  creation,  so  it  is  obvious  that  the  coiv- 
templation  of  the  fabric  of  the  universe,  and  of 
the  perfections  of  its  Almighty  Auifmr  therein 
displayed,  ought  to  form  one  part  ofthe  eiercisca 
of  this  holy  ilay  ;  and,  cons<-quently,  that  illustr^ 
tioasof  this  subject  ought  lo  be  frequently  brought 


INSTITUTION  OF  THE  SABBATH. 


OS 


before  the  view  of  the  mind  in  those  discourses 
which  are  delivered  in  the  assemblies  of  the 
saints.  Since  the  references  to  this  subject, 
throughout  the  whole  ofdivine  revelation,  ere  so 
freqiien'  and  so  explicit,  it  is  evident,  that  the 
Creator  imended  that  this  amazing  work  of  his 
should  be  contemplated  with  admiration,  and 
make  a  deep  and  reverential  impression  upon 
every  mind.  To  cafl  to  remembrance  a  periixl 
when  there  was  no  terraqueous  globe,  no  sun, 
nor  moon,  nor  planets,  nor  starry  firmament,  when 
darkness  and  inanity  reigned  throughout  the  infi- 
nite void — to  listen  to  the  voice  of  God  resound- 
ing througli  the  regions  of  boundless  space,  "  let 
THERE  BE  LiORT;  and  light  was"— to  behold 
ten  thou^iands  of  spacious  suns  instarttly  lighted 
up  at  Ims  comiiiaiid— to  trace  the  mighty  masses 
of  the  planetary  worlds  projected  from  the  hand  of 
Omnipotence,  and  running  their  ample  circuits 
with  a  rapidity  which  overwhelms  our  concep- 
tions— to  contemplate  the  globe  on  which  we 
stand  emerging  from  darkness  and  confusion  to 
light  and  order  ;  adorned  with  diversified  scenes 
of  beauty  and  of  'sublimity, with  mountains,  and 
plains,  with  rivers,  and  seas,  and  oceans ;  and 
with  every  variety  of  shade  and  colour  ;  cheered 
with  the  melody  of  the  feathered  songsters,  and 
with  the  voice  of  man,  the  image  of  his  Maker, 
where  a  little  before  eternal  silence  had  prevailed, 
— to  redeci  on  the  Almighty  energy,  the  bound- 
less intelligence,  ind  the  overflowing  beneficence 
displayed  in  this  amazing  scene— has  a  tendency 
to  elevate  and  expand  the  faculties  of  the  human 
mind,  and  to  excite  emotions  of  reverence  and 
adoration  of  the  omnipotent  Creator.  This  is  a 
work  which  the  eternal  Jehovah  evidently  intend- 
ed to  be  held  in  everlasting  remembrance,  by  man 
on  earth,  and  by  all  tlie  inhabitants  of  the  heaven- 
ly regions.  It  is  the  mirror  of  the  Deity,  and 
the  natural  image  of  the  invisible  God  ;  and  it 
forms  the  groHndwork  of  all  those  moral  dis- 
pensations towards  his  intelligent  offspring, 
which  will  run  parallel  with  eternity  itself.  And, 
therefore,  to  overlook  this  subject  in  the  exercises 
of  the  Sabbath,  i<  to  throw  a  veil  over  the  glories 
of  the  Deity,  to  dLsreg:ird  the  admonitions  of  his 
word,  and  to  contemn  one  of  the  most  magnifi- 
cent and  astonishing  displays  of  Divine  perfec- 
tion. "  By  the  word  of  Jehovah  were  the  hea- 
vens made,  and  all  the  host  of  them,  by  the  breath 
of  his  moul').  He  gatherelh  the  waters  of  the 
sea  together  a^  an  heap,  he  layeth  up  the  depth 
in  storehouses.  J^el  all  the  earth  fear  the  Lord  ; 
let  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  world  stand  in  awe 
of  him.  For  he  spake,  and  it  was  dous,  he  com- 
manded, and  it  stood  fast." 

This  is  a  coniniiid  which  never  was  abrogat- 
ed, and  which  never  can  be  abrogated  in  relation 
to  any  intelligent  beings,  so  long  as  the  Creator 
-eadsU,  and  so  lon>;  as  the  universe  remains  as  a 
memorial  of  hi>  power  and  intelligence.  Those 
«Mred  longs  which  are  recorded  in  scripture  for 


directing  the  train  of  our  devotional  exerrt*e3> 
are  full  of  this  subject,  and  contain  specimens  of 
elevated  sentiments,  of  sublimr  devotion,  incom- 
parably superior  to  what  is  to  be  found  in  any 
other  record,  whether  ancient  or  modern.*  But 
man,  whose  unhallowed  hand  pollutes  and  de- 
grades every  portion  of  revelation  which  he  at- 
tempts to  improve,  has  either  endeavoured  to 
set  aside  the  literal  and  sublime  references  of 
the-te  divine  compositions,  or  to  subsiiiute  in 
their  place  the  vague  and  extravsigant  fancies 
of  weak  and  injudicious  minds,  fijr  directing 
the  devotional  exercises  of  Christian  churches. f 
As  the  book  of  God  is  the  only  correct  standard 
of  religious  worship,  so  our  devotional  exercises 
both  in  public  and  in  private,  ought  to  be  chiefly, 
if  not  solely,  directed  by  the  examples  of  devc^ 
tion  contained  in  the  inspired  writings,  which 
are  calculated  to  regulate  and  enliven  the  pious 
exercises  of  men  of  every  a^e  and  of  every  clime. 
But,  the  celebration  of  the  work  of  creation  is 
not  the  only,  nor  the  principal  exercise  to  which 
we  are  called  on  the 'Christian  sabbath.  Had 
man  continued  in  primeval  innocence,  this  would 
probably  have  constituted  his  chief  employment. 
But  he  is  now  called  to  celebrate,  in  conjimctioa 
with  this  exercise,  a  most  glorious  deliverance 
from  sin  and  misery,  effected  by  the  Redeemer 
of  mankind.  And,  for  this  reason,  the  Sabbath 
has  been  changed  from  the  seventh  to  the  Jhrtt 
day  of  the  week,  in  memorial  of  the  resurrection 
of  Christ,  when  he  was  "  declared  to  be  the  Son 


•  See  particularly  Psalms  8,  !8, 19,  «9,  33,  «5,  68, 
68,74,  89,  92,  93,  9H,  95,  96,  100,  104,  107,  lit,  135,  136, 
139,  t4>.  145,  147,  148,  &c.  &c. 
'  •  I  here  allude  to  several  collections  of  Uymna 
which  have  heen  Introduced  Into  the  puhlic  worship 
of  Christiin  societies— many  of  which,  contain  a  num- 
ber of  vague  and  injudicious  sentiments,  ami  extrava- 
gant fancies,  while  they  entirely  omit  many  of  those 
subjects  on  which  the  inspired  writers  delight  to  ex- 
patiate. This  position  could  casly  be  illustrated  by 
abundance  of  examples,  were  it  expedient  in  this 
place.  I  am  firmly  of  opinion,  that  the  praises  of  the 
Christian  church  ought  to  be  celebrated  In  Scripture- 
Cang-uag-f^thM  selections  for  this  purpose  should 
be  made  from  the  book  of  Psalms,  the  Prophets,  and 
the  New  Testament  writers,  which  shall  emlxxly 
every  sentiment  expressed  in  the  original,  without 
gloss  or  comment,  and  be  as  nearly  as  possible  In 
the  very  words  of  Scripture.  This  Has  been  partly 
effected  in  many  of  the  Psalms  contained  in  metrical 
version,  used  in  the  Scottish  Church,  in  which  sim- 
plicity, and  sublimity,  and  a  strict  adherence  to  the 
original,  are  beautifully  exemplified.  In  this  case 
there  would  be  no  need  for  a  separate  hymn-book 
for  Baptists,  Methodists,  Independents,  Presbyteri- 
ans, ami  Episcopalians.  But,  when  a  poet  takes  an 
Insulated  passage  of  Scripture,  and  spins  out  a  dovs- 
en  gtanzas  about  it,  he  m  ly  interweave,  and  most 
frequently  does,  as  many  fancies  of  his  own  as  he 
pleases.  Were  the  Ideas  contained  In  certain  hymn? 
t«  be  painted  on  canvass,  they  would  represent,  el 
Iher  a  congeries  of  cLiudsand  mists,  or  a  group  of  dis- 
torted and  unnatural  objects.  And  why  should  such 
vague  fancies,  and  injudicious  representations,  ho 
Imposed  on  a  Christian  assembly  t  What  a  disgrace 
Isthrnwnupon  Christianity,  when  the  different  sects 
of  Christians  cannot  cordially  join  together  in  the 
time  «'mf*  of  thanksgiving  and  praise  to  their  MOV 
mon  Father  and  LorU  1 


96 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


of  God  with  power."  In  this  delirer&nc«,  u 
Ui  (he  first  cre«ii»n,  a  variety  of  the  i>rande*t 
and  most  inlfrrjcinn  objects  is  presented  to  our 
view  : — The  Son  of  Qod  manif-^strd  in  the  flesh 
—the  moral  ini  i^e  of  the  invisible  Creator  em- 
bodied in  a  human  fomi,  displaying  every  hea- 
venly dis|MHiiiiim  and  every  divine  virtue,  per- 
forming a  series)  ofihe  most  astonishing  and  bene- 
ficent miracles,  giving  si^ht  to  the  blind,  and 
bearing  lo  the  deaf,  making  the  lame  man  leap 
as  a  hart,  an<l  the  tongue  of  the  dumb  to  sing,  re- 
storing the  infuriated  maniac  to  the  exercise  of 
reason,  commanding  diseases  to  fly  at  the  signal 
of  a  totich,  recalling  departed  spirits  from  the  in- 
visible world,  rai$iing  the  dead  to  life,  and,  on 
every  occaaiim,  imparting  heavenly  instructions 
to  attending  nuiliiiudes.  We  behold  this  illus- 
trious personage  suspended  on  the  cross,  encom- 
passed with  the  waters  of  affliction,  and  with 
the  agonies  of  death  ;  the  veil  of  the  temple  rent 
ill  twain,  from  the  top  to  the  bottom — the  rocks 
of  mount  Calvary  rent  asunder^the  sun  covered 
with  blackness^-darkness  surrounding  the  whole 
land  of  Judea — the  graves  opening — the  dead 
arising,  and  the  Prince  of  Life  consigned  to  the 
mansions  of  the  tomb.  On  the  third  morning 
after  this  fcolcmn  scene,  "  a  great  earthquake" 
having  shaken  the  sepulchre  of  the  Saviour,  we 
behold  him  bursting  the  prison-doors  of  the  tomb, 
auid  awakening  to  a  new  life,  which  shall  never 
end— we  behold  celestial  messengers,  in  resplen- 
dent forms,  descendini;  from  the  ethereal  regions 
to  announce  to  his  disconsolate  disciples,  that 
he  who  was  dead  "  is  alive,  and  lives  for  ever- 
more ;"  we  ItK-hold  him,  at  length,  bestowing  his 
last  benediciiim  on  his  faithful  (i>llowers,  rising 
above  the  confines  of  this  earthly  ball,  winging  hia 
way  on  a  resplendent  cloud,  attended  by  myriads 
of  angels,  through  distant  regions  which  "  eyehath 
not  seen  ;''  and  entering  "  into  heaven  itself,  there 
to  appear  in  the  presence  of  God  for  us."  In 
the  redemption  achieved  by  this  glorious  person, 
we  are  directed  to  look  back  on  that  scene  of 
misery  in  which  sin  has  involved  the  human 
race,  and  to  those  "  regions  of  sorrow  and  dole- 
ful shades,"  from  which  his  mercy  has  delivered 
US  ;  and  to  hmk  forward  to  a  complete  deliverance 
from  moral  evil,  to  a  resiirre<':iion  from  the  grave, 
to  a  general  assembly  of  the  whole  race  of  Adam 
—to  the  d>«inK:iion  and  renovation  of  this  vast 
globe  on  which  we  dwell,  and  to  the  enjoyment  of 
uninterrupted  felicity,  in  brighter  regions,  while 
OOunileM  ages  roll  away. — Such  arc  some  of  the 
sublime  and  interesting  objects  which  we  are 
called  Upon  to  roniemp'a'e  and  to  celebrate  on 
the  day  appointed  fur  the  Christian  sabbath — ob- 
ject! which  have  a  tendency  to  inspire  the  mind 
with  aacred  jny,  and  with  an  anticipation  of  no- 
ble employments  in  the  life  to  come. 

Again,  the  Sabbath  was  appointed  as  a  stated 
■eaaon^or  At  puhtie  worthip  of  God.  As  man- 
kind are  coonected  by  innumerable  tie*,  u  ihejr 


are  subject  lo  the^ame  wants  and  infirmities,  ar« 
exposed  to  the  same  sorrows  and  afflictions,  and 
Bland  in  need  of  the  same  blessings  from  God,— 
it  is  highly  reasonable  and  becotning,  that  they 
should  frequently  meet  together,  lo  offer  up  in 
unison  their  ihanktgiving  and  praise  to  their  com- 
mon Benefactor,  and  lo  supplicate  the  throne  of 
his  mercv.  These  exercises  are  connected  with 
a  variety  of  intereHling  and  important  associa- 
tions. In  the  public  assemblies  where  religiotis 
worship  is  performed,  "  the  lich  and  the  poor 
meet  together."  Within  the  same  walls,  those 
who  would  never  have  met  in  any  other  circum- 
stance'', a-e  placed  exactly  in  the  same  situation 
before  Him  in  whose  presence  all  earthly  dis- 
tinctions evanish,  and  who  is  the  Lord,  and  "  the 
Maker  of  them  all."  Here,  pride  and  haughti« 
ness  are  abased  ;  all  are  placed  on  the  same 
level  as  sinners  before  Him  "  who  is  of  purer 
eyes  than  to  behold  iniquity  ;  the  loftiness  of  man 
is  humbled,  the  poor  are  raised  frrjm  the  dust,  and 
the  Lord  alone  is  exalted  in  the  courts  of  his  holi- 
ness. Here,  cleanliness  and  decency  of  apparel 
are  to  be  .^^een,  and  human  nature  appears,  both 
in  its  physical  and  its  moral  grandeur.*  Here, 
civility  of  deportment,  and  kindly  affections  are 
generally  displayed.  Here,  we  feel  ourselves  in 
the  immediate  presence  of  Him  before  whom  all 
nations  are  as  the  drop  of  a  bucket ;  we  feel  our 
guilty  and  dependant  character,  and  stand,  as 
suppliants,  for  mercy  lo  pardon,  and  for  grace  to 
help  us  in  the  time  of  need.  Here,  knowledge 
of  the  most  important  kind  is  comuiunicated  to 
assembled  multitudes,  almost  "  without  money 
and  without  price."  Here,  the  poorest  beggar, 
the  youth,  and  the  man  of  hoary  hairs,  may  Icam 
the  character  of  the  true  God,  and  of  Jesus 
Christ  whom  he  hath  sent — the  way  lo  eternal 
happiness — the  sources  of  consolation  under  the 
afilictions  of  life— and  the  duties  they  owe  to 
their  Creator,  and  lo  all  mankind.  In  a  word, 
here  the  sinner,  in  the  midst  of  his  unhallowed 
courses,  is  aroused  to  consideration;  and  here 
the  saint  is  animated  and  encouraged  in  his 
Christian  journey,  and  enjoys  a  foretaste  of  the 
blessedness  of  heaven,  and  an  earnest  of  the  de- 
lightful intercourses  and  employmenu  of  "  the 
saints  in  light." 

Let  us  now  suppose,  for  a  moment,  that  the 
Sabhain,  and  its  exercises,  were  uniuerso^  abo- 
Unhrd  from  the  civilized  world.  What  would  be 
the  consequences  ?  The  knowledge  of  the  true 
Go<l,  which  the  institution  of  the  Sabbath,  more 
than  any  other  mean,  has  tended  to  perpetuate, 
would  soon  be  lost,  his  worship  abandoned,  and 
religion  and  moral  principle  buried  in  the  dusu 
In  Pagan  countries,  where  the  Sabbath  is  ui>. 

•  What  a  strlVma  contrast,  even  In  a  phrslCAl 
point  of  view,  is  presented  between  a  modem  as- 
semWv  of  Christian  worshippers,  and  the  hideous 
and  flithy  (troup  of  hiimsn  beiivrs  that  are  lo  he  seen 
In  the  kraal  of  a  Uotlentot,  or  In  Ibe  cave  of  a  New 
UoUantler. 


RELATIONS  OP  MANKIND. 


97 


known,  the  true  God  is  never  adored,  the  soul  of 
man  is  debased,  and  prostrates  itself  before  the 
sun  and  moon,  and  even  before  demons,  mon- 
sters, insects,  reptiles,  and  blocks  of  wood  and 
stone.  In  France,  where  the  Sabbath  was  f<)r 
a  season  abolished,  an  impious  phantom,  called 
the  t»o:*'less  of  Reason,  was  substituted  in  the 
room  of  the  Os^nipoient  and  Eternal  God  ;  the 
Bible  was  held  up  to  ridicule,  and  committed  to 
the  flames;  man  was  degraded  to  the  level  of 
the  brutes  ;  his  mind  was  assimilated  to  a  piece 
of  clay,  and  the  cheering  prospects  of  immortali- 
ty were  transformed  into  the  shades  of  an  eternal 
aight.  Atheism,  Scepticism,  and  Fatalism,  al- 
most universally  prevailed  ;  the  laws  of  morality 
were  trampled  umJer  foot  ;  and  anarchy,  plots, 
assassinations,  massacres,  and  legalized  plunder, 
became  "  the  order  of  the  day," — With  the  loss 
of  the  knowledge  of  God,  all  impressions  of  the 
Divine  presence,  and  all  sense  of  accounlabie- 
DBHs  f  )r  human  actions,  would  be  destroyed.  The 
restraints  of  religion,  and  the  prospect  of  a  future 
judgment,  would  »io  longer  deter  from  the  com- 
mission uf  crimes  ;  and  nothing  but  the  dread 
of  the  dungeon,  the  gibbet,  or  the  rack,  would 
restrain  mankind  from  the  constant  perpetration 
of  cnielly,  injustice,  and  deeds  of  violence.  No 
social  prayi;rs,  from  assembled  multitudes,  would 
be  offtTed  up  to  the  Father  of  mercies  ;  no  voice 
of  ihankssiving  and  praise  would  ascend  to  the 
Ruler  of  the  skies;  the  work  of  creation,  as 
displaying  the  perfections  of  the  Deily,  would 
cease  to  be  admired  and  commemorated  ;  and 
the  movements  of  Providence,  and  the  glories  of 
redemption,  would  be  overlooked  and  disregard- 
ed. The  pursuit  of  the  objects  of  time  and  sense, 
which  can  be  enj«3red  only  for  a  few  fleeting 
years,  would  absorb  every  faculty  of  the  soul ; 
and  the  realities  of  the  eternal  world  would 
either  be  forgotten,  or  regarded  as  idle  dreams. 
In  short,  were  the  Sabbath  abolished,  or,  were 
the  law  which  enforces  its  observance  to  be  re- 
versed, man  would  be  doomed  to  spend  his  mor- 
tal existence  in  an  unbroken  series  of  incessant 
labour  an  1  toil ;  his  mental  powers  would  lan- 
guish, and  his  b<Klily  strength  would  be  speedily 
■wasted.  Habits  of  cl'-aiiliness,  civility  of  deport- 
ment', and  decency  of  apparel,  would  be  disre- 
garded ;  and  the  persons,  and  the  habitations  of 
the  laboiirinv  classes,  would  soon  resemble  ihe 
filthiness  and  the  wretched  objects  which  are 
seen  in  the  kraal  of  a  Hottentot.  Their  minds 
would  n'Mlher  be  cheered  with  the  prospect  of  sea- 
sons of  slated  repose  in  this  world,  nor  with  the 
hope  of  eternal  rest  and  joy  in  the  world  to  come. 

THE  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT. 

"  Honour  thy  Father  and  thy  Mother.'* 

The  fmr  preceding  conmiandments,  whose 
imponance  I  have  endeavoured  to  illustrate,  were 
-written  on  a  separate  tablet  from  those  that  foUow, 

13 


and  have  been  generally  considered  as  enjoin- 
ing the  practice  of  piety,  or  those  duties  which 
more  immediately  respect  God  as  their  object. 
But  they  also  include  the  duties  we  owe  to  ow- 
selves ;  for  in  yieldins  obedience  'o  the.se  require- 
ments, we  promote  our  best  interests  in  this 
world,  and  are  gradually  prepared  for  participa- 
ting in  the  enjoyments  of  the  world  to  come. 
These  laws  are  binding  upon  angels  and  arch- 
angels, and  upon  every  class  of  intelligent  beings, 
in  whatever  quarter  of  the  universe  their  local 
residence  may  be  found,  as  well  as  upon  the  in- 
habitants of  the  earth.  The  fourth  command- 
ment, indeed,  in  so  far  as  regards  theparftcu/or 
portion  of  time  to  be  set  apart  for  the  worship  of 
God,  may  possibly  be  peculiar  to  the  inhabitants 
of  our  world.  Even  although  the  inhabitants  of 
such  a  world  as  the  planet  Jupiter  were  cont- 
manded  to  set  apart  every  sevemh  natural  day 
for  the  stated  public  worship  of  God,  the  propor- 
tion of  absolute  time  allotted  for  this  purpose, 
would  not  be  the  same  as  ours  ;  for  the  natural 
day  in  that  world  is  equal  to  only  ten  hours  of 
our  time.  But  the  spirit  of  this  precept,  or,  the 
principle  on  which  it  is  founded,  must  be  common 
to  all  worlds .  For  we  can  conceive  of  no  class 
of  intelligent  creatures,  on  whom  it  is  not  obli- 
gatory to  devote  a  certain  portion  of  lime  fi>r  ths 
social  worship  and  adoraiion  of  their  Creator, 
and  for  commemorating  the  displays  of  his 
Power  and  Benevolence;  and  all  holy  intelli- 
gences will  cheerfully  join  in  such  exercises,  and 
will  consider  it  as  a  most  ennobling  and  delight- 
ful privilege,  to  engage  at  stated  seasons,  along 
with  iheir  fellow-worshippers,  in  admiring  and 
extolling  the  Uncreated  Source  of  their  enjoy- 
ments. But  the  staled  seasons  appointed  by  tho 
Creator  for  such  solemn  acts  of  worship,  the 
manner  and  circumstances  in  which  they  shall 
be  performed,  and  the  number  of  worshippers  that 
may  assemble  on  such  occasions,  may  be  difle- 
rent  in  different  worlds,  according  to  the  sitiift> 
tions  in  which  they  are  placed. 

The  fifih  commandment,  to  which  I  am  now  to 
advert,  is  one  of  those  moral  regulations  which 
may  possibly  be  peculiar  to  (he  relations  which 
exist  in  our  world  ;  at  leai^t,  it  cannot  be  suppo- 
sed to  apply  to  the  inhabitants  of  any  world 
where  the  relations  of  parents  and  children,  of 
superiors  and  inferiors,  are  altogether  unknown. 
But.  in  tie  circumstances  in  which  man  is  plac- 
ed, it  is  a  law  indispensably  requisite  (iir  pre- 
serving the  order  and  happiness  of  ihe  social 
system. — It  requires  the  exercise  of  those  dis- 
positions, and  the  performance  of  those  duties, 
which  are  incumbent  upon  mankind,  in  Me  wa- 
rioua  relation*  in  which  they  itftnd  to  each  other. 
It,  consequently,  includes  within  its  spirit  and 
references,  the  duties  which  children  owe  lo  their 
pa'enis,  and  parents  lo  their  children  ;  the  duties 
of  husbands  and  wives,  of  masters  and  servants, 
of  teachers  and  scholars,  of  brothers  and  sis* 


99 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


ten,  of  the  }roun{  and  the  old,  and  of  gnvcrnora 
and  Ihvir  Mibjitct*  ;  togelhrr  wiili  all  Itiosc  dis- 
poailiofM  of  revt-reiicc,  siibniisiiion,  afr^ction, 
grmtiludf,  and  rrspect,  with  which  the  perfor- 
mance  of  ihe-'e  diitiea  oii)(ht  to  be  accnniponied. 
It  must  alau  be  considered  as  forbiddinji;  every 
thing  thnl  is  <>p|KMed  to  these  dispositions,  and 
to  the  obe<iieiice  required  ;  as  contumacy,  re- 
bellion, and  want  of  n-spect,  on  the  part  gf  chil- 
dren lowanls  their  parents  ;  disobedience  of  ser- 
vants tu  the  reasrHiable  comntands  of  their  mas- 
ters; and  every  principle  of  disaffeclion  and  of 
insubordinaiion  among  the  various  ranks  of  so-, 
ciety.  Thai  all  this  is  included  within  the  range 
of  this  precept,  might  be  proved  from  the  princi- 
ples on  which  our  Saviour  explains  the  $ixth  and 
Mtventh  commandments,  in  his  Sermon  on  the 
Mount,  and  from  the  illustrations  of  these  duties 
which  are  given  in  the  Apostolic  epistles,  and 
in  olhvr  parts  of  Scripture. 

As  it  fiirms  no  part  of  my  plan,  to  enter  into 
■ny  paniriilar  explanations  of  the  duties  required 
in  the  Decalogue,  which  have  frequently  b^en 
expounded  by  many  respectable  writers,  in  works 
particularly  appropriated  to  this  object, — I  shall 
simply  illutirate,  in  a  ffw  words,  tfie  reasonable- 
ness of  thisi,  and  the  following  precepts,  from  a 
oonsideratiun  of  the  effects  which  would  follow, 
were  these  laws  either  universally  observed,  or 
aniversally  violated. 

Were  this  law  to  be  reversed,  or  universally 
violated,  it  is  imporaible  to  form  an  adequate 
ooncepiion  of  the  dreadful  scene  of  anarchy  and 
confusion  which  would  immediately  ensue. 
Every  social  tie  would  be  torn  asunder,  every 
relation  ini'erted,  every  principle  of  subordina- 
tion destroyed,  every  government  overturned, 
every  rank  and  order  of  mankind  annihilated, 
and  the  whole  assembly  of  human  beings  con- 
verted inio  a  discordant  mass  cf  lawless  bandit- 
ti. Every  family  would  present  a  scene  of  riot, 
confusion,  insubordination,  contention,  hatred, 
tumult,  and  incessant  execration.  Instead  of 
love,  peace,  unity,  and  obedience,  the  son  would 
rise  in  rebnllion  against  his  father,  and  the  father 
wouU  insult  aiHl  trample  under  foot  his  son.  To 
use  the  wordM  of  our  Saviour,  *'  I'he  brother 
would  deliver  up  the  broilier  to  death,  and  the 
iktber  th>^  child  ;  and  the  children  would  rise  up 
■gainst  their  parents,  and  cause  them  to  be  put 
to  death  ;  the  daughter  wouM  be  set  at  variance 
■gainst  her  mother,  and  the  daughter-in-law 
■gainst  her  nioiher-in-law;  and  a  man's  foes 
would  be  they  of  his  own  household."  Childien 
would  be  unprovided  with  propi-r  food,  clothing, 
■ad  instnirtion,  and  left  to  war)der,  houseless 
■ltd  (briom,  as  vaeabonds  on  the  face  of  the  earth  ; 
■Dtl  parents,  ahandtmed  by  their  chiMrtn.  in  sick- 
ness, poverty,  and  old  ane,  would  sink  inio  the 
grave  in  wreirtK<lne«s  and  despair.  The  youne, 
instead  nf  "  rising  uf>  befora  Jtie  hoary  head,  and 
honouring  the  Gice  of  ibe  old  man,"  would  treat 


the  aged  and  infirm  with  every  mark  of  scorn, 
derision,  and  conirnipl  ;  and  would  feel  a  diabo- 
lical delight  in  vexing,  thwarting,  and  overpower- 
ing their  superiors  in  age  and  staiioa.  No  in- 
structions cuuki  be  communicated  by  teachers  and 
guardians  to  the  rising  generation  ;  for  riot,  in- 
solence, insult,  derision,  and  contempt,  would 
frustrate  every  effort  to  communicate  knowledge 
to  a  youihful  group.  No  building  nor  oiher  work 
of  art  couki  be  cofnnr>enced  with  the  certain  pros- 
pect of  being  ever  finished  ;  for  its  progress  wouM 
depend  upon  the  whims  and  humours  of  the 
workmen  employed,  who,  of  course,  would  r^ 
joice  in  endeavouring  to  frustrate  the  plans  and 
wishes  of  their  employers.  No  regular  govern- 
ment nor  subordination  in  a  large  community, 
could  possibly  exist ;  for  the  great  mass  of  socie- 
ty would  endeavour  to  protect  every  delinquent, 
and  would  form  themselves  inio  a  league  to  pre- 
vent the  execution  of  the  laws.  These  effects 
would  inevitably  follow,  even  although  the  re- 
quisition contained  in  this  precept,  were  to  be 
viewed  as  confined  solely  to  the  reverence  and 
obedii-nce  which  children  owe  to  their  parents. 
For,  were  this  obedience  withdrawn,  and  an  o^ 
posite  disposition  and  conduct  uniformly  man^ 
fested,  the  young  would  carry  the  same  disposi- 
tions which  they  displayed  towards  their  parents, 
into  all  the  other  scenes  and  relaticns  of  life,  and 
fill  the  world  with  anarchy  and  confusion.  But 
it  would  be  needless  to  expatiate  on  this  topic,  as 
it  appears  obvious  to  ilie  least  reflecting  mind, 
that  a  universal  violation  of  this  law  would  quite 
unhinge  the  whole  fabric  of  society,  and  wouM 
soon  put  an  end  to  the  harmonious  inler(x>urse  of 
human  beings. 

On  the  other  hand,  a  constant  and  universal 
obedience  to  this  precept  would  produce  such 
effects  on  the  deformed  aspect  of  our  world  as 
would  transform  it  into  a  paradise  of  moral 
beauty,  of  happiness  and  love.  Every  family 
would  exhibit  a  picture  of  peace  and  concord,  of 
harmony  and  affection.  No  harsh  and  bitter 
language,  no  strifes,  nor  jars,  nor  contentions 
would  ever  interrupt  the  delii;htful  flow  of  recip- 
rocal affection  between  parents  and  children.  No 
longer  shouM  wo  behold  the  little  perverse  mem- 
bers of  the  domestic  circle,  indulging  their  sulky 
humours,  and  endeavouring  to  thwart  the  wishes 
of  their  superiors,  nor  the  infuriated  parent 
siampin;;  and  raging  at  ihe  obstinacy  of  his 
children  ;  nor  should  we  hear  the  grating  sounds 
of  discord,  and  insubordination  which  now  so 
frequently  issue  from  the  family  mansion.  Every 
parental  command  would  be  cheerfully  and 
promptly  obeyed.  Reverence  and  filial  affec- 
tion would  glow  in  every  youthful  breast  towards 
the  father  that  begat  him,  and  towards  the  mother 
that  gave  him  birth.  Their  person*,  and  their 
characters  wouW  be  regarded  with  vneration 
and  respect,  and  their  admonitions  submiited  to 
without  a  murmur  or  complaint.     To  gladden 


LAW  IN  RELATION  TO  MURDER. 


99 


the  hearts  of  their  parents,  to  run  at  tlie  least 
signal  of  their  will,  to  share  in  their  benignant 
smile  or  apnrobation,  and  to  avoid  every  species 
of  conduct  that  would  produce  the  least  uneasi- 
ness or  pain — would  be  the  unceasing  aim  of  all 
the  youthful  members  of  the  family  circle.  In 
sickness,  they  would  smooth  their  pillows,  and 
alleviate  their  sorrows,  watch  like  guardian 
angels  around  their  bed,  drop  the  tear  of  a8ec- 
tion,  and  pour  the  balm  of  consolation  into  their 
wounded  spirits.  In  the  decline  of  life,  they 
would  minister  with  tenderness  to  their  support 
and  enjoyment,  guide  their  feeble  steps,  sympa- 
thize with  them  in  their  infirmities,  cheer  and 
animate  their  dejected  spirits,  and  render  their 
passage  to  the  tomb  smooth  and  comfortable. 
And  how  delighted  would  every  parent  feel 
amidst  such  displays  of  tenderness  and  affection  ! 
There  is  perhaps  nothing  in  the  whole  range  of 
human  enjoyment  that  creates  a  higher  and  more 
unniingled  gratification  to  parents,  than  the  duti- 
ful and  affectionatfe  conduct  of  their  offspring.  It 
sweetens  all  the  bitter  ingredients  of  human  life, 
and  adds  a  relish  to  all  its  other  comforts  and  en- 
joyments. It  imparts  a  continual  satisfaction 
and  serenity  to  the  parental  breast ;  it  smooths 
the  wrinkles  of  age  •,  it  cheers  the  spirits  under 
the  infirmities  of  declining  nature,  and  makes  the 
dying  bed  of  old  age  comfortable  and  easy.  And 
the  joy  and  satisfaction  thus  felt  by  parents  would 
be  reflected  into  the  bosom  of  their  children  ; 
which  would  produce  a  union  of  interests,  a  cor- 
diality of  affection,  and  a  peace  and  tranquillity 
of  mind  in  every  member  of  the  family,  which  no 
adverse  occurrence  in  future  life  could  ever  efTeo- 
tually  destroy. 

From  the  family  circle  the  emanations  of  filial 
piety  would  spread  and  diffuse  themselves  through 
all  the  other  departments  of  society.  The  same 
spirit  of  love  and  dutiful  respect  which  united 
and  endea'ed  parents  to  children,  and  children 
to  parents,  would  unite  one  family  to  another, 
one  village  to  another,  one  city  to  another,  one 
province  to  another,  one  kingdom  and  empire  to 
another,  till  all  the  tribes  of  the  human  race  were 
united  in  kindness  and  affection,  as  one  great 
and  harmonious  family.  Every  dutiful  child 
would  become  a  faithful  and  obedient  servant,  a 
docile  scholar,  and  a  loyal  and  submissive  sub- 
ject, when  placed  in  those  relations  ;  and  would 
prove  a  blessing  and  an  ornament  to  every  so- 
ciety of  which  he  was  a  member.  And  every 
dutiful  and  affectionate  parent,  when  placed  in 
the  station  of  a  king,  or  a  subordinate  ruler,  would 
display  a  parental  affection  towards  everv  mem- 
ber of  the  community  over  which  he  was  appoint- 
ed. Hence  it  might  easily  be  shown,  that  an  un- 
interrupted and  universal  observance  of  this  sin- 
gle precept,  viewed  in  all  its  connexions  and 
bearings,  would  completely  regenerate  the  world 
—and  that  the  peace,  the  harmony,  and  the  pros- 
perity of  all  the  nations  of  the  earth,  will  ulti- 


mately depend  on  the  spirit  of  6lial  piety  being 
infused  into  every  family.  "  Honour  thy  father 
an  I  thy  mother,"  says  the  Apostle,  "  which  is 
the  first  commandment  with  promise  ;  ihat  itmoa/ 
he  well  with  thee,  and  that  thou  mayest  live  long 
upon  the  eaith."  These  words,  which  are  fre- 
quently repealed  in  Scripture,  are  not'  empty 
sounds ;  nor  ought  they  to  be  deprived,  even 
under  the  Christian  dispensation,  of  their  obvious 
and  literal  meaning.  Filial  piety  has  a  natural 
tendency  to  produce  health,  long  life,  and  pros- 
perity ;  and  could  we  trace  the  whole  of  the  secret 
history  of  Providence  in  reference  to  this  precept, 
we  should,  doubtless,  find  this  position  abundantly 
exemplified.  At  any  rate,  were  it  universally 
practised,  it  would  carry  along  with  it  a  train  of 
blessings  which  would  convert  the  tumults  and 
convulsions  of  nations  into  peace  and  tranquillity, 
and  transform  the  moral  wilderness  of  this  world 
into  a  scene  of  verdure,  beauty,  and  loveliness, 
which  would  enrapture  the  mind  of  every  moral 
intelligence ;  and  among  its  o'her  benefits, 
"  length  of  days,  and  long  life  and  peace,"  would 
undoubtedly  "  be  added"  to  the  other  enjoyments 
of  mankind. 

THE  SIXTH  COMMANDBfEirr.' 

"  Thou  nhalt  not  kiU." 

This  precept  forbids  the  taking  away  of  the 
life  of  sensitive  or  inteliigen'  existence.  The 
command  is  absolute,  withou.  the  least  excep- 
tion, as  it  stands  in  the  Deca  ogiie ;  and  it  is 
universal,  extending  to  every  ra.ional  and  moral 
agent.  It  implies  that,  as  every  sensitive  and 
every  intelligent  being  derived  its  existence 
from  the  omnipotent  Creator  of  heaven  and  earth, 
no  one  has  a  right  to  deprive  it  of  that  existence, 
except  that  Being  by  whom  it  was  bestowed. 
And,  whatever  exceptions  to  the  universality  of 
this  law  may  be  admitted,  they  cem  be  admitted 
only  on  the  authority  of  the  Lawgiver  himself, 
who  is  the  Original  Fountain  of  existence  to  all 
his  creatures.  The  principal  exceptions  to  this 
law  are  the  following: — 1.  The  man  who  has 
violently  taken  away  the  life  of  another  is  com- 
manded, by  the  authority  of  God,  to  be  put  to 
death.  "  Whoso  sheddeth  man's  blood,  by  man 
shall  his  blood  be  shed."  This  is  the  dictate  of 
reason  as  well  as  of  revelation ;  for  no  human 
power  can  recall  the  departed  spirit  or  re-animate 
the  lifeless  corpse,  and  no  adequate  compensation 
can  ever  be  given  for  such  a  crime.*  2.  The 
life  of  the  lower  animals  is  permitted  by  the  same 

•  Notwithstanding  the  considerations  here  stated, 

the  Author  Is  doubtful  whether  the  Creator  has  con- 
ceded to  man  the  right  of  taking  away  the  life  of 
another,  even  In  case  of  murrler.  If  the  passage  here 
quoted  ought  to  be  consldereit  as  a  prediaion  rather 
than  a  law,  as  Is  most  probable,  it  will  afford  no  war- 
rant for  the  destruction  of  human  life;  ami  there  Is 
no  other  injunction  of  this  kind  which  has  any  rela> 
Uon  to  the  New  Testament  dispensation. 


loa 


THE  PHFLOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


authoritj  to  b«  tkken  away  tohen  tktat  anxmaU  art 
mmatmvy  for  our  food,  or  icAen  Ihey  tndanger  our 
MMtniee.  Thin  prrmiMioii  was  ftnt  )>raiiied,  im- 
medialely  arier  ihe  flo<id.  loNimh  aiid  hisdescen- 
danlt.  *■  God  said  lo  Noah  and  lii«  ions  ;  every 
thing  that  rooveih  shall  be  meat  fur  yuu ;  even 
•a  the  green  herb  have  I  given  you  all  ihinga." 
Without  such  a  poaitive  gram  from  the  Creaiof , 
■Mn  could  have  had  no  more  riglit  to  lake  away 
the  life  ofan  ox  or  a  sheep,  than  he  has  to  imbrue 
kis  hand«  in  the  blood,  or  to  feast  on  the  flesh  of 
his  felluw-men.  To  lake  the  life  of  any  senaitive 
being,  and  to  feed  on  its  flesh,  ap|>car8  incompa- 
tible with  a  stale  of  innocence  ;  and,  therefore,  no 
•uch  grant  was  given  to  Adam  in  paradise  ;  nor 
♦toes  ii  apiiear  that  the  An'edeluvians,  noiwiih- 
atanding  their  enormous  crimes,  ever  feasted  on 
tha  flesh  of  animals.  It  appears  to  have  been  a 
grant  suited  only  to  the  degraded  state  of  man 
after  the  deluge ;  and,  it  is  probable,  that  as  he 
advances  in  the  scale  of  moral  perfection,  in  the 
future  ages  of  the  world,  the  use  of  animal  food 
will  be  gradually  laid  aside,  and  he  will  return 
again  to  the  produciions  of  the  vegetable  kingdom, 
as  the  original  food  of  man,  and  as  that  which  is 
best  suited  to  the  rank  of  rational  and  mora! 
intelligence.  And,  perhaps,  it  may  have  an  in- 
fluence, in  combination  with  other  favourable 
circumstances,  in  protnoiing  health  and  longevity. 
•^But,  although  the  inferior  animals  are,  in  the 
mean  time,  su' jected  to  our  use,  no  permission 
is  granted  to  t  eat  them  with  harshness  or  cruelty, 
or  to  kill  then  f!>r  the  sake  of  sport  and  amuse- 
ment. And,  therefore,  the  man  who  wantonly 
takes  away  the  lives  of  birds,  hares,  fishes,  and 
other  animals,  for  the  mere  gratification  of  a 
taste  for  hunting  or  fishing,  can  scarcely  be  ex- 
culpated from  the  charge  of  a  breach  of  this  com- 
mandment. 

The  above  are  the  principal  exceptions  which 
the  Creator  has  made  in  reference  to  the  law 
under  consideration.  And  it  may  not  be  impro- 
per to  rentark,  that,  besides  the  direct  act  of 
murder,  every  thing  that  leads  to  it,  or  that  has 
a  tendency  to  endanger  life,  is  to  be  considered 
as  forbidden  in  this  commandment.  All  un- 
kindness  and  harsh  treatment  exercised  towards 
•ervants,  dependants,  and  brute  animals,  by 
which  life  may  be  shortaoed  or  rendered  intole- 
rabla— all  furious  and  revengeful  passions,  which 
may  lead  to  acts  of  vioience^all  quarrelling, 
fighting,  and  boxing,  either  for  bets,  or  for  the 
gratification  of  haired  or  revenge— all  wishes  for 
the  death  of  others,  and  all  contrivances  either 
direct  or  indirect  to  compass  the  destruction  of 
oar  neighbour — all  criminal  negligence  by  which 
our  own  life  or  the  life  of  others  may  be  endan- 
gered or  destroyed — and  all  those  actions  by 
which  murder  may  be  committed  as  a  probable 
eflfect,  as  the  burning  of  inhabited  houses,  and 
the  throwing  of  the  instrumenta  of  death  into  the 
nidst  of  a  crowd— are  to  bo  raganled  tm  inrolr- 


ing  the  principle  of  murder,  as  well  as  the  iHreet 
acts  of  suicide,  duelling,  and  assansinaiion  ;  and, 
consequently,  as  viul»tiont  of  that  law  which 
extends  lo  the  secret  put  poses  uf  ihe  heart,  as 
well  as  to  the  external  actions.  Even  unreason- 
able anger,  malice,  and  scurrility  are  declared 
by  our  Saviour  to  be  a  species  of  murder :  "  Wh«^ 
aocver  Is  angry  with  his  brother  without  acausr, 
shall  be  in  danger  ^of  the  judgment,  and  whoso* 
ever  shall  say  to  his  brother,  Raca"  that  is,  ihoa 
worthless  empty  fellow,  "  shall  be  in  danger  o( 
Ihe  council."*  Life  is  desirable  only  as  it  is 
connected  with  enjoyment,  and,  therefore,  when 
a  man  treats  his  brother  with  such  a  degree  of 
hatred  and  scurrility,  as  to  rentier  his  existenoe 
either  unpleasant  or  intolerable,  he  ought  lob* 
ranked  among  the  class  of  murderers.  For  the 
apostle  John  declares,  without  the  least  limita* 
tion,  that  "  whosoever  hatcth  his  biother  is  a 
murderer,  and  he  thai  loveth  not  his  brother 
ahiideth  in  death."  And,  if  ^^his  criterion  be  ad- 
mitted, a  train  of  murderers  will  be  found  exist- 
ing in  society  far  more  numerous  than  is  gene- 
rally supposed.  * 

It  would  be  needless  to  attempt  an  illustration 
of  the  consequences  which  would  ensue,  wera 
the  breach  of  this  law  to  become  universal.  It 
is  obvious,  on  the  slightest  reflection,  that  were 
this  to  happen,  human  society  wonld  soon  ceasa 
to  exist.  That  prophecy  which  was  given  forth 
respecting  Isbmael  would  then  receive  a  moat 
terrible  and  exteasive  accomplishment,  in  the 
case  of  every  human  agent :  "His  hand  shall  be 
against  every  man,  and  every  man's  hand  against 
him,"  Every  man  would  assume  the  character 
ofan  infernal  fiend  ;  every  lethal  weapon  wouM 
be  prepared  and  furnished  for  slaughter  ;  every 
peaceful  pursuit  and  employment  wo«ikl  be  in- 
stantly abandoned  ;  the  voice  of  wailing  and  the 
yells  of  fury  and  despair,  would  be  heard  in  every 
family,  in  every  village,  in  every  city,  in  every 
field,  in  every  kingdom,  and  in  every  clime. 
Every  house,  every  street,  every  valfey,  every  fo- 
rest, every  river,  every  mountain,  and  every  con- 
tinent would  be  strewed  with  fearful  devastation, 
and  with  the  mangled  carcasses  of  the  slain.  The 
work  of  destruction  would  go  on  with  dreadfU 
rapidity,  till  the  whole  race  of  man  were  extir- 
pated from  (he  earth,  leaving  this  vast  globe  a 
scene  of  solitude  and  desolation,  an  immense 
sepulchre,  and  a  spectacle  of  horror  to  all  supe- 
rior intelligences. — And,  let  it  be  remembered, 
that  such  a  picture,  horrible  and  revolting  as  it 
is,  is  nothing  more  than  what  would  be  the  na- 

*  Math.  T.  n.  Christ,  In  this  pasaaxe,  refers  to  a 
court  ainona  the  Jews,  comi>osed  of  neentif  tkrt* 
men,  wherein  caplt.-il  sentences  might  be  passed 
on  wlilch  a  malefnclnr  mlsht  be  slmnKted  or  be 
headed :  this  was  called  the  Judfment  But  tbe 
Sanhedrim,  or  CouncU,  was  the  supreme  lewlsh 
court,  cooslsUnc  of  tevtntyhpo ;  In  which  tha 
hlglMSt  ertaass  ware  tried,  which  they,  and  tbej 
atooa,  punlahad  with  iimlin.  whkh  waa 
ed  a  mora  tanlMe  death  than  tha  Uamtx. 


LAW  OF  MARRIAGE, 


101 


Ittral  result  nflhe  principle  ofheitred,  were  it  left 
to  its  native  energies,  and  were  it  not  conlrolled, 
in  the  course  of  providence,  by  Him  who  sets 
restraining  bounds  to  the  wrath  of  man. 

In  order  lo  counteract  the  tendencies  of  this 
baleful  principle,  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance 
that  youth  be  trained  up  in  habits  of  kindness, 
tenderness,  and  compassion,  both  towards  human 
beings,  and  towards  the  inferior  animals  j  that 
an  abhorrence  should  be  excited  in  their  minds 
of  quarrelling,  fighting,  and  all  mischievous 
tricks  and  actions ;  that  they  be  restrained 
from  the  indulgence  of  malicious  and  resentful 
passions ;  that  every  indication  of  a  cruel  and 
unfeeling  disposition  be  carefully  counteracted ; 
and  that  every  tendency  of  the  heart  towards  the 
benevolent  aflfections,  and  every  principle  of  ac- 
tive beneficence  be  cultivated  and  cherished 
with  the  most  sedulous  care  and  attention.  For, 
in  youth,  the  foundation  hats  generally  been  laid 
of  those  malevolent  principles  and  passions 
which  have  led  to  robbery,  assassination,  and 
deeds  of  violence,— 'which  have  filled  the  earth 
with  blood  and  carnage  :  and  which  have  dis- 
played their  diabolical  energy  in  so  dreadful  a 
manner  amidst  the  contests  of  communities  and 
nations. 

Were  the  disposition  to  indulge  hatred,  which 
leads  to  every  species  of  murder,  completely 
counteracted,  the  greatest  proportion  of  those 
evils  which  now  afflict  our  world,  would  cease  to 
exist.  Human  sacrifices  would  no  longer  bleed 
upon  Pagan  altars  ;  the  American  Indians  would 
no  longer  torture  tu  death  their  prisoners  taken 
in  war,  nor  the  New  Zealanders  feast  upon  the 
flesh  and  the  blood  of  their  enemies.  The  widows 
of  Hindostan  would  no  longer  be  urged  to  burn 
themselves  alive  on  the  corpses  of  their  deceased 
husbands;  norwotild  the  mothers  ofChina  imbrue 
their  hands  in  the  blood  of  their  infant  offspring. 
The  practice  of  Duelling  would  forever  cease, 
and  would  be  universally  execrated  as  an  outrage 
on  common  sense,  and  on  every  generous  and 
humane  feeling,  and  as  the  silly  attempt  of  a 
puny  mortal  to  gratify  wounded  pride  or  disap- 
pointed ambition,  at  the  expense  of  the  life  of 
his  fellow-creature.  Despotism  would  throw 
aside  its  iron  sceptre,  and  the  nations  would  be 
ruled  with  the  law  of  love;  and  plots,  conspira- 
cies, treasons,  and  massacres  woukl  be  attempt- 
ed no  more.  The  fires  of  the  Inquisition  would 
cease  to  be  kindled,  the  supposed  heretic  would 
no  longer  be  consigned  to  the  horrors  of  a  gloomy 
dungeon,  racks  and  gibbets  and  guillotines  would 
be  shivered  to  pieces  and  thrown  into  the  flames, 
and  the  spirit  of  cruelty  and  persecution  would 
be  extirpated  from  the  earth.  Riot,  tumuh,  and 
contention  would  be  banished  from  our  streets, 
and  harmony  and  concord  would  prevail  through- 
out all  our  borders.  War  would  forever  cease 
to  desolate  the  nations  ;  the  confused  noise  of 
inrading  armies,  the  sounds  of  martial  musici 


the  groans  of  dying  victims,  and  the  hoarse 
shouts  of  conquerors,  would  be  heard  no  more. 
Peace  would  descend  from  heaven  to  dwell  with 
man  on  earth ;  prosperity  would  follow  in  her 
train,  science  would  enlarge  its  boundaries  and 
shed  its  benign  influence  upon  all  ranks  ;  the 
useful  arts  would  flourish  and  advance  towards 
perfection  ;  philanthrophy  would  diffuse  its  thou- 
sand blessings  in  every  direction,  and  every 
man  would  sit  "  under  his  vine  and  fig-tree" 
in  perfect  security  from  all  danger  or  annoy- 
ance. 

SEVENTH    COMMANDMENT. 

"  TVunt  thalt  not  commit  adultery.'" 

This  commandment  is  to  be  viewed  as  com- 
prehending within  its  prohibition,  every  spectes 
of  lewdness,  both  in  thought,  word,  and  action; 
as  adultery,  fornication,  incest,  polygamy,  &c  ; 
and  likewise  all  those  licentious  desires  and  a^ 
fections  from  which  such  actions  proceed.  In 
this  comprehensive  sense  it  is  explained  by  our 
Saviour,  in  his  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  and  by  the 
Apostles,  in  their  letters  to  the  Christian  Church- 
es. It  is  founded  on  the  distinction  of  sexes 
which  exists  among  mankind,  and  on  the  law  o{ 
Marriage,  which  was  promulgated  immediately 
after  the  creation  of  the  first  pair — .1  law  which 
was  intended  to  limit,  and  to  regulate  the  inter- 
course of  the  sexes ;  and  to  promote  purity,  af- 
fection,  and  order,  among  the  several  generations 
of  mankind.  By  this  law  the  marriage  union  is 
limited  to  two  individuals.  He  who  made  man- 
kind at  the  beginning,  says  Christ,  made  them 
male  and  female,  and  said,  "  For  this  cause  shall 
a  man  leave  father  and  mother  and  shall  cleave 
to  his  toife  ;  and  they  twain  shall  be  one  flesh." 
And,  it  uiight  easily  be  shown,  from  an  induction 
of  facts,  and  from  a  consideration  of  the  present 
circumstances  of  the  human  race,  that  this  law, 
and  this  alone,  is  calculated  to  promote  the  mu- 
tual affection  of  the  married  pair,  and  to  secure 
the  peace  and  happiness  of  families,  and  the 
harmony  of  general  society.  By  this  law  the 
union  is  made  permanent,  so  long  as  the  parties 
exist  in  this  world.  "  What  God  hath  joined, 
let  no  man  put  asunder."  This  regulation  has 
a  tendency  to  promote  union  of  affection  and  in- 
terests, and  to  induce  the  parties  to  bear  with 
patience  the  occasional  inconveniences  and  con- 
tentions which  may  arise.  Were  divorces  ge- 
nerally permitted,  on  the  ground  of  unsuitable- 
ness  of  temper,  or  occasional  jars,  society  would 
soon  be  shaken  to  its  centre.  Every  real  or 
supposed  insult,  or  provocation,  would  be  followed 
out,  till  it  termmatcd  in  the  separation  of  the 
parties  ;  families  would  thus  be  torn  into  shreds  ; 
the  education  of  the  young  would  be  neglected ; 
parental  authority  disregarded  ;  and  a  door  open- 
ed for  the  prevalence  of  unbounded  licentious- 
ness.    Soon  after  the  commencemem  of  the  R»> 


101 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


volotioQ  in  France,  a  hw,  permitling  divorcm, 
waa  pasMd  by  the  National  AMcmbljr  ;  an<l,  in 
IcM  than  three  monthx  from  ita  date,  nearly  aa 
many  divorcee  aa  marriges  were  rcKistered  in  the 
city  of  Paria.  In  the  whole  kingdom,  wiihin  (he 
apace  of  ei^^hieen  months,  upwards  of  twenty 
thousand  divorces  were  effected  ;  and  the  nation 
sunk  into  a  stale  of  moral  degradation,  from  the 
effects  of  which  it  has  never  yet  recovered.  This 
is  one  oT  the  many  practical  proo6  presented 
before  us,  of  the  danger  of  infringing  on  any  of 
th«  moral  arrangements  which  the  Creator  has 
established. 

The  precept  under  consideration  is  to  be  coin 
sidered  as  directly  opposed  to  all  promiscuous  and 
licentious  intercourse  between  tho  sexes.  And 
the  reasonableness  of  this  prohibition  will  ap- 
pear, if  we  consider,  for  a  moment,  what  would 
be  the  consequences  which  would  inevitably  fol- 
low were  this  law  to  be  set  aside,  or  universally 
violated.  A  scene  of  unbounded  licentiousness 
would  ensue,  which  would  degrade  the  hiunan 
character,  which  would  destroy  almost  all  the  ex- 
isting relations  of  society,  and  unhinge  the  whole 
fabric  of  the  moral  world. — One  end  of  the  insti- 
tution of  DMrriage  was,  to  "  replenish  the  earth" 
with  inhabitants,  to  perpetuate  the  successive 
generations  of  men,  and  to  train  upa  virtuous  and 
intelligent  race  to  people  the  congregation  of  the 
heavens.  But  this  end  would  be  ultimately  frus- 
trated, were  a  promiscuous  and  unlimited  inter- 
course to  become  cither  general  or  universal. 
For,  it  has  been  found,  that,  wherever  such  in- 
tercourse partially  prevails,  it  strikes  at  the  root 
of  human  existence,  and  has  a  tendency  to  prevent 
the  operation  of  that  law  which  the  Creator  im- 
pressed on  all  living  beings,  "  Increase  and  multi- 
ply." In  the  haunts  of  licentiousness,  in  large 
cities,  and  in  all  such  societies  as  those  which 
formerly  existed  in  Otaheite,  under  the  name  of 
Arremf,  the  laws  of  nature  are  violated,  the  course 
of  generation  obstructed,  and  numbers  of  human 
beings  strangled  nt  the  very  porch  of  existence. 
So  that  were  mankind  at  large  to  relapse  into  such 
licentious  practices,  the  human  race,  instead  of 
increasing  in  number,  to  replenish  the  desolate 
wastes  oir  our  globe,  according  to  the  Creator's 
intMition,  would  rapidly  decrease  every  succeed- 
ing gaaeretion,  till  after  the  lapse  of  a  few  centu- 
riaa,  human  beings  would  be  entirely  extirpated, 
and  the  earth,  barren  and  uncultivated,  would  be 
left  to  the  dominion  of  the  beasts  of  the  forest. 

Bat,  although  such  a  distant  event  were  to  be 
altofatlier  diaregarded,  the  immediate  conse- 
.[uencea  of  stich  unhallowed  courses  would  be 
diamal  in  the  extreme.  That  union  of  heart,  af- 
feedon,  and  of  interests,  which  subsists  between 
the  great  majority  of  married  pairs,  and  those  re- 
ciprocal sympathies  and  endearments  which  flow 
from  this  union,  would  be  altogether  luiknown. 
The  fimiale  sex,  (aa  alraady  happens  in  some 
BatigH»)  with  miadi  ■HatUvated  and  unpolish- 


ed, wouU  be  degraded  into  mere  inctmmenta  of 
sensitive  enjoyment,  into  househoU  slaves,  or 
into  something  analogous  to  beasts  uT  burden, 
and  would  be  bought  and  suM  like  cattle  and 
horaes.  The  minds  of  all  would  be  degraded  to 
the  level  of  brutes,  and  would  be  incapable  of 
prosecuting  either  rational  or  religious  purauita. 
Their  bodies  would  be  wasted  and  enfeebled  will, 
squalid  disease:  the  infirmities  of  a  premature 
old  age  would  seize  upon  them  ;  and  before  they 
had  "  lived  half  their  days,"  they  would  sink  into 
the  grave  in  hopelessness  and  sorrow.  A  uni- 
versal sotiishness,  and  disreeard  of  every  tiling 
except  preaent  aensual  enjoyment,  would  seize 
upon  the  whole  mass  of  society,  and  benumb  tho 
human  faculties  :  the  God  of  heaven  would  be 
overlooked,  and  the  important  realities  of  an  im- 
mortal existence  completely  banished  from  their 
thoughts  and  afTections.  Thousands,  and  ten 
thousands  of  infants  would  be  strangled  at  their 
entrance  into  life  ;  and  the  greater  part  of  those 
who  were  spared,  would  be  doomed  to  a  wretched 
and  precarious  exbtence.  The  training  up  of 
the  youthful  mind  to  knowledge  and  virtue  would 
be  quite  neglected ;  and  all  that  civility  and  soft-  ' 
ness  of  manners,  which  are  now  acquired  under 
the  eye  of  parental  authority  and  affection,  woukl 
be  unknown  in  society.  The  endearing  relations  j 
of  father  and  mother,  of  brothers  and  sisters,  of 
uncles,  aunts,  and  cousins,  and  all  the  other  ra- 
mifications of  kindred,  which  now  produce  so 
many  interesting  and  delightful  associations, 
would  fail  to  be  recognised  among  men  ;  for  in 
such  a  state  of  society,  the  natural  relations  of 
mankind  would  be  either  disregarded,  or  blended  i 
in  undistinguishable  confiision,  i 

Children,  neglected  or  abandoned  by  their  mo-  ■ 
thers,  would  be  left  to  tho  full  influence  of  their  A 
own  wayward  and  impetuous  passions  ;  they  ^ 
would  depend  for  subsistence,  either  on  accident,  ^ 
on  pilfering,  or  on  the  tender  mercies  of  general 
society  ;  they  would  wander  about  as  vagabonds, 
tattered  and  forlorn ;  their  hearts  shrivelled  with 
unkindness,  their  bodies  chilled  with  the  rains 
and 'biting  frosta,  and  deformed  with  fillhinessand 
disease.  They  would  be  left  to  perish  in  the 
open  fields,  without  a  friend  to  close  their  eyea ; 
and  their  bodies,  unnoticed  and  unknown,  would 
remain  as  a  prey,  to  be  devoured  by  the  fowls 
of  heaven.  In  every  land  would  be  seen  multi- 
tudes of  houseless  and  shivering  females,  set 
adrift  by  their  seducers,  wandering  with  their 
hungry  and  half  famished  offspring,  the  objecta 
of  derision  and  contempt ;  and  imploring,  in  vain, 
the  comforts  of  food,  of  shelter,  and  protection. 
For,  among  human  beings,  in  such  a  degraded 
state,  the  kindly  and  benevolent  affections  woukl 
seldom  be  exercised  ;  cold-blooded  selfishness  and 
apathy,  in  relation  to  the  sufferings  of  others, 
would  supplant  all  the  finer  feelings  of  humanity; 
which  wouW  dispose  them  to  view  the  wretched 
objecta  around  them  with  perfect  indiffereooa. 


EFFECTS  OF  LICENTIOUSNESS. 


lOS 


and  even  with  contempt.  "  However  it  may  be 
accounted  for,"  says  Dr.  Paley,  "  the  criminal 
commerce  of  the  sexes  corrupts  and  depraves  the 
mind,  and  the  moral  character,  more  than  any 
single  species  of  vice  whatsoever.  That  ready 
perception  of  guilt,  that  prompt  and  decisive  reso- 
lution against  it,  which  constitutes  a  virtuous 
characier,  is  seldom  found  in  persons  addicted  to 
these  indulgences.  They  prepare  an  easy  ad- 
mission for  every  sin  that  seeks  it ;  are,  in  low 
life,  usually  the  first  stage  in  men's  progress  to 
tno  most  desperate  villanies  ;  and,  in  high  life, 
to  that  laraonled  dissoluteness  of  principle  which 
manifests  itself  in  a  profligacy  of  public  condact, 
and  a  contempt  of  the  obligations  of  religion  and 
of  m>ral  probity.  Add  to  this  that  habits  of 
libertinism  incapacitate  and  indispose  the  mind 
for  all  intellectual,  moral,  and  religious  plea- 
sures."* 

In  short,  in  such  a  stale  of  society  as  would 
inevitably  accompany  a  general  violation  of  the 
seventh  precept  of  the  moral  law,  all  the  softness 
and  loveliness  of  filial  piety,  of  parental  affec- 
tion, of  brotherly  attachment,  and  of  the  inter- 
course of  kindred,  would  forever  cease ;  science 
and  literature  would  be  neglected  ;  and  churches, 
colleges,  schools,  and  academies  would  crumble 
into  ruins  :  a  sufficient  stimulus  would  be  want- 
ing to  the  exercise  of  industry  and  economy  ;  a 
lazy  apathy  would  seize  upon  the  mass  of  socie- 
ty ;  the  earth  would  cease  to  be  cultivated,  and 
would  soon  be  covered  with  briers  and  thorns,  or 
changed  into  the  barren  wastes  of  an  African 
desert.  The  foundation  of  all  regular  govern- 
ment would  be  undemiined  :  for  it  is  chiefly  in 
those  habits  of  submission  and  obedience  which 
are  acquired  under  the  domestic  roof,  that  the 
foundations  are  laid  of  that  subordination  which 
is  necessary  'o  secure  the  peace  and  order  of 
mankind.  Society  would,  consequently,  be 
thrown  into  a  state  of  disorder,  and  would  speed- 
ily sink  into  oblivion,  in  the  mire  of  its  own 
pollution. 

The  po?>itions  now  stated  could  bo  illustrated, 
were  it  expe  lient,  by  a  variety  of  melancholy 
facts,  borrowed  from  the  history  and  the  present 
state,  both  of  savage  and  of  civilized  nations. 
The  annals  of  Turkey,  of  Persia,  of  Hindos- 
tan,  of  China,  of  Japan,  of  the  Society  Isles, 
and  even  of  the  civilized  nations  of  Europe 
and  Ainorina,  wotild  furnish  abundance  of  im- 
pressive fiots,  to  demonstrate  the  demoralizing, 
and  brutalizing,  and  miserable  effects  which 
would  flow  from  a  spirit  of  universal  licentious- 
ness.— What  revolting  scenes  would  open  to 
view,  were  we  to  survey  the  haunts  of  licentious- 
ness which  abound  in  Algiers,  in  Constantinople, 
in  Teheran,  in  Pekin,  in  Canton,  in  Jeddo,  and 
other   populous   cities,  where   the   restraints  of 


•  Prlnclnles  of  Moral  and  Political  Philosophy, 
Book  in.  Part  III.  chap  3. 


Christianity  are  altogether  unknown  !  In  such 
receptacles  of  impurity,  every  moral  feeling  is 
blunted,  and  every  moral  principle  abandoned. 
Impiety,  profanity,  falsehood,  treachery,  petjury, 
and  drunkenness,  rear  their  unblushing  fronts ; 
and  thefts,  robberies,  and  murders,  follow  in  their 
train.  The  unhappy  female  who  enters  these 
antechambers  of  hell,  is,  for  the  most  part,  cut 
off  from  all  hopes  of  retreat.  From  that  mo- 
ment, the  shades  of  moral  darkness  begin  to  close 
around  her;  she  bids  a  last  adieu  to  the  smiles 
of  tenderness  and  sympathy,  to  the  kind  embra- 
ces of  father  and  mother,  of  sisters  and  brothers, 
to  the  house  of  God,  to  the  instructions  of  his 
word,  and  to  the  society  of  the  faithful.  Instead 
of  the  cheering  sounds  of  the  Gospel  of  peace, 
her  ears  become  accustomed  to  oaths,  and  curs- 
es, and  horrid  imprecations ;  the  voice  of  con- 
science is  hushed  amidst  the  din  of  revelry  and 
riot ;  every  generous  feeling  is  shrunk  and  with- 
ered ;  she  stalks  abroad  like  a  painted  corpse,  to 
fill  with  horror  the  virtuous  mind,  and  to  allure 
the  unwary  to  the  shades  of  death ;  till  at  length, 
wasted  with  consumption  and  loathsome  ('isease, 
she  is  stretched  upon  the  bed  of  languishing, 
abandoned  by  her  former  associates,  deprived  of 
the  least  drop  of  consolation,  haunted  with  the 
ghastly  apparitions  of  departed  joys,  and  the 
forebodings  of  futurity,  and  sinks,  "  in  the  midst 
of  her  days,"  into  the  chambers  of  the  grave, 
without  the  least  hope  of  a  glorious  resurrection. 
— And  if  we  consider,  that  this  is  a  picture  of 
the  wretchedness,  not  only  of  a  few  individuals, 
but  of  thousands,  of  tens  of  thousands,  and  of 
millions  of  hu-nan  beings,  it  is  impossible  to  do- 
scribe  the  accumulated  mass  of  misery  which 
impurity  has  created,  or  to  form  any  adequate 
conception  of  the  horrible  and  revolting  scenes 
of  wretchedness  which  would  be  displayed,  were 
the  law  under  consideration  to  be  set  aside  by  all 
the  inhabitants  of  our  globe. 

There  is  a  certain  levity  and  flippancy  of  speech 
in  relation  to  this  subject,  which  prevails  among 
many  who  wish  to  be  considered  as  res|>ectable 
characters,  which  proceeds  from  a  contracted 
view  of  the  consequences  of  human  actions. 
They  conceive,  that  no  great  harm  can  be  done 
to  society,  by  a  few  insulated  actions  of  the  kind 
alluded  to,  especially  if  they  be  concealed  from 
general  observation;  and  that  the  Creator  will 
be  disposed  to  make  every  allowance  for  human 
frailty.  But  let  such  remember  that,  if  it  were 
right  to  violate  thus,  or  any  other  law  of  the 
Creator,  in  one  instance,  it  would  be  right  in  a 
hundred,  in  a  thousand,  in  a  million,  and  in  eight 
hundred  millions  of  instances:  and  then  all  the 
revolting  scenes  now  described,  and  thousands 
of  similar  effects,  of  which  we  cannot  at  present 
form  a  distinct  conception,  would  inevitably  lake 
place.  And,  therefore,  every  man  who,  from 
levity  and  thoughtlessness,  or  from  a  disregard 
to  the  laws  of  heaven,  persists  in  the  occasional 


104 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  REUGION. 


indulgence  of  vuch  unhallowed  gratifications,  in* 
dulgas  in  a  practice  which,  were  it  univerially  tu 
ptevail,  would  «ap  the  rnundatiiHi.t  of  all  moral 
order,  exterminate  the  most  endearing  relations 
of  society,  pruxtrnte  man  below  the  level  of  the 
brute,  open  the  flood-ftiitesoTail  iniquity,  diffuse 
misery  over  the  whole  mass  of  huni«n  beings, 
■nd,  at  length,  empty  the  world  of  its  inhabitants. 
The  precept  which  we  have  now  been  consi- 
dering, is  one  which,  in  all  probability,  is  con- 
fired,  in  its  references,  to  the  inhabitants  of  our 
globe.  At  any  rate,  it  would  be  quite  nugatory, 
and  thercfure  can  have  no  place,  in  the  moral 
code  of  a  world  where  the  distinction  of  st-zes 
does  not  exist.  And  even  in  those  worlds 
where  a  similar  distinction  may  exist,  the  very 
different  circumstances  in  which  their  inhabi- 
tants are  placed,  may  render  the  promulgation 
of  such  a  I'lw  altogether  unnecessary.  It  appears 
to  be  a  temporary  regulation,  to  remain  in  force 
only  during  the  limited  period  of  the  present 
economy  of  Providence  ;  for,  in  th*^  future  desti- 
nation of  the  rtghteous,  we  are  told,  that  "  they 
neither  marry  nor  are  given  in  marriage,  but  are 
as  the  angels  of  God  in  heaven."  And,  there- 
fore, it  is  probable,  that  the  recognition  of  such 
a  law  will  not  be  necessary,  in  the  intercourses 
which  take  place  among  redeemed  men  in  the 
eternal  world ;  but  the  principle  on  which  it  is 
founded,  and  from  which  it  flows,  will  run 
through  all  the  other  new  relations  and  circum- 
■tances  in  which  they  may  be  placed.  In  the 
existing  cinMimstunces  of  mankind,  however,  the 
operation  of  this  law  is  essentially  necessary  to 
tbe  stability  and  the  happiness  of  the  moral 
world;  and,  were  its  requisitions  universally 
observed,  the  melancholy  scenes  to  which  I  have 
alluded  would  no  longer  exist ;  the  present  and 
everlasting  ruin  of  thousands,  and  of  millions, 
would  be  prevented  ;  and  a  scene  of  happiness 
and  love,  such  as  the  world  has  never  yet  wit- 
nessed, would  be  displayed  among  all  the  famiiiea 
of  the  earth. 

THE    EIGHTH    COMMAirDMXITT. 

"  Thou  $haU  not  MeaL" 

When  the  Creator  had  arranged  our  globe  in 
the  form  in  which  we  now  beliold  it,  he  furnish- 
ed it  with  every  thing  requisite  fiir  the  suste- 
nance anil  accommodation  of  living  beings,  and 
bestowed  the  whole  of  its  riches  and  decorations 
U  a  free  grant  to  the  sons  of  men.  To  man  he 
■aid,  "  Behold,  I  have  given  you  every  herb 
bearing  teed,  which  is  upon  the  face  of  all  the 
earth,  and  every  tree  in  the  which  i^  the  fruit  >if 
a  tree  yielding  seed  ;  to  you  it  shall  be  for  meat" 
Ever  sines  the  period  when  this  grant  was 
made,  Ood  has  not  left  himself  without  a  witness 
to  his  benignity,  in  that  he  has  im<-easingly  be- 
etowed  on  mankind  ''  rain  from  heaven,  and  fruit- 
ful aeaaoiM,  filling  their  hearts  with  food  and 


gbdoeaa.**  The  earth  has,  in  erery  age,  bmugfal 
forth  abundance  to  supply  the  wants  of  all  the 
living  beings  it  coniaiiui ;  and  there  is  still  am- 
ple room  on  its  surface,  fur  the  accommodation 
and  support  of  thousands  of  millions  of  the  hu- 
man race,  in  addition  to  those  which  now  exist. 
But  mankind  have  never  yet  agreed  about  (h« 
division  and  allotment  of  this  free  and  ample 
gift  of  the  Creator  ;  for  every  one  is  disposed  to 
think  that  his  share  in  it  is  too  small,  and  is  con- 
tinually attempting  to  make  inroads  upon  the 
allolmeni  of  his  neighbours.  And  to  this  dispo- 
sition is  to  be  ascribed  more  than  one  half  of  all 
the  evils  which  have  afflicted  the  world  in  every 
age  since  the  fall  of  man.  To  counteract  such 
a  propensity  in  mankind,  and  to  regulate  their 
dispositions  and  conduct  in  relation  to  property, 
is  the  great  object  of  this  command,  "Thou  ihak 
not  steal." 

To  tUal,  is  to  take  the  property  of  others, 
without  their  knowledge  or  consent,  and  to  apply 
it  to  our  own  use.  The  most  flagrant  and  vi<^ 
lent  breaches  of  the  law,  consist  in  robbery, 
housebreaking,  pilfering,  plunder,  and  pillage. 
But  it  may  be  violated  in  a  thousand  different 
ways  of  which  human  laws  seldom  take  any  cog^ 
nizance.  It  is  violated  by  every  species  of  fraud 
by  which  our  neighbour  may  be  injured  in  hi* 
wealth  or  property.  It  is  violated  in  the  ordi- 
nary commerce  of  mankind,  by  the  use  of  falae 
weights  and  measures  ;  by  selling  deteriorated 
commodities  as  if  they  were  sound  and  good ; 
by  depreciating  the  value  of  what  we  wish  to 
buy,  and  concealing  the  defects  of  what  we 
wish  to  sell ;  by  contracting  debts  which  we 
have  no  prospect  of  discharging,  and  neglecting 
to  pay  them  when  they  are  due ;  by  breaches 
of  trust,  in  the  case  of  servants,  guardians,  ex^ 
ciitors,  or  public  officers,  embezzling  and  squan- 
dering away  the  substance  of  others,  or  applying 
it  to  their  own  use. — It  is  also  violated  by  tres- 
passing on  the  property  of  others,  so  as  to  injure 
fences,  gardens,  orchards,  plantations  or  corn- 
fields; and  by  that  disposition  to  vulgar  mischief 
which  delights  in  breaking  lamps,  windows,  and 
fences ;  in  injuring  and  defacing  public  build- 
ings, walks,  and  ornamental  improvements  ;  in 
hacking  and  carving  walls,  wainscottings,  doors, 
and  balustrades  ;  and  in  cutting  down  trees  and 
shrubs  planted  for  use  or  for  ornament. — It  is 
violated  when  we  retain  borrowed  articles  be- 
yond a  reasonable  time,  when  we  sufl'er  them  to 
be  injured  through  negligence,  when  we  circulate 
them  from  one  person  (o  another,  without  the 
knowledge  or  consent  of  the  proprietors,  and 
when  we  apply  them  to  purposes  for  which  they 
were  never  intended,  an<l  which  the  lender  never 
contemplated. — In  short,  this  law  is  violated  by 
every  species  of  idleness,  pride,  vanity,  gsming, 
and  prodigality,  which  has  a  tendency  to  injure 
the  externnl  prosperity,  either  of  our  own  iamilj, 
or  of  the  families  of  others. 


EFFECTS  OF  HONESTY. 


105 


Were  the  law  which  forbids  those  actions  to  be 
entirely  set  aside,  or  universally  violated,  it  is 
easy  to  foresee,  that,  in  a  very  short  lime,  the 
whole  assemblage  of  human  beings  would  be 
lransE)rined  into  a  set  of  lawless  banditti.  Peace, 
harmony,  and  good  neighbourhood,  would  be  un- 
known among  men ;  the  strong  would  plunder  the 
possessions  of  the  weak,  and  deprive  them  of 
every  enjoyment ;  children  would  rob  their  pa- 
rents, and  parents  their  children ;  brothers  would 
plunder  brothers,  and  servants  their  masters; 
buying  and  selling  would  cease,  and  all  regular 
trade  and  Cimimerce  would  be  destroyed  :  every 
man's  coveious  eye  would  be  directed  to  the 
wealth  and  property  of  his  neighbour,  with  a 
view  of  depriving  him  of  his  enjoyments  •,  and  a 
thousand  schemes,  either  of  treachery  or  of  open 
violence,  would  be  contrived  to  effectuate  his 
purpose.  Murders  would  be  daily  contrived  and 
perpetrated,  for  the  purpose  of  more  easily  ob- 
taining possession  of  the  wealth  and  estates  of 
the  powerful  and  the  opulent ;  and  every  man's 
life  and  happiness  would  be  at  the  mercy  of  his 
covetous  neighbour.  The  inhabitants  of  one 
province  would  rise  up  against  those  of  another, 
and,  by  f  >rce  of  arms,  plunder  them  of  all  their 
earthly  treasures.  One  nation  would  invade  the 
territories  of  another,  for  the  purpose  of  ravaging 
its  cities  and  provinces,  and  of  appropriating  its 
wealth  and  riches  ;  and,  in  the  midst  of  such  law- 
less depredations,  towns  would  be  demolished, 
villages  consumed  to  ashes,  the  fruits  of  the  earth 
destroyed,  men,  women,  and  children,  trampled 
under  foot,  and  crushed  to  death,  and  every  city 
and  fertile  field  would  present  a  scene  of  carnage 
and  desolation.  In  such  a  state  of  society,  no 
man  could  have  confidence  in  his  brother;  fear 
would  be  on  every  side ;  uncertainty  would  at- 
tend every  pursuit  and  possession  ;  of  the  wealth 
which  any  one  had  acquired,  and  of  the  enjoy- 
ments which  he  possessed  to-day,  he  might  he 
deprived  before  to-morrow ;  and  if,  by  means  of 
circumspection  and  vigilance,  and  the  strong  arm 
of  power,  he  were  enabled  to  maintain  posses- 
sion of  his  property  for  one  year,  he  could  have 
no  rational  ground  to  expect,  that  he  would  enjoy 
it  in  security  for  another.  And,  as  no  one  would 
think  of  engaging  in  regular  labour,  while  he 
could  subsist  in  plundering  his  weaker  neighbours 
— the  earth  would  soon  be  left  uncultivated,  the 
useful  arts  would  be  abandoned,  agricultural  in- 
dustry and  improvement  would  cease,  and  a  uni- 
versal famine  would  overspread  every  land,  which 
would  thin  the  human  race,  and  gradually  exter- 
minate them  from  the  face  of  the  earth. 

Such  scenes  of  plunder  and  depredation,  have 
in  fact  been  partially  realized  in  every  age  and 
nation  of  the  world,  and  are  still  realized,  to  a 
certain  extent,  even  in  nations  which  boast  of 
their  progress  in  religion,  in  civilization,  and  in 
Kicnce.  The  annals  of  the  human  race  contain 
little  more  than  a  number  of  melancholy  records 
14 


of  wholesale  robbery,  committed  by  one  'ribe  of  ; 

hunoan  brings  upon  another.     One  public  robber  ] 

and  desperado  has  arisen  after  another,  in  coiv- 
stant  succession,  and,  at  the  head  of  numerous 
armies,  has  violated  the  territories  of  peaceful  in-  A 

dustry,  demolished  the  habitations  of  their  unof^ 
fending  inhabitants,  broken  down  their  furniture, 
and  consigned  it  to  the  flames  ;  wasted  and  de- 
voured the  fruits  of  their  ground,  and  plundered 
them  of  every  thing  which  could  render  existence 
desirable.  And  the  inferior  ranks  of  mankind, 
stimulated  by  the  same  principles  which  actuate 
their  superiors,  have  supported  a  system  of  pecu- 
lation, of  cheating,  of  litigation,  of  injustice,  and 
oppression,  which,  were  it  left  solely  to  its  own 
native  energies,  would  soon  undermine  the  fouiH 
dai ions  of  the  moral  world.  That  such  princi- 
ples and  practices  have  never  yet  become  uni- 
versal in  their  operation,  is  not  owing  so  much  to 
any  deficiency  in  their  malignant  tendency,  as  to 
the  over-ruling  providence  of  the  Moral  Governor 
of  the  world,  who  has,  by  his  influence,  and  his 
physical  arrangements,  confined  the  lawless  pa;!^ 
sions  of  men  within  certain  bounds,  beyond  which 
they  cannot  pass. 

Were  a  principle  of  honesty  and  of  justice,  in 
regard  to  property,  to  pervade  the  mind  of  every 
human  being  ;  or,  in  other  words,  were  the  law 
to  which  I  aiu  now  adverting  universally  recog- 
nised, a  new  scene  would  open  upon  the  moral 
world,  altogether  different  from  what  has  hitherto 
been  displayed  in  the  transactions  of  mankind. 
The  iron  rod  of  oppression  would  be  shivered  to 
atoms,  and  destroying  armies  would  no  longer 
ravage  the  habitations  of  men.  The  crowds  of 
sharpers,  cheats,  and  jockeys,  that  now  stalk 
through  the  world,  with  unblushing  fronts,  to  eiv- 
trap  the  unwary,  would  forever  disappear  from 
the  world ;  and  impartial  justice  would  reign 
triumphant  over  every  department  of  society. 
No  malignant  purpose  would  ever  be  formed  to 
injure  any  one  in  his  wealth  and  property  ;  and 
all  the  harassing  law-suits  and  prosecutions, 
which  now  distress  so  many  thousands  of  fami- 
lies, would  be  swept  away.  Every  loan  of  money, 
books,  furniture,  or  utensils,  would  be  returned 
without  injury,  and  v^ithout  unnecessary  delay ; 
and  every  debt  punctually  discharged,  according 
to  the  nature  of  the  obligation,  and  at  the  period 
at  which  it  was  due  :  Every  bargain  would  be 
transacted  on  the  principles  ofimmuiable  justice, 
and  the  conditions  of  every  contract  faithfully  per- 
formed :  No  suspicions  of  knavery  would  ever 
harbour  in  the  breast,  nor  the  least  alarm  at  the 
possible  consequences  of  any  mercantile  trans- 
action. Public  buildings  would  be  secure  from 
the  inroads  of  the  genius  of  mischief,  and  gardens 
and  orchards  from  every  wanton  depredation. 
Locks,  and  bars,  and  bolts,  would  no  longer  be 
required  for  securing  our  substance  from  the  pil- 
ferer and  the  robl>er;  and  the  iron  gratings  of  • 
bridewell  dr  a  jail,  would  never  again  remind  im 


106 


THE  PHILOSOniY  OF  RELIGION. 


oTUm  dUhon««ty  and  the  depravity  of  man.  Ser- 
TanU  would  be  universally  honest  and  tru'l- 
worthy,  and  the  property  of  their  masters  w  juld 
be  regarded  as  a  sacred  deposit. 

Aiui  wliat  a  happy  change  would  such  a  stale 
of  aociety  ininiduce  among  mankind  !  What 
»  host  of  cares,  anxieties,  suspicions,  vexations, 
•nd  perplexities,  would  be  chased  away  !  and 
what  a  world  uT  conveniences,  and  of  delight- 
fid  aasociations,  would  thus  be  created!  Every 
merchant,  by  markini;  the  price  and  the  quality 
of  each  conimodty,  might  leave  his  goods  o[ien 
to  the  inspection  of  ihe  public,  and  enjoy  himself 
in  the  bosom  ciT  his  family,  or  in  active  services 
for  the  good  of  the  community,  without  the  east 
risk  of  loss  or  of  depredations ;  and  every  purchas- 
er might  depend  upon  procuring  the  articles  he 
wanted  at  their  just  value.  Every  traveller  would 
prosecute  his  journey,  either  by  day  or  by  night, 
without  the  least  apprehension  from  sharpers  or 
robbers,  and  without  being  harassed  by  the  im- 
positions of  inn-keepers,  coachmen,  carriers, 
and  porters.  Every  one's  mind  would  be  at  per- 
fect ease,  in  regard  to  his  property,  whether  he 
were  at  home  or  abroad,  in  health  or  in  sickness ; 
being  firmly  persuaded  that  every  trust  would  be 
faithfully  discharged,  and  every  commercial  con- 
cern fairly  and  honourably  transacted.  Selfish- 
ness and  rapacity  would  give  place  to  a  spirit  of 
justice,  equity,  and  benevolence;  contentions, 
jockeyings,  and  altercations  would  cease;  peace 
and  concord  would  prevail,  and  righteousness  and 
truth  would  she<l  their  benign  influence  over  the 
whole  brotherhood  of  mankind. 

THE  IflRTH  COMHARDMEIfT. 

*  T%m  thalt  not  bear  false  witneu  againtt  thy 
neighbour," 

This  command,  like  most  of  the  others,  is  ex- 
pressed in  a  negative  form.  It  is  directed  against 
every  species  of  falsehood,  and,  consequently, 
must  be  viewed  as  inculcating  a  sacred  and  uni- 
versal adherence  to  truth,  in  all  our  thoughts, 
words,  and  actions.  In  the  remarks  I  may  throw 
out  in  relation  to  this  precept,  I  shall  consider  it 
chiefly  in  its  positive  form,  as  commanding  an 
ioriolable  a'ta<-hment  to  ^m^.  Truth  may  be 
considered  in  two  different  points  of  view — logi- 
cal truth,  which  coiisisu  in  the  conformity  of  a 
proposition  or  assertum  with  the  actual  state  of 
things  ;  and  moral  truth,  which  consists  in  the 
mgrotment  of  our  worils  and  actions  with  our 
tkotlghts.  Logical  truth  belongs  to  the  thing  or 
ihe  (act  asserted ;  moral  truth,  or  what  is  termed 
wrmify,  has  a  reference  to  the  person  who  utters 
it.  In  both  these  re»p«'cts,  truth  is  of  immense 
importance  to  all  intrlligenl  beings. — The  im- 
dortance  of  inith  and  veracity  will  appear  Srom 
the  followinit  contideratioiis. 

Id  the  first  place,  it  is  the  bond  pf  society, 
and  the  foundation  of  all  that  coofideoce  and  ia- 


lercourae  wbxh  subsist  among  ratir'ial  beiaga. 
By  far  Ihe  greater  part  of  all  Ca.  «oowledge  wo 
possess,  has  been  derived  trom  the  testimony  ti 
others.  It  is  from  the  communicatmo  of  others, 
and  from  a  reliance  on  thi-ir  veracity,  that  thoea 
who  were  never  beyond  the  limiu  of  Great 
Britain,  know  that  there  are  such  cities  as  Paris, 
Vienna,  Constantinople,  and  Cairo ;  and  thai 
there  are  such  countries  as  Canada,  Nova 
Scotia,  Brazil,  Peru,  Pi  rsia,  China,  and  Hin- 
dostan.  It  is  from  the  same  source  thai  we  Itave 
learned  the  facts  of  ancient  and  modern  history, 
aixl  that  there  once  existed  such  empires  as  the 
Greek  and  Roman,  the  Persian,  Assyrian,  and 
Babylonian.  On  the  same  ground,  the  veracity 
of  others,  we  confide  in  all  the  domestic  relation* 
and  intercourses  of  life;  and  on  this  ground  aD 
the  transactions  of  commercial  society,  and  all 
the  arrangements  and  operations  of  government 
are  conducted.  On  the  implied  veracity  ofothers, 
we  retire  from  our  employments  at  certain  hour*, 
and  sit  down  to  breakfast  or  dinner  ;  ami,  on  the 
first  day  of  the  week,  we  assemble  in  a  certain 
place,  at  an  appointed  hour,  for  reli;io<is  wor- 
•hip.  On  this  ground,  the  pupil  confides  in  his 
teacher,  for  instruction — the  child  in  his  parent*, 
for  sustenance,  clothing  and  protection,  the 
roaster  in  his  servant,  for  the  execution  of  his 
orders,  and  the  wife  in  her  husband  fur  provision 
and  i>upport.  We  confide  every  moment  in  the 
faitlffulness  of  the  Almighty  for  the  regular  re- 
turns of  day  and  night,  of  summer  and  winter, 
of  seed-lime  and  harvest.  Could  the  veracity  of 
God  be  impeached  or  rendered  liable  to  suspi- 
cion, we  should  remain  in  awful  suspense,  whe- 
ther another  day  would  again  dawn  upon  the 
world,  or  whether  the  earth  would  be  shattered  to 
pieces,  and  its  fragments  dispersed  throughout 
surrounding  worlds,  before  the  sun  again  apfiear- 
ed  in  the  horizon.  A  Being  possessed  of  bound- 
less knowledge  and  omnipotence,  without  vera- 
city. Would  be  the  terror  of  the  whole  intelligent 
universe,  and  would  fill  them  with  univeraa) 
agitation  and  alarm. 

Again,  truth  is  the  foundation  of  our  present 
comfort  and  of  our  future  pros|>ects.  On  the  ve- 
racity of  those  illustrious  characters  that  hava 
gone  before  us,  whose  declarations  were  con- 
firmed by  signs  and  miracles,  we  depend  for  the 
hope  of  forgiveness  and  acceptance  with  God, 
and  for  those  rich  sources  of  consolation  whici) 
are  calculated  to  support  the  mind  under  the  al^ 
flictinns  of  mortality,  and  to  cheer  and  animate 
us  in  the  prospect  of  a  future  world.  Our  hopea 
of  happiness  beyond  the  grave,  of  the  resurreo 
tion  of  our  bodies  at  the  termination  of  the  pre- 
sent plan  of  providence— of  the  renovation  of  the 
physical  system  of  our  globe— of  a  complete  rea> 
toration  to  holiness  and  virtue— of  a  re-nnioa 
with  departed  friends— of  associating  with  vir- 
tuous beings  of  a  superior  order — of  mingling  in 
a  happier  world  with  all  (bote  iOustrioua  aainla 


IMPORTANCE  OP  TRUTH. 


I«7 


%ho  have  gone  before  us^of  contemplating  the 
rmnifesiaiions  of  Deity  on  a  more  extensive 
scale  ;  and  of  enjoying  unmixed  felicity  without 
interruption  and  without  end;  depend  upon  the 
testimony  of  the  inspired  writers,  and  the  light 
in  which  we  view  the  truths  or  declarations 
which  they  have  recorded.  And,  therefore,  the 
man  who  endeavours  to  undermine  the  authority 
of  the  sacred  records,  or  to  distort  or  misrepre- 
sent their  meaning  by  sophistical  reasonings, 
QHght  to  be  viewed  as  a  deceiver,  and  as  an  ene- 
my to  his  species,  who  wishes  to  deprive  his  fel- 
low-men of  their  most  substantial  enjoyments, 
and  of  their  most  cheering  prospects. 

Again,  truth  and  veracity  are  of  the  utmost  im- 
portance in  relation  to  the  views  we  ought  to 
take  of  the  character  of  God.  The  moral  cha- 
racter of  the  Deity  is  delineated  in  the  Scrip- 
tures, and  we  are  enabled  to  contemplate  this 
character,  in  its  true  light,  in  so  far  as  we  un- 
derstand and  appreciate  the  delineations  of  the 
sacred  writers.  But  his  character  is  also  exhi- 
bited in  the  works  of  creation  and  providence. 
Every  physical  law  of  nature,  every  arrange- 
ment in  the  material  system,  every  movement 
which  exists  in  the  boundless  universe  ;  every 
apparent  deviation  from  the  general  course  of  na- 
ture, as  in  the  case  of  earthquakes  and  volca- 
noes ;  every  event  in  the  history  of  nations,  every 
fact  in  relation  to  the  physical  and  moral  condi- 
tion of  the  different  tribes  of  the  human  race, 
and  every  arrangement  in  reference  to  the  lower 
ranks  of  animated  beings— embodies  in  it  an  ez- 
nibition  of  certain  aspects  of  the  divine  charac- 
ter ;  and  these  aspects,  if  fairly  represented,  ought 
to  harmonize  with  the  delineations  contained  in 
the  sacred  records.  To  ascertain  such  facts  as 
those  to  which  I  now  allude,  requires,  in  many 
instances,  the  exercise  of  profound  reasoning, 
and  of  accurate  investigation,  and  that  the  mind 
should  be  free  from  the  influence  of  prejudice 
and  of  every  improper  bias,  and  that  the  facts, 
when  ascertained,  be  fairly  represented,  and  ac- 
curately recorded  ;  otherwise,  nothing  but  a  dis- 
torted view  of  the  divine  character  will  be  exhi- 
bited to  the  mind.  For  example,  if  the  earth  be 
represented  as  among  the  largest  bodies  in  na- 
ture, and  as  placed  at  rest  in  the  centre  of  the 
universe,  and  that  (he  sun,  moon,  and  all  the 
other  celestial  orbs  revolve  around  it  every  day, 
and  consequently,  that  the  planetary  bodies  move 
in  orbits  which  display  inextricable  confusion — 
such  a  repre'sentation  is  not  a  true  exhibition  of 
the  Qod  of  heaven,  but  a  phantom  of  our  own 
Imagination  :  and,  if  carried  out  to  all  its  legiti- 
mate consequences,  would  involve  an  impeach- 
ment of  the  wndoinand  intelligenceof  the  Deity, 
and  of  the  sublime  simplicity  and  order,  which 
characterize  his  operations  in  the  universe.  If 
the  planet  Saturn  be  represented  as  a  globe  900 
times  larger  than  the  earth,  and  surrounded  with 
a  ring  600,000  miles  in  circumferenco,  it  oooveys 


a  very  different  idea  of  the  majesty  of  the  di- 
vine Being  who  formed  it,  from  what  we  are  led 
to  entertain,  when  we  consi  ler  it  as  only  a  ta^ 
per,  or  a  brilliant  stud,  fixed  in  the  vault  of  hea- 
ven. If  the  eye  of  a  fly  be  exhibited  as  con- 
taining ten  thousand  polished  transparent  globeSi 
nicely  adjusted  for  the  pu.pose  of  vision,  it  dis- 
plays the  character  uf  its  Maker  in  a  different 
light  from  that  in  which  we  might  be  disposed  to 
view  it,  when  this  animal  is  represented  as  a 
nuisance  in  creation,  and  designed  only  to  be 
mangled  and  tortured  by  a  cruel  and  unthinking 
schoolboy. 

In  some  instances  the  inaccurate  statement  of 
a  physical  fact,  or  the  false  colouring  put  upon 
it,  may  have  a  tendency  to  endanger  the  eternal 
interests  of  mankind.  Mr.  Brydone,  in  his 
"  Tour  through  Sicily,"  states,  on  the  authority 
of  a  priest,  named  Recupero,  thai,  in  sinking  a 
pit  near  Jaci,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Mount 
JEina.  "they  pierced  through  sevendistinci  lavas, 
one  under  the  other,  the  surfaces  of  which  were 
parallel,  and  most  of  them  covered  with  a  bed  of 
thick  earth."  From  suppositions  founded  on 
questionable  data,  he  concluded,  that "  it  requires 
2000  years  or  upwards  to  form  but  a  scanty  soil 
on  the  surface  of  a  lava,"  and,  consequently, 
that  "  the  eruption  which  formed  the  lowest  of 
these  lavas,  must  have  flowed  from  the  moun- 
tain at  least  14000  years  ago.  This  pretended 
fact  was,  for  a  while,  triumphantly  exhibited  by 
sceptics,  as  an  unanswerable  argument  against 
the  truth  of  the  Mosaic  history  ;  and  its  publica- 
tion has,  no  doubt,  tended  to  stagger  weak  minds, 
and  to  confirm  the  infidel  in  his  prejudices  against 
the  truth  of  Revelation.  But  it  has  been  shown 
by  eminent  geologists,  that  the  facts  alluded  to 
are  grossly  mis-stated,  and  that  no  vegetable 
mould  exists  between  these  beds  of  lava  ;  and, 
consequently,  the  argument  founded  upon  them 
goes  for  nothing.  Mr.  Brydone  himself,  in  the 
very  same  volume  in  which  these  pretended  facts 
are  stated,  before  he  had  advanced  twenty  pages 
farther  in  his  account  of  the  regions  about  Mount 
.^tna,  states  a  fact  which  completely  overturns 
all  his  preceding  reasonings  and  calculations. 
In  describing  the  country  near  Hybla,  as  having 
been  "  overwhelmed  by  the  lava  of  JEtndi,  and 
having  then  become  totally  barren,"  he  adds,  "in 
a  second  eruption,  by  a  shower  of  ashes  from  the 
mountain,  Uioon  resumed  its  ancient  beauty  and 
fertUity."  So  that  it  is  here  admitted,  that,  in- 
stead of  reqiiirinjaperi^xl  of  2000  years,  a  bed 
of  lava  may  speedily  be  transformed  into  a  beau- 
tiful and  fertile  region.  But  even  although  such 
facts  were  fairly  represented, — yea,  although 
Mr.  Brydone  and  the  Canon  Recupero  could 
have  proved,  to  a  demonstration,  that  the  strata 
of  the  earth  is  not  only  fourteen  thousand,  but 
fourteen  hundred  thousand  years  old,  it  would 
not  in  the  least  invrlidate  a  single  assertion 
contained  in  the  Mosaic  history  ;  (or  Moses  d»- 


loe 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


■eribeaonly  (he  ammgtmmU  of  the  earth  into  its 
preeeitt  rt>rin,  but  mi  where  MeerUi,  that  the  ma- 
tmiaU  of  which  our  |;lob«  ••  cuni|>osed  wernereo- 
ItA,  or  brought  out  of  nothing,  at  the  period  at 
which  his  history  commences.  The  rircuin^ 
stance,  however,  to  which  I  have  now  adverted, 
Aoart  us  of  how  much  importance  it  is,  in  many 
OMM,  that  even  a  physical  fact  be  fairly  slated, 
M  w«>ll  as  the  moral  fticts  and  the  doctrines  con- 
tained in  the  Scriptures.  For,  since  every  fact 
in  the  economy  of  nature,  and  in  the  history  of 
providence,  exhibits  a  certain  portion  of  the  di- 
Tinc  charact^-r,  a  very  different  view  of  this  cha- 
racter will  be  exh.bited,  according  to  the  different 
lights  in  which  we  view  the  divine  operations. 
And  therefore,  everyone  who  wilfully  mi.-)  repre- 
sents a  physical  fact  or  law  of  nature,  is  a  deceiv- 
er, who  emleavours  ta  exhibit  a  distorted  view  of 
the  character  of  the  Deity.  It  is  nothiii)}  less 
than  a  man  "  bearing  false  witness"  against  his 
Maker. 

Again,  veracity  is  of  infinite  importance  in 
reference  to  our  future  improvement  in  the  eter- 
nal world.  In  that  world,  we  have  every  reason 
to  believe  our  knowledge  of  the  attributes  of  God 
will  be  enlarged,  and  our  views  of  the  range  of 
hn  operations  in  creation  and  providence  extend- 
ed far  beyond  the  limits  to  which  they  are  now 
Oonhned.  But  the  Divine  Being  himself,  from 
the  immateriality  and  immensity  of  his  nature, 
will  remain  forever  invisible  to  all  finite  intelli- 
geiKes  ;  and  hence  he  is  described  by  the  Apos- 
tle, as  *'  the  King  Eternal,  Immortal,  and  Invi- 
mbU,  whom  no  man  hath  seen  or  can  see."  It 
is,  therefore,  not  only  probable,  but  absolutely 
otrtain,  that  a  great  portion,  perhaps  the  great- 
est portion  of  our  knowledge  in  that  state,  will 
be  derived  from  the  communications  of  other  in- 
telligences. With  intellectual  beings  of  a  higher 
order  we  shall  hold  the  most  iniinmte  converse  ; 
for  we  are  informed,  that  "  just  men  made  per- 
fect" will  join  *'  the  innumerable  company  of 
angels."  These  beings  are  endued  with  capa- 
cious powers  of  intellect,  and  have  long  been 
eiercising  them  on  the  most  exalted  objects.  As 
messengers  from  the  King  of  heaven  to  the  in- 
habitant!* of  the  earth,  they  have  firequently 
winged  their  way  through  the  celestial  roeions, 
and  surv(-yed  many  of  those  glorious  systems 
which  lie  hid  from  the  view  of  mortals.  We 
have  every  reason  to  believe,  that  they  have  ac- 
«)nired  expansive  views  tX  the  dispensations  of 
the  Almighty,  not  only  in  relation  to  man.  but  in 
relation  to  numerous  worlds  and  intelligences  in 
different  provinces  of  the  em|)ire  of  God.  And, 
therefore,  they  must  be  admirably  qualified  to 
impart  ample  stores  of  information  on  the  siibli- 
■•■t  sttfajeda,  to  the  redeemed  inhabitants  from 
OW  world.  Prom  the  communications  of  these 
hlsHigsniiws  we  may  derive  information  of  the 
onier  and  arrangenseata  of  other  systems  ;  of  the 
I  aataerj  of  adMr  woiUb  ;  of  tb«  differeot 


orders  of  intellectual  beings  who  people  them  ; 
of  the  means  by  which  they  are  carried  forward 
in  moral  and  intellectual  improvement ;  uf  the 
most  remarkable  evenis  which  have  happened  m 
the  course  of  their  history  ;  of  the  peculiar  dis- 
plays of  divine  glory  that  may  be  made  to  them, 
and  of  the  various  changes  through  which  they 
may  have  (lassed  in  the  course  of  the  divine  duK 
pensationa. 

But  the  utility  of  all  such  sublime  commanioa- 
tions,  and  the  delightful  !ransp<irts  with  which  they 
will  be  accompanied,  wi4l  entirely  depend  upon 
the  immutable  veradhf  of  these  moral  intelligei>> 
ces  who  shall  be  employed  in  conveying  infor- 
mation respecting  the  divine  plans  and  opera- 
tions. No  Jktitiou*  scenes  and  narrations  will 
be  invented,  as  in  our  degenerate  world,  to  asttv 
nish  s  gaping  crowd ;  nothing  but  unvarnished 
truth  will  be  displayed  in  that  world  of  light ;  and 
the  reo/ scenes  which  will  be  displayed,  will  in- 
finitely transcend,  in  beauty,  in  grandeur,  and  in 
interest, all  that  the  most  fertile  imagination  can 
conceive.  Were  a  single  falsehood  to  be  loU  in 
heaven,  were  the  tongue  of  an  archangel  to  mis- 
represent a  single  fact  in  the  divine  economy,  oi 
were  the  least  suspicion  to  exist  that  truth  might 
be  violated  in  such  communications,  the  mutual 
confidence  of  celestial  intelligences  would  in- 
stantly be  shaken  ;  and,  from  that  moment,  their 
intercourse  and  their  happiness  would  be  de- 
stroyed. Hence,  we  are  repeatedly  told,  in  the 
book  of  Revelation,  that,  "  Whosoever  loveth,  or 
maketh  a  lie,  shall  in  no  wise  enter  within  the 
gates  of  the  new  Jerusalem."  And,  therefore, 
every  one  who  expects  to  be  an  inhabitant  of  that 
happy  world,  otight  now  to  cultivate  a  strict  r»> 
gard  to  truth  and  veracity  in  all  its  researches, 
intercourses,  and  communications  ;  otherwise  he 
cannot  be  admitted,  from  the  very  constitution 
of  things,  to  the  society  of  saints  and  angels  in 
the  realms  of  bliss. 

Thus  it  appears,  that  truth  is  of  the  utnMSt 
importance  to  all  rational  beings,  as  it  forms  the 
source  of  our  knowledge,  the  foundation  of  all 
social  intercourse,  the  ground  of  our  present 
comfort  and  future  prospects,  the  basis  of  all  tbo 
views  we  can  lake  of  the  Divine  character  and 
operations,  and  of  all  our  prospects  of  future  im- 
provement in  the  eternal  world.  It  is  the  bond 
of  union  among  all  the  inhabitants  of  heaven  ;  it 
is  the  chain  which  connects  the  whole  mora] 
universe  ;  and  it  constitutes  the  immutable 
basis  on  which  rests  the  throne  of  the  Eternal. 

In  the  depraved  society  of  our  world,  truth  is 
violated  in  ten  thousand  different  ways.  It  is 
violated  in  thoughts,  in  words,  in  conversation, 
in  oral  discourses,  in  writings,  in  printed  books, 
by  gestures  and  by  signs,  by  speaking,  and  by 
remaining  silent.  It  is  violated  in  reference  to 
thi  eharaeter  of  our  neighhour,  when  we  invent 
tales  of  falsehood  respecting  htm  ;  when  we  li»- 
ten  with  pleasure  to  sticb  tales  wfaaa  laid  by 


VIOLATIONS  OF  TRUTH. 


109 


mhers  ;  when  we  sit  mute,  anj  refuse  to  vindi- 
cate his  character  when  it  is  unjustly  aspersed  ; 
when  we  endeavour  to  agjjravate  the  circum- 
stances which  may  have  accompanied  any  crimi- 
nal action  ;  when  we  make  no  allowances  for  the 
force  of  temptation,  and  the  peculiar  circum- 
stances in  which  the  criminal  may  have  been 
placed ;  when  we  fix  upon  an  insulated  act  of 
vice  or  fully,  and  apply  it  to  our  neighbour  as  a 
general  character;  when  we  rake  up,  with  a 
malevolent  design,  an  action  which  he  has  long 
since  reprobated  and  repented  of;  when  his  cha- 
racter is  made  the  subject  of  jest  or  n^erriment, 
and  when,  by  smiles,  and  noddings,  and  gestures, 
we  insinuate  any  thing  injurious  to  his  reputa- 
tion. It  is  violated  in  promises — when  we  pro- 
mise, either  what  we  have  no  intention  of  per- 
forming, or  what  we  had  no  right  ts  promise,  or 
what  is  out  of  our  power  to  perform,  or  what 
would  be  unlawful  for  us  to  execute.  It  is  vio- 
lated in  threatenings,  when  we  neglect  to  put 
them  in  execution,  or  we  threaten  to  inflict  what 
would  be  either  cruel  or  unjust.  It  is  violated 
in  history,  when  the  principal  facts  are  blended 
with  doubtful  or  fictitious  circumstances ;  when 
the  conduct  of  liars  and  intriguers,  of  public  rob- 
bers and  murderers,  is  varnished  over  with  the 
false  glare  of  heroism  and  of  glory  ;  and  when  the 
actions  of  upright  men  are,  without  sufHctent 
evidence,  attributed  to  knavery,  or  to  the  influ- 
ence of  fanaticism;  when  the  writer  construes 
actions  and  events,  and  attributes  to  the  actors 
motives  and  designs,  in  accordance  with  his  own 
prejudices  and  passions,  and  interweaves  his 
opinions  and  deductions,  as  if  they  were  a  por- 
tion of  the  authenticated  records  of  historical  fact. 
— It  is  violated  in  the  invention  of  petitions  nar- 
ratives, and  in  the  relation  of  marvellous  stories, 
when  the  system  of  nature  is  distorted,  historical 
facts  caricatured,  misrepresented,  and  blended 
with  the  vagiries  uf  a  romantic  imagination; 
when  scenes,  events,  aud  circumstances,  "  which 
never  did  nor  can  take  place,"  are  presented  to 
the  view,  merely  to  convey  a  transient  gratifi- 
cation to  trifling  and  indolent  minds. 

It  is  violated  by  men  of  science  when  they  give 
an  inaccurate  statement  of  the  results  of  their 
observations  and  experiments ;  when,  either 
through  carelessness  or  design,  tbey  give  an  un- 
fair representation  of  the  facts  and  principles  in 
nature,  in  order  to  support  a  favourite  system  or 
hypothesis  ;  and  when  they  studiously  keep  out 
of  view  the  various  circumstances  in  which  every 
fact  should  be  contemplated.— It  is  violated  in 
the  literary  world,  when  the  editor  of  a  magazine 
or  a  review  writes  an  article,  and  addresses  it  to 
himselfi  as  if  it  came  from  the  pen  of  another  ; 
when,  for  the  sake  of'  filthy  lucre,"  or  to  gratify  a 
friend,  he  bestows  encomiums  on  a  work  which  is 
unworthy  of  the  attention  of  the  public;  or  when, 
to  gratify  a  mean,  or  revengeful  passion,  he  mis- 
r»pre.senu  or  abuses  the  literftry  produciioos  of  his 


opponents  ;  or  when  an  author  writes  a  review 
of  his  own  work,  and  imposes  it  on  the  public, 
as  if  it  were  the  decision  of  an  impartial  critic. 
-—It  is  violated  by  controversialists,  when  thoy 
bring  forward  arguments  in  support  of  any  pos» 
tion  which  they  are  conscious  are  either  weak  or 
unsound  ;  when  they  appear  more  anxious  to  dis- 
play their  skill  and  dexterity,  and  to  obtain  a 
victory  over  their  adversaries,  than  to  vindicate 
the  cause  of  truth  ;  when  sneers,  and  sarcasms, 
and  personal  reproaches,  are  substituted  in  the 
room  of  substantial  arguments;  when  they  mis- 
represent the  sentiments  of  their  opponents,  by 
stating  them  in  terms  which  materially  alter  their 
meaning ;  and  when  they  palm  upon  them  the 
doctrines  and  opinions  which' they  entirely  dis- 
avow. 

It  is  violated  in  commercial  transaeUons,  when 
deteriorated  goods  are  varnished  over  with  a  fair 
outside,  and  puflfed  off  as  if  they  were  saleable 
and  sound ;  when  a  merchant  asks  more  than 
he  is  willing  to  take  for  any  commodity  ;  when  he 
depreciates  the  commodities  of  his  neighbour ; 
when  he  undervalues  whatever  he  is  purchasing, 
and  makes  an  overcharge  for  the  articles  of  which 
he  is  disposing :  when  he  denies  the  goods  he 
has  in  his  possession,  when  there  is  the  prospect 
of  an  advancing  price, — and  in  a  thousand  other 
ways,  best  kno.vn  to  the  nefarious  trader. — It  is 
violaled  by  -persens  in  every  department  of  life, 
not  only  when  they  utter  what  they  know  to  be 
false,  but  when  they  profess  to  declare  the  whole 
truth,  and  keep  back  part  of  it  with  an  intention 
to  deceive  ;  when  they  make  use  of  a  proposition 
that  is  literally  true,  in  order  to  convey  a  false- 
hood ;*  when  they  flatter  the  vanity  of  weak 
minds;  when  they  ascribe  to  their  friends  or  to 
others  good  qualities  which  do  not  belong  to 
them,  or  refuse  to  acknowledge  those  accomplish- 
ments of  which  they  are  possessed ;  when  they 
endeavour  to  cajole  children  into  obedience,  by 
promising  what  they  never  intend  to  perform, 
and  threatening  what  they  never  intend  to  inflict; 
and  when  they  indulge  in  a  habit  of  exaggeration, 
in  the  accoijnt  they  give  of  their  adventures,  and 
of  the  things  which  they  have  seen  or  heard. 

Truth  is  violated  by  signs,  as  well  as  by  words, 
—as,  when  we  point  with  our  finger  in  a  wrong 
direction,  when  a  traveller  is  inquiring  about  the 
road  he  should  take  ;  when  a  British  ship  hoists 

•  The  following  fact  will  illustrate  this  and  simt- 
lar  pieces  of  falsehood:— A  person,  when  selling  a 
watch,  was  asked  by  the  purchaser  If  it  kept  time 
correctly?  He  was  told  by  the  owner,  that  neither 
the  hour  nor  the  minute  hand  had  required  to  be  alter- 
ed for  more  than  a  twelvemonth.  This  was  lUeraUy 
true ;  but  the  WAtch  was,  nevertheless,  a  very  bad 
regulator  of  time.  When  hung  in  a  perpendicular  po- 
sition, it  went  too  slow,  and,  when  laid  In  a  horizon- 
tal position,  it  went  too  fast ;  but  by  alternately  shift- 
ing these  positions,  and  thus  modifying  the  rates  of 
motion,  the  hands  did  not  require  to  be  altered.  Such 
assertions,  however,  are  to  be  considered  as  direct 
lies,  when  they  are  intended  to  convey  a  false  or  er- 
roneous conception,  as  Ui  the  instance  now  slAtadL 


110 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


SfMtniah  eohan ;  when  flag*  oTiruce  trA  violated ; 
whnn  spifi*  iiifinunle  ihrmiielveii  into  ■•Miiety  at 
upright  men,  for  the  purpose  of  entrap|iiiig  the 
unwary  ;  when  fal«e  intelligence  is  coninuinicat- 
ed  to  an  enemy ;  when  Area  are  lighted,  or  put 
out,  in  order  to  der.eive  mariner*  at  rea ;  and 
when  signals  ofdiairess  are  counterfeited  by  ships 
at  sea,  for  the  purpose  of  decoying  into  their 
power  (he  ships  of  an  enemy. 

Truth  is  vioiatei'  in  relation  to  God,  when  we 
conceal  from  those  whom  we  are  bound  to  in- 
itrtict,  the  grandeur  and  immensity  of  his  works, 
and  the  displays  of  divine  intelligence  and  skill 
which  are  exhibited  in  his  visible  operations; 
when  we  exhibit  a  diminutive  view  of  the  extent 
and  glory  of  his  kingdom;  when  we  give  an  in- 
accurate and  distorted  representation  of  the  laws 
of  nature,  and  of  the  order  and  the  economy  of 
the  universe  ;  when  we  misrepresent  the  facts 
which  exist  in  the  system  of  nature,  and  which 
occur  in  the  tnith  of  providence  ;  wlien  we  call  in 
question  the  history  of  that  revelation  which  he 
has  confirmed  by  signs  and  miracles,  and  by  the 
accomplishment  of  numerous  predictions;  when 
we  misrepresent  its  facts,  its  doctrines,  and  its 
moral  requisitions  ;  when  we  transinrm  its  histo- 
rical narrations  into  a  series  of  parablus  and  alle- 
gories; when  we  distort  its  literal  meaning  by 
T&gue  and  injudicious  tpirUualinng  comments  ; 
when  we  fix  our  attention  solely  on  its  doctrines, 
and  neglect  to  investigate  its  moi^  precepts ; 
and  when  we  confine  our  views  to  a  few  points 
in  the  sysien>  of  revelation,  and  neglect  to  con- 
template its  whole  rang»,  in  all  Ha  aspects  and 
bearings. 

In  the  above,  and  in  ten  thousand  other  modes, 
is  the  law  of  truth  violated  by  the  degenerate  in- 
habitants of  our  world.  The  mischiefs  and  the 
miseries  which  have  followed  its  violation,  in  re- 
ference to  the  affairs  of  nations,  to  the  private 
interests  of  societies,  families,  and  individuals, 
and  to  the  everlasting  concerns  of  mankind,  are 
incalculable,  and  dn-adful  beyond  description.  It 
is  one  of  the  principal  sources  from  which  have 
sprung  the  nunterous  abominations  and  cnielties 
connected  with  the  system  of  Pagan  idolatry,  the 
delusions  and  the  persecuting  spiint  of  the  vota- 
ries of  Mahomet,  and  the  (iretended  miracles, 
and  "  the  lying  wonders."  of  that  church  which 
is  denominated  "  the  mother  of  harlots  and  abomi- 
nations of  the  earth."  It  has  been  chiefly  owing 
to  the  violation  of  this  law,  that  the  thrones  of 
tyrants  have  been  supported,  that  liberty  has  been 
destroyed,  that  (niblic  safety  and  happiness  have 
been  enitangered,  thai  empires  have  been  over- 
turned, that  naiioDS  have  been  dashed  one  against 
another,  and  that  war  hiu  produced  among  the  hu- 
■ten  race  soonny  overwhelming  desolations.  By 
the  pernicious  influence  of  falsehood,  the  peice 
of  &milies  has  been  invaded,  their  '  omforts  blast- 
ed, their  good  name  dishonoured,  their  wealth 
tlsttfoycd,  Umr  hopes  disappoiiMed,  and  ibeir 


bright  prospects  of  happiness  involved  in  a  doad 
of  darkness  and  despair.  By  the  sophistry  of 
unprincipled  men,  literature  and  science  have 
been  perverted,  and  the  avenues  to  substantial 
knowledge  rendered  difficult  and  dange'<His ;  lili* 
gallons  have  been  multiplied  without  number; 
human  beings  have  been  agitated,  perplexed,  and 
bewildered ;  and  the  widow  and  tfte  fulhcrleas 
oppressed  and  robbed  of  iheir  dearest  enjoymenia. 
Could  we  search  the  private  records  of  ancient 
kings,  princes,  and  legislators,  and  trace  the  de- 
ceitful plans  which  have  been  laid  in  palaces  and 
cabinets— or  couM  we,  at  this  moment,  peneirata 
into  all  the  intrigues,  deceptions,  treacherie«» 
plots,  and  mnchinations,  which  are  going  forward 
in  the  cabinets  of  despots,  the  mansions  of  prin- 
ces, and  the  courts  of  law,  throughout  Europe, 
Africa,  and  Asia ;  such  a  host  of  falsehoods  and 
"  lying  abominations,"  like  an  army  of  spectres 
from  the  infernal  regions,  would  stare  us  in  the 
face,  as  would  make  us  shrink  back  with  horror 
and  amazement,  and  fill  us  with  asioaiishment 
that  the  patience  oT  the  God  of  heaven  has  been 
so  long  exercised  towards  the  inhabitants  of  such 
a  depraved  and  polluted  world. 

Let  us  now  consider,  for  a  little,  some  of  the 
effects  which  would  inevitably  follow  were  the 
law  of  truth  univtrially  violated.  In  this  case  a 
scene  of  horror  and  confusion  would  ensue,  of 
which  it  is  difficult  for  the  mind  to  form  any  dis- 
tinct conception.  It  is  obvious,  in  the  first  place, 
that  rational  beings  couki  never  improve  in 
knowledge,  beyond  the  range  of  the  seitsitive  ob- 
jects that  happened  to  oe  placed  within  the  sphers 
of  their  personal  observation.  For,  by  far  the 
greater  part  of  our  knowledge  is  derived  from  the 
communications  of  others,  and  from  the  stimulus 
to  intellectual  exertion  which  such  communica- 
tions produce! — Let  us  suppose  a  human  being 
trained  up,  from  infancy,  in  a  wilderness,  by  a 
bear  or  a  wolf,  as  history  records  to  have  been 
the  case  of  several  individuals  in  the  forests  of 
France,  Germany,  and  Lithuania, — what  know- 
ledge cmild  such  a  being  acipiire  l>eyond  that  of 
a  brute  ?  He  might  distinguish  a  horse  from  a 
cow,  and  a  man  from  a  dog,  and  know  that  such 
objects  as  trees,  shrubs,  grass,  flowers,  and  wa- 
ter, existed  around  him  ;  but  knowledge,  strictly 
so  called,  aitd  the  proper  exercise  of  his  raiiooa) 
faculties,  he  could  not  acquire,  so  long  as  he  re- 
mained detached  from  other  rational  beings. 
Such  would  be  our  situation,  were  Msehood  unW 
versal  among  men.  We  could  acquire  a  know- 
ledge  of  nothing  but  what  was  obvious  to  our 
senses  in  the  objects  with  which  we  were  sur- 
roui>ded.  We  could  not  know  whether  the  earth 
were  twenty  mile*,  or  twenty  thousand  miles  in 
extent,  and  whether  oceans,  seas,  rivers,  and 
ranges  of  mountains,  existed  on  its  surface,  un- 
less we  had  made  the  lour  of  it  in  person,  and, 
with  o«ir  own  eves,  surveyed  the  various  objects 
it  contains.    Of  couiee,  we  should  remain  in  ah 


EFFECTS  OP  UNIVERSAL  FALSEHOOD. 


Ill 


solute  ignorance  of  the  existence  and  the  attri- 
butes of  God,  of  the  moral  relations  of  intelligent 
beings  to  their  Creator,  and  to  one  another,  and 
of  the  realities  of  a  future  state.  For  it  is  only, 
or  chiefly,  throagh  the  mediutn  of  testimony,  com- 
bined with  the  evidence  of  our  senses,  that  we 
acquire  a  knowledge  of  such  truths  and  objects. 

In  the  next  place,  all  confidence  among  intel- 
ligent beings,  would  be  completely  destroyed. 
Disappointment  would  invariably  attend  every 
purpose  and  resolution,  and  every  scheme  we 
wished  to  execute,  if  it  depended  in  the  least  de- 
gree upon  the  direction  or  assistance  of  others. 
We  durst  not  taste  an  article  of  food  which  we 
received  from  another,  lest  it  should  contain  poi- 
son ;  nor  could  we  ever  construct  a  house  to  shel- 
ter us  from  the  storm,  unless  our  own  physical 
powers  were  adequate  to  the  work.  Were  we 
living  in  Edinburgh,  we  could  never  go  to  Mus- 
selburgh or  Dalkeith,  if  we  were  previously  ig- 
norant of  the  situation  of  these  places  ;  or  were 
we  residing  in  London,  it  would  be  impossible 
for  us  ever  to  find  our  way  to  Horamerton  or 
Hampstead,  unless,  after  a  thousand  attempts, 
cAance  should  happen  to  direct  us;  and  when  we 
arrived  at  either  of  these  villages,  we  should  still 
be  in  as  much  uncertainty  as  ever  whether  it  was 
the  place  to  which  we  intended  to  direct  our 
steps.  Confidence  being  destroyed,  there  could 
be  no  friendship,  no  union  of  hearts,  no  affection- 
ate intercourse,  no  social  converse,  no  consola- 
tion or  comfort  in  the  hour  of  distress,  no  hopes 
of  deliverance  in  the  midst  of  danger,  and  no 
prospect  of  the  least  enjoyment  from  any  being 
around  us.  In  such  a  case,  the  mind  would  feel 
itself  as  in  a  wilderness,  even  when  surrounded 
by  fellow  intelligences,  and  wherever  it  roamed 
over  the  vast  expanse  of  nature,  or  among  the 
mass  of  living  beings  around  it,  it  would  meet 
with  no  affectionate  interchange  of  feelings  and 
sentiments,  and  no  object  on  which  it  could  rest 
for  solace  and  enjoyment.  Every  one  would  feel 
as  if  he  were  placed  in  the  midst  of  an  infinite 
void,  and  as  if  he  were  the  only  being  residing 
in  the  universe.  In  such  a  case  we  would  flee 
from  the  society  of  men  as  we  would  do  from  a 
lion  or  a  tiger  when  rushing  on  his  prey  ;  and 
hide  ourselves  in  dens,  and  forests,  and  caverns 
of  the  earth,  till  death  should  put  a  period  to  a 
cheerless  and  miserable  existence. 

All  social  intercourses  and  relations  would 
cease: — families  could  not  possibly  exist ;  nor 
any  affectionate  intercourse  between  the  sexes  ; 
for  truth,  and  the  confidence  which  is  founded 
upon  it,  are  implied  in  all  the  intercourses  of 
husbands  and  wives,  of  brothers  and  sisters, 
and  of  parents  and  children ; — and  consequently, 
the  human  race,  dropping  into  the  grave,  one 
after  another,  like  the  leaves  of  autumn,  without 
any  successors,  would,  in  a  short  time,  be  extir- 
pated from  the  earth.  In  such  a  state,  kindness 
and  afn^ction  would  never  bo  exercised ;  trade 


and  commerce,  buying  and  seIling,social compacts 
and  agreements  would  b«  annihilated  ;  science, 
literature,  and  the  arts,  could  not  exist ;  and  con- 
sequently, universities,  colleges,  churches,  aca- 
demies, schools,  and  every  other  seminary  of  in- 
struction would  be  unknown.  No  villages,  towns, 
nor  cities  would  be  built ;  no  fields  cultivated; 
HO  orchards,  vineyards,  nor  gardens  planted  ;  no 
intercourse  would  exist  between  diflferent  regions 
of  the  globe  ;  and  nothing  but  one  dreary  barren 
waste  would  be  presented  to  the  eye,  throughout 
the  whole  expanse  of  nature.  So  that  were 
truth  completely  banished  from  the  earth,  it 
would  present  a  picture  of  that  dark  and  dismal 
region  where  "  all  liars  have  their  portion !" 
where  all  are  deceivers  and  deceived,  and  where 
the  hopeless  mind  roams  amidst  innumerable 
false  intelligences,  for  one  ray  of  comfort,  or  one 
confidential  spirit  in  which  it  may  confide,  but 
roams  in  vain. 

In  short,  were  truth  banished  not  only  from 
this  world,  but  from  the  universe  at  large,  crea- 
tion would  be  transformed  into  a  chaos ;  the 
bond  which  now  connects  angels  and  archangels, 
cherubim  and  seraphim,  in  one  harmonious  union, 
would  be  forever  dissolved;  the  inhabitants  of  all 
worlds  would  be  thrown  into  a  state  of  universal 
anarchy  ;  they  would  shun  each  other's  society, 
and  remain  as  so  many  cheerless  and  insulated 
wretches,  amidst  the  gloom  and  desolations  of 
universal  nature ;  all  improvements  in  know- 
ledge, and  all  progressive  advances  towards  moral 
perfection,  would  be  forever  interrupted  ;  and 
happiness  would  be  banished  from  the  whole  in- 
telligent system.  Every  mind  would  become  the 
seat  of  terror  and  suspense,  and  would  be  haunt- 
ed wjth  frightful  spectres  and  dreadful  expecta- 
tions. The  government  of  the  Eternal  would 
be  subverted,  the  moral  order  of  the  intelligent 
system  overturned ;  all  subordination  would 
cease,  and  misery  would  reign  uncontrolled 
throughout  every  region  of  intellectual  existence. 
For  truth  is  implied  in  the  principle  of  love  ;  it 
is  essential  to  its  existence ;  so  that  the  one  can- 
not operate  except  on  the  basis  of  the  other  :  and 
we  have  already  shown,  that  the  destruction  of 
love  would  be  the  destruction  of  all  order,  and  of 
all  happiness  among  intelligent  beings. 

Such  are  some  of  the  dreadful  effects  whit^ 
would  inevitably  follow,  were  the  law  under  con- 
sideration reversed  or  universally  violated.  In 
our  world  this  law  has,  hitherto,  been  onlypor^ 
tially  violated  ;  yet  what  dreadful  mischiefs,  be- 
yond calculation,  and  even  beyond  conception, 
has  its  frequent  violation  created  !  Ever  since 
that  moment  when  "  the  father  of  lies"  deceived 
the  first  human  pair,  how  many  thousands  of 
millions  of  liars  have  trodden  in  his  footsteps ! 
and  what  a  host  of  falsehoods  has  followed  in 
their  train,  which  have  destroyed  the  harmony  of 
the  moral  system,  and  robbed  the  werld  of  hap* 
piaess  and  repose  !     Tet  bow  little  are  we  affect* 


lit 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


ed  bjT  the  fr(<qu«nt  violations  of  thi«  law  7  and 
how  leldom  do  we  reflecl,  (hat  every  falaehood 
we  unadviaedly  utter,  in  an  infringement  of  that 
law  on  which  rest  the  throne  of  the   Almighty 
and  the  eternal  happiness  of  the  universe  7    Kor 
if  one  lie  may  be  palliated  or  vindicated,  on  the 
tame  principle  we  mi|;ht  vindicate  a    thousaitd, 
and  a  million,  and  millions  of  millions,  till  false- 
hood   became    universal    among    all    ranks    of 
beings  and  till  the  moni  order  of  the  intelligent 
creation    was   completely    subverted.     Of  how 
much  importance  is  it  then,  that  an  inviolable  at- 
tachment to  truth,  in  its  minutest  ramifications, 
be  early  impressed  upon  the  minds  of  the  young, 
by  persuatiiun,  by  precept,  by  example,  by  rea- 
soning, and  by  a  vivid  representation  of  its  im- 
portance, and  of  its    inestimable   benefits  7  and 
how  careful  should  we  be  to  preserve  them  from 
all  incentives  to  the  practice  of  lying,  and  espe- 
cially from  the  company  of  those  "  whose  mouth 
speaketh  vanity,  and  their  right  hand  is  a  right 
hand  of  falsehood.'' 
Were  falsehood  universally  detested,  and  the 
'  loveof  truth  universally  cherished  ;  were  a  single 
lie  never  more  to  be  uttered  by  any  inhabitant  of 
this  globe,  what  a  mighty  change  would  be  ef- 
fected in  the  condition  of  mankind,  and  what  a 
^orious  radiance  would  be  diffused  over  all  the 
movements    of  the   intelligent   system  ?      The 
whole  host  of  liars,  perjurers,  sharpers,  seducers, 
slanderers,   tale-bearers,  quacks,  thieves,  swin- 
dlers, harpies,  fraudulent  dealers,  false   friends, 
flatterers,  corrupt  judges,  despots,  sophists,  hypo- 
crites, and   religious  impostors,  with  the  count- 
less multitude  of  frauds,  treacheries,  impositions, 
falsehoods,  and  distresses  which  have  followed  in 
their  train,  would  instantly  disappear  from  among 
men.     The  beams  of  truth,  penetrating  through 
the  mists  of  ignorance,  error,   and  perplexity, 
produced  by  sophists,  sceptics,  and   deceivers, 
which  have  so  long  enveloped  the  human  mind, 
would  diffuse  a  lustre  and  a  cheerfulness  on  the 
(ace  of  the  moral  world,  like  the  mild  radiance 
of  the  morning  after  a  dark  and   tenipesiuous 
night.     Confidence  would  be  restored  through- 
out every  department  of  social  life ;  jealousy, 
suspicion,  and  distrust  would  no   longer  rankle 
in  the  human  breast;  and  unfeigned  affection, 
6delity,  and  friendship,  would  unite    the  whole 
brotherhood  of  mankind.     With  what  a  beauti- 
ful  simplicity,  and  with   what  smoothness  and 
harmony  would  the  world  of  trade  move  onward 
in  all  its  transactions  !     How  many   cares  and 
anxieties  would  vanish !  how  many  perplexities 
would  cease  !  and  how  many  ruinous  litigations 
would  be  prevented  7    For  the  violation  of  truth 
may  be  considered  as  the  chief  cause  of  all  those 
disputes  respecting  property,  which  have  plung- 
ed so  many  families  into  suspense  and  wretched- 
ness.    The  tribunals  of  justice  would  be  purified 
firom  every  species  of  sophistry  and  deceit  ;  and 
dM  promises  orkiii(s,aBiilhelea(tMaof  naiioos, 


would  be  held  sacred  and  inviolate.  Science 
would  rapidly  advance  towaras  perfection  ;  (or, 
as  all  its  principles  and  doctrines  are  founded 
upon  facts,  when  truth  is  uoiverially  heki  invi<H 
Ubie,  the  facts  on  which  it  is  built  will  always 
be  fairly  represented.  Every  fact  asserted  by 
voyagers  and  travellers,  in  relation  to  the  physi- 
cal or  the  moral  world,  and  every  detail  of  ex- 
periments made  by  the  diemist  and  the  philoso- 
pher, would  form  a  sure  ground-work  for  the 
development  of  truth,  and  the  detection  of  error; 
without  the  least  siupicion  arising  in  the  mind 
respecting  the  veracity  of  the  persons  on  whose 
tesiimony  we  rely.  For  want  of  this  confidence 
the  mind  has  been  perplexed  and  distracted  by 
the  jarring  statements  of  travellers,  naturalists, 
and  historians  ;  false  theories  have  been  fram- 
ed ;  systems  have  been  reared  on  the  baseless 
fabric  of  a  vision  ;  the  foundations  of  science 
have  been  shaken  ;  its  utility  called  in  question, 
and  its  most  sublime  discoveries  overlooked  and 
disregarded. 

In  fine,  the  clouds  which  now  obscure  many 
of  the  sublime  objects  of  religion,  and  the  reali- 
ties of  a  future  world,  would  be  dispelled,  were 
falsehood  unknown,  and  truth  beheld  in  its  na- 
tive light ;  and  religion,  purified  from  every  mix- 
ture of  error  and  delusion,  would  appear  arrayed 
in  its  own  heavenly  radiance,  and  attract  the  love 
and  the  admiration  of  men.  When  exhibited 
in  its  native  grandeur  and  simplicity,  all  doubts 
respecting  its  divine  origin  would  soon  evanish 
from  the  mind — the  beauty  and  sublimity  of  its 
doctrines  would  be  recognised  as  worihy  of  its 
Author ;  and  all  its  moral  requisitions  would  be 
perceived  to  be  "  holy,  just,  and  good,"  and 
calculated  to  promote  the  order,  and  ihe  ever- 
lasting happiness  of  the  intelligent  universe. 
Divine  truth  irradiating  every  mind,  and  accom- 
panied with  the  emanations  of  heavenly  love, 
would  dispel  the  gloom  which  now  hangs  over 
many  sincere  and  pious  minds  ;  would  unite 
man  to  roan,  and  man  to  God  ;  and  the  inhabi- 
tants of  this  world,  freed  from  every  doubt,  error, 
and  perplexity,  woukl  move  forward  in  harmony 
and  peace,  to  join  "  the  innumerable  company  of 
angels,  and  the  general  assembly  of  the  spirits  of 
just  men  made  perfect,  whose  names  are  written 
in  heaven." 

THE  TKRTH  COMllAirDMZirT. 

*<  Thou  thalt  not  eovtt  thy  neighbour's  house, 
thou  fhalt  not  covet  thy  neighbour's  wife,  nor 
his  man-servant,  nor  his  maid-servant,  nor  his 
ox,  nor  his  ass,  nor  tttu/  ihingthat  i*  ihf  ntigh' 
how':" 

Every  precept  of  the  law  to  which  I  have 
hitherto  adverted,  has  a  reference  not  oo'v  to  the 
external  conduct  of  moral  agents,  but  also  to  th« 
internal  motives  or  prine^U$  from  which  that 
oooduct  proceeds.    This  isevidsoifrom  the  «o» 


TENDENCY  OF  COVETOUSNESS. 


118 


siderations  already  stated,  and  from  the  whole 
tenor  of  Divine  Revelation  , — and  it  is  in  unison 
with  reason,  and  with  the  common  sen^e  of 
mankind,  that  the  merit  or  demerit  of  any  action 
is  to  be  estimated,  according  to  the  intention  of 
the  actor,  and  the  disposition  from  which  it 
flows.  Thai  no  doubt  may  remain  on  this  point, 
the  Supreme  Legislator  closes  the  decalogue 
with  a  command,  which  has  a  reference  solely  to 
thedesires  and  dispositions  of  the  mind  :  "  Thou 
shalt  not  covet  "  Covetousness  consists  in  an 
inordinate  desire  of  earthly  objects  and  enjoy- 
ments. This  desire,  when  uniformly  indulged, 
leads  to  a  breach  of  almost  every  other  precept  of 
the  Divine  law ;  and  is  the  source  of  more  than 
one  half  of  all  the  evils  which  afflict  the  human 
race.  It  leads  to  a  breach  of  the  eighth  com- 
mand, by  exciting  either  to  fraudulent  dealings,  or 
to  direct  acts  of  theft  and  robbery. — It  leads  to 
a  breach  of  the  ninth  command,  by  cherishing  the 
principle  of  falsehood  which  is  implied  in  every 
fraudulent  transaction. — It  leads  to  a  violation  of 
the  sixth  command,  by  engendering  a  spirit  of  re- 
venge against  those  who  stand  in  the  way  of  its 
gratification  ;  and  by  exciting  the  covetous  man 
to  the  commission  of  murder,  in  order  to  accom- 
plish his  avaricious  desires. — It  also  leads  to  a 
violation  of  the  seventh  command ;  for,  when  one 
"covets  his  neighbour's  wife,"  the  next  step  is 
to  endeavour  to  withdraw  her  affection  from  her 
husband,  and  to  plunge  a  family  into  misery  and 
distress.— It  also  leads  to  a  violation  of  the  fifth 
precept  of  the  law,  not  only  as  it  steels  the  heart 
against  those  kindly  filial  afTections  which  child- 
ren ought  to  exercise  towards  their  parents,  but 
as  it  excites  them  to  withhold  from  their  parents, 
when  in  old  age  and  distress,  those  external  com- 
forts which  are  requisite  to  their  happiness,  and 
which  it  is  the  duty  of  affectionate  children  to  pro- 
vide. And,  when  covetousness  has  thus  led  to 
the  breach  of  every  other  precept  of  the  second 
table  of  the  law,  it  follows,  that  all  the  precepts  of 
the  first  table  are  also  virtually  violated.  For  all 
the  commandments  of  the  first  table  are  briefly 
summed  up  in  this  comprehensive  precept,"  Thou 
shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart:" 
but  it  is  obviously  impossible,  nay,  it  would  be  a 
contradiction  in  terms,  to  suppose,  that  supreme 
love  to  the  Creator  can  reside  in  the  same  breast 
in  which  an  inordinate  desire  of  worldly  enjoy- 
ments reigns  uncontrolled,  and  in  which  love  to 
man  has  no  existence.  So  that  covetousness 
may  be  considered  as  the  great  barrier  which 
separates  between  man  and  his  Maker,  and  also 
aA  the  polluted  f  mntain  from  whence  flow  all  the 
moral  abominations  and  the  miseries  of  mankind. 
The  more  obvious  and  direct  manifestation  of 
this  principle  is  generally  distinguished  by  the 
name  of  Avarice,  or  an  inordinate  desire  of  riches. 
And  what  a  countless  host  of  evils  has  flowed 
from  this  unhallowed  passion,  both  in  relation  to 
individuals,  to  families,  to  nations,  and  to  the 

15 


world  at  large!  In  relation  to  the  avaricious 
man  himself,  could  we  trace  all  the  easer  desires, 
anxieties,  perplexities,  and  cares,  which  harass 
his  soul ;  the  fraudulent  schemes  he  is  obliged  to 
contrive,  in  order  to  accomplish  his  object ;  the 
miserable  shifts  to  which  he  is  reduced,  in  order 
to  keep  up  the  appearance  of  common  honesty ; 
the  mass  of  contradictions,  and  the  medley  of 
falsehoods,  to  which  he  is  always  obliged  to  have 
recourse  ;  the  numerous  disappointments  to  which 
his  eager  pursuit  <if  wealth  continually  exposes 
him,  and  by  which  his  soul  is  pierced  as  with  so 
many  daggers — we  should  behold  a  wretched 
being,  the  prey  of  restless  and  contending  pa^ 
sions,  with  a  mind  full  of  falsehoods,  deceitful 
schemes,  and  grovelling  affections,  like  a  cage- 
full  of  every  unclean  and  hateful  bird, — a  mind  in- 
capable of  any  rational  enjoyment  in  this  life,  and 
entirely  incapacitated  for  relishing  the  nobler 
enjoyments  of  the  life  to  come.  Such  a  man  is 
not  only  miserable  himself,  but  becomes  a  moral 
nuisance  to  the  neighbourhood  around  him; 
stinting  his  own  family  of  its  necessary  comforts  ; 
oppressing  the  widow  and  the  fatherless  ;  grasp- 
ing with  insatiable  fangs  every  house,  tenement, 
and  patch  of  land  within  his  reach;  hurrying 
poor  unfortunate  debtors  to  jail ;  setting  adriA 
the  poor  and  needy  from  their  long-accustomed 
dwellings ;  and  presenting  to  the  young  and 
thoughtless  a  picture,  which  is  too  frequently 
copied,  of  an  immortal  mind  immersed  in  the 
mire  of  the  most  degrading  passions,  and  wor- 
shipping and  serving  the  creature  more  than 
the  Creator,  who  is  blessed  forever. 

In  relation  to  large  communities  and  nations, 
this  grovelling  passion  has  produced,  on  an  ex- 
tensive scale,  the  most  mischievous  and  deslruo 
tive  effects.  It  has  plundered  palaces,  churches, 
seats  of  learning,  and  repositories  of  art ;  it  has 
polluted  the  courts  of  judicature,  and  the  tribunals 
of  justice  ;  it  has  corrupted  magistrates,  judges, 
and  legislators  ;  and  has  transformed  many  even 
of  the  ministers  of  religion,  into  courtly  syco 
phants,  and  hunters  after  places  and  pensions. 
It  has  ground  whole  nations  to  poverty,  under 
the  load  of  taxation ;  it  has  levelled  spacious 
cities  with  the  dust ;  turned  fruitful  fields  into  a 
wilderness  ;  spread  misery  over  whole  empires ; 
drenched  the  earth  with  human  gore  ;  and  waded 
through  fields  of  blood  in  order  to  satiate  its  un- 
governable desires.  What  has  led  to  most  of 
the  wars  which  have  desolated  the  earth,  in  every 
age,  but  the  insatiable  cravings  of  this  restless 
and  grovelling  passion  ?  It  was  the  cursed  love 
of  gold  that  excited  the  Spaniards  to  ravage 
the  territories  of  Mexico  and  Peru,  to  viotata 
every  principle  of  justice  and  humanity,  to  mas- 
sacre, and  to  perpetrate  the  most  horrid  cruelties 
on  their  unoffending  inhabitants.  It  is  the  same 
principle,  blended  with  the  lust  of  power,  which 
still  actuates  the  infatuated  rulers  of  that  unhappy 
nation,  in  their  vain  attempts  to  overthrow  the 


114 


THE  PHFLOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


independence  of  their  fjrraer  c*loaies.  Tlia 
ume  principle  commenced,  and  dill  carries  o«, 
that  abominable  tratfic,  the  tiaue  trade, — a  traflic 
which  haa  entailed  niiiery  on  milliuns  of  the 
sons  of  Africa;  which  has  excited  wars,  and 
feuds,  and  roas:iacres,  among  her  numerous 
tribes ;  which  has  forever  separated  from  each 
other  brothersaod  sisters,  parents  and  children  ; 
which  has  suflTocated  thousands  of  human  beings 
in  the  cells  of  a  floating  dungeon,  and  plunged 
ten  thousands  into  a  watery  grave ;— a  traffic 
which  is  a  disgrace  to  the  human  specie8  ;  which 
has  transformed  civilized  men  into  infernal  fiends; 
which  has  trampled  on  every  principle  of  justice  ; 
which  has  defaced  the  image  ofQod  in  man,  and 
extinguished  every  spark  of  humanity  from  the 
minds  of  the  ferocious  banditti  which  avarice 
has  employed  for  accomplishing  her  nefarious 
designs.* 

Ambition,  or,  an  inordinate  desire  of  power, 
superiority,  and  distinction,  is  another  modifica- 
tion of  this  malignant  principle.  This  passion  is 
manifested,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  by  men 
of  all  ranks  and  characters,  and  in  every  situs- 
tion  in  life.  It  is  displayed  in  the  tchool-room 
by  the  boy  who  is  always  eager  to  stand  fore- 
most in  his  class  ;  in  the  ball-room,  by  the  lady 
who  is  proud  of  her  beauty,  and  of  her  splendid 
attire  ;  in  the  eorporatioTi-haU,  by  the  citizen  who 
struts  with  an  air  of  conscious  dignity,  and  is 
ever  and  anon  aiming  at  pompous  harangues ; 
on  the  betieh,  by  the  haughty  and  overbearing 
judge  ;  in  the  diuroh,  by  those  rulers  who,  like 
Diotrephes,  "  Love  to  have  the  pre-eminence  ;" 
in  the  pulpit,  by  the  preacher  whose  main  object 
it  is  to  excite  the  admiration  and  applause  of  a 
surrounding  audience  ;  in  the  street*,  by  the  pom- 
pous airs  of  the  proud  dame,  the  coxcomb,  and 
the  dashing  squire;  in  the  village,  by  him  who 
has  a  better  house,  and  a  longer  purse,  than  his 
neighbours ;  in  the  hamlet,  by  the  peasant  who 
can  lift  the  heaviest  stone,  or  fight  and  wrestle 
with  the  greatest  strength  or  agility  ;  and  in  the 
eity,  by  the  nobleman  who  endeavours  to  rival 
all  his  compeers  in  the  magnificence  of  his  man- 
sion, and  the  splendour  of  his  equipage;  among 
the  learned,  by  their  eager  desire  to  spread  their 
name  to  the  world,  and  to  extend  their  fame  to 
succeeding  generatioas  ;  and  among  all  classes 

*  That  this  accnrsed  traffic  Is  still  carried  on,  with 
WMbated  vli^our,  by  the  elvtllted  powers  of  Bnrope, 
aspmrs (Vom the  folio wtsf  statement:  —"The  boats 
or  a  British  Friffate,  the  MahUtone,  boarded,  In 
•leven  darsof  June,  IBM.  no  less  than  ten  French 
'VMMls,  at  a  sinsle  spot  upon  the  coast  of  Africa ;  the 
I— ■nromsnt  of  which  vessels  was  between  uoo  and 
MM  Ions,  while  tb«r  were  destined  for  the  Incarce- 
ration—we  mlcht  sar.  the  living  burial— of  3ooo  hu- 
man belnKS  !**  The  report  to  Oo  vemment  says — "  The 
Mbooner  La  Louisa,  Capt.  Armand,  arrived  at  Oau- 
daloupe,  durinf  the  flrst  days  uf  April,  \Ml,  with  a 
earKOof  woneinoes,  the  retmainder  of  a  complement 
of  (75.  which  tM  vessel  had  on  boani  The  vesicl 
not  being  large  raouxh  to  accomsod.ite  *o  Kreat  a 
number  of  UMO,  Iht  amtrpbu  toenamei^nei  ALIVE 
IS  flkswoMf  ly  IIU  Ov(M» /" 


who  as<ume  airs  of  importance,  on  account  of  the 
antiquity  of  their  families,  their  wealth,  their  Mt* 
ploiis  (jfheroism,  and  their  patrimonial  poswa 
sions. 

But  it  is  chiefly  on  the  great  theatre  of  the  world 
that  ambition  has  displayed  its  most  dreadful  en- 
ergies, and  its  must  overwhelming  devastations. 
In  order  to  gain  possession  of  a  Ihrooe,  it  has 
thrown  whole  nations  into  a  slate  of  convulsion 
and  alarm.  The  road  to  political  power  and  pr^ 
eminence,  has  been  prepared  by  the  overflow  of 
truth  and  justice,  by  fomenting  feuds  and  ooaten* 
lions,  by  bribery,  murder,  and  assassinatiuos,  by 
sanguinary  battles,  by  the  plunder  of  whole  pro 
rinces,  the  desolation  of  cities  and  villages,  and 
by  the  sighs,  the  groans,  and  lamentations  of  un* 
numbered  widows  and  orphans.  In  order  to 
raise  a  silly  mortal  to  despotic  power  on  the 
throne  of  Spain,  how  many  human  victims  have 
been  sacrificed  at  the  altar  of  ambition!  how 
many  families  have  been  rent  asunder,  and  plung- 
ed into  irremediable  ruin  !  and  how  many  illustri- 
ous patriots  have  beeh  immured  in  dungeons, 
and  have  expired  under  the  axe  of  the  execuiioo- 
er!  At  the  present  moment,  the  fertile  vales  of 
Mexico,  the  mountains  and  plains  of  South 
America,  the  forests  of  the  Burmese,  and  the 
shores  of  Turkey  and  of  Greece,  are  everywhere 
covered  with  the  ravages  of  this  fell  destroyer, 
whose  path  is  always  marked  with  desolation  and 
bloodshed.  To  recount  all  the  evils  which  am- 
bition has  produced  over  this  vast  globe,  would 
be  to  write  a  history  of  the  struggles  and  con- 
tests of  nations,  and  of  the  sorrows  and  snflTerings 
of  mankind.  So  insatiable  is  this  ungovemaUo 
passion,  that  the  whole  earth  appears  a  field  too 
small  for  its  malignant  operations.  Alexander 
the  Great,  after  having  conquered  the  greater 
part  of  the  known  world,  wept,  because  he  had 
not  another  world  to  conquer.  Were  there  no 
physical  impediments  to  obstruct  tlie  course  of 
this  detestable  passion,  it  would  ravage,  not  ooly 
the  globe  on  which  we  dwell,  but  the  whole  of  tba 
planetary  worlds  ;  it  would  range  from  system  to 
system, carrying  ruin  and  devastation  in  its  train, 
till  the  material  universe  was  involved  in  misery 
and  desolation  ;  and  it  would  attempt  to  subvert 
even  the  foundations  of  the  throne  of  the  Eternal. 

Such  are  some  of  the  dismal  and  destructive 
ef&cts  of  eotwtoufiMSS,  when  prosecuting  the 
paths  of  avarice  and  ambition :  and  when  we 
consider  that  it  is  uniformly  accompanied  in  its 
progress,  with  pride,  envy,  discontentment,  and 
restless  desires, — it  is  easy  to  perceive,  that,  were 
it  left  to  reign  without  control  over  the  humai^ 
mind,  it  woukl  soon  desolate  every  region  of  the 
earth,  and  produce  all  ihe  destructive  effects 
which,  as  we  have  already  shown,  wouM  flow 
from  a  universal  violation  of  the  other  preccpla 
of  God's  law. 

On  the  other  hand,  CvMttittmtiU, — the  duty 
implied  in  ihiscoaunaad,  would  draw  tiomg  wiik 


GENERAL  CONCLUSIONS. 


11& 


it  an  unnombered  train  of  blessings,  and  would 
restore  tranquillity  and  repose  to  our  distracted 
world.  To  be  contented  under  the  allotments  of 
the  providence  of  God,  is  one  of  the  first  and 
fundamenial  duties  of  every  rational  creature. 
By  contentment  and  resignation  to  the  divine 
disposal,  we  recognise  God  as  the  supreme  Go- 
vernor of  the  universe  ;  as  directed  by  infinite 
wisdom,  in  the  dlsinbution  of  his  boim'y  among 
the  children  of  men  ;  as  proceeding  on  the  basis 
•f  etertial  and  immutable  justice,  in  all  his  pro- 
ridential  arrangements ;  and  ss  actuated  bv  a 
principle  of  unbounded  benevolence,  which  has 
a  regard  lo  the  ultimate  happiness  of  his  crea- 
tures. Under  the  government  of  such  a  Being, 
we  have  abundant  reason,  not  only  to  be  con- 
tented and  resigned,  but  to  be  glad  and  to  rejoice. 
"  The  Lord  reigneth,  let  the  earth  be  glad,  let 
the  multitude  of  the  isles  tliereof  rejoice."  How- 
ever seamy  may  be  the  portion  of  earthly  good 
measured  out  to  us  al  present,  and  however  per- 
plexing and  mysterious  the  external  circumstan- 
ces in  which  we  may  now  be  involved,  we  may 
rest  assured,  that,  under  the  government  of  un- 
erring wisiom,  rectitude,  and  benevolence,  all 
such  dispensations  shall  ultimately  be  found  to 
have  been,  not  only  consistent  with  justice,  but 
conducive  to  our  present  and  everlasting  inte« 
rests.  Were  such  sentiments  and  affections  to 
pervade  the  minds  of  all  human  beings,  what  a 
host  of  malignant  passions  would  bo  chased  away 
from  the  hearts  and  from  the  habita'ion-i  of  men  ? 
Restless  cares,  and  boundless  and  unsatisfied  de- 
sires, which  constitute  the  source  and  the  essence 
of  misery,  would  no  longer  agitate  and  torment 
the  human  mind.  Voluptuousness  would  no  lon- 
ger riot  at  the  table  of  luxury  on  dainties,  wrung 
from  the  sweat  of  thousands  ; — nor  avarice  glut 
its  insatiable  desires  with  the  spoils  of  the  widow 
and  the  orphan  ; — nor  ambition  ride  in  triumph 
over  the  miseries  of  a  suffering  world.  Every 
one,  8ubmis<<ive  to  the  allotments  of  his  Creator, 
and  grateful  for  thdt  portion  of  his  bounty  which 
he  has  been  pleased  to  bestow,  would  view  the 
wealth  an'l  enjoyments  of  his  neighbour  with  a 
kind  and  benignant  eye,  and  rejoice  in  the  pros- 
perity of  all  around  him.  Benevolence  and 
peace  would  diffuse  their  benign  influence  over 
the  national,  and  mankind,  delivered  from  the  fear 
of  every  thing  that  might  "  hurt  or  destroy," 
would  march  forward  in  harmony  and  affection, 
to  that  happier  world  where  every  wish  will  be 
crowned,  and  every  holy  desire  satisfied  in  God 
"  their  exceedina  great  reward." 

Thus  it  appears,  that,  on  the  observance  of 
this  law,  which  closes  the  Decalogue,  and  which 
has  a  reference  to  a  single  affection  of  the  mind 
— the  order  an!  happiness  of  the  intelligent  sys- 
tem almost  entirely  depends.  Let  the  ttood- 
gates  of  Cotxlousnesx  be  burst  open,  and  let  it 
flow  in  every  direction  without  control, — in  a 
short  period  the  world  is  d.'solated,  and  over- 


whelmed with  a  deluge  of  miseries.  Let  th« 
current  of  every  passion  and  desire  be  restrained 
within  its  legitimate  boundary,  and  let  content* 
ment  take  up  its  residence  in  every  heart,  and 
this  deluge  will  soon  be  dried  up,  and  a  new  world 
will  appear,  arrayed  in  all  the  loveliness,  and 
verdure,  and  beauty  of  Eden.  May  Jehovah 
hasten  it  in  his  time ! 

Thus  I  have  endeavoured,  in  the  preceding 
sketches,  to  illustrate  the  reosonaWenew  of  those 
laws  which  God  has  promulgated  for  regulating 
the  moral  conduct  of  the  intelligent  creation.  If 
the  propriety  of  these  illustrations  be  admitted, 
they  may  be  considered  as  a  commentary  on  the 
words  of  the  Apostle  Paul :  "  The  lawia  holy, 
and  the  commandment  is  holy  and  just  and  good." 
In  like  manner  it  might  have  been  shown,  that 
all  the  Apostolic  injunctions,  and  other  precepts 
recorded  in  the  volume  of  inspiration,  are  accor- 
dant with  the  dictates  of  reason,  and  with  the 
relations  of  moral  agents  ;  for  they  are  all  so 
many  subordinate  ramifications  of  the  principles 
and  laws,  which  I  have  already  illustrated. 

GeTieral  Conelttsions  and  Remarks,  founded  OM 
the  preceding  illuatiationa. 

I  shall  now  conclude  this  chapter  with  the 
statement  of  a  few  remarks  in  relation  to  the 
moral  law,  founded  on  the  illustrations  which 
have  been  given  in  the  preceding  pages;  which 
may  be  considered  as  so  many  inferences  deduc- 
ed  from  the  general  subject  which  has  now  occu- 
pied our  attention. 

I.  In  the  Jirst  place,  one  obvious  cooclusioo 
from  the  preceding  illustrations  is.  That  iho 
laws  of  God  are  not  the  commands  of  an  arbitra- 
ry Sovereign,  but  are  (bunded  on  the  nature  of 
things,  and  on  the  relations  which  exist  in  the 
intelligent  system.  Many  divines,  especially 
those  of  the  supralapsarian  school,  have  been  dis- 
posed to  ascribe  every  regulation  of  the  Deity 
to  the  Divine  Sovereignty.  I  have  been  told 
that,  in  one  of  the  Latin  treatises  of  Mr.  Samuel 
Rutherford,  Professor  of  Divinity,  in  St.  An 
drews,  there  is  a  sentiment  to  the  following  pur- 
pose: "That  such  is  the  absolute  sovereignty 
of  God,  that  had  it  so  pleased  him,  he  might  have 
made  every  precept  of  the  moral  law  given  to 
man  exactly  the  reverse  of  wf>at  we  now  find  it." 
A  sentiment  more  directly  repugnant  to  the  scrip* 
tural  character  of  God,  and  to  every  view  we 
can  lake  of  the  divine  attributes,  it  is  scarcely 
possible  for  the  human  mind  to  entertain  ;  and  it 
shows  us  the  dangerous  consequences  to  which 
we  are  exposed,  when  we  attempt  to  push  cer- 
tain theological  dogmas  to  an  extreme.  If  it  were 
possible  to  suppose  the  Deity  capabh  of  such  an 
act,  it  would  overturn  all  the  grounds  on  which 
we  are  led  to  contemplate  him  as  glorious,  amia- 
ble, and  adorable.  At  some  future  period  in  the 
revoiutioas  of  eternity,  his  love,  his  reclitiMM 


116 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


•nd  hb  raiihfulneM,  mif^t  be  changod  Intomale- 
Yolence,  injuslico,  and  ialorhotid.  If  the  requi- 
■ilinns  uf  ihf  mciral  law  de|*Rnd<id  noMy  on  the 
Divine  Suvi.Teigniy,  thfn  there  if  no  inherent 
excellence  in  virtue  ;  and  iheTt,  falsehood,  mur- 
der, idolatry,  proTaniiy,  cnielty,  wars,  devasta- 
tions,  and  the  malevoienc-^  of  infernal  demons, 
might  become  equally  amiable  and  excellent  as 
truth,  jiiiftice,  benevolence,  and  the  songs  and 
adorations  of  angels  ;  provided  the  Oeiiy  willed 
the  chan>!e  to  take  place.  But  this  is  impossi- 
ble ;  and  it  is  evident,  I  trust,  from  the  preced- 
ing illustrations,  that,  were  motal  laws,  directly 
opposite  to  those  contained  in  the  scriptural 
code,  to  be  prescribed  to  men,  or  to  any  other 
class  of  moral  agents,  not  only  would  misery 
reign  uncontrolled  through  the  universe,  but,  in 
a  short  time,  the  operation  of  such  laws  would 
annihilate  the  whole  intelligent  creation. 

It  is  evident,  then,  that  the  moral  law  is  not 
founded  on  the  will  of  God,  bat  on  the  relations 
of  intelliuent  beings,  and  on  its  own  intrinsic 
excellence  ;  or,  in  other  words,  on  its  tendency 
to  produce  happiness  throughout  the  intelligent 
system.  This  idea  nearly  coincides  with  that 
of  some  of  our  modern  moralists,  who  maintain 
"  thai  virtue  i<f;>unded  on  utility," — if,  by  utility, 
is  meant  a  tendency  to  promote  happiness.  But 
It  by  no  means  follows,  from  this  position,  as 
Bome  moralists  have  concluded,  that  utility  is  the 
guide,  or  the  rule  by  which  we  are  to  be  direct- 
ed in  our  moral  conduct.  This  may  be  consi- 
dered as  the  rule  which  directs  the  conduct  of  the 
Divine  Being,  whose  eye  takes  in  the  whole 
system  of  creation,  whose  knowledge  extends 
from  eternity  past,  to  eternity  to  come,  and  who 
perceives,  at  one  glance,  the  remotest  conse- 
quences of  every  action.  But  it  cannot  be  a  rule 
for  subordinate  intelligences,  and  especially  for 
man,  who  stands  near  the  lowest  degree  of  the 
scale  of  iniellectual  existence.  From  the  litnit- 
ed  range  of  view  to  which  he  is  confined,  he 
cannot  trace  the  remote  consequences  of  any 
particular  action,  the  bearings  it  may  have  on 
winumbered  individuals,  anid  the  relation  in 
which  it  may  siar)d  to  the  concerns  of  tlie  eter- 
nal world.  An  action  which,  to  our  limited 
view,  may  appear  either  beneficial  or  indiffer- 
ent, may  invitlve  a  principle  which,  if  traced  to 
its  remotest  consequences,  wouU  lead  to  the  de- 
struction of  the  moral  universe.  It  might  ap- 
pear, at  first  view,  on  the  whole,  beneficial  to 
■ociety,  that  an  old  unfeeling  miser  should  be 
gaotljr  Mlflbcated,  and  his  treasures  ap)ilied  for 
the  pairpose  of  rearing  asylums  for  the  aged 
poor,  and  seminaries  of  instruction  for  the  young. 
But  the  principle  which  would  sanction  such  an 
action,  if  genrrally  acted  upon,  w(Mild  lead  to 
univeraal  plunder,  robbery,  and  bloodshed.  To 
tell  a  lie  to  a  child,  in  order  to  induce  it  to  t.ike 
a  nauseouf  medicine  which  is  essential  to  its 
recovery  from   disease,  may  *ppMr,  in  auch  a 


oaee,  to  have  a  benevolent  tendency;  but  we 
have  already  ahown,  that  were  such  a  pi  inciple 
universally  admitted,  it  would  introduce  anardiy 
and  misery  through  the  universe,  and  would  ul- 
timately annihilate  the  intelligent  creution. 
Man,  in  his  present  state,  can  be  directed  only 
hy  poiilict  law  proceding  from  the  Almighty, 
whose  comprehensive  mind  alone  can  trace  all 
their  consequences  to  the  remotest  corners  of  the 
universe,  arid  through  all  the  agee  of  eternity. 
These  laws  are  contained  in  ibe  Scriptures  a 
comprehensive  summary  of  whicJi  has  been  the 
subject  of  the  preceding  illustrations.  And  we 
know,  in  point  of  fact,  tliat  in  every  country 
where  these  laws  are  either  unknown,  or  not 
recognised,  there  is  no  fixed  standard  of  moral*  : 
and  vice,  in  i's  various  ramifications,  almoat 
universally  prevails. 

From  what  has  been  now  staled  we  may  infer 
— that  a,  full  and  unrttentd  abtdienee  to  the  Di- 
vine  loan  it  a  most  reiuonablt  reipusition.  Mea 
are  too  frequently  disposed  to  view  the  commands 
of  God  as  the  dictates  of  an  arbitrary  Sovereign. 
There  is  a  secret  thought  that  occasionally 
lodges  in  the  heart  of  every  human  being,  that 
the  law  of  God  is  too  extensive  and  rigorous  in 
its  demands,  accompanied  with  a  secret  wish, 
that  the  severity  of  its  requisitions  coukl  be  a 
little  modified  or  relaxed.  Every  man  is  sub- 
ject to  some  "  besetting  sin,"  and  he  is  apt  to 
say  within  himself—"  If  I  were  allowed  but  a 
little  license  with  regard  to  one  precept  of  the 
law,  I  would  endeavour  to  do  what  I  could  to 
comply  with  the  requisitions  of  the  rest."  But, 
it  would  be  inconsistent  both  wiih  the  btnevolenct 
of  the  Deity,  and  wiih  the  happiness  of  his  moral 
creation,  either  to  modify  or  to  relax  any  one  re- 
quirement of  his  law ;  for  it  is  aper/ref  law,  from 
which  nothing  can  be  taken  without  impairing 
its  excellence  and  utility.  Were  he  to  do  so, 
it  would  be  in  effect,  to  shut  up  the  path  to  hap- 
piness, and  to  open  the  fliKid-gates  of  misery 
upon  the  universe.  Although  it  is  impossible  (or 
man  in  his  present  degraded  condition,  to  yield  a 
perfect  obedience  to  this  law,  yet  nothing  short 
of  perfect  obedience  ought  to  be  his  aim.  For 
in  as  far  as  we  fall  short  of  it,  in  so  &r  do  we 
fall  short  of  happiness ;  and  consequently,  till  that 
period  arrives  when  our  obedience  shall  reach 
the  summit  of  perfection,  our  happiness  mustr^ 
main  incomplete,  and  a  certain  portion  of  misery 
must  be  expected  to  mingle  itself  wiih  all  o«ir  en- 
joyments. 

1 1  There  it  »o  intimate  a  connexion  between 
all  the  partt  of  the  Divine  law.  that  the  habitual 
violation  of  any  one  precept  necettarily  inelvdm 
the  violation  of  the  greater  part,  if  not  the  whoU 
of  the  other  preceptt.  This  is  evident  from  the 
general  tenor  of  the  preceding  illustrations.  It 
has  been  shown  that  a  breach  of  the  first  com- 
mandment includes  pride,  I'alsehood,  blasphemy, 
ingratitude,  and  hatred  u(  moral  aicelleace ;  aoi 


GENERAL  CONCLUSIONS. 


117 


that  it  leads  to  injustice,  cruelty,  murder,  ob- 
scentiy,  and  the  most  revolting  aboniinaiions.  A 
breach  of  the  fifth  involves  a  principle  which 
would  sap  the  foundations  of  all  government  and 
moral  order,  and  transform  society  into  a  rabble 
of  lawless  banditti.  The  violation  of  the  eighth 
is  connected  with  falsehood,  treachery,  and  cove- 
lousness,  and  leads  to  oppression,  robbery,  plun- 
der, murders,  and  the  devastation  of  empires ; 
and  the  violation  of  the  tenth,  though  consisting 
only  in  the  indulgence  of  an  irregular  desire,  is 
the  origin  of  almost  every  other  species  of  moral 
turpitude,  in  relation  either  to  God  or  to  man. 
In  like  manner  it  might  be  shown,  that  the  strict 
and  regular  observance  of  any  one  precept  is  ne- 
cessarily connected  with  a  regard  for  all  the  otiier 
requirements  of  God's  law. 

III.  It  appears,  from  the  preceding  illustra- 
tions, that  a  universal  violation  of  any  one  of  the 
six  precepts  of  the  second  table  of  the  law,  would 
'ead  to  the  entire  destruction  of  the  human  race. 
In  the  case  of  the  sixth  commandment  being  sup- 
posed to  be  reversed,  or  universally  violated,  this 
effect  would  be  most  rapidly  produced ;  but  the 
destruction  and  complete  extirpation  of  human 
beings  from  the  earth  would  be  as  certainly  ef- 
fected, in  the  course  of  two  or  three  generations, 
by  the  universal  violation  of  any  one  of  the  other 
five  precepts.  Some  of  the  circumstances  which 
would  necessarily  produce  this  effect,  are  alluded 
to,  in  the  preceding  illustration  of  these  pre- 
cepts. And  as  the  first  principle  of  the  moral 
law,  love  to  God,  is  the  foundation  of  the  precepts 
contained  in  the  second  table,  it  is  obvious,  that 
the  same  effect  would  ultimately  follow  from  a 
universal  violation  of  the  first  four  precepts  of  the 
Decalogue. 

IV.  It  follows  from  what  has  hitherto  been 
itated.  That  the  moral  law  has  never  yet  been 
universally  violated,  nor  has  any  one  of  its  pre- 
cepts been  completely  reversed  in  the  conduct  of 
the  inhabitants  of  our  globe.  Every  individual, 
of  all  the  millions  of  mankind  that  have  existed 
^ince  the  fall  of  Adam,  has,  indeed,  in  one  shape 
or  another,  broken  every  one  of  the  command- 
ments of  God;  but  such  breaches  have  not  been 
constant  and  uniform,  and  running  through  every 
action  he  performed.  Falsehood  has  always 
been  mingled  with  a  portion  of  truth,  theft  with 
honesty,  cruelly  with  clemency  and  mercy,  an- 
archy with  subordination,  and  licentiousness  with 
chastity  and  purity.  It  is  owing  to  this  partial 
obedience  to  the  dictates  of  the  law  of  nature, 
impressed  upon  every  human  heart,  that  the 
world  of  mankind  has  hitherto  been  preserved  in 
existence.  The  partial  violation,  however,  of 
the  divine  law,  which  has  characterized  the  ac- 
tions of  mankind,  in  all  ages,  has  been  the  source 
of  all  I'll*  calamities,  miseries,  and  moral  abomi- 
nation:, under  which  the  earth  has  groaned  from 
generation  to  generation;  and,  in  proportion  to 
the  extent  of  this  violation,  will  be  the  extent  of 


wretchedness  and  misery  entailed  on  the  hnman 
race. — That  a  universal  violation  of  God's  law 
has  never  yet  taken  place  in  any  region  of  the 
earth,  is  not  owing  so  much  to  any  want  of  ei^ 
crgy,  or  of  malignity  in  the  principle  of  disob»- 
dience  which  is  seated  in  the  hearts  of  men  as  to 
the  restraining  influence  of  the  morul  Governor 
of  the  world,  and  to  the  physical  impediments 
which  he  has  placed  to  prevent  the  diabolical 
passions  of  men  from  raging  without  control, 
Whether  ii  be  possible  for  any  class  of  intelligent 
organized  beings  to  subsist  fur  any  lenglh  uf  time, 
under  a  complete  violation  of  the  mural  law,  it  is 
not  for  us  positively  to  determine  ;  but  it  is  evi- 
dent to  a  demonstration,  that  in  the  present  phy- 
sical condition  of  the  human  race,  such  a  viola- 
tion would  unhinge  the  whole  fabric  of  society, 
and,  in  a  short  time,  exterminate  the  race  of 
Adam  from  the  earth. 

V.  The  greater  part  of  the  precepts  of  the  De- 
calogue is  binding  upon  superior  intelligences, 
and  upon  the  inhabitants  of  all  worlds,  as  well  aa 
upon  man.  For  any  thing  we  know  to  the  con- 
trary, there  may  be  worlds  in  different  regions  of 
the  universe,  and  oven  within  the  bounds  of  our 
planetary  system,  where  their  inhabitants  are 
placed  in  circumstances  similar  to  those  in  which 
man  was  placed  in  his  paradisiacal  state;  and, 
consequenl'.y,  where  the  precepts  which  compose 
their  moral  code  may  be  exactly  the  same  as  ours. 
But,  it  is  highly  probable  that,  in  general,  the 
inhabitants  of  the  various  globes,  which  float  in 
the  immensity  of  space,  differ  as  much  in  their 
moral  circumstances  and  relations,  as  the  globes 
themselves  do  in  their  size,  their  physical  consti- 
tution, and  their  natural  scenery.  I  have  alieadj 
shown,  (p.  78,  &c.)  that  there  are  seven  pre- 
cepts of  our  moral  law  which  are  common  to  the 
inhabitants  of  all  worlds,  namely,  the/irst,  second, 
third,  fourth,  (seep.  114,)  the  sixth,  the  ninth, 
and  the  tenth.  And,  if  there  be  no  portion  of 
the  intelligent  system  in  which  subordination,  in 
a  greater  or  less  degree,  does  not  exist,  then,  the 
fifth  precept  of  our  code  must  also  be  a  law  com- 
mon to  all  intelligences.  It  was  formerly  stated, 
(p.  102,)  that  the  seventh  precept  is  in  all  proba- 
bility, a  law  peculiar  tot-he  inhabitants  of  the 
earth,  during  the  present  economy  ofProvidence ; 
and,  perhaps  it  is  the  only  one  which  is  not  ap- 
plicable to  the  other  inhabitants  of  the  universe. 
So  that  the  ntoral  laws  given  to  man  may  be  con- 
sidered as  substantially  the  same  with  those 
which  govern  all  the  other  parts  of  the  universal 
system. 

VI.  From  the  preceding  illustrations,  we  may 
infer,  the  excellency  and  the  divine  origin  of  the 
Christian  Revelation.  The  Scriptures  contain 
the  most  impressive  evidence  of  their  heavenly 
original  in  iheir  own  bosom.  The  wide  range 
of  objects  they  embrace,  extending  from  (hecon*. 
mencement  of  our  earthly  system,  through  >l 
the  revolutions  of  time,  to  the  period  of  its  tenai- 


118 


THE  PHiLoscrnr  of  religion. 


nation ;  and  from  tne  countiesi  afie*  or  eiemiij 
put,  to  the  more  crand  and  diveraified  acenn*  oT 
•(«rnity  to  come— the  plan  of  Providence  which 
Ihejr  unfiild,  and  ih«  viewa  ihey  exhibit  of  the 
aM>raI  principle!!  of  the  Divine  govemmrnl,  and 
of  the  subordination  of  all  even's  to  the  accom- 
plishment (ifa  glorimis  design — the  character  and 
attrib<ites  of  the  Creator,  which  they  illustrate 
by  the  most  impressive  delineations,  and  the 
roost  loTiv  and  sublime  descriptions — the  views 
(bey  exhibit  of  the  existence,  the  powers,  the 
capacities,  the  virtues,  and  the  employments  of 
superior  orders  of  intellectual  beings — ihc  de- 
monstrations they  afford  of  the  dignified  station, 
and  of  the  high  destination  of  man — and  the  sub- 
lime and  awful  scenes  they  unfold,  when  the  earth 
"  shall  melt  like  wax  at  the  presence^  of  the  Lord," 
when  the  throne  of  judgment  shall  be  set,  and 
tho  unnumbered  millions  of  the  race  of  Adam 
■hall  be  assembled  before  the  Judge  of  all — iii5- 
nitely  surpass  every  thing  which  the  unassisted 
imaginations  of  men  could  have  devised,  and 
every  thing  which  had  ever  been  attempted  by 
the  greatest  sages  of  antiquity,  either  in  prose  or 
in  rhyme  ;  and,  consequently  prove,  to  a  moral 
demonstration,  that  a  Power  and  Intelligence, 
superior  to  the  human  mind,  must  have  suggest- 
ed such  sublime  conceptions,  and  such  astonish- 
ing ideas;  since  there  are  no  prototypes  ofsU'h 
objects  to  be  found  within  the  ordinary  range  of 
the  human  mind. 

But  the  subject  to  which  we  have  been  hither- 
to adverting,  when  properly  considered,  suggests 
an  evidence  of  the  truth  and  divinity  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, as  striking,  and,  perhaps,  more  convincing 
than  any  otiier.  They  unfold  to  us  the  moral 
laws  of  the  universe — they  present  to  us  a  sum- 
mary of  moral  principles  and  precepts,  which  is 
applicable  to  all  the  tribes  and  generations  of 
men,  to  all  the  orders  of  angelic  beings,  and  to 
all  the  moral  intelligences  that  people  the  ampli- 
tudes of  crea' ion — lo  man,  during  his  temporary 
abode  on  earth,  and  to  man,  when  placed  in 
heaven,  so  long  as  eternity  endures — precepts, 
which,  if  universally  observed,  would  banish 
misery  from  the  creation,  and  distribute  happi- 
neaa,  without  alloy,  among  all  the  intellectual  be- 
in^  that  exi-t  throughout  the  empire  of  God. 
Can  these  things  be  affirmed  of  any  other  system 
of  religion  or  of  morals  that  was  ever  publifthed 
to  the  world  ?  The  Greek  and  Roman  moralists, 
after  all  their  laboured  investigations,  could  never 
arrive  at  any  certain  determination  with  regard 
to  the  nature  of  happiitess,  and  the  means  of  at- 
taining it.  We  are  to'd  by  Varro,  one  of  the 
most  learned  writers  of  the  Augustan  age,  thai, 
the  heathen  philoenpbers  had  embraced  more 
than  two  hunHretl  and  eighty  diflerent  opinions 
raapecting  the  supreme  good.  Some  of  them 
taught  that  it  consisted  in  aennial  enjoyments, 
and  in  freedom  from  pain ;  others  considered  it 
M  placed  in  study  and  contemplatioa,  in  militarr 


glory,  in  richea,  honours,  wealth,  and  fame.  Some 
of  their  moral  maxims,  Be|>arately  coiMidered, 
were  rational  and  ex<t:lleni ;  but  ihey  werecuo- 
necied  with  other  maxims,  which  completely 
neutralized  all  their  virtue,  and  their  tendency  to 
produce  happiness.  Pride,  falsehood,  injualice, 
impurity,  revenge,  and  an  unfeeling  apathy  to 
the  distresses  uf  their  ft-liow-creatures,  were 
considered  as  quite  consistent  with  tiieir  system 
of  morality  ;  and  such  malignant  principles  and 
practices  were  blended  with  their  most  virtuous 
actions.  But  we  have  already  shown,  that  the 
uniform  operation  of  such  principles  would  ne- 
cessarily lead  lo  the  destruction  of  all  happineaa, 
and  to  the  overthrow  uf  all  order  throughout  the 
intelligent  creation. 

Now,  can  it  be  supposed,  for  a  moment,  that  a 
/nil,  who  had  spent  forty  years  of  his  life  as  a 
shepherd  in  a  desert  country ,  who  lived  in  a  nide 
age  of  the  world,  who  had  never  studied  a  sys- 
tem of  ethics,  and  whose  mind  was  altogether 
incapable  of  tracing  the  various  relations  which 
subsists  between  intelligent  beings  and  their 
Creator,  could  have  investigated  those  moral 
principles  and  laws  which  form  the  foundation  of 
the  moral  universe,  and  the  basis  of  the  divine 
government  in  all  worlds;  unless  they  had  been 
communicated  immediately  by  Him,  who,  at  one 
glance,  beholds  all  the  physical  and  moral  rela- 
tions which  exist  throughout  creation,  and  who 
can  trace  the  bearings  and  the  eternal  conse- 
quences of  every  moral  law  ?  Or  can  we  sup- 
pose, that,  throughout  the  whole  period  of  the 
Jewish  economy,  and  during  the  first  ages  of  the 
Christian  dispensation,  a  multitude  of  writers 
should  appear,  many  of  them  unknown  to  each 
other,  all  of  whom  should  uniformly  recognise 
those  laws  in  their  minutest  bearings  and  rami- 
fications, unless  their  minds  had  been  enlight- 
ened and  directed  by  the  same  powerful  and  utH 
erring  Intelligence  ?  If  these  laws  are  distia- 
giiished  by  their  extreme  timplieity .  ihey  are  the 
more  characteristic  of  their  divine  Author,  who, 
from  the  general  operation  of  a  few  simple  prin- 
ciples and  laws  in  the  system  of  nature,  produce* 
all  the  variety  we  perceive  in  the  material  world, 
and  all  the  harmonies,  the  contrasts,  the  bea'ities, 
and  the  sublimities  of  the  univeree.  If  it  be 
asked  why  these  laws,  which  are  so  extremely 
simple  and  comprehensive,  were  not  discovered 
nor  recognised  by  the  ancient  sages?  It  might 
be  answered,  by  asking  why  the  laws  of  gravita- 
tion, which  are  also  simple  and  comprehensive, 
were  not  discovered,  till  Newton  arose  to  inve^ 
tigate  the  agencies  of  nature,  and  to  pour  a  flood 
of  light  on  the  system  of  the  tmiverse?  But 
the  true  reasons  are — the  unassisted  powers  of 
the  human  mind  were  inadeqiMte  lo  the  task  of 
surveying  all  the  moral  relations  which  subsist 
throughout  the  intelligent  system,  and  of  tracing 
those  moral  principles  which  wouM  apply  to  the 
whole  assemblage  of  moral  agents,  so  as  to  a»- 


GENERAL  CONCLUSIONS. 


119 


can  tM  happiness  of  each  individual,  and  of 
the  system  as  one  great  whole — that  the  laws  of 
God  were  almost  directly  contrary  to  the  lead- 
ing maxims  of  morality  which  prevailed  in  the 
world — and  that  they  struck  at  the  root  of  all 
those  principles  of  pride,  ambition,  revenge,  and 
impurity,  which  almost  universally  directed  the 
conduct  of  individuals  and  of  nations. 

If,  then,  we  find  in  a  book  which  professes  to 
be  a  revelaiinn  from  heaven,  a  system  of  moral 
laws  which  can  clearly  be  shown  to  be  the  ba'sis 
of  the  moral  order  of  the  universe,  and  which 
we  calculated  to  secure  the  eternal  happiness  of 
all  intelleuiual  beings — it  forms  a  strong  pre- 
sumptive proof,  if  not  an  unanswerable  argu- 
ment, that  the  contents  of  that  book  are  of  a  ce- 
lestial origin,  and  were  dictated  by  Him  who 
gave  birth  to  the  whole  system  of  created  be- 
ings. 

VII.  From  this  subject  we  may  learn  the  ab- 
surdity and  pernicious  tendency  of  Antinomian- 
ism.  Of  all  the  absurdities  and  abominations 
which  have  assumed  the  name  of  Religion,  I 
know  none  more  pernicious  and  atheistical  in  its 
tendency,  than  the  sentiment  which  is  tenacious- 
ly maintained  by  modern  Antinomians,  "  That 
Christians  are  set  free  from  the  law  of  God  as  a 
rule  of  conduct."  That  in  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury of  the  Christian  era,  amidst  the  rapid  pro- 
gress of  physical  and  moral  science,  under  the 
mask  of  a  Christian  profession,  and  with  the 
moral  precepts  and  injunctions  of  the  prophets 
of  Jesus  Christ,  and  of  his  apostles,  lying  open 
before  them,  a  set  of  men,  calling  themselves  ra- 
tional being<>,  should  arise  to  maintain,  that  there 
is  such  a  thins  as  "  imputed  sanciification,"  that 
the  moral  law  is  not  obligatory  upon  Christians, 
and  that  "  whoever  talks  of  progressive  sanctifi- 
tmtion  is  guilty  of  high  treason  against  the  ma- 
jesty of  heaven"*— is  a  moral  phenomenon  truly 
humbling  and  astonishing  ;  and  affords  an  addi- 
tional proof,  to  the  many  other  evidences  which 
lie  before  us,  of  the  folly  and  perversity  of  the 
human  mind,  and  of  its  readiness  to  embrace 
the  most  wild  and  glaring  absurdities  !  If  the 
leeuling  train  of  sentiment  which  has  been  pro- 
recuted  in  the  preceding  illustrations  be  admit- 
tjd,  there  appears  nothing  else  requisite  in  order 
to  show  the  gross  absurdity  and  the  deadly  ma- 
lignity of  the  Aminomian  system.  If  any  sys- 
'  tem  of  religion  be  founded  on  the  cancellation  of 
every  moral  lie  which  connects  man  with  man, 
and  man  with  God — if  its  fundamental  and  dis- 
tinguishing principles,  when  carried  out  to  their 
legitimate  consequences,  would  lead  men  to  hate 
their  Creator  and  to  hate  one  another — if  it  can 
be  shown,  that  the  operation  of  such  principles 
oonstilutes  the  chief  ingredient  of  the  misery 
which  arises  from  "  the  worm  that  never  dies, 


*  See  Cottle's  "Strictures  on  the  Pljmouth  Antl- 
ftomians." 


and  the  hre  which  is  never  quenched ;"  and  that, 
if  universally  acted  upon,  they  would  overthrow 
all  order  in  the  intelligent  system,  and  banish 
every  species  of  happiness  from  the  universe — it 
necessarily  follows,  that  such  a  8ysten>  cannot 
be  the  religion  prescribed  by  the  All-wise  and 
benevolent  Creator,  nor  any  part  of  that  revela- 
tion which  proclaims  "  peace  on  earth  and  good- 
will among  men,"  and  which  enjoins  us  to  "  love 
the  Lord  our  God  with  all  our  hearts,  and  our 
neighbour  as  ourselves." 

The  Antinomian,  in  following  out  his  own 
principles,  if  no  human  laws  or  prudential  consi- 
derations were  to  deter  him,  might  run  to  every 
excess  of  profligacy  and  debauchery — might  in- 
dulge in  impiety,  falsehood,  and  profanity— might 
commit  theft,  robbery,  adultery,  fraud,  crueily, 
injustice,  aitd  even  murder,  without  considering 
himself  as  acting  contrary  to  the  spirit  of  his  reli- 
gious system.  On  his  principles,  the  idea  of 
heaven,  or  a  state  of  perfect  happiness,  is  a  phy- 
sical and  moral  impossibility ;  and  the  idea  of 
hell  A  mere  bugbear  to  frighten  children  and  fools. 
For,  wherever  the  moral  law  is  generally  observ- 
ed, there  can  be  no  great  portion  of  misery  ex- 
perienced under  the  arrangements  of  a  benevo* 
lent  Creator ;  and  if  this  law  be  set  aside,  or 
its  observai.^e  considered  as  a  matter  of  indiffer- 
ence, the  foundation  of  all  the  happiness  of  saints 
and  angels  is  necessarily  subvened.  A  heaven 
without  love  pervading  the  breasts  of  all  its  in- 
habitants, would  be  a  contradiction  in  terms; 
but  love,  as  we  have  already  seen,  is  the  founda- 
tion of  every  moral  precept. 

I  trust  the  moral  conduct  of  the  deluded  mor- 
tals who  have  embraced  this  system  is  more  re- 
spectable than  that  to  which  their  principles 
naturally  lead  ;— -but  the  consideration,  that  such 
absurd  and  dangerous  opinions  have  been  deduc- 
ed from  the  Christian  revelation,  should  act  as  a 
powerful  stimulus  on  the  Christian  world,  for  di- 
recting their  attention  to  a  more  minute  and 
comprehensive  illustration  than  has  hitherto  been 
given,  of  the  practical  bearings  of  the  Christian 
system,  and  of  the  eternal  and  immutable  obliga- 
tion of  the  law  of  God,  which  it  is  the  great  end 
of  the  gospel  of  Christ  to  enforce  and  demon- 
strate. For  it  is  lamentable  to  reflect  how  many 
thousands  of  religionists,  both  in  North  and  in 
South  Britain,  even  in  the  present  day,  have 
their  minds  tinctured,  in  a  greater  or  less  desrec, 
with  the  poison  of  Antinomianism,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  general  strain  of  many  of  the  doc- 
trinal sermons  they  are  accustomed  to  hear,  and 
of  the  injudicious  sentiments  they  have  imbibed 
from  the  writings  of  the  supralapsarian  divines  of 
the  sevenleeth  centuary. 

VIII.  Faith  and  repentance,  as  required  in 
the  Gospel,  are  absolutely  necessary,  in  the  pre- 
sent condition  of  man,  in  order  to  acceptable 
obedience  to  the  divine  law.  "  Without  faith  it 
is  impossible  to  please  Ghxi ;  for  he  that  comedl 


ISO 


THE  I^ILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGIOIf. 


to  God  mtnt  b«U«v«  tha(  he  it,  and  that  he  it  the 
rewarder  of  ihem  that  diligently  seek  him." — 
Faith,  at  the  irrm  is  used  in  tcripture,  dfiinlea 
co^titnet  in  ihe  moral  character  of  God,  found- 
ed on  the  btrlief  we  atlacli  to  the  declaratiuMs  of 
^ia  wofd.  Ii  \*  tiefiiiird,  by  the  Apostle  Paul,  in 
Um  •levenlh  rhapier  of  the  epistle  to  t)ie  He- 
brawa,  to  be"  th«  confiilcnt  expectaii'io  of  things 
hoped  for,"  and  "  ihe  conviction  of  things  which 
are  not  se<^n."*  Faiih  substantiaies  and  realizes 
those  objects  which  are  invisible  to  ihe  eye  of 
aenae,  and  which  lie  beyond  the  reach  of  our 
present  comprt- hensiun.  It  recognises  the  exis- 
tence and  (he  omnipresence  of  an  invisible  Being, 
by  whose  ajiency  the  visible  operations  of  nature 
are  conducted  ;  and  views  him  as  poMested  of 
infinite  wisdom,  power,  benevolence, faithfulness, 
rectitude,  and  eternal  duration.  Il^realizes  the 
scenes  of  an  invisible  and  eternal  world—the 
destruction  of  the  present  fabric  of  our  globe,  the 
resurrection  of  the  dead,  Ihe  solemnities  of  ihe 
last  judgment,  the  new  heavens,  and  the  new 
earth,  the  innumerable  company  of  angels,  and 
the  grandeur  and  felicity  of  the  heavenly  world. 
These  invisible  realities  it  recognises,  on  the 
tostimony  of  God  exhibited  in  his  word ;  and 
without  a  recognition  of  such  objects,  religion 
can  have  no  existence  in  the  mind. — In  a  parti- 
cular manner,  faith  recognises  the  declaraiions 
of  God  in  relai-ion  to  the  character  and  the  con- 
dition of  men  as  violators  of  his  law,  and  a»  ex- 
posed to  misery  ;  and  the  exhibition  which  is 
made  of  the  way  of  reconciliation,  through  the 
mediation  of  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  "  set  fiirih  as 
a  propitiation  to  declare  Ihe  righteousness  of  Gnd 
in  the  remission  of  sins."  The  man  in  whose 
heart  the  principle  of  faith  operates,  convinced 
that  he  is  guilty  before  God,  and  exposed  to  mi- 
sery on  accotint  of  sin,eori/S(2e*in  the  declarations 
of  God  respecting  "  the  remission  of  sins  through 
the  redemption  that  is  in  Christ  Jesus ;" — he 
confides  in  the  goodness,  mercy,  faithfulness,  and 
power  of  God,  which  secure  ihe  accomplishment 
of  bis  promises,  and  the  supply  of  all  requisite 
•irenglh  and  consolation  to  support  him  amidst 
the  dangers  and  aifliciions  of  life  ;  he  confides  in 
the  wisdom  and  excellence  of  those  precepts 
which  are  prescribed  as  the  rule  of  his  conduct, 
and  which  are  fined  to  guide  him  to  the  regions 
of  happiness  ; — and  in  th«  exercise  of  this  confi- 
dence, he  "  adds  to  his  fiiiih,  fortitude  and  reso- 
Intion,  knowledge,  temperance,  patience,  godli- 
neaa,  brotherly  kindness,  and  charity  ;"  and  pro- 
aecutes  wilh  courage  this  course  of  obedience, 
till  at  length  "  an  entrance  it  abundantly  admin- 
iatevedto  him  into  the  everlasting  kingdom  of  our 
Lord  aad  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ."  But,  without 
a  MOOgMtion  of  suck  objects,  and  an  unshaken 
I  in  Ihe  declarations  of  God  respecting 
,  it  is  obvious,  from  Ihe  nature  of  things, 

•  DwMrldge'stfMaaUtlOD  *t  Hab.  xL  I. 


that  we  "  cannot  please  God,"  nor  yield  to  hitaa 
an  acceptable  and  "  reasonable  service." 

In  like  manner  it  might  be  shown,  that  repent 
once  is  easeniially  reqiiitiir  in  order  to  acceptable 
obedience.  Sin  is  directly  opposed  to  the  cba 
racier  of  God,  and  ia  the  great  nuisance  of  the 
moral  universe.  While  the  love  of  it  predomi- 
nates in  any  miud,  it  leads  to  every  species  oT 
moral  turpitude  and  depravity ;  and,  conse- 
quently, completely  unfits  itKh  a  mind  for  yield- 
ing a  cheerful  obed^Dce  to  the  divine  law.  But 
repentance,  which  eofuists  in  hatred  of  sin,  and 
sorrow  for  having  committed  it,  naturally  fita 
aad  prepares  the  mind  for  the  practice  of  univer- 
sal holiness.  It  lends  to  withdraw  the  soul  from 
the  practice  of  sin,  and  warns  it  of  the  danger  of 
turning  again  to  folly.  It  is  the  commencement 
of  every  course  of  virtuous  conduct,  and  the  ave- 
nue which  uliimaiely  leads  lo  solid  peace  and 
tranquillity  of  mind.  It  it  intimately  coiwected 
wilh  humility  and  self-denial,  ami  is  directly  op- 
posed lo  pride,  vanity,  and  self-gratiilation.  It 
must,  therefore,  be  indispensably  requisite  to 
prepare  us  for  conformity  lo  the  moral  character 
of  God,  for  universal  obedience  to  his  law,  and 
for  the  enjoyment  of  substaniial  and  never-ending 
felicity.  Hence  the  importance  which  is  at- 
tached to  the  exercise  of  repeniance  by  our  Sa- 
viour and  his  Apostles,  in  connexion  with 
faiih,  it  is  uniformly  represealed  as  the  first  duty 
of  a  sinner,  and  the  c<jmmenccment  of  the  Chris- 
tian life.  Repentance  was  the  great  duly  to 
which  the  forerunner  of  the  Messiah  called  the 
multitudes  who  flocked  to  his  baptism,  and  on 
which  the  Messiah  himself  expatiated  during  the 
period  of  his  public  ministry.  "  Repent  yi,  for 
the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand."  "  £.v;ept 
ye  repent,  ye  shall  all  likewise  perish."  And 
the  apostles,  in  their  instructions  lo  every  nation 
and  to  every  class  of  men,  laid  down  the  folluw» 
ing  positions  as  the  foundation  of  every  moral 
duty.  "  Repentance  towards  God,  and  faith  to- 
wards our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

IX.  From  ihe  preceding  illustrations  we  may 
learn,  that  no  merit,  in  the  sense  in  which  that 
term  is  sometimes  used,  can  be  attached  to  hu- 
man actions  in  the  sight  of  God ;  and  that  the 
salvation,  or  ultimate  happiness  of  sinners,  is  i>ib 
effect  of  the  grace  or  benevolence  of  God. — 
That  the  good  works  of  men  are  meritoriouM  m 
the  sight  of  God,  is  a  notion,  as  unphilosophical 
and  absurd,  as  it  is  impious  and  unscripiuraL 
They  are  requisite,  and  iwiupenaabh/  requisite, 
as  qualification*,  or  yreparalioru  for  the  enjoy- 
ment of  felicity,  wilhoul  which  the  attainment  of 
true  happiness  either  here  or  hereafter,  is  an  ab- 
solute impossibility  ;  but  the  actions  of  no  created 
being,  not  even  the  siibliaBest  services  and  adora- 
tions of  the  angelic  hosts,  can  have  the  least  merit 
in  the  eyes  of  the  Creator.  "  Thy  wickedneaa 
may  hurt  a  man  as  thou  art,  and  ihy  righteous- 
neaa  any  profit  lbs  son  of  man ;"  but  "  if  llio» 


GOOD  WORKS  NOT  MERITORIOUS. 


13} 


«innest,  what  dost  thou  against  God  ;  or,  if  thou 
be  righteous,  what  givesl  thou  him  ?  and  what 
receiveth  he  of  thine  hand  V*  "  Thy  goodness 
extendeth  not  unto  him,"  and  he  that  sinneth 
against  him  wronge  h  his  own  soul." — What 
merit  can  there  be  in  the  exercise  of  love,  and  in 
the  cultivation  of  benevolent  affections,  when  we 
consider,  that  these  affections  are  essentially  re- 
quisite to  our  happiness,  and  that  the  very  exer- 
cise of  them  is  a  privilege  conferred  by  God.  and 
one  of  the  principal  ingredients  of  bliss?  What 
merit  can  be  attached,  in  the  presence  of  the 
Most  High,  to  the  noblest  services  we  can  per- 
form, when  we  reflect,  that  we  derived  all  the 
Ciorporeal  and  intellectual  faculties  by  which  we 
perform  these  services,  and  all  the  means  by 
which  they  are  excited  and  directed,  from  our 
bountiful  Creator?  What  merit  can  there  be  in 
obedience  to  his  law,  when  disobedience  must 
infallibly  lead  to  destruction  and  misery  ?  (s  it 
considered  as  meritorious  in  a  traveller,  when  he 
is  properly  directed,  furnished  with  strength  of 
body  and  mind,  and  provided  with  every  neces- 
sary far  his  journey, — to  move  forward  to  the 
place  of  his  wished  for  destination  ?  Our  bene- 
Toleataffe<ttions,  and  the  active  services  to  which 
they  lead,  may  be  meritorious  in  the  eyes  of  our 
fellow-men,  in  so  far  as  they  are  the  means  of 
contributing  to  their  enjoyment;  but  in  the  pre- 
sence of  Him  who  sits  on  the  throne  of  the  uni- 
verse, dispensing  blessings  to  all  his  offspring,  we 
shall  always  have  to  acknowledge,  that  "  we  are 
unprofitable  servants."  It  is  probable,  that,  if 
the  great  object  of  religion  were  represented  in 
its  native  simplicity,  if  the  nature  of  salvation 
were  clearly  understood,  and  if  less  were  said  on 
the  subject  of  human  merit  in  sermons,  and  sys- 
tems of  divinity,  the  idea  which  I  am  now  com- 
bating, woul  I  seldom  be  entertained  by  any  mind 
possessed  of  the  least  share  of  Christian  know- 
ledge, or  of  common  sense. 

That  the  eternal  salvation  of  men,  is  the  effect 
of  the  love  and  the  grace  of  God,  is  also  a  neces- 
sary consequence  from  what  has  been  now  stated. 

*  Job  xxxT.  6,  8.    Psalm  xvL  2  &c. 


For  every  power,  capacity,  and  privilege  we 
possess,  was  derived  from  God.  "  What  have 
we  thai  we  have  not  received  ?"  Even  our  very 
existence  in  the  world  of  life,  is  an  act  of  grace. 
We  exerted  no  power  in  ushering  ourselves  into 
existence :  We  had  no  control  over  the  events 
which  determined  that  we  should  be  born  in  Bri- 
tain, and  not  in  Africa;  which  determined  the 
particular  family  with  which  we  should  be  con- 
nected ;  the  education  we  should  receive ;  the 
particular  objects  towards  which  our  minds  should 
be  directed,  and  the  privileges  we  should  enjoy. 
And,  when  we  arrive  at  the  close  of  our  earthly 
career,  when  the  spirit  is  hovering  on  the  verge 
of  life,  and  about  to  take  its  flight  from  this  mor- 
tal scene,  can  it  direct  its  course,  by  its  own 
energies,  through  the  world  unknown  ?  can  it 
wing  its  way  over  a  region  it  has  never  explored, 
to  its  kindred  spirits  in  the  mansions  of  bliss  ? 
can  it  furnish  these  mansions  with  the  scenes 
and  objects  from  which  its  happiness  is  to  be  de- 
rived ?  can  it  re-animate  the  body  after  it  has 
long  mouldered  in  the  dust  ?  can  it  re-unite  itself 
with  its  long-lost  partner  ?  can  it  transport  the 
resurrection-body,  to  that  distant  world  ^vhere  it 
is  destined  to  spend  an  endless  existence  ?  or 
can  it  create  those  scenes  of  glory  and  magnifi- 
cence, and  those  ecstatic  joys  which  will  fill  it 
with  transport  while  eternity  endures?  If  it 
cannot  be  supposed  to  accomplish  such  glorious 
objects  by  its  own  inherent  powers,  then,  it  must 
be  indebted  for  every  entertainment  in  the  future 
world  to  the  unbounded  and  unmerited  love  and 
mercy  of  God.  To  Him,  therefore,  who  sits  up- 
on the  throne  of  the  heavens,  and  to  the  Lamb 
who  was  slain  and  haih  redeemed  us  tn  God  by 
his  blood,  let  all  praise,  honour,  dominion,  and 
power,  ha  ascribed  now  and  forevpr.  Amen. 

Having  now  finished  what  I  proposed  in  the 
illustration  of  the  principles  of  love  to  God  and 
to  man,  and  of  the  precepts  of  the  Decalogue, — 
in  the  following  chapter,  I  shall  take  a  bird's  eye 
view  of  the  moral  state  of  the  world  ;  and  endea- 
vour to  ascertain,  to  what  extent  these  principles 
and  laws  have  been  recognised  and  observed  bf 
the  inhabitants  of  our  globe. 


16 


CHAPTER  IV. 


A  BRfEF  SURVEY  OF  THW  MORAL  STATE  OP  THE  WORLD  j  OR,  AN  EXAMIWATIOK  OP  THE  0» 
RERAL  TRAIN  OF  HUMAN  ACTIONS,  IN  REFERENCE  TO  IT8  CONFORJirrY  WITH  THE  PRINCfc 
PLBH  AND  LAWt)  NOW  ILLUSTRATEa 


The  discoTeries  of  modern  astronomy  have 
led  us  iirT.illibly  to  conclude,  that  the  universe 
ounsisis  of  an  immense  number  of  systems  and 
worlds  dispersed,  at  immeasurable  distances  from 
each  other,  throughout  the  regions  of  iiifiuite 
•pace.  When  we  take  into  consideration  the 
Benevolenet  of  the  Deity,  and  that  the  happiness 
of  the  intellii^enl  creation  is  the  great  object  which 
his  Wisdom  and  Omnipotence  are  employed  to 
accomplish — it  appears  highly  prt-bable,  that  the 
inhabitants  of  the  wbnie,  or  at  least  of  the  greater 
part,  of  those  worlds  whose  suns  we  behold 
twinkling  from  afar,  are  in  a  state  of  moral  per- 
fection, ar>d  cniisequeDtly,  in  a  state  of  happiness. 
Al  any  rate,  it  is  re«Mot>able  to  conclude,  that 
the  eacepiions  which  exist  are  not  numerous. 
Perhaps  this  earth  is  the  only  material  world 
yrhere  physical  eyil  exists,  where  misery  pre- 
vails, and  where  moral  order  is  subverted  ;  and 
these  dismal  eflects  may  have  been  permits 
ted  to  happen,  under  the  govnmment  of  God, 
in  order  to  exhibit  to  other  intelligences,  n  speci- 
men of  ihe  terrible  and  destructive  consequences 
OC  moral  evil,  as  a  warning  of  the  danger  of  m- 
fringing,  in  the  least  degree,  on  those  moral  prin- 
ciples which  form  the  bond  of  imion  among  the 
intelligent  system. 

Could  we  trace  the  series  of  events  which  have 
occurred,  in  any  one  ofthose  happy  worlds,  where 
moral  perfection  prevails,  ever  since  the  period 
when  it  was  replenished  with  inhabitants,  and 
the  objecu  to  which  their  physical  and  rational 
powers  have  been  directed,  we  should,  doubtless, 
be  highly  delighted  and  enraptured  with  the  mo- 
ral scenery  which  the  history  of  such  a  world 
would  disfilay.  Its  annals  would  unirormty  re- 
cord the  transact  ions  of  6«n«w/e»»r«.  We  should 
bear  nothing  of  the  pomp  of  hostile  armies,  of  the 
shouts  of  victory,  of  the  exploits  of  heroes,  of 
the  conflagralKHi  of  cities,  of  the  storming  of  for- 
tifications, iif  the  avarice  of  merchants  and  cour- 
tiers, (ifthebiirningof  heretics, or  of  the  ambition 
of  princes.  The  train  of  events,  presented  to 
our  view,  would  be  directly  opposed  lo  every  ob- 
ject of  thin  description,  and  to  every  thing  which 
Ibems  a  prominent  feature  in  the  history  of  man- 
kiud.  To  beautify  and  adorn  the  scenery  of  na- 
ture around  them,  to  extend  their  views  of  the 
operations  of  the  Almighty,  to  explore  the  depths 
of  his  wisdom  and  intellige«ice,  to  admire  the  exu- 
berance of  his  goodness,  to  celebrate,  in  uuisoo 


the  praises  of  the  "  King  Eternal,"  the  Author 
of  all  their  enjoyments,  to  make  progressive  ad- 
vances in  moral  and  intellectual  ailainmenis,  to 
circulate  joy  from  heart  to  heart,  to  exert  their 
ingenuity  in  the  invention  of  instruments  by 
which  their  physical  powers  may  be  improved, 
and  the  wonders  of  creation  more  minutely  ex- 
plored ;  to  widen  the  range  of  delightful  content 
plation,  lo  expand  their  views  of  the  Divine  per- 
fections, and  to  increase  the  sum  of  happiness 
among  all  their  fellow-intelligences,  will  doubt- 
less form  a  part  of  the  employmeiits  of  Ihe  inhabi- 
tants ofa  world  where  moral  |>urity  universally 
prevails.  One  circumstance  which  may  probably 
diversify  the  annals  of  such  a  world,  and  form  so 
many  eras  in  its  history,  may  be  the  occasional 
visits  of  angelic  or  other  messengers,  fiom  distant 
regions  of  creation,  to  announce  the  will  of  the 
Almighty  on  particular  emergencies,  to  relate 
the  progress  of  new  creations  in  other  parts  of  the 
Divine  Empire,  and  to  convey  intelligence  re- 
specting the  physical  aspects,  the  moral  arrange- 
ments, and  the  history  of  other  worlds,  and  of 
other  orders  of  intellectual  beings.  Such  visits 
and  occasional  intercourses  with  celestial  beings, 
would,  undoubtedly,  have  been  more  frequent  in 
our  world,  had  not  man  rendered  himself  iinqual^ 
fied  for  such  associations,  by  his  grovelling  affec- 
tions, and  by  the  moral  pollutions  with  which  his 
character  is  now  stained. 

When  we  turn  onr  eyes  from  the  transactions  of 
such  a  worki,  lo  the  world  in  which  we  live,  how 
very  different  a  scene  is  presented  to  the  view  I 
The  history  of  all  nations  embraces  little  more 
than 

ARKCOBDOrXHS   OPXRATIOITS  Or    MALKTO' 
LENCE. 

Every  occurrence  has  been  considered  as  lame 
and  insipid,  and  scarcely  worthy  of  being  record- 
ed, unles  it  has  been  associated  wiih  the  confused 
noise  of  warriors,  ihe  shouts  of  conquerors,  the 
plunder  of  provinces,  the  devastation  of  empires, 
the  groans  of  mangled  victims,  the  cr>es  of  wi- 
dows and  orphans,  and  with  garments  rolled  in 
blood.  When  such  malevolent  operations  rease 
for  a  litlle,  in  any  pHrt  of  the  world,  and  the  tu- 
multuous passions  which  produced  them,  subside 
inio  a  tem|)or«ry  calm,  the  historian  is  presented 
with  a  Uank  in  the  annals  of  the  human  race  , 
the  short   interlude  of  peace  and  of  appareai 


MORALS  OP  THE  ANTEDILUVIANS, 


198 


tranquillity  is  passed  over  as  unworthy  of  notice, 
till  the  restless  passions  of  avarice  and  ambition 
be  again  roused  into  fury,  and  a  new  set  of  des- 
peradoes arise,  to  carry  slaughter  and  desolation 
through  the  nations.  For,  during  the  short  tem- 
porary periods  of  repose  from  the  din  of  war, 
which  the  world  has  occasionally  enjoyed,  the 
malignant  passions,  which  were  only  smothered, 
but  not  extinguished,  prevented  the  operation  of 
the  benevolent  affections  ;  and,  of  course,  no  ex- 
tensive plans  for  the  counteraction  of  evil,  and 
the  improvement  of  mankind,  worthy  of  being 
recorded  by  the  annalist  and  the  historian,  were 
carried  into  effect. 

In  order  to  produce  a  definite  impression  of 
the  moral  state  of  the  world,  I  shall  endeavour, 
in  (his  chapter,  to  give  a  rapid  sketch  of  the  pro- 
minent dispositions  of  raanlcind,  as  displayed  in 
the  general  train  of  human  actions — that  we  may 
be  enabled  to  form  a  rude  estimate  of  the  degree 
in  which  the  law  of  God  has  been  recognised, 
and  of  the  extent  to  which  its  violation  has  been 
carried,  on  the  great  theatre  of  the  world,  and 
in  the  ordinary  transactions  of  general  society. 

I  shall,  in  the  first  place,  take  a  rapid  view  of 
the  moral  state  of  the  world  in  ancient  times, 
and  then  take  a  more  particular  survey  of  the 
present  state  of  morals,  among  savage  and  civi- 
lized nations— in  the  Christian  world — and  among 
the  various  ranks  and  orders  of  society. 


SECTION  I. 

rrxTx  or  morals  in  the  ancient  world. 

Man  was  originally  formed  after  the  moral 
image  of  his  Maker.  His  understanding  was  quick 
and  vigorous  in  its  perceptions;  his  will  subject  to 
the  divine  law,  and  to  the  dictates  of  his  reason  ; 
his  passions  serene  and  uncontaminated  with 
evil ;  his  affections  dignified  and  pure  ;  his  love 
supremely  fixed  upon  his  Creator  ;  and  his  joy 
unmingled  with  those  sorrows  which  have  so  long 
been  the  bitter  portion  of  his  degenerate  race. 
But  the  primogenitor  of  the  human  race  did  not 
long  continue  in  the  holy  and  dignified  station  in 
which  he  was  placed.  Though  he  was  placed 
in  "  a  garden  of  delights,"  surrounded  with  every 
thing  that  was  delicious  lo  the  taste  and  pleasant 
to  the  eye,  yet  he  dared  to  violate  a  positive  com- 
mand of  his  Maker,  and  to  stretch  forth  his  im- 
pious hand  to  pluck  and  to  taste  the  fruit  of  the 
forbidden  tree— a  picture  and  a  prelude  of  the 
conduct  of  millions  of  his  degraded  offspring  who 
despise  the  lawful  enjoyments  which  lie  within 
their  reach,  and  obstinately  rush  on  forbidden 
pleasures,  which  terminate  in  wretchedness  and 
sorrow.  The  dismal  effects  of  the  depraved  dis- 
positions thus  introduced  among  the  human  spe- 
cies, soon  became  apparent.  Cain,  the  first-bom 
son  of  Adam,  had  oo  sooner  reached  to  the  yeara 


of  maturity,  than  he  gave  vent  to  his  revengeful 
passions,  and  imbrued  his  hands  in  his  brother's 
blood.  And  ever  since  the  perpetration  of  this 
horrid  and  unnatural  deed,  the  earth  has  been 
drenched  with  the  blood  of  thousands  and  of  mil- 
lions of  human  beings,  and  the  stream  of  corrup- 
tion has  flowed  without  intermission,  and  in  every 
direction  around  the  globe. 

Of  the  state  of  mankind  in  the  ages  before  the 
flood,  the  sacred  history  furnishes  us  with  only  a 
few  brief  and  general  descriptions.  But  those 
descriptions,  short  and  general  as  they  are,  pre- 
sent to  us  a  most  dreadful  and  revolting  picture 
of  the  pitch  of  depravity  and  wickedness  to 
which  the  human  race  had  arrived.  We  have 
the  testimony  of  God  himself  to  assure  us,  that, 
within  1600  years  from  the  creation  of  the  work!, 
"  the  wickedness  of  man  had  become  great  upon 
the  earth — that  the  earth  was  filled  with  violence" 
— yea,  that  "  every  imagination  of  the  thoughts 
of  man's  heart  was  only  evil  continually,"— K»r, 
as  it  may  more  literally  be  rendered  from  the 
Hebrew,  "  the  whole  imagination,  comprehend- 
ing all  the  purposes  and  desires  of  the  mind,  was 
only  evil  from  day  to  day." — "  God  looked  upon 
the  earth ;  and  behold  it  was  corrupt ;  for  all 
flesh  had  corrupted  their  way  upon  the  earth." 
A  more  comprehensive  summary  of  the  great- 
ness and  the  extent  of  human  wickedness  it  is 
scarcely  possible  to  conceive.  The  mind  is  left 
to  fill  up  the  outline  of  this  horrid  picture  with 
every  thing  that  is  degrading  to  the  human  cha- 
racter, with  every  thing  that  is  profligate  and 
abominable  in  manners,  with  everything  that  is 
base,  false,  deceitful,  licentious,  and  profane,  and 
with  every  thing  that  is  horrible  and  destructive 
in  war,  and  ruinous  to  the  interests  of  human  hap- 
piness. 

The  description  now  quoted,  contains  the  fol- 
lowing intimations: — I.  That,  previous  to  the 
deluge,  wickedness  had  become  universal.  It 
was  not  merely  the  majority  of  mankind  that  had 
thus  given  unbounded  scope  to  their  licentious 
desires,  while  smaller  societies  were  to  be  found 
in  which  the  worship  of  the  true  God,  and  the 
precepts  of  his  law  were  observed.  For  "  aU 
Jie»h  had  corrupted  their  ways."  And,  at  this 
period  the  world  is  reckoned  to  have  been  much 
more  populous  than  it  has  been  in  any  succeeding 
age,  and  to  have  contained  at  least  ten  billions 
of  inhabitants,  or  many  thousands  of  times  the 
amount  of  its  present  population.  So  that  uni- 
versal wickedness  must  have  produced  misery 
among  human  beings  to  an  extent  of  which  we 
can  form  no  adequate  conception.  2.  The  des- 
cription implies,  that  every  invention,  and  every 
purpose  and  scheme  devised  both  by  individuals 
and  by  communities,  voa»  of  a  malevolent  nature. 
"  The  imagination  of  every  man's  heart  was  only 
evil  continually."  The  dreadful  spectacles  of 
misery  and  horror  which  the  universal  prevalence 
of  such  principles  and  practices  which  Umo 


114 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


•iMt«d,  miMt  have  producrd,  are  beyond  the 
power  of  human  imagination  cither  to  coticeive 
or  to  delineate.  SonMS  faint  idea,  however,  may 
b«  formed  uf  some  of  theie  speciaclen,  from  the 
deacripiions  I  have  already  given  of  (he  effects 
wliich  would  inevitably  follow,  were  the  princi- 
'>ie  of  benevolene*  lo  be  eradicated  from  the  mind, 
ar  were  any  one  of  the  precepii  of  the  divine  law 
to  be  universally  violated — (see  ch.  ii.  sect.  iv. 
and  ch.  iii.  throughout.)  S.  The  ^eett  pro- 
duced by  this  universal  depravity  are  forcibly  ex- 
pressed in  the  words,  "  The  earth  was  filled  with 
fiolence."  From  this  declaration  we  are  nece;- 
aarily  led  to  conceive  a  scene  in  which  universal 
anarchy  and  disorder,  devastation  and  wretched- 
ness, every  where  prevailed — the  strong  and 
poweiful  forcibly  seizing  upon  the  wealth  and 
possessions  of  the  weak,  violating  the  persons  of 
the  female  sex,  oppressing  the  poor,  the  widow, 
and  the  fatherless,  overturning  the  established 
order  of  families  and  societies,  plundering  cities, 
demolishing  temples  and  palaces,  desolating 
fields,  orchards,  and  vineyards,  selling  fire  lo 
towns  and  villages,  and  carrying  bloodshed  and 
devastation  through  every  land— «  scene  in  which 
cruelty,  injustice,  and  outrages  of  every  kind, 
obscenity,  revelry,  riot,  and  debauchery  of  every 
description,  triumphed  over  every  principle  of 
decency  and  virtue — a  scene  in  which  the  earth 
was  strewed  with  smoking  ruins,  with  the  frag- 
ments of  human  habitations,  with  mangled 
human  beings  in  a  stale  of  wretchedness  and 
despair,  and  with  the  unburied  carcasses  of  the 
slain. 

Such  appears  to  have  been  the  state  of  gene- 
ral society  at  the  time  when  Noah  was  command- 
ed to  build  an  ark  of  refuge — a  state  of  society 
which  could  not  have  long  continued,  but  must 
inevitably,  in  the  course  of  a  few  generations, 
have  thinned  the  race  of  mankind,  and  ultimate- 
ly have  extirpated  the  race  of  Adam  from  the 
earth,  even  although  the  deluge  had  never  been 
poured  upon  the  world.  Wickedness  appears  to 
have  come  to  such  a  height,  that  no  interposition 
of  Providence  could  be  supposed  available  to 
produce  a  reformation  among  mankind,  without 
destroying  their  freedom  of  will ;  and,  therefore, 
k  was  an  act  of  mercy,  as  well  as  of  judgment, 
to  sweep  them  away  at  once  by  the  waters  of 
the  flood,  after  having  given  them  warnings  of 
their  danger ;  in  order  to  convince  such  obstinate 
and  abandoned  characters,  that  "  there  is  a  God 
that  judgeth  in  the  earth  ;"  and  in  order  to  pre- 
vent the  misery  which  would  otherwise  have  been 
entailed  on  succeeding  generations. 

Not  only  the  Sacred,  but  also  ihe  Pagan  writ- 
ers, when  alluding  to  the  antediluvians,  uniformly 
represent  them  as  abandoned  to  uncleanness, 
and  all  kinds  r^  wickedness.  Eutychus,  in  his 
AnnaU,  when  speaking  of  the  posterity  of  Cain, 
aays,  "  that  they  were  tnilty  of  all  manner  of 
filthy  crimef  with  oim  another,  and,  meeting  to- 


gether in  piiblic  place*  for  that  purpoMe,  tw»a( 
three  men  were  concerned  with  the  same  wonaa ; 
(he  ancient  women,  if|x>!isible,  being  more  liMiful 
and  brutish  than  the  young.  Nay,  fathers  lived 
promiscuously  with  their  daughiers,  and  the 
young  men  with  their  moihers  so  that  neither  the 
children  could  distinguish  their  own  parents,  nor 
the  |)arents  know  their  own  chiUren." — Lucian, 
a  native  of  Samosata,  a  town  situated  on  the  Eu- 
phrates, a  spot  where  memorials  of  the  deluge 
were  carefully  preserved,  gives  the  following  ac- 
count of  the  antediluvians  :— ^'  The  present  race 
of  mankind,"  say*  he,  "  are  different  from  thoae 
who  first  existed  ;  for  those  of  the  aniediluviaB 
world  were  all  destroyed.  The  present  worki  it 
peopled  from  the  sens  of  Deucalion  [or  Noah  ;) 
having  increased  to  so  great  a  number  from  one 
person.  In  respect  of  (he  (brmer  brood,  they 
were  men  of  violence,  and  lawless  in  (heir  deal- 
ings. They  were  con(en(ioua,  and  did  many 
unrighteous  (hings  ,*  (hey  regarded  not  oaths,  nor 
observed  the  rights  of  ho<>piialiiy,  nor  showed 
mercy  lo  those  who  sued  for  it.  On  this  account 
they  were  doomed  to  destructioM :  and  for  this 
purpose  there  was  a  mighty  eruption  of  waters 
from  the  earth,  a((ended  wi(h  heavy  showers 
from  above  ;  so  that  the  rivers  swelled,  and  the 
sea  overflowed,  till  (he  whole  earth  was  covered 
with  a  flood,  and  all  flesh  drowned.  Deucalion 
alone  was  preserved  (o  re-people  the  world.  This 
mercy  was  shown  to  him  on  account  of  his  piety 
and  ju8(ice.  His  preservation  was  etfecied  in 
this  manner  : — He  put  all  his  family,  both  his 
sons  and  their  wives,  rntoa  vast  ark  which  he 
had  provided,  and  he  went  in(o  it  himself  At 
the  same  time  animals  of  every  species — boars, 
horses,  lions,  serpents,  whatever  kind  lived  upon 
the  face  ofthe  earth — followed  him  by  pairs;  all 
which  ho  received  into  (he  ark.  and  experienced 
no  evil  from  (hem  ;  for  there  prevailed  a  wonder- 
fill  harmony  throughout,  by  the  immediate  in- 
fluence of  the  Deity.  Thus  were  they  wafled 
with  him  as  long  as   the   flood  endured." 

Such  is  (he  account  which  Lucian  gives  ofthe 
antediluvian  worki,  and  ofthe  preservation  ofthe 
human  race,  as  he  received  i(  from  the  traditions 
of  (he  inhabi(ant8  of  Hierapolis,  in  Syria,  where 
the  natives  prelended  to  have  very  particular 
memorials  of  the  deluge.  It  corroborate*  the 
facts  stated  in  (he  sacred  hi8(ory,  and  bear*  a 
very  near  resemblance  (o  the  authentic  account 
which  has  been  transmiKed  (o  us  by  Moses. — 
These  fac(s,  respecting  the  depravity  of  the  ante- 
diluvians, present  to  us  a  striking  example,  and 
a  demonstrative  evidence  of  the  dreadful  efTect* 
to  which  a  general  violation  of  the  divine  law 
necessarily  leads  ;  and  ofthe  sxtensive  confusion 
and  misery  which  are  inevitably  produced,  when 
the  law  of  love  is  set  aside,  and  when  malevo- 
lence exerts,  without  control,  its  diabolical  ene^ 
gie*.  An  order  in  society  ia  aubverted,  every 
specie*  of  rational  happine**  i*  deetroyed,  and 


CARTHAGINIAN  WARS. 


1S5 


Uw  existence  of  intelligent  beings,  in  such  a 
stale,  becuines  a  curse  lo  themselves,  and  to  all 
around  ihem.     Had  not  this  been  the  case  in  ihe 
primeval  world,  we  cannot  suppose  that  the  Deity 
would  have  exerted  his  Omnipotence  in  shatter- 
ing the  crust  of  the  terraqueous  globe,  and  bury- 
ing its  inhabitants  under  the  waters  ofa  deluge. 
After  the  deluge  had  subsided,  and  the  race  of 
Noah  had  begun  to  multiply  on  the  earth,  it  was 
not  long  before  the  depravity  of  man  began  to 
show  itself  by  its  malignant  effects  ;  though  hu- 
noan  wickedness  has  never  arrived  to  such  a  pitch 
as  in  the  times  before  the  flood  ;  for  this  reason, 
among  others,  that  the  life  of  man  has  been  re- 
duced to  a  narrow  span,  which  prevents  him  from 
carrying  his  malevolent  schemes  to  such  an  ex- 
tent as  did  the  inhabitants  of  the  world  before 
the  flood,  whose  lives  were  prolonged  to  the  pe- 
riod of  nearly  a  thousand  years.     The  lust  of 
ambition  soon  began  to  exert  its  baleful  influence 
over  the  mind ;  and  an  inordinate  desire  after 
wealth,  distinctions,  and  aggrandizement,  paved 
the  way  for  the  establishment  of  despotism,  and 
for  encroachments  on  the  rights  and  the  enjoy- 
ments of  mankind.     Among  the  heroes  and  des- 
pots of  antiquity,  Nimrod,  the  founder  of  the 
Babylonish  empire,  holds  a  distinguished  place. 
He  was  the  grandson  of  Ham,  the  son  ol  Noah, 
and  is  the  first  one  mentioned  in  Scripture  who 
appears  to  have  made  invasions  on  the  territories 
of  his  neighbours.     Having  distinguished  him- 
self, by  driving  from  his   country  the  beasts  of 
prey,  and  by  engaging  in  other  valorous  exploits, 
he  appears  to  have  aspired  after  regal  dignity  and 
power,  and  to  have  assumed  the  reins  of  abso- 
lute government.     He  was  the  first  that  subvert- 
ed the  patriarchal  government ;  and  is  supposed 
to  have  introduced,  among  his  subjects,  the  Zo- 
bian  idolatry,  or  the  worship  of  the  heavenly  host. 
"  The  beginning  of  his  kingdom,"  we  are  told, 
"  was  Babylon,  and   Erech,  and   Accad,  and 
Calneh,  in  the  land  of  Shinar."     In  the  footsteps 
of  this  proud  and  ambitious  despot,  has  followed 
a  train  of  Alexanders,  Caesars,  Hannibals,  Jeng- 
hiz-Kans,  Attilas,  Alaric,  Tamerlanes,  Marl- 
boroughs,   Fredericks,    and    Bonapartes,   who 
have  driven   the   plough-share    of  devastation 
through  the  world, erected  thrones  over  the  graves 
of  slaughtered  nations,  decorated  their  palaces 
with  trophies  dyed  in  blood,  and  made  the  earth 
to  resound  with  the  groans  and  shrieks  of  dying 
victims,  and  the  voice  of  mourning,  lamentation, 
and  wo. 

To  delineate  all  the  scenes  of  desolation  and 
horror  which  have  been  produced  by  such  des- 
peradoes, and  the  atrocious  crimes  and  immo- 
ralities which  have  followed  in  their  train,  would 
be  to  transcribe  the  whole  records  of  ancient  and 
modern  history,  which  contain  little  else  than  a 
register  of  human  folly,  avarice,  ambition,  and 
cruelty ;  and  of  the  daring  villanies  with  which 
Ciiey  have  been  accompanied .    Even  then,  we 


should  acquire  but  a  very  limited  conception  of 
the  extent  of  moral  evil,  and  of  the  immense 
variety  of  shapes  which  it  has  assumed  ;  for  the 
one  tenth  of  the  crimes  of  mankind  has  never, 
been  recorded  ;  and  it  is  to  the  public  iransao- 
tions  of  only  a  small  portion  of  the  world  that 
the  page  of  the  historian  directs  our  attention.  I 
shall,  therefore,  content  myself  with  stating  a 
few  insulated  facts,  as  specimens  of  the  train  of 
actions  which  have  generally  prevailed  in  the 
world. 

WARLIKE  DISPOSITIONS  OF  MANKIITD. 

IVar,  as  already  noticed,  has  been  the  delight 
and  the  employment  of  man  in  every  age ;  and, 
under  this  term  may  be  included  every  thing  that 
is  base  and  execrable  in  moral  conduct,  everjr 
thing  that  is  subversive  of  the  principle  of  benevo- 
lence, every  thing  that  is  destructive  of  human 
enjoyment,  every  thing  that  rouses  the  passions 
into  diabolical  fury,  every  thing  that  adds  to 
the  sum  of  human  wretchedness,  every  thing  that 
is  oppressive,  cruel,  and  unjust,  and  every  thing 
that  is  dreadful  and  appalling  to  mankind. — As 
an  exemplification  of  the  destructive  effects  of 
war,  I  shall,  in  the  first  place,  state  a  few  facts 
in  relation  to  the  Carthaginians. 

Carthage  was  originally  a  small  colony  of 
Phenicians,  who,  about  800  years  before  the 
Christian  era,  settled  on  the  northern  coast  of 
Africa,  on  a  small  peninsula,  adjacent  to  the  bay 
of  Tunis.  Having  increased  in  wealth  and 
power,  by  means  of^  their  extensive  commerce, 
like  most  other  nations,  they  attempted  to  mak« 
inroads  on  the  territories  of  neighbouring  tribes, 
and  to  plunder  them  of  their  treasures.  By  de- 
grees they  extended  their  power  over  all  the  islands 
in  the  Mediterranean,  Sicily  only  excepted.  For 
the  entire  conquest  of  this  island,  about  480 
years  before  Christ,  they  made  vast  preparations, 
which  lasted  for  three  years.  Their  army  con- 
sisted of  300,000  men  ;  their  fleet  was  composed 
of  upwards  of  2000  men  of  war,  and  3000  trans- 
ports. With  such  an  immense  armament,  they 
made  no  doubt  of  conquering  the  whole  island  in  a 
single  campaign.  But  they  found  themselves 
miserably  deceived.  Hamilcar,  the  most  expe- 
rienced captain  of  the  age,  sailed  from  Carthage 
with  this  formidable  army,  and  invested  the  city 
of  Hymera.  The  besieged  were  much  straiten- 
ed and  dismayed  by  the  operations  of  this  power- 
ful armame.-it ;  but  Gelon,  the  tyrant  of  Syracuse, 
flew  immediately  to  their  relief,  with  50,000  foot 
and  5000  horse.  A  dreadful  slaughter  ensued  : 
an  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  of  the  Carthagi- 
nians were  killed  in  the  battle  and  pursuit,  SLnd 
all  the  rest  taken  prisoners ;  so  that  not  a  single 
person  escaped  of  this  mighty  army.  Of  the 
2000  ships  of  war,  and  the  3000  transports  of 
which  the  fleet  consisted,  tight  ships  only,  which 
then  happened  to  be  out  at  sea,  made  their  escape; 
these  iminediately  set  sail  for  Carthage,  but  war* 


If6 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


all  CMt  tway,  and  erery  aoul  periihed,  eicept  a 
few  who  w«re  taved  in  a  «mail  boat,  and  ai  loxt 
reached  Carthage  wiih  ihe  diimal  iiHings  or  the 
fatal  loaa  of  ihe  flpet  and  army. — Here  we  have 
praaanted  lu  oiir  view,  \a  one  abort  rtriiegle,  the 
CBlire  dettruciionofmorM  than  two  hundred  Ount- 
mmd  human  beings,  if  we  take  into  account  the 
number  which  must  necessarily  have  fallen  in 
the  Sicilian  army.  And,  if  we  take  into  con- 
aideration  the  many  thousands  of  mangled 
wretches,  whose  exislence,  from  that  moment, 
would  be  rendered  miserable;  the  destruction  of 
property  in  the  besieged  city;  the  victims  crush- 
ed to  death  amidst  the  ruins  of  falling  houses ; 
the  cries,  and  shrieks,  and  lamentations  of  wo- 
men and  children  ;  the  diseases  and  the  misery 
induced  by  terror  and  alarm,  and  the  loss  of 
friends;  the  terrific  and  appalling  spectacle  of 
5000  ships  all  on  a  blaze,  of  ten  thousands  of 
burning  and  drowning  wretches,  supplicating  in 
vain  for  mercy,  and  the  oaths,  execrations,  and 
fiirious  yells  which  would  be  mingled  with  this 
work  of  destruction,  we  shall  find  it  difficult  to 
form  an  adequate  conception  uf  the  miseries  and 
horrors  of  such  a  scene.  And  what  was  the 
cause  of  this  dreadful  slaughter  and  devastation  ? 
That  a  proud  and  opulent  city,  whose  inhabitants 
Were  rioting  in  every  species  of  luxury,  might 
gratify  its  ambition,  by  tyrannizing  over  neigh- 
bouring tribes,  and  by  plundering  them  of  that 
wealth  of  which  it  did  not  stand  in  need.  And 
this  is  but  one  instance  out  of  ten  hundred  thou- 
sand of  the  miseries  of  war, — one  fatTit  thade  in 
the  picture  of  human  wo ! 

One  would   have  thought,  that,  afler  such  a 
signal  loss  and  discomfiture,  the  Carthaginians 
would  have  contented  themselves  with  iheir  own 
territory,  and  refrained   from    aggressive    war. 
This,  however,  was  not  the  case.     Where  bene- 
volence is  banished  from  the  mind,  and  reven^ 
occupies  its  place  in  the  affections,  it  will  hurry 
nnprincipled  men  to  the  most  wild  and  atrocious 
actions,  although  they  should  terminate   in  de- 
struction to  themselves  and  to  all  around  them.  It 
was  not  long  afler  this  period,  when  preparations 
were   again   made   for  the  invasion  of  Sicily. 
Hannibal,  the  grandson  of  Hamilcar,  landed  on 
the  coast  of  Sicily,  and  laid  siege  to   Selinus. 
The  besieged  made  a  vigorous  defence ;  but  at 
lut  the  city  was  taken  by  storm,  and  the  inhabi- 
tants were  treated  with  the  utmost  cruelty.     All 
were  massacred  by  the  savage  conquerors,  except 
die  women,  who  fled  to  the  temples  ; — and  these 
eaeaped,  not    through  the  merciful  dispositions 
of  the  Carthaginians,   but  because  they  were 
Afraid,  that,  if  driven  to  despair,  they  would  set 
(tre  to  the  temples,  and  by  that  meana  consume 
the  treasure  they  expected  to  find  in  thoaa  places. 
Sixteen  thousand  were  masaacred ;  the  women 
and  chiklren,  about  8000  in  number,  were  carried 
sway  captive ;  the  temples  were  plundered  of  all 
their  treaaurea,  and  the  city  razed  to  the  ground. 


Hymera  was  next  besieged  by  Hannibal,  and 
razed  to  its  foundations.  He  furced  three  thou- 
sand prisoners  to  undergo  all  kinds  of  ignominy 
and  punishments,  and  at  last  murdered  them,  on 
the  very  spot  where  his  grandfather  had  been  kill- 
ed by  Gelon's  cavalry,  to  appease  and  satisfy  hia 
manei,  by  the  blond  of  these  unhappy  victims, 
such  is  the  hMtnanitif  and  the  putie*  of  those  men, 
whom  we  are  accustomed  to  diriinguish  by  the 
names  of  Patriot*  and  Heroet! — Elated  with 
these  partial  victories,  the  Carthaginians  medi- 
tated the  reduction  of  the  whole  of  Sicily.  They 
marclied  against  the  city  of  Agrigentum,  and 
battered  its  walls  with  dreadful  fury.  The  be- 
sieged defended  themselves  wiih  incredible  reso- 
lution. In  a  sally,  they  burned  all  the  battering 
machines  raised  against  their  city,  and  repulsed 
the  enemy  with  immense  slaughter.  Again  the 
Carthaginians  rallied  their  forces,  beat  down  the 
walla  of  the  city,  plundered  it  of  an  immense 
booty,  and  with  their  usual  cruelty,  put  all  iu  in- 
habitants to  the  sword,  not  excepting  even  thoae 
who  had  fled  to  the  temples.  The  Carthaginians 
were  soon  after  forced  to  retire  from  Sicily. 
Again  they  renewed  their  expeditions;  again 
they  were  repulsed  ;  and  again  they  plunged  into 
the  horrors  of  war  ;  while  thousands  and  ten  tho«>- 
sands  were  slaughtered  at  every  onset ;  men,  wo- 
men, and  children  massacred  in  cold  blood  and 
the  pestilence  produced  by  the  unburied  carcasses 
of  the  slain,  proved  more  fatal  to  myriads,  than 
even  the  sword  of  the  warrior. 

In  this  manner  did  these  infatuated  mortals 
carry  on  a  series  of  sanguinary  contests  (or  sev^ 
ral  centuries,  with  the  Sicilians,  Greeks,  and 
other  nations  ;  till,  at  length,  they  dared  to  en- 
counter the  power,  and  the  formidable  forces  of 
the  Romans,  and  commenced  thosie  dreadful  and 
long-continued  conflirts,  distinguished  in  History 
by  the  name  of  The  Punie  Wart.  The  first 
Punic  war  lasted  twenty-four  years  ;  the  second, 
seventeen  years  ;  and  the  third,  (bur  years  and 
some  months.  In  this  last  contest,  the  plough- 
share of  destruction  was  literally  driven  through 
their  devoted  city,  by  the  Romans.  It  was  de- 
livered up  to  be  plundered  by  their  soldiers ;  ita 
gold,  silver,  statues,  and  other  treasures  amount- 
ing to  4,470,000  pounds  weight  of  silver,  were 
carried  olf  to  Rome ;  its  towers,  ramparts, 
walls,  and  all  the  works  which  the  Carthaginians 
had  raised  in  the  course  of  many  ages,  were  le- 
velled to  the  ground.  Fire  was  set  to  the  edifice* 
of  this  proud  metropolis,  which  consumed  them 
all,  not  a  single  house  escaping  the  fury  of  the 
flames.  And  though  the  fire  began  in  all  quar- 
ters at  the  same  time,  and  burned  with  incredible 
violence,  it  continued  for  leventten  days  before 
all  the  buildings  were  consumed. — Thus  perish- 
ed  Carthage— a  city  which  contained  700,000 
inhabitants,  and  which  had  waged  so  many 
ferocious  wars  with  neighbouring  nations — a  teiw 
rible  example  oT  the  daatraelive  aflacu  produced 


SCENES  OF  HUMAN  DESTRUCTION. 


tm 


bjr  malevolent  passions,  and  of  the  retributive 
justice  of  the  Governor  of  the  world.  The  de- 
struction of  human  life  in  the  numerous  wars  in 
which  it  was  engaged,  is  beyond  all  specific  cal- 
culation. During  the  space  of  sixteen  years, 
Hannibal,  the  Carthaginian  general,  plundered 
no  less  than  four  hundred  towns,  and  destroyed 
300,000  of  his  enemies  ;  and  we  may  safely  reck- 
on, that  nearly  an  equal  number  of  his  own 
men  must  have  been  cut  off  by  the  opposing  ar- 
mies; so  that  several  millions  of  human  victims 
must  have  been  sacrificed  in  these  bloody  and 
cruel  wars. 

The  following  is  a  summary  staten>ent  of  the 
number  of  human  beings  that  were  slain  in  seve- 
ral of  the  battles  recorded  in  history. — In  the 
year  101  be(()re  Christ,  in  an  engagement  between 
Marius,  the  Roman  Consul,  and  the  Ambrones 
and  the  Teutones,  in  Transalpine  Gaul,  there 
were  slain  of  these  barbarians,  besides  what  fell 
in  the  Roman  army,  200,000,  some  historians 
say,  290,000.  And  it  is  related,  that  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  neighbouring  country  made  fences 
for  vineyards  of  their  bones.  In  the  following 
year,  the  Romans,  under  the  command  of  the 
same  general,  slaughtered  140,000  of  the  Cimbri, 
and  took  60,000  prisoners.  In  the  year  105,  B, 
C.  the  Rom.ins,  in  a  single  engagement  with  the 
Cimbri  and  the  Teutones,  lost  upwards  of  80,000 
men.  In  the  battle  of  Cannae,  the  Romans  were 
surrounded  by  the  forces  of  Hannibal,  and  cut 
top'cces.  Afer  an  engagement  of  only  tAree 
how  *,  the  carnage  became  so  dreadful,  that  even 
the  Carthagmian  general  cried  out,  to  spare  the 
conquered.  Above  40,000  Romans  lay  dead  on 
the  Beld,  and  six  thousand  of  the  Carthaginian 
army.  What  a  dreadful  display  of  the  rage  and 
fury  of  diabolical  passions  must  have  been  exhi- 
bited on  this  occasion !  and  what  a  horrible  scene 
must  have  been  presented  on  the  field  of  battle, 
when  we  consider,  that,  in  the  mode  of  ancient 
warfare,  the  slain  were  literally  mangled,  and  cut 
to  pieces! — In  the  battle  of  Issus,  between  Alex- 
ander and  D.irius,  were  slain  110,000;  in  the 
battle  of  Arbela,  two  years  afterwards,  between 
the  same  two  desp  )ts,  300  000  ;  in  the  battle 
between  Pyrrhus  and  the  Romans,  25.000 ;  in 
the  battle  between  Scipio  and  Asdrubal,  40  000 ; 
inthebatde  between  Suetonius  and  Boadicea, 
80,000.  In  the  siege  of  Jerusalem  by  Vespa- 
sian, according  lo  the  account  of  Josephus,  there 
were  destroyed,  in  the  most  terrible  manner, 
1,100,000;  and  there  were  slaughtered  in  Jerii- 
salom,  in  170,  B.  C.  by  Aniiochus,  40  000.  At 
Cyrene,  there  were  slain  of  Romans  and  Greeks, 
by  the  Jews,  220  000  :  in  R'rypt  and  Cyprus,  in 
the  reign  of  Trajan,  240,000;  and  in  the  reign 
of  Adrian,  580  000  Jews.  Afier  Julius  Ccesar 
had  carried  his  arms  into  the  territories  of  Usi- 
petes  in  Germanv,  he  defeated  them  with  such 
slaughter,  that  400  000  are  said  to  have  perished 
in  one  battle.    At  the  defeat  of  Attila,  King  of 


the  Huns,  at  Chalons,  there  perished  about 
300  000.  In  theyear631,ihere  were  slain  by  the 
Saracens  in  Syria,  60,000 ;  in  the  invasion  of 
Milan  by  the  Goihs,  no  less  than  300,000;  and 
in  A.  D.  734,  by  the  Saracens  in  Spam,  370  000. 
In  the  battle  of  Fonlenay,  were  slaughtered 
100,000;  inthebaitleofYermouk,  150  000;  and 
in  the  battle  between  Charles  Mariel  and  the 
Mahometans,  350  000.  In  the  battle  of  Murel,  in 
A.D.  1213,  between  the  Catholics  and  the  Ai- 
bigenses,  were  slain  32  000;  in  (he  battle  of 
Cressy,  in  1346,  60  000  ;  in  the  battle  of  Hali- 
don-hill,  in  1333,  20  000;  in  the  battle  of  Agin- 
couri,  in  1415,  20  000 ;  in  the  battle  of  Towton, 
in  1461,  37  000;  in  the  battle  of  Lepanto.  in 
1571,25  000;  at  the  siege  of  Vienna,  in  1685, 
70,000;  and  in  a  battle  in  Persia,  in  1734, 
60,000.* 

The  most  numerous  army  of  which  we  have 
any  account  in  the  annals  of  history,  was  that  of 
Xerxes.  According  to  the  statement  of  Rollin, 
which  is  founded  on  the  statements  of  Herodotus, 
Isocrales,  and  Plutarch,  this  army  consisted  of 
1,700,000  foot,  80,000  horse,  and  20,000  men 
for  conducting  the  carriages  and  camels.  On 
passing  the  Hellespont,  an  addition 'vas  made  to 
it  from  other  nations,  of  300,000,  which  made 
his  land  forces  amount  to  2,100,000.  His  fleet 
consisted  of  1207  vessels,  each  carrying  230 
men  ;  in  all  277,610  men,  which  was  augmented 
bv  the  European  nations,  with  1200  vessels  car^ 
rying  240,000  men.  Besides  this  fleet  thesmall 
galleys,  transport  ships,  &c.  amounted  to  3000, 
containing  about  240,000  men.  Including  ser- 
vants, eunuchs,  vkonien,  sutlers,  and  others,  who 
usually  follow  an  army,  it  is  reckoned,  that  the 
whole  number  of  souls  that  f  >llowed  Xerxes  into 
Greece,  amounted  to  5.283,220  ;  which  is  more 
than  the  whole  of  the  male  population  of  Great 
Briiian  and  Ireland,  above  twenty  years  of  age, 
and  nearly  triple  the  whole  population  of  Scot- 
land. Afier  remaining  some  time  in  Greece, 
nearly  the  whole  of  this  immense  army,  along 
with  the  fleet,  was  routed  and  destroyed.  Mar- 
donius,  one  of  his  ablest  commanders,  with  an 
army  of  300  000,  was  finally  defeated  and  slain 
at  the  battle  of  Platea,  and  only  three  thousand 
of  (his  vast  army,  with  difiicidty  escaped  de- 
struction. 

The  destruction  of  human  life  in  the  wars 
which  accomp'mied  and  followed  the  incursions 
of  the  barbarians,  who  overthre  v  the  Roman 
empire,  is  beyond  all  calculation  or  conception. 
It  forms  an  era  in  history  most  degrading  to  the 
human  species,  [n  the  war  which  was  waged  in 
Africa,  iti  the  days  of  Justinian,  Procopius  re- 
marks, "  It  is  no  exaggeration  to  say,  that  five 


•  The  above  statements  are  collected  from  the 
f-ictsBtntert  in  Rollln's  Ancient  History,  Millot's  Ele- 
ments, Mayor's  Universal  Historv,  the  historicil  Ar- 
ticles In  the  Encyclopedia  Britannica,  from  ;i  list  of 
battles  contained  in  the  "  Pictures  of  War,"  &o. 


198 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  REUGTON. 


iniDions  periled  by  (h«  iword,  and  ramine,  and 
pestilence."  The  same  author  staten  that,  during 
the  twenty  years'  war  which  Justinian  carried 
00  with  the  Gothic  conquerors  of  Italy,  the  loss 
of  the  Goths  amounted  to  above  15  millions  ;  nor 
will  this  appear  incredible,  when  we  find,  that  in 
one  camftaign.  50  000  labourers  died  of  hunger. 
About  the  beginnin);  of  the  13th  century  arose 
that  cruel  and  bloody  tyrant  Jen)!hiz>Khan. 
With  immense  armies,  some  of  them  amuiinling 
to  more  than  a  million  in  number,  he  overran 
and  subdued  the  kingdom  of  Hya  in  China,  Tan- 
gut,  Kitay,  Turkestan,  Karazum.  Great  Bucka- 
ria,  Persia,  and  part  of  India,  committing  the 
moat  drradfiil  cruelties  and  devastations.  It  is 
computed,  that,  during  the  last  22  years  of  his 
reign,  no  fewer  than  14,470,000  persons  were 
butchered  by  this  scourge  of  the  human  race. 
He  appeared  like  an  infernal  fiend,  breathing 
destruction  to  the  nations  of  the  East,  and  the 
principle  which  he  adopted,  after  conquest,  was 
lUUr  extermination. 

Nearly  ab<Mii  the  same  p<'riod  when  this  mon- 
ster was  ravaging  and  slautihtering  the  eastern 
world,  those  mad  expeditions,  distinguished  by 
the  name  of  the  CruModt*,  were  going  forward 
in  the  west.  Six  millions  of  infatuated  wretches, 
raging  wiih  haired,  and  ihursting  for  blood,  as- 
•umed  the  image  of  the  cross,  and  marched  in 
wild  disorder  to  the  confines  of  the  Holy  land,  in 
order  to  recover  the  city  of  Jerusalem  from  the 
hands  of  the  infidels.  In  these  holt/  wars,  as 
they  were  impiously  termed,  more  than  850,000 
Europeans  wert?  sacrificed  before  they  obtained 
possession  of  Nice,  Aniioch,  and  Edessa.  At 
the  siege  of  Acre,  300,000  were  slain  ;  and  at 
the  taking  of  Jerusalem,  in  1099,  about  seventy 
thousand.  For  196  years,  these  wild  expedi- 
tions continued  in  vogue,  and  were  urged  for- 
ward by  priKlamaiions  issued  from  the  throne, 
and  by  fanatical  sermons  thundered  from  the 
pulpit,  till  several  millions  of  deluded  mortals 
perished  from  the  earth;  for  by  far  the  greater 
part  of  those  who  engaged  in  the  cnisades,  were 
either  slain  or  taken  prisoners.  About  this  pe- 
riod, and  several  centuries  before  it,  the  whole 
earth  exhibited  little  else  than  one  great  field  of 
battle,  in  which  nations  were  dashing  against 
each  other,  conquerors  ravaging  kingdoms,  ty- 
rant* exercising  the  most  horrid  cruellies;  su- 
peettition  and  revenge  immolating  their  millions 
of  victims  ;  and  tumults,  insurrections,  slaughter, 
and  universal  alarm,  banishing  peace  and  tran- 
quillity from  the  worl<l,  and  subverting  the  moral 
order  of  society.  "  In  Europe,  Germany  and 
Italy  were  distracted  by  incessant  contests  be- 
tween the  pope  and  the  emperors  ;  the  interior 
of  every  Eurnpran  kingdom  was  torn  in  pieces 
by  the  contending  amb  tion  of  the  powerful 
barons;  in  the  Mahomedan  empire,  the  caliphs, 
■ultans,  emirs,  &c.  waged  continual  war ;  new 
•orereifntjet  were  daily  arising,  and  daily  de- 


stroyed ;  and  amidst  this  universal  riaoghfer  oad 

devastation,  the  whole  earth  seemed  in  danger 
of  being  laid  waste,  and  the  human  race  lo  auffei 
a  total  annihilation."* 

Such  is  the  binl's  eye  view  of  the  destruction 
of  the  himwn  ap«>cies,  which  war  has  produced 
in  different  periods.  The  instances  I  liave 
brought  forward  present  only  a  few  detached  cir- 
cumstances in  the  annals  of  warfare,  and  relate 
only  to  a  few  limited  periods  in  the  history  of 
man  :  and  yet  in  the  four  instances  above  stated, 
we  are  presented  with  a  scene  of  horror,  which 
includes  the  destruction  of  nearly  60  millions  of 
human  beings.  What  a  vast  and  horrific  picture, 
then,  would  be  presented  tu  the  eye,  could  we 
take  in  at  one  view  all  the  scenes  of  slaughter, 
which  have  been  realized  in  every  period,  in 
every  nation,  and  among  every  tribe!  If  we 
take  into  consideration  not  only  the  number  of 
those  who  have  fallen  in  the  field  of  battle,  but  of 
those  who  have  perished  through  the  natural 
consequences  of  war,  by  the  famine  and  the  pes- 
tilence, which  war  has  produced  ;  by  disease, 
fatigue,  terror,  and  melancholy ;  and  by  the  op- 
pression, injusiice,  and  cruehy  of  savage  coo* 
querors, — it  will  not,  perha|is,  be. overrating  the 
destruction  of  human  life,  if  we  affirm,  that  on* 
tenth  of  the  human  race  has  been  destroyed  by 
the  ravages  of  war.  And  if  this  estimate  be  ad- 
mitted, it  will  follow,  that  more  than  fourteen 
thousand  miUiom  of  b*iroan  beings  have  •>een 
slaughtered  in  war,  since  the  beginning  of  the 
world — which  is  about  eighteen  timet  the  nuni  jer 
of  inhabitants  which,  at  the  present,  exist  on 
the  ghtbe ;  or,  in  other  words,  it  is  equivalent 
to  the  destruction  of  the  inhabitants  of  eighteen 
worlds  of  the  same  population  as  ours.f  That 
this  conclusion  is  rather  within  than  beyond  the 
bounds  of  truth,  will  appear,  from  what  has  been 
stated  above  respecting  the  destruction  uf  the 
Goths,  in  the  time  of  Justinian.  In  the  course  of 
20  years,  15  millions  of  persons  perished  in  the 
wars.  Now,  if  the  population  of  i he  countries  of 
Europe,  in  which  these  wars  took  place,  did  not 
exceed  60  millions,  the  proportion  of  the  slaugb- 
tred  tu  the  whole  population  was  as  one  to/our, 
and,  if  20  years  be  reckoned  as  only  half  ihe  pe- 
riod of  a  generation,  the  proportion  was  as  one  to 
two  ;  in  other  words,  at  the  rate  of  one  half  of  a 
whole  generation  in  the  course  of40years.  What 
a  horrible  and  tremendiHis  consideration  ?^-to  re- 
flect.ihat  14  000.000,000  of  beings,  endowed  with 
intellectual  faculties,  and  furnished  with  bodies 
curiously  organized  by  divine  wisdom — that  the 
inhabitanis  of  eighteen  worlds  should  have  been 
massacred,  mangled,  and  cut  to  pieces,  by  those 


•  Mavoi'a  Universal  History,  Robertson's  Charles 
V.  Ac. 

*Thls  ralrulation  proreeils  on  the  rroonri,  that  IW 
thousand  millions  of  men  have  existed  since  the  Mo- 
sale  rrcHtlon.  See  Chftstlito  phUoMpner,  Alt. 
Qeography. 


ATROCITIES  CONNECTED  WITH  WAR. 


199 


who  were  partakers  of  the  same  common  nature, 
as  if  they  had  been  created  merely  for  the  work 
of  destruction  !  Language  is  destitute  of  words 
sufficiently  slronu;  to  express  the  emolions  of  the 
mind,  when  it  seriously  contemplates  ihe  horrible 
scene.  And  how  melancholy  is  it  to  reflect,  that 
in  the  present  age,  which  boasts  of  its  improve- 
ments in  science,  in  civilization,  and  inrelii>ion, 
tieither  reason,  nor  benevolence,  nor  humanity, 
nor  Christianity,  has  yet  availed  to  arrest  the 
progress  of  destroying  armies,  and  to  set  a  mark 
of  ignominy  on  "  the  people  who  delight  in 
war!" 

ATROCITIES  CONNECTED  WITH  WAR. 

However  numerous  may  have  been  the  victims 
that  have  been  sacrificed  in  war,  it  is  not  so  much 
the  mere  extinction  of  human  life  that  renders  the 
scene  of  warfare  so  horrible,  as  the  cruelties  with 
which  it  has  always  been  accompanied,  and  the 
infernal  passions  which  it  has  engendered  and  car- 
ried into  operation.  It  extirpates  every  princi- 
ple of  compassion,  humanity,  and  justice;  it 
blunts  the  feelings,  and  hardens  the  heart ;  it  in- 
vents instruments  of  torture,  and  perpetrates, 
without  a  blush,  cruellies  revolting  to  every  prin- 
ciple of  virtue  and  benevolence. 

When  Jerusalem  was  taken  by  Antiochus 
Epiphanes,  in  the  year  168,  B.  C.  he  gave  orders 
to  one  division  of  his  army  to  cut  in  pieces  all 
who  were  found  in  the  temple  and  synagogues ; 
while  another  party,  going  through  the  streets  of 
the  city,  massacred  all  that  came  in  their  way. 
He  next  ordered  the  city  to  be  plundered  and  set 
on  fire  ;  pulled  down  all  their  stately  buildings, 
caused  the  walls  to  be  demolished,  and  carried 
away  captive  ten  thousand  of  those  who  had  es- 
caped the  slaughter.  He  set  up  the  statue  of  Ju- 
piter Olympus  on  the  altar  of  burnt-offerings,  and 
all  who  refused  to  come  and  worship  this  idol 
were  either  massacred,  or  put  to  some  cruel  tor- 
tures, till  they  either  complied  or  expired  under 
the  hands  of  the  executioners.  In  the  war  w  hich 
the  Carthaginians  waged  with  the  Mercenaries, 
Hamilcar,  the  Carthaginian  general,  threw  all 
the  prisoners  that  fell  into  his  hands  to  be  devour- 
ed by  wild  beasts.  Asdrubal,  another  Cartha- 
ginian general,  when  engaged  in  war  against  the 
Romans,  in  revenge  for  a  defeat  he  had  sustain- 
ed, brought  all  the  Roman  prisoners  he  had  taken 
during  two  years,  upon  the  walls,  in  the  sight  of 
the  whole  Roman  army.  There  he  put  them  to 
the  most  exquisite  tortures,  putting  out  their  eyes, 
cutting  off  their  noses,  ears,  and  fingers,  legs  and 
arms,  tearing  their  skin  to  pieces  with  iron  rakes 
or  harrows  ;  and  then  threw  them  headlong  from 
the  top  of  the  battlements.*  He  was  of  a  temper 
remarkably  inhuman,  and  it  is  said  that  he  even 
took  pleasure  in  seeing  some  of  these  unhappy 
aien  flayed  alive. — In  the  year  1201,  when  Jeng- 

*  RolUn's  Amient  History,  VoL  I 

17 


hiz-Khan  had  reduced  the  rebels  who  had  seized 
upon  his  paternal  possessions,  as  a  specimen  of 
his  leniiy,  he  caused  seventy  of  their  chief:>  to  be 
thrown  into  as  many  cauldrons  of  boiling  water. 
The  plan  on  which  this  tyrant  cimducled  his  ex- 
peditions, as  already  staled,  was  that  of  total  ex- 
termination. For  some  time  he  utterly  extirpated 
the  inhabitants  of  those  places  which  he  conquer- 
ed, designing  to  people  ihem  anew  wiih  his  Mo- 
guls ;  and,  in  consequence  of  this  resolution,  he 
would  employ  his  army  in  beheading  100,000  pri- 
soners at  once. — Tamerlane,  one  of  his  .success- 
ors, who  followed  in  his  footsteps,  is  said  to  have 
been  more  humane  than  this  cruel  despot.  Histo- 
rians inform  us  that  "  his  sportive  cruelty  seldom 
went  farther  than  the  pounding  of  three  or  four 
thousand  people  in  large  mortars,  or  building 
them  among  bricks  and  mortar  into  a  wall."  If 
such  be  the  "  tender  mercies  of  the  wicked," 
how  dreadful  beyond  description  must  their  cruel- 
ties be ! 

We  are  accustomed  to  hear  Alexander  the 
Great  eulogized  as  a  virtuous  and  magnanimous 
hero  ;  and  even  the  celebrated  Montesquieu,  in 
his  "  Spirit  of  Laws,"  has  written  a  panegyric 
on  his  character.  Yet  we  find  him  guilty  of  the 
most  abominable  vices,  and  perpetrating  the  most 
atrocious  crimes.  At  the  instigation  of  the 
strumpet  Ti.ais,  during  a  drunken  banquet,  he 
set  on  fire  the  beautiful  city  of  Persepolis,  and 
consumed  it  to  ashes.  Clitus,  one  of  his  cap- 
tains, and  brother  of  Helenice  who  had  nursed 
Alexander,  and  save<i  his  life  at  the  battle  of  the 
Granicus,  at  the  imminent  danger  of  his  own. 
Yet  this  man,  to  whom  he  was  so  highly  indebt- 
ed, he  thrust  through  with  a  javelin,  at  an  enter- 
tainment to  which  he  had  invited  him  ;  on  ac- 
count of  his  uttering  some  strong  expressions, 
which  were  intended  to  moderate  Alexander's 
vanity.  His  treatment  of  the  Branchidse  fur- 
nishes an  example  of  the  most  brutal  and  frantic 
cruelty  which  history  records.  These  people 
received  Alexander,  while  pursuing  his  con- 
quests, with  the  highest  demonstrations  of  joy, 
and  surrendered  to  him,  both  themselves  and 
their  city.  The  next  day,  he  commanded  his 
phalanx  to  surround  the  city,  and,  a  signal  being 
given,  they  were  ordered  to  plunder  it,  and  to 
put  every  one  of  its  inhabitants  to  the  sword, 
which  inhuman  order  was  executed  with  the 
same  barbarity  with  which  it  had  been  given. 
All  the  citizens,  at  the  very  time  they  were  go- 
ing to  pay  homage  to  Alexander,  were  murdered 
in  the  streets  and  in  their  houses  ;  no  manner  of 
regard  being  had  to  their  cries  and  tears,  nor  the 
\ea.n  distinction  made  of  age  or  sex.  They 
even  pulled  up  the  very  foundations  of  the  walls,  in 
order  that  not  the  least  traces  of  that  city  might 
remain.  And  why  were  these  ill-fated  citizens 
punished  in  so  summary  and  inhuman  a  mao> 
ner  ?  Merely  because  their  forefathers,  up- 
wards of  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  before,  had 


ISO 


THE  PHILOSOPIIV  OP  RELIGION. 


delivered  up  lo  XerzM  the  treaiurr  of  ih«  tem- 
ple of  DiJyiniton,  wiih  which  they  had  bern  in- 
tnitled  !* — VVheo  he  entered  the  ciiy  of  Tyre, 
•f)er  a  *le|;e  of  Miven  months,  he  gare  order*  to 
kill  all  the  inhitbiiBnis,  except  those  who  had  fled 
to  the  temples,  and  set  fire  lo  every  pari  of  the 
city.  Eijj'it  thousand  men  were  barbarously 
•laughiereal ;  and  two  thousand  more  remaining, 
>Aer  the  sokliers  had  been  glutted  with  slauighter, 
he  fixed  two  thousand  crosses  along  the  sea- 
shore,f  and  caused  them  all  to  be  crucified. 

War  has  given  rise  to  the  most  shocking  and 
unnatural  crimes,  the  idea  of  which  iiiighl  never 
otherwise  have  entered  into  the  human  mind. 
Lathyrus,  afler  an  engagement  with  Alexander, 
king  of  the  Jews,  on  the  banks  of  ihe  river  Jor- 
dan,— ihK  same  evening  he  gained  the  battle,  in 
going  to  lake  up  his  quarters  in  the  neighbour- 
ing villages,  he  found  them  full  of  women  and 
children,  and  caused  ihetn  all  to  be  put  to  the 
sword,  and  iheir  bodies  to  be  cut  to  pieces,  and 
put  into  cauldrons  in  order  to  their  being  dress- 
ed, as  if  he  intended  to  make  his  army  sup 
upon  them.  His  design  was  to  have  it  believed, 
that  his  truupts  ate  human  flesh,  to  spread  the 
greater  terror  throughout  the  surrounding  coun- 
try.! 

Even  under  the  pretext  of  religion,  and  of  the 
Christian  religion  too,  the  most  shocking  barba- 
rilies  have  been  committed.  Under  ihe  pretence 
of  vindicating  the  cause  of  Him  who,  in  the 
midst  of  cruel  sufferings  from  men,  prayed, "  Fa- 
ther, forgive  them,  for  they  know  not  what  they 
do,"  ihe  crusaders  hurried  forward  towards 
Jerusalem,  wading  through  seas  of  blood.  When 
ibeir  banners  were  hoisted  on  a  principal  emi- 
nence of  Aniinch,  they  commenced  their  biilcbe- 
ry  of  the  sleeping  inltabitanis.  The  dignity  of 
age,  the  helplessness  of  youlh,  and  the  beauty  of 
the  weaker  sex,  were  disregarded  by  these 
sanctimonious  savages.  Houses  were  no  sanc- 
tuaries ;  atid  the  sight  of  a  mosque  added  new 
virulence  to  cruelly.  The  number  of  Turks 
massacred,  on  this  night  of  frantic  fury,  was  at 
least  ten  thoasand.  Af\er  every  species  of  habi- 
tation, front  the  marble  palace  to  ihe  meanest 
hovel,  had  been  converted  intoa  scene  of  slaugh- 
ter; when  tlie  narrow  streets  and  the  spacious 
squares  were  all  alike  disfigured  with  human 
fore,  and  crowded  with  mangled  carcasses,  then 
die  assassins  turned  robbers,  and  became  as  mer- 
tmvj  as  they  had  been  n>ercil«ss.  When  Je- 
maalem  was  taken  by  these  furious  fanatics,  they 
wflered  none  to  escape  the  slaughter  :  "  Yet, 
tA«r  they  had  glutted  themselves  with  blood  and 
cmmage,  they  immediately  became  devout  pil- 
grims, and  in  religious  transports,  ran  barefooted 
to  visit  the  holy  sepulchre. "§  In  what  light 
■lust  that  religion  appear  to  Eastern  Infidels 
which  is  supposed  to  lead  to  the  perpetration  of 


*  Ranin's  Anrtent  Hist       *  IMd. 
IMlUot's Eleiaenu  of  Ooo.  HM. 


tIbkL 


such  enormities?  And  hovr  v/i/J'r  fj«  tba 
mild  precepts  and  doctrines  of  CLnrtuiiiiy  nis- 
represenled,  wfien  desperadoes ottsitdeccfiption 
dare  assume  the  Christian  nanie  ' 

Even  the  finer  feelings  of  the  female  sex  have 
been  blunted,  and,  in  many  instances,  quite  ex- 
tirpated by  the  mad  schemes  of  ambili'm,  and 
the  practices  connected  wiih  war.  Towards  the 
beginning  of  ibe  thirteenih  century,  a  Queen 
of  Hungary  took  the  sign  of  the  cross,  and  en»- 
barked  in  the  mad  expeditions  <tf  ihe  crusaders, 
as  did  likewise  fifty  ihotisand  chiklren  and  a 
crowd  of  priests;  because,  according  to  the  Scrip- 
ture, "  God  has  made  children  the  instruments 
of  his  glory."!! — Cleopatra,  daughter  of  Ptol- 
emy Philometer,  in  order  to  gratify  her  restl«as 
ambition  of  reigning  alone  and  unconir<jtled  in 
her  dominions,  killed  her  son  Seleucus,  with  her 
own  hand,  by  plunging  a  dagger  into  his  breast. 
She  had  been  the  wife  of  three  Kings  of  Syria 
and  the  mother  of  four,  and  had  occasioned  the 
death  of  two  of  her  husbands.  She  prepared  a 
poisoned  draught  to  des'roy  Grypus  another  of 
her  sons  ;  but  her  intention  having  been  sus- 
pected, sbe  was  compelled  to  swallow  the  deadly 
potion  she  had  prepared,  which  took  immediate 
efTucl,  aixl  delivered  the  world  from  this  ft-male 
monster.  The  Carihaginisns  w«re  in  the  prac- 
tice of  offering  human  sacrifices  to  their  god  Sa- 
turn, when  they  were  defeated  in  war,  in  ortfcr 
lo  propitiate  the  wrath  of  this  deity.  At  first, 
children  were  inhumanly  burned,  either  in  a  fiery 
furnace,  like  those  in  the  valley  of  Hinnom,  so 
frequently  mentioned  in  Scripture,  or  in  a  flam- 
ing statue  of  Saturn. — The  cries  of  these  un- 
happy victims  were  drowned  by  the  uninterrupt- 
ed noise  of  drums  and  trumpets.  Mothers  mad* 
it  a  nterit,  and  a  part  of  iheir  religion,  to  view 
the  barbarous  spectacle  with  dry  eyes,  and  with- 
out so  much  as  a  groan ;  and  if  a  tear  or  sigh 
stole  from  ihem,  the  sacrifice  was  considered  as 
less  acceptable  to  the  deity.  This  savage  dis- 
position was  carried  to  such  excess,  that  even 
nooihers  would  endeavour,  with  embraces  and 
kisses  to  htish  the  cries  uf  their  children,  lest 
they  should  anger  the  god,T  When  Carthage 
was  taken  by  the  Romans,  the  wife  of  Aiwlrubal, 
the  Carthaginian  general,  who  had  submitted  to 
the  Romans,  mounted  lo  the  Ujiper  part  of  one 
of  the  temples  which  had  been  set  on  fire  ;  and, 
placing  herself,  with  her  two  children,  in  sight  of 
her  husbaixl,  uttered  the  most  bitter  imprecations 
aguinst  him,  "  Base  coward  (said  she)  the 
mean  things  thou  hast  done  to  save  thy  life  shall 
not  avail  thee  ;  thou  shalt  die  this  instant,  at 
least  in  thy  two  children."  Having  thus  spoken, 
she  stabbed  both  the  infants  with  a  dagger,  and 
while  they  were  yet  struggling  fr>r  life,  threw 
Ihem  both  frotn  the  top  nf  th»  temple,  and  fhsa 
leaped  down  aAer  them  into  the  flames  !** 

I  Minors  Elera.    f  Pntlln's  An,  Blst 
"Enc/.    Brit.  Art.  CMItaf*. 


ATROCITIES  CONNECTED  WITH  WAR. 


191 


Such  are  only  a  Tew  insulated  pictures  of  the 
atrocities  of  war,  and  of  the  unnatural  and  infer- 
nal passions  which  uniformly  follow  in  its  train, 
which  may  be  considered  as  specimens  of  many 
thousands  <if  similar  instances,  which  the  records 
of  history  furnish  of  the  malignity  and  depravity 
of  mankind.  1  have  selected  my  examples  chief- 
ly from  the  history  of  ancient  warfare  :  but  were 
we  to  search  the  annals  of  modern  warfare,  and 
confine  our  attention  solely  to  the  battles  of  Alex- 
andria, of  the  Pyramids,  of  Borodina,  of  Srao- 
lensko,  of  Aiisterlitz,  of  Leipsic,  of  Jena,  of 
Eyian,  of  Waierloo,  and  other  warlike  events 
which  have  happened  within  the  last  thirty  years, 
we  should  meet  with  atrocities  and  scenes  of 
slaughter,  no  less  horrible  than  those  which  I 
have  now  related.  I  shall  content  myself  with 
statinv  only  two  or  three  instances. 

After  the  taking  of  Alexandria  by  Bona- 
parte, "  We  were  under  the  necessity,"  says 
the  relator,  "  of  putting  the  whole  of  them  to 
death  at  the  breach.  But  the  slaughter  did  not 
cease  with  the  resistance.  The  Turks  and  in- 
habitants fled  to  their  mosques.  Seeking  protec- 
tion from  God  and  their  prophet ;  and  then,  men 
and  taomen,  old  and  young,  and  infants  at  (he 
kreaxt,  were  slaugntered.  This  butchery  continu- 
ed for  four  hours ;  after  which  the  remaining  part 
of  the  inhabitants  were  much  astonished  at  not 
having  their  throats  cut."  Be  it  remembered 
that  ail  this  bloodshed  was  premeditated.  "  We 
might  have  spared  the  men  whom  we  lost,"  says 
General  Boyer,  "  by  only  summoning  the  town  ; 
but  it  was  ntJcessary  to  begin  by  confounding  our 
«nemy."*  After  the  battle  of  the  Pyramids,  it 
is  remarked  by  an  eye-wintess,  that ''  the  whole 
way  through  the  desert,  was  tracked  with  the 
bones  and  bodies  of  men  and  animals  who  had 
perished  in  these  dreadful  wastes. — In  order 
to  warm  themselves  at  night,  they  gathered  to- 
gether the  dry  bones  and  bodies  of  the  dead, 
which  the  vultures  had  spared,  and  it  was  by  a 
fire  composed  of  (his  fuel  that  Bonaparte  lay 
down  to  sleep  in  the  desert."]  A  more  revolting 
and  infernal  scene  it  is  scarcely  possible  for  the 
imagination  to  depict. 

Miot  gives  the  following  description  in  rela- 
tion to  a  scene  at  Jaffa: — "  The  soldier  aban- 
dons himself  to  all  the  fury  which  an  assault 
authorizes.  He  strikes,  he  slays,  nothing  can 
impede  him.  All  the  horrors  which  accompany 
the  capture  of  a  town  by  storm,  are  repeated  in 
every  street,  in  every  house.  You  hear  the 
cries  of  violated  females  calling  in  vain  for  help 
to  those  relatives  whom  they  are  butchering. 
No  asylum  is  respected.  The  blood  streams  on 
every  side  ;  at  every  step  you  meet  with  human 
beings  groaning  and  expiring,"  &c. — Sir  Robert 
Wilson,  when  describing  the  campaigns  in  Po- 
land relates,  that "  the  ground  between  the  wood. 

*  SUot's  Memoirs.  t  VM. 


and  the  Russian  batteries,  aboilt  a  quarter  of  a 
mile,  was  a  sheet  of  naked  human  bodies,  which 
friends  and  foes  had  during  the  night  mutually 
stripped,  not  leaving  the  worst  rag  upon  them, 
although  numbers  of  these  bodies  still  retained 
consciousness  of  their  situation.  It  wa.s  a  sight 
which  the  eye  loathed  but  from  which  it  could 
not  remove."— In  Labaume's  '■  Narrative  of  the 
Campaign  in  Russia,"  we  are  presented  with 
the  most  horrible  details  of  palaces,  churches, 
and  streets,  enveloped  in  flames,— houses  tum- 
bling into  ruins,' — hundreds  of  blackened  car- 
casses of  ttie  wretched  inhabitants,  whom  the  fire 
had  consumed,  blended  with  the  fragments,— 
hospitals  containing  20,000  woundt-d  Russians 
on  fire,  and  consuming  the  miserable  victim-^,'- 
numbers  of  half-burned  wretches  crawling  among 
the  smoking  ruins, — females  violated  and  mas* 
sacred, — parents  and  children  half  naked,  shiver- 
ing with  cold,  flying  in  consteration  with  the 
wrecks  of  their  half-consomed  funiiure, — horses 
falling  in  thousands,  and  writhing  in  the  agonies 
of  death, — the  fragments  of  carriages,  muskets, 
helmets,  breast-plates,  portmanteaus,  and  gar- 
ments strewed  in  every  direction, — roads  covered 
for  miles  with  thousands  of  the  dying  and  the 
dead  heaped  one  upon  another,  and  swimming 
in  blood, — and  these  dreadful  scenes  rendered 
still  more  horrific  by  the  shrieks  of  young  fe- 
males, of  mothers  and  children,  and  the  piercing 
cries  of  the  wounded  and  the  dying,  invoking 
death  to  put  an  end  to  their  agonies. 

But  I  will  not  dwell  longer  on  such  revolting 
details.  It  is  probable,  that  the  feelings  of  some 
of  my  readers  have  been  harrowed  up  by  the 
descriptions  already  given,  and  that  they  have 
turned  away  their  eyes  in  disgust  from  such 
spectacles  of  depravity  and  horror.  Every  mind 
susceptible  of  virtuous  emotions,  and  of  the  com- 
mon feelings  of  humanity,  must,  indeed,  feel 
pained  and  even  agonized,  when  it  reflects  on 
the  depravity  of  mankind,  and  on  the  atrocious 
crimes  they  are  capable  of  committing,  and  have 
actually  perpetrated.  A  serious  retrospect  of 
the  moral  state  of  the  world  in  past  ages,  is  cal- 
culated to  excite  emotions,  similar  to  those  which 
overpowered  the  mourning  prophet  when  he  ex- 
claimed, "  O  that  my  head  were  waters,  and 
mine  eyes  a  fountain  of  tears,  that  I  might  weep 
day  and  night,  for  the  slain  of  the  daughters  of 
my  people !"  But,  however  painful  the  sight, 
we  ought  not  to  turn  away  our  eyes,  with  fasti- 
dious affectation,  from  the  spectacles  of  misery 
and  devastation  which  the  authentic  records  of 
history  present  before  us.  They  form  trails  in 
the  character  of  man,  which  ought  to  be  contem- 
plated.—they  axe  facts  in  the  history  of  mankind, 
and  not  the  mere  pictures  of  fancy  which  are  ex- 
hibited in  poetry,  in  novels,  and  romances, — facta 
which  forcibly  exemplify  the  operations  of  the 
malevolent  principle,  and  from  which  we  ought 
to  deduce  important  instructions,  in  reference 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  KELIGIOIT. 


to  Um  evil  of  (iir,  and  the  raalif^nancy  of  pride, 
ooveloumRM,  •cnliiiinn,  and  revenge.  We  think 
nothing,  in  the  comniun  inirrc'Mime  of  life,  oTin' 
ouiging  a  selhih  diaponilion,  of  feeling  proud  and 
indignant  at  arraliH-  supposed  aflrnnt,  of  looking 
with  a  ooveiuiiit  eye  at  the  poMesaioni  of  our 
neighbours,  of  viewing  th«  success  and  prosperity 
of  our  rivals  with  discontentment  and  jealousy, 
or  of  feelinj  a  secret  satisfaction  at  the  distress 
or  humiliation  of  our  enemies  ;  and  we  seldom 
reflect  on  the  malignant  etftsUs  which  such  pas- 
aions  and  dinposiiion}  wouM  produce,  were  they 
•offered  to  rage  without  control.  But,  in  the 
■cenes  and  contentions  of  warfare  which  have 
been  realized  on  ihe  great  theatre  of  the  world, 
we  contemplate  the  nature  and  effects  of  such 
malignant  dispositions  in  their  true  light ;  we 
perceive  the  ultimate  tendency  of  every  malevo- 
lent affection,  when  no  physical  obi^truction  im- 
pedes its  progress ;  we  discern  that  it  is  only  the 
•ame  dispositions  which  we  daily  indulge,  ope- 
rating on  a  more  extensive  scale ;  and  we  learn 
the  necessity  of  mortifying  such  dispositions,  and 
counteracting  their  influence,  if  we  expect  to  en- 
joy substantial  felicity  either  here  or  hereafler ; 
and  if  we  wish  lo  see  the  world  restored  to  order, 
to  happiness  and  repose. 

I  shall  only  observe  farther  on  this  part  of  my 
subject,  that,  besides  the  atrocities  already  no- 
ticed, war  has  been  the  nurse  qf  every  vicious  (B»- 
potition,  and  of  every  immoral  practice.  The 
Carthaginians,  who  were  almost  incessantly  en- 
gaged in  war,  were  knavish,  vicious,  cruel,  and 
■uperstitious  ;  distinguished  for  craft  and  cunning, 
lying  and  hypocrisy,  and  for  the  basest  frauds  and 
the  most  perfidious  actions.  The  Goths  and 
Vandals  are  uniformly  characterized,  as  not  only 
barbarous  and  cruel,  but  avaricious,  perfidious, 
and  disregardfiil  uf  the  most  solenm  promises.  It 
was  ever  a  sufficient  reason  for  them  to  make  an 
attack,  that  they  thought  their  enemies  could  not 
resist  them.  Their  only  reason  for  making 
peace,  or  for  keeping  it,  was  because  their  ene- 
mies were  too  strong ;  and  their  only  reason  for 
committing  the  most  horrible  massacres,  rapes, 
and  all  manner  of  crimes,  was  because  they  had 
gained  a  victory.  The  Greeks  and  Romans,  it 
is  well  kruiwn,  notwithstanding  their  superior 
civilization,  were  distinguished  for  the  most  de- 
grading and  immoral  practices.  They  gloried  in 
being  proud,  haughty,  and  revengeful ;  and  ever 
their  amusements  were  characterized  by  a  spirit 
of  ferocity,  and  by  the  barbarisms  of  war. — It  is 
■Inost  necdieas  to  say  that  war  blunts  the  finer 
fcaliaga  of  humanity,  and  engenders  a  spirit  of 
■sifishnsis,  and  of  indifference  oven  towards 
friends  and  companions.  Of  this  many  shocking 
instances  cnuUI  be  given. 

Mtot  in  his  Memoirs  of  the  War  in  Egypt, 
relates  the  case  uf  I  soldier  who  was  seized  with 
the  plague,  and  with  the  delirium  which  some- 
tinea  aocofopaaies  the  disease.    He  took  up  his 


knapsack,  upon  which  his  head  was  miinf ,  tat 
placing  it  upon  his  shoulders,  made  an  effort  lo 
rise,  and  to  follow  the  army.  The  venom  of  the 
dreadful  malady  deprived  him  of  strength,  and 
after  three  steps,  he  fell  again  upon  the  sand, 
headlong.  The  fall  increased  his  terror  of  being 
lefl  by  the  regiment,  and  he  rose  a  second  tisne, 
but  with  no  belter  fctrtiine.  In  his  third  effort, 
he  sunk,  and,  falling  near  ihesea,  remained  upon 
that  spot  which  fate  had  destined  for  his  grave. 
The  sight  of  this  soldier  was  frightful:  the  dis- 
order which  reigned  in  his  senseless  speedv— bis 
figure,  which  represented  whatever  is  mournful— 
his  eyes  staring  and  fixed— his  clothes  in  rags— 
presented  whatever  is  moat  hideous  in  death. 
The  reader  may  perhaps  believe  that  his  com- 
rades would  be  concerned  for  htm ;  that  they 
would  stop  to  help  him  ;  that  they  wouKJ  hasten 
to  support  him,  and  direct  his  tottering  steps. 
Far  from  it :  the  poor  wretch  was  only  an  object 
of  horror  and  derision.  They  ran  from  him,  and 
they  burst  into  Umd  lamghter  at  his  motions, 
which  resembled  those  of  a  drunken  man,  "  He 
has  got  his  account,"  cried  one;  "  He  will  not 
march  far,"  said  another  ;  and,  when  the  wretch 
fell  for  the  last  time,  some  of  them  added,  "  See, 
he  has  taken  up  his  quarters '."  This  terrible 
truth,  says  the  narrator,  which  I  cannot  help  re- 
peating, must  be  acknowledged — Jndjfferenet 
and  seifiihneu  are  the  predtmiinarU  feelings  of  an 
army. 

Rocca,  in  his  "  Memoirs  of  the  War  in  Spain," 
remarks,  "  The  habit  of  danger  made  us  look 
upon  death  as  one  of  the  most  ordinary  cir- 
cumstances of  life  ;  when  our  comrades  had  once 
ceased  to  live,  the  indifference  which  was  shown 
them  amounted  almost  to  irony.  When  the 
soldiers,  as  they  passed  by,  recognised  one  of 
their  companions  stretched  among  the  dead,  they 
just  said,  '  He  is  in  want  of  nothing,  he  wilt  not 
have  his  horse  to  abuse  again,  he  has  got  drunk 
for  the  last  time,'  or  something  similar,  which 
only  worked,  in  the  speaker,  a  stoical  contempt 
of  existence.  Such  were  the  funeral  orations 
pronounced  in  honour  of  those  who  fell  in  our 
battles." — Simpson,  in  his  "  Visit  to  Flanders,'* 
in  1815,  remarks,  "  Nothing  is  more  frightful 
than  the  want  of  feeling  which  characterizes  the 
French  soldiery.  Their  prisoners  who  were 
lying  wounded  in  the  hospitals  of  Antwerp,  were 
often  seen  mimicking  the  contortions  of  counte- 
nance which  were  produced  hy  the  agonies  of  death, 
in  one  of  their  own  comrades  in  the  neM  bed. 
There  is  no  curse  to  be  compared  with  the  power 
of  fiends  like  these." 

Thus,  it  appears,  that  wars  have  prevailed  in 
every  period,  during  the  ages  that  are  past,  and 
have  almost  extirpated  the  principle  cXbenevoUnee 
from  the  world  ;  and,  therefore,  it  is  obvious,  that, 
before  the  prevailing  propensity  to  warfare  b« 
counteracted  and  destroyed,  the  happiness  which 
flows  from  the  operation  of  llie  benevolent  affofr 


DISPOSITIONS  OP  SAVAGE  NATIONS. 


18S 


•ions  cannot  be  enjoyed  by  mankind  at  large. 
To  counteract  this  irrational  and  most  deplora- 
ble propensity,  by  every  energetic  mean  which 
reason,  humanity,  and  Chrictianity  can  suggest, 
must  be  the  duly  of  every  one  who  is  desirous  to 
promote  the  present  and  everlasting  happiness  of 
his  species.* 


SECTION  n. 

STATE  OF  MORAtS  II»  MODERN  TI&fES. 

Moral  KtaU  of  Savage  Nations. 

1  shall  now  take  a  very  brief  survey  of  the 
state  of  morals  in  modem  times,  and  of  the  pre- 
vailing dispositions  which  are  displayed  by  the 
existing  inhabitants  of  our  globe.  Were  I  to 
«Dter  into  those  minute  and  circumstantial  details 
which  the  illustration  of  this  subject  would  re- 
quire, several  volumes  would  be  filled  with  the 
detail  of  facts,  and  with  the  sketches  of  moral 
scenery  which  might  be  brought  forward.  And 
such  a  work,  if  judiciously  executed,  might  be 
rendered  highly  interesting,  and  might  produce  a 
variety  of  benignant  effects  both  on  Christian 
and  on  general  society.  But  the  narrow  limits 
within  which  the  present  work  must  be  com- 
prised, compels  me  to  confine  my  attention  to 
a  few  prominent  features  in  the  characters  of 
mankind,  and,  to  a  few  insulated  facts  by  which 
ihey  may  be  illustrated. — I  shall  consider,  in  the 
first  place,  some  of  the 

Prominent  dispositions  which  appear  wumg  Sa- 
vage and  Half  Civilized  Nation  ', 

It  is  not  to  be  disputed,  that  numerous  indi- 
viduals among  the  uncivilized  tribes  of  mankind, 
have  occasionally  displayed  the  exercise  of  many 
of  the  social  virtues. — that  they  have  been  brave 
and  magnanimous,  faithful  to  their  promises, 
strong  in  their  attachments,  and  generous  and 
affectinnate  to  their  friends  and  relatives.  But 
their  virtues,  f  >r  the  most  part,  proceed  from  a 
•principle  of  selfishness,  and  are  confined  to  the 
clan  or  tribe  to  which  they  belong.  Towards 
their  enemies,  and  towards  all  who  have  injured 
thorn  in  the  slightest  degree,  they  almost  uni- 
formly display  cruel,  perfidious,  and  revengeful 
dispositions.  The  following  facts  and  descrip- 
tions, selected  from  the  authentic  records  of  voy  • 
agers  and  travellers,  will  tend  to  corroborate  these 
positions. 

The  most  prominent  feature  which  appears  in 

*  The  Author  Intended,  had  his  limits  permitted,  to 
state  some  aildUionitl  cnnsjderallons  to  show  the 
folly  and  wickedness  of  wir.  ki  the  mean  time,  he 
refers  his  refers  to  "Letters  addressed  to  Caleb 
Strons;,  Esq.,"  whlrh  contain  a  series  of ener^tic  and 
<mpresslve  reasonings  on  ttie  subject.—"  Pictures  of 
War,"  bv  Irenlrus,  and  a  diioilecimo  volume,  lately 
published,  entitled,  "  An  Inquiry  into  tlieaccordanc/ 
■ot  War  witb  the  principles  of  CliziaUanity,"  &c. 


the  character  of  savage  nations,  is,  their  disposi- 
tion for  war,  and  to  inflict  revenge  for  real  or  su|>» 
posed  injuries.  With  respect  to  the  North 
American  Indians,  it  is  the  uniform  description 
given  of  them  by  all  travellers,  that,  if  we  except 
hunting,  war  is  the  only  employment  of  the  men, 
and  every  other  concern  is  left  to  the  women. 
Their  most  common  motive  for  entering  into  war, 
is,  either  to  revenge  themselves  for  the  death  of 
some  lost  friends,  or  to  acquire  prisoners,  who 
may  assist  them  in  their  hunting,  and  whom  they 
adopt  into  their  society.  In  these  wars,  they  are 
cruel  and  savage,  to  an  incredible  degree.  They 
enter  unawares,  the  villages  of  their  foes,  and, 
while  the  flower  of  the  nation  are  engaged  in 
hunting,  massacre  all  the  children,  women,  and 
helpless  old  men,  or  make  prisoners  of  as  many  as 
they  can  manage.  But  when  the  enemy  is  appriz- 
ed of  their  design,  and  coming  on  in  arms  against 
them,  they  throw  themselves  flat  on  the  ground, 
among  the  withered  herbs  and  leaves,  which 
their  faces  are  painted  to  resemble.  They  then 
albw  a  part  to  pass  unmolested  ;  when,  all  at 
once,  with  a  tremendous  shout,  rising  up  from 
their  ambush,  they  pour  a  storm  of  mu-ket-balts  on 
their  foes.  If  the  force  on  each  side  continues 
nearly  equal,  the  fierce  spirits  of  these  savages, 
inflamed  by  the  loss  of  friends,  can  no  longer  be 
restrained.  They  abandon  their  distant  war, 
they  rush  upon  one  another  with  clubs  and 
hatchets  in  their  hands,  magnifying  their  own 
courage,  and  insulting  their  enemies.  A  cruel 
combat  ensues  ;  death  appears  in  a  thousand  hide- 
ousfnrms,  which  would  congeal  thehloodof  civi- 
lized nations  to  behold,  but  which  rinse  the  fury 
of  these  savages.  They  trample,  thi»y  insult  over 
the  dead  bodies,  tearing  the  scalp  from  the  head, 
wallowing  in  their  blood  like  wild  beasts,  and 
sometimes  devouring  their  flesh.  The  flame 
rages  on  tiH  it  meets  with  no  resistance  ;  then 
the  prisoners  are  secured,  whose  fate  is  a  thou- 
sand times  more  dreadful  than  theirs  who  have 
died  in  the  field.  The  conq  iierors  setup  a  hide- 
ous howling,  to  lament  the  friends  they  have  lost. 
They  approach  to  their  own  village ;  the  women, 
with  frightful  shrieks,  come  out  to  mourn  their 
dead  brothers,  or  their  husbands.  An  orator 
proclaims  aloud  a  circumstantial  account  of  every 
particular  of  the  expedition;  and  as  he  mentions 
the  names  of  those  who  have  fallen,  the  shrieks 
of  the  women  are  redoubled.  The  last  ceremony 
is  the  proclamation  of  victory :  each  individual 
then  forgets  his  private  misfortune,  and  joins  in 
the  triumph  of  his  nation ;  all  tears  are  wiped 
from  their  eyes,  and,  by  an  unaccountable  transi- 
tion, they  pass  in  a  moment  from  the  bitterness  of 
sorrow,  to  an  extravagance  of  joy.* 

As  they  feel  nothing  but  revenge  for  the  ene- 
mies of  their  nation,  their  prisoners  are  treated 
with  cruelty  in  the  extreme.     The  cruellies  in- 

*  See  Encjr.  Brit.  Ait.  America: 


IM 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RBLIGION. 


flictM)  <m  thoM  prii«Mi«  who  are  doomed  lo 
de«lh,  are  loo  fihr>ckiii|i  and  horrible  lo  he  ex- 
hibited m  delail :  one  (iliicks  out  tlie  Bails  oflhe 
priaon«r  by  ihe  roou;  aaoihrr  lake*  a  fin|;er  in- 
to hi*  nxMilh,  and  tears  ofl*  the  flesh  with  his 
teeth ;  a  tiiird  ihriisit  the  finger,  roan);ied  at  it 
it,  into  the  bowl  of  a  pifie  made  red  hoi,  which 
he  smokeii  like  iiiba<-co:  ihejr  then  pound  his 
tOM  and  finjiers  lo  pitM:es  between  two  stones; 
tbejT  apfily  red  hot  ironx  lo  every  part  of  his 
naDgled  body  ;  they  pull  off  his  flesh,  thus  man- 
gled and  ronste<l,  and  devour  il  with  fp'eediiiess ; — 
and  thus  ihev  rominue  for  several  hours,  and 
■omelim<>R  for  a  whole  day,  till  they  penetrate  to 
the  vital  parts,  and  completely  exhaust  the 
springs  of  life.  Even  the  women,  f()rgetting  the 
human,  as  well  as  ihe  female  nature,  and  tran»- 
formed  imo  somelhinf;  worse  than  furies,  fre- 
ipienl ly  outdo  th<;  men  in  this  itcene  of  horror; 
while  <he  principal  persons  of  the  country  sil  round 
the  stake  lo  which  the  prisoner  is  fixed,  smoking, 
and  looking  on  without  ihe  least  emotion.  '\\'hat 
ifl  most  remarkable,  the  prisoner  himself  rndea- 
▼ours  to  brave  his  inrmtnts  with  a  stoical  apathy. 
"  I  do  not  fear  death,  (he  exclaims  in  the  face  of 
his  tormentors,)  nor  any  kind  ■>f  tortures;  those 
that  fear  them  are  cowards,  they  are  less  than 
women.  May  my  enemies  be  confounded  with 
deapair  and  rage !  Oh,  that  I  could  devour 
them,  and  drink  their  blood  to  the  last  dropl" 

Such  is  n  faint  pidttre  oflhe  &rocious  disposi- 
tioN  oTihe  IiHllan*  of  America,  which,  with  a  few 
■light  m><dificaiion8,  will  apply  to  almost  ihe 
whole  of  the  orizinal  natives  of  that  vast  conti- 
nent. Instead  of  <he  exercise  of  benevolent  affec- 
tions, and  ot'forgiving  dispositions;  instead  of 
humane  feeling",  and  cninpiMsion  for  the  suffer- 
■igs  offellow-morlals,  we  here  behold  them  trans- 
poried  into  an  extravagance  of  joy,  ever  the 
Bufl'erings  they  had  produced,  the  carnage  they 
bad  created,  tho  children  whom  they  had  depriv- 
ed of  their  (rarenls,  and  the  widows  whose  hus- 
bands ih^  had  mangled  and  slain ;  because  they 
bad  gkHied  their  revenge,  and  obtained  a  victory. 
Nothing  can  apuear  more  directly  opposed  lothe 
precepts  of  Christ,  and  to  the  benevolence  of 
llekven. 

If,  fr«<m  America,  we  crosa  the  Atlantic,  and 
land  on  the  shores  of  Atkica,  we  shall  find  the 
•nating  iohabitanis  of  that  continent  display- 
iag  dispositions  no  lea*  cruel  and  ferocious.— 
BMomu  relates  ihe  fellowing  instances  oTcniel- 
liM  practiaad  by  the  Adwneae  Negroea,  inhabit- 
iif  the  banlM  of  the  Pra*  or  Chainab  river. 

"  Anqaa,  the  king,  having  in  an  engagement 
taban  liee  of  his  prirtcipal  Antese  enemies  pri- 
■oners,  he  wmindeil  ihem  all  over  ;  after  which, 
Wilk  a  more  than  brutal  fury,  he  satiated,  ihoiigh 
■at  tired  him<elf,  bv  stacking  tlieir  blood  at  the 
gaping  wminds  :  but.  bearins  a  more  than  ordi- 
nary gnidge  asaifist  one  of  ihem,  he  caused  him 
lo  ha  laid  botwA  at  Kia  feet,  and  his  bvdy  to  be 


pierced  with  hot  irons,  gathering  hi*  blood  lh». 
issued  from  him  in  n  vessel,  one  half  of  which  ha 
drank,  and  ufiV-n-J  up  ihe  rest  lo  his  god.  Oa 
another  occasion,  he  put  to  death  one  of  hia 
wives  and  a  slave,  drinking  their  blood  also,  ■• 
was  his  usual  practice  with  his  enemies."*— 
Disjiosiiiomi  and  practices  no  less  abominable, 
are  regularly  exhibited  in  iIms  kingdom  of  Dako- 
my,  near  the  Gulf  of  Guinea.  A«  immolatio* 
of  human  victims,  for  the  (nirpoee  ef  watering  the 
graves  of  the  king's  aacesiors,  and  of  supplying 
them  with  servants  of  various  desenplions  in  the 
other  world,  lakes  place  every  year,  at  a  grand 
festival  which  is  held  generally  in  April  and  May, 
about  the  period,  possibly,  when  the  Bible  and 
Missionary  Socieiiea  of  this  country  are  holding 
their  anniversaries.  The  victims  are  genermllj 
prisoners  of  war,  reaerred  for  the  purpose;  but, 
shouki  there  be  lack  of  these,  the  number  (between 
sixty  and  seventy)  is  made  up  from  the  most  con- 
venient of  his  own  subjects.  The  immolation  of 
victims  is  not  confined  to  this  particular  period  ; 
for  at  any  lima,  should  it  be  necesaary  tosenil  an 
account  to  his  forefaikers  of  any  remarkable 
event,  the  king  despatches  a  courier  to  the  shade*, 
by  delivering  a  message  to  whoever  may  happen 
to  be  near  him,  and  then  ordering  his  head  to  be 
chopped  off  immediately.  It  is  considered  an 
honour  where  hm  majesty  personally  condescend* 
to  become  the  executioner  in  these  cases;  an 
ofHce  in  which  the  king  prides  himself  in  being 
expert.  The  governor  was  present  on  one  occa- 
sion, when  a  poor  fellow,  whose  fear  of  death  out- 
weighing '  he  sense  of  the  honour  conferred  upon 
him,  on  I  :ing  desired  to  carry  some  meaaage  to 
his  faihe  ,  humbly  declared  on  his  knees,  that  ho 
was  unacipiainted  wiih  the  way.  On  which  tho 
tyrant  vociferated,  "  1*11  show  yon  the  way,"  and) 
with  one  blow,  made  his  head  fly  many  yards 
from  his  body,  highly  indignant  that  there  shouki 
have  been  the  least  expression  of  reluctance. f 
Onihe  thatched  roofs  oflhe  guard-houses  nhich 
surround  the  palace  of  this  tyrant,  are  ranged, 
on  wooden  slakes,  numbers  of  human  skulls;  tho 
top  oflhe  wall  which  encloses  an  area  befitre  it, 
is  stuck  fijll  of  human  jaw-bones,  and  the  path 
leading  to  the  door  is  paved  with  the  skulls. 

In  the  kingdom  of  Ashaktee,  similar  prac- 
tices uniformly  prevail.  "  When  the  king  of  this 
country  (say^  Dupuis)  was  about  to  open  the 
campaigH  in  Gaman,  he  collected  together  his 
priests,  lo  invoke  the  rayal  Fetitcht.  and  perform 
the  ne:;e8sary  orgies  to  ensure  success.  Theae 
ministers  of  superstition  sacrificed  thirly-two 
male,  and  eighteen  female  victims  as  an  expia- 
tory ofl^ring  lo  the  gods ;  but  the  answers  from 
the  priests  being  deemed  by  the  council  as  still 
devoid  of  inspiration,  the  king  was  induced  to 
mak*  (bciofom,  at  the  sepulchres  of  his  ancea- 
tors,  where  many  hundreds  bled.     This,  it  is  aP' 

*  Dupuis'  Journal  In  Ashantea. 
>  M'Leed**  wjrac*  te  AMs^ 


DISPOSITIONS  OP  SAVAGE  NATIONS. 


185 


€rmed,  propitiated  the  v  'afh  of  the  adverse  god." 
The  same  king,  wiien  hereturnud,  having  dis- 
covered a  conspiracy,  decreed,  that  seventeen 
of  his  wives,  along  with  his  own  sister,  should 
be  strangled  and  beheaded.  *'  His  sister's  para- 
mour, and  ail  those  of  his  party,  were  doomed  to 
the  most  cruel  deaths,  at  the  grave  of  the  king's 
mother.  While  these  butcheries  were  transact- 
ing, the  king  prepared  to  enter  the  palace ;  and 
in  the  act  of  crossing  the  threshold  of  the  outer 
gate,  was  met  by  several  of  his  wives,  whose 
anxiety  to  embrace  iheir  sovereign  lord  impelled 
them  thus  to  overstep  the  boundary  of  female 
decorum  in  Ashantee  ;  for  it  happened  that  the 
king  was  accompanied  by  a  number  c^  his  cap- 
tains, who,  accordingly,  were  compelled  to  cover 
their  faces  with  both  their  hands,  and  fly  from 
the  spot.  This  is  said  to  have  angered  the  mo- 
narch, although  his  resentment  proceeded  no 
farther  than  words,  and  he  relumed  the  embraces 
of  his  wives.  But  another  cause  of  anger  soon 
after  occurred,  and  he  was  inflamed  to  the  highest 
pitch  of  indignation,  and,  in  a  paroxysm  of  an- 
ger, caused  these  unhappy  beings  to  be  cut  in 
pieces  before  his  face,  giving  orders,  at  the  same 
time,  to  cast  the  fragments  into  the  forest,  to  be 
devoured  by  birds  and  beasts  of  prey.  Nor  did 
the  atonement  rest  here  ;  for  six  more  unhappy 
females  were  impeached  of  inconstancy,  and 
they  also  expiated  their  faults  with  their  lives. 
Like  another  Ulysses,  his  majesty  then  devoted 
himself  to  the  purificatfon  of  his  palace,  when, 
to  sura  up  the  full  horrors  of  these  bloody  deeds, 
two  thousand  wretches,  selected  fron«  the  Gaman 
prisoners  of  war,  were  slaughtered  over  the  royal 
death-stool,  in  honour  of  the  shades  of  departed 
kings  and  heroes."* 

Such  are  a  few  specimens  of  the  ferocious  dis- 
positions of  the  petty  tyrants  of  Africa.  But 
we  are  not  to  imagine,  that  such  dispositions  are 
confined  to  kings,  and  to  the  higher  ranks  of 
society.  Wherever  such  malevolent  passions 
are  displayed  among  barbarous  chieftains,  they 
pervade,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  the  whole 
mass  of  the  people,  and  almost  everyone,  in  pro- 
portion to  the  power  with  which  he  is  invested, 
perpetrates  similar  barbarities.  The  following 
instance  will  corroborate  this  position,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  show,  for  how  many  cruelties  and 
acts  of  injustice  the  abettors  of  the  infamous 
traffic  in  slaves,  are  accountable.  It  is  extract- 
ed from  Major  Gray's  "  Travels  in  Africa,  in 
1824." 

The  Kaartan  force  which  the  Major  accom- 
panied, had  made  107  prisoners,  chiefly  women 
and  children,  in  a  predatory  excursion  into  Bon- 
doo,  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  themselves  with 
slaves.  The  following  is  an  account  of  the  man> 
ner  in  which  they  were  dragged  along.  "  The 
men  were  tied  in  pairs  by  tho  necks,  their  hands 

•  DapnlB'  MlMion  to  Aihant«e,  In  I8S3. 


secured  behind  their  backs ;  the  women  1>y  the 
necks  only  ;  but  their  hands  were  not  left  free, 
from  any  sense  of  feeling  for  them,  but  in  order 
to  enable  them  to  balance  the  immense  loads  of 
corn  or  rice  which  they  were  obliged  to  carry  on 
their  heads,  and  their  children  on  their  backs." 
— "  I  had  an  opportunity,"  says  Major  Gray, 
"  of  witnessing,  during  this  short  march,  the 
new-made  slaves,  and  the  sufferings  to  which 
they  are  subjected  in  their  first  state  of  bondage. 
They  were  hurried  along  (tied)  at  a  pace  little 
short  of  running,  to  enable  them  to  keep  up  with 
the  horsemen,  who  drove  them  on,  as  Smithfield 
drovers  do  fatigued  bullocks.  Many  of  the  wo- 
men were  old,  and  by  no  means  able  to  endure 
such  treatment.  One,  in  particular,  would  not 
have  failed  to  excite  the  tenderest  feelings  of 
compassion  in  the  breast  of  any,  save  a  savage 
African.  She  was  at  least  sixty  years  old,  in 
the  most  miserable  state  of  emaciation  and  debi- 
lity, nearly  doubled  together,  and  with  difficulty 
dragging  her  tottering  limbs  along.  To  crown 
the  heart-rending  picture,  she  was  naked,  save 
from  her  waist,  to  about  half  way  to  the  knees. 
All  this  did  not  prevent  her  inhuman  captor  from 
making  her  carry  a  heavy  load  of  water,  while, 
with  a  rope  about  her  neck,  he  drove  her  before 
his  horse  ;  and  whenever  she  showed  the  leaat 
inclination  to  stop,  he  beat  her  in  tlie  most  un- 
merciful manner  with  a  stick." 

Were  we  to  travel  through  the  whole  interior  of 
Africa,  and  round  its  northern,  eastern,  and 
western  coasts,  we  should  find,  among  almost 
every  tribe,  numerous  displays  of  the  most  inhu- 
man and  depraved  dispositions.  The  Algerints 
are  characterized  as  the  most  cruel  and  dangerous  . 
pirates — base,  perfidious,  and  rapacious,  to  the 
last  degree.  No  oaths,  nor  ties,  huraan  or  di- 
vine, will  avail  to  bind  them,  when  their  interest 
interferes.  Whatever  respect  they  may  pretend 
to  pay  to  their  prophet  Mahomet,  gold  is  the  only 
true  idol  which  they  worship.  The  emperors  of 
Morocco  are  well  known  as  a  set  of  rapacious 
and  blood-thirsty  tyrants,  who  have  lived  in  a 
state  of  habitual  warfare  with  Christian  nations, 
and  in  the  perpetration  of  deeds  of  injustice  and 
cruelty.  The  Gallas,  on  the  borders  of  Abyssi- 
nia, are  a  barbarous  and  warlike  nation.  They 
are  hardy,  and  of  a  ferocious  disposition  ;  they 
are  trained  to  the  love  of  desperate  achievements, 
taught  to  believe  that  conquest  entitles  them  to 
the  possession  of  whatever  they  desire,  and  to 
look  upon  death  with  the  utmost  contempt ;  and, 
therefore,  in  their  wars,  they  fight  with  the  most 
desperate  resolution,  and  neither  give  nor  take 
any  quarter.  The  inhabitants  ofAdel,  too,  are 
of  a  warlike  disposition,  and  most  frequently  live 
in  enmity  and  hostility  with  those  around  them. 
The  FeUops  are  gloomy  and  unforgiving  in  their 
tempers,  thirsting  for  vengeance  even  in  the  hour 
of  dissolution,  and  leaving  their  children  to  avenge 
their  qaarreU.    The   idiabitants  of  the  Grtum 


186 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


Coait,  eipecially  the  Mulattnes,  are  Mid  to  be  a 
moat  abondooad  aet  of  people.  The  men  are 
drunkards,  lewd,  thievish,  and  treacherous,  and 
the  women  are  the  moat  abandiMied  prostiiutea, 
aacrificing  themselves  at  all  times,  and  to  all 
aorta  of  men,  without  the  least  deforce  of  re- 
■trainL*  The  natives  of  .(Inaico,  which  borders 
on  An)^la,  live  by  plundering  all  who  happen  to  full 
in  their  way,  sonte  of  whom  they  kill,  and  others 
(hey  keep  as  slaves. f  "  The  Boshemen  are  land 
pirates,  who  live  without  laws  and  without  disci- 
pline ;  who  lurk  in  thickets,  to  watch  the  passage 
of  travellers,  and  shoot  them  with  poisoned  ar- 
rows, in  order  to  seize  their  cattle."!  "  The  ne- 
groes of  Congo,  (says  M.  de  la  Brosse  in  his 
Travels  along  the  coast  of  Angola,  in  1733,)  are 
extremely  treacherous  and  vindictive.  They 
daily  demanded  of  us  some  brandy  for  the  use  of 
the  king  and  the  chief  men  of  the  town.  One  day 
this  request  was  denied  and  we  had  soon  rea-Hon  to 
repent  it ;  for  all  the  English  and  French  officers 
having  gone  to  fish  on  a  small  lake  near  the  sea- 
coast,  they  erected  a  tent  for  the  purpose  uf  dress- 
ine  and  eating  the  fishes  they  had  caught.  When 
amusing  themselves  after  their  repast,  seven  or 
eight  negroes,  who  were  the  chiefs  of  Loango, 
arrived  in  sedans,  and  presented  their  hands  ac- 
cording to  the  custom  of  the  country.  These  ne- 
groes privately  rubbed  the  hands  of  the  officers 
with  a  subtle  poison,  which  acts  instantaneous- 
ly ;  and,  accordingly,  five  captains  and  three  sur- 
geons died  on  the  spot." 

Tho  Moort  are  characterized  by  Mr.  Park  as 
having  cruelty  and  low  cunning  pictured  on  their 
countenances.  Their  treachery  and  malevo- 
lence are  manifested  in  their  plundering  excur- 
sions against  the  Negro  villages.  Without  the 
smallest  provocation,  and  sometimes  under  the 
fairest  professions  of  friendship,  they  will  seize 
upon  the  Negroes'  cattle,  and  even  on  the  inha- 
bitants themselves.  The  Sedouins  are  plun- 
derers of  the  cultivated  lands,  and  robbers  on  the 
high  roads;  they  watch  every  opportunity  of  re- 
venging their  enemies,  and  their  animosities  are 
transmitted  as  an  inheritance  from  father  to  chil- 
dren. Even  the  Egyptians,  who  are  nwre  civil- 
ized than  the  tribes  to  which  I  have  now  alluded, 
are  characterized  by  excessive  pride,  vindictive 
tempers,  inordinate  passions,  and  various  species 
of  moral  turpitude.  There  is  a  trait  in  the  cha- 
racter of  the  women  of  this  country,  pointedly 
adverted  to  by  Sonini,  in  his"  Travels  in  Egypt," 
which  is  particularly  odious  and  horrible.  Go 
discovering  any  partiality  in  their  husbands  fot 
other  females,  they  are  transported  into  an  un- 
tiounded  and  jeak>us  fury.  Such  are  their  deceit 
and  cruelty  on  theae  occasions,  that  they  instil 
into  the  blood  of  their  Pithless  husband,  a  slow 
and  mortal  poison.     Their  revenge  is  meditated 


•  Oooka'i  UnlTenUOeocraphv,  ToL  I.  p 
t  IMd.  }  TalUnt'iTn 


Travels. 


in  silence,  and  they  indulge  the  diabolical  aatia- 
faction  of  lakiiig  off  an  unhappy  being  by  a  linger- 
ing death.  It  is  said,  with  confidt-nco,  that  their 
own  persons  supply  the  horrid  meana  of  perpe- 
trating their  malicious  designs  on  their  husbands, 
and  that  they  mix  wiih  their  aliment  a  certain 
portion  of  an  ingredient  of  a  poisonous  nature, 
which  infallibly  induces  a  slow  langour  and  con- 
sumption, and  in  time  brings  the  wretched  vic- 
tims to  the  grave  The  symptoms  are  dreadful. 
The  body  desicates,  the  limbs  berime  excessive 
)y  weak,  the  gams  rot,  the  teeth  loosen,  the  hair 
^lls  off,  and,  at  length,  after  having  dragged  a 
miserable  and  tortured  existence,  fur  a  whole  year 
or  more,  the  unhappy  beings  die  in  the  most  ex- 
treme torment. 

If  we  pass  fi-om  Africa  to  the  regions  of  Asia, 
we  shall  find  aimilar  depraved  principles  and 
practices  pervading  its  several  tribes,  and  the 
various  ranks  of  its  population.  Here,  tyranny, 
in  all  its  degrading  and  cruel  forms,  reigns  ao- 
preme  and  uncontrolled  over  a  su|>erstit)ous,  a 
deluded,  and  an  idolatroua  race  of  mankind, — of 
which  thefollowine  recent  instances,  in  relation 
to  a  petty  despot  of  Persia,  may  aerve  as  a  spe- 
cimen. "  The  governor  Zulfecar  Khun  is  pit^ 
nounced  to  be  a  cniel  and  unprincipled  tyrant; 
unfortunately  for  the  people,  he  has  the  ear  of  the 
sovereign,  and  they  have  no  resource  against  his 
rapacity.  He  pays  to  the  crown  7000  tomauas 
a  year,  but  it  is  asserted,  that  he  collects  from 
the  district  100,000.  His  oppression  was  so 
grievous,  that  the  inhabitants,  wearied  out,  went 
in  a  body  to  the  king  to  complain  ;  but  his  ma- 
jesty only  referred  them  back  to  their  tyrant,  who, 
exasperated  at  their  boldness,  wreaked  upon  them 
a  cruel  vengeance.  It  is  said,  that  he  maimed 
and  put  to  death  upwards  of  a  thousand  of  both 
sexes,  cutting  off  the  hands,  putting  out  the  eyes, 
and  otherwise  mutilating  the  men,  and  cutting 
off  the  noses,  ears,  and  breasts  of  the  women. 
The  people,  desponding  and  brokenhearted  after 
this,  paid,  in  as  far  as  they  were  able,  the  rapa- 
cious demands  of  their  oppressor,  and  the  na- 
tural consequence,  ruin  aad  desolation  has  en- 
sued."§ 

Sir  John  Chardin  gives  us  the  following  ac- 
count of  the  inhabitants  of  Mingrelia,  particu- 
larly of  the  women.  "  The  people  are  generally 
haiidsome,  the  men  strong  and  well-made,  and 
the  women  very  beautiful ;  but  both  sexes  are 
very  vicious  and  debauched.  The  women, 
though  lively,  civil,  and  affectionate,  are  very 
perfidious ;  for  there  is  no  wickedness  which 
they  will  not  perpetrate,  in  order  to  procure,  to 
preserve,  or  to  get  rid  of  their  gallants.  The 
men  likewise  possess  many  bad  qualities.  All 
of  them  are  trained  to  robbery,  which  they  study 
both  as  a  business,  and  as  an  amusement.  With 
great  satisfaction  they  relate  the  depredations 

I  rtaMi*iJoamertoiaKinaaB,ins 


DISPOSITIONS  OF  SAVAGE  NATIONS 


187 


they  have  committed ;  and,  from  this  polhited 
source,  they  derive  their  greatest  praise  and  hon- 
our. In  Miiigrelia,  falsehood,  assassination,  and 
theft,  are  good  actions  ;  and  whorodom,  bigamy, 
and  incest,  are  esteemed  as  virtuous  habits. 
The  men  marry  two  or  three  wives  at  a  time, 
and  keep  as  many  concubines  as  they  choose. 
They  not  only  make  a  common  practice  of  sell- 
ing their  children,  either  for  gold,  or  in  exchange 
for  wares  and  provisions,  but  even  murder  them, 
or  bury  them  alive,  when  they  find  it  difficult  to 
bring  them  up." 

The  Tartars,  who  occupy  vast  regions  of  the 
Asiatic  continent,  are  uniformly  described  by 
travellers,  as  a  rude,  plundering,  and  uncultivated 
race  of  men.  "  There  is  something  frightful," 
says  Smellie,  "  in  the  countenances  of  the  CaU 
muck  Tartars.  All  of  them  are  wandering  va- 
gabonds, and  live  in  tents  made  of  cloth  or  of 
skins.  They  eat  the  flesh  of  horses,  either  raw, 
or  a  little  softened  by  putrifying  under  their 
saddles.  No  marks  of  religion,  or  of  decency  in 
their  manners,  are  to  be  found  among  most  of 
these  tribes.  They  are  fierce,  warlike,  hardy, 
and  brutally  gross,  They  are  all  robbers ;  and 
the  Tartars  of  Daghestan,  who  border  on  civiliz- 
ed nations,  have  a  great  trade  in  slaves,  whom 
they  carry  oflf  by  force,  and  sell  to  the  Persians 
and  Turks."* 

The  Arabians,  like  the  Tartars,  live  mostly 
without  government,  without  law,  and  almost 
without  any  social  intercourse.  They  still  con- 
tinue in  a  state  of  rudeness  and  of  lawless  inde- 
pendency. Their  chiefs  authorize  rape,  theft, 
and  robbery.  They  have  no  estimation  for  vir- 
tue, and  glory  in  almost  every  species  of  vice. 
They  roam  about  in  the  deserts,  and  attack  cara- 
vans and  travellers  of  every  description,  whom 
they  frequently  murder,  and  plunder  of  their  pro- 
perty.— The  Chi7%ese,  though  more  highly  civil- 
ized than  the  tribes  now  mentioned,  and  though 
they  merit  great  applause  for  their  ingenuity, 
industry,  and  perseverance,  are  as  despicable  in 
their  moral  characters,  and  as  destitute  of  true 
benevolence,  aa  almost  any  nation  upon  earth. 
Avarice  is  their  leading  passion ;  and  in  order 
to  gratify  it,  they  practise  every  species  of  du- 
plicity and  fraud.  They  cannot  be  influenced 
by  motives  either  of  honesty  or  of  humanitv  } 
and  they  surpass  every  nation  on  the  globe  in 
private  cheating.  Captain  Cook  observes,  that 
(the  danger  of  being  hanged  for  any  crime  being 
excepted)  "  there  is  nothing,  however  infamous, 
which  the  Chinese  will  refuse  to  do  for  gain." 
In  this  opinion  he  concurs  with  every  preceding 
and  subsequent  writer,  and  confirms  it  by  a 
variety  of  striking  proofs,  of  which  an  additiuni.1 
number  may  be  seen  in  the  accounts  which  hive 
been  published  of  our  late  embassies  to  that 
empire. 

'  Sntenie's  PhUosophjof  Natural  BIstoor. 

18 


The  Birmana  are  a  lively  inquisitive  race, 
active,  irascible,  and  impatient.  While  in  peace, 
they  give  proofs  of  a  certain  degree  of  gentleness 
and  civilization  ;'  in  war,  they  display  the  ferocity 
of  savages. — The  Malays,  though  inhabiting  a 
country  beautiful  and  delightful  m  the  extreme, 
where  refreshing  gales  and  cooling  streams  as- 
suage the  heat,  where  the  soil  teems  with  deli- 
cious fruits,  where  the  trees  are  clothed  with  a 
continual  verdure,  and  the  flowers  breathe  their 
fragrant  odours,  are  remarkably  ferocious  in  their 
manners.  They  go  always  armed  (except  the 
slaves,)  and  would  think  themselves  disgraced, 
if  they  went  abroad  without  their  poignards. 
The  inland  inhabitants  of  Malacca,  called  Mo- 
nucahoes,  are  a  barbarous  savage  people,  delight- 
ing in  doing  continual  mischief  to  their  neigh- 
bours ;  on  which  account,  no  grain  is  sown  about 
Malacca,  but  what  is  enclosed  in  gardens,  with 
the  thickest  hedges,  or  deep  ditches ;  for  when 
the  grain  is  ripe  m  the  open  plains,  the  Monu- 
caboes  never  fail  to  set  fire  to  it.  The  Persiant, 
in  their  dispositions,  says  Mr.  Franklin,  are 
much  inclined  to  sudden  anger,  are  quick,  fiery, 
and  very  sensible  of  aflfronts,  which  they  resent 
on  the  spot.  Chardin  describes  them  as  "  war- 
like, vain,  and  ambitious  of  praise  ;  exceedingly 
luxurious,  prodigal,  voluptuous,  and  addicted  to 
gallantry."  Tt  is  well  known  that  the  wars  and 
fiend-like  cruelties  in  which  the  despots  of  this 
country  have  been  engaged,  have  transformed 
many  of  its  provinces  into  scenes  of  sterility  and 
desolation. — The  Hindoos  are  effeminate,  luxuri- 
ous, and  early  initiated  into  the  arts  of  dissimu- 
lation. They  can  caress  those  whoci)  they  hate, 
and  behave  with  the  utmost  affability  and  kind- 
ness to  such  as  they  intend  to  deprive  of  exist- 
ence, by  the  most  sanguinary  means.  Though 
they  seldom  scold  or  wrangle,  they  often  stab 
each  other  insidiously,  and,  without  any  public 
quarrel,  gratify  a  private  revenge.  The  destruc- 
tion of  infants,  the  immolation  of  widows,  the 
drowning  of  aged  parents,  which  prevail  among 
them,  and  the  crtiel  and  idolatrous  rites  which 
distinguish  their  religious  services,  are  too  well 
known  to  require  description. — The  Thtrks, 
though  grave,  sedate,  and  rather  hypocondriac, 
yet  when  agitated  by  passion,  are  furious,  raging, 
ungovernable,  fraught  wiih  dissimulation,  jea- 
lous, suspicious,  and  vindictive  beyond  concep- 
tion. They  are  superstitious,  and  obstinately 
tenacious  in  matters  of  religion,  and  are  incapa> 
ble  of  exercising  benevolence  or  even  humanity 
towards  Christians,  or  towards  Jews.  Interest 
is  their  supreme  good,  and  when  that  comes  in 
competition,  all  ties  of  religion,  consanguinity, 
or  friendship,  are  with  the  generality,  speedily 
dissolved.  They  have  deprived  of  their  liberty, 
and  of  their  wealth,  all  who  have  been  subjected 
to  their  iron  sceptre,  and  have  plunged  them  into 
the  depths  of  moral  and  of  mental  debasement. 
The  page  of  history  is  filled  with  details  of  thek 


188 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


d«Ta*(atioiM  and  cnieltiM,  and  the  demia  of  in- 
justice and  of  horror  which  ihey  have  perpetrat- 
ed, eren  in  our  own  timei ,  are  scarcnly  uqnalled 
bj  the  alrociliea  of  the  most  savage  hordes  of 
mankind. 

If  we  take  a  surrey  of  the  numerous  tribes 
which  inhabit  the  Islands  of  the  Indian  and  the 
Pacific  Oceans,  we  shall  find  similar  depraved 
and  malevolent  jiassions,  raging  without  control, 
and  producing  all  those  malignant  and  desolating 
effects  which  have  counteracted  the  benevolence 
of  the  Creator,  and  entailed  misery  on  the  human 
race.  The  dismal  effects  of  the  principle  of 
hatred  directed  towards  human  beings,  the  dis- 
position to  engage  in  continual  warfare,  and  the 
savage  ferocity  of  the  human  mind,  when  unre- 
strained by  moral  and  prudential  considerations, 
are  nowhere  so  strikingly  displayed,  as  in  the 
ides  which  are  scattered  throughout  the  wide 
expanse  of  the  Pacific  Ocean.  Of  the  truth  of 
these  positions  we  have  abundance  of  melancholy 
examples,  in  the  reports  of  missionaries,  and  in 
the  journals  which  have  been  published  by  late 
navigators,  from  which  I  shall  select  only  two  or 
three  examples. 

The  first  instance  I  shall  produce,  has  a  rela- 
tion chiefly  to  the  inhabitants  of  New  Zealand. 
With  respect  to  these  islanders  Captain  Cook 
remarks,  "  Their  public  contentions  are  fre- 
quent, or  rather  perpetual;  for,  it  appears  from 
their  number  of  weapons,  and  dexterity  in  using 
them,  that  war  is  their  principal  profession." — 
"  The  war-dance  consists  of  a  great  variety  of 
violent  motions,  and  hideous  contortions  of  the 
limbs,  during  which  the  countenance  also  per- 
forms a  part ;  the  tongue  is  frequently  thrust  out 
to  an  incredible  length,  and  the  eye-lid  so  forci- 
bly drawn  up,  thai  the  while  appears  both  above 
and  below,  as  well  as  on  each  side  of  the  iris,  so 
as  to  form  a  circle  around  it ;  nor  is  any  thing 
neglected  so  as  to  render  the  human  shape  fright> 
fill  and  deformed.  To  such  as  have  not  been  ac- 
customed to  such  a  practice,  they  appear  more 
like  den)ons  than  men,  and  would  almost  chill  the 
boldest  with  fear ;  at  the  same  time  they  brandish 
their  spears,  shake  their  darts,  and  cleave  the 
air  with  their  patoo-patooa.  To  thU  succeeds  a 
circumstance  almost  foretold  in  iheii  fierce  de- 
meanour, horrid  and  disgraceful  to  human  nature, 
which  is,  cutting  to  pieces,  even  bvfort  being 
perfectly  dead,  the  bodies  of  their  entmies ; 
and,  after  dressing  them  on  a  fire,  devouring  the 
flesh,  not  only  without  reluctance,  but  with  pe- 
culiar satisfaction."  There  is  perhaps  nothing 
that  can  convey  a  more  striking  idea  of  the  ac- 
tions of  pure  malevolence,  and  of  the  horrible 
rage  and  fury  of  infernal  fiends,  than  the  picture 
here  presented  of  these  savage  islanders. 

Theae  people  live  under  perpetual  apprehen- 
aiona  of  being  destroyed  by  each  other ;  there 
being  few  of  their  tribes  that  have  not,  as  they 
think,  wnincd  wrongs  from  aome  other  tribe. 


which  they  are  continually  on  the  watch  to  avenue ; 
and  the  desire  of  a  good  meal  is  no  fmall  incite- 
men*.  Many  yt;ars  wiU  sometimes  elapae  before 
a  favourable  oppoituniiy  happens,  yet  the  son 
never  loses  sight  of  an  injury  that  has  been  done 
to  his  father. — "  Their  method  of  executing  their 
horrible  designs  is  by  stealing  upon  the  adverse 
party  in  the  night,  and  if  they  find  them  unguard- 
ed (which  is  very  seldom  the  case)  they  kiH 
every  one  indiscriminately,  not  even  sparing  the 
women  and  children.  When  the  massacre  is 
completed,  they  either  feast  and  gorge  themselves 
on  the  spot,  or  carry  off*  as  many  of  the  dead 
bodies  as  they  can,  and  devour  them  at  home, 
with  acts  of  brutality  too  shocking  to  be  described. 
If  they  are  discovered  before  they  execute  theii 
bloody  purpose,  they  generally  steal  off  again; 
and  sometimes  are  pursued  and  attacked  by  the 
other  party  in  their  turn.  To  give  quarter,  or  to 
take  prisoners,  makes  no  part  of  their  military 
law ;  so  that  the  vanquisheid  can  save  their  lives 
only  by  flight.  This  perpetual  state  of  war,  and 
destructive  method  of  conducting  it,  operates  so 
strongly  in  producing  habits  of  circumspection, 
that  one  hardly  ever  finds  a  New  Zealander  off 
his  guard,  either  by  night  or  by  day."*  While 
the  mind  is  kept  in  such  a  state  of  incessant 
anxiety  and  alarm,  it  must  be  impossible  for  hu- 
man beings  to  taste  the  sweets  of  rational,  or 
even  of  sensitive  enjoyment.  A  melancholy 
gloom  must  hang  over  these  wretched  beings, 
and  the  dark  suspicions,  and  the  revengeful  pas- 
sions which  agitate  their  minds,  can  only  fit 
them  for  those  regions  of  darkness  where  the 
radiations  of  benevolence  are  completely  extin- 
guished. 

The  implacable  Aofrecf  which  these  savages 
entertain  towards  each  other,  is  illustrated,  in  the 
following  short  narrative  from  Captain  Cook.— 
"Among  our  occasional  visiters  was  a  chief  named 
Kahooia,  who,  as  I  was  informed,  headed  the 
party  that  cut  off  Captain  Fumeaux's  people, 
and  himself  killed  Mr.  Rowe,  the  officer  who 
commanded.  To  judge  of  the  character  oTKa- 
hoora,  by  what  I  had  heard  from  many  of  his 
countrymen,  he  seemed  to  be  more  feared  than 
beloved  among  them.  Not  satisfied  with  telling 
me  that  he  was  a  very  bad  man,  some  of  them 
even  importuned  me  to  h!l  him:  and,  I  believe, 
they  were  not  a  little  surprised  that  I  did  not  lis- 
ten to  them ;  for  according  to  their  ideas  of  equity, 
this  ought  to  have  been  done.  But  if  I  had  fol- 
lowed the  advice  of  all  our  pretended  friends,  I 
might  have  extirpated  the  whole  race  ;  for  th* 
people  of  each  hamlet  or  viUagt,  by  t%tm*,  applied 
to  me,  to  deMtroy  the  other.  One  would  have  al- 
most thought  it  impossible,  that  so  striking  ■ 
proof  of  the  divided  state  in  which  this  people 
live,  could  have  been  assigned." 

Similar  dispositions  are  displayed  throoghoiH 

'  Cooke's  Tojrages. 


DISPOSITIONS  OF  THE  NEW  ZEALANDERS. 


1S9 


almost  all  the  other  islands  of  the  Southern 
Ocean.  The  following  descripiion  is  givrn  by 
M.  de  la  Perouse,  'jf  the  inhabitants  of  Maouna 
Oyolava,  and  the  oiher  islands  in  ihe  Navig.alor's 
Archipelago.  "  Their  native  ferocity  of  coun- 
tenance always  expresses  either  surprise  or  an- 
ger. The  least  dispute  between  iheni  is  follow- 
ed by  blows  of  sticks,  clubs,  or  paddles,  and  of- 
ten, without  doubt,  costs  the  combataiils  their 
lives."  With  regard  to  the  women,  be  remarks : 
"The  gross  effrontery  of  their  conduct,  the  in- 
decency of  their  motions,  and  the  disgusting  of- 
fers which  they  made  of  their  favours,  rendered 
them  fit  moihers  and  wives  for  the  ferocious  be- 
ings that  surrounded  us."  The  treachery  and 
ferocity  of  these  savages  were  strikingly  display- 
ed in  massacring  M.  de  Langle,  the  astronomer, 
and  eleven  of  the  crew  that  belonged  toPerouse's 
vessel,  and  such  was  their  fierce  barbarity, 
that,  after  having  killed  them,  they  stiH  continued 
to  wreak  their  fury  upon  the  inanimate  bodies 
with  theirclubs.  Thenatives of  iVciO  CaWonia 
are  a  race  of  a  similar  descriptioru  Though 
Captain  Cook  describes  them  as  apparently  a 
good  natured  sort  of  people,  yet  subsequent  na- 
vigators have  found  them  to  be  almost  the  very 
reverse  of  what  ho  described  ;  as  ferocious  in  the 
extreme,  addicted  to  cannibalism,  and  to  every 
barbarity  shocking  to  human  naiure.  The  French 
navigator,  Admiral  D'Entrecasteaux,  in  his  in- 
tercourse with  these  people,  received  undoubted 
proofs  of  their  savage  disposition,  and  of  their 
being  accustomed  to  feed  on  human  flesh.  Speak- 
ing of  one  of  ihe  natives,  who  had  visiied  his 
ship,  and  had  described  the  various  practices 
connected  with  cannibalism,  he  says, — "  It  is 
dtilicult  to  depict  the  ferociouj  avidity  with  which 
he  expressed  to  u<i,  that  the  flesh  of  their  unfor- 
tunate victims  was  devoured  by  them  after  they 
had  broiled  it  on  the  coals.  This  cannibal  also 
let  us  know,  that  the  flesh  of  the  arms  and  legs 
was  cut  into  slices,  and  that  they  considered  the 
most  muscular  parts  a  very  agreeable  dish.  It 
was  then  easy  for  us  to  explain,  why  they  fre- 
quently felt  our  arms  and  legs,  manifesting  a 
violent  longing;  they  then  uttered  a  Caint  whist- 
ling, which  ihey  produced  by  closing  their  teeth, 
and  applying  to  them  the  tip  of  the  tongue  ;  af- 
terwards ofiening  their  mouth,  they  smacked  their 
\^>s  several  limes  in  succession." 

The  charanlers  of  the  islanders  now  described, 
may  be  con-iilered  as  common  to  the  inhabitants 
of  the  New  Hebri<les,  the  Friendly  I.slands,  the 
Marquesas,  the  Sandwich,  New  Guinea,  New 
Britain,  the  I.adrones,  and  almost  all  the  islands 
which  are  dispersed  over  the  vast  expanse  of 
the  Pacific  Ocean.  Captain  Cook,  when  de- 
scribing the  natives  of  New  Zealand,  remarks, 
that,  "  the  inhabitants  of  the  other  parts  of  the 
South  Seas  have  not  even  ihe  idea  of  indecency 
with  respect  to  any  object,  or  to  any  action." 
The   inhabitants  even  of  the  Society  and  of  the 


Satidwich  Isles,  prior  to  the  slate  of  moral  and 
religious  improvement  to  which  they  have  lately 
advanced,  though  their  dispositions  were  some- 
what milder  than  those  of  the  other  islands, 
were  almost  equally  low  in  point  of  moral  de- 
basement. Captain  Cook,  speaking  of  the  na- 
tives of  Otaheile,  declares,  "  They  are  all  ar- 
rant thieves,  and  can  pick  pockets  with  the  dex- 
terity of  the  most  expert  London  blackguard."* 
When  describing  the  societies  distinguished  by 
the  name  of  Arreay,  he  declares,  as  a  character- 
istic of  the  female  part  of  the  community,  "  If 
any  of  the  women  happen  lobe  wiih  child,  which 
in  this  manner  of  life,  happens  less  frequently 
than  in  ordinary  cases,  the  poor  infant  is  smo- 
thered the  moment  it  is  born,  that  it  may  be  no 
incumbrance  to  the  father,  nor  interrupt  the 
mother  in  the  pleasures  of  her  diabolical  pros- 
titution."! Another  circumstance,  staled  by  the 
same  navigator,  exhibits  their  former  moral  cha- 
racter in  a  still  more  shocking  point  of  view. 
On  the  approach  of  war  with  any  of  the  neigh- 
bouring islands,  or  on  other  interesting  occa- 
sions, human  sacrifices  were  a  universal  practice. 
"  When  I  described,"  says  this  illustrious  voya- 
ger, "  the  Natibe  at  Tongabatoo,  I  mentioned, 
that,  on  the  approaching  sequel  of  that  festival, 
we  had  been  told  that  ten  men  were  to  be  sacri- 
ficed. This  may  give  us  an  idea  of  the  extent 
of  this  religious  massacre  on  that  island.  And 
though  we  should  suppose,  that  never  more  than 
one  person  is  sacrificed  on  any  single  occasion 
at  Otaheile,  it  is  more  than  probable,  that  these 
occasions  happened  so  frequently,  as  to  make  a 
shocking  waste  of  the  human  race  ;  for  I  counted 
no  less  than  forly-nine  skulls  of  former  victims, 
lying  before  the  Morai,  where  we  saw  one  n^re 
added  to  the  number.  And,  as  none  of  these 
skulls  had,  as  yet,  suffered  any  considerable 
change  from  the  weather,  it  may  hence  be  infer- 
red, that  no  great  length  of  lime  had  elapsed,  since 
this  considerable  number  of  unhappy  wretches 
had  been  offered  on  this  altar  of  blood."| 
He  also  informs  us,  that  human  sacrifices  were 
more  frequent  in  the  Sandwich,  than  in  any  of 
the  other  islands.  "  These  horrid  rites,"  says 
be,  "  are  not  only  had  recourse  to  upon  the  com- 
mencement of  war,  and  preceding  great  battles, 
and  other  signal  enterprises ;  but  the  death  of 
any  considerable  chief  calls  for  a  sacrifice  of  one 
or  more  Towtows,  (that  is,  vulgar  or  low  persons,) 
according  to  his  rank  ;  and  we  were  lold  that  (en 
men  were  destined  to  suffer  on  the  death  of 
Terrecohoo,  one  of  their  great  chiefs. § 

Such  are  a  few  specimens  of  the  moral  dispo- 
sitions— the  hatred,  the  horrid  warfare,  and  the 
abominable   practices,  which  are  displayed  over 


*  Hawkesworth's  Narrative  of  Cook's  Voyages, 
vol.  n. 

t  Ibid.  t  TbW. 

$  Hawkesworth's  NarraUve  of  Cook's  VofagM. 
Vol  n. 


140 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


the  greAler  portion  of  the  Eutern  and  WMteni 
Continents,  and  arooog  (lie  thousand*  of  islands 
which  divpnify  the  surface  of  the  Ocean — dinpo- 
sitions  and  practices,  whirh,  if  permiiled  to  ex- 
tend their  inltuvnce  universally,  and  without 
control,  would  soon  extirpate  the  intelligent 
creation,  and  banish  happiness  from  the  empire 
of  God. 

WARLIKE  ATTITUDE  OF  NATIOIfl. 

Were  benevolence  a  characteristic  of  the  in- 
habilanis  of  our  globe,  every  traveller  would  be 
secure  from  danger  from  his  fellow-men :  he 
might  land  on  every  shore  without  the  least  sus- 
picion or  alarm,  and  confidently  expect  that  his 
distresses  would  be  relieved,  and  his  wants  sup- 
plied, by  every  tribe  of  the  human  race  among 
whom  he  might  occasionally  sojourn.  No  hos- 
tile weapons  would  be  lifted  up  to  repel  a  stranger, 
when  gratifying  his  curiosity  in  visiting  distant 
lands,  and  contemplating  foreign  scenes;  and  no 
instruments  of  destruction  would  require  to  be 
forged,  to  preserve  a  nation  from  the  inroads  of 
destroyers.  But  when  we  survey  the  actual 
state  of  mankind,  we  find  almost  every  nation 
imder  heaven,  if  not  actually  engaged  in  war,  at 
least  in  a  warlike  attitude,  and  one  of  their  chief 
employments  consists  in  divising  schemes,  either 
of  conquest  or  revenge,  and  in  furbishing  the  in- 
strtiments  of  death.  The  following  instances  may 
suffice,  as  illustrations  of  this  position. 

The  armies  of  Asbahtee,  says  Dupuis, 
amount  to  upwards  of  eighty  thousand  men,  arm- 
ed with  tomahawks,  lances,  knives,  jh/elins, 
bows,  and  arrows  ;  and  forty  thousand,  who  can 
occasionally  be  put  in  possession  of  muskets  and 
blunderbusses. — The  opposing  armies  of  Mos- 
lem and  DiNHERu,  amounted  at  times  to 
14(fu00men. — The  King  ofDAHOMY,  and  his 
auxiliaries,  can  raise  about  5O,0CO  men,  armed 
with  bows  and  arrows,  sabres,  and  iron  maces. — 
The  king  of  Benin  can  arm  200,000,  upon  an 
emergency,  and  furnish  10,000  of  them  with 
muskets.  In  those  countries  of  Africa,  where 
fire-arms  and  gunpowder  are  unknown,  they 
wield  the  following  kind«iof  arrrw  with  great  dex- 
terity and  execution.  Those  are,  yery  strong 
supple  lances,  which  are  barbed  and  poisoned, 
targets,  bows  and  arrows,  tomahawks,  ar)d  iron 
maces  ;  the  firmer  of  which  they  are  in  the  prac- 
tice of  poisoning  with  a  venom  more  deadly  than 
that  which  is  used  by  any  other  nation,  as  its 
operation  is  said  to  be  sometiroea  instantaneous, 
wid  its  wound,  though  ever  so  slight,  usually  pro- 
duces death  within  the  lapse  of  a  few  minutes.'^ 

Such  is  the  warlike  disposition  displayed  by  a 
few  comparatively  insignificant  tribes  in  Africa, 
and  similar  dispositions  are  manifested,  and  si- 
milar attitudes  assumed,  by  almost  all  the  tribes 
which  inhabit  that  vast  continent.     Their  time, 

*  Dupula'  "  Miaeion  to  Ashanteo,  la  iBn  " 


and  their  physical  and  menial  esertiona,  sef«i  to 
be  spent  much  in  war,  and  in  the  prrparmtion  of 
warlike  irMiruments,  as  if  these  were  the  great 
ends  for  which  the  Creator  had  brought  them  in> 
to  existence.  If  ihe  ingenuity  and  the  energies 
displayed  in  such  preparations  and  pursuits,  were 
employed  in  operations  calculated  to  promote  the 
benefit  of  mankind,  what  an  immense  proportion 
of  happiness  would  be  distributed  among  nume- 
rous tribes  which  are  just  now  sunk  into  depra- 
vity, and  into  the  depths  of  wretchedness  and 
wo! 

Pallas,  in  his  description  of  the  nations  inha- 
biting the  CoMoosiM,  when  speaking  of  the  Cir- 
cassians, says,  "  Persons  of  wealth  and  rank 
never  leave  the  house  without  a  sabre,  nor  do 
they  venture  beyond  the  limits  of  the  village 
without  being  completely  arrayed,  and  havinc 
their  breast  pockets  supplied  with  ball  cartridges. 
In  regard  to  the  lower  rlass,  '*  when  they  do  not 
carry  a  sabre,  with  otlier  arms,  they  provide 
themselves  with  a  strong  staff,  twoarshines  long, 
on  the  top  of  which  is  fixed  a  large  iron  head,  and 
the  lower  end  is  furnished  with  a  sharp  iron  pike, 
about  eighteen  inches  long,  which  ihey  are  ac- 
customed to  throw  expertly,  like  a  dart.  Th« 
princes  and  knights  pursue  no  other  business 
or  recreation  than  war,  pillage,  and  the  amus^ 
mentsof  the  chase  ;  they  live  a  lordly  life,  wan- 
der about,  meet  at  drinking  parties  and  undertake 
military  excursions."  Among  these  people, 
"  the  desire  of  revenge,  for  injuries  received,  is 
hereditary  in  the  successors,  and  in  tlie  whole 
tribe.  It  remains,  as  it  were,  rooted  with  so 
much  rancour,  that  the  hostile  princes  or  noble* 
of  two  different  tribes,  when  they  meet  eacK 
other  on  the  road,  or  accidentally  in  another  place, 
are  compelled  to  fight  for  their  lives  ;  unless  they 
have  given  previous  notice  to  each  other,  aiK 
bound  themselves  to  pursue  a  different  route. 
Unless  pardon  be  purchased,  or  obtained  by  in- 
termarriage between  the  two  families,  the  prin- 
ciple of  revenge  is  propagated  to' all  succeeding 
generations."* 

It  is  well  known,  that  it:  almost  all  the  islaitds 
in  the  Indian  and  the  Southern  Oceans,  when 
navigators  attempt  to  land,  in  order  to  procure 
water  and  provisions,  they  are  almost  uniform- 
ly opposed  by  crowds  of  ferocious  savages,  armed 
with  long  spears,  clubs,  lances,  bows  and  arrows ; 
and,  with  horrid  yells,  brandishing  them  in  the 
most  hostile  attitudes.  In  some  instances,  these 
warlike  altitudes  might  be  accounted  for,  from  a 
fear  of  the  depredations  and  munlers  which  might 
be  committed  by  strangers,  with  whose  disposi- 
tioiu  and  characters  they  are  unacquainted.  Bui 
the  implacable  hatred  which  they  manifest  to- 
wards even  the  neighbouring  tribes,  wiih  which 
they  are  acquainted,  and  of  which  I  have  already 

•  Palliui' "  Travels  throuah  tlie  Southern  Provlncee 
of  the  RossUn  Empire,"  Vol  U.  pp.  Ml.  40*. 


INHUMANITY  TO  SHIPWRECKED  MARINERS. 


141 


stated  several  instances,  shows,  that  war,  re- 
V3nge,  anJ  the  preparation  of  the  instruments  of 
death,  are  both  their  employment,  and  th--ir  de* 
light.  Yea,  not  only  savage  and  half-civilized 
tribes,  but  almost  every  civilieed  nation  on  the 
(ace  of  the  earth,  is  found  in  a  hostile  attitude 
with  respect  to  surrounding  nations^-either  actu- 
ally engaged  in  a  deadly  war&re  with  a  foreign 
power,  or  preparing  for  an  attack,  or  keeping  up 
fleets  and  standing  armies,  and  forging  cannons, 
and  bails,  and  swords,  in  the  prospect  of  a  ru(>- 
ture  with  neighbouring  statt-s.  And  in  such 
deadly  preparations  and  employments,  a  great 
proportion  of  those  treasures  is  expended,  which, 
if  directed  by  the  hand  of  benevolence,  would  be 
the  means  of  transforming  the  wilderness  into  a 
fruitful  field,  ofdistributing  intelligence  and  moral 
principle  among  all  ranks,  and  of  making  the 
hearts  of  the  poor,  the  widow,  and  the  orphan, 
"  to  leap  for  joy."  What  a  pitiful  picture  is  here 
presented  of  Man,  who  was  originally  formed 
after  the  image  of  his  Maker,  for  the  purpose 
of  displaying  benevolent  affectitms  towards  his 
fellows, — now  divided  into  hostile  tribes,  and 
brandishing,  with  infernal  fury,  at  allaround,  the 
instruments  of  destruction  !  How  art  thou  fallen, 
O  raan,  from  thy  original  station  of  dignity  and 
honour!  "  How  is  the  gold  become  dim,  and  the 
iBost  fine  gold  changed  !  The  crown  is  fallen 
from  our  heads ;  wo  unto  its,  for  we  have  sin- 
ned !" 

tWHUMA.Tirr  OF  UNCIVILIZED  TRIBES  TO 
trWrORTUNATE  TRAVELLERS. 

In  passing  through  the  scene  of  his  earthly  pil- 
grimage, Man  is  exposed  to  a  variety  of  distresses 
and  dangers.  Sometimes  he  is  exposed  to  "  the 
pestilence  that  walkelh  in  darkness,"  and  to  the 
fever  "  that  wasteth  at  noon-day."  Sometimes 
he  is  exposed  to  the  desolations  of  the  earthquake 
and  the  volcano ;  the  blasts  oC  the  tempest,  the 
hurricane,  and  the  tornado,  and  the  billows  of 
the  stormy  ocean  ;  and,  at  other  times,  he  is  ex- 
posed to  the  attacks  of  the  lion,  the  tiger,  and  the 
hyena,  in  the  dark  recesses  of  the  forest.  It 
would  bo  well,  however,  with  man,  were  these 
the  only  evils  and  enemies  which  he  had  to  en- 
counter. But  the  greatest  enemy  which  maui  has 
to  encounter,  is  Man  himself — those  who  are 
partakers  of  the  same  nature,  and  destined  to  the 
same  immortal  existence ;  and  from  these 
kindred  beings,  he  is  exposed  to  evils  and  dis- 
tresses, incomparably  greater  and  more  numerous, 
than  all  the  evils  which  he  suffers  from  the  rave-- 
nous  beasts  of  the  forest,  or  from  the  fury  of  the 
■  aging  elements.  It  is  a  most  melancholy  re- 
iieclion,  that,  throughout  the  greater  part  of  the 
habitable  world,  no  traveller  can  prosecute  his 
■Qurney,  without  being  in  hazard  either  of  being 
dragged  into  captivity,  or  insulted  and  maltreated, 
or  plundered  of  his  treasures,  or  deprived  of  his 
life,  by  those  who  ought  to  be  hi<  friends  and  pro- 


lectors.  After  he  has  eluded  the  pursuit  of  the 
lion  or  the  wolf,  or  after  he  has  escaped,  with 
difficulty,  from  the  jaws  of  the  devouring  deep,  be 
is  frequently  exposed  to  the  fury  of  demons  in 
human  shape,  who  insult  over  his  misfurtunes, 
instead  of  relieving  the  wants  of  his  body,  and 
soothing  the  anguish  of  his  mind.  The  following 
relations,  among  a  numerous  series  which  might 
be  presented  to  the  view  of  the  reader,  will  tend 
to  illustrate  these  remarks. 

My  first  example  shall  be  taken  from  tho  ' 
"  Narrative  of  the  Loss  of  the  Grosvenor  India- 
man."  This  vessel  sailed  from  Trincomalee, 
June  13th,  1782,  on  her  homeward-bound  voyage, 
and  was  wrecked  on  the  coast  of  Caflfraria,  on 
the  4th  of  August  following.  It  is  needless  to 
dwell  on  the  circumstances  which  attended  the 
shipwreck,  and  on  the  consternation,  distraction, 
and  despair,  which  seized  upon  the  passengers 
and  the  crew,  when  they  became  alive  toall  the  ter- 
rors of  the  scene.  Shipwreck,  even  in  its  mildest 
form,  is  a  calamity  which  never  fails  to  fill  the 
mind  with  horror;  but  what  is  instant  death, 
considered  as  a  temporary  evil,  compared  with 
the  situation  of  those  who  had  hunger,  and  thirst, 
and  nakedness,  to  contend  with ;  who  only  escap- 
ed the  fury  of  the  waves,  to  enter  into  conflicts 
with  the  savages  of  the  forest,  or  the  still  greater 
savages  of  the  human  race ;  who  were  cut  off 
from  all  civilized  society,  and  felt  the  prolonga- 
tion of  life  to  be  only  the  lengthened  pains  of 
death  ? 

After  losing  about  twenty  men,  in  their  6rat 
attempts  to  land,  the  remaining  part  of  the  crew 
and  the  passengers,  in  number  about  a  hundred, 
afler  encountering  many  difficulties  and  dangers, 
reached  the  shore.  Next  morning  a  thousand 
uneasy  sensations  were  produced,  from  the  na- 
tives having  come  down  to  the  shore,  and, 
without  ceremony,  carried  off  whatever  suited 
their  fancy.  They  were  at  this  time  about  447 
leagues  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  226 
beyond  the  limits  of  any  Christian  habitation. 
Their  only  resource  appeared  to  bo,  to  direct 
their  course  by  land  to  the  Gape, or  to  the  nearest 
Dutch  settlement.  As  they  moved  forward,  they 
were  followed  by  some  of  the  natives,  who,  in- 
stead of  showing  compassion  to  this  wretched 
group,  plundered  them  from  time  to  time,  of 
what  they  liked,  and  sometimes  pelted  them  with 
stones.  In  this  way  they  pursued  their  journey 
for  four  or  five  days;  during  which  the  natives 
constantly  surrounded  them  in  tSe  day,  taking 
from  them  whatever  they  pleased,  but  invariably 
retired  in  the  night.  As  they  proceeded,  they 
saw  many  villages,  which  they  carefully  avoided, 
that  they  might  be  less  exposed  to  the  insults  of 
the  natives.  At  last,  they  came  to  a  deep  gully, 
where  three  of  the  Caffres  met  them,  armed  with 
lances,  which  they  held  several  times  to  the  cap- 
tain's throat.  Next  day,  on  coming  to  a  largo 
village,   they  (bund  these  three  men,  with  thre« 


112 


THK  PHILCSCl'UY  OP  RELIGION. 


or  four  hundred  of  their  countrymen,  all  armed 
with  lances  and  targets,  who  stopped  the  Enf>lish, 
and  began  lo  pilfer  and  insult  them,  and  tt'  last 
fell  upon  them  and  beat  them.  With  these  in- 
human wretches  they  had  lo  engage  in  a  kind  of 
running  fighi  for  upwards  of  two  hours ;  after 
which,  they  cut  the  buttons  from  their  coats,  and 
preaenied  them  to  the  natives,  on  which,  ihej 
went  away  anH  returned  no  more.  The  follow- 
ing night  they  were  terrified  with  the  noiso  of 
*  the  wild  beasts,  and  kept  corMlant  watch  for  fear 
both  of  them  and  the  natives.  How  dreadful  a 
■ituation,  especially  for  those  delicate  ladies  and 
chiMren,  who  had  so  lately  been  accustomed  to  all 
the  delicacies  of  the  £a!>t !  Next  day,  as  they 
were  advancing,  a  party  of  natives  came  down 
npon  them,  and  plundered  them,  among  other 
things,  oC  their  tinder-box,  flint  and  sleet,  which 
proved  an  irreparable  loss.  Every  man  was  now 
obliged  to  travel,  by  turns,  with  a  fire-brand  in 
his  band ;  and  before  the  natives  retired,  they 
■bowed  more  insolence  than  ever,  robbmg  the 
gentlemen  of  their  watcheii,  and  the  ladies  of 
their  jewels,  which  they  had  secreted  in  their 
hair.  Opposition  was  vain;  the  attempt  only 
brought  fresh  insults  or  blows. 

This  group  of  wretched  wanderers  now  se|>a- 
rated  into  different  panies,  and  took  different 
directions  ;  iheir  provisionn  were  nearly  exhaust- 
«d ;  and  the  delay  occasioned  by  travelling  with  the 
women  and  children  was  very  grfcat.  Theii  dif- 
6culties  increased,  as  they  proceeded  on  their 
journey ;  they  had  numerous  rivers,  sometimes 
nearly  two  miles  in  breadth,  to  swim  across  in 
the  course  of  their  route,  while  the  women  and 
children  were  conveyed  across  on  floating  sta- 
ges, at  the  imminent  hazard  of  their  lives,  and  of 
being  carried  down  by  the  impetuous  current  into 
the  sea.  Whole  days  were  spent  in  tracing  the 
rivers  towards  their  source,  in  order  to  obta  n  a 
ford.  They  traversed  vast  plains  of  sand,  and 
bleak  and  barren  deserts,  where  nothing  could  be 
found  to  alleviate  iheir  hunger,  nor  the  least  drop 
of  water  to  quench  their  raging  thirst.  They 
pund  through  deep  forests,  where  human  feet 
ami  never  trod,  where  nothing  was  heard  but  the 
droadful  bowlings  of  wild  beasts,  which  filled 
thorn  with  alarm  and  df^pair.  Wild  sorrel, 
bnrrna  which  the  birds  had  picked  at,  and  a  few 
■haU-fiflh  which  they  occasionally  picked  up  on 
iho  shore,  were  the  only  food  which  they  had  to 
subsist  on  for  several  days ;  and  on  some  occa- 
sions the  dead  body  of  a  seal,  or  the  putrid  car- 
cast  of  a  whale,  was  hailed  as  a  delicious  treat  to 
their  craving  appetites.  Oim  person  fell  after 
another  into  the  arms  of  death,  through  hunger, 
fatigue,  and  despair,  and  were  sometimes  obliged 
to  be  lef\  in  the  agonies  of  dissolu;ion,  as  a  prey 
to  rarenoua  beasts,  or  to  the  fowls  of  heaven. 
The  following  circumstance  shows  the  dreadful 
situation  to  which  ihey  were  reduced  for  want  of 
food.    "  It  appeared  that  the  captain's  steward 


had  been  buried  in  the  sand  of  the  last  desert 
tiiey  had  passed,  and  that  the  survivors  were  re- 
duced to  such  extremity,  that,  after  he  had  beea. 
interred,  they  sent  back  two  of  their  companion* 
lo  cut  off  part  of  his  flesh;  but  while  they  pro- 
ceeded in  this  horrid  business,  they  had  the  good 
fortune  to  discover  a  young  seal,  newly  driven 
on  shore,  which  proved  a  nioM  seaaooable  re- 
lief" 

Imagination  cannot  form  a  scene  of  despcr 
distress  than  what  the  tender  sex,  and  the  little 
children  must,  in  such  a  case,  have  experienced. 
It  harrows  up  the  very  soul  to  think  what  pangs 
those  delicate  females  who  had  so  lately  been  in- 
ured lo  all  the  pleasures  and  luxuries  of  India, 
must  have  endured,  when  lliey  were  fain  to  ap- 
pease thuir  craving  appetites  on  the  putrid  car- 
cass of  a  whale,  and  were  obliged  lo  repose  on 
the  bare  ground,  amidst  the  bowlings  of  the  tem- 
pest, and  the  more  dismal  yells  of  ihe  beasts  of 
prey.  But,  amidst  this  heart-rending  scene, 
their  fellow-men,  who  ought  to  have  been  their 
sooiliers  and  protectors,  and  who  had  it  in  their 
power  to  have  alleviated  their  distresses,  were 
the  greatest  enemies  they  had  to  encounter  ,  and 
their  appearance  filled  their  minds  with  groater 
alarm  than  if  they  had  beheld  a  roaring  lion,  or  a 
raging  bear.  The  following  are  some  speci- 
mens of  the  perfidy  and  inhumanity  of  the  na- 
tives. In  passing  through  a  village,  one  of  the 
company  observing,  "  that  a  traffic  would  not 
be  unacceptable,  offered  them  the  inside  of  his 
watch  for  a  calf;  but  though  they  assented  to  the 
terms,  no  sooner  had  they  obtained  the  price, 
than  they  withheld  the  calf,  and  drove  the  Eng- 
lish from  their  village."  In  the  same  manner 
were  they  used  on  many  other  occasions.  One 
time,  when  resting  at  a  village,  where  the  natives 
offered  no  partirular  resistance,  "  they  produced 
two  bowls  of  milk,  which  they  seemed  willing  to 
barter,  but  as  our  wrelched  countrymen  had  no- 
thing to  give  in  exchange,  they  denied  them  this 
humble  boon  without  an  equivalent,  and  ate  it 
up  themselves."  At  the  same  place,  they  im- 
plored in  the  most  impressive  terms,  to  partake 
with  the  natives  of  the  spoils  of  a  deer,  which 
they  had  just  killed,  but  they  turned  a  deaf  ear 
to  their  solicitations,  and  insisted,  moreover,  on 
their  quilting  the  kraal.  On  another  occasion, 
"  on  coming  lo  a  large  village,  the  inhabitants 
set  uport  them  with  such  f<iry,  that  several 
vv-ere  severely  wounded,  and  one  of  them  died 
soon  after." 

In  this  manner,  did  the  wretched  remains  of 
these  hapless  wanderers  traverse  the  wilds  ot 
Africa,  during  the  space  of  one  hundred  and 
seventeen  days,  till  they  acciHenlally  met  with 
some  Dutch  settlers,  when  within  400  miles  ol 
the  Cape.  Here  they  were  treated  with  the 
kindest  attention,  and  their  wants  relieved.  But, 
by  ihis  time,  only  15  or  20  emaciated  beings  sur- 
vived, out  of  more  than  120  persons  who  were  tUt 


INHUMANITY  TO  SHIPWRECKED  MARINERS. 


24S 


tioard  the  Qrosvenor.  What  became  of  the  cap- 
tain an  I  his  party  is  still  unknown.  Some  are 
supposed  to  have  perished  from  hunger,  some 
through  grief  and  fatigue,  and  others  to  have 
been  killed  by  ihe  inhospitable  natives. — Now, 
all  the  aceiimiilaied  miseries  endured  hy  these 
unfiriunate  travellers,  and  the  premature  death 
of  nearly  a  hundred  persons,  are  to  be  attribut- 
ed to  that  Spirit  of  selfishness,  inhumanity,  and 
hostility,  which,  in  all  ages,  has  prevented  en- 
joyment, and  entailed  misery  on  the  human  race. 
Had  a  principle  of  love  to  mankind  pervaded  the 
hearts  of  tlic  wretched  CatTres,  or  had  even  the 
common  feelings  of  humanity  been  exercised  to- 
wards their  fellow-creatures  in  distress,  the  whole 
of  the  anforiunaie  individuals  that  perished  in 
Africa's  inhospitable  clime,  might  have  been  con- 
ducted in  safety  to  their  friends  and  their  native 
land. 

My  next  example  is  taken  from  M.  De  Bris- 
son's  "  Narrative  of  his  shipwreck,  and  captivity 
among  the  Moors." 

M.  Brisson  was  shipwrecked  on  the  coast  of 
Barbary,  on  the  lOih  July,  1785,  and,  after 
much  difficulty  and  danger,  he,  along  with  the 
crew,  escaped  safe  to  land.  No  sooner  had  they 
reached  the  shore,  than  they  were  surrounded  by 
a  crowd  of  savages,  and  seized  by  the  collars. 
"  The  Arabs,"  says  M.  Brisson,  "  armed  with 
cutlasses  and  lar^e  clubs,  fell  upon  my  compa- 
nions with  incredible  ferocity;  and  I  had  the 
mortification  of  soon  seeing  some  of  them  wound- 
ed, whilst  others,  stripped  and  naked,  lay  stretch- 
ed out  and  exoiring  on  the  sand.  The  news  of 
our  shipwreck  bemg  spread  abroad  through  the 
country,  we  saw  the  savages  running  with  tho 
greatest  eagerness  from  all  quarters.  The  loo- 
men,  enraged  that  they  could  not  pillage  the 
ship,  threw  themselves  upon  us,  and  tore  from 
us  the  few  ariii^les  of  dress  which  we  had  left. 
While  they  went  to  the  shore  to  obtain  more 
plunder,  a  company  uf  Ouadelims  discovered  and 
pillaged  our  retreat,  and  beat  us  in  the  most  un- 
merciful manner,  till  I  was  almost  at  the  last 
gasp.  My  mind  was  so  much  affected  that  I 
could  not  refrain  from  tears :  and  some  of  the 
women  having  observed  it,  instead  of  being 
moved  with  comjiassion,  threw  »and  in  my  eyes, 
*  to  dry  up  my  tears,'  as  they  expressed  it."  M. 
Brisson  was  forced,  by  these  rude  barbarians, 
into  the  interior  of  the  country,  as  a  captive. 
"  After  passing,"  says  he,  "  mountains  of  a  pro- 
digious height,  which  were  covered  with  small 
sharp  flints,  I  found  that  the  soles  of  my  feet 
were  entirely  covered  with  blood.  I  was  per- 
mitted to  get  up  behind  my  master  on  his  camel ; 
but  as  I  was  naked,  I  could  not  secure  myself 
from  the  friction  of  the  animal's  hair,  so  that  in  a 
very  little  time  mv  nkin  was  entirely  rubbed  ofT. 
My  blood  trickled  down  over  the  animal's  sides, 
and  thissiuhl,  instead  of  moving  the  piiy  of  these 
tarbarians,  qforded  Atm  a  tubject  ofdamtiim. 


They  sported  with  my  sufferings;  and  that  their 
enjoyments  might  be  still  higher,  they  spurred  on 
their  camels."  After  travelling  for  sixieendays, 
during  which  they  were  ex|)osed  to  the  greatest 
fatigue,  and  the  most  dreadful  miseries,  they  at 
length  reached  the  place  of  their  destination,  in 
a  most  wretched  and  exhausted  condition.  And 
what  was  the  manner  of  their  reception  ?  The 
women  having  satisfied  their  curiosity  in  inqui- 
ries about  the  strangers,  immediately  began  to 
load  them  wiih  abuse.  "  They  even  spat  in  our 
faces,"  says  M.  B.  "  and  pelted  us  with  stones. 
The  children,  loo,  copying  their  example,  pinch- 
ed us,  pulled  our  hair,  and  scratched  us  with  their 
nails,  whilst  their  cruel  mothers  ordered  them  to 
attack  sometimes  one  and  sometimes  another, 
and  took  pleasure  in  causing  them  to  torment 
us." 

They  were  compelled  to  work  at  the  most  fa- 
tiguing and  menial  employments,  and  beaten 
with  severity  when  they  did  not  exert  themselves 
far  beyond  their  strength,  while  they  were  denied 
a  single  morsel  of  wholesome  food.  "  As  we 
were  Christians,"  sajs  the  narra'ofi  "  the  dogs 
fared  better  than  we,  and  it  was  in  the  basins 
destined  for  their  use  that  we  received  our  allow- 
ance :  our  food  was  raw  snails,  and  herbs  and 
plants  trodden  underfoot  by  the  multitude."  In 
this  manner  did  these  unfortunate  travellers  drag 
out  the  period  uf  their  captivity  ;  some  died  of 
the  blows  and  harsh  treatment  they  received,  and 
others  died  of  hunger  and  despair.  M.  Brisson 
one  day  found  the  captain  of  the  vessel  in  a 
neighbouring  hamlet,  stretched  out  lifeless  upon 
the  sand,  and  scarcely  distinguishable  but  by  the 
colour  of  his  body.  In  his  mouih  he  held  one  of 
his  hands,  which  his  great  weakness  had  no 
doubt  prevented  him  from  devouring.  He  was  so 
changed  by  hunger,  that  his  body  exhibited  the 
most  disgusting  appearance ;  all  his  features 
being  absolutely  effaced.  A  few  days  after,  the 
second  captain,  having  fallen  down  through 
weakness  below  an  old  gum  tree,  became  a  prey 
to  the  attacks  of  a  monstrous  serpent.  Some 
famished  crows,  by  their  cries,  frightened  away 
the  venomous  animal,  and,  alighting  on  the  body 
of  the  dying  man,  were  tearing  him  to  pieces, 
while  four  savage  monsters,  in  human  shape, 
still  more  cruel  than  the  furious  reptile,  heheld 
this  scene  without  offering  him  the  least  assist- 
ance. "  I  attempted  to  run  towards  him,"  says 
M.  Brisson,  "  and  to  save  his  life,  if  possible, 
but  the  barbarians  stopped  me,  and  after  insult- 
ing me,  said,  '  This  Christian  will  soon  become 
a  prey  to  the  frames.'  "  The  bad  slate  of  health 
of  this  unfortunate  man  would  not  permit  htm 
to  labour,  and  his  master  and  mistress  would  not 
allow  him  the  milk  necessary  for  his  subsistence. 
— Such  were  the  scenes  of  inhumanity  and  cruel- 
ty which  M  Brisson  witnessed,  during  the 
whole  period  he  remained  in  the  territories  of 
these  barbarous  tribes.     They  present  to  oar 


144 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


▼tew  so  m»ny  pictum  nf  abominable  te{fiahne»$ 
and  evi-n  of  pure  matevoUnee,  Atid  it  is  a  inutt 
raelanchiily  reHection,  that  niimenxis  Iribc-a  of  a 
similar  description  are  spread  over  a  very  large 
portion  of  the  habiiable  world.  It  makes  oAe  feel 
degraded  when  he  reflects  that  he  is  related,  by 
the  ties  of  a  cuininun  nanirn,  to  beings  possessing 
a  character  no  malignant  and  depraved. 

I  shall  Select  only  another  example,  illuslralive 
of  this  topic,  extracted  from  the  travels  of  Mr. 
Park.  This  enterprising  traveller  prosecuted  a 
journey  of  many  hundred  miles  in  the  interior  of 
Africa,  for  the  most  part  on  fool,  and  alone. 
Sometimes,  his  way  lay  over  a  burning  sandy 
wilderness,  where  he  f(Mind  little  to  alleviate 
either  his  hunger  or  his  thirst ;  and  sometimes  he 
travelled  ainun>;  woods  and  thickets,  and  across 
rivers  and  marshes,  exposed  to  the  wild  beasts, 
and  without  any  path  to  guide  him.  Though 
the  negroes  of  that  country  frequently  relieved 
bis  wants  and  distresses,  yet  the  Moors  used  him 
with  great  cruelty  and  inhumanity,  so  that  he 
hardly  escaped  with  life.  The  chiefs  through 
whose  territories  he  passed,  generally  exacted  a 
tribute  from  him,  so  long  as  he  had  any  thing  to 
give,  and,  under  that  plea,  they  often  robbed  him 
of  all  the  articles  which  he  had  it  not  in  his  pow. 
er  to  conceal.  When  he  passed  through  the 
town  of  Deena,  the  Moors  insulted  him  in  every 
form  which  malignity  could  invent.  A  crowd  of 
them  surrounded  the  hut  in  which  he  lodged,  and, 
besides  hissing  and  shouting,  uttered  much  abu- 
sive langudi^e.  Their  aim  seemed  lobe  to  provoke 
Park  to  make  retaliation,  that  they  might  have 
some  pretence  to  proceed  to  greater  outrages,  and 
to  rob  him  of  his  property.  Suspecting  their  in- 
tentions he  bore  all  with  the  greatest  patience, 
and,  though  they  even  spit  in  his  face,  he  showed 
no  marks  of  resentment.  Disappointed  in  their 
aim,  they  ha<l  rfcourse  to  an  argument  common 
among  Mahometans,  to  convince  themselves 
thai  they  had  a  right  to  whatever  the  stranger 
might  have  in  his  possession.  He  was  a  Ckrit- 
licm.  They  opened  his  bundles,  and  took  what- 
ever they  thought  might  be  of  use,  and  whatever 
suited  their  fancy. 

Having  been  kept  for  some  time  in  captivity 
by  a  Moorish  tribe,  they  not  only  robbed  him  of 
the  few  articles  which  were  still  in  his  possession, 
but  insulted  and  oppressed  him  with  the  most 
wanton  cruelty.  The  day  was  passed  in  hunger 
and  thirst ;  to  hunger  and  thirst  were  added  the 
malignant  insults  of  the  Moors,  of  whom  many 
visited  him,  whose  only  business  seemed  to  be  to 
torment  him.  He  always  saw  the  approach  of 
the  evening  with  pleasure;  it  termin.ited  another 
day  of  his  miserable  existence,  and  removed  from 
him  his  tr<iubletiume  visitants.  A  scanty  allow- 
ance of  kuuskuus,*  and  of  salt  and  water,  was 


'  A  sp«etos  of  food  somewhat  resemblinc  SMeh 
paridie. 


brou^t  him  generally  about  midnight.  Thif 
scanty  allowance  was  all  that  he  and  bis  two  at^ 
tetidant*  were  to  expect  during  the  whole  of  the 
ensuing  day.  "  1  was  a  stranger,"  says  he, "  I 
was  unpruiected,  and  I  was  a  Christian;  each 
of  these  circumstances  is  sufficient  to  drive  ever) 
spark  of  humanity  from  the  heart  of  a  Moor. 
Anxious,  however,  to  conciliate  favour,  and,  if 
possible,  to  afl°ord  the  M<M>rs  no  preience  for  ill* 
treating  me,  I  readily  complied  with  evrry  com- 
mand, aixi  patiently  bore  every  insult.  But 
never  did  any  period  of  my  life  pass  away  so 
heavily.  From  sun-rise  to  sun-eel,  was  1  oblig> 
ed  to  bear,  with  an  unruffled  countenance,  the  io> 
suits  of  the  rudest  savages  upon  earth."  Having, 
at  length,  made  his  escape  from  these  barbarians, 
he  declares,  "  It  is  impossible  to  describe  the  joy 
that  arose  in  my  mind,  when  I  looked  around, 
and  concluded  that  I  was  out  of  danger.  I  felt 
like  one  recovered  from  sickness.  1  breathed 
freer ;  I  found  unusual  lightness  in  my  limbs ; 
even  the  denert  looked  pleasant ;  and  I  dreaded 
nothing  so  much  as  falling  in  with  some  wandering 
parties  of  the  Moors,  who  might  convey  me  back 
to  the  land  of  thieves  and  murderers  from 
which  I  had  just  escaixMJ."— Alas  !  what  a  load 
of  sorrow  and  of  misery  have  the  selfihhness  and 
inhumanity  of  man  accumulated  upon  the  heads 
of  forlorn  and  unfortunate  sufferers  !  While  our 
disconsolate  traveller,  after  his  escape,  was 
wandering  in  an  unknown  desert,  fainting  with 
hunger,  and  parched  with  thirst,  surrounded 
with  pitchy  darkness,  which  was  only  relieved 
by  the  flashes  of  the  lightnings;  where  no  sounds 
were  heard  but  the  bowlings  of  wild  boasts,  and 
the  rolling  thunders  : — "  About  two  in  ihe  morn- 
ing," says  lie,  "  my  horse  started  at  something, 
and,  looking  round,  I  was  not  a  liltle  surprised  to 
see  a  light,  at  a  short  distance  among  the  trees, 
and  supptjsing  it  to  be  a  town,  I  groped  tAong 
the  sand,  in  hopes  of  finding  corn  stalks,  coiion, 
or  other  appearances  of  cultivation,  but  found 
none.  As  I  approached,  I  perceived  a  number 
of  lights  in  other  places,  and,  leadinj;  my  horaa 
cautiously  towards  the  light,  I  heard,  by  the  low- 
ing of  the  cattle,  and  the  clamorous  tongues  of  the 
herdiimen,  that  it  was  a  watering  place,  and 
most  likely  belonged  to  the  Moors.  Delightful  as 
the  sound  of  the  human  voice  was  to  me,  I  resolv- 
ed once  more  to  strike  into  the  woods,  and  ra- 
ther nm  the  risk  of  perishing  with  hunger,  than 
trust  myself  again  into  their  hands." — It  is  a 
most  affecting  consideration,  and  shows  to  what 
a  degree  of  malignity  human  beings  have  arriv- 
ed, when  a  hungry,  houseless,  and  benightea 
traveller  prefers  to  flee  for  protection  to  the 
haunts  of  the  beasts  of  prey,  rather  than  commit 
himself  to  the  tender  mercies  of  those  who  are 
partakers  of  the  same  common  nature,  and  who 
have  it  in  their  power  to  alleviate  his  distresses. 
Mr.  Park,  when  among  the  Moors,  was  forced 
to  pass  many  days,  altoast  without  drin«,  uodei 


INHUMANITY  TOWARDS  TRAVELLERS. 


145 


a  burning  climate,  where,  to  a  European,  the 
heat  is  almost  insufferable.  His  raging  thirst 
induced  him  (u  run  every  risk,  and  lo  burst 
through  every  restraint.  He  sent  his  boy  to  the 
wells  to  fill  the  skin  which  he  had  for  holding 
water  ;  but  the  Moors  were  exasperated  that  a 
Christian  should  presume  to  fill  his  vessel  at 
wells  consecrated  to  the  use  of  the  followers  of 
Mahomet.  Iiuteiul,  therefore,  of  permitting  the 
boy  to  carry  away  water,  they  gave  hira  many 
severe  blows  ;  and  this  mode  of  treatment  was 
repeated  as  oFien  as  an  attempt  was  made. — On 
another  occasion,  when  awaking  from  a  dream, 
in  which,  dnrinv  his  broken  slumbers,  his  fancy 
had  transported  him  to  his  native  country,  and 
placed  him  on  the  verdant  brink  of  a  transparent 
rivulet,  and  perceiving  that  his  raging  thirst  had 
exposed  him  to  a  kind  of  fever,  he  resolved  to 
expose  himself  to  the  insults  of  the  Moors  at  the 
wells,  in  hopes  that  he  might  procure  a  small 
supply.  When  he  arrived  at  thom  he  found  the 
Moors  drawing  water.  He  desired  permission 
to  drink,  but  was  driven  from  well  to  well  with 
reiterated  outrage.  At  length  he  found  one  well 
where  only  an  old  man  and  two  boys  drew  fur 
their  cattle.  He  earnestly  begged  a  small  quan- 
tity. The  old  man  drew  the  bucket  from  the 
well,  and  held  it  out.  Park  was  about  eagerly 
to  seize  it,  when  the  Moor,  recollecting  that  the 
stranger  was  a  Christian,  instantly  threw  the 
water  into  the  trough,  where  the  cows  were 
eiready  drinking,  and  told  Park  to  drink  thence. 
He  hesitated  not  for  a  nioraent.  His  sufferings 
made  even  this  offer  acceptable.  He  thrust  his 
head  between  those  of  two  cows,  and,  with  feel- 
ings of  pleasure  which  can  be  experienced  only 
by  those  who  have  been  reduced  to  a  similar 
state  of  wretchedness,  he  continued  to  quench 
bis  thirst  till  the  water  was  exhausted,  and  "  till 
the  cows  began  to  contend  with  each  other  for 
the  last  mouthful." 

In  this  instance,  we  can  partly  account  for  the 
barbarity  of  the  action^  from  the  inveterate  preju- 
dices which  all  Mahometans  entertain  against 
Christians  ;  but  it  still  remains  to  be  accounted 
for,  why  any  one  should  refuse  to  a  suffering  fel- 
low-creature the  common  bounties  of  Providence, 
which  he  has  in  his  power  to  bestow,  however 
different  he  may  be  in  complexion,  in  national 
character,  or  in  the  religion  he  professes.  A 
religion  which  encourages  such  pr<>judices,  and 
which  leads  to  such  inhumanity,  must  be  an 
abomination  in  the  sight  of  Him  who  has  a  spe- 
i;ial  regard  lo  the  wants  of  all  his  creatures,  and 
who  "  sondelh  rain  to  refresh  the  fields  of  the 
just  and  of  the  unjuMt."  The  prevalence  of  such 
characters  an.l  dis|iositions  over  so  large  a  por- 
tion of  the  world,  shows  that  the  moral  constitu- 
tion of  man  has  suffered  a  sad  derangement  since 
the  period  when  he  proceeded  as  a  pure  intelli- 
gence from  the  han(l<<  of  his  Creator. 

Such  incidents  as  those  to  which  I  hare  bow 
19 


adverted,  when  properly  considered,  are  calcu- 
lated to  inspire  us  with  contentment,  and  to  ex- 
cite to  gratitude  for  the  common  blessings  which 
we  enjoy  without  the  least  fear  of  danger  or  an- 
noyance. How  often  do  we  enjoy  the  refresh- 
ment of  a  delicious  beverage,  without  thinking 
of  the  parched  tongues  of  the  African  pilgrims; 
and  how  often  do  we  spurn  at  a  wholesome  dish, 
which  would  be  hailed  with  transports  of  grati- 
tude by  the  houseless  and  hungry  wanderer  of 
the  desert !  Yea,  how  many  are  there,  even  in 
our  civilized  country,  who  enjoy,  in  luxurious 
abundance,  all  the  blessings  which  nature  and 
art  can  furnish,  who  never  once  acknowledge, 
with  heart-felt  gratitude,  the  goodness  of  Him 
"  who  daily  loads  them  with  his  benefits,"  nor 
reflect  on  the  wants  and  the  sufTerings  of  their 
fellow-men !  Mr.  Park,  when  oppressed  with 
hunger  and  fatigue,  applied,  at  the  chief  magis- 
trate's house,  in  a  village  named  Shrilla,  for  some 
relief,  but  was  denied  admittance.  He  passed 
slowly  through  the  village  till  ho  came  without 
the  walls,  where  he  saw  an  old  motherly-looking 
woman  at  the  door  of  a  mean  hut.  She  set  be- 
fore him  a  dish  of  boiled  com,  that  had  been  left 
the  preceding  night,  on  which  he  made  a  tolera- 
ble meal.  "  Overcome  with  joy,"  says  Park, 
"  at  so  unexpected  a  deliverance,  I  lifled  up  my 
eyes  to  heaven,  and,  while  my  heart  swelled  with 
gratitude,  I  returned  thanks  to  that  gracious  and 
bountiful  Being,  whose  power  had  supported  mo 
under  so  many  dangers,  and  had  now  spread  for 
me  a  table  in  the  wilderness." 

When  Mr.  Park  was  returning  from  the  in- 
terior of  Africa,  he  was  encountered  by  a  party 
of  armed  negroes,  who  led  him  into  a  dark  place 
of  the  forest  through  which  he  was  passing,  and 
stripped  him  entirely  naked,  taking  from  him 
every  thing  which  he  possessed,  except  an  old 
shirt  and  a  pair  of  trowsers.  He  begged  them  to 
return  his  pocket  compass  ;  but,  instead  of  com- 
plying with  his  request,  one  of  thom  assured 
him,  that,  if  he  attempted  to  touch  that,  or  any 
other  article,  he  would  immediately  shoot  him 
dead  on  the  spot.  He  was  thus  left  in  the  midst 
of  a  vast  wilderness,  in  the  depth  of  the  rainy 
season,  naked  and  alone,  without  food,  and  with- 
out the  means  of  procuring  it ;  surrounded  by 
savage  animals,  and  by  men  still  more  savage, 
and  500  miles  from  the  nearest  European  settle- 
ment. "  All  these  circumstances,"  says  this 
intrepid  traveller,  "  crowded  at  once  on  my  recol- 
lection, and,  I  confess,  my  spirits  began  to  fail 
me.  I  considered  that  I  had  no  other  alternative, 
but  to  lie  down  and  die.  The  influence  of  reli- 
gion, however,  ailed  and  supported  me.  At 
this  moment,  painful  as  my  reflections  were,  the 
extraordinary  beauty  of  a  small  moss  irresistibly 
caught  my  eye.  Can  that  Being,  thought  I, 
who  planted,  watered,  and  brought  to  perfection, 
in  this  obscure  part  of  the  world,  a  thing  which 
appears  of  so  sradll  importance,  look  with  ua> 


146 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


concern  on  the  lituation  and  suflerings  of  crea- 
ture* formed  after  his  own  image  ?  Surely  nul. 
Reflections  like  these  wuuld  nut  allow  me  lo  de- 
spair. I  started  up,  and,  disregarding  both  hun- 
ger and  fatigue,  travelled  forwards,  asiured  that 
r«lief  Was  at  hand,  and  I  was  not  disappointed." 
Tbiu  was  This  unfortunate  adventurer  delivered, 
by  the  care  of  Providence,  from  those  a>:cumu- 
{aied  distresses  which  had  been  brought  upon 
him  by  the  malignity  aixl  inhumanity  of  man. 

Such  are  a  few  specimens  of  the  mliumanity 
displayed  b^  uncivilized  tribes  towards  strangers, 
and  unfurtuaaie  voyagers  and  travellers.  They 
exhibit  dispositions  and  conduct  directly  repug- 
nant to  every  principle  of  benevolence,  and  pre- 
sent to  our  view  a  gloomy  prospect  of  the  diffi- 
culties and  dangers  lo  be  surmounted  by  philan- 
thropic missionaries,  before  the  habitable  world 
can  be  thoroughly  explored,  and  before  the  bless- 
ings of  knowledge,  civilization,  and  religion  can 
be  commuiiicaied  to  the  benighted  and  depraved 
tribes  of  mankind. 

M.iLKrOLEIfT    DISPOSITIOVS,    AS    DISPLAYED 

tv  sisriacraivo  THE  auMAti  body. 

The  human  frame,  when  preserved  in  its  ori- 
ginal stale,  is  one  of  the  finest  pieces  of  mechan- 
ism which  the  mind  can  contemplate.  In 
beauty,  in  symmetry,  in  the  harmony  and  pro- 
portion  of  all  its  parts  and  functions,  it  is  su- 
perior to  the  organical  stnictures  of  all  the  other 
ranks  of  sensitive  existence.  There  is  no  part 
imperfect  or  deformed,  no  part  defective,  and  no 
part  useless  or  redundant.  All  its  memoers  are 
80  constnicted  and  arranged  as  to  contribute  to 
the  beauty  and  perfection  of  the  whole,  and  to 
the  happiness  of  the  intelligent  mind  by  which  it 
is  governed  and  directed.  In  combination  with 
the  power  of  thought  and  volition,  and  when  un- 
stamel  by  malignant  passions,  it  is  a  visible  re- 
presentative of  the  Creator,  having  been  formed 
after  his  image  ;  and  it  displays,  in  a  most  strik- 
ing innniier,  the  wisdom  and  the  goodness  of  its 
Almighty  Mdker.  But,notwiihslanHino  the  ac- 
knowledged excellence  of  the  human  frame,  it  has 
been  the  practice  of  the  degraded  tribes  of  man- 
kind, in  almost  every  country,  and  in  every  age, 
to  disfigure  its  structure,  and  todefaceiis  beauty; 
as  if  the  Creator,  when  he  farmed  it,  had  been 
deficient  in  intelligence  and  in  benevolent  d<*si|!n. 
Such  practices,  I  am  disposed  to  think,  imply  a 
principle  of  malevolence  directed  towards  the 
Creator,  and  a  disposition  to  find  fault  with  his 
wise  contrivances  and  nrrangemrnts.  At  any 
rate,  ihey  display  a  degree  of  ignorance  and  fol- 
ly, a  vitia'ed  taste,  and  a  degradation  of  mind, 
incoiisistent  with  the  dignity  of  a  rational  inielli- 
geuce.  The  following  facts  will,  perhaps,  tend 
to  illustrate  these  remarks  : — 

Condamine,  when  describing  the  natives  of 
South  AmKrica,  informs  us,  that  the  Omaeuav, 
andfooM  other  savages,  fUttea  the  facet  of  their 


children,  by  lacing  their  beads  between  two 
boards  ;  that  others  pierce  the  noairiln,  lips,  or 
ch)>eks,  and  place  in  them  feathers,  the  bunea  of 
fishes,  and  similar  n  namenis  ;— and  that  the 
savages  of  Brazil  pull  the  hair  out  of  their  beard*, 
their  eye-brows,  and  all  parts  of  ibeir  bodies, 
which  make  ihem  have  an  uncommon,  and  a  fe- 
rocious appearance.  Their  under- lip  they  (nerce, 
and,  as  an  oniaim-nl,  insert  into  it  a  green  stone, 
or  a  small  |M>lished  bone.  Imniediaiely  after 
birth  the  mothers  flatten  the  noeesof  iheir  child- 
ren. The  whole  of  them  go  absolutely  naked, 
and  paint  their  bodies  of  niffereni  colours. — 
Captain  Cook  informs  un,  that,  in  New  Zealand, 
both  sexes  mark  their  faces  and  bodies  with 
black  stains,  similar  to  the  tattooing  in  Oiaheite. 
The  men,  particularly,  add  new  stains  every 
year,  so  that,  in  an  advanced  period  of  life,  ihey 
are  almost  covered  from  head  lo  foot.  Betides 
this,  they  have  marks  impressed,  by  a  method 
unknown  lo  us,  of  a  very  extraordinary  kind. 
They  are  furrows  of  about  a  line  deep,  and  a 
line  broad,  such  as  appear  upon  the  bark  of  a 
tree  which  has  been  cut  through  after  a  year's 
growth.  The  edges  of  these  furrows  are  after^ 
wards  indented  by  the  same  method,  and,  being 
perfectly  black,  they  make  a  most  frightful  ap- 
pearance. Both  sexes  bore  their  ears :  they 
gradually  stretch  the  holes  till  they  are  so  large  aa° 
to  admit  a  finger.  Into  these  holes  they  put 
feathers,  coloured  cloth,  bones  of  birds,  twigs  of 
wood,  and  frequently  the  nails  which  they  receiv- 
ed from  the  ships. — The  same  voyager,  when 
describing  the  New  Hollanders,  tells  us,^ 
"  Their  chief  omnment  is  a  bone,  which  iathnist 
through  a  hole  bored  in  the  caitilage  which  di- 
vides the  nostrils.  This  bone  is  as  thick  as  a 
man's  finger,  and  six  inches  in  length.  I' 
reaches  quite  across  the  face,  and  so  effectually 
stops  up  both  nostrils,  that  they  are  forced  to 
keep  their  mouths  wide  open  for  breath,  and 
snuffle  so  when  ihey  attempt  to  speak,  that  they 
are  scarcely  intelligible  to  each  other.  Our  sea- 
men with  some  humour,  called  it  their  tprU-mtU 
yard ;  and  indeed  it  had  so  ludicrous  an  appear- 
ance, that,  till  we  were  used  to  it,  we  found  ii  diffi- 
cult to  restrain  from  laughter."  He  also  describes 
a  custom  of  a  pectiliar  nature  which  prevails  in  the 
Friendly  Islands.  "  The  greater  part  of  the  in- 
habitants, both  male  and  female,  were  oheerved 
to  have  lost  one  or  both  of  their  litile  finger*. 
This  custom  seemed  not  to  be  characteristic  of 
rank,  of  age,  or  of  rei;  for,  wiih  the  exception 
of  some  young  children,  very  frm  people  were 
discovered  in  whom  both  hands  were  perfect. 
They  likewise  bum  or  malte  iocisiuos  in  their 
cheeks." 

All  the  eastern  nations  are  said  to  have  a  pre- 
dilection for  long  ears.  Some  draw  the  lobe  of 
the  ear,  in  order  to  stretch  it  to  a  greater  length, 
and  pierce  it  so  as  to  allow  the  admission  of  aa 
ordinary  pendant.     The  natives  of  Lam  -jo  pr^ 


DISFIGURING  OF  THE  HUMAN  BODY. 


147 


digiously  widen  the  holes  in  their  ears,  that  a 
man's  hand  may  be  thrust  through  ihem.  Hence, 
the  ears  of  these  people  often  descend  to  the 
tops  of  their  shoulders.*  Gentil  assures  us, 
that  the  women,  in  the  northern  parts  of  China, 
employ  every  art  in  order  to  diminish  their  eyes. 
For  this  purpose,  the  girls,  instructed  by  their 
mothers,  extend  their  eye-lids  continually,  with 
the  view  of  making  their  eyes  oblong  and  small. 
These  properties,  in  the  estimation  of  the  Chi- 
nese, when  Joined  to  aflat  nose,  and  large,  open, 
pendulous  ears,  constitute  the  perfection  of  beau- 
ty.— We  are  informed  by  Struys,  that  the  wo- 
men of  Siam  wear  so  large  and  heavy  pendants 
in  their  ears,  that  the  holes  gradually  become 
wide  enough  to  admit  a  man's  thumb.  The  na- 
tives of  New  Holland  pull  out  the  two  fore-teeth 
of  the  upper  jaw.  In  Calicut,  there  is  a  band 
of  nobles  called  Ncdres,  who  lengthen  their  ears 
to  such  a  degree,  that  they  hang  down  to  their 
shoulders,  and  sometimes  even  lower. f  The 
Arabs  paint  their  lips,  arms,  and  the  most  con- 
spicuous parts  of  their  bodies,  with  a  deep  blue 
colour.  This  paint,  which  they  lay  on  in  little 
dots,  and  make  it  penetrate  the  flesh,  by  punc- 
turing the  skin  with  needles,  can  never  be  effac- 
ed. Some  of  the  Asiatics  paint  their  eye-brows 
of  a  black  colour,  and  others  eradicate  the  hairs 
with  rusma,  and  paint  artificial  eye-brows,  in  the 
form  of  a  black  crescent,  which  gives  them  an 
uncommon  and  ugly  appearance.  The  inhabi- 
tants of  Prince  William's  Sound,  piaint  their 
faces  and  hands,  bore  their  ears  and  noses,  and 
slit  their  under  lips.  In  the  holes  made  in  their 
noses,  they  hang  pieces  of  bone  or  ivory,  which 
are  often  two  or  three  inches  long ;  and,  in  the 
slit  of  the  lip,  they  place  a  bone  or  ivory  instru- 
ment with  holes  in  it,  from  which  they  suspend 
beads  that  reach  below  the  chin.  These  holes 
in  the  lip  disfigure  them  greatly,  for  some  of  them 
are  as  large  as  their  mouths. { 

Such  distortions  of  the  beautiful  structure  of  the 
human  frame,  are  not  peculiar  to  the  savage  tribes 
of  the  human  race,  but  are  practised  by  nations 
which  have  made  considerable  advances  in  sci- 
ence and  civilization.  It  is  well  known  that,  in 
China,  a  ridiculous  custom  prevails,  of  rendering 
the  feet  of  their  females  so  small,  that  they  can 
with  difficulty  support  their  bodies.  This  is 
deemed  a  principal  part  of  their  beauty  ;  and  no 
swathing  nor  compression  is  omitted,  when  they 
are  young,  to  give  them  this  fancied  accomplish- 
ment. Every  woman  of  fashion,  and  every  wo- 
man who  wishes  to  be  reckoned  handsome,  must 
have  her  feet  so  small,  that  they  could  easily 
enter  the  shoe  of  a  child  of  six  years  of  age. 
The  great  toe  is  the  only  one  left  to  act  with 
freedom ;  the  rest  are  doubled  down  under  the 
foot,  in  their  tenderest  infancy,  and  restrained  by 


1*.  SmeUle's  Philosophy  of  Natural  History,  vol.  II. 
♦  Ibid.     I  PoiUock's  Voyage  round  the  "World. 


tight  bandages,  till  they  unite  with,  and  are  bu- 
ried in  the  sole.  I  have  inspected  a  model  of  a 
Chinese  lady's  foot,  exactly  of  this  description, 
which,  I  was  assured,  was  taken  from  life.  The 
length  was  only  two  inches  and  three-fourths ; 
the  breadth  of  the  base  of  the  heel,  seven  eighths 
of  an  inch  \  the  breadth  of  the  broadest  part  ot 
the  foot,  one  and  one  fourth  of  an  inch ;  and  the 
diameter  of  the  ankle,  three  inches  above  the 
heel,  one  and  seven  eighths  of  an  inch.  With 
feet  of  this  description  the  Chinese  ladies  may 
be  said  rather  to  totter  than  to  walk ;  and,  by 
such  practices,  they  evidently  frustrate  the  be- 
nevolent intentions  of  the  Creator,  and  put  them- 
selves to  unnecessary  inconvenience  and  pain. 
Yet  such  is  the  powerful  influence  of  fashion, 
however  absurd  and  ridiculous,  that  women  of 
the  middling  and  inferior  classes  frequently  suf- 
fer their  feet  to  be  thus  maimed  and  distorted, 
in  order  to  ape  the  unnatural  customs  of  their 
superiors. 

We  have  every  reason  to  believe  that  the 
harsh  and  ugly  features,  and  the  ferocious  as- 
pect, by  which  numerous  tribes  of  mankind  are 
distinguished,  are  owing  to  such  voluntary  dis- 
tortions of  the  human  frame,  and  to  the  fllttiy  and 
abominable  practices  in  which  they  indulge. 
Father  Tertre  assures  us,  that  the  flat  noses  of 
the  negroes  are  occasioned  by  a  general  practice 
of  mothers,  who  depress  the  noses  of  their  new- 
bom  infants,  and  squeeze  their  lips,  in  order  to 
thicken  them ;  and  that  those  children  who  es- 
cape these  operations  have  elevated  noses,  thin 
lips,  and  fine  features. — It  is  somewhat  unac- 
countable, and  it  shows  the  perversity  of  the 
human  mind,  in  its  present  degraded  state,  that 
such  practices  should  be  so  general,  and  so  obsti- 
nately persisted  in,  when  we  consider  the  pain 
and  inconvenience  with  which  they  are  attended. 
— To  pull  the  hairs  of  the  chin  or  eye-brows 
from  the  roots  ;  to  slit  the  under  lip,  till  the  inci- 
sion be  as  large  as  one's  mouth ;  to  pierce  the 
nostrils,  till  a  bone  as  large  as  a  man's  finger 
can  be  thurst  through  them ;  and  to  cover  the 
body  with  black  streaks,  which  make  the  blood 
to  flow  at  every  stroke  of  the  instrument  by  which 
they  are  produced,  must  be  attended  with  excru- 
ciating pain.  Sir  Joseph  Banks,  who  accompa- 
nied Captain  Cook  in  his  first  voyage,  was  pre- 
sent, in  the  island  of  Otaheite,  at  the  operation 
of  tattooing,  performed  on  the  back  of  a  girl  o. 
thirteen  years  of  age.  The  instrument  used  had 
twenty  teeth  ;  and  at  each  stroke,  which  was  re- 
peated every  moment,  issued  an  ichor  or  serum, 
tinged  with  blood.  The  girl  bore  the  pain  with 
great  resolution,  for  some  minutes,  till,  aj  length, 
it  became  so  intolerable,  that  she  burst  out  into 
violent  exclamations  ;  but  the  operator,  notwith- 
standing the  most  earnest  entreaties  to  desist, 
was  inexorable,  while  two  women,  who  attended 
upon  the  occasion,  both  chid  and  beat  her  for 
struggling. 


148 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


I  am  thwafere  ditpoMd  to  vi^w  such  abvurd 
and  barbarout  practicep,  ai  iiximotely  connrcted 
wiih  tiM  operaiion  of  a  priDci|)le  of  malevolence, 
aa  an  attempt  lo  fruttrate  the  wise  designs  of  di- 
vine benevolence,  and  aa  directly  repugnant  to 
the  spirit  of  Chriitianiiy,  and  to  the  benevolent 
precepii  ofthegoapel  of  peace.  And  it  becomes 
some  of  the  ladies,  and  the  dandies  of  modem 
Europe  to  consider,  whether  some  of  ih'ir  awk- 
vrard  attempts  to  improve  the  symmetry  of  the 
human  frame  ou|;ht  not  to  be  viewed  in  the  same 
light.  Not  many  years  ago,  it  was  considered, 
in  the  higher  circles  of  society,  as  an  admirable 
improvement  of  the  female  form,  to  give  tlie  lower 
half  of  the  body  the  appearance  of  the  frustum  of  a 
large  tun,  as  if  it  had  been  ten  times  the  capacity 
of  its  natural  size,  by  supporting  their  robes  with 
enormous  hoop* ; — and,  about  the  same  period, 
the  lower  ranks  of  female  society  considered  it 
as  the  perfection  of  proportion  and  beauty,  to  have 
their  waists  compressed  into  the  smallest  possible 
space,  till  the  vital  functions,  in  many  instances, 
were  deranged,  and  ultimately  destroyed.  Were 
the  dictates  of  soimd  reason  universally  attended 
to,  and  were  the  influence  of  Christianity  fully 
felt  among  all  nations,  the  preposterous  and  sa- 
vage practices  to  which  I  have  now  adverted, 
would  not  only  be  discontinued,  but  held  in  abhor- 
rence. And  were  such  customs  completely 
abolished,  we  might  soon  expect  to  behold, 
among  all  the  tribes  of  mankind,  every  distortion 
of  the  features  or  the  countenance  removed,  and 
the  human  form  restored  to  its  original  beauty 
and  perfection.  Instead  of  a  warlike  visage,  and 
a  ferocious  aspect,  and  the  frightful  appearance 
of  naked  savages,  streaked  with  colours  of  black 
and  blue,  we  should  behold,  in  every  land,  every 
countenance  beaming  with  the  radiations  of  be- 
nevolence, and  reflecting  the  moral  image  of  the 
Creator. 

MALETOLCIfCE    A(    IT  APPEARS    IN  THE 

asuoioif  or  savage  tribes. 

There  is  scarcely  a  nation  on  the  surface  of 
the  globe  but  what  appears  to  have  some  impres- 
sions of  the  existence  of  a  Superior  Power,  and 
to  have  formed  a  system  of  religious  worship. 
But,  it  is  a  striking  fact,  that,  among  the  greater 
portion  of  human  beings,  their  religious  notions, 
and  their  sacred  rites,  instead  of  breathing  a 
spirit  of  kindness  aivl  benevolence  towards  their 
felk>w>creature8,  are  blended  with  a  principle  of 
hatred  and  revenge.  This  might  be  illustrated 
by  an  induction  of  a  great  variety  of  instances, 
in  reference  to  almost  every  uncivilized  portion 
of  the  human  race.  I  shall  content  myself,  how- 
ever, with  stating  only  one  instance,  in  reference 
to  the  Nttmrit,  a  tribe  not  much  known  in  Eu- 
rope, and  which  may  aerve  as  an  example  of 
many  others. 

The  territory  of  this   people  extends   from 
Antioch  nearly  to  Tripoli.     They  occupy  altnoat 


all  the  mountains  to  the  east  of  Latahia,  nd  ■ 
great  part  of  the  plain.  Anwing  ihrm  ii  perceiv- 
ed a  mixiure  of  the  religious  usages  of  Paganism, 
ofihe  Jewish  law,  of  that  of  Mahomet  arid  Ali, 
and  of  aome  dogmas  of  the  Christian  Ralij^ion. 
— The  women  are  considered  as  a  part  of  the 
domestic  animals  of  the  house,  and  treated  as 
slaves.  They  have  no  idea  of  religiim,  and  when 
they  are  boM  eiKNigh  to  inquire  of  their  masters 
concerning  it,  the  latter  answer  them  that  their 
religion  is,  to  be  charged  with  the  reproduction  ol 
the  species,  and  to  be  subject  to  the  will  of  their 
hnsbands.^The  Nesserio  say  their  prayers  at 
midnight,  and  before  sun-sri.  They  may  say 
them  either  sitting,  standing,  or  walking;  but 
they  are  obliged  to  begin  again  repeating  their 
ablution,  if  they  s|>cak  toa  person  not  of  their  reli- 
gion,— if  they  perceive,  either  near  oral  a  dis- 
tance, a  camel,  a  pig,  a  hare,  or  a  negro.  In  their 
prayers,  they  curse  the  man  who  shaves  below  the 
chin,  him  who  is  impotent,  and  the  two  Caliphs, 
Omar  and  Abou-Bekr.  They  detest  the  Turks, 
to  whom  they  are  sworn  enemies.  This  warlike 
people  of  mountaineers  would  be  strong  enough 
to  shake  off*  the  yoke  of  the  Turks,  and  live  inde- 
pendently, if  they  were  not  divided  by  interested 
motives,  almoat  all  occasioned  by  implacable 
family  hatreds.  They  are  vindietivt,  and  cherish 
their  rancour  for  a  length  of  time  :  even  the  death 
of  the  guilty  person  cannot  assuage  their  fury  ; 
their  vengeance  is  incomplete,  if  it  does  not  &1I 
besides  on  one  or  several  members  of  his  fiunily. 
They  are  so  obstinately  superstitious  in  their  at- 
tachment to  their  peculiar  system,  that  no  threats 
nor  punishments  can  extort  from  them  the  secrets 
of  their  religion.* 

Here,  tlien,  we  are  presented  with  a  system  of 
religion  which  appears  to  be  founded  on  male- 
volence,— which  directs  its  devotees  to  curse  iheir 
fellow-men — which  leads  them  to  keep  iheir  wo- 
men in  profound  ignorance  of  every  thing  which 
they  hold  sacred — which  induces  them  to  conceal 
its  mysteries  from  all  the  rest  of  the  work! — and 
which,  in  so  far  from  producing  any  beneficial  eP  < 
fects  on  their  own  conduct,  leads  to  "  implacable 
family  hatreds."  A  religion,  unless  it  be  found- 
ed on  a  principle  of  benevolence,  is  unworthy  of 
the  name  ;  it  must  be  an  abhorrence  in  the  sight 
of  God,  and  can  never  commimicale  happiness 
to  man.  And  were  we  to  examine  the  various 
religious  systems  which  prevail  in  the  numerous 
islands  of  the  Indian  and  Pacific  Oceans,  in  Ca- 
bul,  Thibet,  and  Hindostan,  and  among  the  un- 
civilized tribes  which  are  scattered  over  a  large 
portion  of  Asia  and  of  Africa,  we  should  find 
them,  not  only  blended  with  malevolent  princi> 
pies  and  maxims,  but  sanctioning  the  perpetration 
of  deeds  of  cruelty,  obecenily,  and  horror. 

In  the  preceding  pages,  I  have  endeavoured  to 

*  See  Dupont's  "  Memoirs  of  the  Manners  and  Re- 
ll4(lous  Ceremonlaa  of  ib«  Wssaans,"  a  work  lalal) 

published. 


MORAL  STATE  OF  CIVILIZED  NATIONS. 


149 


illustrate  some  of  the  promineni  features  in  the 
moral  character  of  the  savage  and  uncivilized 
tribes  of  the  human  race.  The  exainples  I  have 
selected  have  not  been  taken  from  the  records  of 
missionaries,  or  of  professed  religionists,  who 
ntight  be  suspected  by  some  to  give  an  exagge- 
rated description  of  the  depravity  of  the  Pagan 
world — but  from  the  unvarnished  statements  of 
respectable  voyagers  and  travellers,  who  could 
have  no  motives  for  misrepresenting  the  facts 
which  they  have  recorded.  These  illustrations 
might  have  been  extended  to  a  much  greater 
length,  had  it  been  consistent  with  the  limited 
nature  of  the  present  work.  Instead  of  occupying 
only  forty  or  fifty  pages,  they  might  have  been  ex- 
tended so  as  to  have  filled  as  many  volumes  ;  for 
every  book  of  travels,  as  well  as  every  historical 
document,  contains  a  record  of  the  operations  of 
malignity,  and  of  the  diversified  modes  in  which 
human  depravity  is  displayed.  The  dispositions 
which  I  have  illustrated,  it  will  be  readily  ad- 
mitted, are  all  of  a  malignant  character,  directly 
repugnant  to  that  benevolent  principle  which 
forms  the  basis  of  the  moral  laws  of  the  universe. 
And  when  we  consider,  that  such  malevolent  dis- 
positions are  displayed  by  a  mass  of  human  be- 
ings, amounting  to  more  than  three  fourths  of  the 
population  of  the  globe,  and  that  true  happiness 
cannot  be  experienced  where  malignant  passions 
reign  uncontrolled,  a  benevolent  mind  cannot  re- 
frain from  indulging  a  thousand  melancholy  re- 
flections, when  it  casts  its  eye  over  the  desola- 
tions of  the  moral  world,  and  from  forming  an 
anxious  wish,  that  the  period  may  soon  arrive, 
when  the  darkness  which  covers  the  nations  shall 
be  dispelled,  and  when  benevolence  and  peace 
shall  reign  triumphant  over  all  the  earth. 

I  shall  now  endeavour  to  present  a  few  facts 
and  sketches  which  may  have  a  tendency  to  il- 
lustrate the  present  state,  and  the  moral  charac- 
ter and  aispect  of  the  civUued  world. 


SECTION  in. 

MORAL  STATE    OF  CIVILIZED  NATIOITg. 

The  present  population  of  the  globe  may  be 
estiniated  at  about  800  millions.  Of  these,  if  we 
except  the  empires  of  China  and  Hindostan,  we 
cannot  reckon  above  180  millions  as  existing  in 
a  state  of  enlightened  civilization  ;  a  number 
which  is  less  than  the  fourth  part  of  the  human 
race.  Were  even  this  small  portion  of  mankind 
uniformly  distinguished  for  intelligence,  and  for 
the  practice  of  benevolence,  it  would  form  a  glo- 
rious picture  for  the  philanthropist  to  contem- 
plate ;  and  would  be  a  sure  prohide  of  the  near 
approach  of  that  happy  period,  when  "  all  the 
mtd»  of  the  earth  shall  remember  and  turn  to  the 
Loid,  wb«n  all  the  kindreds  of  the  nationt  shall  do 


homage  unto  him  and  when  there  shall  be  nothing 
to  hurt  nor  destroy"  among  all  the  families  of 
mankind.  But  alas !  when  we  investigate  the 
mornl  state  even  of  this  portion  of  human  beings, 
we  find  the  principle  of  malignity  distinctly  visi- 
ble in  its  operations,  and  interwoven,  in  nume- 
rous and  minute  ramifications,  through  all  the 
ranks  and  gradations  of  society.  Though  its 
shades  are  less  dark  and  gloomy,  they  are  no  less 
real  than  amoag  the  hordes  of  Africa  and  Tar- 
tary,  and  the  other  abodes  of  savage  life.  To 
illustrate  this  position  is  the  object  of  the  fol- 
lowing sketches ;  in  which  I  shall  chiefly  refer 
to  the  state  of  society  among  the  nations  of  Eu- 
rope, and  the  United  States  of  America,  and 
particularly  to  the  moral  character  and  aspect  of 
the  British  empire. 

I  shall,  in  the  first  place,  consider  the  opera- 
tion of  the  malevolent  principle  as  it  appears  in 
the  actions  and  dispositions  of  the  young,  and  in 
the  modes  of  tuition  by  which  they  are  trained. 

In  many  thousands  of  instances,  it  may  be  ob- 
served, that,  even  before  a  child  has  been  wean- 
ed from  its  mother's  breasts,  malignant  disposi- 
tions are  not  only  fostered,  but  are  regularly 
taught  both  by  precept  and  example.  Does  a 
child  happen  to  hit  its  head  accidentally  against 
the  corner  of  a  table — it  is  taught  by  its  nurse, 
and  even  by  ;*s  mother,  to  avenge  the  injury  on 
the  inanimate  object  which  caused  it,  and  to  ex- 
hibit its  prowess  and  its  revenge  by  beating  the 
table  with  all  its  might.  Does  it  cry,  through 
peevishness  or  pain — it  is  immediately  threatened 
with  being  thrown  into  the  ditch,  tossed  out  of 
the  window,  or  committed  to  the  charge  of  some 
frightful  spectre.  Is  it  expedient  to  repress  its 
murmurings,  and  to  cajole  it  into  obedience — it 
is  then  inspired  with  fallacious  hopes,  and  allur- 
ed with  deceitful  promises  of  objects  and  of  plea- 
sures which  are  never  intended  to  be  realized. 
Does  it  require  to  have  its  physical  powers  exer- 
cised— a  wooden  sword  or  a  whip  is  put  into  its 
hands ;  and  it  is  encouraged  to  display  its  ener- 
gies in  inflicting  strokes  on  a  dog,  a  cat,  or  any 
of  its  play-fellows  or  companions.  1  have  seen 
a  little  urchin  of  this  description,  three  or  four 
years  of  age,  brandishing  its  wooden  sword  with 
all  the  ardour  of  a  warrior,  and  repeating  its 
strokes  on  every  person  around,  while  the  foolish 
parents  were  exulting  in  the  prowess  displayed 
by  their  little  darling,  and  encouraging  it  in  all 
its  movements.  By  these  and  similar  practices, 
revenge,  falsehood,  superstition,  and  the  elements 
of  war,  are  fostered  in  the  youthful  mind ;  and  ii 
it  to  be  wondered  at,  that  such  malignant  prii>- 
ciples  and  passions  should  "grow  with  their 
growth,  and  strengthen  with  their  strength,"  till 
they  burst  forth  in  all  those  hideous  forms  whieh 
they  assume  amidst  the  contests  of  communities 
and  of  nations  ? — The  false  maxims  by  which 
children  are  frequently  trained  under  the  dome^ 
tic  roof,  and  the  foolish  indulgence  with  which 


150 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


they  are  iraated  by  injudicious  parrnU,  in  too 
many  instancrt  lay  the  foundation  of  those  petu- 
lant and  roali.nant  tempera,  which  are  a  peat 
both  to  Chriatian  and  to  general  aociety.  Indul- 
gence oG  en  leada  to  an  oppoaite  extreme;  and 
produces  auch  a  degree  of  inaubordination  among 
the  young,  that  nolhmg  ia  to  b«  aeen  and  heard 
but  a  perpetual  round  of  acolding  and  beating, 
and  the  content  of  angry  passions.  "  Among  the 
lower  ranks  of  people,"  says  Dr.  \Villier8|ioon, 
"  who  are  under  no  restraint  from  decency,  you 
may  sometimes  see  a  father  or  mother  running 
out  into  the  street,  after  a  child  who  has  fled  from 
them,  with  looks  of  fury  and  words  of  execration, 
and  they  are  ofien  stupid  enough  to  imagine  that 
neighbours  or  passengers  will  approve  them  in 
this  conduct."  Wherever  parental  authority  is 
thus  undermined,  and  such  conduct  uniformly  pur- 
sued, a  sure  foundation  is  laid  for  an  extensive  dis- 
play, in  after  life,  of  the  malignant  pasaioiM  of  the 
human  heart. 

If  we  follow  our  youth  from  the  nursery  to  the 
lehoU-room,  we  shall  find  the  same  malevolent  af- 
fections developing  themselves  on  a  larger  scale, 
and  indirectly  cherished,  by  the  books  tbey  read, 
the  discipline  by  which  they  are  trained,  and  the 
amusementa  in  which  they  indulge.  Here  wo 
may  behold  one  little  fellow  taking  a  malicious 
pleasure  in  pinching  his  neighbour,  another  in 
kicking  him,  a  third  in  boxing  him,  a  fourth  in 
tearing  his  book,  a  fifth  in  pilfering  his  property, 
and  a  sixth  in  endeavouring  to  hold  him  up  to 
scorn  and  ridicule  ;  and  all  of  them  combined  to 
frustrate,  if  possible,  the  exertions  of  their  teacher, 
and  to  prevent  their  own  improvement. — If  we 
look  into  the  majority  of  the  book*  which  are  read 
in  schools,  we  shall  find  them  full  of  encomiums 
upon  war,  and  upon  warriors.  The  Caesars,  the 
Alexanders,  and  the  Bonapartes,  whose  restless 
ambition  has  transformed  the  earth  into  scenes 
of  desolation  and  carnage,  are  represented  as  pat- 
terns of  every  thing  that  is  brave,  noble,  generous, 
and  heroic.  The  descriptive  powers  of  the  poet 
are  also  called  ia,  in  order  to  inflame  the  youth- 
ful mind  with  warlike  dispositions,  and  to  excite 
an  ardent  desire  for  mingling  in  scenes  of  conten- 
tion, and  for  the  acquisition  of  false  glory  and  of 
military  renown.  Hence,  there  is  no  part  of  their 
school  exercises  in  which  the  young  so  much  de- 
light, and  in  which  they  so  much  excel,  as  in  that 
in  which  they  are  called  upon  to  recite  siich 
speeches  as  "  Sempronius's  speech  for  war,"  or 
to  ape  the  revengeful  encounter  of  Norval  and 
Qlenalvun.  While  the  spirit  of  war  ia  thus  vir- 
tually cherished,  the  counteraction  of  vicious 
prope— itiea,  and  the  cultivation  of  the  moral 
power*  of  the  young,  are  considered  as  a  matter 
of  inferior  importance,  and,  in  many  seminaries 
of  instruction,  are  altogether  overlooked.  Many 
of  the  achool  collectiona  to  which  I  allude — in- 
stead of  exhibiting,  in  simple  language,  the  beau- 
lies  and  syblimities  of  the  worka  of  nature,  the 


displays  of  the  natural  and  moral  character  ofllwi 
Dciiy,  the  facts  o''  Sacred  Hiaiory,  the  morality 
of  the  Ouspcl,  the  ocenea  of  rural  and  doroeaiic 
life,  and  the  operations  of  pliilanthrophy — ate 
filled  wiih  extracts  from  metapliysjral  writers, 
from  parliamentary  debates,  and  from  old  plays, 
novels,  and  farces,  which  are  frequently  interlard- 
ed with  oaths,  obsrfniiy,and  the  slang  of  Billings* 
gate,  which  can  have  no  other  tendency  than 
to  pollute  and  demoralize  the  youthful  mind.  It 
needs,  therefore,  excite  no  surprise,  that  the 
great  body  of  mankind  is  still  so  deficient  in  ra- 
tional information  and  subsiantfal  knowledge, 
and  that  a  warlike  spirit  is  affoat,  and  exerting  its 
baleful  influence  among  the  nations. 

If  we  follow  the  young  from  the  school-rooa 
to  the  play-ground,  or  to  the  streets  and  the  high* 
ways,  we  shull  find  the  rpirit  of  malignity  dis- 
playing iiself  in  a  vast  diversity  of  forma.  Htrt, 
we  may  behold  one  miachievous  little  boy  ala^ 
ping  his  neighbour  in  the  face,  another  tearing 
his  neighbour's  clothes,  another  tossing  his  cap 
into  a  dirty  ditch,  another  chalking  his  back  ui 
order  to  hold  him  up  to  ridicule,  and  another 
pouring  out  upon  him  a  torrent  of  nicknamea, 
and  of  scurrilous  epithets.  There,  we  may  be- 
hold a  crowd  of  boys  pehing  a  poor  beggar  or  an 
unfortunate  maniac  with  stones  and  dirt  for  their 
diversion  ;  mocking  the  lame,  the  deformed,  and 
the  aged,  and  insulting  the  passing  traveller. 
And,  when  such  objects  do  not  happen  to  occur, 
we  may  see  them  assailing,  with  a  shower  of 
stones,  a  cat,  a  dog,  a  hare,orafowl,  ihat  happens 
to  cross  the  path,  and  enjoying  a  diabolical  plea- 
sure in  witnessing  the  sufferings  of  these  unfortu- 
nate animals.  Here,  we  may  behold  an  insolent 
boy  insulting  a  timid  girl,  overturning  her  pitcher, 
and  besmearing  her  wich  mire ; — there  we  be- 
hold another  saluting  his  fellow  with  a  malignant 
scowl,  and  a  third  brandishing  his  whip,  and 
lashing  a  horse  or  a  cow,  for  his  amusement. 
On  the  one  hand,  we  may  sometimes  behokf  a 
ring  of  boys,  in  the  centre  of  which  two  little  de- 
mons are  engaged  in  mutual  combat,  with  eyes 
glaring  with  fiiry  and  revenge,  exerting  their  phy- 
sical powers  to  the  utmost  stretch,  in  order  "to 
wound  and  lacerate,  and  cover  with  blood  and 
gore,  the  faces  of  each  other  :  on  the  other  hand, 
we  may  behokl  an  unfortunate  boy,  whom  a  natural 
temperament,  or  a  virtuous  principle,  prevents 
from  engaging  in  similar  combats,  assailed  witb 
opprobrious  epithets,  and  made  a  laughing-stock, 
and  an  object  of  derision  and  scorn,  because  he 
will  not  be  persuaded  to  declare  war  against  hia 
neighbour.  And,  what  is  atill  more  atrocious 
and  disgusting,  we  may  behold  children  of  thirty 
or  forty  years  of  age,  encouraging  such  malevo- 
lent dispositions,  and  stimulating  such  combatants 
in  their  diabolical  exertions'.*    Such  infernal 


*  The  practice  of  boxing,  amonc  boys,  which  se 
Itenerally  prevnils,  especially  In  CnRtand,  la  a  dis- 
grace to  the  boasted  civlUsaUon  and  ChjrUtiaattj  tl 


MORAL  STATE  OP  CIVILIZED  NATIONS. 


161 


practices,  among  creatures  originally  formed 
after  the  divine  image,  if  ihey  were  not  so  com- 
mon, would  be  viewed  by  every  one  in  whose 
breast  the  least  spark  of  virtue  reside:^,  with  feel- 
ings of  indignation  and  horror. 

The  great  body  of  our  youth,  habituated  to 
such  dispositions  and  practices,  after  having  left 
school  at  the  age  of  f  jurteen  or  fifteen — a  period 
when  head-strong  passions  and  viciotis  propen- 
sities begin  to  operate  with  still  greater  violence 
—have  access  to  no  other  seminaries,  in  which 
their  lawless  passions  may  be  counteracted  and 
controlled,  and  in  which  they  may  be  carried  for- 
ward in  the  paih  of  moral  and  intellectual  im- 
provement. Throughout  the  whole  of  the  civi- 
lized world,  I  am  not  aware  that  there  exist  any 
regular  in-ititutions  exclusively  appropriated  for 
the  instrucrion  of  young  persons,  from  the  age  of 
fifteen  to  the  age  of  twenty-five  or  upwards,  on 
moral,  religious,  and  scientific  subjects  ;  in  order 
to  expand  their  intellectual  capacities,  and  to  di- 
rect their  moral  |>owers  in  the  path  of  universal 
benevolence.  Yet,  without  such  institutions,  all 
the  knowledge  and  instructions  they  may  have 
previously  acquired,  in  the  great  m.ijority  of  in- 
stances, are  rendered  almost  useless  and  ineffi- 
cient for  promoting  the  great  end  of  their  exist- 
ence. From  the  age  of  fifteen  to  the  age  of 
twenty-nve,  is  the  most  important  period  of  hu- 
man life  ;  and,  for  want  of  proper  instruction  and 
direction,  during  this  period,  and  of  rational  ob- 
jects to  employ  the  attention  at  leisure  hours, 
many  a  hopeful  young  man  has  been  left  to  glide 
insensibly  into  the  mire  of  vice  and  corruption, 

that  country,  and  to  the  superintendents  of  Its  public 
seminaries.  That  pugilistic  contests  between  ^rown- 
upidvapa  in  a  civilized  sliape,  should  be  piihlicly 
advertised,  ami  described  in  our  newspapers,  and 
the  arena  of  such  contests  resorteu  to  by  so  m my 
thousanls  of  the  middling  and  higher  classes  of 
society,  is  a  striking  proof  that  the  spirit  of  folly  and 
of  malignity  still  prevails  to  a  great  extent,  and  that 
the  spirit  of  Christianity  has  made  little  progress, 
even  within  the  limits  of  the  British  empire.— The 
following  late  occurrence  .?hows  the  fatal  effects  with 
which  such  practices  are  sometimes  attended.  "  On 
Monday,  Fein  nary  as,  1825,  two  of  the  scholars  at 
Eton,  the  Hon.  F.  A.  Cooper,  the  son  of  the  Earl  of 
Rhaflcshury,  ,ind  Mr.  Wood,  the  son  of  Colonel 
Wood,  and  nephew  to  the  Marquis  of  Londonderry, 
in  consequence  of  a  very  warm  altercation  on  the 
play  groun  1,  on  the  preceding  day,  met,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  settling  the  unhappy  quarrel  by  a  piigillstla 
encounter — i  prKB-Uent  practice  at  Eton  and  oil  our 
pubtlcitchnrtli.  Almost  the  whole  school  assembled 
to  witness  thn  spectacle  The  inexperienced  youth 
commefcreil  flihting  at  four  o'clock,  and  partly  by 
Ihoiro.vn  energy,  au  1  partly  by  the  criminal  excite- 
ment of  other-i,  'ontinueJ  the  fit  il  contest  till  with- 
in a  little  of  six,  when,  mournful  to  relate,  the  Earl 
of  Hhaflesburv's  son  fell  very  heavtJy  upim  his  head, 
and  never  spi>ko  afterwards.  He  was  carried  off  to 
his  lodziiigs,  where  he  expired  in  a  few  hours.  On 
the  coroner' .<  inquest  It  came  out,  that  brandy  had 
twen  ailrainistcre  1  very  freely,  and  that  no  decisive 
effort  hail  hf;:  ii  mule  to  iliscooiinue  a  contest  pro- 
longed bnyond  all  due  limits.— About  forty  years  ago 
a  similar  ciuse  led  to  a  similar  result  at  the  same 
establishmsnt.  The  survivor  is  a  clergvman  of 
great  re.spoctability."—S;«rV«  Public PrinU/or  Feb. 
and  Boan.  Hag.  f. IT  April,  1825. 


and  to  become  a  pest  to  his  friends,  and  to  genera! 
society.  Our  streets  and  highways  are  infested, 
and  our  jails  and  bridewells  filled  with  young  per- 
sons of  this  age,  who,  by  means  of  rational  and 
religious  training,  might  have  been  rendered  a 
comfort  to  their  friends,  blessings  to  society,  and 
ornaments  of  the  Christian  Church. 

It  would  be  inconsistent  with  the  limited  plan 
of  tJiis  work,  to  atteilipt  to  trace  the  principle  of 
malignity  through  all  the  scenes  of  social,  com- 
mercial, and  domestic  life.  Were  I  to  enter 
into  details  of  filial  impiety,  ingratitudi;,  and  re- 
bellion—of faithless  friendships — of  the  aliena- 
tions of  affection,  and  of  the  unnatural  conten- 
tions between  brothers  and  sisters^-of  the  abo- 
minable selfishness  which  appears  in  the  general 
conduct  and  transactions  of  mankind — of  the  bit- 
terness, the  fraud,  and  the  perjury,  with  which 
law-suits  are  commenced  and  prosecuted — of  the 
hatred,  malice,  and  resentment,  manifested  for 
injuries  real  or  supposed — of  the  frauds  daily 
committed  in  every  department  of  the  commer- 
cial world — of  the  shufflings  and  base  deceptions 
which  are  practised  in  cases  of  bankruptcy — of 
the  slanders,  the  caballing,  and  the  falsehood, 
which  attend  electioneering  contests — of  the 
envy,  malice,  and  resentment  displayed  between 
competitors  for  office  and  power — of  the  haugh- 
tiness and  ins,/lence  displayed  by  petty  tyrants 
both  in  church  and  state^-of  the  selfishness  and 
injustice  of  corporate  bodies,  and  the  little  regard 
they  show  for  the  interests  of  those  who  are  op- 
pressed, and  deprived  of  their  rewards— of  the 
gluttony,  drunkenness,  and  prodisality,  which  so 
generally  prevail — of  the  brawlings,  fightings, 
and  contentions,  which  are  daily  presented  to  the 
view  in  taverns,  ale-houses,  and  dram-shops, 
and  the  low  slang  and  vulgar  abuse  with  which 
such  scenes  are  intermingled — of  the  seductions 
accomplished  by  insidious  artfulness  and  outra- 
geous perjury — of  the  multiplied  falsehoods  of 
all  descriptions  which  are  uttered  in  courts,  in 
camps,  and  in  private  dwellings — of  the  unblush- 
ing lies  of  public  newspapers,  and  the  perjuries 
of  office — of  the  systematic  frauds  and  robberies 
by  which  a  larsre  portion  of  ihe  community  are 
cheated  out  of  their  property  and  their  rights— 
of  the  pride,  haughtiness,  and  oppression  of  the 
rich,  and  of  the  malice,  envy,  and  discontentment 
of  the  poor — such  pictures  of  malignity  might 
be  presented  to  the  view,  as  would  fill  the  mind 
of  the  reader  with  astonishment  and  horror,  and 
which  would  require  a  series  of  volumes  to  re- 
cord the  revolting  details. 

There  is  one  very  general  characteristic  of 
civilized,  and  even  of  Christian  society,  that 
bears  the  stamp  of  malignity,  which  mav  parti- 
cularly be  noticed  ;  and  that  is,  Ihe  pleasure  with 
which  men  expatiate  on  the  faults  and  delin- 
qiiencii's  of  their  neighbours,  and  the  eagerness 
with  which  they  circulate  scandalous  re|M>rls 
through  every  portion  of  the  community.    Almost 


159 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


the  one  halfoT  thr  conrersaiion  of  tdvilixed  men, 
when  atricilv  analyzed,  will  bo  found  to  consist 
of  malinn&nt  iniinuationi,  and  of  tales  of  scan- 
dal and  detiaeiiim,  the  one  half  of  which  is  des- 
titute of  any  solid  fiiimlaiioii.  HoW  comes  ii  to 
pas«,  thai  (he  slightest  deviation  iroin  propriety 
or  roctiiude,  in  the  case  of  one  of  a  generally 
reapeciabio  character,  is  dwelt  upon  with  a  fiend- 
like  pleasure,  and  aggravated  beyond  measure, 
while  all  hi»  g>K>d  qualities  are  overlooked 
and  thrown  completely  into  the  shade  ?  What 
it  the  reason  why  wo  are  not  as  anxious  to 
bring  forward  the  good  qualities  and  actions  of 
our  fellow-men,  and  to  bestow  upon  them  their 
due  tribute  of  praise,  as  we  are  to  blaze  abroad 
their  eirors  and  infirmities?  How  often  does  it 
happen,  that  a  single  evil  action  committed  by  an 
individual,  contrary  to  the  general  tenor  of  his 
life,  will  be  trumpeted  about  by  the  tongue  of 
malice,  even  to  the  end  of  his  life,  tvhile  all  his 
virtuous  deeds  and  praiseworthy  actions  will  be 
overlooked  an:l  forgoiten,  and  attempted  to  be  bu- 
ried in  oblivion!  If  benevolence  were  the  pre- 
vailing characteristic  of  mankind,  such  disposi- 
tions would  seldom  be  displayed  in  the  intercour- 
•ea  of  human  beings.  If  benevolence  per- 
vaded every  heart,  we  would  rejoice  to  expatiate 
on  the  excelUnces  of  others ; — these  would  form 
the  chief  topics  of  conversation  in  our  personal 
remarks  on  others ;  we  would  endeavour  to 
throw  a  veil  over  the  infirmities  of  our  brethren, 
and  would  be  always  disposed  to  exercise  that 
candour  and  charity  "  which  covers  a  multitude 
of  sins." 

If  we  now  turn  our  eyes  for  a  moment,  to  the 
amtuemenU  of  civilized  society,  we  shall  find 
many  of  them  distinguished  by  a  malignant  cha- 
racter and  ien<lency.  What  an  appropriate  ex- 
hibition for  rational  and  immortal  beings  do  the 
scenes  of  a  cockpit  display  !  to  behold  a  motley 
group  of  biperls,  of  all  sorts  and  sizes,  from  the 
peer  to  the  chimney-sweep,  and  from  the  man  of 
hoary  hairs  to  the  lisping  infant,  betting,  bluster- 
ing, swearing,  and  feasting  their  eyes  with  a 
•avage  delight  on  the  sufferings  of  their  fel- 
low-bipeds, whom  they  have  taught  to  wound,  to 
tomirnt,  and  to  destroy  each  other!  There  is 
scarcely  any  thing  that  appears  so  congenial  to 
the  spirit  which  pervades  the  infernal  regions,  as 
Um  attempt  to  inspire  the  lower  animals  with  the 
same  malignant  dispositions  which  characterize 
the  most  degraded  of  the  human  species.  That 
mcliacruel  an<l  disgusting  practice  still  prevails 
in  England,  and  that  it  formed,  until  lately,  a 
part  of  the  amusement*  of  almost  all  the  schools 
in  Scotland,  is  a  reproach  to  the  civilization,  the 
humanity,  and  the  Christianity  of  our  country. 
And  what  a  fine  spectacle  to  a  humane  and  civili- 
zed mind  is  the  amusement  of  bulUbniting  !  an 
amuseni<-nt  in  which  the  sirength  and  courage 
of  this  animal  are  made  the  means  of  torturing 
hiiu  With  lh«  most  exquisite  agonies !     Can  be- 


nevolence, can  even  the  common  feelings  of  hu- 
manity, reside  in  the  breast  of  that  man  wh« 
can  find  eujoyment  in  encouraging  and  in  wiinns»' 
ing  surii  barbarous  sports?  And  what  a  di^ 
nifiedamusennni  is  the  Aorse  race.'  where  crowds 
of  the  nobility,  gentry,  and  of  ibe  most  polished 
classes  of  society,  as  well  as  the  ignoble  rabble, 
assi-inble  from  ail  quarters,  to  behokl  two  nofate 
animals  panting,  and  heaving,  and  endeavouring 
to  outstrip  each  other  on  the  course !  What  a 
scene  of  bullying,  and  jfjckeying,  and  betting, 
and  cheating,  and  cursing,  and  swearing,  and 
fighting,  is  generally  presented  on  such  occa* 
sions  !  What  a  wonderful  degree  of  importance 
is  attached,  by  the  most  dignified  rank  of  soci- 
ety, to  the  issue  of  the  race ;  as  if  the  fate  of  an 
empire,  or  (he  salvation  of  an  immortal  spirit, 
were  depending  on  the  circumstance  of  one  horse 
getting  a  start  of  another  !  I  do  not  mean  tod»> 
cry,  indiscriminately,  public  amusements;  nor 
to  call  in  question  the  propriety  of  improving  the 
locomotive  powers  of  th-i  horse  ;  but,  surely,  it 
would  require  no  great  stretch  of  invention,  to 
devise  spectacles  and  entertainments,  much  more 
dignified  and  congenial  to  the  noble  powers,  and 
to  the  high  destination  of  the  human  mind,  and 
which  might  be  exhibited  with  as  little  expense 
either  of  time  or  of  money. 

And  what  shall  we  say  of  lion^ghu,  and  dof 
JighU,  and  boxing  matches  between  animals  in 
the  shape  of  men,  which  have  been  lately  advei^ 
tised  in  the  public  prints  with  so  much  impu- 
dence and  effrontery  ?  Are  the  patrons  of  such 
revolting  exhibitions,  and  the  crowds  which  re- 
sort to  them,  to  be  considered  as  patterns  of  taste, 
of  humanity,  and  of  refined  benevolence  ?  And 
what  shall  we  think  of  the  amusements  of  one  half 
of  our  gentry,  country  squires,  gentlemen  farmers, 
and  the  whole  tribe  of  the  sporting  community, 
who  derive  more  exquisite  enjoyment  in  maim* 
ing  a  hare,  a  partridge,  or  a  mnorfowl,  than  in 
relieving  the  wants  of  the  friendless  poor,  in  me- 
liorating the  condition  of  their  dependants,  or  in 
patronising  the  diffusion  of  useful  knowledge  1 
If  one  of  our  best  moral  poets  declared,  that "  he 
would  not  enter,  on  his  list  of  friends,  though 
graced  with  polished  manners  and  fine  sense, 
the  man  who  needlessly  sets  f  >ot  upon  a  worm," 
what  would  be  his  estimate  of  ihe  man  who  de- 
rived one  of  his  chief  gratifications,  day  afier 
day,  from  making  havoc  among  the  feathered 
tribes,  and  from  lacerating  and  maiming  a  timid 
hare,  for  the  sole  purpose  of  indulging  a  sporting 
humour,  and  proving  himself  an  excellent  marks- 
m:<n  ?  Can  we  suppose  that  the  benevolent  Crea- 
tor so  curiously  organized  the  beasts  of  the  earth 
and  the  fowls  of  heaven,  arxl  endowed  them  with 
exquisite  feelings  and  sensibility,  merely  that  ty- 
rannical m.in  might  torore  and  destroy  them  for 
his  amutement?  For  the  persons  to  whom  I  at 
lude  cannot  plead  necessity  for  such  modurt,  as 
if  they  were  dependant  for  subsistence  on  their 


SPANISH  BULL-FIGHTS. 


IBS 


<^ircasses.  Such  is  still  the  mania  for  these  cruel 
arguments,  that  the  butchery  of  the  brutal  and  the 
winged  tribes,  it  is  likely,  svill  soon  be  reduced 
to  a  regular  system,  and  enrolled  among  the  num- 
ber of  the^^ne  arts.  For,  an  octiivo  volume,  of 
470  pages,  which  hsis  already  passed  through 
thiee  editions,  has  been  lately  published,  entitled, 
"  Instructions  to  young  Sportsmen  in  all  that  re- 
lates to  Game  and  Shooting  :"  by  Lieut.  Colo- 
nel Hawker.  The  author,  after  having  stated 
that  he  has  now  lost  his  eyes  and  nerves  f  )r  a 
good  shot,  says  "  The  greatest  pleasure  that  can 
possibly  remain  for  me,  is  to  resign  the  little  I 
have  learned  for  the  benefit  of  young  sportsmen. 
The  rising  generation  of  shooters  might  other- 
wise be  lefi  for  many  yuars,to  find  out  all  these  little 
matters."  And  a  most  important  loss,  doubtless, 
the  rising  generation  would  hav'e  sustained,  had 
not  the  worthy  Colonel  condescended  to  commu- 
nicate his  discoveries!  I  WE^s  lately  making  an 
excursion  in  a  steam-boat,  through  one  of  the 
Scottish  lakes.  Among  the  passengers  were 
several  of  the  sporting  gentry,  furnished  with  all 
Iheir  requisite  accoutrements,  who  seemed  to  en- 
joy a  higher  gratification  in  disturbing  the  happi- 
ness of  the  feathered  tribes,  than  in  contemplat- 
ing the  natural  beauties  of  the  surroundmg  scene. 
When  any  of  these  hapless  animals  appeared  in 
view,  a  hue  and  cry  commenced,  a  shot  was  pre- 
pared, and  a  musket  levelled  at  the  unoffending 
creatures,  which  created  among  them  universal 
agitation  and  alarm.  Some  of  them  were  kill- 
ed ;  and  others,  doubtless,  maimed,  and  render- 
ed miserable  for  life  ;  while  no  human  being 
could  enjoy  the  least  benefit  from  such  wanton 
cruelty.  To  kill,  or  even  to  maim  any  living  crea- 
ture that  is  doing  us  no  harm,  and  when  there  is 
no  possibility,  nor  even  a  desire,  to  procure  its 
carcass  f<)r  f>od,  cannot,  I  should  think,  by  anv 
sophistry  of  reasoning,  be  construed  into  an  act 
of  benevolence.* 

I  cannot,  here,  forbear  inserting  a  passage 
from  "  Salt's  Travels  in  Abyssinia,"  which  ex- 
hibits a  very  different  spirit  in  one  whom  some 
Mrould  be  disposed  to  rank  among  the  class  of 
semi-barbarians,  "  In  the  evening.  Baliarncgash 
Yasons,  a  servant  of  the  Ras  (of  Abyssinia)  who 
had  attended  me  during  my  whole  slay  in  the 
Country,  took  his  leave.      Among  all  the  men 

*  In  throwing  out  these  reflections,  the  author  by 
no  means  wishes  to  insinuate,  that  it  Is  iinproper  in 
every  Instance,  to  kill  any  of  the  Inferior  animals  ( 
his  remarks  twin?  direcleil  soleJy  aralnst  the  prac- 
tice of  w:intonlymilrai  n?  or  desiroyins  them  for  the 
sake  of  mere  sport  or  amusement.  Even  in  those  cases 
where  It  m.iy  anpear  expedient  or  ner^ssarv,  to  ex- 
tirpate a  portion  of  the  animal  tril)es.  It  appears 
somewhat  Btr  inire.  that  frenlUmen  should  be  the  vo- 
luntary agents  employed  inthls  workof  destniction, 
aad  that  their  mmds  should  be  so  mucli  absorbeil  in 
Iho  satisfaction  which  it  creates.  One  woiild  h.ave 
thoucht  that  the  very  lowest  class  of  therommunity 
would  have  been  selected  for  this  imrposp,  as  there 
is  tomethln!!  naturally  revoltlns  In  the  employment 
«f  destroying  the  lif*  of  any  sensitive  being. 

20 


with  whom  I  have  been  intimately  acquainted,  I 
consider  this  old  man  as  one  of  the  most  perfect 
and  blameless  characters.  His  mind  seemed  to 
be  formed  upon  the  purest  principles  of  the 
Christian  religion  ;  his  every  thought  and  action 
appeared  to  be  the  result  of  its  dictates.  He 
would  often,  to  ease  his  mul«,  walk  more  than 
half  the  day;  and  as  he  journeyed  by  my  side, 
Coniinually  recited  prayers  for  our  welfare  and 
future  prosperity.  On  all  occasions  he  sought  to 
repress  in  those  around  htm,  every  improper 
feeling  of  anger  ;  conciliated  them  by  the  kindest 
words,  and  eXciled  them,  by  his  example,  to  an 
active  performance  of  their  duties.  If  a  man 
were  weary,  he  would  assist  him  in  carrying  his 
burden  ;  if  he  fierceived  any  of  the  mules'  backs 
to  be  hurt,  he  would  beg  me  to  have  them  reliev- 
ed ;  and,  constantly,  when  he  saw  me  engaged 
in  shooting  partridges,  or  other  birds,  he  would 
call  out  to  them  to  fly  out  of  the  way,  shaking  his 
head,  and  begging  me,  in  a  mournful  accent,  not 
to  kill  them.  I  have  remarked,  in  my  former 
journal,  that,  with  all  this  refined  feeling  of  hu- 
manity, he  was  far  from  being  devoid  of  courage  ; 
and,  I  had  an  opportunity,  subsequently,  of  wit- 
nessing  several  instances  of  his  bravery,  though 
he  appeared  on  all  occasions  peculiarly  anxious 
to  avoid  a  quarrrel.  We  parted,  I  believe,  with 
mutual  regret ;  at  least  for  my  own  part,  I  can 
truly  say,  that  I  have  seldom  felt  more  respect 
for  an  individual  than  I  did  for  this  worthy  man." 
As  a  contrast  to  the  benevolent  dispositions 
displayed  by  this  worthy  Abyssinian — I  shall 
give  a  short  description  of  a  butl-fight,  in  Mad- 
rid, extracted  from  a  work,  the  author  of  which 
was  a  spectator  (in  1803)  of  the  scene  he  de- 
scribes. "  The  Spanish  bull-fights  are  certainly 
the  most  extraordinary  exhibition  in  Europe  :  we 
were  present  at  one  of  them  this  morning.  The 
places  in  the  amphitheatre  were  nearly  all  filled 
at  half  past  nine,  and  at  ten,  the  corregidor  came 
into  his  box  ;  upon  which  the  trumpet  sounded, 
and  the  people  rose  and  shouted,  from  the  delight 
that  the  show  was  to  begin  immediately.  Four 
men  in  black  gowns  then  came  forward,  and  read 
a  proclamation,  enjoining  all  persons  to  remain 
in  their  seats.  On  their  going  out  of  the  arena, 
the  six  bulls  which  were  to  be  fought  this  morn- 
ing, were  driven  across,  led  on  by  a  cow,  with  a 
bell  round  her  neck.  The  two  Picadoret  (the 
men  who  were  appointed  to  fioht  the  furious  ani- 
mals) now  appeared,  dressed  in  leathern  gaiters, 
thick  leathern  breeches,  silk  jackets  covered  with 
spangles,  and  caps  surmounted  by  broad  brimmed 
while  hats ;  each  rode  a  miserable  hack,  and 
carried  in  his  hand  a  long  pole,  with  a  goad  at 
the  end.  As  soon  as  they  were  prepared,  a  door 
was  opened,  and  the  first  bull  rushed  in.  In  the 
course  of  the  contest,  I  felt  first  alarmed  for  tho 
men,  and  then  for  the  horses.  Soon  the  acci- 
dents of  the  men  withdrew  my  pity  from  the 
beasts;  and,  latterly,  by  a  natural,  and  drendfiii 


154 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


operation  of  (he  mind,  T  heftin  to  kick  without 
horror  un  the  c«lami(ies  of  b<iih.  The  manner 
of  the  hght  is  ihui ; — (he  bull  nishea  in,  and 
makes  an  at(ack  severblly  upon  the  picoilores, 
who  repulse  him  ;  he  beini;  always,  u|M>n  these 
occasions,  wounded  in  the  nock  ;  after  a  few  ren- 
C0il0(ers,  he  becotnes  somewhat  shy  ;  but  at 
the  same  time,  when  he  does  rush  on,  he  is 
doubly  dangerous.  He  follows  up  the  attack, 
and  frequently  succeeds  in  overthrowing  both 
horse  and  ridt-r.  As  long  as  the  horse  has 
(Irength  to  bear  the  picudore,  he  is  obliged  to 
ride  him.  I'his  morning  one  of  these  wretched 
animals  was  forcpd  to  charge,  with  hU  gvta  hang- 
ing infeitoont  httween  hi$  legs  !  His  belly  was 
again  ripped  open  by  the  bull,  ami  he  fell  for 
dead;  but  the  atiendants  obliged  him  to  rise  and 
crawl  out !  This  seems  the  cruellest  |iar(  of  the 
business  ;  for  the  men  almost  always  escape ;  but 
tile  blood  and  suffering*  of  thirteen  horsrs  voere 
eofhibited  in  the  short  space  of  two  hours.  Four 
men  were  hurt;  one  who  was  entirely  overturn- 
ed with  his  horse  upon  him,  was  carried  out  like 
a  corpse  ;  but  the  spectatprs,  tolaUi)  disregarding 
this  melancholi/  sight,  shouted  for  his  companion 
to  renew  the  attack.  The  bull  after  his  first  rage 
and  subsequent  fury  during  many  rounds,  be;;ins 
to  feel  weakness,  and  declines  furiher  attacks  on 
the  horsemen.  Upon  this,  a  loud  shout  re-echoes 
through  the  theatre,  and  some  of  the  a((endan(s 
advance  and  stick  his  gored  neck  full  of  arrows 
which  cause  him  (o  writhe  about  in  great  torment. 
When  the  effi»'(s  he  makes  under  these  sufferings 
haveconsid>^rably  spent  his  strength,  (he  corregi> 
dor  makes  a  mo(ion  with  his  hand,  and  the 
trumpets  sound  as  a  signal  to  the  matador  to  de- 
spatch him.  This  is  a  service  which  requires 
great  skill  and  bravery ;  for  the  madness  of  the 
bull,  and  the  torture  he  endures,  prompt  him  to 
destroy  every  one  anMmd.  The  matador  ad- 
Tances  with  a  red  cloak  in  one  hand,  and  a  sword 
in  the  other.  He  enrages  (he  bull  with  the  cloak, 
till,  at  length  getting  opposite  to  him,  he  rushes 
ferward,  and  the  sword  pierces  his  spinal  mar- 
row, or  what  is  more  common,  is  buried  (o  (he  hilt 
in  his  neck  ;  upon  which  he  turns  aside,  at  first 
oraaning,  but  a  torrent  of  blood  gushes  from  his 
mouth ;  and  he  staggers  round  the  arena,  and 
fitlU.  The  (riimpeis  sound;  (hree  mules,  uma- 
mented  with  ribbons  and  flags,  appear,  to  drag 
the  wretched  victim  out  by  the  horns,  and  (he 
horsemen  to  prepare  for  the  attack  of  a  fresh 
inimal." 

"  In  the  evening  the  show  began  at  half-past 
Cxir,  and  ten  bulls  were  brought  forward.  To 
tame  them  brfore  the  ntaiador  a()proached,  a  new 
expedient  was  resorted  (o,  mo«(  infamoiraly  cruel, 
oamely,  the  covering  of  (he  dar(s  with  sulphur 
and  fireworks.  The  torments  of  these  were  so 
dreadful,  that  the  animals  whose  strength  was 
fresh,  raged  about  lerriblv.  so  (hat  the  assistanu 
were  forced  to  use  great  agility  to  get  from  them. 


There  were  many  hair-breadthesrapes ;  one  ofths 
animals  in  pursuit  of  a  man,  leaped  the  barrier  uC 
the  arena,  which  is  about  eight  feet  hixh.  A 
second  bull  was  still  more furiiKis,  and maile  mora 
tremendous  attai'ks.  Inon>-ofihese  he  pinned  (he 
man  and  horfo  againvl  (he  barriers,  go(  liin  h<  ms 
under  (he  horse,  and  lacerated  him  dreadlully; 
in  a  moment  aferwards,  he  lifted  him  up,  and 
threw  the  man  with  such  force  (hroiigh  one  uf 
the  apertures,  as  to  kill  him  oa  the  spot.  He 
was  borne  pB8(  (he  boi  in  nhich  we  were  wiib 
his  (eeih  se(,  and  his  »ide  covered  wih  binod ; 
(he  horse  B(aggered  out  spouting  a  stream  of  gore 
from  his  chest.  The  remaming  picador  renewed 
the  charge,  and  another  come  in  with  shoutsto  tak» 
the  dead  man's  place.  One  of  these  had  his 
horse's  skin  dreadfully  rifiped  off  his  side,  and 
when  he  breathed,  the  entrails  swelled  out  of  the 
hole ;  to  prevent  which,  the  rider  got  ofTand  stufi^ 
ed  in  his  |KK'ke(  handkerchief,"  &c.*— "  I  have 
seen,"  says  Bourgoing, "  eight  or  ten  horses  torn, 
and  their  bellies  ripped  o|>en,  fall  and  expire  in 
the  field  of  battle.  Sometimes  these  horses,  at 
fecting  models  of  patience,  ofcourage,  of  docilitr 
—present  a  spectacle,  at  which  it  may  be  allow- 
able to  shudder.  You  see  them  tread  iinderthetr 
feet,  their  own  bloody  entrails,  hanging  out  of 
their  open  sides,  and  still  obey,  for  some  lime  the 
hand  that  guides  them." 

Such  are  the  amusements  which,  in  Spain, 
fascinate  all  ranks  of  the  community,  from  the 
prince  to  the  peasant.  YfMing  ladies,  old  men, 
servant  girls,  and  people  of  all  ages  and  all  cha- 
racters are  present.  The  art  of  killing  a  bull, 
which  seems  exclusively  to  be  the  business  of  a 
butcher,  is  gravely  discussed  and  exahedwidi 
tran<iport,  not  only  by  the  rabble,  but  by  men  of 
sense,  and  by  women  of  delicacy.  The  day  of 
a  bull-fight  is  a  day  of  solemnity  for  (he  whole 
canton.  "  The  people  come,"  says  Bourgoing, 
"  from  (en  and  (welve  leagues  distance.  The  ar- 
(isan  who  can  with  difficulty  earn  enough  for  his 
siibsis(ence,  has  always  sufficient  (o  pay  f<>r  (he 
bull-fight.  Wobeto  the  chastity  of  a  young  girl 
whose  poverty  excludes  her !  The  man  who  pars 
fi>r  her  admi((ance,  will  be  her  fir8(  seducer.  I('is 
indeed  a  very  striking  sight,  to  see  all  (he  inha- 
bitants  assemble  round  the  circus,  waiting  the 
signal  for  the  fight,  and  wearing  in  their  exterior 
every  sign  ofimpat'enee."  There  is  not  a  town 
in  Spain,  bu(  what  has  a  large  square  for  (he  pur- 
pose of  exhibiting  bull-figh(s;  aiid  it  is  snid,  (hat 
even  (he  pnores(  inhabi(an(s  of  (he  smalle8(  villa- 
ges will  often  club  (ogether,  in  order  to  procure  a 
cow  or  an  ox,  and  fight  them  riding  upon  asses 
for  want  of  horses. f     Can  a  spirit  of  pure  beoe- 

•  Tmvels  through  9pain  and  part  of  PortorsI  in 
18S8,  Vol.  S.  pp.  3« — ts.  A  more  circumstantial  so- 
count  ofttiese  flfhts.  and  In  |icrfert  accordnnre  with 
the  above  description,  may  be  seen  in  Bourfcolnx's 
"  yortem  State  of  Ppaln.'"  \o\    II.  pp.  M6— s«o. 

*  It  Is  said  that  these  (Iffhts  were  prohlhlte<l  In  itsA, 
to  Uu  deep  regret  of  t/u  moel  tntmerou*  part  oj  :M 


UTILITY  OF  THE  REAL  SCENES  OF  NATURE. 


155 


^dlence  be  general  among  a  people  addicted  to 
such  cruel  and  savage  amusements  !  AnJ,  need 
we  wonder  to  fiad,  thai  troops  of  lawless  banditti 
are  continually  prowling  among  the  mouniains 
and  forests  of  that  country,  committing  murders 
and  depredations  ?  One  of  the  authors  just  now 
quoted,  when  alluding  to  banditti,  and  detailing 
the  incidents  which  occurred  on  his  route  to 
Madrid,  say4,  "In  this  country  it  is  impossible 
to  distinguish  friends  from  foes,  as  all  travellers 
go  well  armed.  We  met  just  here  half  a  dozen 
horsemen,  many  of  whom  had  swords  and  pistols, 
aad  we  aferwards  saw  peasants  riding  on  asses, 
armed  in  the  same  way.  A  few  leagues  further 
on,  we  met  a  strung  detachment  of  cavalry  patrol- 
ing  the  road,  in  consequence  of  a  during  robbery, 
which  had  just  been  committed  on  a  nobleman 
who  was  bringing  his  bride  to  court  from  Bacre- 
looa.  He  had  a  numerous  retinue ;  the  banditti 
were  twelve  in  number,  and  completely  armed." 

If  we  now  take  a  cursory  glance  at  our 
roPCLAR  r.iTKRART  WORKS,  and  at  several  of 
our  publications  intended  for  the  nursery,  we 
shall  find  that  a  goodly  portion  of  them  is  stamp- 
ed with  the  character  of  frivolity  and  of  maligni- 
ty. When  the  yoiing  mind  is  just  beginning  to 
expand,  instead  of  being  irradiated  with  the 
beams  of  unadulterated  truth,  a  group  of  distort- 
ed and  unsubstantial  images,  which  have  no  pro- 
totypes in  nature,  is  presented  to  the  view  of  the 
intellect,  as  the  groundwork  of  its  future  progress 
in  wisdom  and  knowledge.  Instead  of  the  sim- 
ple and  sublime  precepts  of  Christian  benevo- 
lence, the  wild  and  romantic  notions  connected 
with  chivalry,  the  superstitions  of  the  dark  ages, 
and  the  love  of  false  heroism,  and  of  military 
glory,  are  attempted  to  be  indelibly  riveted  on 
the  minds  of  the  young.  What  else  can  be  ex- 
pected, when  such  legends  and  romances  as  the 
followins,  occupy  the  principal  part  of  the  nur- 
sery library  .? — Blue  Beard;  Cinderella;  Tom 
Thumb;  Jack  the  Giant- Killer  ;  Valentine  and 
Orson  ;  7Th<  Seven  Chamyion*  of  Christendom  ; 
Robin  Hood  ;  Goody  Two-Shoes ;  Puss  in 
Boots ;  Sinbad  the  Sailor ;  Aladdin,  or,  the 
Wonderful  Lamp;  Thalaba,  or,  the  Destroyer  ; 
The  Biood-Red  Knight ;  The  Maid  and'  the 
Magpie  ;  Fairy  Tales,  an  I  a  long  list  of  similar 
tales  and  romarwes ,  equally  improving  and  im- 
portant !  Such  works  are  published,  even  at  the 
present  time,  not  only  in  a  Lilliputian  size,  to 
suit  the  lower  nuiks  of  the  community,  but  in  a 
style  of  splendour  and  elegance,  calculated  to 
fascinate  the  highest  circles  of  society.  Ten  thou- 
sands of  copies  of  such  publications,  are  present- 
ly in  circulation  throughout  every  part  of  the 
British  empire  : — and  what  is  the  great  object 

natUm;  but  another  entertainment,  r.illert^jtoi  <te 
noviUot,  which  is  an  imase  of  the  hull-fliht,  is  still 
retain  eil  and  it  is  not  Improbable,  that,  bjrthls  tune, 
the  true  buU-flgbt  has  been  again  revived. 


they  are  calculated  to  accomplish  ?  To  exhibit 
distorted  views  of  the  scenes  of  nature,  and  of 
human  society ;  to  foster  superstitious  notions; 
to  inspire  the  minds  of  the  young  wiih  an  inordi- 
nate desire  after  worldly  honour  and  distinction  ; 
to  set  before  them,  as  an  ultimate  object,  the 
splendour  and  felicity  of  "  riding  in  a  coach  and 
six;"and  to  familiarize  their  minds  to  chivalrous 
exploits,  and  to  scenes  of  butchery  and  revenge. 
If  we  glance  at  the  popular  literary  works  of 
the  present  day,  intended  for  the  amusement  of 
children  of  a  larger  growth,  we  shall  find  many 
of  them  imbued  with  a  similar  spirit,  and  having 
a  similar  tendency.  What  is  it  that  just  now 
fascinates  our  literary  loungers,  our  polished 
gentry,  our  educated  females,  nay,  all  ranks  of 
the  communiiy,  from  the  dignified  clergyman  to 
the  humble  weaver,  and  which  threatens  to  de- 
stroy all  relish  for  plain  unvarnished  facts,  and 
f^ir  substantial  knowledge  ?  The  novels  of 
Waverley,  Guy  Mannering,  Rob  Roy,  Tales  of 
my  Landlord,  The  Fortunes  of  Nigel,  St.  Ro- 
nan's  Well,  Marmion,  The  Corsair,  Childe 
Harold,  and  a  shoal  of  similar  publications,  which 
are  daily  issuing  from  the  press.  And  what  is 
the  general  tendency  of  the  great  majority  of 
such  works  ?  To  distort  and  caricature  the  facts 
of  real  history  ;  to  gratify  a  romantic  imagina- 
tion ;  to  pamper  a  depraved  mental  appetite  ;  to 
excite  a  disrelish  for  the  existing  scenes  of  na- 
ture, and  for  the  authenticated  facts  which  have 
occurred  in  the  history  of  mankind  ;  to  hold  up 
venerable  characters  to  derision  and  contempt ; 
to  excite  admiration  of  the  exploits  and  the  ma- 
lignant principles  of  those  rude  chiefiains  and 
barbarous  heroes,  whose  names  ought  to  descend 
into  everlasting  oblivion;  to  revive  the  revenge- 
ful spirit  of  the  dark  ages  ;  to  undermine  a  sacred 
regard  for  truth  and  moral  principle,  which  are 
the  basis  of  the  happiness  of  the  intelligent  uni- 
verse ;  and  to  throw  a  false  glory  over  scenes  of 
rapine,  of  bloodshed,  and  of  devastation. — To 
such  works,  and  to  their  admirers,  we  might  ap- 
ply the  words  of  the  ancient  Prophet :  "  He 
feedeih  on  ashes;  a  deceived  heart  hath  turned 
him  aside,  that  he  cannot  say.  Is  there  not  a  lie 
in  my  right  hand  ?" 

"  For,  sure,  to  hug  a  fancied  case, 
Tliat  never  did,  nor  can  take  placc^ 
And  for  the  pleasures  it  can  give, 
Neglect  the  '  facts  of  real  life,' 
Is  madness  in  its  sreatest  height, 
Or  I  mistake  the  matter  quite."— HTOcto. 

To  aflirm,  that  it  is  necessary  for  tht  entertain- 
ment of  the  human  mind,  to  have  recouse  to  ficti- 
tious scenes  and  narratives,  and  to  the  wiU 
vagaries  of  an  unbridled  imagination,  is,  in  effect, 
to  throw  a  reflection  upon  the  plans  and  the  con- 
duct of  the  Creator.  It  implies,  that,  in  the 
scenes  of  nature  which  surround  us,  both  in  the 
heavens  and  on  the  earth,  and  in  the  administri- 
tioosefhis  mond  government  among  men,  God 


156 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  REUGION. 


hai  not  prtvliicrd  a  mfficienl  rariety  nfititerent- 
ing  ohjut^iM  iiir  ili«  conieniplatiofi,  ihf  inntrdciinn, 
and  the  «nirrtBinnicn(  of  the  human  race — and 
that  the  Kvaieni  of  ihe  moral  and  {ihysical  uoild 
must  be  dix'orlixl  and  dirangi-d,  and  its  economy 
inisrepr«senied  and  bl>?nded  with  the  ciealii>n«  of 
human  (oily,  before  its  icenery  be  rendered  fit 
to  gratify  the  depraved  and  fasiidioua  laait-a  oC 
mankind.*  And  is  it  indeed  true,  that  there  is 
not  a  suff)<-i<-nt  vccrith/  to  gratify  a  rational  mind 
in  tlie  exiMing  acenet  iifcreation  and  providence  1 
If  we  survey  the  Alpine  scenes  of  nature  ;  if  we 
explore  the  wonders  uf  the  ocean  ;  if  we  pene* 
trate  into  ilie  subterraneous  recesses  of  the  jilobe  ; 
if  we  direct  our  view  to  the  numerous  objects  of 
sublimity  and  of  beauty  to  be  found  in  every 
country  ;  if  we  investigate  the  structure  and 
economy  of  the  animal  and  the  vege'able  tribes  ; 
if  we  raise  our  eyes  to  the  rolling  orbs  of  heaven  ; 
if  we  lo<ik  back  to  the  generations  of  old,  and 
trace  the  history  of  ancient  nations  ;  if  we  con- 
template Ihe  present  slate  of  civilized  and  of 
savage  tribes,  and  the  moral  scenery  which  is 
every  where  displayed  around  us — shall  we  not 
find  a  sufficient  variety  of  every  thing  which  is 
calculated  to  interest,  to  instruct,  and  lo  erUertain 
a  rational  mind  ?  I  am  bold  to  affirm,  that  were 
a  proper  selection  made  of  the  facts  connected 
with  the  system  of  nature,  and  with  the  history 
and  the  present  slate  of  human  society,  and  were 
the  sketches  of  such  facts  executed  by  the  hand 
of  a  master,  and  interspersed  with  rational  and 
moral  refleciions— volumes  might  be  presented  to 
the  public,  no  less  entertaining,  and  certainly  far 
more  instructive,  than  all  the  novels  and  roman* 
ces  which  the  human  imagination  has  ever  pro- 
duced ;  and  that,  too,  without  distorting  a  single 
fact  in  the  system  of  nature  or  of  human  sot-iety, 
or  Mcitinjr  a  sentiment  of  admiration  or  of  ap- 
probation ofihe  exploits  of  warriors.  Ifwe  wish 
to  be  amused  with  entertaining  narrations  and 
novel  scenes,  the  narratives  of  adventurous  voy- 
agers and  travellers,  when  written  with  spirit 

•  The  followlns  nketch  of  Sir  Walter  Scott,  the 
Ruppo.sed  author  of  sotiie  of  the  works  alluded  to,  Is 
given  In  Hazlltt's  "Spirit  of  the  A»te, or  Contempo- 
rary Portraits  "  "  His  mind  receives  and  treasures 
up  every  th'nsbroueht  to  It  hy  tradition  or  custom— 
It  does  not  projeit  Itself  be.vond  this  Into  the  world 
unknown,  tint  merh.inlcally  shrinks  bark  as  from 
the  edge  of «  precipice.  The  land  ofpvre  rroton  Is 
tn  his  apprelicn.slon  like  Van  Dlrman'a  Ijand,  bar- 
ren, miser  hie,  distant,  a  place  of  exile,  the  dreary 
almde  of  savnees,  convicts,  and  adventurers.  8ir 
Walter  would  make  a  liad  hand  of  a  description  of 
the  milUnnittm,  unless  he  would  lay  the  scene  in 
Scotlan<l  500  yean  affO;  and  then  he  would  want 
facts  and  worm-eaten  parchments  to  support  his 
drooplni;  style.  Our  historical  novelist  firmly 
thinks,  that  nothlne  i»  but  what  ha»  6ccn— that  the 
moral  world  stands  still,  as  the  material  one  was 
supposed  to  do  of  old— and  that  we  can  never  >;et 
beyond  the  iwint  nhere  we  actually  are,  with- 
out utter  destruction,  though  evtry  thine  changes 
and  will  chanee.  from  what  It  was  soo  years  aco 
and  what  It  U  now ,  from  what  It  Is  now,  to  all 
that  the  bigoted  aduiirer  of  the  (ood  old  Umei  most 
Areads  and  hates."  . 


and  animation,  will  supply  us  with  entertain' 
ment  scarcely  infetinr  to  that  of  the  best  wiiien 
novel ;  and  it  is  the  reader's  own  fault,  if  he  do 
not,  from  such  sources,  derive  moral  instruction. 
Such  adventures  as  those  of  Mun^o  Park  in 
Africa,  and  Captain  Cochrane  in  Siberia,  and 
such  narratives  as  iho»e  of  Byron,  Brisson, 
Pierre  Viaud,  Anson,  Cook,  Bligh,  Perouse, 
and  others,  abound  with  so  many  striking  and 
affecting  incidents,  that  the  reader's  attention  is 
kept  alive,  and  he  feels  as  lively  an  interest  in 
Ihe  fate  of  the  adventurers,  as  is  usually  felt  in 
that  of  the  fictitious  hero  of  a  novel,  or  a  ro- 
mance. 

If  man  were  only  the  creature  of  a  day,  whose 
whole  existence  was  confined  within  the  limits 
of  this  sublunary  scene,  he  might  amuse  himself 
either  with  facts  or  with  fictions,  or  with  any 
toys  or  gewgaws  that  happened  to  strike  his 
fancy  while  he  glided  down  the  stream  of  time  to 
the  gulf  of  oblivion.  But  if  he  is  a  being  destin- 
ed for  eternity,  the  train  of  his  thoughts  might 
tn  be  directed  to  objects  corresponding  to  his 
high  destination,  and  all  his  amusements  blended 
with  those  moral  instructions  which  have  an  ul- 
timate reference  to  the  scene  of  his  immortal 
existence.  When  I  read  one  of  our  mtxiem 
novels,  I  enjoy,  for  a  few  hours,  a  transitory 
amuiiement,  in  contemplating  the  scenes  of  fancy 
it  displays,  and  in  following  the  hero  through 
his  numerous  adventures ;  I  admire  the  force 
and  brilliancy  of  the  imagination  of  the  writer 
(for  I  am  by  no  means  disposed  to  underrate  the 
intellectual  talent  which  has  produced  some  of 
the  works  to  which  I  allude,)  but  when  I  have 
finished  the  perusal,  and  reflect,  that  all  the 
scenes  which  passed  before  my  mental  eye,  were 
only  so  many  unsubstantial  images,  the  fictions 
of  a  lively  imaginaiion^I  cannot  indulge  in  ra- 
tional or  religious  reflections  on  the  subject,  nor 
derive  a  single  moral  instruction,  any  more  than 
I  can  do  from  a  dream  or  a  vision  of  the  night. 
When  I  survey  the  scenes  of  creation  ;  when  I 
read  the  history  of  ancient  nations  ;  when  I  pe- 
rus6  the  authentic  narratives  of  the  voyager  aixl 
traveller ;  when  I  search  the  records  of  revela- 
tion ;  and  when  I  contemplate  the  present  state 
of  society  around  me, — I  learn  something  of  the 
character,  the  attributes,  and  ihe  providence  o( 
God,  and  of  the  moral  and  physical  stale  of  man- 
kind. From  almost  every  scene,  and  esKiy  in- 
cident, I  can  deduce  instructions  calculated  to 
promote  the  exercise  of  humility,  meekness,  grati« 
lude,  and  resignation— to  lead  the  mind  to 
God  as  the  source  of  felicity,  and  as  the  righte- 
ous governor  of  the  worW— and  to  impress  the 
heart  with  a  sense  of  the  folly  and  depravity  of 
man.  But  it  is  obvious,  that  no  distinct  moral 
insimctions  can  be  ftiirly  deduced  from  scenes, 
circumstances,  and  events  "  which  never  did  nor 
can  take  place." — Such  however  is,  at  present, 
the  tide  of  public  opinion  on  this  subject,  ihatw* 


SYSTEM  OP  PRISON  raSCIPLlNE. 


157 


mifht  as  soon  attempt  to  stem  a  mountain  tor- 
rent by  a  breath  of  wind,  or  to  interru|)t  the 
daahin^s  of  a  mighty  cataract  by  the  waving  of 
our  hand,  as  to  expect  to  c  mnteract,  by  any 
■considerations  liiat  can  be  adduced,  the  current 
of  popular  feeling  in  favour  of  novels,  and  tales 
of  knights,  and  of  tournaments  ;  of  warlike  chief- 
tains, and  military  encounters.  Such  a  itaie  of 
feeling,  I  presume,  never  can  exist  in  a  world 
where  moral  evil  hu  never  shed  its  malign  in- 
fluence. 

Again,  if  we  consider  the  sentiments  and  the 
conduct  of  many  of  our  Literari/  and  Scientific 
tJiaraeters,  we  shall  find  that  even  philosophy  has 
had  very  little  influence,  in  counteracting  the 
stream  of  malignity,  and  promoting  the  exercise 
of  benevolence.  Do  not  many  of  our  literary  cha- 
racters in  their  disputes  frequently  display  as  keen 
resentments,  and  as  malevolent  dispositions,  as 
the  professed  warrior,  and  the  man  of  the  world  ? 
and  have  they  not  some  times  resorted  even  to 
horsewhips  and  to  pistols  to  decide  their  con- 
tests? In  proof  of  this,  need  I  refer  to  the 
gentlemen  now  or  formerly  connected  with  the 
"  Edinbur;>h  Magazine,"  "  Blackwood's  Maga- 
zine, "  the  "  London  Magazine,"  the  "  (Quarterly 
Review,"  and  other  periodical  works — and  to  the 
mean  jealousies  and  contentions  which  have 
been  displayed,  and  the  scurrilous  paragraphs 
which  have  been  written  by  various  descriptions 
of  competitors  for  literary  fame  ?  Such  a  display 
of  Kmper  and  conduct  in  men  of  professed  erudi- 
tion, is  not  only  inconsistent  with  moral  princi- 
ple, and  the  dignity  of  true  science,  but  has  a 
tendency  to  hold  up  philosophy  and  substantial 
knowledge  to  the  scorn  and  contempt  both  of  the 
Christian  and  of  the  political  world. 

Again,  is  it  an  evidence  that  benevolence 
forms  a  prominent  character  of  modern  civilized 
society,  when  philanthropists,  who  have  devoted 
their  substance  and  their  mental  activities  to  the 
promotion  of  the  best  interests  of  mankind  ;  and 
when  men  of  science,  who  have  enlarged  the 
sphere  of  our  knowledge,  and  improved  the  useful 
arts,  are  suflTered  (o  pine  away  in  penury  and  neg- 
lect, and  to  descend  into  the  grave,  without  even 
4k '"  frail  memorial"  to  mark  the  spot  where  their 
mortal  remains  are  deposited;  while,  on  the 
warrior,  who  has  driven  the  ploughshare  of  de- 
struction through  the  world,  and  wotmded  the 
peace  of  a  thousand  families,  enormous  pensions 
Are  bestowed,  and  trophies  erected  to  perpetuate 
his  momory  to  future  generations?  And  how 
comes  it  tr>  pass,  if  benevolence  and  justice 
be  distinguishing  features  of  our  age  and  nation, 
that  authors,  whose  writings  afford  instruction 
and  entertainment  to  a  numerous  public,  are  fre- 
quently suffered  In  pine  away  in  anxiety  and  dis- 
tress, and  tn  remain  in  hopeless  indigimce,  while 
publishers  and  booksellers  are  fattening  on  the 
fruit  of  their  lib^urs?  Yet,  while  we  leave  them 
i»  t^main  in  afaiecl  pemtry,  during  Ufa, — no  soon- 


er have  their  spirits  taken  their  flight  into  the 
world  unknown,  than  subscriptions  are  set  on 
foot,  statues  and  mausoleums  are  erected,  flit- 
tering inscriptions  are  engraved  on  their  tombs, 
and  anniversary  dinners  are  appointed  to  cele- 
brate their  memories.  Such  displays  of  liberali- 
ty miiiht  have  been  of  essential  benefit  to  the 
individuals,  while  they  sojourned  within  the  limits 
of  this  sublunary  sphere  ;  but  they  are  altogether 
futile  and  superfluous  in  relation  to  the  separate 
spirits,  which  are  now  placed  forever  beyond  the 
reach  of  such  vain  pageantry  and  posthumous 
honours. 

Tf  we  now  attend,  for  a  little,  tothePeno/  Code* 
of  civilized  nations,  we  shall  find  them,  not 
only  glaringly  deficient  in  a  spirit  of  benevolence, 
but  deeply  imbued  with  a  spirit  of  cruelty  and 
revenge.  The  great  object  of  all  civil  punish- 
ments ought  to  be,  not  only  the  prevention  of 
crimes,  but  also  the  reformation  of  the  criminal, 
in  order  that  a  conviction  of  the  evil  of  his  con- 
duct may  be  impressed  upon  his  mind,  and  that 
he  may  be  restored  to  society  as  a  renovated  cha- 
racter. When  punishments  are  inflicted  with  a 
degree  of  severity  beyond  what  is  necessary  to 
accomplish  these  ends,  the  code  which  sanctions 
them,  becomes  an  engine  of  cruelty  and  of  injus- 
tice. But,  the  reformation,  and  the  ultimate 
happiness  of  the  criminal,  never  seem  to  have 
been  once  taken  into  consideration,  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  criminal  codes  of  any  nation  in 
Europe.  The  infliction  ofpoin,  and  even  of  tor- 
ture, and  of  every  thing  that  is  degrading  and 
horrible,  to  a  degree  far  beyond  what  is  necessary 
for  the  security  of  the  public,  and  which  has  no 
other  tendency  than  to  harden  the  culprit,  seems 
to  have  been  the  great  object  of  the  framers  of 
our  penal  statutes.  If  a  man  has  committed  an 
oflfence  against  society,  he  is  either  confined  to  a 
jail,  thrown  into  a  dungeon,  loaded  with  irons, 
whipped  tlirough  the  streets,  banished  to  a  dis- 
tant land,  himg  upon  a  gallows,  or  broken  on  the 
wheel.  No  system  of  moral  regimen,  calculated 
to  counteract  his  criminal  habits,  to  impart  in- 
struction to  his  mind,  and  to  induce  habits  of  in- 
dustry and  temperance,  (except  in  a  few  insulated 
cases)  has  yet  been  arranged  by  our  legislators, 
so  as  to  render  punishment  ablessins  to  the  cri- 
minal, and  to  the  community  which  he  has  injured. 

The  following  circumstances,  in  relation  to 
punishments,  manifest  a  principle  both  of  folly 
and  of  malignity  in  the  arrangements  of  our  cri- 
minal jurisprudence. — In  the  first  place,  the 
present  system  of  our  prison  discipline,  instead 
of  operating  to  prevent  the  increase  of  crime, 
has  a  dire  t  and  inevitable  tendency  to  produce 
vice  and  wretchedness,  and  to  render  our  jails 
the  nurseries  of  every  depraved  propensity,  and 
of  every  species  of  moral  turpitude.  From  the 
indiscriminate  association  of  the  youn»  and  the 
old,  and  of  persons  charned  with  everv  degree  of 
criminality,  the  youthful  and  inexperienced  cut- 


158 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OK  RELIGION. 


prit  it  soon  tutored  in  til  tho  arts  or  fraud,  Aec.ep- 
lion,  and  robbery,  an'l  prepared  fur  acting  a  niore 
coO'tpicuiMH  and  atrocious  part  on  ilio  thraire  nf 
crime.  '-I  make  no  acruple  lo  Affirm,"  sayg 
Mr.  Howard,  '•  ihnt  if  it  were  ihe  aim  and  wish 
of  majfisirairii  to  effect  the  dosiruciinn,  present 
and  future,  of  young  delinquenir,  they  could  not 
deaire  a  more  effectual  method  than  lo  confine 
them  in  our  prisons."  Of  the  truth  of  this  po- 
sition, the  reader  will  find  an  ample  and  impress- 
ive proof  in  iho  H'uiourable  T.  F.  Buxton's 
"  Inquiry  whe  her  crime  and  misery  are  pnxiuc- 
ed  or  prevenicd  by  our  present  system  of  Prison 
Discipline." 

In  the  second  place,  the  disproportion  be- 
tween crimes  and  punishments,  and  the  sangui- 
nary character  of  every  civilized  code  of  penal 
statutes,  are  directly  repugnant  to  every  princi- 
ple of  ju<t  ice  and  benevolence.  The  puni.shment 
assigned  by  the  law  to  the  miin  who  steals  a 
Abeep,  or  pilfers  a  petty  article  of  merchandise, 
is  the  same  as  that  which  it  inflic!s  on  the  mis- 
creant who  has  imbrued  his  hands  in  his  father's 
blood.  In  France,  prior  to  the  revolution,  the 
punishm>-nt  of  robbery,  either  with  or  without 
murder,  was  the  same  ;  and  hence  it  happened, 
that  robbery  was  si-tdom  or  never  per|>etrated 
without  murder.  For,  when  men  see  no  dis- 
tinction made  in  the  nature  and  gradations  of 
punishment,  they  will  be  generally  led  to  con- 
clude, that  (here  is  no  distinction  in  the  g'li't.  In 
our  own  country,  it  is  a  melancholy  truth,  that, 
among  the  variety  of  nciions  which  men  are  daily 
liable  lo  comtnit,  no  less  than  (me  hundred  and 
*ix'y  have  been  declared,  by  act  of  parliament, 
to  be  felonies,  without  benefit  of  clergy  ;  or,  iu 
Other  words,  to  be  worthy  of  instant  death.'*  It 
is  an  indelible  disgrace  loan  age  which  boasts  of 
its  beina  enlightened  wiih  the  beams  of  science 
and  of  relifiion,  that  laws,  framed  in  an  ignorant 
and  barbarous  age,  and  intended  to  apply  to  tem- 
porary or  fortuitous  occurrences,  should  still  be 
acted  upon,  and  stand  unrepealed  in  the  criminal 
codes  of  the  nations  of  Europe,  in  the  19th  cen- 
tury of  the  Christian  era,  when  so  many  distin- 
guished writers  have  demonstrated  their  futility, 
their  injiiiiice,  and  iheir  inadequacy  f-'r  the  pre- 
vention of  crime.  For,  instead  of  diminishing 
the  number  of  offenders,  experience  proves,  that 
crimes  are  aim  >st  uniformly  increased  by  an  un- 
due spverilv  of  punishment.  This  was  striking- 
ly excm|ilifie<l  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII.  re- 
markxble  for  the  abundance  of  its  crimes,  which 
certainly  did  not  arise  from  the  mildness  of  pu- 
nishment. In  that  reisnalune,  says  his  historian, 
atventy-two  thouaand  extcutionM  took  place,  ftr 
roNjeries  alone,  exclusive  of  the  religiiNis  mur- 
ders winch  are  known  to  have  been  numerrHis, 
— aiiKMiniinz,  on  an  average,  to  fix  txerMtiom  a 
day.  Sundavs  included,  during  the  whole  rei|;n  of 
that  monarch. 

'  Bncj.  BrtU  Art  Crlmt 


In  the  next  place,  the  ihoddng  and  vnneeemu  « 
enteltiu  which  are  Irequcnily  inflicted  upon  crW 
minals,  are  mconsistent  with  every  principle  of 
reason  and  of  justice,  and  revolting  to  every  feel- 
ing of  humanity.  If  the  forfeiture  of  life  ought, 
in  any  case,  lo  be  resorted  to  a*  Ihe  punivhmenl 
uf  certain  crimes,  humanity  dicinies,  that  it  should 
be  accompanied  wiih  a-i  little  pain  aspowible  lo 
the  unforlunaie  criminal.  But  man,  even  ciM&. 
zed  man,  has  glutted  his  savage  disposition  by 
inventing  loriures  lo  agonize  his  fellow  man,  at 
which  humanity  shudders.  It  is  not  enough 
that  a  poor  unfirtunate  wretch,  in  the  prime  of 
life,  whom  depravity  has  hurried  lo  the  commis- 
sion of  crime,  should  be  deprived  of  his  mortal 
existence, — his  soul  must  be  harrowed  up  at  the 
prospect  of  the  prolonged  torments  which  he 
must  endure,  before  his  spirit  is  permitted  to 
take  its  flight  to  the  world  unknown.  Instead  of 
simply  strangling  or  beheading  the  unhappy  cri- 
minal, his  flesh  must  be  lorn  with  pincers,  hia 
bmes  dislocated,  his  hands  chopped  off,  or 
his  body  left  to  pine  away  in  exquisite  torments, 
amidst  devouring  flames.  In  Sweden,  murder  it 
punished  by  behea  iing  and  quartering,  aAer  hav- 
ing previously  chopped  off  the  hand.  In  Ger- 
many, Poland,  Italy,  and  other  parts  of  the  con- 
tinent, it  was  customary,  and,  1  believe,  still  is, 
in  some  places,  to  put  criminals  to  draih,  by 
breaking  them  alive  on  ihe  wheel.  The  follnw- 
ine  account  is  given,  by  a  traveller,  who  was  in 
Berlin,  in  1819,  of  the  execution  of  a  man  for 
murder,  which  shows  that  the  execution  of  crim^ 
nals,  in  Prussia,  is  frequently  distinguished  by  a 
species  of  cruelty  worthy  of  the  worst  days  of 
the  inquisition.  Amidst  the  parade  of  execiK 
tioners,  officers  of  police,  and  other  judicial  au- 
thorities, the  beating  of  drums,  and  the  waving 
of  flags  and  colours,  the  criminal  mounted  the 
scaffold.  No  ministers  of  religion  appeared  to 
gild  the  the  horrors  of  eternity,  and  to  Mioth  the 
agonies  of  the  criminal ;  and  no  repentant  prayer 
closed  his  quivering  lips.  "  Never,"  says  the 
narrator,  "  shall  I  forget  the  one  bitter  look  of 
implorinu  agony  that  he  threw  amund  him,  as  im- 
mediately on  stepping  on  the  scaffold,  his  coat  waa 
rudely  torn  from  off  his  slioulders.  He  was  then 
thrown  down,  the  cords  fixed  round  hia  neck,  which 
were  drawn  until  strangulation  almost  commen- 
ced. Another  executioner  then  apfiroached.  bear- 
ing in  his  hands  a  heavy  wheel,  bound  with  iron, 
with  which  he  violently  struck  the  legs,  arms, 
and  rhest,  and  lastly  the  head  of  the  criminal.  I 
was  iinf'irtiinaiely  near  enough  to  witness  his 
mangled  and  bleeding  body  still  convulsed.  It 
was  then  carried  down  fi>r  intemieni,  and.  in  less 
than  a  quarter  of  an  hotir  from  the  beginning  of 
his  torture,  ihe  corpse  was  completely  covered 
with  earth.  Several  large  s'ones,  which  were 
thrown  upon  him.  hastened  his  last  gasp ;  he  wot 
manfUd  into  eternity  P' 

In  Russia,  the  severest  punishments  are  fre- 


CRUEL  PUNISHMENTS. 


159 


qiiently  inflicted  for  the  most  trivial  offences, 
i'he  knout  is  one  of  the  most  common  punish- 
ments in  that  country.  This  instrument  is 
a  thong  made  of  the  si<in  of  an  elit  or  uf  a  wild 
ass,  so  hard  that  a  single  stroke  is  capable  of 
cutting  the  flesh  to  the  bone.  The  following 
description  is  given  by  Olearius  of  the  manner  in 
which  he  saw  the  knoul  inflicted  on  eight  men, 
and  one  looman,  only  for  selling  brandy  and  to- 
bacco without  a  license.  "  The  executioner's 
man,  after  stripping  them  down  to  the  wast,  tied 
'heir  feet,  and  took  one  at  a  time  on  his  back. 
The  executioner  stood  at  three  paces  distance, 
and,  springing  forward  with  the  knout  in  his 
hand, — whenever  he  struck,  the  blood  gushed  out 
at  every  blow.  The  men  had  each  twenty-five 
or  twenty-six  lashes  ;  the  woman,  though  only 
sixteen,  fainted  away.  After  their  backs  were 
thus  dreadfully  mangled,  they  were  tied  together 
two  and  two;  and  those  who  sold  tobacco  having 
a  little  of  it,  and  those  who  sold  brandy  a  little 
bottle  put  about  their  necks ;  they  were  then  whip- 
ped through  the  city  of  Petersburgh  for  about  a 
mile  and  a  half,  and  then  brought  back  to  the 
place  of  their  punishment,  and  dismissed."  That 
is  what  is  termed  the  moderate  knout ;  for  when 
it  is  given  v;ith  the  utmost  severity,  the  execu- 
tioner, striking  the  flank  under  the  ribs,  cuts  the 
flesh  to  the  bowels  ;  and,  therefore,  it  is  no  won- 
der that  many  die  of  this  inhuman  punishment. — 
The  punishment  of  the  pirates  and  robbers  who 
infest  the  banks  of  the  Wolga,  is  another  act  of 
savage  cruelty  common  to  Russia.  A  float  is 
built,  whereon  a  gallows  is  erected,  on  which  is 
fastened  a  number  of  iron  hooks,  &nd  on  these 
the  wretched  criminals  are  hung  alive  by  the 
ribs.  The  float  is  then  launched  into  the  stream, 
and  orders  are  given  to  all  the  towns  and  villages 
on  the  borders  of  the  river,  that  none,  upon  pain 
of  death,  shall  afford  the  least  relief  to  any  of 
these  wretches.  These  malefactors  sometimes 
hang,  in  this  manner,  three,  four,  and  even  five 
days  alive.  The  pain  produces  a  raging  fever, 
\n  which  they  utter  the  most  horrid  impreca- 
tions, imploring  the  relief  of  water  and  other 
liquors.*  During  the  reign  of  Peter  the  Great, 
the  robbers  who  infested  various  parts  of  his  do- 
minions, particularly  the  banks  of  the  Woloa, 
were  hung  up  in  this  manner  by  hundreds  and 
thousands,  and  left  to  perish  in  the  most  dreadful 
manner.  Even  yet,  the  boring  of  the  tongue, 
and  the  cutting  of  it  out,  are  practised  in  this 
country  as  an  inferior  species  of  punishment. 
Such  cruel  punishments,  publicly  inflicted,  can 
have  no  other  tendency  than  to  demoralize  the 
minds  of  the  populace,  to  blunt  their  natural  feel- 
ings, and  to  render  criminal  characters  still  more 
desperate :   and  hence  we  need  not  wonder  at 


•  See  Han  way's  "Travels  through  Russia  and 
Persia"— Salmon's  "  Present  State  or  ail  Natloos," 
vol.  6.    Guthrie's  Geography,  Ac 


what  travellers  affirm  respecting  the  Russians, 
that  they  are  very  indifferent  as  to  life  or  death, 
and  undergo  capital  punishments  with  unparal- 
leled apathy  and  indolence. 

Even  among  European  nations  more  civilized 
than  the  Russians,  similar  tortures  have  been 
infl  icted  upon  criminals.  The  execui  ion  of  Lki- 
■miens,  in  1757,  for  attempting  to  assassinate  Louis 
XV.  King  of  France,  was  accompanied  with 
tortures,  the  description  of  which  is  sufficient  to 
harrow  up  the  feelings  of  the  most  callous  mind 
— tortures,  which  could  scarcely  have  been  ex- 
ceeded in  intensity  and  variety,  although  they 
had  been  devised  and  executed  by  the  ingenuity 
of  an  infernal  fiend.  And  yet,  they  were  beheld 
with  a  certain  degree  of  apathy  by  a  surrounding 
populace  ;  and  even  counsellors  and  physicians 
could  talk  together  about  the  best  mode  of  tearing 
asunder  the  limbs  of  tlie  wretched  victim,  with  as 
much  composure  as  if  they  had  been  dissecting  a 
dead  subject,  or  carving  a  pullet.  Even  in  Bri- 
tain, at  no  distant  period,  similar  cruelties  were 
practised.  Those  who  are  guilty  of  high  treason 
are  condemned,  by  our  law,  "  to  be  hanged  on  a 
gallows  for  some  minutes  ;  then  cut  down,  while 
yet  (Jive,  the  heart  to  be  taken  out  and  exposed 
to  view,  and  the  entrails  burned."  Though  the 
most  cruel  part  of  this  sentence  has  never  been 
actually  inflicted  in  our  times,  yet  it  is  a  dis- 
grace to  Britons  that  such  a  statute  should  still 
stand  unrepealed  in  our  penal  code. — The  prac- 
tice, too,  of  torturing  supposed  criminals  for  the 
purpose  of  extorting  a  coi.fession  of  guilt,  was, 
till  a  late  period,  common  over  all  the  countries 
of  Europe  ;  and  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  is  still  re- 
sorted to,  in  several  parts  of  the  continent. 
Hence,  Baron  Bielfeld,  in  his  "  Elements  of 
Universal  Erudition,"  published  in  1770,  lays 
down  as  one  of  the  branches  of  criminal  jurispru- 
dence, "  The  different  kinds  of  tortures  for  the 
discot)ery  of  truth."  Such  a  practice  is  not  only 
cruel  and  unjust,  but  absurd  in  the  highest  de- 
gree, and  repugnant  to  every  principle  of  reason. 
For,  as  the  Marquis  Beccaria  has  well  observed, 
"  It  is  confounding  all  relations  to  expect  that  a 
man  should  be  both  the  accuser  and  the  accused, 
and  that  pain  shoiUed  be  the  teat  of  truth;  as  if 
truth  resided  in  the  muscles  and  fibres  of  a  wretch 
in  torture.  By  this  method,  the  robust  will  es- 
cape, ami  the  feeble  be  condemned. — To  disco- 
ver truth  by  this  method,  is  a  problem  which  may 
be  better  resolved  by  a  mathematician  than  a 
judge,  and  may  be  thus  stated  :  The  force  of  the 
muscles  and  Une  sensibility  of  the  nerves  of  an  m- 
nocent  person  being  given,  it  is  rehired  to  find  the 
degree  of  pain  necessary  to  make  him  confess  him- 
self guilty  of  a  given  crime."* 

'  See  Beccarla's  "  Essay  on  Crimes  and  Punish- 
ments," p.  St.  5S.  The  followins  is  a  hnef  summary 
orthe  principal  punishments  that  have  been  ailopted 
by  men,  in  dilferent  countries,  for  tormenting  and 
destroying  each  other.     CapUat  punishmenta— be 


100 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


Iflha  cnnfinad  limiti  of  the  preaent  work  had 
admittrd,  I  might  have  prooeculed  (hese  illiislra- 
tiom  to  a  much  jrratrr  cxtcni.  I  mijtht  have 
tracad  tlie  operat  ionii  of  inalerrol«nce  in  r  he  pract  ire 
oT  that  most  shocking  and  abominable  traffic,  the 
Slave  Tradt —  the  eiemal  disgrace  of  individiiali 
and  uf  nations  calling  tht^mselvfls  eiviUaed.  This 
ia  an  abomination  wliich  has  been  encouraged 
by  almost  every  nation  in  Europe,  and  even  by 
the  enlightened  slates  of  America.  And  al- 
though Great  Britain  has  formally  prohibited,  by 
a  law,  the  importation  of  slaves  from  Africa  ; 
yet,  in  all  her  West  Indian  colonies,  slavery  in 
its  most  cruel  and  degrading  forms  still  exists ; 
and  every  proposition,  and  every  plan  for  resto- 
ring (he  negroes  to  their  natural  liberty,  and  to 
the  rank  which  they  hold  in  the  scale  of  exist- 
ence, is  pertinaciously  resisted  by  gentlemen 
planters,  who  would  spurn  at  the  idea  of  being 
considered  as  either  infidels  or  barbarians.  They 
eren  attempt  to  deprive  these  degraded  beings 
of  the  chance  of  obtaining  a  happier  existence  in 
a  future  world,  by  endeavouring  to  withhold 
from  them  the  means  of  instruction,  and  by 
persecuting  their  instnicters.  "  In  Demerara 
alone  there  are  76  000  immortal  souls  linked  to 
sable  bodies,  while  there  are  but  3,500  whites; 
and  yet,  for  the  sake  of  these  three  thousand 
whites,  the  seventy-six  thousand,  with  all  their 
descendants,  are  to  be  kept  in  ignorance  of  the 
way  of  salvation,  for  no  other  purpose  than  to 
procure  a  precarious  fortune  for  a  very  few  indi- 
viduals out  of  their  sweat  and  blood."  Is  such 
conduct  consistent  with  the  spirit  of  benevolence, 
or  even  with  the  common  feelings  of  humanity  ? 


heading,  stranglinK,  rruclflxlon,  drnwnlnp,  burning, 
roastlni;,  han^ln?  by  the  neck,  the  arm,  or  the  leg  j 
Stanring.sawtn;,  exposing  to  wild  Ijeasls,  rending 
asunder  l>y  horses  drawing  opposite  ways ,  slioot- 
Ing,  burying  alive,  blowing  from  the  mouth  of  a  can- 
non, compulsory  deprivation  of  sleep,  roiling  on  a 
barrel  stuck  with  nails,  cutting  to  pieces,  hanging 
fcy  the  ribs,  poisoning,  pressing  slowly  to  death  by 
a  weight  laid  on  the  bre.-ist;  c,r«tins  headlong  from 
a  rock,  tearing  out  the  tiowels,  pulling  to  pieces  with 
red  hot  pincers,  stretching  on  the  rack,  breaking  on 
the  wheel,  impaling,  flayini;  alive,  rutting  out  the 
heart,  Ac.  Ac  dec.  Punishments  short  of  death 
have  been  such  as  the  following.  Fine,  pillory.  Im- 
prisonment, compulsory  libour  at  the  mines,  gal- 
leys, highways,  or  correction  house  ,-  whipping, 
baKtInading ;  mutilation  ty  cutting  away  the  ears, 
the  nose,  the  tongue,  the  breasts  ofwonien.  the  foot, 
the  h<\.w\ ;  squeesing  the  marrow  from  the  bones 
with  screws  or  wedges,  castration,  putting  out  the 
ayes ;  banishment,  rannlngthe  gauntlet,  drumming, 
■having  o<r  the  hair,  burning  on  the  hand  or  fore- 
head; and  many  others  of  a  similar  nature.  Could 
the  Ingenuity  of  the  Inhabitants  of  Tirphft  have  In- 
vented punishments  more  cruel  and  revolting  ?  Has 
any  one  of  these  modes  of  pimiahment  a  tendency 
to  reform  the  criminal,  and  promote  his  happiness  T 
On  the  contrary,  have  they  not  all  a  direct  tendency 
to  Irrttata,  to  harden,  and  to  excHe  Aieltngs  of  re- 
venge t  Nothing  shows  the  malevolent  dispositions 
of  a  great  portion  of  the  human  rare.  In  so  striking 
alight,  as  the  punishments  they  have  innicte<k  on 
one  another;  tor  these  arc  characteristic,  not  of 
Insulated  Individual*  ool/,  kut  of  natitmt,  in  thelf 
collective  capacity. 


I  might  have  traced  (he  same  maRfMMt  prin- 
ciple, in  the  practice  of  a  set  of  men  denominar- 
ed  voreekeri,  who,  by  setting  up  false  lights,  allure 
mariners  to  deatruetion,  that  they  may  enrich 
themselves  by  plundering  (he  wrecks — in  the 
xoarlike  dutpoMttiom  of  all  the  governments  of 
Europe,  and  the  enormous  sums  which  have 
been  expended  in  the  work  of  devastation,  and 
of  human  destruction,  while  they  have  refused 
to  give  the  least  direct  encouragement  to  philan- 
thropic institutions,  and  to  the  improvement  of 
the  community  in  knowledge  and  virtue — and  in 
that  spirit  of  tyranny,  and  thirst  for  despotic 
power,  which  have  leid  them  to  crush  the  rising 
intelligence  of  the  |)eople,  and  to  lend  a  deaf  ear 
to  their  most  reasonalile  demands.  For,  there 
is  no  government  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic,  so 
fkr  as  I  know,  that  has  ever  yet  formed  an  in- 
stitution for  promoting  the  objects  of  general 
benevolence,  for  counteracting  the  baleful  effects 
of  depravity  and  ignorance,  and  for  enlightening 
the  minds  of  the  people  in  useful  knowledge ;  or 
which  has  even  contributed  a  single  mite  to  en- 
courage such  institutions  after  they  were  set  on 
foot  by  the  people  themselves.  Knowledge  is 
simply  permitted  to  be  diffused ;  it  is  never  di- 
rectly encouraged;  iw  progress  is  frequently 
obstructed  ;  and,  in  some  instances,  it  is  posi- 
tively interdicted,  a*  appears  from  the  following 
barbarous  edict,  published  in  the  year  18S6. — 
"A  royal  Sardinian  edict  directs,  that  hence- 
forth no  person  shall  learn  to  read  or  write  who 
cannot  prove  the  possession  of  property  above 
the  value  of  1500  livres,  (or  about  SOI.  sterling.) 
The  qualification  for  a  student  is  the  possession 
of  an  income  to  the  same  amount."*  Such  is 
the  firm  determination  of  many  of  the  kings  and 
princes  of  Europe  to  hold  their  subjects  in  aojeci 
slavery  and  ignorance  ;  and  such  is  the  despe- 
rate tendency  of  proud  ambition,  that  they  will 
rather  suffer  their  thrones  to  shake  and  totter  be- 
neath them,  than  give  encouragement  to  liberal 
opinions,  and  to  the  general  diffusion  of  know- 
ledge.— But,  instead  of  illustrating  such  topics 
in  minute  detail,  I  shall  conclude  this  section  by 
presenting  a  few  miscellaneous  facts,  lending  to 
corroborate  several  of  the  preceding  statements, 
and  to  illustrate  the  moral  state  of  the  civilized 
world. 

The  following  statement,  extracted  from 
"Neale's  Travels  through  Germany,  Poland, 
Moldavia,  and  Turkey,"  exhibits  a  faint  picture 
of  the  state  of  nK>rals  in  Poland.  "If  ever 
there  was  a  country,"  says  Mr.  Neale,  "  where 
*  might  constitutes  right,'  that  country  was  Po- 
land, prior  to  its  partition."  The  most  dreadful 
oppression,  the  most  execrable  tyranny,  the  most 
wanton  cruelties  were  doily  exercised  by  the  no- 
bles upon  the  unfortunate  peasants. — Let  us 
quoU  a  few  facta ;  they  will  speak  volumna.     A 

*  Bamborgh  Paper,  Aa(«st,II» 


STATE  OF  MORALS  IN  CUBA. 


]«1 


Polish  peasant's  life  was  held  of  the  same  value 
with  one  of  his  horned  cattle ;  if  his  lord  slew 
him,  he  was  fined  only  100  Polish  florins,  or  21. 
I6».  sterling.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  a  man  of 
ignoble  birih  dared  to  raise  his  hand  against  a 
nobleman,  death  was  the  inevitable  punishment. 
If  any  one  presumed  to  question  the  nobility  of  a 
marinate,  he  was  forced  to  |)rove  his  assertion, 
or  siitTer  death ,"  nay,  if  a  powerful  man  chose 
to  take  a  fancy  to  the  field  of  his  humbler  neigh- 
iKJur,  and  to  erect  a  landmark  upon  it,  and  if  that 
landmark  remained  for  three  days,  the  poor  man 
lost  his  possession.  The  atrocious  cruelties  that 
were  habitually  exercised,  are  hardly  credible. 
A  Misalki  caused  his  hounds  to  devour  a  pea- 
sant who  happened  to  frighten  his  horse.  A 
Radzivil  had  the  belly  of  one  of  his  subjects  rip- 
ped open,  to  thrust  his  feet  into  it,  hoping  thereby 
lo  be  cured  of  a  malady  that  had  tormented  him. 
One  of  the  most  infallible  signs  of  a  degraded 
state  of  morals  in  any  country,  is  the  corru[)t  ad- 
tninistration  of  justice.  As  specimens  of  Polish 
justice,  Mr.  Neale  mentions  the  case  of  a  mer- 
chant of  Warsaw,  whom  it  cost  1400  ducats  to 
procure  the  conviction  and  execution  of  two  rob- 
bers who  had  plundered  him ;  and  another  case, 
still  more  flagrant,  that  of  a  peasant  who  had 
apprehended  an  assassin,  and  who,  on  taking  him 
to  the  Siaroste,  was  coolly  dismissed  with  the 
prisoner,  and  the  corpse  of  the  murdered  person 
which  ho  had  brought  in  his  wagon;  because  he 
had  not  ten  ducats — the  fee  demanded  by  the 
maigistrate  for  his  interftsrence. — "  During  the 
reign  of  Stanislaus  Poniatowsky,  a  petty  noble 
having  refused  to  resign  to  Count  Thisenhaus 
his  small  estate,  the  Count  invited  him  to  dinner, 
as  if  desirous  of  amicably  adjusting  the  affair  ; 
and  whilst  the  knight,  in  the  pride  of  his  heart 
at  such  unexpected  honour,  assiduously  plied  the 
bottle,  the  Count  despatched  some  hundreds  of 
peasants  with  axes,  ploughs,  and  wagons,  order- 
ing the  village,  which  consisted  only  of  a  few 
wooden  buildings,  to  be  pulled  down,  the  mate- 
rials carried  away,  jind  the  plough  to  be  passed 
over  the  ground  which  the  village  had  occupied. 
This  was  accordingly  done.  The  nobleman,  on 
his  return  home  in  the  evening,  could  find  neither 
road,  house,  nor  village.  The  master  and  his 
servant  were  alike  bewildered,  and  knew  not 
whether  they  were  dreaming  or  had  lost  the 
power  of  discrimination  ;  but  their  surprise  and 
agony  were  deemed  so  truly  humorous,  that  the 
whole  court  was  delighted  with  the  joke '."  How 
depraved  must  be  the  state  of  moral  feeling,  when 
the  injustice  inflicted  upon  fellow-creatures,  and 
the  miseries  they  endure,  become  the  subjects  of 
merriment  and  derision! — "  The  morals  of  the 
people  of  Poland,"  says  Mr.  Neale,  "  were,  and 
continue  to  be,  nearly  at  the  lowest  point  of  de- 
basement. Female  chastity  is  a  phenomenon  ; 
while  the  male  sex  are  proportionally  profligate. 
Drunkenness,  gluttony .  and  sensuality,  prevail 

21 


to  a  degree  unknown  in  other  countries  in  Eu- 
rope." 

The  following  extract  from  Mr.  Howison's 
"  Foreign  Scenes  and  Traveling  Recreations," 
will  convey  some  idea  of  the  state  of  morals  in 
the  island  of  Cuba.  "  Nothing  can  be  worse," 
says  Mr.  H.,  "  than  the  state  of  society  in  Ha- 
vana. The  lower  classes  are  all  alike  dissolute 
and  unprincipled.  Assassinations  are  so  fire- 
queiit  that  they  excite  little  attention;  and  as- 
sault and  robbery  are  matters  of  course,  when  a 
man  passes  alone  and  at  night  through  a  solitary 
quarter  of  the  town.  Several  assassinations 
take  place  in  the  streets  every  week."  This  de- 
praved and  lawless  state  of  things  may  be  ascribed 
to  three  causes :  the  inefficiency  of  the  police  ; 
the  love  of  gaming  and  dissipation  which  pre- 
vails among  the  lower  orders  ;  and  the  facility 
with  which  absolution  of  the  greatest  crimes  may 
be  obtained  from  the  priests.  In  fact,  the  Ca- 
tholic religion,  as  it  now  exists  in  Cuba,  tends 
to  encourage  rather  than  to  check  vice.  We 
shall  suppose,  for  example,  that  a  man  makes 
himself  master  of  100  dollars  by  robbing  or  by 
murdering  another ;  and  that  the  church  grants 
him  absolution  for  half  the  sum  thus  lawlessly 
obtained  ;  it  is  evident  that  he  will  gain  60  dol- 
lars by  the  whole  transaction,  and  think  himself 
as  innocent  as  he  was  before  he  committed  the 
crime.  No  man  need  mount  the  Havana  scaf- 
fold, whatever  be  his  crime,  if  he  has  the  means 
of  ministering  to  the  rapacity  of  the  church,  and 
of  bribing  the  civil  authorities.  A  poor  friend- 
less criminal  is  executed  in  a  few  days  after  sen- 
tence is  pronounced  upon  him  ;  but  a  person  of 
wealth  and  infl-ience  generally  manages  to  put 
off  capital  punishment  for  a  series  of  years,  and 
at  last  get  it  commuted  to  fine  and  imprisonment. 
Of  these  depraved  practices,  Mr.  Hewison  states 
several  striking  examples. — Those  statements  of 
Mr.  H.  in  reference  to  the  moral  state  of  Cuba, 
I  find  corroborated  by  a  short  account  of  this  isl- 
and in  the  Monthly  Magazine  for  March,  1S20, 
page  120.  "  They  act  here  very  frequently 
those  sacred  mysteries  which  so  delighted  our 
good  forefathers.  I  have  witnessed  (says  the 
writer)  the  triumph  of  the  Ave  Maria,  a  tragi- 
comedy, which  closes  with  the  sudden  appear- 
ance, in  the  midst  of  a  theatre,  of  a  chivalrous 
worthy,  mounted  on  a  real  horse,  shaking  at  the 
end  of  a  lance  the  bloody  head  of  an  infidel. 
This  horrid  exhibition  excited  a  titter  of  enjoy- 
ment in  all  the  spectators.  The  ladies,  in  particu- 
lar, seemed  to  be  highly  entertained,— no  fainting 
fits,  no  nervous  attacks.  How  could  a  mere  fic- 
tion agonize  the  blunt  feelings  of  women,  har- 
dened by  the  spectacle  of  bull-fights,  and  aintost 
every  day  meeting  with  the  dead  body  of  some 
human  being  who  has  been  assassinated  ?" 

There  is  no  situation  in  whicli  human  beings 
can  be  placed,  where  we  should  more  naturalljr 
expect  the  oianiieslation  of  benevolent  afiectiom, 


IM 


TfflS  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


thaa  ia  iboM  acenM  of  dan^ter  where  all  are  equal- 
ly eipOMd  to  deep  ditliess,  and   whore  the  ex- 
ereiaeorfjraipathjrand  kindness  is  the  oaljf  thing 
that  can  alleviate   the  anguish  of    the  miod. 
When  the  prospect  of  imtnediain  death,  or   of 
praiangad  agonies  eren   more  dreadful  than   the 
•iapU   pun   of  dissolution,   is   full    before    the 
mind,  nne  should  think  that  ferocious   disposi- 
liona  would  be  instantly  curbed,  and  kindly  af- 
fections begui  to  appear.     Yet,  even  in  such  situ- 
ations, it  frequenily  happens,  that   feelings  of 
malevolence  and  revenge,  and  all  the  depraved 
passions,  are  most  powerfully  excited  to  action. 
The  following  facts  will  tend  to  illustrate  this  re- 
mark.    Mr.  Byroa  was  shipwrecked,  in  a  vio- 
lent storm  on  the  coast  of  South  America.     A 
moimiainous  sea  broke  over  the  ship ;  she  was 
laid  on  her  beam   ends ;    darkness   surrounded 
them ;  nothing  was  to  be   seen  but  breakers  all 
around  ;  and  every  soul  on  board  looked  upon  the 
present   minute  as  his  last.     "So  terrible  was 
the  scene   of  foaming  breakers  around  us,"  says 
Mr.  B.  "  that  one  of  the  bravest  men   we  lutd 
could  not  help  expressing  his  dismay  at  it,  saying 
it  was  too  shocking  a  sight  to  bear."     Even  in 
this  dreadful  situation,  malignant  passions  began 
to  appear  i  and,  like  the  dashing  waves  around, 
to  rage  with   unboimded   violence.     No  sooner 
had  the  morning  thrown  a  ray  of  light  over  the 
dismal  gloom,  and  a  faint   glimpse  of  land  was 
perceived,  than   many  of  the  crew  who,  but  a 
few   minutes   before,  had  shown  the  strongest 
signs  of  despair,  and  were  on  their  knees  pray- 
ing for  mercy,  "  grew  extremely  riotous,  broke 
open  every  chest  and  box  that  was  al  hand,  stove 
in  the  heads  of  casks  of  brandy  and   wine,  and 
got  so  drunk  that  some  of  them  were  drowned 
on  board,  and  lay  floating   about  the  decks  for 
some  days  after."    After  the  greater  part,  to  the 
number  of  150  persons,  had  got  to  shore — "  the 
boatswain  and  some  of  the   people   would  not 
leave  the  ship  so  long  as  there  was  any  liquor  to 
begot  at;  they  fell   to   beating  every  thing   to 
pieces  that  came  in  their  way,  and  carrying  their 
intemperance  to  the  greatest  excess,  broke  open 
chests  and  cabins  for  plimder  that  could  be  of  no 
use  to  them.     So  earnest  were  they  in  this  wan- 
tonness of  theft,  that   one  man   had   evidently 
been  murdered  on  account  of  some  division  of 
the  spoil,  or  for  the  sake  of  the  share  that  fell  to 
him,  having  all  the  marks  of  a  strangled  corpse." 
TiMHmemaligiumtdispositiolU  weredisplayed, 
in  BOOMrous  instances,  during  their  abode  on 
disdeaolata   and  barren   island  on  which  they 
had  been  thrown,  notwithstanding   the  hunger, 
thtt  rains,  the  cold,    and  the  attacks    of  wild 
betMa    to  which    they  wer«  all    equally   ex- 
pOMd.* 
There  if,  p«rbapt,  no  ooeurrence  that  has  hap- 


*  Bee  BrrMfi "  Harrati  ve  of  the  Lom  of  the  Wafer 
NaaofWar." 


pened  in  modem  times,  which  so  strikingly  di»- 
plfiys  the  desperate  malignity  of  uman  beings  in 
the  midst  of  danger,  as  the  conduct  of  ihr  crew 
of  the  Medusa  Frigate,  while  tossing  on  the  rt{fi 
by  whicll  they  endeavoured  to  save  themselves, 
after  that  vetsel  bad   been  shipwrecked.     Th« 
Medusa   was  stranded,  in  the  month  of  June, 
1816,  on  the  bank  of  Arguin,  near  the  western 
coast  of  Africa.     A  raft  was  hastily  constructed, 
which  was  but  scantily  supplied  with  provisiooa. 
There  were   five  boats,  which  contained  in  all 
about  240  persons ;    and  upon  the  raft,  there  em- 
barked about  150  individuals.     The  boats  pushed 
ofl'ina  line,  towing  the  rafi,  and  assuring   the 
people  on  board  that  they  would   conduct  then 
safely  to  land.  They  had  not  proceeded,  however, 
above  two  leagues  from  the   wreck,  when  they, 
one  by  one,  cast  off  the  tow  lines,  and  abandoned 
the  raft  to   its  (ale.     By  this  lime  the  raft  had 
sunk  below  the  surface  of  the  water  to  the  depth 
of  three  feet  and  a  half,  aiKl  the  people  were  so 
squeezed  one  against  another,  that  it  was  found 
impossible  to  move  ;  fore  and  aA  they  were  up  to 
the  middle  in  water.     Night  at  length  came  on; 
the  wind   freshened ;  the   sea  began    to  swell ; 
about  midnight  the  weather  became  very  stormy, 
and  the  waves  broke  over  them  in  every  direction. 
Tossed  by  the  waves  from  one  end  to  the  o;her, 
and  sometimes  precipitated  into  the  sea ;  floating 
between    life  and  death ;  mourning  over  their 
own  misfortunes;  certain  of  perishing,  yet  coih 
tending  for  the  remains  of  existence  with  thai 
cruel  element  which  menaced  to  swallow  then* 
up — such  was  their  situation  till  break  of  day, 
when  a  dreadful  spectacle  presented  itself.    Ten 
or  twelve  unhappy  men,  having  their  extremities 
jammed  between  the  spars  of  the  raft,  had  perish- 
ed in  that  situation,  and  others  had  been  swept 
away  by  the  violence  of  the  waves. — All  this, 
however,   was   nothing    to    the  dreadful    scene 
which   took  place  the   following  night.     "  Al- 
ready," says  the  narrator,  "  was   the  moral  cha- 
racter of  the'^ople  greatly  changed.     A  spirit  of 
sedition  spread  from  man  to  man,  and  manifested 
itself  by  the  most  furious  shouts."     Night  came 
on ;  the    heavens    were   obscured    with    thick 
clouds;  the  wind  rose,  and  with  it  the  sea  ;  the 
waves  broke  over  them  every  moment ;  numbers 
were  swept  away,  and   several  poor  wretches 
were  smothered  by  the  pressure  of  thoir  comrades. 
Both  soldiers  and  sailors  resolved  to  sooth  their 
last  moments  by  drinking  to  excess  ;  ihey  became 
deaf  to  the  voice  of  reason  ;  boldly  declared  tlieir 
intention  of  murdering  their  odicers;  and,  cut- 
ting the  ropes  which  held  the  rafis  together,  one 
of  them  seizing  an  axe,  actually  began  ihe  dread- 
ful work.     The  officers  rushed  forward  to  quell 
the  tumult,  and  the  man  with  the  hatchet  was 
tlie  first  that  fell — the  stroke  of  a  sabre  tenniiiav 
ed  his  existence.     One  fellow  was  detected  a^ 
cretly  cutting  the  ropes,  and  was  immediai^ 
thrown  overboard ;  others  destroyed  the  shrouda 


DEPRAVlTy  IN  THE  fillDST  OP  DANGER. 


m 


aiid  haolyards;  tund  the  mast,  destitute  of  support, 
immediately  fell  on  a  captain  of  infanity,  and 
broke  his  thigh  ;  he  was  instantly  seized  by  the 
soldiers  and  thrown  into  the  sea,  but  was  saved 
by  the  opposite  parly.  About  an  hour  after  mid- 
night the  insurrection  burst  forth  anew.  They 
rushed  upon  the  officers  like  desperate  men,  each 
having  a  knife  or  a  sabre  in  his  hand;  and  such 
was  the  fury  of  the  assailatws,  that  they  tore  their 
flesh,  and  even  their  clothes  with  their  teeth. 
There  was  no  time  for  hesitation  ;  a  general 
slaughter  took  place,  and  the  raft  was  strewed  with 
dead  bodies.  On  the  return  of  day,  it  was  found 
that,  in  the  course  of  the  preceding  night  of  hor- 
ror, sixty  ^ve  of  the  mutineers  had  perished,  and 
two  of  the  small  party  attached  to  the  ofRcers. 
A  third  night  of  horror  approached,  distinguished 
by  the  piercing  cries  of  those  whom  hunger  and 
thirst  devoured  ;  and  the  morning's  sun  showed 
them  a  dozen  unfortunate  creatures  stretched 
lifeless  on  the  raft.  The  fourth  night  was  mark- 
ed by  another  massacre.  Some  Spaniards  and 
Italians  conspired  to  throw  the  rest  into  the  sea. 
A  Spaniard  was  the  first  to  advance  with  a  drawr> 
knife;  the  sailors  seized  him  and  threw  him  into 
the  sea.  The  Italian  seeing  this,  jumped  over- 
board ;  the  rest  were  mastered,  and  order  was 
restored.  But,  before  the  i-hip  Argus  came  U> 
their  relief,  of  the  150  that  embarked  on  the  raft, 
15  unhappy  creatures  only  remained,  covered 
with  wounds  and  bruises,  almost  naked,  stripped 
of  their  skin,  shrivelled  with  the  rays  of  the  sun, 
their  eyes  hollow,  and  their  countenances  sa- 
vage.—Such  are  the  dreadful  effects  oT maligni- 
ty, which  produces  more  sufferings  and  fatal 
effects,  than  the  most  tremendous  elements  of 
nature ! 

A  certain  portion  of  the  same  spirit  was  lately 
displayed  by  several  individuals  oo  board  of 
the  Kent  East  Indiaman.  In  the  midst  of  a 
most  violent  gale,  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  when 
the  sea  was  running  mountains  high,  this  vessel, 
containing  about  600  persons,  took  fire,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  spirits  from  a  stoved  cask  having 
communicated  with  a  lamp  ;  and  all  hopes  of 
iafety  became  extinguished,  till  the  ship  Cam- 
bria, Captain  CfK)ke,  hove  in  sight.  But  the 
danger  of  passing  from  one  ship  to  the  other,  in 
boats,  in  such  a  tempestuous  sea,  rendered  the 
preservation  of  the  passengers  and  crew  in  a 
degree  doubtful.  Yet,  in  the  midst  of  the  danser, 
the  alarm  and  the  anguish  which  accompanied 
this  tremendous  scene,  wo  are  told  by  the  narra- 
tor, page  24,  that  "  it  is  suspected  that  one  or 
two  of  those  who  perished,  must  have  sunk  un- 
der the  weiuht  of  their  spoils;  the  sanie  indivi- 
duals having  been  teen  eagerly  plundering  the 
cuddy  cabins."  And,  a  little  afterwards,  pige 
31,  he  adds:  "Some  lime  after  the  shades  of 
night  had  envelojied  us,  I  descended  to  the  cuddy 
ia  quest  of  a  blanket  to  shelter  ine  from  the  in- 
creasing cold,  and  the  scene  of  desola'ion  that 


there  presented  itself  was  melancholy  tn  the  ex- 
treme. The  place,  which  only  a  few  short  hours 
'  before  had  been  the  seat  of  kindly  intercourse, 
and  of  social  gayety,  was  now  entirely  deserted, 
save  by  a  few  miserable  wretches,  who  were 
either  stretched  in  irrecuverabte  imoxication  on 
the  floor,  or  prowling  about,  like  beasts  of  prey, 
in  search  of  plunder."* 

The  fVdIowing  is  a  short  description  of  the 
moral  character  of  the  inhabitants  of  Carolina, 
and  of  one  of  the  amusements  of  a  people  who 
boast  of  their  liberty  and  their  civilization, — as 
it  is  found  in  "  Morse's  American  Geography." 
"  The  citizens  of  North  Carolina  who  are  nol 
better  employed,  spend  their  lime  in  drinking,  or 
gaming  at  cards  or  dice,  in  cock-fighting,  or 
horse-racing.  Many  of  the  interludes  ar^  filled 
up  with  a  boxing  match  ;  and  these  matches  fre- 
quently become  memorable  by  feats  of  gouging. 
This  dtlicate  and  entertaining  diversion  is  thus 
performed  ;  When  two  boxers  are  worried  with 
fighting  and  bruising  each  other,  they  come,  as 
it  is  called,  to  close  quarters ;  and  each  endea- 
vours to  twist  his  fore-fingers  in  the  ear-locks  of 
his  antagonist.  Whes  these  are  fast  clenched, 
the  thumbs  are  extended  each  way  to  the  nose, 
and  the  eyes  gently  twined  out  of  their  sot^l*. 
The  victor,  for  his  expertness,  receives  shouts  of 
applause  from  the  sporting  throng,  while  hi*  poor 
eyeless  antagonist  is  laughed  at  for  his  misfortune. 
In  a  country  that  pretends  to  any  degree  of 
civilization,  one  would  hardly  expect  to  find  a 
prevailing  custom  of  putting  out  the  eyes  of  each 
other.  Yet  this  more  than  barbarous  custom  is 
prevalent  in  both  the  Carol  inas,  and  in  Georgia 
among  the  lower  class  of  people." — "  Lord, 
what  is  man  !*'  In  a  savage  and  a  civilized  slate 
— in  infancy  and  in  manhood — in  his  games  and 
diversions — in  the  instructions  by  which  he  Is 
trained — in  the  remarks  he  makes  upon  his 
neighbours — in  the  sports  and  amusements  in 
which  he  indulges — in  his  literary  pursuits  and 
lucubrations — in   his  system    of    rewards  and 

*  See  a  "  Narrative  of  the  Loss  of  the  Kent  East 
Inrtiaman,  by  lire,  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  on  the  1st  of 
March,  1845,  tiy  a  Passenger,"  supposed  to  l>e  Major 
Macgregor.— The  humanity  and  intrepidity  display- 
ed, amidst  the  heartrending  scene  whirh  this  narra- 
tive descril)es — by  Captain  Cobb  of  the  Kent;  by 
Messrs.  Tliompson,  Fearon,  Maceregor,  and  the 
other  officers,  and  many  of  the  soldiers ;  by  Captain 
Cooke  of  the  Cambria,  his  crew,  and  the  Cornish 
miners— is  alxjve  all  praise.  Their  benevolent  and 
heioic  conduct  at  that  alarming  irisis,  is  far  more 
deserving  of  a  public  monument  being  raised  for  its 
commemoration,  than  that  of  many  of  our  military 
heroes,  in  honour  of  whom  so  m;iny  trophies  have 
been  erected.  If  men,  who  have  ixjcn  instrumental 
in  destri>yiiis  tlie  lives  and  the  happiness  of  hun- 
dreds ami  of  thous.inds,  have  pensions  bestowed  on 
them,  and  are  evalted  to  posts  of  honour,  surely 
those  who  have  exerted  t'  eireneraies  in  preserving 
the  lives  of  hundreds,  and  in  preventing  the  anguish 
of  thousands,  ousht  not  to  be  suITered  to  sink  into 
olilivion,  or  to  pass  unrewarded.  It  is,  I  presume, 
one  rea.5nn  among  others,  why  virtue  is  so  little 
practised,  that  it  is  seldom  rewarded  according  to  ilM 
merit. 


164 


THE  PHtLOSOPUY  dP  RELIGION. 


punuhment»— in  his  in(ercour«ea  and  contest! 
with  cumniunilies  and  nations — in  his  commer- 
cial transaciioiui — in  his  judicial  aJminini rations 
—in  the  heiyhl  of  prosperiiy— and  in  scenes  of 
danger,  and  uT  the  deepest  distress, — a  principle 
of  mali^iiiiy  is  forever  operstin);  to  destroy  his 
couifurls,  and  lo  underniine  tlie  fuundatiou  of  his 
happiness ! 

Th(t  above  sketches  may  xuffice,  in  the  mean 
tine,  as  specimens  of  some  of  the  prominent  dis- 
poMtions  uf  (hat  portion  of  the  human  race  who 
have  assumed  to  themselves  the  character  of 
tivilized  nations.  It  will  readily  be  admiitcd, 
by  most  of  my  readers,  that  the  dispositions  dis- 
played in  ilie  iniitances  I  have  selected,  are 
ail  directly  repiignanl  to  the  principle  of  benevo- 
lence recojjnised  in  the  divine  law,  and  tend  to 
undermine  the  happiness  of  intelligent  beings. 
— I  shall  now  conclude  with  a  very  brief  sketch 
of  the  conduct  of  Christians,  and  of  Christian 
societies  towards  each  other,  and  of  the  leading 
traits  of  charac'er  which  appear  in  the  religious 
world. 


SECTION  IV. 

MOKAL  STATE  OF  THE  PROFESSIHO  CHHISTIAN 
WORLD. 

I  have  already  endeavoured  to  show,  that 
Christianity  is  a  religion  of  fot^,*  that  its  facts, 
its  doctrines,  and  its  moral  precepts,  are  all  cal- 
culated to  promote  "  peace  on  earth,"  and  to 
form  mankind  into  one  afTeciionate  and  harmo- 
nious society.  This  glorious  and  happy  effect, 
in  the  first  instance,  it  actually  produced.  We 
are  told,  in  the  history  of  the  Aposiles,  that  the 
raultitudes  who  were  converted  to  the  Christian 
bith,  by  the  powerful  sermons  delivered  by  Peter 
on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  had  their  malignant  pro- 
pensities siib<lued,  and  their  minds  animated 
with  an  ardent  affection  for  each  other  ;  and,  as 
a  practical  proof  of  the  operation  of  this  noble 
prini'iple,  "  they  had  all  things  common,  and  sold 
their  possessirtns  and  goods,  and  parted  them  to 
■11,  as  every  man  had  need."  During  the  early 
ages  of  Christianity,  a  goodly  portion  of  the 
same  spirit  was  manifested  by  the  greater  part 
of  those  who  had  enrolled  themselves  as  the  dis- 
ciples of  Christ.  Even  in  the  midst  <>f  the  re- 
proaches, and  tiie  severe  persecutions  to  which 
they  were  subjected  during  the  two  first  cen'uries 
of  the  Christian  era,  a  meek  and  forgiving  dis- 
position, and  a  spirit  of  benevolence  towards 
one  another,  and  towards  all  men,  distinguished 
them  from  the  heathen  around,  and  constrained 
even  their  enemies  loeiclaim,  "  Behold  how  these 
Christians  love  one  another!" — But  no  sooner 
was  the  Christian  Church  amalgamated  with  the 
kingdnpM  of  this  world,  in  the  reign  of  Constan- 
tine,  than  its  native  purity  began  to  be  tainted, 
and  Pagan  maximii,  and  worldljr  ambilioa  began 


to  be  blended  with  the  pure  precepts  and  the  sn  - 
blime  doctrines  of  the  Gospel.  Many  of  iia 
professed  adherents,  overlooking  the  grand  prao- 
licnl  bearings  of  the  Christian  system,  began  to 
indulge  in  vain  speculations  on  its  mysterious 
doctrines;  tosubsiiMile  a  number  of  unmeaning 
rites  and  ceremonies  in  the  room  of  love  to  God 
and  to  man  ;  and  even  to  proseciile  and  destroy 
all  'hose  who  refused  to  submit  to  iheir  opinions 
and  decisions.  Pride,  and  a  desire  of  domina- 
tion, usurped  the  place  of  meekness  and  humi- 
lity ;  and  the  foolish  mummeries  of  monastic  su- 
perstition, and  the  austerities  of  the  A*cctiet, 
were  substituted  in  the  room  of  the  active  duties 
of  justice  and  benevolence.  Saints  were  deified  ; 
the  power  of  the  clergy  was  augmented;  celi- 
bacy was  extolled;  religious  precessions  were 
ap|>ointed  ;  pilgrimages  were  undertaken  to  the 
tombs  of  the  martyrs  ;  monasteries  and  nunneries, 
without  number,  were  erected  ;  prayers  were  ot 
fereii  up  to  departed  saints;  the  Virgin  Mary 
was  recognised  as  a  species  of  inferior  deity  ;  the 
sign  of  the  cross  was  venerated  as  capable  of 
securing  victory  in  all  kinds  of  trials  and  calami- 
ties, and  as  the  surest  defence  against  the  influ- 
ence of  malignant  spirits  ;  the  bisho|is  aspired 
after  wealth,  magnificence,  and  splendour  errors 
in  religion  were  punished  wiih  civil  penalties  and 
bodily  tortures ;  and  the  most  violent  disputes 
and  contentions  convulsed  every  section  of  the 
Christian  world  ;  while  the  mild  and  l>eneficent 
virtues  of  the  religion  of  Jesus  were  either  dis- 
carded, or  thrown  into  the  shade. 

Of  these,  and  similar  dispositions  and  prac- 
tices, details  might  be  exhibited  which  would 
fill  many  volumes,  and  which  would  carry  con- 
viction to  every  impartial  mind,  that  the  true 
glory  of  Christianity  was  sadly  tarnished  and  ob- 
scured, and  its  heavenly  spirit  almo!>t  extinguish- 
ed amidst  the  m.-«8s  of  stipcrsiiiioiis  observances, 
of  vain  speculations,  and  of  angry  feuds  ind 
contentions.  Millol.  when  adverting  to  the  stale 
of  the  Church  in  the  days  of  Constantine  and 
the  succeed  ng  emperors,  justly  remarks  :  "  The 
disciples  of  Christ  were  inspired  with  mutual 
feuds,  still  more  implacable  and  destructive  than 
the  factions  which  were  formed  for  or  against 
different  emperors.  The  spirit  of  conientioa 
condemned  by  St.  Paul  became  almost  universal. 
New  sects  spning  up  incessantly,  and  combated 
each  other.  Each  boasted  its  afiostles,  gave  its 
sophisms  for  divine  orac'es,  pretended  to  be  the 
depository  of  the  faith,  and  used  every  effort  lo 
draw  the  multitude  to  its  standard.  The  church 
was  filled  with  discord  ;  bishops  anathematized 
bishops  ;  violence  was  called  in  to  the  aid  of  ar- 
gument, and  the  folly  of  (irinces  fanned  the  flame 
which  spread  with  so  destructive  rage.  They 
played  the  theologists.  a'tempted  to  command 
opinions,  and  punished  those  whom  they  could 
not  convince.  The  laws  against  idolaters  wer* 
soon  exteuded  to  heretics ;  but  what  ooe  emperor 


EARLY  AGES  OP  CHRISTIANITY. 


m 


proscribed  as  heretical,  was  to  another  sound 
doctrine.  What  was  the  consequence  ?  The 
clergy,  whose  influence  was  already  great  at 
court,  and  still  greater  among  the  people,  be^an 
Ui  withdraw  from  the  sovereign  authority  that 
respect  which  religion  inspires.  The  popular 
ferments  being  heightened  by  the  animosity  of 
the  clergy,  prince,  coimtry,  law,  and  duty,  were 
liO  longer  regarded.  Men  were  Arians,  Dona- 
tists,  Priscillianists,  Nestorians,  Eutychians, 
Monotholites.  &c.,  but  no  longer  citizens;  or 
rather,  every  man  became  the  mortal  enemy  of 
those  citizens  whose  opinions  he  condemned.— 
This  unheard-of  madness,  for  irreconcilable  quar- 
rels on  subjects  that  ought  to  have  been  referred 
tolhejudgmeni  oftheChurch,  never  abated  amidtt 
Vie  most  Hrearlful  ditasters.  Every  sect  formed 
a  different  party  in  the  state,  and  their  mutual 
animosities  conspired  to  sap  its  foundations."* 

At  the  period  to  which  these  observations  re- 
fer, it  appears  that  two  erroneous  maxims  gene- 
rally prevailed,  which  tended  to  undermine  the 
moral  system  of  revelation,  and  which  were  pro- 
ductive of  almost  all  the  tumults,  massacres,  and 
disasters,  which  distinguished  that  era  of  the 
Christian  church.  These  were,  I.  That  reli- 
gion consists  chiefly  in  the  belief  of  certain  ab- 
stract and  incomprehensible  dogmas,  and  in  the 
performance  of  a  multitude  of  external  rites  and 
ceremonies  :  and,  2.  That  all  heresies  or  differ- 
ences of  opinion  on  reliuious  points,  ought  to  be 
extirpated  by  the  strong  arm  of  the  civil  power. 
Than  such  maxims,  nuthing  can  be  more  repug- 
nant to  reason,  more  subversive  of  genuine  mo- 
rality, or  more  inconsistent  with  the  spirit  and 
genius  of  the  Christian  religion.  And  yet,  to 
this  very  hour,  they  are  recognised  and  acted 
upon  by  more  than  three  fourths  of  the  Christian 
world,  notwithstanding  the  melancholy  examples 
which  history  has  furnished  of  their  futility,  and 
their  pernicious  tendency.— The  narrow  limits 
to  which  I  am  confined  will  permit  me  to  state 
only  two  or  three  instances  in  reference  to  the 
period  to  which  I  allude. 

Theodo«ius,  one  of  the  emperors,  who  com- 
menced his  reign  in  the  year  379,  and  who  re- 
ceived baptism  during  a  dangerous  distemper,  in 
the  second  year  of  it,  professed  great  real  in  fa- 
vour of  religi<m.  By  a  law  addiessed  to  the 
people  of  C'lnstantinople,  he  enacted,  "  That  all 
subjects  shall  profess  the  catholic  faith  with  re- 
gard to  the  articles  of  the  Trinity  ;  and  that  they 
who  do  not  conform  shrill  ignominiously  be  called 
heretics,  until  they  shall  feel  the  vengeance  of 
God  and  our  own,  according  as  it  shall  please 
Divine  providence  to  inspire  us."  He  declared 
apostates  ami  Municheans  incapable  of  making  a 
will,  or  receiving  any  legacy  ;  and  having  pro- 
nounced them  worthy  of  death,  the  people  thought 
they  had  a  right  to  kill  them  as  proscribed  per- 

•  MlUM's  Modem  Histoir,  roL  1 


sons.  He  enacted  a  law,  condemning  to  the 
flames  cousins  german  who  married  without  a 
special  license  from  the  emperor.  He  eiitablish- 
ed  inquisitors  for  the  discovery  of  heretics.  He 
drove  the  Manicheans^  from  Rome  as  infamous 
persons,  and,  on  their  death,  ordered  their  goods 
to  be  distributed  among  the  people.  Yet,  with 
all  this  religious  z-al,  he,  on  one  occasion,  gave 
orders  for  a  universal  massacre  at  Thessalonica, 
because  some  persons  of  distinction  had  been 
killed  in  a  sedition  at  the  time  of  the  races.  The 
inhabitants  were  caused  to  assemble  in  the  circus, 
under  the  pretence  of  an  exhibition  of  games, 
and  slaughtered  without  distinction  of  age. 
Seven  thousand,  accord iug  to  some,  and  fifreea 
thousand  according  to  others,  the  greatest  part 
unquestionably  innocent  were  thus  sacrificed  to 
atrocious  revenge. f  Leo,  another  emperor, 
"  com'nanded  every  person  to  be  baptized,  under 
pain  of  banishment,  and  made  it  capital  to  relapse 
into  idolatry,  after  the  performance  of  the  cere> 
mony  ;"  just  as  if  Christians  could  be  made  by 
a  forced  baptism,  or  by  a  law  of  the  state.  Such 
edicts  clearly  showed,  that,  whatever  zeal  priiH 
ces  or  the  clergy  might  manifest  in  favour  of  the 
Christian  religion,  they  were  grossly  ignorant  of 
its  true  spirit,  and  of  the  means  by  which  its 
benevolent  objects  were  to  be  accomplished. 

As  a  specimen  of  the  manner  in  which  such 
edicts  were  sometimes  carried  into  effect,  the 
following  instance  may  be  stated.  Hypatia, 
daughter  of  the  celebrated  Geometrician,  Theon 
of  Alexandria,  exceeded  her  father  in  learning,  and 
gave  public  lectures  in  Philosophy,  with  the 
greatest  applause  ;  nor  was  she  less  admirable 
for  the  purity  of  her  virtue,  joined  to  an  uncom- 
mon beauty,  and  every  accomplishment  that 
could  adorn  human  nature.  But  this  excellent 
woman,  beeaute  she  was  a  Pagan,  trusted  by  the 
magistrates  and  suspected  to  be  active  against 
St.  Cyril,  the  bishop,  became  an  object  of  detes- 
tation to  the  Christian  multitude.  A  set  of 
monks  and  desperadoes,  headed  by  a  priest,  seiz- 
ed her  in  the  open  street,  hurried  her  into  a 
church,  where  they  stripped  her  naked,  tore  her 
body  with  whips,  cut  her  in  pieces,  and  publicly 
burned  her  mangled  limbs  in  the  market  place.^ 
St.  Cyril,  who  was  suspected  of  having  fomented 
this  tragedy,  had  previously  attacked  the  syna- 
gogues, and  driven  out  the  Jews ;  their  goods 
were  pillaged,  and  several  persons  perished  in  the 
tumult.  Such  conduct  plainly  demonstrates  the 
tendency  of  the  human  mind,  in  every  situation, 
to  abuse  power  and  authority,  for  the  purposes  of 
persecution  and  revenge ;  and  shows  us  what 
false  ideas  the  Christians  of  that  period  must 
have  entertained  of  the  God  of  Mercy  ;  and  how 

'  The  dlstinsuishin^  characteristic  of  the  Manl- 
cheans  was,  their  recognisins  the  doctrine  of  two 
iiide|>endent  and  eternal  principles,  the  one  the  ai»- 
thor  ofall  ^ood,  and  the  other  the  author  ofaU  evlL 

t  Mlllofs  Ancient  History,  vol.  U. 

t  MlUot's  Ancient  Hiit.  vol.  U. 


166 


THE  PHir.OSOPHY  OP  RELIQION. 


•ooo  th«y  had  for^tlen  the  nufferings  which  their 
fatbera  had  «o  Uiely  endured,  under  the  reign  uf 
(be  heathen  emperors. 

About  this  (leriiid,  loo,  vain  tpeculation*  about 
abitniae  and  inconiprehmsible  suttjpcis,  occupi- 
ed the  atieniiim  of  theolugianti,  and  eiigrmlpred 
religious  q'larrelK  and  disputes,  wliirh burst  asiin- 
det  the  boiidH  of  aflVction  and  concord.     A  play 
of  words  arid  vain  subtleties,  were  Rubslilulrd  in 
place  of  clear  conceptions  and  subatantial  know- 
ledge, which,  instead  of  directing  the  faculiies 
of  the  human  mimi  lo  their  proper  objects,  tend- 
ed only  to  Warken  the  lichi  of  reason,  and  to  in- 
troduce the  long  night  of  ignorance  which  soon 
■ucceeded.     It  was  a  prevailing  madness  among 
tbe  Greek   theologians,  who  were   intractable  in 
their  opinions, — and  it  is  too  much  the  case  with 
certain  modern  divines, — to  dispute  about  incom- 
prehensible mysteries,  to  render  them   more  ob- 
•cure  by  their  aiiempts  to  explain  them,  an  I  per- 
petually to  revive  the   most  dangerous  conten- 
tioDS.     The  Arians  rejected  the  Divinity  of  the 
Word,  in  order  to  maintain  the  unity  of  God; — 
the  Nestorians  denied  that  Mary  is  the  mother 
of  God,  and  gave  two  persons  to  Jesus  Christ, 
to  support  the  opinon  of  his  having  two  natures ; 
—the  Euiychians,  to  maintain  the  unity  of  the 
person,   confounded   the   two  natures   into  one. 
This  heresy  became  divided  into  ten  or  twelve 
branches  ;  some  of  the  sections  maintaining  that 
Jesus  Christ  was  merely  a  phantom,  or  appear- 
ance of  flesh,  but  no  real  flesh.     The  Monoiho- 
lites  maintained,  that  there  was  only  one  will  in 
Christ,  as  they  could  not  conceive  two  free  wills 
to  exist  in  the  same  person.     Another  sect  main- 
tained, that  the  body  of  Christ  was  incornfptible, 
and  that  from  the  moment  of  his  conception,  he 
was  incap-ible  of  change,  and  of  suffering.  This 
chimera  Justinian  attempted  to  establish  by  an 
edict.     He  banished   the  Patriarch  Euiychius, 
and  several  other  prelates,  who  opposed  his  sen- 
timents; and  was  proceeding  to  tyrannize  over  the 
consciences  of  men  with  more  violence  than  ever, 
when  death  inler(>osed,  and   transported  him   to 
another  scene  of  existence. — Tn  snch  vain  and 
preposterous  disputes  as  these,  were  the  minds 
of  professed  Christians    occupied,  notwithstand- 
ing the  perils  with  which  they  were  then  envi- 
roned.    Councils  were    held,  to  determine  the 
orthodox  side  of  a  question ;  anathemas  were 
thundered  against  those  who  refused  to  acqiiieiice 
in  their  decisions  ;  princes  interposed  their  au- 
thority, and  the  civil  sword  was  unsheathed   to 
compel  men  to  believe  what  they  could  not  un- 
derstand;— while  the  substantial  trnths  of  reli- 
gion were  nverl>i«iked,  and  its  morality  (Ksregard- 
ed.—-"  Religion,"    snys    Millot,    "  irmpires  us 
with  aconteni'itrif  earthly  vanities,  a  detestation 
of  vice,  and  indul?ence  for  the  frailties  of  our 
neighbour ;   invincible  patience  in  misfortunes, 
and  compassion  for  the  unhai>py  ;  it  inspires  us 
with  cbarii|  aitd  heroic  courage ;  aod  tend*  I* 


sanctity  every  action  in  common  and  social  \\(e. 
How  suUimo  and  comforting  the  idea  it  give*  of 
theD^viniiy!  What  confidence  in  his  justico 
and  iiihiiiie  mercy  !  What  encouragement  fur  ths  ' 
exercise  of  every  virtue  !  Wherefore,  then,  sil^ 
errors  ami  excesses  on  religious  (Hretcnces?  It  ia 
because  heresy,  shooting  up  under  a  ihouvand  di^ 
fereni  forms,  inceiisantly  siarlles  ihe  faith  by  sub- 
tleness and  sophistry,  by  which  almost  ihe  whole 
energy  of  men's  mindii  is  absorbed  in  the  conteat. 
Disputes  engender  hatred  ;  from  hatred  springs 
every  excess;  and  virtue,  exhausted  with  words 
and  cabala,  loses  her  whole  power." — How 
happy  would  it  be,  and  how  glorious  fur  thecaiM* 
of  genuine  Christianity,  were  the  present  gene> 
ration  of  Christians  to  profit  by  the  sad  expert* 
ence  of  the  past ! 

As  we  advance  in  the  history  of  the  Christian 
church,   through  the  midille  ages,  the   pros|icct 
appears  still  more  dark  and  gloomy.     The  human 
mind,  at  that   period,  appeared  to  have  lost  it* 
usual  energy,  and   its  powers  of  discrimiiialioo; 
the  light  of  reason  seemed  almost  extinguished; 
sophisms,   anil    absurdities   of   all  kinds,   were 
greedily  swallowed ;  and   superstition  displayed 
itself  in  a  thousand  diversified  fomns.     Moralitj 
was  in  a  manner  smothered  under  a  heap  of  cere- 
monies and  arbitrary  observances,  which  acquir- 
ed the  name  of  devotion.      Relics,  pil|;riinage8, 
offerings,  and  pious  legacies,  were  thought  capa- 
ble of  opening  the  gate  of  heaven  lo  ihe  most 
wicked  of  men.     The  virgin  Mary,  and  the  souls 
of   departed    saints,    were   invoked ;    sjilendid 
churches  were  erected  to  their  honour  ;  their  a»> 
sistancfswas  entreated  with  many  fervent  prayers  ; 
while  the  mediation  of  Jesus  Christ  was  thrown 
into  the  shade,  and   almost  disregar«led.       Ao 
irresistible  eflficacy  was  attributed  to  the  bones  of 
martyrs,  and  to  the  figure  of  the  cross,  in  defral<- 
ing  the  attempts  of  Satan,  in  removing  all  sorts 
of  calamities,  and  in  healing  the  diseases  both  of 
the  body  and  of  the  mind.     Works  of  piety  and 
benevolence  were  viewed  as  consisting  chiefly  in 
building  and  embellishing  churches  and  chafieis  ; 
in  endowing  mona.steries ;  in  hunting  afler  (he 
relics  of  martyrs  ;  in  procuring  the  intercession  of 
saints,  by  rich  oblations ;  in  worshipping  images  ; 
in  pilgrimages  to  holy  places ;   in  voluntary  acts 
of  moriificaiir>n  ;    in   solitary  masses ;   artd  in  a 
variety  of  similar  services,  which  cnuld  easily  be 
reconciled   with  the  commission   of    the  most 
abominable  crimes.    So  that  the  worship  of"  the 
God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  wa» 
exchanged  for  the   worship  of  bones,  hair,  frag- 
ments of  fingers  and  toes,  tattered  rags,  images  of 
saints,  and  bits  of  rotten  wood,  supposed  to   be 
the  relics  of  the  cross.     The  dubbing  of  sainu 
became  a  fruiifiil  source  of  frauds  and  abiMes 
throughrMit  the  Cliristisn  world;  lying  wonders 
were  invented,  and  fabulous  histories  composed, 
to  celebrate  ex|>loits  that  were  never  performed, 
■ad  to  glorify  persona  that  never  bad  a  beings 


ECCLESIASTICAL  FEUDS. 


i«7 


and  absdliirionrrom  the  greatest  crimes  could  ea- 
sily be  procured,  either  by  penance,  or  by  money. 

The  ab>iird  principle,  ihat  Religion  consists  in 
actio/  auttenty,  produced  the  most  exlravaoant 
behaviour  mceriain  devotees,  and  reputed  saints. 
They  lived  amonu  the  wild  beasts;  they  ran 
naked  lhrou»h  the  lonely  deserts,  with  a  fuiious 
aspect,  and  with  all  the  agitations  of  madness  and 
frenzy;. they  prolonged  their  wretched  lives,  by 
grass  and  wild  herbs  ;  avoided  the  sight  and  con- 
versation of  men,  and  remained  almngl  motion- 
less for  several  years,  exposed  to  the  rioour  and 
inclem  -ncy  of  the  seasons  ;— and  all  this  was  con- 
sidered as  an  acceptable  method  of  worshipping 
the  Deity,  and  of  attaining  a  share  in  his  favour.— 
But  of  all  the  instances  of  superstitious  frenzy, 
■which  disgraced  those  times,  none  was  held  in 
higher  veneration  than  that  of  a  certain  order  of 
men,  who  obtained  the  name  of  Pillar  saints. 
These  were  persons  of  a  most  singular  and  extra- 
vagant turn  of  mind,  who  stood  motionless  on  the 
tops  of  pillars,  expressly  raised  for  this  exercise  of 
their  patience,  and  remained  there  for  several 
years,  amidst  the  admiration  and  applause  of  a 
stupid  and  wondering  populace.  This  stranoe 
superstitious  practice  be^ian  in  the  fifth  century, 
and  continued  in  the  East  for  more  than  six 
hundred  years.— To  the  same  principle  are  to  be 
attributed  the  revolting  practices  of  the  Flagel- 
lants, a  sect  of  fanatics  who  chastised  themselves 
with  whips  in  public  places.  Numbers  of  per- 
sons of  this  description,  of  all  ages  and  sexes, 
made  processions,  walking  two  by  two,  with  their 
shoulders  bare,  which  they  whipped  till  the  blood 
ran  down  in  streamlets  ;  in  order  to  obtain  mercy 
from  God,  and  appease  his  indignation  against 
the  wickedness  of  the  age.  They  held,  among 
other  things,  that  flagellation  was  of  equal  virtue 
with  baptism,  and  the  other  sacraments  ;  that 
the  forgiveness  of  all  sins  was  to  be  obtained  by 
K,  without  the  merits  of  Jesus  Christ ;  that  the 
old  law  of  Christ  was  soon  to  be  abolished,  and 
that  a  new  law,  enjoining  the  baptism  ofblood,  to 
be  administered  by  whipping,  was  to  be  substi- 
tuted in  its  place. 

The  enormous  power  conferred  on  the  ministers 
of  religion  was  another  source  of  immorality  and 
of  the  greatest  excesses.  The  pope  and  the  cler- 
gy reigned  over  mankind  without  control,  and 
made  themselves  masters  of  almost  all  the  wealth 
of  every  country  in  Europe.  They  were  im- 
mersed in  crimes  of  the  deepest  dye  ;  and  the 
laity,  imagining  themselves  able  to  purchase  the 
pardon  of  their  sins  for  money,  followed  the  ex- 
ample of  their  pastors  without  remorse.  The 
inoel  violent  contentions,  animosities,  and  hatred, 
reigned  among  the  diflferenl  ord  rs  of  monks,  and 
between  the  clergy  of  all  ranks  and  degrees. 
"  Instead  of  consecrating  ecclesiastical  censures 
solely  to  spiritual  purposes,  they  converted  them 
into  a  weapon  for  defending  th<;ir  privileges,  and 
supporting  their  preteiwioDs.     The  priesthood, 


which  was  principally  designed  toUen,  was  most 
.frequently  employed  in  cursing.  Excommunica- 
tion was  made  the  instrument  i>fdaTnning.  instead 
of  saving  souls,  and  was  inflicted  according  to  th« 
dictates  of  policy  or  of  revenge."  The  great 
and  the  noble,  and  even  kings  and  emperors,  were 
excommunicated,  when  it  was  designed  to  lob,  or 
to  enslave  them ;  and  this  invisible  engine, 
which  thev  wielded  with  a  powerful  and  a  sove- 
reign hand,  was  used  to  foment  dissensions  be- 
tween the  nearest  relatives,  and  to  kindle  the 
mos'  bloody  wars.  The  generality  of  priests  and 
monks  kept  wives  and-concubines,  without  shanr>e 
or  scruple,  and  even  the  papal  throne  was  the 
seat  of  debauchery  and  vice.  The  possessions  of 
the  church  were  either  sold  to  the  highest  bidder, 
or  turned  into  a  patrimony  for  the  bastards  of  the 
incumbents.  Marriages,  wills,  contracts,  the  in- 
terests of  families  and  of  courts,  the  slate  of  the 
Kving  and  the  dead,  were  all  converted  into  in- 
struments for  promoting  their  credit,  and  increas- 
ing their  riches.  It  was,  therefore,  a  necessa- 
ry result  from  such  a  statu  of  things,  that  vices  of 
every  description  abounded,  that  morals  were 
ruined,  and  that  the  benevolence  of  the  divin« 
law  was  trampled  under  foot. 

The  theological  speculations  in  which  they  in- 
dulged, corresponded  to  the  degrading  practices 
to  which  I  have  adverted,  and  tented  to  wiih- 
drawlhe  mind  fromthesubslantial  realities  both  of 
science  and  of  religion.  Sophisms  and  falsehoods 
were  held  forth  as  demonstrations.  They  at- 
tempted to  argue  after  they  had  lost  the  iiiles  of 
common  sense.  The  cultivation  of  letters  was 
neglected  ;  eloquence  consisted  in  futile  decla- 
mations ;  and  philosophy  was  lost  in  the  abyss 
of  scholastic  and  sophistical  theology.  "  They- 
attempted  to  penetrate  into  mysteries,  and  to  de- 
cide questions  which  the  limited  faculties  of  the 
human  mind  are  unable  (o  comprehend  or  to 
resolve ;"  and  such  vain  speculations  they  endea- 
voured to  incorporate  into  the  system  of  religion, 
and  to  render  theology  a  subject  of  metaphysical 
refinement,  and  of  endless  controversy.  A  false 
logic  was  introduced,  which  subtilized  upon 
words,  but  gave  no  idea  of  things ;  which  en>- 
ployed  itself  in  nice  and  refined  distinctions 
concerning  objects  and  operations  which  lie  be- 
yond the  reach  of  human  understanding,  which 
confounded  every  thing  by  attempting  to  analyze 
every  thing,  and  which  opened  an  arena  for  men 
of  fiery  zeal  to  kindle  the  flame  of  controversy, 
and  to  give  birth  to  numerous  heresies.  The 
following  are  a  few  instances,  out  of  many,  which 
might  be  produced,  of  the  questions  and  contro- 
versies which  occupied  the  attention  of  bishops 
and  seraphical  doctors,  and  gave  rise  to  fiirious 
cnnteniions  !— Whether  the  conception  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin  was  immaculate  ?  Whether 
Mary  should  be  denominated  the  Mother  of  God, 
or  the  Mother  of  Christ?  Whether  the  bread 
and  wine  used  in  the  eucbarist  wero  digested  7 


IfiA 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


In  wh«t  inann«r  ihe  wiU  of  Chrim  f»p*r»i^H,  and 
whether  ho  h.ul  ont  will  or  two?  VVhellier  the 
Holy  Gho«t  prorrcded  from  the  Father  and  Son, 
or  only  from  ihe  Father  ?  WTieiher  leavened  or 
unleaTeneit  brea<i  ouKht  to  be  used  in  the  ru<'h»- 
ritl  ?  Whether  souls  in  their  intermediate  (tale 
see  God.  or  only  the  human  nature  of  Christ  ? 
It  was  diKptiird  between  the  Domimcans  and  the 
Franciscans,  IVhether  Christ  had  any  property  ? 
The  Po|)e  pronounced  the  negative  pro|iosilion  to 
be  a  pe»tUenlial  amJ  blaiphcmoiis  doctrine,  siib- 
rersive  of  catholic  faith.  Many  councils  were 
held  at  Constantinople,  to  determine  what  sort  of 
Hf(ilt  it  was  the  disciples  saw  on  Motmt  Tabor; 
it  was  Mtlemnly  pronounced  to  b«  the  eternal  light 
with  which  God  is  encircled  ;  and  which  may  be 
tormed  his  energy  or  operation,  but  is  distinct 
(rom  his  nature  and  essence.  T^e  disputes 
respecting  the  real  presence  of  Christ  in  the 
eucharist,  led  to  this  absurd  conclusion,  which 
came  to  be  universally  admitted — "  That  the 
substance  of  the  bread  and  wine  med*in  that 
ordinance  is  changed  into  the  real  body  ai>d  bluod 
of  Christ ;"  and  consequently,  when  a  man  eats 
what  hfs  the  ap|>earance  of  a  wafer,  he  really 
and  truly  eitt  the  body  and  blood,  the  loul  and 
divinity  ofJe*ut  Chritt ;  and  when  he  afterwards 
drinks  what  has  the  appearance  of  wine,  he 
drinks  the  very  same  body  and  blood,  soul  and 
divinity,  which,  perhaps,  not  a  minute  before,  he 
bad  teh  lly  nrtd entirely  eaten  ! — At  the  period  to 
which  t  now  allude,  the  authenticitg  of  a  suxpeel- 
td  relic  was  proved  by  bulls — councils  assembled 
and  decidi-d  upon  the  authority  of  forged  acts 
with  reeard  to  the  antiquity  of  a  tcdnt,  or  the 
place  where  his  body  was  de|>osited  ;  and  a  bold 
impostor  needeil  only  to  open  his  mouth,  to  per- 
suade the  miiltiiudo  to  believe  whatever  he 
pleased.  To  feed  upon  animals  strangled  or  un- 
clean, to  eat  fle«h  on  Tuesday,  eggs  and  cheese 
on  Friday,  to  fast  on  Saturday,  or  to  use  unleaven- 
ed bread  in  the  service  of  the  n»ass — were,  by 
some,  considered  as  indispensable  duties,  and  by 
others,  as  vile  abomiiMtions.  In  short,  the  his- 
tory of  this  period  is  a  reproach  to  the  human 
nnderstandinz  ;  an  instiit  offered  to  the  majesty  of 
reason  and  of  science,  and  a  lib«l  on  the  benevo- 
lent spirit  which  breathes  through  the  whole  of 
the  Christian  system.* 

•  At  a  Btriklne  Instance  of  the  forty  and  Imheflllty 
Cf  thehnman  mind  at  this  period,  It  maytie  noticed, 
(bat  In  several  churches  In  France  thev  celebrated  a 
festival  In  rommemoratloii  of  the  VIreIn  Mary's 
flIXlit  into  E<yi>l.  whlrh  was  called  the  fratt  of  the. 
alt.  A  youne  iflrl  richly  drowed,  with  a  child  fn  her 
ami,  was  set  upon  an  ass  richly  caparlfoned.  The 
sss  was  led  to  the  altiir  in  solemn  procession.  Hizh 
■■MS  was  sakl  with  Kreat  pomp.  The  a.<is  wa.<<  tauf^ht 
10  kneel  at  proper  places  ;  a  hymn,  no  less  childlxh 
than  Impious,  wis  sons  In  his  praise  ;  and  when 
the  ceremony  was  ended,  the  priest,  ln»te,id  of  tlie 
nsual  words  with  wldch  he  dismissed  the  people, 
treated Oir*.*  thnesHkean  n»t.:Kni\lhe  people, Instead 

gthe  ounal  resiK>nse,  "  We  Wess  the  I^nl."  bra^d 
lliui— ti  ifnii  IT    TM»  rVUcakras  Mremoay  was 


Nothing  can  be  conceived  more  direclly  ■ 
nant  to  the  b<:nevolrnce  which  the  religion  at 
Jesus  inculcates,  than  the  temper  and  conduct  ol 
iho'-e  who  arrogated  to  ihemeelves  the  character 
of  being  Ged's  vicegerents  on  earth,  and  who  a^ 
sumed  Ihe  supreme  direction  and  control  of  the 
Christian  church.  In  persons  who  laid  claim  U> 
functions  so  sacred  and  divine,  it  might  bare 
been  expected,  that  the  appearaiKe  at  Irasl,  of 
piety,  humility,  and  benevolence,  would  have 
been  exhibited  before  the  eyes  of  ihe  Christian 
world.  But  the  history  of  the  popes  and  their 
satellites,  displays  ainxwl  every  thing  which  is 
directly  opposed  to  such  heavenly  virtues.  Their 
avarice,  extortion,  and  licentiousness,  became  in- 
tolerable and  excessive  almost  m  a  proverb. 
To  extend  their  power  over  the  kmgdoms  of  this 
world,  to  increase  their  wealth  an<f  revenues,  to 
live  in  opulence  and  splendour,  to  humble  kings, 
to  alienate  the  affections  of  their  subjvcia,  and 


not  a  mere  farcical  entertainment ;  tnt  an  aa  tfto- 
vntUm,  performed  by  the  mlnt.'vlers  nf  rellcrion,  and 
by  the  avthnrity  of  Ihe  cfciircA.— Robertson's  His- 
tory of  i;harles  V  vol.  I.  — Ih  accordance  with  such 
ceremonies  were  the  ideas  which  prevailed  of  the 
foolish  quallttnttions  requisite  to  constitute  a  Kood 
Christian.  "  He  is  a  eood  Christian,"  says  St,  Eloy,  a 
canonized  saint  if  the  Romish  church,  "  whocomes 
frequently  to  church  ;  who  presents  the  oblatioa 
offereil  to  God  upon  the  altar;  whodorh  not  taste  of 
the  fruits  of  his  own  Industry  until  he  l>!ia  conse- 
crated a  part  of  them  to  God ;  who  when  the  holy 
festivals  approach,  llveschastely  even  with  his  own 
wife  durin?  several  days,  that  with  a  safe  conscience 
he  may  draw  near  to  the  altar  of  God ;  and  who.  In 
the  la.st  place,  c.nn  rei>eat  the  Creed  and  the  Lord's 
prayer.  Redeem,  then,  your  souls  from  destruction, 
while  you  have  the  means  in  .ronr  imwer ;  offer  pre- 
sents and  tithes  to  churchmen  ;  come  more  frequent- 
ly to  church  ;  humhly  implore  Ihe  patronage  of  the 
salna:  for  if  you  observe  these  thinss,  you  may 
come  with  security  in  the  day  of  retribtition  to  the 
tribunal  of  the  eternal  Judee,  and  say, '  Give  to  us, 
O  Lord,  for  we  have  given  unto  thee.'"— Here  we  have 
an  ample  description  of  a  jti>od  Christian,  In  which 
there  Is  riot  the  least  mention  of  the  love  of  Ood,  of 
reslenaiion  to  his  will,  obedience  to  his  laws,  or  ef 
justice,  tienevolence,  or  charity  towards  men. — il»- 
shelm'K  C!iurch  lliftory. 

The  foMowiniT  are  the  terms  In  which  Tctzel  and 
his  associates  describe  the  benefit  of  indvlftncem, 
about  the  be>rinninsf  of  the  l6th  centurj-,  a  linle  be- 
fore the  era  of  the  reformation.  "  If  any  man,"  anla  > 
thev.  "  purchase  letters  of  indnlgence,  his  soul  ina/.> 
rest  secure  with  respect  to  its  saivalinn.  The  souls 
conllncd  In  purpxtory,  for  whose  redcnipHon  Indul- 
gences are  purchase ',  as  soon  as  the  money  tinkles 
In  the  chest.  Instantly  escape  from  that  place  of  tor- 
ment, and  ascend  Into  heaven.  The  elncacy  of  In- 
dulgences were  so  great,  that  the  most  heinous  sins, 
even  if  one  should  violate  (which  was  imposslbie) 
the  Mother  of  God.  would  be  remitted  and  expiated 
by  them,  and  the  person  be  free  both  from  punish- 
ment and  guilt.  That  this  was  the  unspeakable  gifl 
of  God,  In  order  to  reconcile  men  to  himself  Tlmt 
the  cross  erected  by  the  preachers  of  indulgences, 
was  as  efficacious  as  the  cross  of  Christ  It-elf  Lo! 
the  heavens  are  epen,  If  yon  enter  not  now,  when 
win  vou  enter  ?  For  twelve  pence  you  may  redeem 
the  soni  of  vour  father  out  of  purgatory .  and  are  you 
so  ungralcftr  that  vou  will  not  rescue  your  p<uent 
from  torment  t  If  you  had  but  one  coat,  you  ought  to 
strip  yourself  InstanUy  »nd  sell  It,  n  onler  to  pur 
chase  such  beMtU,"  *c-«o*frt»#«'«  Charif  T 
vol  a. 


THE  iNatf^rttt)i5r. 


169 


to  riot  in  the  lap  of  luxury  and  debauchery,  seem- 
ed to  be  the  great  objects  of  their  arnbiliun.  In- 
stead of  acting  as  the  heralds  of  mercy,  and  the 
tninisiers  of  peace,  they  thundered  anathemas 
against  all  who  called  in  question  theii  authority, 
kindled  the  flames  of  discord  and  of  civil  wars, 
armed  subjects  against  their  sovereigns,  led  forth 
hostile  armies  to  the  battle,  and  filled  Europe 
with  confusion,  devastation,  and  carnage.  In- 
stead of  applying  the  mild  precepts  of  Christi- 
anity, and  interposing  the  authority  they  had  ac- 
quired for  reconciling  enemies,  and  subduing  the 
jealousies  of  rival  monarchs,  they  delighted  to 
widen  the  breach  of  friendship,  and  to  fan  the 
f.ame  of  animosity  and  discord.  Dr.  Robertson, 
when  adverting  to  the  personal  jealousies  of 
Frantris  I.  and  Charles  V.  remarks,  "  If  it  had 
been  in  the  power  of  the  Pope  to  engage  them  in 
hostilities,  without  rendering  Lombardy  the  the- 
atre of  war,  nothing  would  have  been  more  agree- 
able to  him  than  to  see  them  waste  each  other's 
•Strength  in  endless  qua-rels."*  The  Son  of  man 
came  into  the  world,  not  to  destroy  men's  lives, 
but  to  save  them ;  but,  in  such  instances,  we  be- 
hold his  pretended  vicars,  preparing  and  arrang- 
ing the  elements  of  discord,  laying  a  train  for  the 
destruction  uf  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands, 
and  taking  a  diabolical  delight  in  contemplating 
the  feuds,  the  massacres,  and  the  miseries  which 
tlieir  infernal  policy  had  created.  The  decrees 
of  the  papal  throne,  instead  of  breathing  the  mild- 
ness and  benevolence  of  Jesus,  became  thunder- 
ing curses,  and  sanguinary  taws,  and  a  set  of 
frantic  enthusiasts,  or  a  lawless  banditti,  were 
frequently  appointed  to  carry  them  into  effect. 

Not  contented  with  the  insurrections  and  thede- 
solations  they  had  produced  among  the  European 
nations,  they  planned  an  expedition  for  the  pur- 
pose of  massacring  the  inhabitants  of  Asia,  and 
ravaging  their  country.  Urban  II.  about  A.  D. 
1095,  travelled  from  province  to  province,  levying 
troops,  even  without  the  consent  of  their  princes  ; 
preaching  up  the  doctrine  of"  destruction  to  the 
infidels  ;"  and  commanding  the  people,  in  the 
name  of  God,  to  join  in  the  holy  war.  St.  Ber- 
nard ran  from  town  to  town  haranguing  the  mul- 
titude, performing  pretended  miracles,  and  induc- 
ing all  ranks,  from  the  emperor  to  the  peasant,  to 
enrol  themselves  under  the  banners  of  the  cross. 
Peter  the  Hermit,  a  man  of  a  hideous  figure  and 
aspect,  covered  with  rags,  walking  barefooted, 
and  speaking  as  a  prophet,  inspired  the  people 
every  where  with  an  enthusiasm  similar  to  his 
■own.  Thousands  of  wicked  and  abandoned  de- 
bauchees were  thus  collected ;  bishops,  priests, 
monks,  women  and  children,  were  all  enrolled  in 
ihe  holy  army.  A  plenary  absoliilinn  of  all  their 
•ins  was  promised  :  and  if  they  died  in  the  con- 
test, they  were  assured  of  a  rrown  of  martyrdom 
in  the  world  to  come.  With  hearts  burning  with 
iiry  and  revenue,  this  army  of  banditti,  without 
•  Robertson's  Charles  V.  vol.  11. 

22 


discipline  or  provisions,  marched  in  wild  confu* 
sion  through  the  eastern  parts  of  Europe,  and,  at 
everv  step  of  their  progress,  committed  the  most 
dreadful  outrages.  So  inveterate  was  their  zefcl 
against  the  Jews,  wherever  they  were  found,  that 
many  of  those  unfortunate  beings,  both  men  and 
women,  murdered  their  own  children,  in  the 
midst  of  the  despair  to  which  they  were  driven 
by  these  infuriated  madmen  ;  and  when  they  ar- 
rived at  Jerusalem,  and  had  taken  that  city  by  as- 
sault, they  suffered  none  of  the  infidels  to  escape 
the  slaughter.  Such  was  the  way  in  which  the 
successors  of  the  Apostle  Peter  displayed  their 
general  benevolence,  and  their  love  to  the  souls 
and  bodies  of  men. 

The  establishment  of  the  Inquisition,  is  ano- 
ther mode  in  which  the  tyranny  and  cruelty  of 
the  Romish  church  has  been  displayed.  This 
court  was  founded  in  the  12ih  century,  by  Fa- 
ther Dominic,  and  his  followers,  who  were  sent 
by  Pope  Innocent  III.  with  orders  to  excite  ths 
Catholic  princes  and  people  to  extirpate  heretics. 
It  is  scarcely  possible  to  conceive  any  institution 
more  directly  opposed  to  the  dictates  of  justice 
and  humanity,  to  the  genius  of  Christianity,  and 
to  the  meekness  and  gentleness  of  Christ,  than 
this  infernal  tribunal.  The  proceedings  against 
the  unhappy  victims  of  this  court,  are  conducted 
with  the  greatest  secrecy.  The  person  granted 
them  as  counsel  is  not  permitted  to  converse 
with  them,  except  in  the  presence  of  the  In<|ui- 
sitors ;  and,  when  they  communicate  the  evi- 
dence to  the  accused  persons,  they  carefully  con- 
ceal from  them  the  names  of  the  authors.  The 
prisoners  are  kept  for  a  long  time,  till  ihey  them- 
selves, through  the  application  of  the  torture, 
turn  their  own  accusers ;  for  they  are  neither 
told  their  crime,  nor  confronted  with  witnesses. 
When  there  is  no  shadow  of  proof  against  the 
pretended  criminal,  he  is  discharged,  after  sut 
fering  the  most  cruel  tortures,  a  tedious  and 
dreadful  imprisonment,  and  the  loss  of  the  greatest 
part  of  his  effects.  When  he  is  convicted  and 
condemned,  he  is  led  in  procession,  with  other 
unfortunate  beings,  on  the  festival  of  the  Auto  da 
fe,  to  the  place  of  execution.  He  is  clothed  with 
a  garment,  painted  with  flames,  and  with  his 
own  figure,  surrounded  with  dogs,  serpents,  and 
devils,  all  open-mouthed,  as  if  ready  to  devour 
him.  Such  of  the  prisoners  as  declare  that  they 
die  in  the  communion  of  the  church  of  Rome, 
are  first  strangled,  and  then  burned  to  ashes. 
Those  who  die  in  any  other  faith,  are  burned 
alive.  The  priests  tell  them,  that  they  leave 
them  to  the  devil,  who  is  standing  at  their  elbow, 
to  receive  their  souls,  and  carry  them  with  him 
into  the  flames  of  hell.  Flaming  furzes,  fasten- 
ed to  long  poles,  are  then  thrust  against  their 
faces,  till  their  faces  are  burned  to  a  coal,  which 
is  accompanied  with  the  loudest  acclamations  of 
joy,  among  the  thousands  of  spectators.  At 
last  fire  is  set  to  the  furze  at  the  bottom  of  the 


no 


THE  PHn.OS(H*HY  OP  RELIGION. 


•take,  o««r  which  th«  cnmioals  arr  chained  ao 
hi|{h,  that  tit*  lup  of  (he  fl^me  seldum  rnaches 
higher  Ihan  the  aeal  ihey  all  on ;  «o  thai  ihry 
Mem  (o  be  roasted  rather  ihun  burned.  Thrre 
OMinoC  be  a  more  lainenublo  spectacle  ;  the  suf- 
femrs  coninually  cry  out,  while  they  are  able, 
"  Pity,  for  the  luve  of  Gud  ;"  yet  ii  it  beheld  by 
all  sexeN  aiid  ages,  with  transports  of  joy  and 
Mli»Ciction  ;  and  even  the  monarch,  surrounded 
by  his  Courtiers,  has  sometimes  graced  the  scene 
with  his  presence,  iinagining  that  he  wag  per- 
forming an  aci  highly  acceptable  to  the  Drity  !  !^ 
And  what  are  the  heinous  crimes  for  which 
such  drt-ailfiil  punishments  ar<^  prepared  ?  Per- 
haps noiliiii^  more  than  reading  a  book  which 
has  been  tlenounced  as  herelicai  by  ihe  holy 
office,  such  as ''  Raynal's  Hintory  of  the  Indies," 
—assuming  the  title  of  a  freemason — irritating 
a  priest  or  mendicant  frinr— uttering  the  lan- 
guage of  freethinkers — declaiming  against  the 
Celibacy  of  ihe  clergy — insinuating  hints  or  sus- 
picions respecting  iheir  amours  and  debauche- 
ries—or  throwing  ont  a  joke  to  the  dishonour  of 
tke  Virgin  Mary ,t— or,,  at  meet,  holding  the 
•emimeuu  of  a  Mahometan,  of  a  Jew,  or  the 
(bllowew  ofCalvin  or  Luther.  In  the  year  1725, 
the  Inquisition  discovered  a  family  of  Moors  at 
Grenada,  peaceably  employed  in  manufacturing 
silks,  and  possessing  superior  skill  in  the  exer- 
cise of  this  professiion.  The  ancien  laws,  sup- 
posed to  have  fallen  into  disuse,  were  enforced 
in  all  their  rigour,  and  th€  wntched  familjf  toas 
burnt  alioe.l  On  the  entry  of  the  French  into 
Toledo,  during  the  late  Peninsular  war.  General 
Lasalle  visited  the  palace  of  the  Inquisition. 
The  great  number  of  instruments  of  torture, 
especially  the  instruments  to  stretch  (he  limbs, 
and  the  dro{>-baths,  which  cause  a  lingering 
death,  excited  horror,  even  in  the  minds  of  sol- 
diers hardened  in  the  field  of  battle.  One  of 
these  iiistriimenis,  singular  in  its  kind  for  rehned 
torture,  and  disgraceful  to  humanity  and  religion, 
deserves  particular  description.  In  a  subterra- 
neous vault  ailjoining  to  the  audience  chamber, 
si'iod,  in  a  recess  in  the  wall,  &  wooden  statue 
made  by  the  hands  of  monks,  representing  the 
Virgin  Mary.  A  gilded  glory  beamed  round  her 
bead,  and  she  held  a  standard  in  her  right  hand. 
Notwithstanding  the  ample  folds  of  the  silk  gar- 
ment which  f-ll  from  her  shoulders  on  both  sides, 
it  appeared  that  she  wore  a  breastplate ;  and, 

•  See  Encr-  Brit.  Art.  Act nf  faith,  and  trufultitttm, 
and  BoureolnCs  "  Molem  state  of  Spam,"  Vol  I. 
The  "  InMructtoni  for  the  oCBce  of  the  holy  Inquisi- 
tion Rivfin  ii Tob I*  In  i^t  ." in ivb«  *ecii  in  t!ic  Ap- 
pendtxtn-  Pcvron's Essays  ontjpaln  which  forms 
the  tourih  volume  of  Bsurfotivr'*  wora. 

Tlic  ChevitllerdeSt.  Oervaki,  was  imprisoiieilln 
the  Iniinlsitlon  on  the  following  oara>lnn.— A  men- 
dicant havinf  come  to  hi!  charalicr,  wiih  a  purse, 
beciied  him  to  con'rihule  somelhinc  for  the  lights 
or  tapers  10  be  llchtml  m  honour  or  the  Vireln.  ho 
replied,  "  My  rood  r.uher,  the  Virgin  I'as  no  need  of 
Uchts,  she  need  only  go  to  bed  at  an  earlier  huur." 

I  Kouffuio^'s  tMatc  otBp^iu,  VoL  L  p.  aw. 


upon  a  closer  esarainaiion,  it  wm  ftMittf,  (hat  th* 
whole  front  oC  the  body  was  covered  with  ex- 
tremely sharp  nails,  and  small  daggers,  or  blades 
of  knives,  with  the  (mints  projecting  outwards. 
The  arms  and  hands  had  joints,  and  tiieir  mo> 
lions  were  directed  by  machinery,  placed  behind 
the  partition.  One  of  the  servants  of  the  Inqui- 
sition was  ordered  lo  make  the  machine  ma- 
ncBuvre.  As  the  statue  extended  its  arms,  and 
gradually  drew  them  back,  as  if  she  would  affec- 
tionately embrace,  and  preM  some  ooo  to  hw 
heart,  the  well-hlted  knapsack  of  •  Polish  grso^ 
dier  supplied  (or  this  time  the  place  of  the  poor 
victim.  The  statue  pressed  it  closer  and  closer  ; 
and  when  the  director  of  the  machinery  made  it 
open  its  arms  and  return  to  its  hrst  position,  the 
knapsack  was  pierced  two  or  three  inches  deep, 
and  remained  hanging  upon  the  nails  and  dag- 
gers of  the  murderous  instrument. 

This  infamous  tribunal  is  said  to  have  causod, 
between  the  years  1481  and  1759,  34  658  per^ 
sons  to  be  burnt  alive  ;  and  between  1481  and 
1808,  to  have  seaienced  288,214  to  the  galleys, 
or  to  perpetual  imprisonment.*  In  the  .Auto  <ii 
Toledo,  in  February,  1501,  67  women  were  de- 
livered over  to  the  flames  fur  Jewish  practices. 
The  same  punishment  was  inflicted  on  900  fe- 
males fur  being  loitche*,  in  the  Dutchy  of  Lor- 
raine, by  one  Inquisitor  alone.  Under  this  ac- 
cusation, upwards  of  thirty  thoutand  leomen  have 
perishi-d  by  the  hands  of  the  Inquisition,  j  Tor- 
quemada,  tliat  infernal  inquisitor  of  Spain, 
brought  into  the  Inquisition,  in  the  space  of  14 
years,  no  fewer  than  80,000  persons ;  of  whom 
6000  were  condemned  to  the  flames,  and  burned 
alive  with  the  greatest  pomp  and  exultation ;  and, 
of  that  vast  number,  there  was  perhaps  not  a 
single  person  who  was  not  more  pure  in  religion, 
as  well  as  morals,  than  their  outrageous  perse* 
cuiors.l — Has  the  Deity,  then,  whom  ihe  IiM)ui> 
silion  professes  toserve,  sudi  a  voracious  appetite 
fur  the  blood  of  human  victims  ?  Has  that  be- 
nevolent Being,  who  makeih  his  sun  to  cheer  the 
habitations  of  the  wiektd  as  well  as  of  the  righ- 
teous, and  whose  "  lender  mercies  are  over  all 
his  works" — commissioned  such  bloodthirsty 
monsters  loaci  as  his  ministers  af  vengeance,  and 
to  torment  and  destroy  the  rational  creatures  he 
has  formed  ?  The  very  thought  is  absurd  and 
blatpktmous  in  the  highest  degree.  All  his  be- 
neficent operutions  in  creation  around  us,  and  all 
the  gracious  promises  and  declarations  of  his 
word,  stand  directiv  opposed  lo  such  hellish  prac- 
tices, and  condemn  the  perpetrators  as  audacious- 
rebels  against  the  divine  gnvemment,  and  as  nui- 
sances in  the  universe  of  God. 

The  num'-ruus  Afoasacrts  which,  in  different 
ages,  hstve  taken  place,  on  account  of  religious 


*  RtMoIre  Abres^e  de  I'lnqulsttien. 
*"  The  Inquisition    Unraasked."     By 
Puicblanch. 
t  Kaia's  Sketches,  ToL  4V. 


'BARTHOLOMEW  MASSACRE. 


171 


opinions,  is  another  revolting  and  melancholy 
trail  in  the  character  of  the  professed  votaries  of 
the  Christian  cause.  Of  these,  the  massacre  of 
the  Protestants  in  France  on  the  feast  of  St. 
Bartholomew,  on  the  24th  August,  1572,  was 
perhaf)s,oneof  the  most  diabolical  acts  of  perfidy, 
injustice,  and  cruelty,  which  have  stained  the 
character  of  our  race.  Every  thing  was  atro- 
cious and  horrible  in  this  unexampled  conspiracy 
and  assassination;  feelings  of  the  most  sacred  na- 
ture were  annihilated  ;  religious  zeal  wa*  chang- 
ed into  an  impious  frenzy  ;  and  filial  piety  de- 
generated into  sanguinary  fury.  Under  the  di- 
rection of  the  infamous  Duke  of  Guise,  the  sol- 
diers and  the  populace  en  masse,  at  the  signal  of 
the  tolling  of  a  hell,  flew  to  arms,  seizing  every 
weapon  that  presented  itself;  and  then  rushing  in 
crowds  to  every  quarter  of  the  city  of  Paris, — no 
sound  was  heard  but  the  horriWe  cry,  Kill  the 
Huguenots'.  Every  one  suspected  of  being  a 
Calvinist,  without  any  distinction  of  rank,  age, 
or  sex,  was  indiscriminately  massacred.  The 
air  resounded  with  the  horrid  cries  and  blasphe- 
mous imprecations,  of  the  murderers,  the  piercing 
shrieks  of  the  wounded,  and  the  groans  of  the 
dying.  Headless  trunks  were  every  instant  pre- 
tsipitated  from  the  windows  into  the  court-yards, 
or  the  streets  ;  the  gate-ways  were  choked  up 
with  the  bodies  of  the  dead  and  dying,  and  the 
streets  presented  a  spectacle  of  mangled  limbs, 
and  of  human  bodies,  dragged  by  their  butchers 
in  order  to  be  thrown  into  the  Seine.  Palaces, 
hotels,  and  public  buildings,  were  reeking  with 
blood  ;  the  image  of  death  and  desolation  reign- 
ed on  every  side,  and  under  the  most  hideous  ap- 
pearances ;  and  in  all  quarters,  carts  were  seen 
loaded  with  dead  bodies,  destined  to  be  cast  into 
the  river,  whose  waters  were  for  several  days 
sullied  by  tides  of  human  gore.  The  infuriated 
assassins,  urged  on  by  the  cry,  that  "  It  was  the 
king's  will  that  the  very  last  of  this  race  of  vi- 
pers should  be  crushed  and  killed,"  b'^came  fu- 
rious in  the  slaughter;  in  proof  of  which,  one 
Cruce,  a  jeweller,  displaying  his  naked  and 
bloody  arm,  vaunted  aloud,  that  he  had  cut  the 
throats  of  more  than  400  Huguenots  in  one  day. 
During  this  horrid  period,  every  species  of  the 
most  refined  cruelty  became  exhausted ;  the 
weakness  of  infancy  proved  no  impediment  to 
the  impulse  of  ferocity  ;  children  of  ten  years, 
nxercising  the  first  homif'idal  deed,  were  seen 
committing  the  most  barbarous  acts,  and  cutting 
the  throats  of  infants  in  their  swaddling  clothes ! 
the  number  of  victims  thus  slaughtered  in  the 
city  of  Paris,  amounted  to  above  six  thousand  ; 
and,  in  the  provinces,  at  the  same  time,  there 
perished  about  sixty  thousand  souls.  And,  what 
is  still  more  shocking,  the  news  of  this  massa- 
cre was  welcomed  at  Rome  with  the  most  lively 
transports  of  joy.  The  Cardinal  of  Lorraine 
gave  a  large  reward  to  the  courier  ;  and  interro- 
gated him  upoa  tKe  subject,  in  a  manner  that  de- 


monstrated he  had  been  previously  a wtire  of  th» 
intended  catastrophe.  The  cannons  were  fired, 
bonfires  were  kindled,  and  a  solemn  mass  was 
celebrated,  at  which  Pope  Gregory  XHL  assist- 
ed, with  all  the  splendour  which  that  court  is 
accustomed  to  display  on  events  of  the  most  glo- 
rious and  important  consequence  !* 

The  horrid  practice  of  Dragooning,  which 
was  used  by  Papists,  for  converting  supposed  he- 
retics, was  another  melancholy  example  of  reli- 
gious cruelty  and  frenzy.  In  the  reign  of  Louis 
XIV.  of  France,  his  troopers,  soldiers,  and  dra- 
goons, entered  into  the  houses  of  the  Protestants, 
where  they  marred  and  defaced  their  household 
stutf,  broke  their  looking-glasses,  let  their  wine 
run  about  their  cellars,  threw  about  and  trampled 
under  foot  their  provisions,  turned  their  dining- 
rooms  into  stebles  for  their  horses,  and  treated 
the  owners  with  the  highest  indignity  and  cru- 
elty. They  bound  to  posts  mothers  that  gave 
suck,  and  let  their  sucking  infants  lie  languishing 
in  their  sight  for  several  days  and  nights,  cry- 
ing, mourning,  and  gasping  for  life.  Some  they 
bound  before  a  great  fire,  and  after  they  were  half 
roasted,  let  them  go.  Some  they  hung  up  by  the 
hair,  and  some  by  the  feet,  in  chimneys,  and 
smoked  them  with  wisps  of  wet  hay  till  they 
were  suffocated.  Women  and  maids  were  hang 
«p  by  their  fe6t.  or  oy  their  arm-pits,  arid  exposed 
stark  naked  to  public  view.  Some  they  cut  and 
slashed  with  knives,  and  after  stripping  them 
naked,  stuck  their  bodies  with  pins  and  needles 
from  head  to  foot ;  and,  with  red  hot  pincers,  took 
hold  of  them  fey  the  nose  and  other  parts  of  the 
body,  and  dragged  them  about  the  rooms  till  they 
made  them  promise  to  be  Catholics,  or  till 
the  cries  of  these  miserable  wretches,  calling 
upon  God  for  help,  induced  them  to  let  them  go. 
If  any,  to  escape  these  barbarities,  endeavoured 
to  save  themselves  by  flight,  they  pursued  them 
into  the  fields  and  woods,  where  they  shot  at 
them,  as  if  they  had  been  wild  beasts  ;  and  pro* 
hibited  them  from  departing  the  kingdom,  upoa 
pain  of  the  galleys,  the  lash,  and  perpetual  in*- 
prisonment.  On  such  scenes  of  desolation  and 
horror,  the  Popish  clergy  feasted  their  eyes,  and 
made  them  only  a  matter  of  laughter  and  of  sport.f 
—What  a  striking  contrast  to  the  benevolence  oif 
the  Deity,  whom  they  impiously  pretend  to  serve ! 
Could  a  savage  American  have  devised  more 
barbarous  and  infernal  cruelties? 

In  the  civil  wars,  onaccount  of  religion,  which 
happened  in  France,  in  the  beginning  of  the  17th 
century,  above  a  million  of  men  lost  their  lives, 
and  nine  cities,  400  villages,  2000  churches, 
2000  monasteries,  and  10,000  houses  were  burn- 

*  See  a  late  publication  entitled  "Memoirs of 
Henry  the  Great,  and  of  tl>e  Court  of  France  during 
his  relen,"  2  vols.  8vo,  In  which  Is  contained  ths 
fullest  description  of  this  massacre  which  has  ap- 
peared in  our  lancnia^ce. 

♦  For  a  more  particular  account  of  such  I 
see  Ency.  Brit.  Article  Dragoooing. 


I7t 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


•d  or  destroyed,  during  their  con'inuhnce ;  bcaidea 
the  many  thouMuid*  of  men,  woin«n,  and  chiU 
dren,  that  were  cruelly  butchered :  and  150  000  000 
of  livnM  were  niwnl  in  carrying  furnard  these 
slaughters  and  devaiitat ions.  It  is  said  ufLouis 
XIII.  who  carriwJ  on  (liese  wars,  by  one  of  his 
bi(i{<ra|tlier«  and  panegyrists',  Madame  deMotte- 
ville  that,  "  what  gave  him  tin  grtaUUpleantre, 
Was  his  thought  of  dribing  htrttiet  out  of  the 
hbigdom,  and  thereby  purging  tlie  ditfereni  reli- 
gions which  c<>rrupi  and  infect  the  church  of 
God."*  In  the  Netherlands  alone,  from  the 
time  that  the  edict  of  Charles  V.  wa.1  promulgated 
against  the  reformers,  more  than  100,000  persrans 
were  hanged,  beheaded,  buried  alive,  or  burned 
on  account  of  religion.  The  prisons  were  crowd- 
ed with  supposed  heretics;  and  the  gibbet,  the 
scaffold,  and  the  stak«,  hHcd  every  heart  with 
horror.  The  Duke  of  Alva,  and  his  bloody  tri- 
bunal, spread  universal  conslenialion  through 
these  provinces ;  and,  though  the  blood  of  eight- 
een thousand  persons,  who  in  five  years,  had 
been  given  up  to  the  eiecutioner  for  heresy,  cried 
fiir  vengeance  on  this  persecutor,  and  his  adhe- 
rents, yet  they  gloried  in  their  cruelty.  Philip 
II.  in  whose  reign  these  atrocities  were  com- 
mitted, hearing  one  day,  that  thirty  persons  at 
least  had  a  little  before  lieen  burned  at  an  auto 
da  fe,  requested  that  a  like  execution  might  be 
performeil  in  his  presence;  and  he  beheld  with 
joy  forty  victims  devoted  to  torments  and  to  death. 
One  of  them,  a  roan  of  distinction,  requesting  a 
pardon,  "  No."  replied  he,  coldly,  "  were  it  my 
own  son  I  would  give  him  up  to  the  flames,  if  he 
obstinately  persisted  inheresy."'} 

Even  in  our  own  island,  the  flames  of  religious 
perseclion  have  sometimes  raged  with  unrelent- 
ing fury.  During  two  or  three  years  of  the  short 
reign  of  Queen  Mary,  it  was  computed  that  877 
persons  were  committed  to  the  flames,  besides 
those  who  were  punished  by  flnes,  confiscations, 
and  imprisonments.  Among  those  who  suffered 
by  fires  were  five  bishops,  twenty-one  clergymen, 
eight  lay  gentlemen,  and  eighty-four  tradesmen  ; 
one  hundred  husbandmen,  fifty-five  women,  and 
four  children.  And,  a  century  and  a  half  has 
scarcely  elapsed,  since  the  Pre.sbyterians  in 
SoDtland  were  hunted  across  moors  and  mosses, 
like  partridges  of  the  wilderness,  slaughtered  by 
bands  of  ruffian  dragoons,  and  forced  to  seek  their 
spiritual  food  in  dens,  and  mntmlains,  and  forests, 
at  the  peril  of  their  lives.  Hunter,  a  young  man 
about  nineteen  years  of  age,  was  one  of  the  un- 
happy victims  to  the  zeal  for  Papacy  of  Mary 
queen  of  England.  Having  been  inadvertently 
betrayed  by  a  priest,  to  deny  the  doctrine  of 
Inuisubstaniiaiion,  he  absconded  to  keep  out  of 
harm's  way.  Bonner,  that  arch-haneman  of  Po- 
pery, threatened  ruin  to  the  father  if  he  did  not 

•  MotlATlUe's  Mentotn  of  Anne  of  Austria,  VoL  L 
p.  M. 
t  MUlOt'l  Modtm  BlStOI7i  TOi.  U.  p.  IM. 


deliver  up  the  young  man.  Himier,  heariaf  of 
his  faiher'a  danger,  made  his  appearance,  and 
was  burned  alive,  instead  of  being  rewarded  (or 
his  fihal  piety.  A  woman  of  Guernsey  was 
brought  to  the  slake,  without  regard  to  her  ad* 
variced  pregnam-y,  and  she  was  delivered  in  the 
midst  of  the  flames.  One  of  the  guards  snatched 
the  infant  fi-om  the  fire ;  but  the  magistrate,  who 
aiti^nded  the  execution,  ordaMd  il  to  be  thrown 
back,  being  resolved,  he  said,  that  nothing  should 
survive  which  sprung  from  a  parent  so  obsli- 
naiely  heretical.* 

What  a  dreadftil  picture  would  it  present  of 
the  malignity  of  perM>ns  who  have  professed  the 
religion  of  Christ,  were  we  to  collect  into  on* 
point  of  view,  all  the  persecutions,  tortures, 
burnings,  massacres, and  horrid  cruellies,  which, 
in  Europe,  and  Asia,  and  even  in  the  Wes*  In- 
dies and  America,  have  been  inflicted  on  con- 
scientious men  for  their  firm  adherence  to  what 
they  considered  as  the  truths  of  religion !  When 
we  consider,  on  the  one  hand,  the  purity  of 
morals,  and  the  purity  of  faith  which  generally 
distinguished  the  victims  of  persecution ;  and,  on 
the  other,  the  proud  pampered  priests,  abandoned 
without  shame  to  every  species  of  wickedness, 
we  can  scarcely  find  words  sufficieiRly  strong  to 
express  the  indignation  and  horror  which  arise 
in  the  mind,  when  it  views  this  striking  contrast, 
and  contemplates  such  scenes  of  impiety  and 
crime.  Could  a  religion,  which  breathes  peace 
and  good  will  from  heaven  towards  men,  be  more 
basely  misrepresented  ?  or  can  the  annals  of  our 
race  present  a  more  striking  display  of  the  per- 
versity and  depravity  of  mankind?  To  repre- 
sent religion  as  consisting  in  the  belief  of  certain 
incomprehensible  dogmas,  and  to  attempt  to  con- 
vert men  to  Christianity,  and  to  inspire  them 
with  benevolence,  by  fire,  and  racks,  and  tor- 
tures, is  as  absurd  as  it  is  impious  and  profiane ; 
and  represents  the  Divine  Being  as  delighting  in 
the  torments  and  the  death  of  sinners,  rather  than 
that  they  should  return  and  live. — But,  without 
dwelling  longer  on  such  reflections  and  details, 
I  shall  just  present  an  example  or  two  of  the  moral 
stale  of  Roman  Catholic  countries,  as  a  speci- 
men of  the  effects  to  which  their  system  of  reli- 
gion naturally  leads. 

"  By  their  fruits  shall  ye  know  them,"  says 
our  Saviour.  Wherever  religion  is  viewed  as 
consisting  chiefly  in  the  observance  of  a  number 
of  absurd  and  unmeaning  ceremonies,  il  is  natural 
to  expect  that  the  pure  morality  of  the  Bible  will 
seldom  be  exemplified  in  human  conduct.  This 
is  strikingly  ihe  case  in  those  countries,  both  in 
Europe  and  America,  where  the  Catholic  reli- 
gion reigns  triumphant. — Mr.  Howimm,  whose 
work,  entitled  "Foreign  Scenes,"  I  formerly  quot- 
ed, when  speaking  of  the  priesthood  in  ilte  island 
of  Cuba,  says,  "The  number  of  priests  in  Har 
vana  exoe«ds  four  hundred.  With  a  few  eacep- 
*  KalB's  Skatcbes,  toLIt. 


TEMPERS  DISPLAYED  BY  CONTROVERSIALISTS. 


17S 


tions,  thev  neither  deserve  nor  enjoy  the  respect 
of  the  community.  However,  no  one  dares 
openly  to  speak  against  them.  In  Havana,  the 
church  is  nearly  omnipotent,  and  every  man  feels 
himself  under  its  immediate  jurisdiction.  Most 
people,  therefore,  attend  mass  regularly,  make 
confession,  uncover,  when  passing  a  religious 
establishment  of  any  kind,  and  stand  still  in  the 
streets,  or  stop  their  volantos,  the  moment  the 
vesper-bell  begins  ringing.  But  they  go  no 
further ;  and  ibe  priests  do  not  seem  at  all 
anxious  that  the  practice  of  such  individuals 
should  correspond  to  their  profession.  The 
priests  show,  by  their  external  appearatice,  that 
they  do  not  practice  those  austerities  which  are 
generally  believed  to  be  necessary  concomitants 
of  a  monastic  life.  The  sensual  and  unmeaning 
countenances  that  encircle  the  altars  of  the 
churches,  and  the  levity  and  indifference  with 
which  the  most  sacred  partsof  the  service  are  hur- 
ried through,  would  shock  and  surprise  a  Protest- 
ant, were  he  to  attend  mass  with  the  expectation 
of  finding  the  monks,  those  solemn  and  awe-inspir- 
ing persons,  which  people,  who  have  never  visit- 
ed Catholic  countries,  often  imagine  them  to  be. 

The  following  extract,  from  a  late  writer,  ex- 
hibits a  specimen  of  the  religion  and  of  the 
moral  feelings  of  the  Neapolitans.  "  When 
Vesuvius  thunders  aloud,  or  when  an  earthquake 
threatens  them  with  destruction — when  fiery 
streams  vomited  from  the  roaring  mouth  of  the 
volcano  roll  on,  carrying  desolation  over  the 
plains  below — when  the  air  is  darkened  by  clouds 
of  smoke,  and  showers  of  ashes,  the  Neapolitans 
will  fall  on  their  knees,  fast,  do  penance,  and 
follow  tho  processions  barefooted  ;  but  as  soon 
as  the  roar  has  ceased,  the  flame  has  disappear- 
ed, and  the  atmosphere  has  recovered  its  wonted 
serenity,  they  return  to  their  usual  mode  of  life, 
they  sink  again  to  their  former  level,  and  the 
tinkling  sounds  of  the  tumburella  call  them  again 
to  the  lascivious  dance  of  the  tarentella."* — As 
an  evidence  of  the  litigious  dispositions  of  the 
Neapolitans,  the  same  author  informs  us,  "  That 
there  is  scarcely  a  landholder  but  has  two  or 
three  causes  pending  before  the  courts^ihat  a 
lawyer,  and  a  suit,  are  indispensable  appendages 
of  property ; — and  that  some  of  the  principal 
families  have  suits  which  have  been  carried  on 
for  a  century,  and  for  which  a  certain  sum  is 
yearly  appropriated,  although  the  business 
never  advances  ;  and,  at  last  the  expenses  swal- 
low up  the  whole  capital." — "  The  infinite  num- 
ber of  churches,"  says  a  late  writer,  "  is  one  of 
the  most  efficient  causes  of  the  decline  of  the 
religion  of  Rime,  whose  maxims  and  practice 
are  diametrically  opposite  to  those  of  the  Gospel. 
The  Gtjspel  is  the  friend  of  the  people,  the  con- 
soler of  the  poor.  The  religion  of  Rome,  on  the 
contrary,  considers  all  nations  as  great  flocks, 
made  to  be  shorn  or  eaten  according  to  the  good 

•  Viouneax's  "  Ital;  in  \i»  iKh  centuir,"  1M4. 


pleasure  of  the  shepherds :  for  her  the  golden 
lever  is  the  lever  of  Archimedes.  The  favours 
of  the  church  are  only  showered  on  those  who 
pay ;  with  money  we  may  purchase  the  right  to 
commit  perjury  and  murder,  and  be  the  greatest 
villains  at  so  much  per  crime  ;  according  to  the 
famous  Tariff  printed  at  Rome,  entitled, "  Taxes 
of  the  Apostolic  Chancery."* 

M.  Jouy,  in  his  late  publication,  "  The  Her- 
mit ia  Italy."  presents  the  following  picture  of 
the  religion  and  the  practical  morality  of  the 
Tuscans.  The  greediness  after  profit  is  such, 
among  the  lower  classes  of  shop-keepers,  that 
they  adulterate  their  merchandise  so  much  as  to 
render  it  almost  intolerable.  Milk,  cheese,  and 
butter,  are  always  in  peril  under  the  hands  of  a 
Florentine  shop-keeper.  It  is  impossible  to  meet 
with  good  butter,  except  at  the  dairies.  The 
grocers  are  not  exempt  from  the  imputation  of  these 
illicit  mixtures,  and  adulterations  of  their  goods.  I 
bought,  from  one  of  them,  some  brown  sugar, 
which  would  not  dissolve  in  the  mouth  ;  and,  on 
examination,  I  found,  that  nearly  one  third  part 
consisted  of  powdered  marble,  which  had  been 
mixed  up  with  it.  Yet  they  are  excessively 
punctual  in  the  outward  ceremonies  of  religion  ; 
and  whenever  they  remove  from  one  place  to 
another,  a  large  cross,  or  a  madonna,  is  always 
stuck  up  at  f:ill  length  in  the  cart." 

In  a  conversation  which  Bonaparte  had  with 
his  friends  at  St.  Helena,  on  the  subject  of  roll* 
gion,  as  related  by  Las  Casas,  in  his  Journal, 
he  said,  among  many  other  things,  "  '  How  is  it 
possible  that  conviction  can  find  its  way  to  our 
hearts,  when  we  hear  the  absurd  language,  and 
witness  the  acts  of  iniquity  of  the  greatest  num- 
ber of  those  whose  business  it  is  to  preach  to 
us  ?  I  am  surrounded  with  priests,  who  preach 
incessantly  that  their  reign  is  not  of  this  world, 
and  yet  they  lay  hands  upon  every  thing  they 
can  get.  The  Pope  is  the  head  of  that  religion 
from  heaven,  and  he  thinks  only  of  this  world,' 
&c.  The  Emperor  ended  the  conversation,  by 
desiring  my  son  to  bring  him  the  New  Testa- 
ment, and  taking  it  from  the  beginning,  he  read 
as  far  as  the  conclusion  of  the  speech  of  Jesus 
on  the  mountain.  He  expressed  himself  struck 
with  the  highest  admiration  at  the  purity,  the 
sublimity,  the  beauty  of  the  morality  it  contain- 
ed, and  we  all  experienced  the  same  feeling." 

Such  facts  may  suffice  as  specimens  of  the 
benevolence  and  morality  which  exist  in  Roman 
Catholic  countries. 

MORAL  STATE  OF  THE  PR0TK8TART  CHURCH, 
AND  OF  THE  DISPOSITIONS  OENERALLT 
MANIFESTED  AMONG  CHRISTIANS  IN  OUK 
OWN    COnNTRY. 

This  is  a  topic  which  would  admit  of  a  Tery 
extended  illustration  ;  but  my  present  limits  wil 

*  "  Picture  of  Modem  Rome,"  by  M.  Santo  Do- 
mingo.   18/14.  4 


174 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


permit  roe  to  do  little  more  than  (imply  to  allude 
to  a  few  prominent  ditponilioni  displayed  by  the 
different  tecliom  uT  the  Protestant  church.— We 
have  already  seen  some  of  the  pernicious  effecli 
which  flow«d  from  the  divisive  and  contentious 
spirit  oTChristians,  under  the  reign  of  the  Chris- 
tian emperors,  and  during  the  middle  ages,  when 
ignorance  and  intolerance  ao  extensively  pre- 
vailed. 

The  present  aUte  of  the  Christian  world 
affords  abundant  proofs  that  this  spirit  is  far 
from  being  extinguished.  Christians  are  at  pre- 
sent distinguished  by  the  peculiarity  of  their 
opinions  respecting — the  person  of  Christ,  and 
tlie  attributes  of  which  ho  is  possessed — the 
means  by  which  salvation  is  to  be  obtained — the 
measure  and  extent  of  divine  benevolence — the 
Government  of  the  Christian  church — and  the 
ceremonies  connected  with  the  administration 
of  the  ordinances  of  religion.  Hence  the  reli- 
^ous  world  appears  arranged  into  such  sects 
and  parties  as  the  following :— Arians,  Socini- 
ans,  Unitarians,  Sabellians,  Necessarians,  and 
Trinitarians  ; — Baxterians,  Antinomians,  Ar- 
rninians,  Calvinists,  Lutherans,  Sub-lapsarians, 
Supra-lapsarians,  Sandemanians,  Swedenborgi- 
ans,  and  Moravians  ; — Roman  Catholics,  Pro- 
iestants,Huguenot8,Episcopaliiin8,Pre8byterians, 
Independents,  Seceders,  Brown  ists,  Psedo- Bap- 
tists, Anti-Psdo-Baptists,  Keilamites,  Metho- 
dists, Jumpers,  Universalists,  Sabbatarians,  Mil- 
lennarians,  Destructionists,  Dunkers,  Shakers, 
Mystics,  Hutchinsonians,  Muggletonians,  the  fol- 
lowers of  Joanna  Soiithcott,  &c.  &c. — Most  of 
these  sectaries  pro/eM  their  belief  in  the  existence 
of  One  Eternal,  Almighty,  Wise,  Benevolent,  and 
Righteous  Being,  the  Creator  and  Preserver  of 
all  things; — in  the  Divine  authority  of  the  Holy 
Scriptures  ; — that  God  is  the  alone  object  of  re- 
ligious worship ; — that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  is  the 
true  Messiah,  and  the  Son  of  God  ; — "  that  he 
died  for  our  offences,  and  was  raised  again  for 
our  justification  ;" — that  there  is  a  future  state  of 
rewards  and  punishments  ; — that  there  will  be  a 
resurrection  from  the  dead  ; — that  it  is  our  duty 
to  love  God  with  all  our  hearts,  and  our  neigh- 
bour as  ourselves  ; — that  the  Divine  law  is 
obligatory  on  the  consciences  of  all  men  ; — 
that  virtue  and  piety  will  be  rewarded,  and 
rice  and  immorality  punished,  in  the  world  to 
come. 

Tet,  though  agreeing  in  these  important  arti- 
cle* of  the  Christian  system,  how  many  boiste- 
roua  and  malignant  disputes  have  taken  place 
between  Calvinists  and  Arminians,  Episcopa- 
liaaa,  Presbyterians,  Independents,  and  Metho- 
dists, reapecting  the  speculative  points  in  which 
tiiey  disagree !  While  cootroversiea  among  phi- 
'osophers  have  frequently  been  conducted  with  a 
certain  degree  of  candour  and  politeness,  the 
temper  with  which  religious  disputants  have  en- 
countered the  opinions  of  each  other,  has  gene- 


raiiy  been  opposed  to  the  spirit  of  Christian  love, 
to  the  meekiMM  and  gentlrnrss  of  Christ,  and 
even  to  common  civility  and  decorum.  The 
haughty  and  magisterial  tone  which  theological 
controversialists  frequi^nily  assume,— the  indig- 
nant sneers,  the  biller  sarcaxms,  the  malignant 
insinuations,  the  personal  reproaches,  they  throw 
out  against  their  opponents, — the  harsh  and  un- 
fair conclusions  they  charge  upon  them, — the 
general  asperity  of  their  langtiage, — and  the  bold 
and  unhallowed  spirit  with  which  they  apply  the 
denunciations  of  Scripture  to  those  whom  they 
consider  as  erroneous,  are  not  only  inconsistent 
with  every  thing  that  is  amiable  and  Christian, 
but  tend  lo  rivet  more  powerfully  in  the  minds  of 
their  opponents,  those  very  opinions  which  it  was 
their  object  to  subvert.  To  gain  a  victory  over 
his  adversary,  to  hold  up  his  sentiments  to  ridi- 
cule, to  wound  his  feelings,  and  to  bespatter  the 
religious  body  with  which  he  is  connected,  b 
more  frequently  the  object  of  the  disputant,  than 
the  promotion  of  truth,  and  ihe  manifestation  of 
that  "  character  which  is  the  bond  of  perfec- 
tion." And  what  are  some  of  the  important 
doctrines  which  frequently  ruuse  such  furious 
zeal  ?  Perhaps  nothing  more  than  a  metaphysi- 
cal dogma  respecting  the  sonship  of  Christ,  abso- 
lute or  conditional  election,  the  mode  of  baptism, 
the  manner  of  silting  at  a  coromunion-tabie,  an 
unmeaning  ceremony,  or  a  circumstantial  puncti- 
lio in  relation  to  the  government  of  the  church  ! 
While  the  peculiar  notions  of  each  party,  on  such 
topics,  are  supported  with  all  the  fierceness  of 
unhallowed  zeal,  the  grand  moral  objects  which 
Christianity  was  intended  to  accomplish  are  over- 
looked, and  the  law  of  meekness,  humility,  and 
love,  is  trampled  under  foot. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  ideas  entertain- 
ed respecting  the  righU  of  religious  disputants, 
as  assumed  by  the  disputants  themselves: — "The 
Controversialist,"  says  Mr.  Vaughan,  in  his 
"  Defence  of  Calvinism,"  "  is  a  wrestler  ;  and 
is  at  full  liberty  to  do  all  he  can,  in  the  fair  and 
honest  exercise  of  his  art,  to  supplant  his  anta- 
gonist. He  must  not  only  be  dexterous  lo  put 
in  his  blow  forcibly  ;  but  must  have  a  readineea 
to  menace  with  $eom,  and  to  ttaae  with  dtritum, 
if  haply  he  may,  by  these  means,  unnerve  or  un- 
man his  competitor.  I  know  not  that  he  is  uixler 
any  obligation  to  withhold  a  particle  of  his  skill 
and  strength,  whether  offensive,  or  defensive,  in 
this  truly  Spartan  conflict."  In  perfect  ac- 
cordance with  these  maxirfis,  he  thus  addresses 
his  adversary:  "  Why,  Sir,  I  wiWJight  jfou  upon 
this  theme,  as  the  Greeks  did  for  the  recovery 
of  their  dead  Patroclus;  as  Michael  the  arch- 
angel, when,  contending  with  the  Devil,  he  dis- 
puted about  the  body  of  Moses  ;  as  the  famed 
Athenian,  m\togra$p€d  hiM$kip  with  ki$  tt«tk, 
when  he  had  no  longer  a  hand  toholditby.  It 
shall  be  with  a  loss  not  less  than  life,  that  I  re> 
sign  this  splendid  allesution  (Rom.  viii.  t8— 


TEMPER  DISPLAYED  BY  CONTROVERSIALISTS. 


175 


so.)  to  the  triumphal  origin,  procession,  and  co- 
roiialion,  of  grace  in  ihe  redeemed." 

Wo  to  religion,  when  it  meets  with  such 
boisterous  "  wrestlers  !"  Its  true  glory  will  bo 
obscured,  its  beauty  defaced,  its  interests  betray- 
ed, and  its  benevolent  spirit  smothered,  amidst 
the  smoke  and  dust  raised  by  the  onsets  of  such 
angry  combatants..  Do  such  controversialists 
really  imagine,  that  "  the  wrath  of  man  workelh 
the  righteousness  of  God  ?"  or,  that  llie  religion 
of  Heaven  stands  in  need  of  such  warlike  arls, 
and  unhallowed  passions,  for  its  vindication  and 
defence?  If  it  did,  it  would  be  a  religion  un- 
worthy of  our  reception  and  support.  What  a 
contrast  to  the  mild  and  gentle  spirit  of  Christi- 
anity, to  behold  one  zealot  dipping  hts  pen  in 
wormwood  and  gall,  when  he  sits  down  to  defend 
the  Religion  of  Love!  and  another,  standing  up 
in  a  Synod  or  Assembly,  with  eyes  sparkling 
with  indignation,  a  mouth  foaming  with  rage, 
and  a  torrent  of  anathemas  and  abusive  epithets 
bursting  from  his  lips,  against  the  supposed  abet- 
tors of  an  erroneous  opinion!  while  at  the  same 
time,  they  imagine  that  they  are  fired  with  holy 
seal  for  the  honour  of  the  Lord  God  of  Sabanth. 
Such  disputants  seem  not  to  be  aware,  that  they 
are  grossly  misrepresenting  the  genius  of  the 
Christian  system,  an.l  bidding  defiance  to  its 
most  distinguishing  principles  and  laws. — There 
are  heresies  in  conduct,  as  well  as  heresies  in 
doctrine;  and  of  all  heresies,  the  former  are  the 
most  pestilential  and  pernicious.  And  why  do  not 
Controversialists  and  Religious  Societies  mani- 
fest as  much  zeal  against  heresies  in  temper  and 
morality,  which  are  nursed  among  the  members 
of  every  church,  as  they  do  against  heresies  in 
theology  ?  If  these  heresies  were  more  particu- 
larly iuveslisated  and  subverted,  and  a  greater 
latitude  allowed  for  (he  exercise  of  private  judg- 
ment, the  church  of  Christ  would  present  a  very 
different  moral  aspect  from  what  she  has  hitherto 
done. 

Again,  there  is  nothing  which  so  strikingly 
marks  the  character  of  the  Christian  world  in 
general,  as  the  want  of  candour,  the  spirit  of 
jealousy,  and  the  evil  surmisings  which  the  dif- 
ferent denominations  of  religionists  manifest  to- 
wards eaoh  other.  There  is  a  prevailing  dispo- 
sition ill  one  reliijious  party  to  speak  evil  of 
aiHither ;  and  it  appears,  in  many  instances,  to 
atF  rd  a  high  d-'gree  <>f  satisfaction,  when  one 
party  can  lav  h'lld  of  the  inadvertencies  of  an- 
other denomination,  or  even  of  the  imprudence 
of  a  single  individual,  in  order  to  asperse  the  cha- 
racter of  the  whole  body,  and  to  hold  it  up  to 
general  derision  and  contempt.  Episcopalians 
look  down  with  feelings  of  scorn  and  contempt  on 
Methodists  and  Dissenters ;  Independents  sneer 
at  Methodists,  and  Methodists  at  Independents  ; 
Presbvterians  are  disposed  to  n-vile  Independ- 
ents, as  seltconceited.  saiiciimonio<is  pretenders, 
and   Independents,  to  treat  with    unbecoming 


levity,  and  even  with  ridicule,  the  opinions  and         i 
practices  of  Presbyterians  ;  while  the  different  j 

classes  of  Baptists,  distinguishable  only  by  the 
slightest  shades  of  opinion,  stand  aloof  from  each 
other,  in  a  warlike   atiitude,  and   refuse  to  join 
with  cordiality  in  the  ordinances  of  Divine  wor-         « 
ship.     I  have  seldom  been  in  company  with  in-  \ 

dividuals  of  any  particular  party,  in  which  I  have  l 

not  found,  when  allusions  were  made  to  another  i 

denomination,  innuendoes  thrown  out  to  their 
prejudice  ;  and  that  the  detail  of  any  error  or  im- 
perfection which  attached  to  them,  was  generally 
relished,  and  even  received  with  a  high  degree  : 

of  satisfaction.     Hence  it  happens,  that  the  rules         ' 
of  comm  )n  civility  are  every  day  violated  by  th«  ] 

different  sectaries.     If  a  person  belonging  to  8  J 

particular  denomination  be  accidently  introduced 
into  a  company  composed  of  persons  belonging 
to  another  religious  party,  he  is  frequently  treat- 
ed with  reserve,  and  with  a  spirit  of  jealousy  and 
suspicion,  even  although  he  may  be  viewed,  on 
the  whole,   as   a   Christian  at  bottom.     I  have  ; 

known  individuals  of  respectable  character  and  ' 

attainments,  who,  from   conscientious   motives,  : 

had  forsaken  the  denomination  to  which  they 
formerly  belonged,  have,  merely  on  this  account, 
been  treated  with  scorn  and  neglect,  been  banish* 
ed  from  the  intimacies  of  social  and  friendly  in- 
tercourse, and  been  regarded  nearly  in  the  same 
light  as  a  Turk  or  an  infidel ;  and  that,  too,  by 
men  who  pretended  to  liberality,  and  to  literary  i 

accomplishments. 

There  is  certainly  neither  heresy  nor  ortho 
doxy  inherent  in  sione  or  lime,  in  a  church-pew, 
or  a  pulpit  cushion : — yet  one  denomination  will 
rudely  refuse  to  another,  the  liberty  of  preach- 
ing in  their  place  of  worship,  when  it  can  con- 
veniently be  spared,  although  nothing  hut  the 
fundamental  doctrines  acknowledged  by  both  ara  ] 

intended  to  be  proclaimed  ;  just  as  if  the  walls, 
the  pews,  and  the  pulpit  of  a  church,  would  re- 
ceive a  stain  of  pollution  from  the  presence  of 
another  sectary.  Even  in  those  cases  where  the 
common  interests  of  Christianity  are  to  be  sup- 
ported,— as  in  vindicating  the  cause  of  Mission-  ■ 
ary,  and  other  Philanthropic  institutions,— if  (he 
preacher  belongs  to  a  dissenting  body,  he  is  ehul 
out  from  the  spacious  churches  of  the  Egiablisb- 
ment,  where  he  might  address  a  numerous  au- 
dience, and  obtain  a  large  collection ;  and  is 
obliged  to  confine  his  exertions  within  the  nar- 
row walls  of  any  public  hall,  or  meeting-house, 
that  he  c^n  procure.  We  account  it  no  more 
than  a  piece  of  common  civility,  to  accommodate 
a  neighbour  with  a  barn,  a  parlour,  or  even  a  din-  ; 
ing-room,  for  the  entertainment  of  his  friends  at  a  I 
wedding  or  a  funeral;  but  such-is  the  tittle  progress'  ' 
that  professed  Christians  have  made  in  the  exer- 
cise of  a  noble  and  generous  lit>eralily,thal,  when 
we  ask  the  lue  of  a  church,  or  meeting-house,  only 
for  a  couple  of  hours,  we  are  spurne<l  away  with 
rudeness  and  indignation. — The  Christian  world          1 


176 


TBK  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


b  unhappily  divided  into  tocti  and  ptirtiea ;  and 
theae  diviaiona  inuat  atill  continue  for  a  time  ; 
but  what  aliouM  hinder  Chriatian  minislera  of 
different  parliea  from,  occaaionally  at  leaat,  ofli- 
ciating  for  each  other,  in  order  to  ahov»  to  the 
world,  that  they  entertain  no  malignant  jealou- 
siea,  and  that  they  are  united  in  the  bond*  of  a 
common  Religion  ?  Yet,  do  we  ever  behold  an 
Epiacopalian  officiating  for  a  Meihodiat,  an  Tn- 
de|>endent  preaching  in  an  Ettabliahed  church, 
or  a  Baptist  leading  the  devotional  rxercuea  of  a 
■ociety  of  Preitbyierians?  If  auch  a  caae  occa- 
sionally occur,  it  is  so  far  from  being  a  matter  of 
courM,  that  it  is  considered  a  phenomenon  in 
the  religious  world.  Yet  all  these  different  par- 
ties recognise  the  leading  doctrines  and  duties 
exhibited  in  the  Christian  Revelation;  and  the 
points  in  which  they  differ  are  "  trifles  light  as 
air,"  when  compared  with  those  important  truths 
in  which  they  all  agree.'*' 

Even  among  Christians  i>elonging  to  the  same 
religious  society  how  often  do  we  behold  a  dis- 
play of  "  bitter  envyings,"  contentious  disposi- 
tions, and  malignant  passions!  Perhaps  a  mere 
punctilio  respecting  a  certain  mode  of  worship,  or 
a  difference  in  opinion  about  the  choice  of  a  pas- 
tor, will  throw  the  whole  society  into  a  flame. 
Evil  passions  will  be  engendered  ;  backbit  ings, 
whisperings,  tumults,  and  dissensions,  will  arine; 
harsh  and  unlbiinded  conclusions,  respecting  the 
motives  and  characters  of  individuals,  will  be 
drawn  ;  alienations  of  affection  will  be  induced  ; 
friendly  intercourse  interrupted  ;  an  attitude  of 
hostility  assumed  ;  and  even  the  rules  of  common 
civility  violated  ;— so  that  a  calm  and  impartial 
spectator  will  plainly  discern,  that  the  spirit  of 
Christianity  has  never  been  thoroughly  imbibed, 
and  that  they  have  nrver  learned  the  apostolic 
precept,  "  to  forbear  one  another  in  love,"  how- 
ever high  pretensions  they  may  have  previously 
made  to  spirituality  of  affection  and  deportment. 
Among  Christians  of  every  name,  we  find  dis- 
positions and  practices  daily  prevailing,  which 


•  The  foUowing  recent  facts  will  illustrate  some  of 
the  positions  conulned  In  this  paragraph.— It  ap- 
pears that  the  minister  of  the  parish  of  Annan  has 
been  in  the  habit  of  allowlngDissentersocraslonally 
to  preach  in  the  pnrlsh  church.  His  Assixtant 
bnmcht  this  heavy  oflTence  iMfore  a  late  meeting  of 
the  Preahytery ;  and,  by  that  Ixxly,  it  was  declared, 
that  no  Dissenter  should,  in  future,  pollute  the  said 
pqiplt.  They,  at  the  same  time,  voied  thanks  to  the 
Assistant,  for  his  manlv  ami  llbrral  rondurt  In  mak- 
ing the  complaint.— Piiw/r  Prinit,  April.  M«. 

"  Lately,  the  minister  ofa  pariih,  a  few  miles  to 
the  westward  of  Cup.ir,  hearing  that,  at  the  request 
of  a»nie  of  his  parishioners,  a  sermon  was  tn  be 
preached  to  them,  by  a  Dlssentlnc  clergyman  from 
Cupar,  and  knowing  that  the  school-room  was  the 
only  place  where  that  could  be  conveniently  done, 
be  eaJled  upon  the  le-irher  and  oimmnmled  him  not 
loallow  tlie  school  room  to  be  used  for  such  a  pur- 
pose- In  a  few  days,  a  company  of  strolling  players 
Tisitail  the  parish  ;  whereupon  the  worthy  pastor, 
calling  on  the  schoolmaster,  ordered  the  schoolroom 
to  be  at  their  service,  to  perform  In."— i>im4fM 
Coufier,  April.  IMS. 


are  altogether  inconsistent  with  ihe  genius  Ht 
the  religion  of  Christ,  and  directly  repugnant 
to  its  precepts.  Slander,  dish<MiPsty,  falsehood^ 
cheating,  awindling,  and  vrxa'ious  liiigatioos, 
are  far  from  being  uncommon  among  those  who 
profess  to  be  united  in  the  bonds  uf  a  common 
Christianity.  How  little  dependence  can  we 
have,  in  social  and  commercial  transactions,  oo 
the  promise  or  the  declaration  of  a  man,  merely 
on  the  ground  of  his  being  a  Christian  in  profe»> 
aion !  If  written  engagements,  and  civil  laws, 
did  not  secure  our  property,  and  I  he  performance 
of  promises  and  contracts,  our  reliance  on  Chria- 
tian principle,  abstractly  considered,  in  the  pre- 
sent state  of  the  religious  world,  would  prove 
like  that  of  a  person  who  leans  upon  a  broken 
reed.  How  few  would  fulhi  their  promises 
and  engagements,  when  they  interfered  with 
their  ambitious  schemes,  and  their  [tecuniary  in- 
terests !  How  many  instances  of  fraudulent 
bankruptcy  happen  among  the  professors  of  reli- 
gion !  And  in  cases  of  common  bankruptcy,  where 
a  legal  settlement  has  been  uliiained,  is  there  one 
out  ofa  hundred  that  ever  thinks  of  performing 
an  act  of  natural  justice,  in  restoring  to  his  cre- 
ditors the  loss  they  had  sustained,  when  he  after- 
wards has  it  in  his  power  ? 

Finally,  the  degree  in  which  the  spirit  of  »- 
tolerance  and  ptrieetUion  still  prevails,  shows  a 
lamentable  deficiency  of  benevolence  and  of 
Christian  spirit  in  the  religious  world.  Notwith- 
standing the  unjust  and  cruel  sufferings  which 
English  Protestants  endured  from  Popish  priesiii 
and  rulers,  a  short  period  only  elapsed,  after  they 
had  risen  to  power,  before  they  began  in  their 
turn,  to  harass  their  Dissenting  brethren,  with 
vexations  and  cruel  prosecutions,  and  fines  aixi 
imprisonments,  till  they  were  f!irced  to  seek  for 
shelter  in  a  distant  land.  And  no  sooner  had 
the  English  Independents  settled  in  America, 
than  they  set  on  foot  a  persecution  against  the 
Quakers,  no  less  furious  than  that  which  they 
themselves  had  suffered  in  ihe  country  from 
which  they  had  fled.  A  number  of  these  worthy 
persons  they  threw  into  prison,  am)  seized  upon 
the  books  they  had  brought  from  Englaitd,  and 
committed  them  to  the  flames.  In  virtue  of  a 
law  which  had  been  made  against  heretics  in 
general,  sentence  of  banishment  was  passed 
upon  them  all ;  and  another  law  punished  with 
death,  "  all  Quakers  who  should  return  into  the 
jurisdiction  a(\er  banishment ;"  and  it  is  a  fact, 
that  four  persons  actually  suffered  death,  under 
this  impolitic  and  unjust  law.*  Nor  did  the 
Reformed  clergy  in   Scotland  lose  sight  of  that 


♦  Morse's  American  Geography.— The  following 
severe  laws,  among  others,  were  enacted  aminst  the 
Quakers.  "  Any  Quaker,  afver  the  flr^t  conviction, 
if  a  roan,  was  to  lose  one  «ar,— and  for  the  second  of- 
fence, the  other :— a  wom.in,  to  be  each  time  severely 
whipped;— and  the  third  Ume,  whether  man  or  wo- 
man, to  Have  t\eiT  tongue*  bored  through  vUh  a  rtt 
hot  iron. 


PERSECUTION  IN  SWITZERLAND. 


177 


magisterial  authority  which  had  been  assumed 
by  the  Romish  church.  Upon  a  represeniatiso, 
in  1646,  from  the  commission  of  the  Kirk  of 
Scoiland,  James  Bell,  and  Colin  Champbell, 
baillies  of  Glasgow,  were  commiiled  to  prison 
by  the  Parliament,  merely  for  having  said,  that 
"Kirkmen  meddled  too  much  in  civil  matters."* 
Even  so  lale  as  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth 
century,  when  Whitefield,  Wesley,  and  other 
pious  men,  began  to  address  the  ignorant  villa- 
gers oT  England  on  the  most  imjiortant  subjects, 
"  a  multitude  has  rushed  together,  Khouiing  and 
howling,  raving,  and  cursing,  and  acccompany- 
ing  their  ferocious  cries  and  yells  with  loathsome 
Of  dangerous  missiles,  dragging  or  driving  the 
preacher  from  his  humble  stand,  forcing  him, 
and  the  few  who  wished  to  hear  him,  to  flee  for 
their  lives,  sometimes  not  without  serious  injury 
before  they  could  escape.  And  these  savage 
tumults  have,  in  many  cases,  been  well  under- 
stood to  be  instigated  by  persons,  whose  advan- 
tage of  superior  condition  in  life,  or  even  express 
vocation  to  instruct  the  people  better,  has  been 
infamously  lent  in  defence  of  the  perpetrators, 
against  shame  or  remorse,  or  legal  punishment 
for  the  outrage.  And  there  would  be  no  hazard 
in  affirming,  that,  since  Wesley  and  Whitefield 
began  to  conflict  with  the  heathenism  of  the 
country,  there  have  been  in  it  hundreds  of  in- 
stances answering  in  substance  to  this  descrip- 
tion.— Yet  the  good  and  zealous  men  who  were 
thus  set  upon  by  a  furious  rabble  of  many  hun- 
dreds, the  foremost  of  whom  active  in  direct  vio- 
lence, and  the  rest  venting  their  ferocious  de- 
light, in  a  hideotis  blending  of  ribaldry  and  exe- 
cration, of  joking  and  cursing, — were  taxed  with 
&  canting  hypocrisy,  or  a  fanatical  madtiess,  for 
speaking  of  the  prevailing  ignorance,  in  terms 
equivalent  to  those  of  the  prophet,  '  The  people 
are  destroyed  for  lack  of  knowledge.'  "f 

But  we  need  not  go  back  even  to  the  distance 
of  half  a  century  in  order  to  find  instances  of 
religious  intolerance  among  Protestant  commu- 
nities and  churches  ;  our  own  times  unhappily 
furnish  too  many  examples  of  a  bigoted,  intoltrant, 
«nd  persecuting  spirit.  Little  more  than  two 
years  have  elapsed  since  the  Methodist  chapel 
in  Barbadoes  was  thrown  down  and  demolished 
by  the  mob-gentry,  and  with  the  connivance  of 
the  public  authorities  of  that  slave  trafliicking 
island,  and  Mr.  Shrewsbury,  a  worthy  and  re- 
spected pastor  and  missionary,  obliged  to  flee  for 
his  life.  Previous  to  this  outrage,  he  suffer- 
ed every  species  of  insult,  contumely,  and  re- 
proach. He  was  abused  as  a  villain,  and  hissed 
at  in  the  streets,  not  by  mere  rabble,  but  by  the 
great  vulgar ;  by  merchants  from  their  stores, 
and  individuals  in  the  garb  of  gentlemen.  By 
such  characters  his  chapel  was  surrounded,  and 
partly  6lled,  on  Sunday  the  5th  October,  1823. 

*  Kalm's  Sketches. 

*  Foster's  "  Essay  on  Popular  Ignoraoce." 

23 


Thin  glass  bottles  had  been  previously  prepared 
and  filled  with  a  mixture  of  oil  and  assafoetida; 
and  all  of  a  sudden,  they  were  thrown  with 
great  violence  in  the  midst  of  the  people,  and 
one  was  aimed  at  the  head  of  the  preacher ;  and 
during  the  whole  service,  stones  were  rattling 
against  the  chapel  from  every  quarter.  On  the 
next  Sabbath  an  immense  concourse  of  people 
assembled,  "  breathing  out  threaienings  and 
slaughter ;"  and  from  20  to  30  of  the  gentlemen- 
mob  planted  themselves  around  the  pulpit  appa- 
rently ready  for  any  mischief  Men  wearing 
masks,  and  having  swords  and  pistols,  came 
galloping  down  the  street  and  presenting  their 
pistols,  fired  them  at  the  door;  and  it  was  origi- 
nally designed  to  have  fire  crackers  among  the 
females,  to  set  their  clothes  ou  fire.  At  length,  oa 
Sabbath,  the  I9th,  this  execrable  mob,  consisting 
of  nearly  200  gentlemen,  and  others,  again  assem- 
bled, with  hammers,  saws,  hatchets,  crows,  and 
every  other  necessary  implement ;  and  in  the 
course  of  a  few  hours,  the  lamps,  benches,  pews, 
pulpit,  and  even  the  walls,  were  completely  de- 
molished. They  entered  the  dwelling-house 
broke  the  windows  and  doors,  threw  out  the 
crockery  ware,  chopped  up  tables,  chairs,  and 
every  article  of  furniture;  tore  the  manuscripts 
of  the  preacher,  and  destroyed  a  library  of  more 
than  300  vol'imes.  All  this  was  done  under  the 
light  of  the  full  moon,  in  the  presence  of  an  im- 
mense crowd  of  spectators,  without  the  least  at> 
tempt  being  made  to  check  them  either  by  the 
civil  or  military  authorities — while  the  unfortu- 
nate preacher,  with  his  wife  in  an  advanced  state 
of  pregnancy,  had  to  flee  to  a  neighbouring  island 
to  save  his  life !  Such  is  the  tolerant  and  hu- 
mane conduct  of  gentlemen  Protestants  of  the 
nineteenth  century !  gentlemen  who  wouki,  no 
doubt,  consider  it  very  unhandsome  were  they  to 
be  compared  to  Goths  and  Vandals,  or  to  the 
rude  and  barbarous  savages  of  Papua  or  New 
Holland.* 

About  the  same  period,  the  authorities  of  De> 
merara  set  on  foot  a  persecution  against  Mr. 
Smith,  Missionary  from  the  London  Society, 
under  various  pretexts  :  but  his  real  crime  in  the 
eyes  of  his  persecutors,  was,  his  unwearied  zeal 
in  instructing  the  negroes  in  the  knowledge  of 
religion.  He  was  condemned  to  death  by  a 
court-martial,  in  the  face  of  every  principle  of 
justice  :  he  died  in  prison,  was  refused  the  pri- 
vilege of  a  Christian  burial,  and  his  friends  were 
prohibited  from  erecting  a  stone  to  mark  the  spot 
where  his  body  was  laid.  The  whole  details  of 
this  transactien  present  a  scene  of  savage  bar- 
barity, created  by  the  lust  of  gain,  scarcely  to  be 
paralleled  in  the  history  of  Europe. 

In  Switzerland,  which  was  formerly  the  head 

•  For  a  more  particular  detail  of  these  ezeerahle 
transactions,  see  "  Report  of  the  Wesleyan  Mission- 
ary Society  for  1884:"  and  the  dei>atesinParUaaMal 
In  1835. 


^78 


THK  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


<|uart«r*  oTProlettantUin,  the  demon  of  religions 
perMcution  hft«  Kjliiin  reared  its  head.  The 
council  of  stale  of  the  Pays  de  Vaud,  at  the  in- 
stillation of  the  clergy,  on  January  16,  1825, 
published  a  decree,  "  pmhibitin^ ,  under  the 
penalty  of  severe  fines  and  imprisonmenis,  all 
Bieetin)(s  fur  religious  worship  w  inntruction, 
other  than  those  of  the  Established  Church  :" 
and  in  the  following  May,  another  decree  was 
issued,  which  denounces  "  lines,  imprisonmt'nt, 
or  banishment,  ufKin  th«  most  private  kind  of 
religious  assembly,  or  even  the  admission  of  a 
single  visiter  to  family  worship."  In  pursuance 
of  these  disgraceful  laws,  several  ministers  and 
private  Christians  of  high  character  for  piety  and 
acquirements,  have  been  banished  from  the  Can- 
ton, some  for  one  and  some  for  two  years— cut 
off  from  all  means  of  subsistence,  unless  pof>sesa- 
ed  of  independent  fortunes,  and  left  perhaps  to 
■tarve  and  perish  in  foreign  lands.  If  they  re- 
turned before  the  expiration  of  their  sentence,  it 
it  said  that  dtatk  is  the  punishment  to  be  inflict 
•d.  One  poor  man,  a  school-master,  in  the 
principality  of  Neufchatel,  has  been  condemned 
to  (en  years'  banishment.  He  was  brought  out 
from  prison,  lied  with  cords,  and  compelled  to 
kneel  in  the  snow  in  the  public  square  to  hear  his 
sentence  read.  His  crime  was,  gathering  toge- 
ther a  few  fellow  Christians  in  his  own  house, 
and  there  having  the  Lord's  supper  administer- 
ed by  a  regularly  ordained  minister  !'* 

And  is  England  pure  from  the  spirit  of  perse- 
cution and  intolerance  ?  Let  us  see. — At  Ken- 
neridge  in  Dorsetshire  a  worthy  and  excellent 
individual,  belonging  to  the  Wesleyan  denomi- 
nation, had  atiencied  on  a  green,  where  20  or  SO 
persons  usually  congregated,  on  a  Sunday  after- 
noon, to  listen  to  the  truths  he  thought  it  impor- 
tant to  declare.  The  clergyman  of  the  parish 
approached  with  a  retinue  of  servants,  and  eom- 
mandfd  him  to  desist.  The  preacher  took  no 
notice  of  the  command  and  proceeded  to  read  his 
text.  The  clergyman  then  commanded  the 
tithing-man  to  seize  him.  He  was  directed  to 
be  conveyed  to  Wareham  jail ;  and  to  every 
question  the  preacher  put,  as  to  the  ground  of  his 
being  seixed  upon,  the  rtvtrend  and  voortkg  cler- 
gyman only  replied  by  the  brandishing  of  his 
•tick. — Instances  have  occurred  in  which  r.lergy- 
■ten  of  the  establishment  have  refused  to  bury 
the  dead.  At  Chidds  Ercal,  in  Shropshire,  the 
diiU  of  a  poor  man  was  refused  interment,  and 
the  father  was  obliged  to  carry  it  six  miles,  be- 
fore it  could  be  laid  at  rest  in  itx  mother  earth. 
—At  Catafielil,  in  Sussex,  a  similar  act  of  in- 
famy was  commiiied. — At  the  moment  when  the 
bell  had  toll<^,  when  the  earth  was  to  fall  heavily 
upon  the  coffin,  containing  the  only  remains  of 
the  being  that  affection  had  endeared,  and  when 

^  *  iBae  a  pamplilet  on  this  subject  by  Dr.  PreStralth. 
Hee  also  Cong-  Maf.  for  June,  ltas,aDd  otherperi- 
o«C  J  works  or  that  tlate. 


thoee  who  stood  by  needed  all  the  conaolatiooa 
that   relifiuo  can   supply — at   this  moment  the 
clergyman  appeared,  but  advanced  only  to  give 
pain  to  the  nwurners.  and  to  agonize  a  parent's 
heart,  by  saying,  "  Now  that  you  have  waited  an 
hour  till  it  suited  me  to  come,  I   will  not  inter 
your  child  !  I  did  not  know  thai  you  were  Dis- 
senters— take  your  child  some  where  else — lake 
it  where  you  please~-but  here  it  shall  not  lie  in 
consecrated  grourKJ."      And,  in  fact,  they  were 
compelled  to  carry  the  child  away  eleven  miles 
from  the  abode  of  its  parents,  and  from  the  place 
that  gave  it  birth,  before  it  could  find  repose  in 
its  kindred  dust. — At  Mevagisxey,  inthecoonty 
of  Cornwall,  the  vicar  refused  to  allow  the  corpse 
of  a  Dissenter  to  be  brought  within  the  church, 
ar)d,  therefore,  read  the  burial  service  in  ihe  open 
air;  but,  in  consequence  of  which,  he  read  only 
a  part  of  that   service,  and  omitted   the  most 
beautiful  portion. — Such  a  power  appears  to  be 
conceded  to  the  clergy  by  the  law!^  of  the  church ; 
but  the  spirit  which  gave  it  ezistenre  is  deeply  to 
be  deplored,  as  the  spirit  of  bitiotry  and  intole- 
rance.   At  Wellingborough,  a  clergyman, 'in  op- 
position to  a  custom  which  had  been  established 
for  sixty  years,  issued  orders,  that  no  bell  should 
toll  when  a  Dissenter  expired.     He  boldly  avow- 
ed, "  that  he  never  would  permit  the  passing  bell 
to  be  rung  for  a  Dissenter,  evt-n  in  the  event  of 
an  interment  in  the  church-yard;  that  whilst  he 
held  the  curacy,  no  bell  of  his  church  should 
ever  toll  for  a  Dissenter  ;  and  that  he  would  not 
even  permit  the  bells  to  ring  fiir  a  marriage  where 
the  parties  were  Dissenters."     In  reference  to 
this  case,  an  appeal  was  made  to  the  Bishop  of 
Peterborough,  who  wrote  a   long    letter  on  the 
subject,  and  defended  the  conduct  of  this  Well- 
ingborough  curate. — At  Newport    Pagnel,  two 
persons  of  decent  appearance,  teachers  of  Bap- 
tist Societies,  were  collecting  »ub;wription8  for 
the  erection  of  a  new  place  of  wnr<«hip. — After 
arrivingat  the  residence  of  the  parish  clergyman, 
they  were  taken  before  a  clerical  magistrate,  who 
upon  the  oath  of  the  other  clergyman,  ihat  they 
were  rogues  and  vagrants,  committed  them  to 
Aylesbury  jail ;  where  they  were   confined  for 
three  weeks  in  common  with  the  basest  felons ; 
among  convicted  thieves  of  the  most  abandoned 
character; — nay,  more,  they  were  sentenced  to 
the   tread-mill,  and  kept  at  hard  laSour  there, 
though,  during  the  whole  time,  one  of  them  was 
afflicted  with  spitting  of  blood.     Their  papers 
were  seized  upon  ;  their  money  w«s  taken  thMa 
iheni ;  and  by  means  of  it  the  expense  of  sending 
them  to  prison  was  defrayed.* 

All  the  above-staled  instances,  and  many 
others  of  a  similar  description,  occured  within 
the  limits  of  the  year  1814  ;  and  ertry  year  since 

"The  reader  will  And  a  more  p^rtlrular  detail  of 
these  cases.  In  the  "Address  of  Jnhn  Wllks,  Esq  at 
the  Fourteenth  Anniversary  of  the  I'rotestattt  Oo- 
clety  for  the  HrutecUon  of  reli«lous  I.ilwity,  '  ia 
May,  MM, 


GENERAL  REFLECTIONS. 


179 


the  "  Society  for  the  Protection  of  Religious  Li- 
berty" was  formed,  similar  instances,  some  of 
them  of  a  mare  barbarous  nature,  have  been 
brought  forth  to  public  view.  And,  were  it  not 
for  the  protection  which  this  Society  affords  to  the 
victims  of  intolerance,  it  is  highly  probable,  that 
vexatious  persecutions,  insults,  fines,  and  impri- 
sonments, on  accoimt  of  differences  in  religious 
opinions,  would  be  much  more  common  than  they 
now  are.  Were  such  individuals  as  those  to 
whom  we  have  now  alluded,  permitted,  by  the 
laws  of  our  country,  to  carry  their  intolerant 
spirit  to  its  utmost  extent.  Dissenters  would  have 
DO  security  either  for  their  property  or  their 
lives ;  and  the  tires  of  Smithfield  would  again  be 
kindled,  to  torture  the  souls,  and  to  consume  the 
bodies,  of  all  who  refused  to  conform  to  the  dog- 
mas of  a  national  church. 

After  what  has  been  stated  in  the  preceding 
part  of  this  work,  it  is  almost  needless  to  say, 
that  such  an  intolerant  and  persecuting  spirit  is 
diametrically  opnosite  to  every  principle  that 
pervades  the  Christian  system :  and  there  cannot 
be  a  grosser  misrepresentation  of  its  spirit  and 
tendency,  than  to  ascribe  such  dispositions  and 
conduct  to  the  genius  of  that  religiop  which  iw- 
TOLERANCE  has  thought  proper  to  assume.  Can 
a  single  instance  be  produced  of  a  persecuting 
spirit  in  the  conduct  of  Jesus  Christ,  or  in  that  of 
any  one  of  his  apostles  !  When  he  "  was  reviled, 
he  reviled  not  again  ;  and  when  he  suffered,  he 
threatened  not ;  and  he  solemnly  rebuked  his  fol- 
lowers when  the  least  symptom  of  intolerance  or 
revenge  was  displayed.  Can  a  I'eligion,  which 
commands  us  to  love  our  neighbours  as  ourselves 
— to  be  kindly  affectionate  one  towards  another 
—to  love  our  enemies — to  do  good  to  them  that 
hate  us — to  bless  them  that  curse  us — and  to 
pray  for  them  that  despitefully  use  us," — can 
such  a  religion  be  supposed  to  give  the  least 
countenance  to  actions  that  are  both  intolerant 
and  inhumane?  If  the  religion  of  Christ  have 
any  one  prominent  object  which  distinguishes  it 
from  all  others,  it  is  this— to  unite  mankind  in 
one  harmonious  and  affectionate  society  ;  and 
such  an  object  is  altogether  incompatible  with 
resentment,  intolerance,  or  persecution  in  any 
shape.  "  By  this  shall  all  men  know,"  says 
Jesus,  "  that  you  are  my  disciples,  if  ye  love  one 
another." 


Here  I  must  close  the  illustration  of  the  moral 
state  of  mankind,  though  they  might  have  been 
carried  to  a  much  greater  extent.  They  present 
to  every  benevolent  mind  a  gloomy  picture  of  the 
moral  aspect  of  the  human  race,  and  of  the  de- 
pravity which  tlie  principle  of  malevolence  car- 
ries in  its  train.  It  is  a  picture  which  shows  us 
that  those  moral  principles  and  laws  which  the 
'Creator  intended  to  promote,  the  felicity  of  all 
worlds,  have  nerer  yet  been  brought  into  full  ef- 


fect in  the  world  in  which  we  live.  It  is  a  pic- 
ture, however,  from  which  we  ouuht  not  to  turn 
away  our  eyes.  It  sets  before  us  the  evils  which 
require  to  be  counteracted,  and  the  obstacles 
which  must  be  surmounted,  before  the  principles 
of  sialignily  be  extirpated,  and  the  moral  princi- 
ples of  ihe  Christian  system  take  root  in  the 
world.  But  such  views  of  the  existing  state  of 
the  moral  world,  so  far  from  operating  as  seda- 
tives, ought  to  stimulate  us  to  exert  every  ener- 
gy, and  to  use  every  judicious  and  powerful 
mean,  which  has  a  tendency  to  promote  the  ac- 
complishment of  this  important  object. 

It  would  have  given  me  pleasure  to  have  pre- 
sented before  the  eye  of  the  reader  a  more  cheer- 
ful and  alluring  picture  ;  but  "  facts  are  stubborn 
things,"  and  there  is  no  resisting  the  force  of  the 
evidence  which  they  adduce, — I  intend  to  re- 
lieve some  of  the  dark  shades  of  this  picture,  by 
exhibiting  some  faint  radiations  of  truih  and  be- 
nevolence which  are  still  visible  amidst  the  sur- 
rounding gl  x>m.  For,  amidst  the  moral  darkness 
which'has  so  long  covered  the  earth,  some  streaks 
of  celestial  light  have  always  been  visible  ;  and 
the  dawning  of  a  brighter  day  now  begins  to 
gild  our  horizon.  Substantial  knowledge  is  now 
beginning  to  diffuse  its  benign  influence  on  all 
ranks  ;  the  shackles  of  despotism  are  bursting 
asunder ;  the  darkness  of  superstition  is  gradu- 
ally dispelling ;  the  spirit  of  persecution  is  borne 
down  and  powerfully  opposed  by  the  force  of 
truth  and  of  common  sense,  and  the  rights  of 
conscience  are  beginning  to  be  generally  recog- 
nised. Philanthropic  institutions  of  various  de- 
scriptions have  been  established,  edu -ation  is 
extending  its  beneficial  effects;  the  instruction 
of  the  young  is  becoming  an  object  of  more  ge- 
neral attention ;  philosophical  institutions,  village 
libraries,  and  associations  for  intetleclusJ  im- 
provement, are  rapidly  organizing ;  Bible  and 
missionary  societies  are  extending  their  influence 
through  every  portion  of  the  religious  world,  and 
Christianity  is  now  beginning  to  display  its  b^ 
neficent  energies  on  distant  continents,  and  the 
islands  of  the  ocean. — But,  instead  of  entering 
into  details  in  the  illustration  of  these  and  si- 
milar effects  which  have  always,  in  a  greater  or 
less  degree,  accompanied  the  progress  of  the 
Christian  religion,  I  shall,  in  the  mean  lime,  refer 
the  reader  to  the  excellent  work  of  Dr.  Ryan, 
"  On  the  History  of  the  effects  of  Religion  on 
Mankind." 

Here  a  question  may  be  proposed  by  some  of 
ray  readers, — Is  it  possible  to  bring  the  inhabi- 
tants of  this  world,  in  their  present  depraved 
state,  to  a  general  observance  of  the  laws  of  be- 
nevolence which  have  been  illustrated  in  the  pre- 
ceding part  of  this  work  ?  To  such  a  question 
I  would  reply, — Whatever  man  has  done,  man 
may  do.  Amidst  the  depravity  and  (he  dark- 
ness with  which  the  earth  has  been  generally  en- 
Teloped,  individuals   have  occasionally 


190 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


who  have  Rhone  ■■  ligh'a  in  the  moral  world,  and 
exhibited  bright  p«tterna  oTChridiui  tempor  and 
of  active  bene5cence.  The  Apostle  Paul  had 
hii  mind  imbued  with  alarf;e  portion  of  the  spirit 
of  love.  He  voluniarily  embarked  in  a  tour  of 
benevolence  ihrcmgh  the  nations  ;  and  in  ipite  of 
reproaches,  pernecuiions,  stripee  and  imprison- 
menia  ;  in  (he  midst  of  "  perils  in  the  waters, 
perils  of  robbers,  perils  by  his  own  countrymen, 
perils  in  the  city,  and  perils  in  the  wildnrness  ;" 
and  in  the  face  uf  every  danger,  and  of  death  it- 
self, he  prosecuted,  with  a  noble  heroism,  his  la- 
bour of  love,  purely  fur  the  sake  of  promoting  the 
best  imprests  of  mankind.  All  the  Apostles  en- 
gaged in  (he  same  benevolent  undertaking  ;  they 
sacrificed  every  private  interest,  every  selfish 
consideration  ;  "  neither  counted  they  their  lives 
dear  unto  themselves,  so  that  they  might  finish 
their  course  with  joy,"  and  be  the  means  of  ac- 
complishing the  salvation  of  their  fellow-men. 

Even  in  our  own  times,  many  distinguished 
individuals  have  arisen,  who  have  leflected  ho- 
nour on  our  species.  The  name  of  Hmoard  is 
&miliar  to  every  one  who  is  in  the  least  acquaint- 
ed with  the  annals  of  philanthntpy,  (see  p.  20.) 
This  excellent  man,  and  truly  philanthropic  cha- 
racter, devoted  his  time,  his  strength,  his  genius, 
his  literary  acquisitions,  and  his  fortune,  and 
finally  sacrificed  his  life,  in  the  pursuits  of  human- 
ity, and  in  the  unwearied  prosecution  of  active 
benevolence.  He  travelled  over  every  country 
in  Europe  and  in  the  adjacent  regions  of  Asia, 
impelled  by  the  spirit  of  Christian  love,  in  order 
to  survey  the  mansions  of  sorrow  and  of  pain,  and 
to  devise  schemes  for  the  reliefof  human  wretch- 
edness wherever  it  existed  ;  and,  in  the  execu- 
tion of  this  scheme  of  benevolence,  the  energies 
of  his  mind  were  so  completely  absorbed,  that 
"  he  never  suffered  himself,  for  a  moment,  to  be 
diverted  from  carrying  it  into  effect,  even  by  the 
moet  attractive  oX  those  objects  which  formerly 
possessed  all  their  most  powerful  influeixse  upon 
his  curiosity  and  his  taste."'*' 

The  late  Walter  Venning,  Esq.,  who  has 
been  denominated,  by  Prince  Galitzin,  the  tteond 
Howard,  walked  in  the  steps  of  his  illustrious 
predecesiior,  and  with  the  most  fervent  Christian 
seal,  devoted  his  short,  but  useful  life,  to  the  al- 
leviation of  human  misery,  and  to  the  promotion 
of  the  best  interests  of  thousands  of  wretched 
individuals  who  "  were  ready  to  perish."  He 
withdrew  himself  from  the  ordinary  round  of 
genteel  society,  and  declined  all  commercial  bu- 
siness, that  he  might  devote  the  whole  energies 
of  his  soul  to  benevolent  occupations.  He  com- 
menced his  philanthropic  career,  by  co-operating 
in  the  f<)rmation  of  the  "  Society  fur  improve- 
ment of  Prison  discipline,*'  which  was  formed 
in  London  in   1816  ;  and  afterwards  visited  the 

*  For  a  particular  aeconnt  of  the  labours  of  tlils 
eminent  pbilanthrnplst,  see  Brown's  "  Memoirs  of 
the  pubUe  and  private  Ufeof  John  Hosranl." 


prisons  in  Peiersburgh,  Norogorod,  Tver,  Mat* 
cow,  and  other  cities  in  ihe  Russian  empir*. 
The  prisons,  ftospitals,  work-houses,  mad  hoiises, 
houses  of  correction,  and  the  abodes  of  misery 
of  every  descripiion  in  Petenburgh,  were  visited 
by  him,  day  afier  day  :  "  and  many  a  prisoner, 
bowed  down  with  affliction  and  iron,  was  cheered^ 
instrticied,  and  saved  by  his  ministrations;"  for 
his  philanthropy  extended  both  to  the  bodies 
and  to  the   souls  of  men."* 

Many  other  examples  might  be  produced  from 
the  annals  of  our  times,  and  of  illustrious  citarao* 
ters,  presently  existing,  to  demonstrate,  that  a 
noble  af>d  disinterested  benevolence  is  a  princi- 
ple, capable  of  being  exercised  even  in  the  pre- 
sent degenerated  slate  of  the  inhabitants  of  our 
world.  We  find  parents  some  times  displaying 
a  high  degree  of  benevolent  feeling  tuwards  their 
offspring,  and  sacrificing  their  ease,  and  their 
personal  interests,  in  order  to  secure  their  health, 
their  happiness,  and  enjoyments.  We  find  bo- 
som friends  like  David  and  Jonathan,  and  like 
Damon  and  Pythias,  rejoicing  in  the  welfaie  of 
each  other,  and  encountering  difficulties  and 
dangers  in  promoting  the  interests  of  the  objects 
of  their  friendship.  What,  then,  should  hinder 
such  dispositions  from  becoming  universal? 
What  should  hinder  them  from  being  transferred 
to  all  the  sensitive  and  intellectual  beings,  with 
whom  we  may  have  occasion  to  correspond,  or  to 
associate  ?  Would  not  the  universal  exercise  of 
such  dispositions  be  highly  detirabU?  wouM  it 
not  tend  to  banish  war  and  discord  from  the 
world,  and  promote  peace  on  the  earth,  and  good 
will  among  men  ?  Why,  then,  are  such  disposi- 
tions so  seldom  displayed?  Not  because  the 
universal  exercise  of  them  is  a  thing  impossible  ; 
but  because  men,  actuated  by  selfishness,  are 
unwilling  to  give  full  scope  to  the  l>enevolent  af- 
fections ;  because  they  have  never  yet  employed 
all  the  requisite  means  for  bringing  them  into 
full  operation.  If  all  the  energies  of  the  intel- 
lect, and  all  the  treasures  which  have  been  ex- 
pended in  fostering  malignant  psssions,  and  in 
promoting  contentions  and  warfare,  had  been 
devoted  to  the  great  object  of  cultivating  Ihe  prin- 
ciple of  benevolence,  and  distributing  happiness 
among  men  ;  the  moral  and  physical  aspect  of 
our  workl  would  long  ago  have  assumed  a  very 
different  ap(>earance  from  what  it  now  wears. 

The  philanthropic  individuals,  to  whom  I  have 
alluded,  were  men,  whone  actions  were  some- 
limes  blended  with  the  failings  and  imperfections 
incident  to  degenerated  humanity  ;  but  the  prin- 
ciple of  benevolence  ruled  supreme  over  all  the 
subordinate  affections ;  and  if  the  world  were 
peopled  with  such  men,  notwithstanding  Ihe  im- 
perfections which  attached  to  them,  society,  in 
e^ery  land,  would  present  the  appearance  of  n 
moral  paradise,  and  form  an  image  of  the  har> 

*  Mr.  Venninx  died  In  Petershurfh,  In  ICU,  In  M* 
fortieth  Tear  or  his  afs. 


MEANS  OF  PROMOTING  CHRISTIAN  MORALITY. 


181 


aiony  and  felicity  of  "  the  saints  in  light." 
Every  one  who  believes  in  the  existence  of  a 
future  stale,  fondly  imagines  (hat  he  shall  enjoy 
happiness  in  that  state.  But,  whence  is  his 
happiness  to  arise  in  the  future  world,  but  from 
the  exercise  of  those  dispositions  which  the  law 
of  God  requires?  And  if  the  exercise  of  bene- 
volent dispositions  be  essentially  requisite  for 
securing  supreme  felicity  in  the  eternal  state, 
their  cultivation,  even  in  the  present  world, 
must  be  an  indispensable  duty,  in  order  to  our 
preparation  for  the  employments  of  the  celestial 
world.  For  it  is  a  law  of  the  Creator,  which  is 
eternal  and  immutable,  that  "  without  holiness, 
no  man  can  see  the  Lord."  And  whenever  the 
requisite  means  are  employed  for  the  cultivation 
of  holy  and  beneficent  dispositions,  we  may  rest 
assured,  that  our  labour  will  be  crowned  with 
success.  For  the  energy  of  the  divine  Spirit, 
from  whom  proceedeth  every  good  and  perfect 
gift,  is  promised  to  accompany  the  use  of  every 
proper  mean,  so  as  to  render  it  effectual  for 
counteracting  the  effects  of  moral  evil,  and  for 
promoting  the  renovation  of  the  world. 

We  have  examples  before  us,  not  only  of  a 
few  insulated  individuals,  but  of  societies, 
where  the  principle  of  benevolence,  in  a  greater 
or  less  degree,  pervades  the  whole  mass.  The 
people  who  have  been  denominated  Quakers, 
have  always  been  distinguished  by  their  humane 
and  peaceable  dispositions,  their  probity  and 
hospitality  to  each  other,  the  cheerfulness  of 
their  manners,  their  opposition  to  war,  and  the 
active  zeal  which  they  have  displayed  in  contri- 
buting to  the  good  of  mankind.  The  Mora^ 
vtarM  are  also  distinguished  for  their  affectionate 
intercourte  with  each  other,  the  liberality  of 
their  dispositions,  the  peaceableness  of  their 
tempers,  the  purity  and  simplicity  of  their  lives, 
and  their  missionary  efforts  for  evangelizing  the 
heathen  world.*     Would  to  God  that  the  whole 


•  The  following  anecdote,  Is  Illustrative  of  the 
character  of  miny  of  the  Moravians,  or  Hernhutters 
as  they  are  scmetimes  called.— In  a  late  warln  Ger- 
many, a  captain  of  cavalry  was  ordered  out  on  a 
foMgins  party.  He  put  himself  at  the  head  of  his 
troop,  and  marched  to  the  quarter  assii^ed  him.  It 
was  a  solitary  valley,  in  which  hardly  any  thins; hut 
woods  was  to  be  seen.  In  the  midst  stood  a  little 
cottage ;  on  perceiving  It  he  rode  up,  and  knocked  at 
the  door;  out  comes  an  ancient  Hemhutter  with  a 
beard  silvered  by  as;e.  "Father,"  says  the  oflBcer, 
•'  show  me  a  field  where  I  can  set  my  troopers  a 
foragin?."  "  P  esently,"  replied  the  Hemhutter. 
The  good  old  man  walked  before,  and  conducted 
theraoutof  the  valley.  Altera  quarter  of  an  hour's 
march,  they  found  a  fleld  of  barley.  "  There  is  the 
very  thin?  we  want,"  says  the  captain.—"  Have  pa- 
tience for  a  very  few  minutes,"  replied  the  guide, 
"  and  yoii  shall  be  s.atisfied."  They  went  on,  and 
about  the  distance  of  a  quarter  of  a  league  farther, 
they  arrived  at  another  field  of  barley.  The  troop 
Immediatelv  dismounted,  cut  down  the  gram, truss- 
ed it  up,  and  remounted.  The  officer  upon  this,  says 
to  his  conductor,  "  Father,  you  have  given  yourself 
and  us  unnecessary  trouble ;  the  first  lleld  was  much 
better  than  this."  "  Very  true.  Sir,"  replied  the  good 
old  man.     "  BtMU  va*  not  mine."— Here  we  have  a 


world  were  duakers  and  Moravians,  notwith- 
standing their  peculiarities  of  opinion  !  With 
all  their  foibles  and  imperfections,  society  would 
then  wear  a  more  beautiful  and  alluring  aspect 
than  it  has  ever  yet  done  ;  peace  and  indiistiy 
would  be  promoted :  the  fires  of  persecution 
would  be  quenched  ;  philanthropy  would  go  forth 
among  the  nations,  distributing  a  thousand 
blessings,  and  the  people  would  I«am  war,  no 
more. 


I   intend    in   this  place,  to  inquire   into  the 

ME.INS  BY  WHICH  THE  PRACTICE  OF  CHRI8~ 
TIAN  MORALirr  MIGHT    BE  PROMOTED.       But 

I  find  that  this  is  a  subject  which  would  require 
a  distinct  volume  for  its  illustration.  At  present, 
I  can  suggest  only  two  or  three  hints. 

In  the  first  place.  The  inlellectual  instruction 
of  the  young,  should  be  an  object  of  universal  at- 
tention, both  in  public  and  private.  For  true 
knowledge  is  the  spring  of  all  religious  emotions, 
and  of  all  virtuous  actions.  By  intellectual  in- 
struction, I  do  not  mean  merely  a  series  of  exer- 
cises in  spelling,  pronouncing,  parsing,  constru- 
ing, writing,  and  figuring  ;  but  a  communication 
of  the  elements  of  thought,  and  of  clear  and  ex- 
tensive conceptions  of  the  physical  and  moral  re- 
lations of  the  universe. — 2.  The  moral  instruc- 
tion of  the  young  should  be  an  object  of  particu- 
lar and  incessant  attention.  Moral  instriKtion 
should  be  inculcated,  not  merely  by  a  reiteration 
of  dry  precepts,  maxims,  and  abstract  doctrines, 
or  by  a  reference  to  the  details  and  flimsy  senti- 
ments contained  in  fictitious  narratives ;  but  by 
a  pointed  and  pacific  reference  to  real  facts  ;  a^ 
exhibited  in  the  Sacred  History,  the  annals  of 
nations,  and  in  the  scenes  o(  the  family,  and  of 
general  society.  I  would  expect  no  greater  as- 
sistance in  the  work  of  moral  instruction  from 
the  religious  novels  with  which  the  Christian 
world  is  now  deluged,  than  I  would  do  from  a 
circulation  of  the  Pious  Frauds  which  were  so 
common  in  the  first  ages  of  the  church.  In 
schools,  and  in  families,  every  thing  which  has  a 
tendency,  either  directly  or  indirectly  to  foster 
pride,  envy,  contention,  revenge,  and  other  ma- 
lignant affections,  should  be  firmly  and  sedu- 
lously discouraged  and  counteracted  ;  and  higher 
rewards  (if  rewards  be  expedient)  should  in 
every  instance,  be  bestowed  on  the  individual 
who  cultivates  and  d  isplay  s  benevolent  affections, 

beatiful  practical  exhibition  atlnve.tnovrnHghbow, 
and  of  calm  resignation  to  the  proyidential  dispen- 
sations of  God.  How  few  professed  Christians  have 
been  found  acting  in  this  manner'  Anil  yet  I  doubt 
not,  tha.  this  good  man  would  experience  more  true 
satisfaction  in  the  temper  and  conduct  he  displayed, 
than  if  he  had  offered  resistance,  practised  dissimu- 
lation, or  set  them  to  plunder  his  neighlwur's  fleld. 
A  number  of  disinterested  actions  such  as  this, 
would  contribute  more  powerfully  to  the  support  of 
the  Christian  cause  than  a  tl.oiisi.nd  theological 
disputes,  imbued  with  the  spirit  and  temper  wtth 
which  they  have  been  most  frequently  conducteiL 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


18S 

than  on  him  who  it  dUtinimiihed  merely  for  in- 
lelleciual  acqiiircmmU.      Hilherto,  a  more  de- 
cided preference  «eems    lo  hare  b«'en  given  to 
what  it  termed  geniut  than  to  moral  occompli»l»- 
ntenta. — S.  In«iiiulion»  should  be  formed  for  com- 
municating literary   and    •cientific    knowledge, 
blended  wiih  moral  and  religious  instructions,  to 
per«>iis  of  both  sexes,  and  of  every  rank  and  age, 
from  fifteen  years  and  upwards',  particularly  to 
apprentice*,  journeymen,  clerks,   shop-keepers, 
and  others,  for  the  purpose  of  calling  forth  into 
action  the  tinergies  of  thoir  minds,  and  for  pre- 
yeniing  the  growth  of  habiii  of  dissipation.     In 
such  institutions,  the  manifestation  of  benevolent 
aflections,  and  propriety  of  moral  conduct,  should 
be  made  the  conditions  of  enjoying  the  instruc- 
tions and   privileges  of  the  association. — 4.  In 
connexion  with  these  and  other  means,  the  cause 
of  practical  morality  would  be  powerfully  promot- 
ed,   were  the  ministers  of  religion,  among  all 
parties,  to  direct  their  energies  to  the  discussion 
of  moral  subjects,  on  Christian  principles,  instead 
of  confining  their  attention  almost  exclusively  lo 
doctrinal  discussions.     Religion  is  not  a  system 
merely  of  speculative  and  meUphysical  truths, 
nor  does  it  consist  in  the  contemplation  of  myste- 
rious facts,  or  incomprehensible  dogmas  ;  but  it 
is  a  rational  and  tangible  subject,  addressed  to 
the  reason,  the  hopes,  and  fears,  and  the  common 
•ense  of  mankind  ;  and  therefore,  iu  illustrati'  ns 
■hould  be  chiefly  derived  from  the  facts  of  Sacred 
History,  the  system  of  nature,  and  from  the  ex- 
isting   objects,  scenes,   and  associations    with 
which  we  are  connected.— A  much  greater  de- 
gree of  animation,  and  of  energy,  than  is  now 
displayed  in  instructions  from  the  pulpit,  is  also 
requisite  for  arresting  the  attention,  and  riveting 
impressions  of  moral  and  religious  truths  upon 
the  mind.     If  fewer  sermons  were  delivered,  and 
a  greater  portion  of  intellectual  energy  concenirat- 
.ed  in  each  discourse ,  and  if  preachers,  particu- 
larly among  Dissenters,  had  fewer  discourses  to 
compose,  and  more  tinje  for  taking  an  ample  in- 
tellectual range  through  the  system  of  nature,  of 
Providence,  and  of  revelation,  a  more  powcrfiil 
effect    would    undoubtedly  be   produced  on  the 
Christian  world,  and  upon  all  who  occasionally 
attend  on  the  ministrations  of  religion. 

I  need  scarcely  add,  that  all  auch  means  ought  to 
ba  accompanied  with  fervent  prayer  to  the  "Fa- 
ther of  lights,"  and  dependence  on  the  promised 
aid  of  the  Spirit  of  holiness.  But  without  the 
application  of  all  the  energetic  means  which  rea- 
son and  revelation  suggest,  we  have  no  reason 
to  conclude,  and  it  would  be  presumption  to  ex- 
pect, that  the  influencet  of  heaven  will  descend 
upon  the  moral  world.  For  it  appears,  in  point 
of  .'act,  to  be  one  part  of  the  plan  of  the  divine 
procedure,  that  human  agents  shall  be  the  means 
of  enlightening  each  other,  and  of  promoting  the 
r«iioTaiion  of  the  workl,  u  '*  workers  together 
with  Ood." 


coRCLuno5i  rnou  raw   aBKCXit  nan^ 

PLEt    ILLUSTHATBD    IK    THIS    TOLCMB. 

If  the  general  train  of  sentiment  which  tvm 
through  the  preceding  discusnioos  and  illuatra^ 
tions  be  admitted,  the  following  conclusiooi  maj 
be  deduced  respecting, 

I.  The  subject  of  preaching,  and  ihe  grand 
aim  which  the  ministers  of  religion,  in  iheir  dia- 
course*,  ought  always  to  have  in  view.*     W« 
have  already  aeen,  that  it  is  the  great  object  of 
revelation   to  bring  into  practical  operation  lb* 
principles  of  love  to  God  and  to  man  :  and,  it  ii 
obvious,  thal.what  is  ihe  main  object  of  Christian- 
ity to  accomplish,  ought  to  be  the  ultimate  aim  ct 
every  Christian  preacher.     It  is  noi  inerely  to 
convert  men  to  the  belief  of  certain  opinionM,  or 
to  induce  them  to  embrace  the  peouliarilie*  of  a 
party.     It  is,  that  they  may  "  be  renewed  in  th* 
spirit  of  their  minds,"  and,  "  made  meet  for  th« 
inheritance  of  the  saints  in  light"— it  is,  that 
they  may  "  deny  ungodliness  and  worldly  lusta, 
and  live  soberly,  righteously,  and  godly,  in  the 
present  evil  worW ;"  and  be  "  united  together 
in  love,  which  is  the  bond  of  perfectioo."— Meta- 
physictd  diaquisiiions,  respecting  dogmas  in  relW 
gion,  have  very  little  tendency  to  meliorate  th« 
heart,  and  to  promote  benevolent  disposition! 
and  affections.     On  the  contrary,  they  have  fr^ 
quently  produced  a  temper  of  mind  directly  oppo- 
site to  the  spirit  of  Christianity.     They  have 
led  multitude*  to  pique  themselves  on  the  sup- 
posed purity  of  their  profession,  and  the  orthodoxy 
of  their  creed,  and  to  point  at  others  as  heretic*, 
and  subvertersof  the  gospel,  on  accotint  of  ■om« 
slight  differences  in  sentiment  about  a  partictilar 
doctrine ;  while  they  themselves  have  never  at- 
tempted to  cultivate  heavenly  dispositions,  and 
to  display  that  charily  which  "  suffereth   loo^, 
and  is  kind,  which  is  not  easily  provoked,  and 
thinkeih  no  evil."    There  are  certain  docirina* 
and  facts,  which  we  ought  always  to .  recogni**, 
and  to  keep  in  view  as  fundamental  axioms  in 
the  Christian  system  ;— such  as,  that  "  ihere  is 
one  God,  and  one  Mediator  bewten  God  and 
man,  the  man  Christ  Jesus  ;"  that  "  he  died  for 
our  offences,  and  rose  again  for  our  ju»iific»- 
tion  ;"  that  "  all  have  sinned  and  come  short  of 
the  glory  of  God;"  and   that  "  we  are  justified 
freely  by  his  grace,  through  the  redemption  that 
is  in  Christ  Jesus."     But,  there  is  no  necc**ity 
lor  expatinting  almost  exclusively  on   these  and 
aimilar   doctrines,  as  is   firquemly  done,  to  th* 
exclusion  of  practical  morality;  since  ihey  ought 
to  be  regarded  in  the  light  rather  of  first  princi- 
ples in  religion,  than  as  topic*  which  require  to 

•  The  Author  onelnally  Intended  to  llluitrate  thlj, 
und  the  followlnif  roiirlunfons,  »t  ronolderablo 
Icneth,  and  to  enter  Into  a  varletyof  rlrriim»t«ntlal 
deuili ;  hut,  as  the  Intended  llluitrallonii  would  oj- 
copy  more  than  a  hundred  .-wees,  nn«'  »»  the  wortt 
has  already  swelled  to  a  fonnlderrfhlc  tite,  he  Ii 
under  the  nec«**ltr  of  po*tponlnx  them  for  tM 
present 


MORAL  PREACHINQ. 


183 


be  proved  by  laboured  and  diffused  arguments. 
Yet,  ii  is  a  fact,  that  such  doctrines,  which  are 
only  the  means  of  religion,  have  been  expatiated 
upon  without  intermission,  as  if  the  simple  be- 
lief of  them  were  the  end  of  religion;  while  the 
great  moral  object  of  Christianity  has  been  eiiher 
entirely  overlooked,  or  thrown  into  the  shade. 
What  should  we  think  of  the  instructor  of  youth, 
who  confined  the  attention  of  his  pupil  solely  to 
the  characters  of  the  alphabet,  and  to  the  pro- 
nunciation of  a  few  elementary  sounds,  and  then 
dismissed  him  with  a  general  exhortation,  to  ap- 
ply them  to  all  the  combinations  of  letters  and 
syllables  he  might  find  in  every  book  ?  Could 
we  ever  ex|>ect,  that,  in  ordinary  cases,  such  a 
pupil  would  either  make  progress  in  the  art  of 
reading,  or  use  it  as  the  medium  of  acquiring 
knowledge  ?  And  what  shall  we  think  of  those 
who  do  little  more  than  attempt  to  explain  the 
axioms  of  the  Christian  system,  but  never  show 
their  bearings  on  the  scenery  of  real  life,  nor  en- 
deavour to  extend  our  views  of  the  providential 
operations  of  God,  and  of  the  glory  of  his  king- 
dom ?  If  Christianity  consisted  merely  in  ab- 
stract disquisitions,  and  metaphysical  dogmas, 
such  a  practice  might  be,  in  some  measure, 
defensible ;  but  since  it  is,  in  every  sense  of  the 
word,  a  practical  system,  it  is  next  lo  trifling 
with  its  prominent  objects,  to  confine  the  range 
of  religious  discussions  within  so  narrow  bounds 
as  is  generally  done  by  many  of  those  who  are 
designated  by  the  term  evangelical ;  and  argues 
a  complete  forgetfulncss  of  the  apostle's  exhorta- 
tion, "  Therefore,  leaving  the  first  principles  of 
the  doctrine  of  Christ,  let  us  go  on  to  perfection," 
tracing  first  principles  through  all  their  diversi- 
fied bearings  on  mortal  action,  and  on  Christian 
contemplation. 

One  of  the  great  objects  of  preaching  ought, 
undoubtedly,  to  be,  to  investigate  the  numerous 
and  minute  ramifications  of  human  conduct ;  to 
explore  every  avenue  of  corruption  ;  to  endea- 
vour to  draw  forth  from  its  hiding-place  every 
immoral  principle  and  action,  which  exerts  its 
pernicious  influence  in  Christian  or  in  general 
society ;  and  with  all  the  powers  of  graphical 
description  we  can  command,  to  portray  them 
before  the  eyes  of  men,  in  all  their  repulsive 
features,  and  in  all  their  abominations.  At  the 
same  time,  we  ought  to  apply  the  touch-stone  of 
the  divine  law  to  every  unchristian  propensity 
and  practice;  to  exhibit  its  contrariety  to  the 
spirit  of  our  holy  religion ;  to  show  how  the 
principle  of  love  ought  to  operate  in  every  given 
case  and  circum-^iancn,  and  in  the  minutest  ac- 
tions of  human  life;  and  how  very  different  ef- 
fects would  be  produced,  were  the  principles  laid 
down  by  our  Saviour  and  his  apostles,  to  operate 
with  full  effect  throughout  every  department  of 
the  moral  world.  Unless  such  objects  be  gene- 
rally aimed  at,  and  steadily  kept  in  view,  in  the 
oonrae  of  public  instnictioo,  religioa  will  be  apt 


to  degenerate  into  a  mere  figment,  or,  at  most, 
into  a  subject  of  wrangling,  or  a  matter  of  curi- 
ous speculation. 

Let  no  class  of  religionists  presume  to  tell  us, 
that,  if  the  fundamental  doctrines  of  religion  be 
simply  declared,  Christian  morality  will  follow  as 
a  matter  of  course ;  and  that,  to  expatiate  on  any 
particular  branch  of  social  conduct,  is  lo  dege- 
nerate into  legal  preaching.  If  this  principle 
were  to  be  admitted,  then  all  the  expostulations 
and  denunciations  of  the  prophets,  all  the  reproo& 
and  exhortations  of  the  apostles,  all  the  moral 
sermons  of  our  Saviour,  and  all  the  minute  di- 
rections in  reference  to  moral  conduct,  detailed 
in  every  epistle  to  the  Christian  churches,  may 
be  regarded  as  egregious  trifling.  If  it  be  one 
grand  design  of  revelation  to  restore  mankind 
from  the  ruins  of  the  fall,  and  to  reinstate  them 
in  that  integrity  which  they  at  first  possessed  ;— 
if  it  was  the  chief  design  of"  the  law  and  the 
prophets"  to  bring  forth  into  action,  on  the  theatre 
of  the  world,  the  two  fundamental  principles  of 
the  moral  law,  as  the  Lawgiver  himself  has  ex- 
pressly stated  ;  (Matt.  xxii.  37^40  ;) — if  the 
sweet  singer  of  Israel  devoted  a  large  portion  of 
his  inspired  strains  to  the  celebration  of  the  di- 
vine precepts,  (Psalm  cxix.  &c. ;) — if  most  of  the 
sermons  and  parables  of  our  Saviour  have  a  di- 
rect bearing  on  the  same  important  subject ;— if 
the  apostle  Paul,  in  his  instructions  to  a  Christian 
minister,  enlarged  particularly  on  the  duties 
which  should  be  inculcated  on  the  various  ranks 
and  relations  of  men,  (Titus  ii.  iii.  ;) — if  all  the 
apostolic  letters  to  the  Christian  churches  are 
full  of  minute  directions,  in  relation  to  everj 
branch  of  moral  duty ; — if  heaven  be  the  scene  of 
perfect  moral  rectitude,  where  ardent  affection 
towards  God,  and  towards  fellow-intelligences, 
ever  reigns — where  love,  peace,  and  harmony, 
eternally  prevail ; — if  the  happiness  of  that  world 
depend  upon  the  absence  of  moral  evil,  and  the 
attainment  of  moral  perfection; — if  the  present 
world  be  a  state  of  preparation  for  the  enjoyments 
of  that  happier  region  ; — if  this  preparation  con- 
sist in  having  the  principles  of  love  to  God  and 
to  man  interwoven  through  the  whole  constitution 
of  the  mind,  and  brought  forth  into  action  in  the 
diversified  scenes  of  civil  and  religious  inters 
course  ; — ^if  such  important  effects  cannot  be  pro- 
duced, unless  by  laying  open  to  view  the  latent 
abominations  of  the  heart,  by  impelling  the  moral 
principles  of  the  gospel  through  all  the  avenues 
and  windings  of  the  human  passions  and  affec- 
tions ;  and  by  illustrating,  with  minute  particu- 
larity, every  subordinate  branch  of  Christian 
duty  ; — if  these  positions  be  admitted,  it  will  fol- 
low, that  the  duties  of  Christian  morality,  so  far 
from  being  thrown  into  an  obscure  corner,  ought 
to  occupy  a  promin^n/ p^e  in  the  range  of  the 
ministration  of  every  Christian  minister,  who  is 
desirous  to  promote  the  improvement  of  societj, 
and  the  renovation  of  the  wori«L 


184 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OP  RELIGION. 


Id  ihort,  we  expect  no  grand  moral  reforma- 
tioa  to  b*  acbiKvnd— au  commencement  of  the 
millennial  era  o(  ihu  church,  till "  the  watchoMn 
upon  Mount  Siim,"  with  mure  energy  than  they 
have  yet  ditplayrd,  '*  shall  lift  up  their  voice  like 
a  trumpet,  and  show  to  the  houae  of  Jacob  their 
iranagresfions" — till  they  "  lift  it  up  with 
•trength,  and  not  be  afraid"  of  any  lutpiciona 
that  may  be  thrown  out  against  their  orthodcxy, 
when  they  show  unto  men  the  path  of  duty  in  all 
its  beoringn  on  the  relations  of  time,  and  on  the 
employments  of  eternity — till  they  make  the  mo- 
ral principles  of  Revelation  bear,  in  all  (heir 
force,  not  only  on  the  prominent  features  of  social 
life,  but  upon  every  minute  ramification  of  human 
conduct  till  every  lurking  principle  of  jealousy, 
envy,  avarice,  and  revenge  be  made  to  fisel  their 
energy — till  even  the  very  amiufmenu  of  public 
and  domestic  life  be  made  (o  bend  to  the  eternal 
laws  of  rectitude,  and  to  carry  on  their  fronts 
that  noble  inscription,  '*  Holihess  to  the 
Lord." 

II.  If  the  preceding  train  of  sentiments  be  ad- 
mitted^ we  may  be  directed  in  our  views  of  the 
nature  and  end*  of  church  discipline,  and  the 
persons  on  whom  it  ought  to  be    exercised. 

In  a  great  majority  of  Christian  churches,  cen- 
sures are  inflicted  chiefly,  or  solely,  on  persona 
guilty  of  an  external  breach  of  one  or  two  precepta 
,ofthe  decalogue^-oii^f^sne  or  two  species  of  vio- 
lation of  the  moral  law  are  considered  as  worthy 
of  cognizance  ;  while  the  systematic  operation:)  of 
slander,  revenge,  envy,  and  avarice — the  indica- 
tions of  harsh,  sour,  and  ungovernable  tempers, 
and  the  absence  of  Christian  candour  and  affec- 
tion— circumstances  which  display  the  real  eha- 
racters  of  men  far  more  distinctly  than  any 
inndaUd  acts  of  immorality  can  do — are  either 
wholly  overlooked,  or  considered  as  characteris- 
tics of  very  trivial  import.  The  censures  to 
which  I  allude,  are  likewise  accompanied,  in 
many  instances,  with  a  degree  of  magisterial 
haughtiness,  severity,  and  unchristian  feeling, 
which  is  directly  repugnant  to  every  amiable, 
candid,  and  eenernus  principle.  A  person  guilty, 
in  a  single  instance,  of  a  breach  of  the  seventh 
or  eight  commnndmenis,  will  lie  under  the  frown 
ofa  religious  society  for  years,  and  even  to  the 
close  of  his  life,  notwithstanding  every  evidence 
he  can  give  of  the  sincerity  of  his  repentance, 
and  even  be  deprived  of  the  means  of  earning  his 
wbaiatence  ;  while  another  may  habitually  vio- 
late almost  all  the  other  precepts  of  the  decalogue, 
and  be  screened  from  the  discipline  of  the  church. 
He  may  be  avaricious,  cunning,  and  deceitful ; 
harsh  and  ui/eeling  in  his  conduct ;  uncandid  and 
uncharitable  in  his  dispositions  towards  others  ; 
proud,  selfish, and  obstinate  in  his  temper;  ad- 
dicted to  slander  and  to  incessant  litigations  ; 
impatient  of  control ;  and  boisterous  and  conten- 
tioiia  in  hi*  general  deportment— ^nd  yet  be  con- 
videred  as  ■•  proper  object  of  censure ;  and, 


though  never  manifesting  the  least  symptom  of 
penitence,  will  be  viewed  aa  a  tolerably  fair  cha- 
racter in  religious  society,  especially  if  he  has 
acquired  a  considerable  share  of  wealth  and  of 
influence  in  gei>eral  society. — Of  such  cases  and 
practicei,  ihe  author  had  selected  a  number  of 
striking  examples,  which  the  narrow  limits  to 
which  he  is  confined  in  the  present  work,  coo- 
strain  him,  in  the  mean  lime,  to  |iostpone. 

Now,  ifihe  general  sentiments  already  thrown 
out  be  founded  on  tnith,  and  on  the  nature  of 
things,  such  a  practice  as  that  to  which  we  allude, 
must  be  absurd,  unchristian,  and  inconsistent 
with  the  preservation  of  the  moral  purity  of  reli- 
gious society.  It  has  this  pernicious  tendency, 
among  others,  that  it  leads  multitudes  to  imagine, 
that,  if  they  can  keep  clear  of  two  or  three  acts 
of  moral  delinquency,  (hey  may  trample  on  every 
divin^^  principle  and  law  with  impunity.  A  poor 
wretch,  under  the  pressure  of  poverty,  steals  a 
hen  or  a  pocket  handkerchief,  ai>d,  notwithstand- 
ing his  subsequent  repentance,  is  banished  from 
social  intercourse,  and  hek)  up  to  execration; 
while  a  sanctimonious  hypocrite  will  swindle  his 
neighbourout  of  a  hundred  pounds,  if  nocriminaJ 
law  can  take  hold  of  him,  and  will  retain  his  sta- 
tion in  the  church,  and  hold  up  his  face  without 
a  blush  in  the  presence  of  general  society.  It  is 
obvious,  if  (heie  be  any  truth  in  what  we  have 
hitherto  staled,  that  the  general  tenor  of  the  coo- 
duct,  and  the  uniform  manifestation  of  beneve- 
lent  affections,  ought,  in  every  case,  to  form  the 
grand  criterion  of  a  man's  being  entitled  to  ihe 
character  of  a  Christian  ;  and,  that  dispositions 
of  an  opposite  nature  habitually  displayed,  how- 
ever much  overlooked  in  the  general  intercourse 
of  life,  ought  to  form  a  ground  of  exclusion  from 
the  society  of  the  faithful. 

III.  This  subject  has  a  particular  bearing 
upon  the  divition*  which  subsist  in  the  religious 
world,  and  the  grand  principles  which  ought  to 
form  a  bond  of  union  among  all  who  acknowledge 
the  truth  of  the  Christian  Revelation. — If  the 
train  of  thought  illustrated  in  the  preceding 
pages  be  correct,  it  will  follow,  that  a  cordial 
union  of  the  various  sections  of  the  Christian 
church  is  to  be  expected  from  the  cultivation  of 
the  Spirit  of  Love,  more  than  from  any  attempt 
to  produce  an  exact  coincidence  of  opinion  os 
these  theological  points  in  which  they  now  differ 
Wherever  this  spirit  is  found  expanding  the  soul, 
and  governing  the  affections,  it  will  lead  its  po»- 
sessors  to  view  the  peculiar  opinions  of  others 
with  candour  ;  to  respect  their  persons  ;  lo  al- 
low them  liberty  of  thought  on  all  the  subordinate 
ramifications  of  theological  sentiment  ;  and  to 
set  a  hicher  value  on  moral  qualifications,  and 
the  manifestation  of  benevolent  affections,  than 
on  those  circuntstantial  opinions  which  do  not 
enter  inio  the  essence  of  the  Christian  scheme. 
If  the  professing  Christian  worW  were  thoroughly 
investigated,  il  would  be  found,  that  it  is  owinf 


MEANS  OF  CHRISTIAN  UNION. 


185 


.iiore  to  the  absence  of  this  spirit,  that  Chris- 
aans  stand  so  much  aloof  from  each  other,  than 
to  the  speculative  opinions  which  they  respec- 
tively maintain.  The  prevalent  disposition  for 
sneerin"  at  other  denominations,  and  the  plea- 
sure that  seems  to  be  felt  in  laying  open  their 
sores,  will  generally  be  found  to  proceed  from  a 
nrinciple  of  pride,  and  of  self-conceit  in  regard 
to  our  own  favourite  opinions,  some  of  which, 
when  probed  to  the  bottom,  will  be  found  as  rot- 
ten as  our  neighbour's.  Why  are  men  not  as 
much  disposed  to  pass  encomiums  on  what  is 
sound  in  the  opinions,  and  laudable  in  the  con- 
duct, of  other  parties,  as  they  are  to  censure  them 
for  minor  peculiarities  of  sentiment  ?  Why? 
Because  it  appears,  that  many  professed  Chris- 
tians take  more  delight  in  the  exercise  of  male- 
volent feelings  than  of  benevolent  affections  ;  and 
are  like  flies,  that  pass  over  the  sound  parts  of  a 
man's  body,  and  fix  upon  his  sores.  Till  such 
unchristian  dispositions  be  undermined,  and  tem- 
pers of  an  opposite  description  pervade  the  ranks 
of  Christian  society,  we  can  expect  no  cordial 
nor  lasting  union  in  the  visible  church,  however 
many  ingenious  schemes  may  be  formed,  to  bring 
abqut  this  desirable  event.  For  every  effect 
must  have  an  adequate  cause  :  this  cause  will  be 
found  to  consist  more  in  the  affection  than  in 
opinion ;  and  a  union  formed  on  an  apparent 
coincidence  of  sentiment,  unmingled  with  ardent 
love  and  affection,  would  be  unworthy  of  the 
name,  and  would  soon  be  dissolved. 

It  can  form  no  decisive  mark  ofa  man's  Chris- 
tianity, that  he  recognises  the  peculiar  opinions 
of  the  Baptists  or  Psdo-Baptists,  of  Presbyte- 
rians, Episcopalians,  or  Independents;  it  is  a 
matter,  comparatively  of  little  importance, 
whether  a  man  believes  that  Christ  was  an  ac- 
tual or  a  virtual  Mediator  under  the  Old  Testa- 
ment ;  whether  he  be  designated  the  Son  of  God 
in  virtue  of  his  office,  or  of  his  nature  ;  whether 
or  not  we  be  guilty  of  Adam's  first  sin;  whether 
the  transaction  which  passed  between  him  and 
his  Creator,  should  be  viewed  as  a  law,  or  as  a 
covenant ;  whether  the  ordinance  of  baptism 
should  be  administered  by  dipping,  or  by  sprin- 
kling, &c.  &c. — But  it  is,  unquestionably,  a  mat- 
ter of  the  highest  moment,  both  to  the  person 
himself,  and  to  Christian  society,  that  his  temper, 
affections,  and  conduct,  should  be  in  unison  with 
the  holy  law  of  God,  and  that  he  should  display 
the  love  which  it  requires,  in  all  his  social,  com- 
mercial, domestic,  and  Christian  intercourses  ; — 
and  if  such  dispositions  and  conduct  were  univer- 
lally  to  prevail  among  the  various  denominations 
9f  the  religious  world,  union  would  soon  follow, 
AS  a  matter  of  course. — If,  therefore,  we  wish  to 
behold  the  unhappy  divisions  of  the  church  ce- 
mented, let  us  cultivate,  with  ardour,  those 
4miabie  and  affectionate  dispositions  which  our 
jdnevolent  religion  inculcates,  and  be  more 
anxious  to  correct  our  own   mental  and  moral 


aberrations,  than  to  magnify  the  errors  and  th« 
faults  of  others.  Let  us  make  every  allowance 
for  the  effects  which  education,  habit,  temper 
local  circumstances,  and  particular  associations, 
may  have  produced  on  the  opinions  of  our  sup- 
posed erring  brethren  *,  and  let  us  consider,  that 
we  ourselves,  had  we  been  placed  in  the  same 
circumstances,  might  have  imbibed  the  same 
sentiments.  Let  us  endeavour  to  acquire  clear 
and  well-defined  ideas  on  every  subject  connect- 
ed with  religion  ;  that  we  may  not  contend  about 
trifles,  about  mere  abstract  ideas,  or  the  appli- 
cation of  particular  terms  or  phrases.  Let  u« 
keep  our  eyes  fixed  on  the  great  and  prominent 
objects  of  revelation,  and  on  all  the  subordinate 
active  means  by  which  they  may  be  promoted. 
Let  us  consider  religion  as  consisting  more  in 
action,  than  in  speculation.  Let  our  love  to 
Christian  brethren  be  founded,  not  so  much  on  a 
general  coincidence  of  opinion,  as  on  the  resem- 
olance  they  bear  to  the  Divine  image  ;  and  then 
we  may  confidently  expect,  that  that  period  wil. 
soon  approacli,  when  the  saints  of  God  "  shall  see 
eye  to  eye,"  in  reference  to  all  the  grand  bearings 
of  the  Gospel  scheme,  and  when  the  name  of 
Jehovah  shall  be  one  throughout  all  the  earth. 

IV.  We  may  learn  from  the  subject  we  have 
been  illustrating,  what  notions  we  ought  to  form  of 
the  NATURE  of  a  future  state  of  happiness,  and  of 
the  PREPARATION  requisite  to  enable  usto  engage 
in  its  employments. — The  felicity  of  the  future 
world  will  not  consist  simply  in  a  change  of 
place ;  nor  will  it  consist  chiefly  in  change  of 
sentiment  or  opinion.  Its  foundation  must  be 
laid  in  the  principle  of  Love,  and  in  the  com- 
plete renovation  of  the  moral  powers  of  the  hu- 
man mind,  without  which  no  celestial  scene  could 
produce  permanent  enjoyment.  Although  all 
the  theologians  who  now  exist  were  united  in 
opinion  about  every  article  of  the  system  of  Di- 
vinity; and  although  they  were  transported  to 
the  most  splendid  world  that  revolves  aroun' 
the  star  Arcturus  ;  afler  the  first  transports, 
arising  from  the  novelty  and  the  grandeur  of  the 
scene  had  subsided,  they  would  enjoy  little  more 
happiness  in  that  orb,  than  they  do  in  this  ter- 
restrial sphere,  unless  they  were  actuated  with 
moral  dispositions  and  affections  very  diffe- 
rent from  those  which  many  of  them  now  display. 
For,  not  only  rancour  and  malice,  but  even  cold- 
ness and  indifference  to  the  welfare  of  others, 
would  prevent  happiness  from  being  enjoyed  in 
any  region  of  the  material  universe.  All  who 
believe  in  the  reality  of  a  future  world,  indulge 
in  anxious  wishes  to  be  made  happy  when  they 
pass  from  this  mortal  scene  to  the  world  of 
spirits.  Even  wicked  men,  whose  consciences 
frequently  forebode  evil  to  them  in  the  other 
world,  indulge  the  hope  that  God  will  ultimately 
oe  merciful  to  them,  and  admit  them  to  the  joys 
of  heaven.  But  this  is  impossible,  in  the  vei^ 
nature  of  things,  unless  they  be  "  renewed  in  tbk 


186 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  RELIGION. 


tpirit  of  thrir  minds,"  and  endowed  with  tlioae 
ibly  diipoaitiona  which  alone  can  qualify  them 
fcr  relishing  subttantial  happincsi,  and  fuTjpnr- 
ticipating  in  "the  inheritance  of  the 'sainls  of 
light."  How  co«ild  Malignity  associate  with 
Benevolence,  Conteniion  with  F'riendship,  or 
War  with  Peace?  How  could  the  sons  of 
liflcord  dwell  in  unity,  in  an  assembly  where  all 
^  harmony  and  lovo  ?  How  could  the  malicious 
and  revengeful  spirit  find  delight  in  the  employ- 
ments of  kindnuss  and  pure  benignity  ?  How 
could  the  man  who  now  finds  his  chief  pleasure 
in  hounding  and  horse-racing,  in  brawling  and 
fighting,  have  any  relish  for  the  sublime  adora- 
tions, the  enraptured  praises,  and  the  lofty  and 
refined  contemplations,  of  the  celestial  inhabi- 
tants ?  The  thing  is  impossible,  unless  the  mo- 
ral order  of  all  worlds  wore  completly  subverted. 
Such  characters  will  be  banished  from  the  abodes 
of  bliss  ;  not  by  any  arbitrary  decree  of  the  Al- 
mighty, but  in  virtue  of  the  moral  constitution  of 
the  intell  igent  universe. 

It  is,  therefore,  evident,  that  the  happiness  of 
heaven  must  be  founded  upon  the  exercise  of  love, 
affection,  harmony,  perfect  good-will  to  fellow- 
intelligences,  and  the  infinite  variety  of  ramifi- 
cations into  which  such  principles  may  diverge  ; 
combined  with  profound,  enlightened,  and  venera- 
ble views  and  affections,  in  relation  to  the  God 
and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  When 
these  and  similar  dispositions  are  uniformly  ex- 
ercised, without  the  least  mixture  of  any  one  in- 
gredient of  moral  evil,  it  is  easy  to  conceive, 
with  what  transports  of  delight  the  inhabitants 
of  heaven  will  contemplate  the  displays  of  Di- 
vine Power,  Wisdom,  and  Goodness,  and  inves- 
tigate the  history  of  his  dispensations  in  the 
moral  government  of  our  world,  and  in  the  ar- 
rangements of  all  the  other  worlds  whose  physi- 
cal and  moral  economy  may  be  laid  open  to  their 
view.* 

Such  views  are  in  perfect  accordance  with 
the  representations  of  Scripture. — "  Without 
holiness,  no  man  shall  see  the  Lord."  "  The 
pure  in  heart  (and  they  alone)  shall  see  God." 
"Nothing  that  worketh  abomination,  can  enter 
within  the  gales  of  the  heavenly  city."  "  As  we 
have  borne  the  image  of  the  earthly,  (says  the 
Apostle,)  80  shall  we  bear  the  image  of  the  hea- 
venly." "  Christ  Jesus  gave  himself  for  the 
church,  that  he  might  sanctify  and  cleanse  it,  and 
that  hf.  might  present  it  to  himself  a  glorious 
church,  holy,  and  without  blemish."  The  crown 
of  glory,  reserved  in  heaven  for  the  faithful,  is 
ieaignated  "  a  crown  of  righteousness."     "  The 

*  The  Author  will  have  an  opimrtunity  of  Illus- 
trating this  topir  In  more  mintile  itetail,  in  a  woric 
entitle<l,  "  The  PttUntnphv  nf  a  FiUure  ttate .-  or,  an 
lllostratlon  of  the  ronnexlon  of  Science  with  the 
Eternal  World,— and  of  the  Aids  which  its  dtscove- 
fiM  aflbrd,  for  enabling  us  to  form  a  conception  of 
Jm  ptrmluMi  impnpement  of  tha  oeleaUat  Inbablt- 
•Mi  InknowMce  and  felicUr." 


spirits  of  just  men,"  in  the  fiiture  wor.d,  '*  ar* 
made  perfect,"  freed  from  every  taint  of  monti 
pollution,  and  unrestrained  in  the  exercise  of 
their  moral  powers.  The  inheritance  to 
which  they  are  dextined,  is  "  undefiled"  with 
the  least  slain  of  corruption,  or  with  the  exam- 
)>lo  of  impure  and  malignant  spirits.  "  When 
Christ,  who  is  our  life,  shall  appear,  we  shall  be 
like  him ;"  transformed  into  his  moral  image, 
and  animated  with  ihocc  Divine  principles  and 
virtues,  which  he  displayed  in  his  conduct,  when 
he  tabernacled  among  mrn.  The  saints  "  shall 
walk  with  him  in  while,"  an  emblem  of  their 
perfect  moral  purity  ;  "  they  shall  receive  an  in- 
heritance among  them  that  are  sanctified  ,"  and 
"  there  shall  be  no  more  death,  neither  sorrow, 
nor  crying  ;  for  the  former  things  shall  have  pai^ 
ed  away." 

V.  From  the  preceding  illustrations  we  may 
learn  something  oftht  nature  and  euenee  of  ftf 
twe  puniahmenl.  If  the  exercise  of  love,  in  all  its 
diversified  modifications,  constitutes  the  founda- 
tion and  the  essence  of  happiness,  the  unrestrain- 
i-d  operations  of  malevolence  must  be  the  source 
and  the  sum  of  misery.  We  cannot  form  a  mvre 
dreadful  picture  of  future  punishment,  than  bjr 
conceiving  the  principles  of  (itlsehood,  deceit, 
and  malignity,  and  the  passions  of  pride,  hatred, 
malice,  and  revenge,  raging  with  uncontrolled 
and  perpetual  violence.  We  need  represent  to 
ourselves  nothing  more  horrible  in  the  place  of 
punishment,  than  by  supposing  the  Almighty 
simply  to  permit  wicked  men  to  give  full  scope 
to  their  malevolent  dispositions  ;  leaving  them 
"  to  eat  of  the  fruit  of  their  own  ways,  and  to  be 
filled  with  their  own  devices."  The  effects 
produced  by  the  uncontrolled  operation  of  such 
principles  and  passions  would  be  such,  as  may 
be  fitly  represented  by  the  emblems  of  "  the 
worm  that  never  dies,"  of"  devouring  fire,"  and 
of  iheir  necessary  concomitants,  "  weeping,  and 
wailing,  and  gnashing  of  teeth."  (See  Chap. 
II.  Sect.  iv.  pp.  65.  58.)  What  other  ingre- 
dients of  misery,  arising  either  from  k)cal  cir- 
cumstances, from  the  recollection  of  the  past,  or 
the  anticipation  of  the  future,  may  be  mingled 
with  the  cup  of  future  wo,  it  becomes  not  us  par- 
ticularly to  determine.  And,  whether  this  scene 
of  misery  will  ever  come  to  a  termination,  must 
be  determined  by  the  consideration,  whether  tha 
effects  produced  by  such  a  punishment  will  have 
a  tendency  to  produce  repentance  and  reforma- 
tion on  the  minds  of  the  sufferers.  If,  after  a 
lapse  of  ages,  the  principles  of  hatred  to  God, 
and  to  surrounding  intelligences,  continue  to 
operate  with  increasing  violence,  without  pro- 
ducing the  least  desire  of  returning  to  their  aU 
legiancc  to  God,  or  the  least  symptom  of  reforma- 
tion,— then,  we  may  conclude,  that  the  misery 
of  wicked  intelligences  will  continue  so  loofW 
they  remain  in  eziatenoe. 


THE 


CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER, 


OR, 


THE  CONNEXION  OF 


SCIENCE    AND    PHILOSOPHY 


RELIGION. 


BY   THOMAS   DICK, 

AUTHOR  OP  A  TARIETT    OF   LITERARY   AND    SCIENTIFIC    COMMUNICATIOm 

IN  Nicholson's  philosophical  journal,  the  annals 

OF    FHILOSOFHY,    ETC.   ETC. 


HARTFORD: 
PUBLISHED  BY  SUMNER  <fc  GOODMAN. 
1  842. 


PREFACE  TO  THIS  EDITION. 


The  following  pages  were  written  under  the  impression  that  the  visible 
manifestations  of  the  attributes  of  the  Deify  are  too  frequently  overlooked  by 
Christians  in  iheir  views  of  the  great  objects  of  Religion,  and  in  the  worship 
they  offer  to  the  Father  of  their  spirits ;  and  are  intended  to  show,  that  the 
Teachers  of  Religion,  in  imparting  instruction  either  to  the  old  or  to  the  young, 
ought  to  embrace  a  wider  range  of  illustration,  in  reference  to  Divine  subjected 
than  that  to  wliich  they  are  usually  confined. 

Throughout  the  whole  of  the  discus^ons  contained  in  this  work,  the  Author 
has  pursued  his  own  train  of  thought ;  and,  in  so  doing,  he  trusts  that  he  has 
been  enabled  to  render  some  of  his  illustrations  mo.e  interesting  to  the  young 
and  untutored  mind  than  if  he  had  adhered  rigidly  to  the  sentiments  of  others, 
and  to  the  technical  language  of  science.  The  sketches  of  the  differen*  sciences 
are  not  mere  extracts,  or  compilations,  but  are,  for  the  most  part,  original  com- 
position— in  which  it  has  been  his  main  object  to  imbody  as  many  mcts  as  his 
limits  would  permit — in  order  to  excite  the  inquiring  mind  to  farther  investiga- 
tions into  the  different  departments  of  physical  science. 

It  is  presumed,  that  no  Christian  reader  will  for  once  imagine,  that  the  views 
illustrated  in  this  work  are  intended  to  be  substituted  in  place  of  the  peculiar 
revelations  of  the  Bible.  The  object  of  the  volume  is  to  illustrate  the  harmony 
which  subsists  between  the  system  of  Nature  and  the  system  of  Revelation ;  and 
to  show,  that  the  manifestations  of  God  in  the  material  universe  ought  to  be 
blended  with  our  views  of  the  facts  and  doctrines  recorded  in  the  volume  ot 
Inspiration. 

It  is  taken  for  granted,  throughout  the  whole  range  of  the  following  illustra- 
tions, that  the  Scriptures  contam  a  Revelation  from  Heaven ;  and,  under  a  firm 
belief  of  this  important  truth,  the  Author  has  embellished  his  work  with  frequent 
quotations  from  the  energetic  and  sublime  language  of  this  Sacred  Book.  It 
would,  therefore,  be  unfair  in  any  critic,  who  entertains  doubts  on  this  point,  to 
find  fault  with  such  quotations,  or  with  the  allusions  to  Bible  phraseology  which 
occur,  unless  they  can  be  shown  to  be  introduced  without  judgment  or  dis- 
crimination. 

The  Author  has  carefully  revised  every  portion  of  the  present  edition,  and 
introduced  a  variety  of  corrections  and  modifications.  He  has  likewise  intro- 
duced additional  matter,  to  the  extent  of  between  20  and  30  pages,  and  also 


iv  PREFACE. 

several  illustrative  engravings.  In  its  present  (brm,  the  Author  trusts,  that 
independently  of  the  moral  reflections  it  contains,  it  will  be  found  to  comprise 
popular  descriptions  of  a  greater  number  of  scientific  facts  than  is  to  be  found  in 
any  other  volume  of  the  same  size. 

Various  topics,  originally  intended  to  be  illustrated,  have  been  unavoidably 
omitted.  Some  of  these  are  stated  in  the  last  paragraph  of  Chapter  IV.  the 
illustration  of  which,  in  combination  with  other  kindred  topics,  would  fill  a 
volume  of  nearly  the  same  size  as  the  present  This  subject  (for  which  the 
autlior  has  abundance  of  materials)  will  be  prosecuted  in  another  volume,  under 
the  title  of  The  Philosophy  of  Religion  ;  and  will  comprise,  among  many 
other  objects  of  discussion,  illustrations  of  the  moral  relation  of  intelligent  beings 
to  their  Creator,  and  to  one  another — the  physical  and  rational  grounds  of  those 
moral  laws  which  the  Deity  has  promulgated — the  views  which  science  afibrds 
of  the  incessant  energies  of  Creating  Power,  and  of  the  grand  and  multifarious 
objects  over  which  Divine  Providence  presides — the  relation  of  science  to  a 
future  state,  and  of  the  aids  which  the  discoveries  of  science  afford,  for  enabling 
us  to  form  a  conception  oftheperpetual  improvement  of  the  celestial  inhabitants 
in  knowledge  and  felicity.  These  subjects  will  be  illustrated  by  a  variety  of 
interesting  details  of  facts,  in  relation  to  the  system  of  nature,  the  history  of 
nations,  and  tlie  moral  state  of  Christian  and  general  society 


CONTENTS. 


IMTRODUCTIOK  ..-.. 17 

Necessity  of  Revelation.  Folly  of  discarding  the  Science  of  Nature  from  Religion. 
Beneficial  Effects  which  flow  from  the  study  of  the  Works  of  God. 

CHAPTER  I. 

OP  THE  NATURAL  ATTRIBUTES  OP  THE  DEITY.     ^•^ 

SECTION  I. 
Oji    the   relation   of   the  Natural  Attributes  of  the  Deity   to  Reli- 
gion ............-•£5 

The  Christian  Religion  founded  on  the  Natural  Attributes  of  God.  His  Power  as 
interesting  a  subject  as  his  Mercy — Illustrated  in  two  instances.  Evils  which  arbo 
from  imperfect  conceptions  of  Divine  Power.  Defects  in  Religious  Instruction  on 
this  subject.     Sources  of  Illustration. 

SECTION  II. 
Illustrations  of  the  Omnipotence  of  the  Deity        «       -       -       -        -    SS 

The  material  world  exhibits  a  more  striking  display  of  this  Perfection  than  the  super- 
natural facts  recorded  in  Scripture.  Immense  quantity  of  Matter  in  the  universe. 
Mode  of  acquiring  the  most  comprehensive  conception  of  the  bulk  of  the  Earth — 
its  variety  of  scenery — its  mass  of  solid  matter.  Magnitude  of  the  bodies  which 
compose  the  Solar  System.  Magnitude  and  number  of  the  Stars.  Procedure  of 
the  mind  in  acquiring  the  most  impressive  conceptions  of  such  august  objects.  Re- 
flections. Rapid  Motions  of  the  Celestial  Bodies.  How  we  acquire  the  ideas  of 
relative  velocities — weight  of  the  Earth — immense  physical  forces — Grandeur  of 
the  motion  of  Saturn — immense  number  of  bodies  impelled  through  the  heavens — 
Reflections.  Immense  Spaces  which  surround  the  Heavenly  Bodies — Reflections. 
Popular  illustration  of  the  Motions  of  the  Earth  and  Heavens.  Extract  from  Dr. 
Ridgeley,  with  remarks.  Universe  intended  to  adumbrate  the  Attributes  of  God,  and 
to  make  a  sublime  impression  on  created  beings.  Similar  trains  of  thought  sug- 
gested in  the  Scriptures.  Morcd  Effects  of  such  contemplations.  Humility.  Folly 
of  pride — low  rank  of  man  in  the  scale  of  being.  Reverence  and  Veneration — Rea- 
son why  mankind  feel  so  little  veneration  of  God — how  it  may  be  increased.  The 
Deity  unsearchable.  Hope  and  Corifidence  in  the  prospect  of  futurity — Resurrec- 
tion— Scenes  of  Eternity. 

SECTION  III. 
On  the  Wisdom  and  Intelligence  of  the  Deity  -----    61 

Wisdom  defined— Displayed  in  the  Structure  of  the  Solar  System.  Distance  of  the 
Sun.  Rotation  of  the  Planets — Principal  reason  why  such  a  motion  exists.  Wisdom 
displayed  in  other  Systems.  Minute  displays  of  this  attribute  cannot  be  traced  in  the 
heavens.  Wisdom,  as  displayed  in  the  constitution  of  our  globe — adjustment  of  its  solid 
parts  to  the  necessities  of  the  beings  which  inhabit  it.  Mountains,  their  uses — exist  in 
other  worlds.  Diversity  of  colour — argument  for  a  plurality  of  worlds — general  colour 
which  prevails  in  the  scene  of  nature — Water,  its  use  in  the  system  of  nature — its 
composition,  evaporation — motion  of  the  liquid  element — its  beneficial  effects.  The 
Atmosphere — its  weight  and  pressure — its  component  parts — its  various  properties — 
necessary  to  animal  life,  flame,  sound,  twilight — wisdom  displayed  in  its  constitution. 
Expansion  of  water  in  the  act  of  freezing. 


Trf  CONTENTS. 

Varibtt  or  NiTW»« 78 

VegetablM — thair  number  and  rariety.     Animals — rariety  in  their  organization.    Ejm 
of  inaecta— their  exquinitn  mechanism.     Subterraneous  Regions.     Atmosphere.     The 
Variety  of  Nature  affords  a  Taint  idea  of  the  infinity  of  the  Creator.     Illustrated 
in  the  number  uT  animal  pans  and  functions.     Reflection.     Variety  the  foundation  of 
our  judgments.     Beauty  and  sublimity  of  Nature.    Primeval  state  of  our  glob^— 
other  worMs. 
MtAanism  of  Ammattd  Being*  ..........gg 

Structure  of  the  Human  Eye — its  coats,  humours,  muscles,  orbit,  and  motiona. 
Wisdom  displayed  in  its  construction.  Light — its  velocity,  minuteness,  colour*,  «uid 
adaptation  to  the  eye.  Manner  in  which  Vision  is  rERroRMKD— explaiiied 
by  a  figure,  and  an  experiment— illustrated  by  iho  view  from  Salisbury  Craigs,  Mul- 
titude of  rays  which  flow  from  every  object— «mallness  of  the  image  on  the  retina, 
illustrated  by  calculation — what  proportion  of  the  solar  light  falls  on  our  globe — R^ 
flections.  Mechanism  for  viewing  near  and  distant  objects— contraction  and  dilata- 
tion of  the  pupil — distance  at  which  we  see  distinctly.  Summary  view  of  adaptationa 
in  the  structure  of  the  eye.  Eyes  of  superior  intelligences.  Visual  organs  of  the 
inferior  animaU.  Mechanitm  qf  the  Bones  illustrated— exemplified  in  the  joints  of  the 
fingers,  the  wrist,  and  the  movements  of  which  the  head  is  susceptible.  Moral  Reflec- 
tiona  on  the  impropriety  of  overlooking  the  Divine  Wisdom  in  the  system  of  nature, 

SECTION  IV. 
Oh  the  Goodnbss  or  Benevolence  of  the  Deitt  •       -       •       -       •111 

Benevolence  of  God  in  relation  to  .Mon^-considered  as  a  depraved  intelligence.  Mercy 
displayed  in  the  system  of  nature.  Benevolence  as  displayed  towards  the  lower 
animals.     Extract  from  Dr.  Paley.    General  Reflections. 

CHAPTER  II. 

A  CURSORY  VIEW  OF  SOME  OF  THE  SCIENCES  WHICH  ARE  RELATED 
TO  RELIGION  AND  CHRISTIAN  THEOLOGY. 

Introduction.     Extensive  range  of  Theology.    Bad  efl^ects  of  setting  Religion  in  oppo. 

sition  to  Science.     Harmony  of  the  operations  of  God  in  Nature  and  Revelation  117 

Natural  Histort         - 110 

Its  extensive  range.  Outline  of  its  principal  objects — on  the  surface,  and  in  the  interior 
recesses  of  the  earth — in  the  atmosphere^the  vegetable,  mineral,  and  animal  king- 
doms— and  in  the  region  of  the  heavens.  Description  of  the  Banian  Tree.  Reflec- 
tions. Monkey  Bread  Tree.  Splendour  and  felicity  of  insect  life.  Invisible  worlds 
— infinity  of  the  universe.  Religious  tendency  of  this  Science.  It  affurds  a  manifest- 
ation of  the  Deity,  and  expands  our  conceptions  of  his  operations— .ennobles  the  human 
mind. — Recommended  by  the  Sacred  writers. 

Geography      -        .-.- -..]S4 

Its  object — Figure  of  the  Earth — Proofs  of  its  spherical  form.  Relation  which  the  dis- 
covery of  the  figure  of  tlie  earth  bears  to  the  plan  of  Providence.  Magnitude  and 
natural  divisions  of  (he  earth  General  features  of  its  surface.  3/ounta>n»^their 
general  ranges,  and  the  sublime  scenes  tliey  exhibit  The  Ocean — its  extent,  depth, 
bottom,  and  motions,  itiuers— their  number,  size,  and  the  quantity  of  water  they 
pour  into  the  ocean.  Huw  they  are  supplied — their  use  in  the  system  of  nature. 
Artificial  division  of  the  earth.  Number  and  variety  of  its  inhabiiant.s.  Number 
which  have  existed  since  the  Creation — number  at  the  resurrection,  and  the  space  they 
would  occupy.  Number  which  the  earth  would  contain — strictures  on  Malthua. 
Utility  of  the  study  of  Geotfraphy  to  Religion — to  Directors  of  Missionary  Societies 
— to  Private  Christians.     Grandeur  of  its  physical  objects — utility  of  its  moral  facts. 

Gbolooy - 147 

Its  object  and  connexion  with  religion — an  interesting  subject  of  inquiry.  Materials  which 
compose  the  crust  of  our  globe.  Various  geological  phenomena.  Organic  remains — 
Mammoth,  Tapir,  Elk,  Megatherium,  &c.  Geological  deductions  not  inconsistent 
with  the  Mosaic  Historv — Genesis  i.  1,2,  exolained.     Short  duration  of  the  earth 


CONTENTS. 

ia  its  preterit  fotTH.    The  Deluge,  and  its  effects  on  the  earth's  strata.    Marine  shells, 
&c.    Grand  and  terrific  objects  which  this  science  exhibits — illustrate  the  sublime 
descriptions  of  the  Deity  recorded  in  the  Scriptures. 
Astronomy       -...-..-._.---  18$ 

Its  sublime  objects.  Apparent  motions  of  the  Sun — of  the  Moon.  Eclipses  of  the  Sun 
and  Moon.  Apparent  motion  of  the  starry  heavens.  Stars  and  planets  seen  in  the 
day-time,  and  with  what  powers  of  the  telescope  they  may  be  distinguished.  Appar- 
ent reroiution  of  the  celestial  vault  indicates  Almighty  power.  Stars  never  shift  their 
relative  positions.  Solar  System.  The  Sun — his  size  and  probable  destination  illus- 
trated— his  spots  and  atmosphere — difierent  kind  of  rays  emitted  from  his  body — his 
distance  illustrated.  Mercury — his  size,  rotation,  quantity  of  light  and  heat,  &c 
Proportions  of  caloric  on  the  difTerent  planets.  Venus — her  size,  phases,  mountains, 
transits,  and  general  phenomena.  Original  observations  on,  and  mode  by  which  her 
diurnal  rotation  may  be  determined.  Earth — proofs  of  its  annual  and  diurnal  motions. 
The  raoon^-description  of  her  majestic  mountain  scenery,  luminous  spots,  celestial 
appearances,  illuminating  power,  superficial  contents,  &c.  Mars — his  distance, 
atmosphere,  luminous  zone,  &c.  New  Planets — Ceres,  Pallas,  Juno,  and  Vesta — 
their  anomalies,  singularities,  and  probable  origin.  Meteoric  Stones.  Jupiter — his 
bulk,  rotation,  belts,  and  the  appearances  of  his  moons.  Saturn — his  figure,  belts, 
moons,  and  quantity  of  light.  His  Rings,  their  dimensions,  motion,  and  phenomena 
— illustrated  by  a  figure.  Splendour  of  the  firmament,  as  viewed  from  this  planet  (see 
the  engraving.)  Herschel — his  distance,  size,  and  quantity  of  light.  Comets — their 
tails,  velocity,  orbits,  size,  and  number.  New  Comet.  Motion  of  the  solar  system 
in  absolute  space — its  destination — plurality  of  worlds  intimated  in  Scripture.  The 
Fixed  Stars — their  distance  illustrated — their  arrangement,  changes — moral  reflections. 
Relation  of  Astronomy  to  Religion — moral  effects  which  its  objects  have  a  tendency 
to  produce — criminality  of  overlooking  the  works  of  God,  &c. 

Natural  Philosophy     -------.-..-201 

Its  objects  and  different  departments.  Mechanics — subjects  '.t  embraces,  and  its  impor- 
tance to  the  improvement  of  mankind.  Hydrostatics — its  leading  principles  and  uses, 
illustrated  by  figures.  Pneumatics — its  principles,  and  the  experiments  by  which  they 
are  illustrated.  Acoustics.  Optics — leading  facts  and  principles  of  this  science. 
Burning-glasses,  &c.  Electricity — its  nature,  phenomena,  effects,  and  agency  in  the 
system  of  nature.  Galvanism — its  singular  effects  on  metals,  &c  and  on  the  animal 
system — various  facts  which  it  explams.  Magnetism — its  various  phenomena  and 
effects.  Relation  of  Natural  Philosophy  to  Religion — its  inventions  meliorate  the  con- 
dition of  msmkind — illustrated  in  the  case  of  the  electric  fluid — it  undermines  the  influ- 
ence of  superstition — unfolds  the  incessant  agency  of  God — indifference  to  this  subject 
unreasaonble. 

Chymistry        ...._--  21» 

Its  objects,  and  present  dignified  station.  General  forms  of  matter — simple  and  com- 
pound substances.  Caloric — its  sources  and  properties.  Oxygen,  its  properties  and 
combinations — nitrous  oxide,  its  singular  effects.  Nitrogen,  its  effects  on  flame  and 
animal  life.  Hydrogen,  its  properties  and  uses.  Carbon,  its  nature,  combinations, 
and  antiseptic  properties.  Sulphur,  its  origin,  combinations,  and  properties.  Phos- 
phorus, history  of  its  discovery — how  prepared — curious  experiments  with  this  sub- 
stance— Phosphoric  phenomena  in  the  system  of  nature.  Connexion  of  this  science 
with  Religion — it  displays  the  wisdom  and  benevolence  of  God,  and  the  mode  of  his 
present  and  future  operations — improves  the  condition  of  man — and  carries  forward 
our  views  to  a  more  glorious  and  auspicious  era. 

Anatomy  and  Physiology     ----------        .2S1 

Their  general  object — human  body,  its  different  parts  and  divisions.  Bones,  their  num- 
ber, form,  and  positions.  Muscles,  their  nature,  use,  and  extraordinary  strength. 
Heart  and  blood-vessels,  and  the  circulation  of  the  blood.  Respiration — curious  struc- 
ture of  the  lungs.  Digestion.  Perspiration.  Sensation,  and  the  system  of  nerves. 
Summary.  Moral  reflections — this  branch  of  study  teaches  us  our  dependence  on  a 
Superior  Power — and  excites  to  gratitude. 

History  -       -       -       *.'."       :. -       -241 

Its  objects,  advantages,  and  connexion  with  Religion.  Connexion  of  the  sciences  and 
of  the  Divine  dispensations  with  each  other.    Concluding  remarks. 


viii  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  m. 

THE  RELATION  WHICH  THE  INVENTIONS  OF  ART  BEAR  TO  THB 
OBJECTS  OF  RELIGION. 

Alt  of  Printing,  its  origin,  and  beneficial  effocta — Dr.  Church'a  Inipro*emenU  in.  Art  of 
Navigation.  Mariner's  Compass,  its  discovery  and  use.  The  Telescope,  its  invention, 
and  the  discoveries  made  by  it — serves  instead  of  a  celestial  vehicle.  Magnifying  pow- 
ers of  Dr.  Herschel's  Telescopes.  The  Microscope,  and  the  views  it  exhibits  of  tba 
wisdom  of  God.  Steam  Navigation,  its  utility  in  promoting  the  intercourse  of  mao- 
kind,  and  its  relation  to  the  objects  of  religion.  Air  Balloons,  utility  of,  when  arrived 
^at  perfection — proposed  improvement  in.  History  of  their  invention — Lunardi's  ascent— 
the  Parachute.  Acoustic  Tunnels.  Experiments  on  the  Conveyance  of  Sound.  M. 
Biot's  remarkable  experiment.  Don  Gautier's  experiment  and  suggestion.  Coodusiona 
in  reference  to  the  extensive  conveyance  of  sound.  Practical  remarks — utility  of  the 
aru  in  relation  to  tho  Millennial  Era        .---.----  114 


CHAPTER  IV. 

SCRIPTURAL  FACTS  ILLUSTRATED   FROM  THE  SYSTEM 
OF  NATURE. 

I.  Science  may  frequently  serve  as  a  guide  to  tho  true  interpretation  of  Scripture.  Canoo 
or  rule  for  Scripture  interpretation — illustrated.  II.  The  Depravity  of  Man  illustrated, 
from  i\  consideration  of  the  state  of  the  interior  strata  of  the  earth.  Volcanoes,  and  tho 
terrible  ravages  they  produce.  Earthquakes,  and  their  dreadful  effects.  Thunderstorms, 
tempests,  and  hurricanes.  General  Reflections  on  this  subject.  III.  The  Resurrection 
illustrated.  Transformations  of  Insects.  Indestructibility  of  matter— conclusions  from 
this  fact.  IV.  General  Conflagration.  Concluding  reflections.  Topics  omitted  in  this 
volume      -  .-..-.--..-..  185 


CHAPTER  V. 

BENEFICIAL  EFFECTS   WHICH  WOULD  RESULT   FROM  CONNECTING 
SCIENCE  WITH  RELIGION, 

I.  The  variety  of  topics  wou  d  allure  the  attention  of  intelligent  minds  to  religious  subjects. 
Principle  of  novelty  intended  by  the  Creator  to  be  gratified — illustrated  in  the  variety 
which  appears  in  the  earth,  the  heavens,  and  the  volume  of  Revelation.  II.  Science  en* 
ables  us  to  take  an  extensive  mrvey  of  the  empiret  of  God — illustrates  many  sublime  passa- 
ges of  the  Bible — qualifies  us  for  complying  with  several  Divine  Injunctions — danger  of 
selAshness  and  indifference  in  this  respect.  Our  conceptions  of  God  depend  on  our  views 
of  the  extent  of  his  dominions.  III.  Science  enlarges  our  views  of  the  operatioru  of  Provi- 
dence, in  relation  to  the  past  and  present  scenes  of  the  world.  The  economy  of  the  in- 
ferior animals.  The  pAysiea/ and  mora/ economy  of  the  celestial  worlds.  IV.  Science, 
blended  with  Religion,  would  produce  a  general  expansion  of  mind,  and  liberality  of 
views,  in  reference  to  the  opinions  and  actions  of  men,  and  to  the  works  and  the  ways  of 
God,  illustrated  at  large.  V.  It  would  induce  a  spirit  of  piety,  and  profound  humility. 
Sources  of  pieiy — illustrated  by  an  example.  Humility — illustrated  by  the  examples  of 
Mr.  Bovie,  of  Sir  Isaac  Newton,  and  of  superior  intelligences.    General  conclusioDS    •  1S4 


CONTENTS. 


APPENDIX. 

No.  I.  Illustration  of  the  rate  of  motion  in  tho  heavenly  bodies,  on  the  supposition  that  the  earth 

is  at  rest. 
No.  II.  Experimental  illustrations  of  the  pressure  of  the  atmosphere. 
No.  III.  On  the  means  by  which  it  may  probably  be  ascertained  whether  the  Moon  be  a  habits* 

ble  world. 
No.  IV.  Remarks  on  the  late  prciMded  discovery  of  a  Lunar  Fortification. 
No.  V.  On  the  ideas  of  Magnitude.  Motion,  and  Duration,  as  expressed  by  numbers. 
No.  VI.  On  a  Plurality  of  Worlds. ' 
No.  VII.  On  the  first  inventor  of  Printing. 
No.  VIII.  On  Telescopes ;  with  a  brief  notice  of  a  iVeio  Reflecting  Telescope  constructed  by  dtf 

Author. 
No.  IX.  On  Steam  Navigation. 

No.  X.  Strictures  on  a  certain  sentiment  respecting  Human  Redemption. 
No.  XI.  Extract  from  Dr.  Dwight. 
No.  XII.  List  of  Popular  Works  on  the  different  sciences  treated  of  in  this  volume,  with  P9> 

rasional  remarks. 


i^ 


CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


INTRODUCTION. 


On  tS    subject  of  religion,  mankind  have, 
in  all  ages,  been  prone  to  run  into   extremes. 
While  some  have  been  disposed  to  attach  too 
much  importance  to  the   mere  exertions  of  the 
human  intellect,  and  to  imagine  that  man,  by 
the  light  of  unassisted  reason,  is  able  to  explore 
the  path  to  true  wisdom  and  happiness, — the 
greater  part  of  religionists,  on  the  other  hand,  have 
been  disposed  to  treat  scientific  knowledge,  in 
its  relation  to  religion,  with  a  degree  of  indilTer- 
ence  bordering  upon  contempt.     Both  these  dis- 
positions are  equally  foolish'and  preposterous. 
For  he  who  exalts  human  reason,  as  the  only 
sure  guide  to  wisdom  and  felicity,  forgets,  that 
man,  in  his  present  state,  is  a  depraved  intelli- 
gence, and,  consequently,  liable  to  err;  and  that 
all  those  who  have  been  left  solely  to  its  dictates, 
have  uniformly  failed  in  attaining  these  desira- 
ble objects.      During  a  period   of  more   than 
6,800  years,  the  greater  part  of  the  human  race 
have  been  left  solely  to  the  guidance  of  their 
rational  powers,  in  order  to  grope  their  way  to 
the  Tempe  of  Knowledge,  and  the  Portals  of 
Immortality ;  but  what  has  been  the  result  of 
all  their  anxious  researches  ?    Instead  of  acquir- 
ing correct  notions  of  the  Great  Author  of  their 
existence,   and  of  the  nature  of  that   homage 
which  is  due    to  his  perfections,  "  they  have 
become  vain   in  their  imaginations,  and  their 
foolish  hearts  have  been  darkened.     Professing 
themselves  to  be  wise,  they  have  become  fools  ; 
and  have  changed  the  glory  of  the  Incorruptible 
God  into  an  image  made  like  to  corruptible  man, 
and  to  four-footed  beasts,  and  creeping  things." 
Instead  of  acquiring  correct  views  of  the  princi- 
ples of  moral  action,  and  conducting  themselves 
according  to  the  eternal  rules  of  rectitude,  they 
have  displayed  the  operation  of  the  most  diabo- 
lical passions,  indulged  in  continual  warfare,  and 
desolated  the  earth  with  rapine  and  horrid  car- 
nage ;  so  that  the  history  of  the  world  presents 
to  our  view  little   more  than  a  series  of  revolt- 
ing details  of  the  depravity  of  our  species,  and 
of  the  wrongs  which  one  tribe  of  human  beings 
has  wilfully  inflicted  upon  another. 

This  has  been  the  case,  not  only  among  a  few 
uncultivated  hordes  on  the  coasts  of  Africa,  in 
the  plains  of  Tartar)',  and  the  wilds  of  America, 
but  even  among  those  nations  which  stood  highest 
in  tho  ranks  of  civilization,  and  of  science.— 


The  ancient  Greeks  and  Romans,  who  boasted 
of  their  attainments  in  philosophy,  and  their  pro- 
gress in  the  arts,  entertained  the  most  foolish, 
contradictory,  and  unworthy  notions  of  the  Ob- 
ject of  Divine  worship,  of  the    requirements  of 
religion,   and  of  the   eternal  destiny  of  man. 
They  adored  a  host  of  divinities  characterized 
by  impiety,  fraud,  injustice,  falsehood,  lewdness, 
treachery,  revenge,  murder,  and  every  other  vice 
which  can  debase  the  human  mind,  instead  of 
offering  a  tribute  of  rational  homage  to  that  Su- 
preme Intelligence  who  made  and  who  governs 
the  universe.     Even  their  priesis  and  philoso- 
phers indulged  in  the  most  degrading  and  abomi- 
nable praciices,and  entertained  the  most  irrational 
notions  in  regard  to  the  originof  the  universe,  and 
the  moral  government  of  the  world.  Most  of  them 
denied  a  future  stateof  retribution,  and  all  of  them 
had  their  doubts  respecting  the  reality  of  an  im- 
mortal existence  :  and  as  to  the  doctrine  of  a  resur- 
rection from  the  dead,  they  never  dreamed  of  such 
an  event,  and  scouted  the  idea,  when  proposed  to 
them,  as  the  climax  of  absurdity.     The  glory  to 
which  their  princes  and  genersils  aspired,  was, 
to  spread  death  and  destruction  among  their  fel- 
low-men— to  carry  fire  and  sword,  terror  and 
dismay,  and  all  the  engines  of  destruction,  through 
surrounding  nations — to  fill  their  fields  with  heaps 
of  slain — to  plunder  the  survivors  of  every  earthly 
comfort,  and  to  drag  captive  kings  at  their  cha- 
riot wheels — that  they  might  enjoy  the  splendour 
and  the  honours  of  a  triumph.     What  has  been 
now  stated,  with  regard  to  the  most  enlightened 
nations  of  antiquity,  will  equally  apply  to  the 
present  inhabitants  of  China,  of  Hindostan,  of 
the  Japanese  Islands,  of  the  Birman  Empire, 
and  of  every  other  civilized  nation  on  which  the 
light  of  revelation  has  never  shone — with  this 
additional  consideration.  That  they  have  enjoyed 
an  additional  period  of  1800  years  for  making 
further  investigations  ;  and  are,  at  this  moment, 
as  far  from  the  object  of  their  pursuit  as  when 
they  first  commenced  their  researches  ;  and  not 
only  so,  but  some  of  these  nations,  in  modern 
times,  have  mingled  with  their  abominable. su- 
perstitions and  idolatries  many  absurdities  and 
horrid  cruelties,  which  were  altogether  unknown 
among  the  Greek  and  Roman  population. 

Such  are  the    melancholy  results  to    whicli 
men  have  been  led,  when  left  to  the  guidanca 


10 


INTRODUCTION. 


of  unMiisted  reaaon,  in  the  moat  intnmting  and 
important  of  all  inveatiKaliona.  They  liava 
wandered  in  the  mazon  of  error  and  dt-lusion  ; 
and  (heir  researches,  instead  of  directing  aud 
expanding  our  ruli^ious  view»,  have  tended  only 
to  bewilder  the  human  mind,  and  to  throw  a 
deeper  shade  of  intellectual  gloom  over  our 
apostate  world.  After  a  period  of  six  thousand 
years  has  been  spent  in  anxious  inquiries  after 
the  path  to  true  knowledge  and  happiness — Igno- 
rance, Superstition,  Idolatry,  Vice,  and  Misery 
still  continue  to  sway  their  sceptre  over  the  great 
majority  of  the  human  race  ;  and,  if  we  be  allow- 
ed to  reason  from  the  past  to  the  future,  we  may 
rest  assured,  that  while  mankind  are  destitute 
oTa  Guide  superior  to  the  glimmerings  of  deprav- 
ed reason,  they  would  be  no  nearer  the  object  of 
their  pursuit,  after  the  lapse  of  sixty  thoutand 
ytan,  than  at  the  present  moment.  It  is  only 
in  connection  with  the  discoveries  of  Revelation, 
that  we  can  expect  that  the  efforts  of  human 
reason  and  activity  will  be  successful  in  abolishing 
the  reign  of  Ignorance  and  degrading  Supersti- 
tion— in  illuminating  the  benighted  tribes  of  the 
Pagan  World — and  in  causing"  Righteousness, 
and  Order,  and  Peace,  to  spring  forth  before  all 
the  nations."  Though  the  Christian  Religion 
has  never  yet  been  fully  understood  and  recognis- 
ed in  all  its  aspects  and  bearings,  nor  its  require- 
ments been  cordially  complied  with,  by  the  great 
body  of  those  who  profess  to  believe  in  its  Divine 
origin,  yet  it  is  only  in  those  nations  who  have 
acknowledged  its  authority,  and  in  some  mea- 
sure submitted  to  its  dictates,  that  any  thing 
approximating  to  just  conceptions  of  the  Supreme 
Intelligence,  and  of  his  moral  government,  is 
found  to  prevail. 

But,  on  the  other  hand,  though  tlie  light  of 
Nature  is  of  itself  a  feeble  and  insufficient  guide, 
to  direct  us  in  our  views  of  the  Supreme  Intel- 
ligence, and  of  our  eternal  destination,  yet  it  is 
a  roost  dangerous  and  delusive  error  to  imagine, 
that  Reason,  and  the  study  of  the  material  world, 
ought  to  be  discarded  from  the  science  of  religion. 
The  man  who  would  discard  the  efforts  of  the 
human  intellect  and  the  science  of  Nature  from 
Religion,  forgets — that  He  who  is  the  Author  of 
human  redemption,  is  also  the  Creator  and  Go- 
vernor uf  the  whole  system  of  the  material  uni- 
verse— that  it  is  one  end  of  that  moral  renovation 
which  the  Gospel  effects,  to  qualify  us  for  con- 
templating aright  thedisplaysof  Divine  Perfec- 
tion which  the  works  of  creation  exhibit — that 
the  visible  works  ofGod  are  the  principal  medium 
by  which  he  displays  the  attributes  of  his  nature 
to  intelligent  beings— that  the  study  and  con- 
templation of  these  works  employ  the  faculties  of 
inteliigencei  of  a  superior  order* — that  man,  had 
he  remained  in  primeval  iniMcence,  would  have 
be«i  chiefly  employed  in  such  contemplalit 


*  E«v.  Iv.  11  IV  >,  kc. 


that  it  is  one  main  design  of  Divine  Revelation 
to  illustrate  the  operations  of  Pruvidenoe,  and  the 
agency  of  God  in  the  formation  and  preserva- 
tion of  all  \\i\agf, — and  th.it  the  Sciiptuiea  are  full 
of  Aublimedesciipiionsufihe  visible  cnalion,  and 
of  interesting  references  to  llie  various  objects 
which  adorn  ihc  scenery  of  Nature.  Wiihoiit 
the  cultivation  of  our  reasoning  powers,  and  an 
investigation  of  the  law.s  and  economy  of  Nature, 
we  could  not  appreciate  many  of  the  excellent 
characters,  the  ii.Ieresting  a»p<>ct»,  and  the 
sublime  references  of  revealed  religion :  we 
should  lose  the  full  evidence  of  those  arguroenLs 
by  which  the  existence  of  God  and  his  atlribute.H 
of  Wisdom  and  Omnipotence  are  iikmI  power- 
fully demonstrated  :  we  should  remain  destitute- 
of  those  sublime  conceptions  of  the  perfections 
and  agency  of  Jehovah  which  the  grandeur  and 
immensity  of  his  works  are  calculated  to  inspire  : 
we  should  never  perceive,  in  its  full  force,  the 
evidence  of  those  proofs  on  which  the  Divine 
authority  of  Revelation  is  founded  :  we  could  not 
give  a  rational  interpretation  of  the  spiiit  and 
meaning  of  roany^)arts  of  tite  Sacred  Oracles  : 
nor  could  we  comply  with  thote  positive  com- 
mands of  God  which  enjoin  us  to  contemplate 
the  wonder  of  his  power,  to  "  meditate  on  all  his 
works,  and  to  talk  of  all  his  doings." 

Notwithstanding  these  and  many  other  consi- 
derations, which  show  the  folly  of  overlooking 
the  visible  manifestations  of  Deity  in  the  exer- 
cises of  Religion,  it  has  long  been  the  practice 
of  certain  theologians  to  depreciate  the  wonderful 
works  of  Jehovah,  and  to  attempt  to  throw  them 
into  the  shade,  as  if  they  were  unworthy  of  our 
serious  contemplation.  In  their  view,  to  be  a 
bad  philosopher  is  the  surest  way  to  become  a 
good  Christian,  and  to  expand  the  viens  of  the 
human  mind,  is  to  endanger  Christianity,  and  to 
render  the  design  of  religion  abortive.  They 
seem  to  consider  it  as  a  most  noble  triumph  to  the 
Christian  cause,  to  degrade  the  material  world, 
and  to  trample  under  foot,  not  only  the  earth,  but 
the  visible  heavens,  as  an  old,  shattered,  and  cor- 
rupted fabric,  which  no  longer  demands  our  study 
or  admiration.  Their  expressions,  in  a  variety 
of  instances,  would  lead  us  almost  to  conclude, 
that  theyconsideredlheeconomy  of  Nature  as  set 
in  opposition  to  the  economy  of  Redemption, 
and  that  it  is  not  the  same  God  that  contrived 
the  system  of  Nature,  who  is  also  'he  "Author 
of  eternal  salvation  to  all  them  that  obey  him." 

It  is,  unquestionably,  both  foolish  and  impious 
to  overlook  or  to  undervalue  any  of  the  mode* 
by  which  the  Divine  Being  has  been  pleased 
to  make  known  his  nature  and  perfections  to 
mankind.  Since  he  has  givfn  a  display  of  hit 
"  Eternal  Power  and  Godhead"  in  the  grand 
theatre  of  nature,  which  forms  the  subject  of 
•cientific  investigation,  it  was  surely  never  in- 
tended, and  would  ill  comport  with  reverence  for 
iu  adorable  Author,  that  such  magnificent  dis- 


INTRODUCTION. 


11 


plays  of  his  Power,  Wisdom,  and  Beneficence, 
as  the  materia!  universe  exhibits,  should  be  treat- 
ed, bv  his  intelligent  offspring,  wi  h  indifference 
or  neglect.  It  becomes  us  to  contemplate,  with 
adoring  gratitude,  every  ray  of  our  Creator's 
glory,  whether  as  emanating  from  the  light  of 
Revelation,  or  as  reflected  from  the  scenery  of 
nature  around  us,  or  as  descending  from  those 
regions  where  stars  unnumbered  shine,  and 
planets  and  comets  run  their  solemn  rounds. 
Instead  of  contrasting  the  one  department  of 
knowledge  with  the  other,  with  a  view  of  depre- 
ciating the  science  of  nature,  our  duty  is,  to 
derive  from  both  as  much  information  and  in- 
struction as  they  are  calculated  to  afford  ;  to 
mark  the  harmony  of  the  revelations  they  re- 
spectively unfold  ;  and  to  use  the  revelations  of 
nature  for  the  purpose  of  confirming  and  am- 
plifying, and  carrying  forward  our  views  of  the 
revelation  contained  in  the  Sacred  Scriptures. 
With  regard  to  the  revelation  derived  from  the 
Sacred  Records,  it  has  been  imagined  by  some, 
that  it  has  little  or  no  reference  to  the  operations 
of  the  material  system,  and  that,  therefore,  the 
study  of  the  visible  works  of  God  can  be  of  liitle 
importance  in  promoting  religious  knowledge 
and  holy  affections.  In  the  sequel  of  this  vo- 
lume, I  shall  endeavour  to  show,  that  this  senti- 
ment is  extremely  fallacious,  and  destitute  of  a 
foundation.  But,  in  the  mean  time,  although  it 
were  taken  for  granted,  it  would  form  no  argu- 
ment against  the  combination  of  science  with  re- 
ligion. For  it  ought  to  be  carefully  remarked, 
that  Divine  Revelation  is  chiefly  intended  to  in- 
truct  us  in  the  knowledge  of  those  truths  which 
interest  us  as  subjects  of  the  moral  administra- 
tion of  the  Governor  of  the  world, — or,  in  other 
words,  as  apostate  creatures,  and  as  moral 
agents.  Its  grand  object  is  to  develop  the  open- 
ings and  beatings  of  the  plan  of  Divine  Mercy  ; 
to  counteract  those  evil  propensities  and  pas- 
sions which  sin  has  introduced;  to  inculcate  those 
holy  principles  and  moral  laws  which  tend  to 
unite  nriankind  in  harmony  and  love  ;  and  to  pro- 
duce those  amiable  tempers  and  dispositions  of 
mind,  which  alone  can  fit  us  for  enjoying  happi- 
ness either  in  this  world,  or  in  the  world  to  come. 
For  this  reason,  doubtless,  it  is,  that  the  jnora/ at- 
tributes of  Deity  are  brought  more  prominently 
into  view  in  the  Sacred  Volume,  than  his  natural 
perfec'ions  ;  and  that  those  special  arrangements 
of  his  Providence,  which  regard  the  moral  reno- 
vation of  our  species,  are  particularly  detailed ; 
while  the  immense  extent  of  his  universal  king- 
dom, the  existence  of  other  worlds,  and  their 
moral  economy,  are  but  slightly  hinted  at,  or 
veiled  in  obscurity.  Of  S4ich  a  Revelation  we 
stood  in  need ;  and  had  it  chiefly  embraced  sub- 
jects of  a  verv  difftsrent  nature,  it  would  have 
(kilod  in  supplvinj  the  remedies  requisite  for 
correcting  the  disorders  which  sin  has  introduced 
imong  mankind — But,  surely,  it  was  never 


intended,  even  in  a  religious  point  of  view,  that 
the  powers  of  the  human  mind,  in  their  contem- 
plations and  researches,  should  be  bounded  by 
the  range  of  subjects  comprised  iniliat  revelation, 
which  is  [turely,  or  chiefly,  of  a  moral  nature, 
since  the  Almighty  has  exibited  so  magnificent 
a  spectacle  in  the  universe  around  us,  and  en- 
dowed us  with  faculties  adequate  to  the  survey 
of  a  considerable  portion  of  its  structure,  and  ca- 
pable of  deducing  from  it  the  most  noble  and 
sublime  results.  To  walk  in  the  midst  of  this 
"  wide  extended  theatre,"  and  to  overlook,  or  to 
gaze  wiih  indifference  on  those  striking  marks 
of  Divine  omnipotence  and  skill,  which  every 
where  appear,  is  to  overlook  the  Creator  him- 
self, and  to  contemn  the  most  illustrious  displays 
he  has  given  of  his  eternal  power  and  glory.  Tiiat 
man's  religious  devotions  are  much  to  be  suspect- 
ed, whatever  show  of  piety  he  may  affect,  wlio 
derives  no  assistance,  in  attempting  to  form  some 
adequate  conceptions  of  the  object  of  his  worship, 
from  the  sublime  discoveries  of  astronomical 
science ;  from  those  myriads  of  suns  and  systems 
which  form  but  a  small  portion  of  the  Creator's 
immense  empire  !*  The  professing  Christian, 
whose  devotional  exercises  are  not  invigorated, 
and  whose  conceptions  of  Deity  are  not  extended, 
by  a  contemplation  of  the  magnitude  and  variety 
of  his  works,  may  be  considered  as  equally  a 
stranger  to  the  more  elevated  strains  of  piety,  and 
to  the  noble  emotions  excited  by  a  perception  of 
the  beautiful  and  the  sublime. 

"  The  works  of -the  Lord,"  says  an  inspired 
writer,  "  are  great,  and  are  sought  out  by  all 
those  who  have  pleasure  therein."  They  all 
bear  the  stamp  of  Infinite  Perfection,  and  serve 
as  so  many  sensible  mediums  to  exalt  and  ex- 
pand our  conceptions  of  him,  whose  invisible 
glories  they  represent  and  adumbrate.  When 
contemplated  in  connection  with  the  prospects 
opened  by  Divine  Revelation,  they  tend  to  ex- 
cite the  most  ardent  desires  after  that  state  of 
enlarged  vision,  where  the  plans  and  operations 
of  Deity  will  he  more  clearly  unfolded — and  to 
prepare  us  for  bearing  a  part  in  the  immortal 
hymn  of  the  church  triumphant: — "  Great  and 
marvellous  are  thy  works.  Lord  God  Almighty, 
just  and  true  are  thy  ways,  thou  King  of  Saints." 
The  most  illustrious  characters  that  have  adorn- 
ed our  race  in  all  ages,  have  been  struck  with 
the  beauty  and  magnificence  of  the  visible  crea- 
tion, and  have  devoted  a  certain  portion  of  their 


*  As  some  readers  seem  to  have  mistaken  the 
Author's  meaninsf.  In  this  and  similar  passages,  it 
may  be  proiier  to  state,  that  his  meaning  Is  not— 
that  a  knowleilge  of  natural  science  is  essential  to 
genuine  piety ;  but,  that  the  person  icho  h%s  an  op- 
portunity nf  making'  himself  acquaintfd  with  tfte 
science  of  nature,  and  of  contemplating  the  wonders 
of  the  heavens  in  their  true  li?ht,  ami  who  does  not 
tinrt  his  views  of  the  Creator  expanded,  and  his  rell 
glous  emoiions  elevated,  by  such  studies,  has  reason 
to  call  in  question  the  nature  and  the  sincerity  of  his 
dovoUonal  feelings. 


INTRODUCTION. 


13 


time  tad  atlmtion  in  inTettigtling  iia  admirable 
economy  ami  arrangement :  and  there  can  b«  no 
question,  ihal  a  portion  of  our  ihoiightB  devoted 
lo  the  study  of  the  wondrous  works  of  the  Most 
High,  must  uliimaiflv  bo  conducive  to  the  im- 
provement of  our  intellectual  powers,  to  our 
advancement  in  the  Christian  life,  and  to  our 
preparation  for  the  exalted  employments  of  the 
eternnl  wurld. 

In  fine,  since  the  researches  of  modem  times 
have  greatly  enlarged  our  views  of  the  System 
of  Universal  Nature,  and  of  the  vast  extent  to 
which  the  operations  of  the  Creator  are  carried 
on  in  the  distant  regions  of  space, — since  the 
late  discoveries  of  Naturalists  and  Experimental 
Philosophers,  with  respect  lo  the  constitution  of 
the  atmosphere,  water,  light,  heat,  the  gases, 
the  electric,  galvanic  and  magnetic  fluids,  and 
the  economy  and  instincts  of  animated  beings, 
have  opened  to  our  view  a  bright  display  of 
Divine  Wisdom,  in  the  contrivance  and  ar- 
rangement of  the  diflerent  parts  of  our  terrestrial 
habitation, — since  improvements  in  the  useful 
arts  have  kept  pace  with  the  progress  of  science, 
and  have  been  applied  to  many  beneficial  pur- 
poses, which  have  ultimately  a  bearing  on  the 


interests  and  th«  progress  of  religion— since  a 
general  desire  lo  propagate  the  truths  of  Chris- 
tianity in  Heathen  lands  now  animates  the 
mass  of  the  religious  world— since  the  nations 
of  both  Continents  are  now  aroused  to  burst 
asunder  the  shackles  of  despotism,  and  lo  inquire 
after  rational  litK-riy  and  mental  improvement, — 
and  since  all  these  discoveries,  inventions,  and 
movements,  and  the  energies  of  the  human  mind, 
from  which  they  spring,  are  under  the  direction 
and  control  of  that  Omnipotent  Being  who  made 
and  who  governs  the  world— they  ought  to  be 
considered  as  parts  of  those  Providential  arrange- 
ments, in  the  progress  of  which  He  will  ultimately 
accomplish  the  illumination  of  our  benighted 
race,  and  make  the  cause  of  righteousness  and 
truth  to  triumph  among  all  nations.  And,  there- 
fore, the  enlightened  Christian  ought  thankfully 
to  appreciate  every  exhibition,  and  every  dis- 
covery, by  which  his  conceptions  of  the  attributes 
of  God,  and  of  the  grandeur  of  his  works,  may 
be  directed  and  enlarged,  in  order  that  he  may 
be  qualified  to  "  speak  of  the  honour  of  his  ma- 
jesty, and  talk  of  his  power ;  to  make  known  to 
the  sons  of  men  his  mighty  acts,  and  the  glorioua 
majesty  of  bis  kingdom." 


CHAPTER   I. 


OP  THE  NATURAL  ATTRIBUTES  OF  THE  DEITY,  WITH    PARTICULAR   ILLUSTRATIONS  OF 
HIS  OMNIPOTENCE  AND  WISDOM. 


SECTION  I. 

On  the  Relation   of  the  Natural  Attributes  of 
DxiTY  to  Religion. 

A  FIRM  conviction  of  the  existence  of  God, 
and  a  competent  knowledge  of  his  natural  perfec- 
tions,lieat  the  foundation  of  all  religion,  both  na- 
tural and  revealed.  In  proportion  as  our  views 
of  the  perfections  of  Deity  are  limited  and  ob- 
scure, in  a  similar  proportion  will  be  our  con- 
ceptions of  all  the  relations  in  which  he  stands  to 
his  creatures,  of  every  part  of  his  providential 
procedure,  and  of  all  the  doctrines  and  require- 
ments of  revealed  religion. 

By  the  natural  or  essential  attributes  of  God, 
we  understand  such  perfections  as  the  follow- 
ing : — His  Eternity,  Omnipresence,  Infinite 
Knowledge,  Infinite  Wisdom,  Omnipotence,  and 
Boundless  Beneficence.  These  are  the  charac- 
ters and  attributes  of  Deity,  which,  we  must 
suppose,  form  the  chief  subjects  of  contemplation 
10  angels,  and  to  all  other  pure  intelligences — and 
in  investigating  the  displays  of  which,  the  sons 
of  Adam  would  have  been  chiefly  employed,  had 
they  continued  in  primeval  innocence.  These 
attributes  form  the  ground-work  of  all  those  gra- 
cious relations  in  which  the  God  of  salvation 
stands  to  his  redeemed  people  in  the  economy 
of  redemption — they  lie  at  the  foundation  of  the 
whole  Christian  superstructure — and  were  they 
not  recognized  as  the  corner-stones  of  that  sa- 
cred edifice,  the  whole  system  of  the  Scripture 
Revelation  would  remain  a  baseless  fabric.  The 
full  display  of  these  perfections  wilt  be  exhibit- 
ed in  the  futiire  world — the  contemplation  of 
this  display  will  form  one  of  the  sublime  employ- 
ments "  of  the  saints  in  light" — and  to  prepare 
us  for  engaging  in  such  noble  exercises,  is  one 
of  the  chief  designs  of  the  salvation  proclaimed 
in  the  Gospel. 

The  Christian  Revelation  ought  not  to  be  con- 
sidered as  superseding  the  Religion  of  Nature, 
but  as  carrying  it  forward  to  perfection.  It  in- 
troduces the  Deity  to  us  under  new  relations, 
corresponding  to  the  degraded  stale  into  which 
we  have  fallen.  It  is  superadded  to  our  natural 
telations  to  God,  and  takes  it  for  granted,  that 


these  natural  relations  must  for  ever  subsist. 
It  is  true,  indeed,  that  the  essential  attributes  of 
God,  and  the  principles  of  Natural  Religion, 
cannot  be  fully  discovered  without  the  light  of 
Revelation,  as  appears  from  the  past  experience 
of  mankind  in  every  generation  ;  but  it  is  equally 
true,  that,  when  discovered  by  the  aid  of  this 
celestial  light,  they  are  of  the  utmost  importance 
in  the  Christian  system,  and  are  as  essentially 
connected  with  it,  as  the  foundation  of  a  build- 
ing is  with  the  superstructure.  Many  professed 
Christians,  however,  seem  to  think,  and  to  act, 
as  if  the  Christian  Revelation  had  annulled  the 
natural  relations  which  subsist  between  man  and 
the  Deity  ;  and  hence  the  zealous  outcry  against 
every  discussion  from  the  pulpit,  that  has  not  a 
direct  relation  to  what  are  termed  the  doctrines 
of  grace.  But  nothing,  surely,  can  be  more  ab- 
surd than  to  carry  out  such  a  principle  to  all  its 
legitimate  consequences.  Can  God  ever  cease  to 
be  Omnipotent,  or  can  man  ever  cease  to  be 
dependent  for  existence  on  his  infinite  power  ? 
Can  the  Divine  Being  ever  cease  to  be  Omnipre- 
sent and  Omniscient,  or  can  man  ever  cease  to 
be  the  object  of  his  knowledge  and  superintend- 
ence ?  Can  Infinite  Wisdom  ever  be  detach- 
ed from  the  Almighty,  or  can  man  ever  be  in  a 
s^ituation  where  he  will  not  experience  the  eflTscts 
of  his  wise  arrangements  ?  Can  Goodness 
ever  fail  of  being  an  attribute  of  Jehovah,  or  can 
any  sentient  or  intelligent  beings  exist  that  do 
not  experience  the  effects  of  his  bounty  ?  In 
short,  can  the  relation  of  Creature  and  of  Crea- 
tor ever  cease  between  the  human  race,  in  what- 
ever moral  or  physical  situation  they  may  be 
placed,  and  that  almighty  Being,  "  who  giveth 
to  all,  life  and  breath,  and  all  things  ?"  If  none 
of  these  things  can  possibly  happen,  then  the 
relations  to  which  we  refer  must  be  eternal  and 
unchangeable,  and  must  form  the  basis  of  all  the 
other  relations  in  which  we  can  possibly  stand 
to  the  Divine  Being,  either  as  apostate  or  as 
redeemed  creatures  ;  and,  therefore,  they  ought 
to  be  exhibited  as  subjects  for  our  frequent  and 
serious  contemplation,  as  religious  and  mora) 
agents.  But,  unless  we  make  such  topics  a  dis* 
tinct  subject  of  attenrion,  and  endeavour  to  ao 
quire  a  clear  and  comprehensive  conception  of 
our  natural  relations  to  God,  we  can  never  fom  a 


14 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


I 


datr  cooception  of  ihoae  naw  and  intereatiof 

ralaiions  inio  which  we  have  been  brought  by  the 
mediation  of  Jeius  ChrUt. 

If  man  had  cuniinued  in  hii  primitive  stale  of 
inte^iiy,  he  would  have  been  for  ever  exerci«ed 
in  tracing  the  Power,  the  Beneficence,  and  other 
attribute*  of  Deiiy,  in  the  visible  creation  alone. 
Now  that  bis  ikilcn  ilate  has  rendered  ad^itiuiiai 
reTetaiions  necutsary,  in  order  to  veciire  his  hap- 
pinew— is  he  completely  lo  throw  aside  those  con- 
teiaplalions  and  exerci^s  which  constiiuiud  his 
chief  employment,  while  he  remained  a  pure  moral 
^intelligence?  Surely  not.  One  great  end  of  his 
■oral  renovation,  by  m<;ans  of  the  Gospel,  roust 
be,  to  enable  him  to  retume  ku primitive  exercises, 
and  to  qualify  him  fur  mure  enlarged  views  and 
eoatemplat ionsi  of  a  similar  nature,  m  that  future 
world,  where  the  physical  and  moral  impedi- 
ments which  now  obstruct  his  progress  will  be 
completely  removed. 

It  appears  highly  unreasonable,  and  indicates 
a  selfish  disposition  of  mind,  to  magnify  one  class 
of  the  Divine  attributes  at  the  expense  of  another, 
to  extol,  for  example,  the  Mercy  of  God,  and  ne- 
glect to  celebrate  his  Power  and  Wisdom — those 
glorious  perfections,  the  display  of  which,  at  the 
formation  of  our  globe,  excited  the  rapture  and 
admiration  of  angels,  and  of  innocent  man.  All 
the  attributes  of  God  are  equal,  because  all  of 
tbeniare  infinite ;  and,  therefore,  to  talk  of  darling 
attributes  in  the  Divine  Nature,  aa  some  have 
done,  is  inconsistent  with  reason,  unwarranted 
by  Scripture,  and  tends  to  exhibit  a  distorted 
Tiew  of  the  Divine  character.  The  Divine  mercy 
ought  to  be  celebrated  with  rapture  by  every  indi- 
vidual of  our  fallen  race  ;  but  with  no  less  rapture 
(hould  we  extol  the  Divine  Omnipotence  ;  for 
the  designs  of  mercy  cannot  be  accomplished  with- 
out the  intervention  of  Infinite  Power.  All  that 
we  hope  for,  in  consequence  of  the  promises  of 
God,  and  of  the  redemption  accomplished  by  Jesus 
Christ,  must  be  founded  on  the  conception  we 
form  of  the  operations  of  Omnipotence.  An  ex- 
ample or  two  may  not  be  unnecessary  for  illus- 
trating this  position. 

We  are  warranted,  by  the  sacred  oracles,  to 
entertain  the  ho[)e,  that  these  mortal  bodies  of 
ouri,  after  they  have  mouldered  in  the  dust,  been 
disaolved  into  their  primary  elementary  parts,  and 
become  the  prey  of  devouring  reptiles,  during  a 
lapse  of  generations  or  of  centuries, — shall  spring 
forth  from  the  tomb  to  new  life  and  beauty,  and 
be  arrayed  in  more  glorious  forms  than  they  now 
wear  ;  yea,  that  all  the  inhabitants  of  our  globe, 
firom  Adam  to  the  end  of  lime,  though  the  bodies 
of  thousands  of  ihem  have  been  devoured  by  can- 
nibals, have  become  the  food  of  fishes  and  of 
beasts  of  prey,  and  have  been  burnt  to  cinders, 
and  their  ariies  scattered  by  the  winds,  over  the 
different  regions  of  sea  and  land. — shall  be  reani- 
mated by  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God,  and  shall 
appear,  each  in  his  proper  person  and  identical 


bodjT,  before  God,  the  Judge  of  alL  Now,  the 
firmneaa  of  our  hope  oT  so  asloiiiKhing  an  event, 
which  aeena  to  cuntradici  all  experience,  and 
appears  involved  in  sudi  a  niaas  of  dttficulties 
and  apparent  contradiciiuns,  must  be  in  propor- 
tion to  the  sentiments  weentertaiii  of  the  Divine 
Intelligence,  W'liwlom,  and  Omnipotence.  And 
wtipre  are  we  to  find  the  most  striking  visible 
displays  of  these  (M^rfectioOH,  except  in  the  acltial 
operations  of  the  Creator,  within  tlie  range  </ 
our  view  in  the  material  world  ? 

Again,  we  are  inKirmed,  in  the  same  Divine 
records,  that,  at  some  future  period,  the  earth  on  t 
which  we  now  dwell  shall  be  wrapt  up  in  devour- 
ing flames,  and  its  prfssenl  form  and  constitution 
dn  ever  destroyed  ;  and  its  redeemed  inhabitants, 
after  being  release<l  from  the  grave,  ahotl  be  trans- 
ported to  a  more  glorious  regiun  ;  and  that  "  new 
heavens  .tnd  a  new  earth  shall  appear,  wherein 
dwelleth  righteousness."  The  Divine  mercy  hav- 
ing given  to  the  faiihful  the  promise  of  these 
astoniishing  revolutions,  and  mo«t  magnificent 
events,  our  hopes  of  thoir  being  fully  realized 
must  rest  on  the  infinite  wisdom  and  omnipotence 
of  Jehovah  ;  and,  consequently,  if  our  views  ct 
these  perfections  be  limited  and  obscure,  our  hope 
in  relation  to  our  future  destiny  will  be  propor- 
tionably  feeble  and  languid  ;  and  will  s<arcely 
perform  its  office  "  as  an  anchur  to  the  soul,  both 
sure  and  steadfast."  It  is  not  merely  by  telling 
a  person  that  God  is  All-wise,  and  AII-pov\erful, 
tliat  a  full  conviction  of  the  accomitliiihinent  of 
such  grand  events  will  be  produced.  He  must 
be  made  to  see  with  his  own  eyes  what  the 
Almighty  has  already  done,  and  what  he  is  now 
doing  in  all  the  regions  of  universal  nature  which 
lie  open  to  our  inspection  ;  and  this  cannot  be 
effected  without  directing  hi.i  contemplations  to 
those  displays  of  intelligence  arxl  power  which 
are  exhibited  in  the  structure,  the  economy,  and 
the  revolutions  of  the  material  worM. 

If  the  propriety  of  these  sentiments  be  admit.. 
°  ted,  it  will  follow  that  the  more  we  arenrcustom- 
ed  to  contemplate  the  wonders  o(  Divine  intelli- 
gence and  (tower,  in  the  objects  with  which  we 
are  surrour>ded,  the  tnore  deeply  shall  we  be  im- 
press<<d  with  a  conviction,  and  a  confident  hope, 
that  all  the  purposes  of  divine  mercy  will  ulti- 
mately be  accomplished  in  our  elrnial  felicity. 
It  will  a!80  follow,  that,  in  proportion  as  the  mind 
acquires  a  clear,  an  extensive,  and  a  reverential 
view  of  the  eiisential  attributes  of  the  D>'iiy,  and 
of  those  truths  in  connection  with  them,  which 
are  objects  of  contemplation  common  lo  all  holy 
beings,  in  a  similar  proportion  will  it  be  impress- 
ed, and  its  attention  arrested,  by  every  other 
divine  subject  connected  with  them.  And  it  is, 
doubtless,  owing  to  the  want  of  such  clear  and 
impressive  conceptions  of  the  essentia'  character 
of  Jehovah,  and  of  the  first  truths  of  retigiun.  ttiat 
the  bulk  of  mankind  are  so  little  impressed  and  ^ 
influenced  by  the  leading  doctrines  and  duiisn      j 


NATURAL  ATTRIBUTES  OF  THE  DEITY. 


16 


connected  with  the  plan  of  the  Gospel  salvation, 
and  that  ihey  entertain  so  many  vague  and  iinte- 
nable  notions  respecting  the  character  and  the  ob- 
jects of  a  superintending  Providence.  How  oflen, 
for  example,  have  we  witnessed  expressions  of  the 
foolish  and  limited  notions  which  are  frequently 
entertained  respecting  the  operations  of  Omni- 
potence ?  When  it  has  been  asserted  that  the 
earth  with  all  its  load  of  coniinents  and  oceans, 
is  in  rapid  motion  through  the  voids  of  space- 
that  the  sun  is  ten  hundred  thousand  times  larger 
than  the  terraqueous  globe — and  that  millions  of 
such  globes  are  dispersed  throughout  the  immen- 
sity of  nature — some  -who  have  viewed  them- 
selves as  enlightened  Christians,  have  exclaimed 
at  the  impossibility  of  such  facts,  as  if  they  were 
beyond  the  limits  ofDivine  Power,  and  as  if  such 
representations  were  intended  to  turn  away  the 
mind  from  God  and  religion  ;  while,  at  the  same 
time,  they  have  yielded  a  firm  assent  to  all  the 
vulgar  notions  respecting  omens,  apparitions,  and 
hobgoblins,  and  to  the  supposed  extraordinary 
powers  of  the  professors  of  divination  and  witch- 
craft. How  can  such  persons  assent,  with  intel- 
ligence and  rational  conviction,  to  the  dictates  of 
Revelation  respecting  the  energies  of  Omnipo- 
tence which  will  be  exerted  at  "  the  consummation 
of  all  thinjs,"  and  in  those  arrangements  which 
are  to  succeed  the  dissolution  of  our  sublunary 
system  ?  A  firm  belief  in  the  Almighty  Power 
and  unsearchable  wisdom  of  God,  as  displayed 
in  the  constitution  and  movements  of  the  material 
world,  is  of  the  utmost  importance,  to  confirm 
our  faith,  and  enliven  our  hopes,  of  such  grand 
and  interesting  events. 

Notwithstanding  the  considerations  now  stat- 
ed, which  plainly  evince  the  connection  of  the 
natural  perfections  of  God  with  the  objects  of 
the  Christian  Revelation,  it  appears  somewhat 
strange,  that,  when  certain  religious  instructors 
happen  to  come  in  contact  with  this  topic,  they 
seem  as  if  they  were  beginning  to  tread  upon 
forbidden  ground ;  and,  as  if  it  were  unsuitable 
to  their  office  as  Christian  teachers,  to  bring  for- 
ward the  stupendous  works  of  the  Almighty 
to  illustrate  his  nature  and  attributes.  Instead 
of  expatiating  on  the  numerous  sources  of  illus- 
tration, of  which  the  subject  admits,  till  the 
minds  of  their  hearers  are  thoroughly  affected 
with  a  view  of  the  essential  glory  of  Jehovah — 
they  despatch  the  subject  with  two  or  three 
vague  propositions,  which,  though  logically  true, 
make  no  impression  upon  the  heart ;  as  if  they 
believed  that  such  contemplations  were  suited 
only  to  carnal  men,  and  mere  philosophers  ;  and 
as  if  they  were  afraid,  lest  the  sanctity  of  the 
pulpit  should  be  polluted  by  particular  descrip- 
tions of  those  operations  of  the  Deity  which  are 
perceived  through  the  medium  of  the  corporeal 
senses.  We  do  not  mean  to  insinuate,  that  the 
essential  attributes  of  Grod,  and  the  illustrations 
o{  them  derived  from  the  material  world,  should 


form  the  sole,  or  the  chief  topics  of  discussion, 
in  the  business  of  religious  instruction — but,  if 
the  Scriptures  frequently  direct  our  atieniiun  to 
these  subjects — if  they  lie  at  the  fauudation  of 
all  accurate  aud  extensive  views  of  the  Christian 
Revelation — if  they  be  the  chief  subjects  of  con- 
leniplation  to  angels,  and  all  oiher  pure  intelli- 
gences, in  every  region  of  tlie  universe — and  if 
Ihey  have  a  tendency  to  expand  the  minds  of  pro- 
fessed Christians,  to  correct  their  vague  and  er- 
roneous conceptions,  and  lo  promote  their  con- 
ffjrmily  to  the  moral  character  of  God — we  can- 
not find  out  the  shadow  of  a  reason,  why  such 
topics  should  be  almost,  if  not  altogether,  over- 
looked, in  the  writings   and  the   discourses   of 
those   who  profess   to   instruct  mankind  in  the 
knowledge  of  God,  and  the  duties  of  his  worship. 
We  are  informed  by  our  Saviour  himself,  that 
"  Ihii  is  life  eternal,  to  know  thee  ihe  living  and 
true  God,"  as  well  as  "  Jesus  Christ  whuin  he 
hath    sent."      The   knowledge  of  God,  in  the 
sense  here  intended,  must  include  in  it  the  know- 
ledge of  the  natural  and  essential  attributes  of 
the  Deity,  or  those  properties  of  his  nature  by 
which  he  is  distinguished  from  all  "  the  idols  o^ 
the  nations."     Such  are,  his  Selfnixistence,  his 
All-perfect  knowledge,  his  Omnipresence,    his 
Infinite  Wisdom,  his  Boundless  Goodness,  and 
Almighty  Power — attributes,  which,  as  we  have 
just  now  seen,  lie  at  the  foundation  of  all  the 
other  characters  and  relations  of  Deity  revealed 
in  the  Scriptures.     The  acquisition  of  just  and 
comprehensive  conceptions  of  these  perfections, 
must,  therefore,  lie  at  the  foundation  of  all  pro- 
found veneration  of  the  Divine  Being,  and  of 
all  that  is  valuable   in   religion.     Destitute  of 
such  conceptions,  we  can  neither  feel  that  habi- 
tual humility,  and  that  reverence  of  the  majesty 
of  Jehovah,  which  his  essential  glory  is  calculat- 
ed to  inspire,  nor  pay  him  that  tribute  of  adora- 
tion and  gratitude  which  is  due  to  his  name. 
Devoid  of  such  views,  we  cannot  exercise  that 
cordial  acquiescence  in  the  plan  of  his  redemption, 
in   the  arrangements  of  his  providence,  and  in 
the  requirements  of  his  law,  which  the  Scriptures 
enjoin.     Yet,  how  oflen  do  we  find  persons  who 
pretend  to  speculate  about  the  mysteries  of  the 
Gospel,  displaying — by  their  flippancy  of  speech 
respecting  the  eternal  counsels  of  the  Majesty  of 
Heaven — by  their  dogmatical  assertions  respect- 
ing the  Divine  character,  and  the  dispensations 
of  providence — and  by  their  pertinacious  opi- 
nions respecting  the  laws  by  which  God  muH 
regulate  his  own  actions — that  they  have  never 
felt  impressive  emotions  of  the  grandeur  of  that 
Being,  whose"  operations  are  unsearchable,  and 
his  ways  past  finding  out  ?"  Though  they  do  not 
call   in  question   his   immensity  and  power,  his 
wisdom  and  goodness,  as  so  many  abstract  pro- 
perties of  his  nature,  yet  the  unbecoming  fami- 
liarity with  which  they  approach  this  august  Be- 
ing, and  talk  about  him,  shows  that  they  have 


16 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


sever  utociatod  in  iheir  mioda,  the  iiup«ndotM 
display*  which  have  been  given  of  ih«»>r  pcrfcto 
tions,  inihe  works  of  his  harMis;  and  ihat  ilieir 
religion  (if  it  may  be  so  called)  connists  merely 
in  a  farrago  of  abeiract  opinions,  or  in  an  empty 
name. 

If,  then,  it  be  admitted,  that  it  is  essentially 
requisite,  as  the  foundation  of  religion,  lo  have 
the  mind  deeply  impressed  with  a  clear  and  com- 
prebensive  view  of  the  natural  perfeclionit  of  the 
Deity,  it  will  follow,  that  the  ministers  of  reli- 
gion, and  all  others  whose  province  it  is  lo  com- 
municate religious  instruction,  ought  frequently 
to  dwell,  wiih  particularity,  on  those  proofs  and 
illustrations  with  tend  to  convey  the  most  defi- 
nite and  impressive  conceptions  of  the  glory  of 
that  Being  whom  we  profess  to  adore.  But  from 
what  sources  are  such  illustrations  to  be  deriv- 
ed? Is  it  from  abstract  reasonings  and  metaphy- 
sical distinctions  and  definitions,  or  from  a  survey 
of  those  objects  and  movements  which  lie  open 
to  the  inspection  of  every  observer?  There 
can  be  no  difficulty  in  coming  to  a  decision  on 
this  point.  W-  mi^ht  affirm,  with  the  school- 
men, that  "  God  ii  a  Being  whose  centre  is  every 
where,  and  his  circumference  no  where  ;"  that 
"he  comprehends  infinite  duration  in  every  mo- 
ment;" and  that"  infinite  space  may  be  consi- 
dered as  the  tensorium  of  the  Godhead  ;"  but  such 
fiwciful  illustialions,  when  strictly  analyzed,  will 
be  found  to  consist  merely  of  words  without 
ideas.  We  might  also  affirm  with  truth,  that 
God  is  a  Being  of  infinite  perfection,  glory,  and 
blessedness — that  he  is  wi  hout  all  bounds  or 
limits  either  actual  or  possible — that  he  is  possess- 
ed of  power  sufficient  to  p<^rform  all  things  which 
do  not  imply  a  contradiction — that  he  is  independ- 
ent and  self-sufficient — that  his  wisdom  is  un- 
erring, and  that  he  infinitely  exceetis  all  other 
beings.  But  these,  and  other  expressions  of  a 
similar  kind,  are  mere  technical  terms,  which 
convey  no  adequate,  nor  even  tolerable,  notion 
of  what  they  import.  Beings,  constituted  like 
man,  whose  rational  spirits  are  connected  with 
an  organiral  structure,  and  who  drrive  all  their 
knowledge  through  the  noedium  of  corporeal 
organs,  can  derive  their  clearest  and  most  affect- 
ing notions  of  the  Divinity,  chiefly  ihro«iph  the 
same  medium,  namely,  by  contemplating  the 
^eets  of  his  perfections,  as  displayed  through 
the  ample  range  of  the  visible  creation.  And 
to  this  aource  of  illustration,  the  inspired  writers 
miif<>rmly  direct  our  views— "  Lif\  up  yoiir  eyes 
on  high,  and  behold  !  who  hath  created  these 
orbs?  who  bringeth  forth  their  host  by  namber, 
and  calleth  them  all  by  their  names?  The  ever- 
lasting God,  the  Lord,  by  (he  greatness  of  his 
might,  for  that  he  is  strong  in  power." — "  !e 
hath  made  the  earth  by  his  power  ;  he  hath 
Wtabli'thed  the  world  by  hi-t  wisdom  ;  he  hath 
ftretched  out  the  heavens  by  his  undi-rvtandin  •." 
Tbeae  writers  do  not  p«rplez  our  minds  by  a  mul- 


titude of  technical  terms  an^  wiSiV  r^ivrminga  ,. 
but  lead  u«  directly  lo  li  •  our 

most  ample  conceptions  ■  i  'riv- 

ed, ihat,  from  a  steady  ai...  .  ..,,g..  .      ..  ,  .^mem- 

piaiion  of  the  efft-cts,  we  may  leurn  the  great- 
ness of  the  Cause ;  and  their  example,  in  :hi« 
respect,  ought,  doubtless,  to  be  a  pattern  for 
evey  religious  instructer. 


SECTION  II. 


Illustrations  of  /A«  Omnipotence  of  the  Deitt. 

Ill  order  to  elucidate  more  distinctly  whaf  kaa 
been  now  stated,  I  shall  select  a  few  illustraiioas 
of  some  of  the  natural  attributes  of  the  Deity. 
And,  in  the  first  place,  I  shall  oflVrafew  ronsi- 
deraiions  which  have  a  ten<lrncy  to  direct  and  to 
amplify  our  concepiioris  of  Divme  Power. 

Omnipotence  is  that  attribute  of  the  Divine 
Being,  by  which  he  can  accomplish  every  thing 
thatduesnotimply  aroRtradiction— howeverfar  it 
may  transcend  the  comprehension  of  finite  minds. 
By  his  power  the  vast  system  of  universal  nature 
was  called  from  nothing  into  existence,  and  is 
continually  supported,  in  all  its  movements,  from 
age  lo  age.  In  elucidating  this  perfection  of 
God,  we  might  derive  some  striking  illuslratioos 
from  the  records  of  his  dispensations  toward* 
man,  in  the  early  ages  of  the  world — when  he 
overwhelmed  the  earth  with  the  deluge,  which 
covered  the  tops  of  the  highest  mountains,  and 
swept  the  crowded  population  of  the  ancient 
world  into  a  watery  grave— when  he  demolished 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  and  the  cities  around 
them,  with  fire  from  heavea^when  he  slew  all 
the  first-born  of  Egypt,  and  turned  their  river* 
into  blood — when  he  divided  the  Red  Sea  and 
the  waters  of.  Jordan  before  the  tribes  of  Israel 
•—when  he  made  the  earth  to  open  its  jaws  and 
swallow  up  Korah  and  all  his  company — and 
when  he  caused  Mount  Sinai  to  smoke  and  trem- 
ble at  his  presence  But  these  and  similar  events, 
however  awful,  astonishing,  and  worthy  of  re- 
membrance, were  only  transitory  exertions  of 
Divme  Power,  and  are  not  calculated,  and  were 
never  intended,  to  impress  the  mind  in  so  power- 
ful a  manner  as  those  displays  of  Omnipotence 
which  are  exhibited  in  the  ordinary  movements 
of  the  material  universe.  We  have  no  hesita- 
tion in  asserting,  thai,  with  recard  lo  this  attri- 
bute of  the  Divinity,  there  is  a  more  grand  and 
impressive  display  in  the  works  of  Nature,  than 
in  all  the  events  recorded  in  the  Sacred  HLsiory. 
Nor  ought  this  remark  to  be  considered  as  throw- 
ing the  least  reflection  on  the  fiilness  and  suA 
fiiriency  of  the  Scripture  revelation  ;  for  that  r»» 
velation,  as  having  a  s|)erial  reference  to  a  moral 
economy,  ha.s  fiir  its  object  to  give  a  more  parti- 
cular display  of  the  JnereU  thaoof  thefM/Kra/  per- 


OMNIPOTENCE  OF   THE   DEITY. 


17 


fectjons  of  God.  The  miracles  to  which  we  have 
DOW  referreii,  and  every  oiher  supernatural  fdct 
recorded  in  the  Bible,  were  not  intended  so  much 
to  display  the  plenitude  of  the  power  of  Deity, 
as  to  bear  teslimony  to  the  Divine  mission  of 
particular  messengers,  and  to  confirm  the  truths 
they  declared.  It  was  not,  for  example,  merely 
to  display  the  energies  of  Almighty  power,  that 
the  waters  of  the  Red  Sea  were  dried  up  before 
the  thousands  of  Israel,  but  to  give  a  solemn  and 
striking  attestation  to  all  concerned,  that  the  Most 
High  God  had  taken  this  people  under  his  peculiar 
protection — that  he  had  ap|)ointed  Moses  as  their 
leader  and  legislator — and  ihat  ihey  were  bound 
to  receive  and  obey  the  statutes  he  delivered. 
The  most  appropriate  and  impressive  illusi ra- 
tions of  Omnipoience,  are  those  which  are  taken 
from  the  permanent  operations  of  Deity,  which 
are  visible  every  moment  in  the  universe  around 
us  ;  or,  in  other  words,  those  which  are  derived 
from  a  detail  of  the  facts  which  have  been  observ- 
ed in  the  material  world,  respecting  magnitude 
and  motion. 

In  the  first  place  the  immense  quantity  of  mat- 
ter contained  in  the  universe,  presents  a  most 
striking  display  of  Almighty  power. 

In  endeavouring  to  form  a  definite  notion  on 
this  subject,  the  mind  is  bewildered  in  its  con- 
ceptions, and  is  at  a  loss  where  to  begin  or  to 
end  its  excursions.  In  order  to  form  something 
approximating  to  a  well-defined  idea,  we  must 
pursue  a  train  of  thought  commencing  wilh  those 
ina<;nitudes  which  the  mind  can  easily  grasp,  pro- 
ceeding through  all  the  intermediate  gradations 
of  magnitude,  and  fixing  the  attention  on  every 
portion  of  the  chain,  till  we  arrive  at  the  object 
or  magnitude  of  which  we  wish  to  form  a  con- 
ception. We  must  endeavour,  in  the  first  place, 
to  form  a  conception  of  the  bulk  of  the  world 
in  which  we  dwell,  which,  though  only  a  point 
in  comparison  of  the  whole  material  universe,  is 
in  reality  a  most  astonishing  magnitude,  whiA 
the  mind  cannot  grasp,  without  a  laborious  effort. 
We  can  f^rm  some  definite  idea  of  those  protu- 
berate  masses  we  denominate  hills,  which  arise 
above  the  surface  of  our  [)lains  ;  but  were  we 
transported  to  the  mountainous  scenery  of  Swit- 
zerland, to  the  stupendous  ranaeof  the  Andes  in 
South  America,  or  to  the  Himmalayan  moun- 
tains in  Imiia,  where  masses  of  earth  and  rocks, 
in  every  variety  of  shape,  extend  several  hun- 
dreds of  miles  in  different  directions,  and  rear 
their  projecting  summits  beyond  the  region  of 
the  clouds — we  should  find  some  difRculty  in 
forming  an  adequate  conception  of  the  objects  of 
our  contemplation.  For,  (to  use  the  words  of 
one  who  had  been  a  spectator  of  such  scenes,) 
"Amidst  those  trackless  regions  of  intense  si- 
lence and  solitude,  we  cannot  contemplate,  but 
with  feeliut;s  of  awe  and  admiration,  the  eno  - 
nious  masses  of  varieiated  matter  which  lie 
around,  beiiealh,  and  above  us.      The  mind  la- 


bours, as  it  were,  to  forma  definite  idea.of  those 
objects  of  oppressive  grandeur,  and  feels  unable  to 
grasp  the  august  objects  which  compose  the  sur- 
rounding scene."  But  what  are  all  these  moun- 
tainous masses,  however  variegated  and  sublime, 
when  compared  with  the  bulk  of  the  whole 
earth  ?  Were  they  hurled  from  their  bases,  and 
precipitated  into  the  vast  Pacific  Ocean,  they 
would  all  disappear  in  a  moment,  except  perhaps 
a  few  projecting  tops,  which,  like  a  number  of 
small  islands,  might  be  seen  rising  a  few  (aihoms 
above  the  surface  of  the  waters. 

The  earth  is  a  gkibe  whose  diameter  is  nearly 
8,000  miles,  and  its  circumference  about  25,000, 
and.  consequently,  its  surface  contain^  nearly  two 
hundred  millions  of  square  miles — a  magnitude 
too  great  for  the  mind  to  take  in  at  one  concep- 
tion. In  order  to  firm  a  tolerable  conception  of 
the  whole,  we  must  endeavour  to  take  a  leisurely 
survey  of  its  different  parts.  Were  we  to  take 
our  station  on  the  top  of  a  mountain,  of  a  mode- 
rate size,  and  survey  the  surrounding  landscape, 
we,  should  perceive  an  extent  of  view  si/etch- 
ing 40  miles  in  every  direction,  forming  a  circle 
80  miles  in  diameter,  and  230  in  circumference 
ajid  comprehending  an  area  of  5,000  square 
miles.  In  such  a  situation  the  terrestrial  scene 
around  and  beneath  us— consisting  of  hills  and 
plains,  towns  and  villages,  rivers  and  lakes- 
would  form  one  of  the  largest  objects  which  the 
eye,  and  even  the  imagination,  can  steadily 
grasp  at  one  time.  But  such  an  object,  grand  and 
extensive  as  it  is,  forms  no  more  than  the  forfy- 
thuusandlh  part  of  the  terraqueous  globe  ;  so  that 
bell>re  we  can  acquire  an  adequate  conception  of 
the  magnitude  of  our  own  world,  we  must  col^• 
ceive  40,000  landscape-^  of  a  similar  extent,  to 
pass  in  review  before  us  :  and  were  a  scene,  of 
the  magnitude  now  slated,  to  pass  before  us  every 
hour,  till  all  the  diversified  scenery  of  the  earth 
were  brought  under  our  view,  and  were  12  hours 
a  day  allotted  for  the  observation,  it  would  r^ 
quire  9  years  and  48  days  before  the  whole  sur- 
fe.ce  of  the  globe  could  be  contemplated,  even  in 
this  general  and  rapid  manner.  But,  such  a 
variety  of  successive  landscapes  passing  before 
the  eye,  even  although  it  were  possible  to  be  real- 
ized, would  convey  only  a  very  va^ue  and  im- 
perfect concept  ion  of  the  scenery  of  our  world  ; 
for  objects  at  the  distance  of  40  miles  cannot  be 
distinctly  perceived  ;  the  only  view  which  would 
be  satisfactory  would  be,  that  which  is  compre- 
hended within  the  range  of  3  or  4  miles  from  the 
spectator. 

Again,  I  have  already  stated,  that  the  surface 
of  the  eanhcontains  nearly  200  000  000  of  square 
miles.  Now,  were  a  person  to  set  out  on  a  minute 
survey  of  the  terraqueous  globe,  and  to  travel  till 
he  passed  along  every  square  mile  on  its  surface, 
and  to  continue  his  route  without  intermission, 
at  the  rate  of  30  miles  every  day,  it  would  require 
18,264  years  before  he  could  finish  his  tour,  and 


18 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


IAN 


oomplete  tho  mtmy  aC'thia  huge  rotundity  on 
which  wo  troad :"  so  that,  bad  he  oommen  -ed  hi* 
excursion  on  thr  d&j  in  which  Adam  was  creat- 
ed, ami  continued  it  to  the  present  hour,  heVould 
not  have  accomplished  one  third  part  of  this  rost 
tour. 

In  estimating  the  sire  and  eitcnt  of  the  earth, 
we  ought  also  to  take  into  con«ideraiion  the  vast 
Tariely  of  ubjecu  with  which  it  is  diversified, 
and  the  numerous  animated  beings  with  which 
it  it  stored  ;  the  great  divisions  of  land  and 
water,  the  continents,  seas,  and  islands  into 
which  it  is  distributed  ;  the  lofty  ranges  of  moun- 
tains which  rear  their  heads  to  the  clouds  ;  the 
unfathnmcd  abysses  of  the  ocean  ;  iis  vaiit  subter- 
raneous caverns  and  burning  mountains;  and  the 
lakes,  rivers,  and  stately  forests  with  which  it  is 
■o  magnificently  adorned  ;> — the  many  millions  of 
animals,  of  every  size  and  form,  from  the  ele- 
phant to  the  mile,  which  traverse  its  surface; 
the  numerous  tribes  of  fishes,  from  the  t^normous 
whale  to  the  diminutive  shrim[i,  which  "  play" 
in  the  mighty  ocean ;  the  aerial  tribes  which  sport 
in  the  regions  above  us,  and  the  vast  mass  of  the 
surrounding  atmosphere,  which  encloses  the  earth 
and  alt  its  inhabitants  as  "  with  a  swaddling 
band."  The  immense  variety  of  beings  with 
which  our  terro^iirial  habitation  is  furnished,  con- 
spires with  every  other  consideration,  to  exalt  our 
conceptions  to  that  power  by  which  our  globe,  and 
all  that  it  contains,  were  brought  into  existence. 

The  preceding  illustrations,  however,  exhibit 
the  vast  extent  of  the  earth,  considered  only  as  a 
mere  superficies.  But  we  know  that  the  earth  is  a 
aolid  globe,  whose  specific  gravity  is  nearly  five 
times  denser  than  water,  or  about  twice  as  dense 
as  the  mass  of  earth  and  rocks  which  compose  its 
surface.  Though  we  cannot  dig  into  its  bowels 
beyoni  a  mile  in  perpendicular  depth,  to  explore 
its  hidden  wonders,  yet  we  may  easily  conceive 
what  a  vast  and  indescribable  mass  of  matter 
must  be  contained  between  the  two  opposite  por- 
tions of  its  external  circumference,  reaching  8000 
miles  in  every  direction.  The  solid  coiiients  of 
this  ponderous  ball  is  no  less  than  263,858,149,- 
120  cubical  mile:? — amass  of  material  substance 
of  which  we  can  f(>rm  but  a  very  faint  and  im- 
perfect conception — in  proportion  to  which  all  the 
lofty  mountains  which  rise  above  its  surface  are 
less  than  a  few  grains  of  sand,  when  compared 
with  the  largest  artificial  globe.  Were  the  earth 
•  hollow  sphere  surrounded  merely  with  an  ex- 
tarnal  shell  of  earth  and  water,  10  miles  thick,  its 
iatemal  cavity  would  be  sufficient  to  contain  a 
quantity  of  matcriaU  one  hundred  and  thirty-tkret 
timet  greater  than  the  whole  mass  of  continents, 
L<lands  and  oceans,  on  itssurfnoe,  and  the  foun- 
dations on  which  they  are  supported.  We  have 
the  strongest  reasons,  however,  to  conclude, 
that  the  earth,  in  its  general  structure,  is  one 
solid  mass,  from  the  suifaceto  the  centre,  ex- 
oapting,  perhaps,  a  few  caTerns  scattered  here 


and  there  amidst  its  subterraneous  i 
that  its  density  gradually  inMp^  from  ilssur» 
face  to  its  Cent  I  al  regions.  VfaM  an  enormous 
mass  of  materials,  then,  is  campnhended  within 
the  limits  of  the  globe  on  which  wo  treafl !  The 
mind  labours,  as  it  were,  to  comprehend  the 
mighty  idea,  and  after  all  its  exertion,  Jkels  it<- 
self  unable  to  lake  in  Aeh  an  astonishing  mag- 
nitude at  ont  comprehensive  grasp.  Ho  v  great 
must  be  the  power  of  that  Being  who  icnm- 
manded  it  to  spring  from  nothing  into  existence, 
who  "  measureth  the  ocean  in  the  hollow  of  his 
hand,  who  weigheth  the  mountaiiw  in  scales,  and 
hangeth  the  earth  upon  nothing!" 

It  is  essentially  requisite,  before  proceeding  t9 
the  survey  of  objects  and  oiagnititdes  of  a  supe- 
rior order,  that  we  shouM  endeavour,  by  such  a 
train  of  thought  as  the  preceding,  to  form  some 
tolerable  and  clear  conception  of  the  bulk  of  the 
globe  we  inhabit ;  for  it  is  the  only  body  we  can 
use  as  a  standard  of  compurison  to  guide  the 
mind  in  its  conceptions,  when  it  roams  abroad 
to  other  regions  of  material  existence.  And, 
from  what  has  been  now  slated,  it  ap|)ears,  that 
we  have  no  adequate  conception  of  a  magnitude 
of  so  vast  an  extent ;  or,  at  least,  that  the  mind 
cannot,  in  any  one  instant,  form  to  it.self  a  dis- 
tinct and  comprehensive  idea  of  it,  in  any 
noeasure  corresponding  to  the  reality. 

Hitherto,  then,  we  have  fixed  only  on  a  de~ 
terminate  magnitude— on  a  scale  of  a  few  inches, 
as  it  were,  in  order  to  assist  us  in  our  measure- 
ment and  conception  of  magnitudes  still  more 
august  and  astonishing.  When  we  contem- 
plate, by  the  light  of  science,  those  magnificent 
globes  which  float  around  us,  in  the  concave  of 
the  sky,  the  earth  with  all  its  sublime  scenery, 
stupendous  as  it  is,  dwindles  into  an  inconsi- 
derable ball.  If  we  pass  from  our  globe  to  some 
of  the  other  bodies  of  tho  planetary  system,  we 
shall  find  that  one  of  these  stupendous  orbs  is 
iilt>re  than  900  times  the  size  of  our  world,  and 
encircled  with  a  ring  200,000  miles  in  diame- 
ter, which  would  nearly  reach  from  the  earth 
to  the  moon,  and  would  enclo.ie  within  its  vast 
circumference  several  hundreds  of  worlds  as 
large  as  ours.  Another  of  these  planetary  bodies, 
which  appears  to  the  vulgar  eye  only  as  a  bril- 
liant s|i«ck  on  the  vault  of  heaven,  is  found  to 
be  of  such  a  size,  that  it  would  require  1,400 
globes  of  the  bulk  of  the  earth  to  form  one  equal 
to  it  in  dimensions.  The  whole  of  the  bodies 
which  compose  the  solar  system,  (without  tak- 
ing the  sun  and  the  comets  into  account,)  coo- 
tain  a  mass  of  matter  2,S00  times  greater  than 
that  of  the  earth.  The  sun  himself  is  520  times 
larger  than  all  the  planetary  globes  taken  to- 
gether; and  one  million  three  hundre<l  thousand 
times  larger  than  the  terraqueous  globe.  This 
is  one  of  the  most  glorious  and  magnificent 
visible  objects,  which  either  the  eye  or  tho  ima- 
gination can  contemplate  ;  especially  when  we 


OMNIPOTENCE  OF  THE  DEITY. 


19 


consider,  what  perpetual  and  incomprehensible 
and  powerful  influence  he  exerts,  what  warmth 
and  beauty  and  activity  he  diffuses,  not  only 
on  the  globe  we  inhabit,  but  over  the  more  ex- 
tensive regions  of  surrounding  worlds.  His 
energy  extends  to  the  utmost  limits  of  the  pla- 
netary system — to  the  planet  Herschel,  which 
revolves  at  the  distance  of  1,800  millions  of 
miles  from  his  surface,  and  there  he  dispenses 
light,  and  colour,  and  comfort,  to  all  the  beings 
connected  with  that  far-distant  orb,  and  to  all  the 
moons  which  roll  around  it. 

Here  the  imagination  begins  to  be  overpower- 
ed and  bewildered  in  its  conceptions  of  magni- 
tude, when  it  has  advanced  scarcely  a  single  step 
in  its  excursions  through  the  material  world : 
For  it  is  highly  probable  that  all  the  matter 
contained  wiihin  the  limits  of  the  solar  system, 
incomprehensible  as  its  magnitude  appears,  bears 
a  smaller  proportion  to  the  whole  mass  of  the 
material  universe,  than  a  single  grain  of  sand 
to  all  the  particles  of  matter  contained  in  the 
body  of  the  sun  and  his  attending  planets. 

If  we  extend  our  views  from  the  solar  system 
to  the  starry  heavens,  we  have  to  penetrate,  in 
our  imagination,  a  space  which  the  swiftest  ball 
that  was  ever  projected,  though  in  perpetual  mo- 
tion, would  not  traverse  in  ten  hundred  thousand 
years.  In  those  trackless  regions  of  immensity, 
we  behold  an  assemblage  of  resplendent  globes, 
similar  to  the  sun  in  size  and  in  glory,  and, 
doubtless,  accompanied  with  a  retinue  of  worlds, 
revolving,  like  our  own,  around  their  attractive 
influence.  The  immense  distance  at  which  the 
nearest  stars  are  known  to  be  placed,  proves 
that  they  are  bodies  of  a  prodigious  size,  not 
inferior  to  our  sun,  and  that  I  hey  shine,  not  by 
reflected  rays,  but  by  their  own  native  light.  But 
bodies  encircled  with  such  refulgent  splendour 
would  be  of  little  use  in  the  economy  of  Jeho- 
vah's empire,  unless  surrounding  worlds  were 
cheered  by  their  benign  influence,  and  enlight- 
ened by  their  beams.  Every  star  is,  therefore, 
with  good  reason,  concluded  to  be  a  sun,  no  less 
spacious  than  ours,  surrounded  by  a  host  of 
planetary  globes,  which  revolve  around  it  as  a 
centre,  and  derive  from  it  light,  and  heat,  and 
comfort.  Nearly  a  thousand  of  these  lumina- 
ries may  be  seen  in  a  clear  winter  nigh' ,  by  the 
naked  eye ;  so  that  a  miss  of  matter  equal  to 
a  thousand  solar  systems,  or  to  thirteen  hun- 
dred and  twenty  millions  of  globes  of  the  sixe 
q/"  the  earth,  may  be  perceived,  by  every  com- 
mon observer,  in  the  canopy  of  heaven.  But 
all  the  celestial  orbs  which  are  perceived  by 
the  unassisted  sight,  do  not  form  the  eighty- 
thousandth  part  of  those  which  may  be  descried 
by  the  help  of  optical  instruments.  The  t^le- 
fcope  has  enabled  us  to  descry,  in  certain  spaces 
of  the  heavens,  thousands  of  stars  where  the  naked 
eye  could  scarcely  discern  twenty.  The  late 
celebrated   astronomer,  Dr.   Herschel,  has  in- 


formed us,  that,  in  the  raesi  crowded  parts  of  the 
Milky-way,  when  exploring  that  region  with  his 
best  gleisses,  he  has  had  fields  of  view  which 
contained  no  less  than  588  stars,  and  these  were 
continued  for  many  minutes:  so  that"  in  one 
quarter  of  an  hour's  time  there  passed  no  less 
than  one  hundred  and  sixteen  thousand  start 
through  the  field  of  view  of  his  telescope." 

It  has  been  computed,  that  nearly  one  hundred 
millions  of  stars  might  be  perceived  by  the  most 
perfect  instruments,  were  all  the  regions  of  the 
sky  thoroughly  explored.  And  yet,  all  this  vast 
assemblage  of  suns  and  worlds,  when  compared 
with  what  lies  beyond  the  utmost  boundaries  of 
human  vision,  in  the  immeasurable  spaces  of 
creation,  may  be  no  more  than  as  the  smallest 
particle  of  vapour  to  the  immense  ocean.  Immea- 
surable regions  of  space  lie  beyond  the  utmost 
limits  of  mortal  view,  into  which  even  imagina- 
tion itself  can  scarcely  penetrate,  and  which  are, 
doubtless,  replenished  with  the  operations  of  Di- 
vine Wisdom  and  Omnipotence.  For,  it  cannot 
be  supposed,  that  a  being  so  diminutive  as  man, 
whose  stature  scarcely  exceeds  six  feet — who 
vanishes  from  the  sight  at  the  distance  of  a 
league — whose  whole  habitation  is  invisible  from 
the  nearest  star — whose  powers  of  vision  are  so 
imperfect,  and  whose  mental  faculties  are  solimit- 
ted — it  cannot  be  supposed  that  man,  who  "  dwells 
in  tabernacles  of  clay,  who  is  crushed  before  the 
moth,"  and  chained  down,  by  the  force  of  gra- 
vitation, to  the  surface  of  a  small  planet, — should 
be  able  to  descry  the  utmost  boundaries  of  the 
empire  of  Him  who  fills  immensity,  and  dwells  in 
"  light  unapproachable."  That  portion  of  his 
dominions,  however  which  lies  within  the  range 
of  our  view,  presents  such  a  scene  of  magni- 
ficence and  grandeur,  as  must  fill  the  mind  of 
every  reflecting  person  with  astonishment  and 
reverence,  and  constrain  him  to  e.xclaim,  "  Great 
is  our  Lord,  and  of  great  power,  his  under- 
standing is  infinite." — "  When  I  consider  the 
heavens,  the  work  of  thy  fingers,  the  moon  and  • 
the  stars  which  thou  hast  ordained — what  is 
man  that  thou  art  mindful  of  him !" — "  I  have 
heard  of  thee  by  hearing  of  the  ear ;"  I  have 
listened  to  subtle  disquial ions  on  thy  character 
and  perfections,  and  have  been  but  little  affect- 
ed, "  but  now  mine  eye  seeth  thee  ;  wherefore 
I  humble  myself,  and  repent  in  dust  and  ashes." 

In  order  to  feel  the  full  force  of  the  impression 
made  by  such  contemplations,  the  mind  must 
pause  at  every  step,  in  its  excursions  through 
the  boundless  regions  of  material  existence  :  for 
it  is  not  by  a  mere  attention  to  the  figures  and 
numbers  by  which  the  magnitudes  of  the  great 
bodies  of  the  universe  are  expressed,  th it  we 
arrive  at  the  most  distinct  and  ample  concep- 
tions of  objects  so  grand  and  overwhelming. 
The  mind,  in  its  intellectual  range,  must  dwell 
on  every  individual  scene  it  contemplates,  and 
on  tlie  various  objects  of  which  it  is  composed. 


10 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


It  muat  tdd    icene   to  scene,  maj^itude   to 
nm|(niiiide,  and  compare  mnaller  objecii  with 
greater — a  range  of  moiitilain*  with  the   whole 
earth,  the  earth  with  the  planet  Jupiter,  Jupiter 
with  ihr  <im,  the  sun  with  a  thousand  inar*,  a 
thousand  mars  with  80  millions,  and  80  millions 
with  all  the  boundless  extent  which  lies  beyond 
the  timitit  of  mortal  vision  ;  and,  at  every  step 
tf  this  mental  process,  sufficient  time   must  be 
allowed  ibr  the  imainnation  to  expatiate  on  the 
ohjects  before    it,  till  tlie  ideas    approximate,  as 
OMir  aa  possible,  to  the  reality.     In  order   to 
ferm  a  comprehensive  conception  of  the  extent 
oftlie  terraqueous  globe,  the  mind  must  dwell  on 
an  extensive  landscape,   and  the  objects  with 
which   it  is  adorned ;  it  must  endeavour  to  sur- 
vey   the   many  tliousands  of  diversified  land- 
scapes which  the  earth   exhibits — the    hills  and 
plains,   the   lakes  and   rivers    and    mountains, 
which  stretch  in  endless  variety  over  its  surface 
—it  must  dive  into  the  vast  caverns  of  the 
ocean— penetrate  into  the  subterraneous  regions 
of  the  globe,  and  wing  its  way  amidst  clouds 
•nd  tempests,  through  the  surrounding   atmos- 
phere.    It   must  next  extend  its  flight  through 
the  most  expansive  regions  of  the  solar  system, 
realizing,    in    imagination,    those    magnificent 
■cenes  which  can  be  described  neither  by  the 
Miked   eye  nor  by  'he  telesco[>e,  and  comparing 
the  extent  of  our  sublunary  world  with  the  more 
magnificent  globes  that  roll  around  us.     Leav- 
ing the  sun  and  all  his  attendant  planets  behind, 
till  they  have  diminished  to  the  size  of  a  small 
twinkling  star,  it  must  next  wing  its  way  to  the 
•tarry  regions,  and  pass  from  one   system  of 
worlds  to  another,  from  one  Nebula;*  to  another, 
from  one  region  of  Nebulae  to  another,  till  it  ar- 
rive at  the  utmost  boundaries  of  creation  which 
human  genius  has  explored.     It  must  also  en- 
deavour to  extend  its  flight  beyond  all  that    is 
visible  by  the  best  telescopes,  and  expatiate   at 
large   in  that  boundless  expanse  into  which  no 
human  eye  has  yet  penetrated,  and  which  is, 
doubtless,   replenished   with  other   worlds,  and 
systems,  and  firmaments,  where  the  operations 
of  infinite  power  and  beneficence  are  displayed 
in  endless   variety,  throughout   the  illimitable 
regions  of  space. 

Here,  then,  with  reverence,  let  us  pause,  and 
wonder !  Over  all  this  vast  assemblage  of  material 
•zisience,  God  presides.  Amidst  the  diversified 
objects  and  intelligences  it  contains,  he  is  eter- 
nally and  essentially  present.  By  his  unerring 
wisdom,  all  its  complicated  moveni>cnts  are  di- 
rected. Dy  his  Almighty  fiat,  it  emerged  from 
nothing  into  existence,  and  is  continually  sup- 
ported from  age  to  age.    '*  He  spake  a5D  it 

WAS  DOIf E  ;    HE    COMMAIfDER    AND    IT  STOOD 

WAMT.  "— "  By  the  word  of  the  Lord  were  the 
*  For  an  aw«uat  tf  UM  W«M«,  tee  Cb.  IL  Art. 


hravensmadc.amlall  the  host  of  them  by  the  spirit 
ofhisroouth."  What  an  astonishing  display  of ' 
Divii\i<p9irer  is  here  exhibited  to  our  view  !  ilow 
far  transcending  all  finite  cunifirehcnsinn  must  be 
the  energies  of  Him  who  only  "  spake  and  it 
was  done ;"  who  only  gave  the  command,  and 
this  mi^-^ty  system  of  the  universe,  with  all  it*  I 
magnificence,  Marled  into  being  !  The  infinite 
ease  with  whirJi  this  vast  fabric  was  reared,  leads 
us  irresistibly  to  conclude,  that  there  are  powers  I 
and  energies  in  the  Divine  mind  which  have 
never  yet  been  exirted.  and  which  may  unfokl 
themselves  to  intelligent  beings,  in  the  production 
of  still  more  astonishing  and  magnificent  effecis, 
during  an  endless  succession  of  existence.  I'hat 
man  who  is  not  impressed  with  a  venerable  and 
overwhelming  sense  of  the  power  and  mnjesly  j 
of  Jehovah,  by  such  contemplations,  must  have  ' 
a  mind  incapable  of  ardent  religious  enwtions, 
and  unqualified  fur  appreciating  the  grandeur  of 
that  Being  "  whose  kingdom  ruleth  over  alL" 
And  stiall  such  ennobling  views  be  completely 
withheld  from  a  Christian  audience  ?  Shall  it 
be  considered  as  a  matter  of  mere  indifference, 
whether  their  views  of  the  Creator's  works  be 
limited  to  the  sphere  of  a  few  miles  around  them, 
or  extended  to  ten  thousand  worlds  '/ — whether 
they  shall  be  left  to  view  the  operations  of  the 
Almighty  throughout  eternity  past  and  to  como. 
as  confined  to  a  small  globe  placed  in  the  immen- 
sity of  space,,  with  a  number  of  brilliant  studs  fixed 
in  the  arch  of  heaven,  at  a  few  miles  distance  ;  or 
as  extending  through  the  bouiidlesa  dimensions  of 
space  ? — whether  they  shall  be  left  to  entertain 
no  higher  idea  of  the  Divine  majesty  than  what 
may  be  due  to  one  of  the  superior  orders  of 
the  seraphim  or  cherubim, — or  whether  thev 
shall  be  directed  to  form  the  most  august  concep- 
tions of  the  King  eternal,  immortal, and  invisible, 
corresponding  to  the  displays  l.e  has  given  of  his 
glory  in  his  visible  works  ?  If  it  be  not,  both 
reason  and  piety  require,  that  such  illustrations  •. 
of  the  Divine  perfections  shouU  occasionally  be 
exhibited  to  their  view. 

In  the   next  place,   the  rapid  motion*  of  the      ; 
great  bodiesofihe  universe,  noless  than  their  mag- 
nitudes, display  the  Infinite  Power  of  the  Creator, 
We  can  acquire  accurate  ideas  of  the  relative 
velocities  of  moving  bodies,   only  by  comparing 
the  motions  with  which  we  are  familiar,  with 
one  another,  and  with  those  which   lie  beyond    ^ 
the  general  range  of  oar  minute  inspection.    We    % 
can  acquire  a  pretty  accurate  conception  of  the      "; 
velocity  of  a  ship   impelled   by    the  wind— of  a 
steamboat — of  a  race-horse— of  a  bird  darting 
through  the  air — of  an  arrow   flying  from  a  bow 
— and  of  the  clouds   when  im|H-ll<-d  by  a  siormv 
wind.      The   velocity  of  a  ship  is  from  8  to  12 
miles  an  hour — of  a  race-horse,  from  SO  to  SO 
miles — of  a  bird,  say  from  50  to  60  miles,  aitd  of 
the  clouds,  in  a  violent  hurricane,  from  80  to  100 
■ilei  an  hour.    The  motion  of  a  ball  frtNn  » 


OMNIPOTENCE  OF  THE  DEITY. 


«1 


loaded  cannon  is  incomparably  swifter  ihen  any 
of  the  motions  now  stated  ;  but  of  the  velocity  of 
such  a  ho.iy  we  have  a  less  accurate  idea ;  be- 
cause, its  rapidity  being  so  great,  we  cannot 
trace  it  distinctly  by  the  eye  through  its  whole 
range,  from  the  mouth  of  the  cannon  to  the  object 
against  which  it  is  impelled.  By  experiments, 
it  has  been  found,  th&t  its  rate  of  motion  is  from 
480  to  800  miles  iaan  hour,  but  it  is  retarded 
every  moment,  by  Ae  resistance  of  the  air  and 
the  attraction  of  the  earth.  This  velocity, 
however,  great  as  it  is,  bears  no  sensible  propor- 
tion to  the  rate  of  motion  which  is  found  among 
the  celestial  orbs.  That  such  enormous  masses 
of  matter  should  move  at  all,  is  wonderful ;  but 
when  we  consider  the  amazing  velocity  with 
which  they  are  impelled,  we  are  lost  in  astonish- 
ment. The  planet  Jupiter,  in  describing  his 
circuit  round  the  sun,  moves  at  the  rateof29.000 
miles  an  hour.  The  planet  Venus,  one  of  the 
nearest  and  most  brilliant  of  the  celestial  bodies, 
and  about  the  same  size  as  the  earth,  is  found  to 
move  through  the  spaces  of  the  firmament  at 
the  rate  of  76,000  miles  an  hour,  and  the  planet 
Mercury  with  a  velocity  of  no  less  than  150,000 
miles  an  hour,  or  1750  miles  in  a  minute — a 
motion  two  hundred  times  swifter  than  that  of  a 
cannon  ball. 

These  velocities  will  appear  still  more  asto- 
nishing, if  we  consider  the  magnitude  of  the 
bodies  which  are  thus  impelled,  and  the  immense 
forces  which  are  requisite  to  carry  them  along 
in  their  courses.  However  rapidly  a  ball  flies 
from  the  mouth  of  a  cannon,  it  is  the  flight  of  a 
body  only  a  few  inches  in  diameter  ;  but  one  of 
the  bodies,  whose  motion  has  been  just  now 
stated,  is  eighty-nine  thousand  miles  in  dia- 
meter, and  would  comprehend,  within  its  vast 
circumference,  more  than  a  thousand  globes  as 
large  as  the  earth.  Could  we  contemplate  such 
motions,  from  a  fixed  point,  at  the  distance  of 
only  a  few  hundreds  of  miles  from  the  bodies 
thus  impelled^t  would  raise  our  admiration  to 
its  highest  pitch,  it  would  overwhelm  all  our 
faculties,  and,  in  our  present  state,  would  pro- 
duce an  impression  of  awe,  and  even  of  terror, 
beyond  the  power  of  laneuaoe  to  express.  The 
earth  contain"<  a  mass  of  matter  equal  in  weight 
to  at  least  2.200,000  000.000,000,000,000  tons, 
supposing  its  mean  density  to  be  only  about  2J 
times  greater  than  water.  To  nrwve  this  pon- 
derous mass  a  single  inch  beyond  its  position, 
were  it  fixed  in  a  quiescent  stale,  would  require 
a^mechanical  (()rce  almost  beyond  the  power  of 
numbers  to  express.  The  physical  force  of  all 
the  myriads  of  intelligences  within  tho  boimds 
of  the  planetary  system,  though  their  powers 
were  far  superior  to  those  of  men,  would  be 
altogether  inadequate  to  the  producti  n  of  such 
a  motion.  How  much  more  must  be  the  force 
requisite  to  impel  it  with  a  velocity  one  hundred 
and  forty  tines  swiAer  than  a  cannon  ball,  or 


68,000  miles  an  hour,  the  actual  rate  of  its 
motion,  in  its  course  round  the  sun  !  But  what- 
ever degree  of  mechanical  power  would  be  re- 
quisite to  produce  such  a  stupendous  effect,  it 
wuuld require  a  force  one  hundred  and  fifty  times 
greater  to  impel  the  planet  Jupiter,  in  his  actual 
course  through  the  heavens  !  Even  the  planet 
Saturn,  one  of  the  slowest  moving  bodies  of  our 
system,  a  globe  900  times  larger  than  the  earth, 
is  impelled  through  the  regions  of  space  at  the 
rate  of  22,000  miles  an  hour,  carrying  along 
with  him  two  stupendous  rings,  and  seven  moons 
larger  than  ours,  through  his  whole  course  round 
th<;  central  luminary.  Were  we  placed  within 
a  thousand  miles  of  this  stupendous  globe, (a 
station  which  superior  beings  may  occasionally 
occupy,)  where  its  hemisphere,  encompassed  by 
its  magnificent  rings,  would  fill  the  whole  extent 
of  our  vision — the  view  of  such  a  ponderous 
and  glorious  object,  flying  with  such  amazing 
velocity  before  us,  would  infinitely  exceed  every 
idea  ef  grandeur  we  can  derive  from  terrestrial 
scenes,  and  overwhelm  our  powers  with  asto- 
nishment and  awe.  Under  such  an  emotion,  we 
could  only  exclaim, "Gre.vt  and  marvellous 

ARE    THY    WORKS,    LORD    GoD   AlMIOHTv!" 

The  ideas  of  strength  and  potoer  implied  "in 
the  impulsion  of  such  enormous  >iiasses  of 
matter  through  the  illimitable  tracts  of  space, 
are  forced  upon  the  mind  with  irresistible  energy, 
far  surpassing  what  any  abstract  propositiona 
or  reasonings  can  Cduvey ;  and  constrain  us  to 
exclaim,  "  Who  is  a  strong  Lord  like  unto 
thee  !  Thy  right  hand  is  become  glorious  in 
power  !  the  Lord  God  omnipotent  reigneth!" 

If  we  consider  the  immense  number  of  bodies 
thus  impelled  through  the  vast  spaces  of  the  uni- 
verse— the  rapidity  with  which  the  comets,  when 
near  the  sun,  are  carried  through  the  regions  they 
traverse, — if  we  consider  the  high  probability,  if 
not  absolute  certainty,  that  the  sun,  with  alt  his 
attendant  planets  and  comets,  is  impelled  with  a 
still  greater  degree  of  velocity  towards  some  di». 
tant  region  of  space,  or  around  some  wide  cir- 
cumference— that  all  the  thousands  of  systems  of 
that  nebulae  to  which  the  sun  belongs,  are  mor- 
ing  in  a  similar  manner— that  all  the  nebulte  in 
the  heavens  are  moving  around  some  magnificent 
central  body — in  short,  that  all  the  suns  and 
worlds  in  the  universe  are  in  rapid  and  perpetual 
motion,  as  constituent  portions  of  one  grand  and 
boundless  empire,  of  which  Jeho*ah  is  the  Sc^ 
vereign — and,  if  we  consider  still  further,  that  all 
these  mighty  movements  have  been  going  on, 
without  intermission,  during  the  course  of  many 
centuries,  and  some  of  them,  perhaps,  for  my- 
riads of  ages  before  the  foundations  of  our  world 
were  laid — it  is  impossible  for  the  human  mind  to 
form  any  adequate  idea  of  the  stupendous  forces 
which  are  in  incessant  operation  thoiighout  the 
unlimited  empireof  the  Almighty.  To  estimate 
•uch  mechanical  force  even  in  a  single  inJtaaM, 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


ooopletely  baffles  the  math«nMtician'ii  skill,  and 
MU  ihe  power  of  numbers  at  defiance.  "Lan- 
guage," and  figurex,  and  comparisons,  are  "  lost 
in  wonders  so  suUitnc,"  and  the  mind,  over- 
powered with  such  rrflecitonM,  is  irrcnisiibly  led 
upwards,  to  search  for  the  cause  in  that  Omni- 
potent Being  who  upholds  ihe  pillars  of  the 
universe— the  thunder  of  whose  power  none  can 
comprehend.  While  contemplating  such  august 
objects,  how  emphatic  and  impressive  appears 
the  language  of  the  sacred  oracles,  "  Canst  thou 
by  searching  find  out  God?  Canst  thou  find  out 
the  Almighty  to  perfection  ?  Great  things  doth 
he,  which  we  cannot  comprehend.  Thine,  O 
Lord,  is  the  greatness,  and  the  glory,  and  the 
majesty ;  for  all  that  is  in  heaven  and  earth  is 
thine.  Among  the  gods  there  is  none  like  unto 
thee,  O  Lord,  neither  are  there  any  works  like 
unto  thy  works.  Thou  art  great,  and  dost  won- 
drous things  ;  thou  art  God  alone.  Hast  thou 
not  known,  hast  thou  not  heard,  that  the  ever- 
lasting God,  the  Lord,  the  Creator  of  all  things, 
fainleth  not,  neither  is  weary  ?  there  is  no  search- 
ing of  his  understanding.  Let  all  the  earth  fear 
the  Lord,  let  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  world 
stand  in  awe  of  him  ;  for,  he  spake,  and  >(  tea* 
dotu;  he  commanded,  and  it  stood  fast." 

Again,  the  immense  spaces  which  surround  the 
heavenly  bodies,  and  in  which  they  |)erfurm  their 
revolutions,  tend  to  expand  our  conceptions  on 
this  subject,  and  to  illustn>te  the  magnificence  of 
the  Divine  operations.  In  whatever  point  of 
view  we  contemplate  the  scenery  of  the  heavens, 
an  idea  of  grandeur  irresisiihly  bursts  upon  the 
mind  ;'and,  if  empty  space  can,  in  any  sense, 
be  considered  as  an  object  of  sublimity,  nothing 
can  fill  the  mind  with  a  grander  idea  of  magni- 
tude and  extension,  than  the  amplitude  of  the 
scale  on  which  planetary  systems  are  construct- 
ed. Around  the  body  of  the  sun  there  is  allot- 
ted a  cubical  space,  3,600  millions  of  miles  in 
diameter,  in  which  eleven  planetary  globes  re- 
volve—every one  being  separated  from  another, 
by  intervals  of  many  millions  of  miles.  The  space 
which  surrounds  the  utmost  limits  of  our  system, 
extending  in  every  direction,  to  the  nearest  fixed 
stars,  is,  at  least,  40,000,000,000,000  miles  in 
diameter  ;  and,  it  is  highly  probable,  that  every 
star  is  surrounded  by  a  space  of  equal,  or  even 
of  greater  extent.  A  body  impelled  with  the 
greatest  velocity  which  art  can  prrxluce,  a  can- 
non ball,  for  instance  would  require  twenty  years 
to  pass  through  the  space  that  intervenes  between 
the  earth  and  the  sun,  and  four  millions,  seven 
hundred  thousand  years,  ere  it  could  rearh  the 
nearest  star.  Though  the  stars  seem  to  be 
crowded  together  in  clusters,  and  some  of  them 
almost  to  touch  one  another,  yet  the  distance  be- 
twoMi  any  two  start  which  seem  to  make  the 
oearMt  approach,  is  such  as  neither  words  can 
ezpreM,  nor  imagination  fathom.  These  im- 
spaces  are  as  unfathomable  on  the  one 


hand,  as  the  ma;;niiude  of  the  hodies  wbick 
move  in  them,  mid  their  prudigious  veiucitkk,  ara 
incompreht-nKihlr  un  ihe  oiher  ;  and  thry  f«iro  a 
parlof  ihooe  iiiu^nifirent  propnrtii/tis  according 
to  which  the  Ciibiic  of  univen>al  nuiurr  was  ar- 
ranged— all  currt'^|>ondtllg  to  ihe  majesty  cif  that 
infinite  and  incomprehensible  IBeinf;,  "  who 
measures  the  ocean  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand,  and 
meleth  out  the  heavens  wilh  a  rpan."  How 
wonderful  that  bodies  at  suchAr<jdigious  distances 
should  exert  a  mutual  influrnre  on  on'-  nnoihcr  ! 
that  the  moon  at  the  distance  of  240. CCO  miles 
should  raise  tides  m  ilio  ccean,  and  currents  in 
the  atmosphere  '.  that  the  sun,  at  the  distance  of 
ninety-five  millions  of  miles,  should  taise  the  va- 
pours, move  the  ocean,  direct  the  course  of  the 
« inds,  fructify  the  earth,  and  distribute  liehl,  and 
heat,  and  colour,  ihrough  every  region  of  the  globe ; 
yea,  that  his  attractive  influence,  and  triiciifying 
energy,  should  extend  even  to  the  planet  Her- 
schel,at  the  distance  of  eighteen  hundred  millions 
of  miles  !  So  that,  in  every  [loint  of  view  in 
which  the  universe  is  contemplated,  we  perceive 
the  same  grand  scale  of  operation  by  which  the 
Almighty  has  arranged  the  provinces  of  his  uni- 
versal kingdom. 

We  would  now  ask,  in  the  name  of  all  that  is 
sacred,  whether  such  magnificent  manifcftations 
of  Deity  ought  to  be  considered  as  irrelevant  in 
the  business  of  religion,  and  w  hether  they  ought 
to  be  thrown  completely  into  the  rhade,  in  the 
discussions  which  take  place  in  religious  topics, 
in  "  the  assemblies  of  the  saints  ?"  If  religion 
consists  in  the  intellectual  apprehension  of  the 
perfections  of  Go<i,  and  in  the  moral  effects  pro- 
duced by  such  an  apprehension — if  all  the  rays 
of  glory  emitted  by  the  luminaries  of  heaven,  are 
only  so  many  reflections  of  the  grandeur  of  Him 
who  dwells  in  light  unapproachahle — if  they  have 
a  tendency  to  assist  the  mind  informing  its  con* 
ceptions  of  that  ineffable  Being,  whose  uncreat- 
ed glory  cannot  be  directly  contemplated — and  if 
they  are  calculated  to  produce  a  sublime  and 
awful  impression  on  all  created  intelligences,— 
shall  we  rest  contented  with  a  less  glorious  idea 
of  God  than  his  works  are  calculated  to  afford  ? 
Shall  we  disregard  the  works  of  the  Lord,  and 
contemn  "  the  operations  of  his  hands,"  and 
that,  too,  in  the  face  of  all  the  invitations  on  this 
subject,  addressed  to  us  from  heaven  ?  For  thus 
saith  Jehovah  :  "  Lift  un  your  eyes  on  high,  and 
behold,  who  hath  created  these  things,  who 
bringelh  forth  their  host  by  number.  I,  the  Lord, 
who  makelh  all  thines,  who  stretchelh  forth  the 
heavens  alone,  and  spread  abroad  the  earth  by  him* 
self;  all  their  host  have  I  commanded."  And,  if, 
at  the  command  of  God,  we  lifl  up  our  eyes  to 
the  "  firmament  of  his  power,"  surely  we  ought 
to  do  it,  not  with  a  brute,  unconscious  gaze,"  not 
with  the  vacant  stare  of  a  savage,  not  as  if  we 
were  still  enveloped  with  the  mists  and  prejudices 
of  the  dark  ages- — but  as  surrounded  by  that  blase 


OMNIPOTENCE  OF  THE  DEITY. 


3^ 


of  li^t  which  modem  science  has  thrown  upon 
the  scenery  of  the  sky,  in  order  that  we  may  coii- 
(etnplaie,  with  fixed  attention,  all  lliat  enlighten- 
ed reason,  aic'ed  by  the  nicest  observations,  has 
ascertained  respecting  the  niagniticence  of  the 
celestial  orbs.  To  overlook  the  sublime  disco- 
veries of  mo  lerii  times,  to  despise  them,  or  to 
call  in  qiie-tiun  their  reality,  as  some  religionists 
have  done, 'because  they  bring  to  our  ears  such 
astonishin;;  reports  of  the  ''  eternal  power"  and 
majesty  of  Jehovah — is  to  act  as  if  we  were  afraid 
lest  the  Deity  should  be  represented  as  more 
grand  and  mainificent  than  he  really  is,  and  as  if 
we  would  bd  better  pleased  to  pay  him  a  less  share 
ofhomage  and  adoration  than  is  due  to  his  name. 
Perhaps  some  may  be  disposed  to  insinuate, 
that  the  vi>'ws  now  stated  are  above  the  level 
of  ordinary  comprehension,  and  f>unded  loo 
much  on  scientific  considerations,  to  be  stated 
in  detail  to  a  common  audience.  To  any  in- 
sinuations of  this  kind,  it  may  be  replied,  that 
such  illustrations  as  those  to  which  we  have  re- 
ferred, are  more  easily  comprehended  than  many 
of  those  abstract  discussions  to  which  they  are 
frequently  accustomed  ;  since  they  are  definite 
and  tangible,  being  derived  from  those  objects 
which  strike  the  senses  and  the  imagination. 
Any  perso  .  of  common  understanding  may  be 
made  to  comprehend  the  leading  ideas  of  extend- 
ed space,  mainitude,  and  motion,  which  have 
been  stated  above,  provided  the  descriptions  be 
sufficiently  simple,  clear,  and  well-defined  ;  and 
should  they  be  at  a  loss  to  comprehend  the  prin- 
ciples on  which  the  conclusions  rest,  or  the  mode 
by  which  ihe  magnificence  of  the  works  of  God 
has  been  ascertained,  an  occasional  reference 
to  such  topics  would  excite  them  to  inquiry  and 
investigation,  and  to  the  Exercise  of  their  powers 
of  observation  and  reasoning  on  such  subjects — 
which  are  too  frequently  directed  to  far  less  impor- 
tantobjects.  The  following  illustration,  however, 
stands  clear  of  every  objection  of  this  kind,  and 
is  level  to  the  comprehension  of  every  man  of 
common  sense  :  Either  the  earth  moves  round 
its  axis  once  in  twenty-four  hours — or,  the  sun, 
moon,  planets,  comets,  stars,  and  the  whole  frame 
of  the  universe  move  around  the  earth,  in  the 
same  time.  There  is  no  alternative,  or  third 
opinion,  that  can  be  f)rmed  on  this  point.  If 
the  earth  revolve  on  its  axis  every  24  hours,  to 
produce  the  aUernate  succession  of  day  and  night, 
the  portions  of  its  surface  about  the  equator  must 
move  at  a  ra'e  of  more  than  a  thousand  miles  an 
hour,  since  the  earth  is  more  than  twenty-four 
thousand  miles  in  circumference.  This  view 
of  the  fact,  when  attentively  considered,  fur- 
nishes a  m  >st  sublime  ant  astonishing  idea. 
That  a  globe  of  so  vast  dimensions,  with  all  its 
load  of  mo'inains,  continents,  and  oceans,  com- 
prising wi'hin  its  circumference  a  mass  of  two 
hundred  and  sixiy-fiwir  thousand  million  of  cubi- 
cal miles,  shuulti  wiurl  around  with  so  amazing 


velocity,  gives  us  a  most  august  and  impressive 
conception  of  the  greatness  of  that  Power  which 
first  set  it  in  motion,  and  continues  the  rapid 
whirl  from  age  to  age  !  Though  the  huge  masses 
of  the  Alpine  mountains  were  in  a  moment 
detached  from  their  foundations,  carried  aloft 
through  the  regions  of  the  air,  and  tossed  into  the 
Mediierranean  sea,  it  would  convey  no  idea  of 
a  force  equal  to  that  which  is  every  moment  ex- 
erted, if  the  earth  revolve  on  its  axis.  But 
should  the  motion  of  our  earth  be  called  in  ques- 
tion, or  denied,  the  idea  of  force,  or  jwwer,  wil. 
be  indefinitely  increased.  For,  in  this  case,  it 
must  necessarily  be  admitted,  that  the  heavens, 
with  all  the  innumerable  host  of  stars,  have  a 
diurnal  motion  around  the  globe;  which  motion 
must  be  inconceivably  more  rapid  than  that  of 
the  earth,  on  the  supposition  of  its  motion. 
For,  in  proportion  a  the  celestial  bodies  are 
distant  from  the  earth,  in  the  same  proportion 
would  be  the  rapidity  of  their  movements.  The 
sun,  on  ihii  supposition,  would  move  at  the  rate 
of  414  000  miles  in  a  minute  ;  the  nearest  stars, 
at  the  rate  of  fourteen  hundred  millions  of  miles 
in  a  second  :  and  the  most  distant  luminaries, 
with  a  degree  of  swiftness  which  no  numbers 
could  express.*  Such  velocities,  too,  would  be 
the  rate  of  motion,  not  merely  of  a  single  globe 
like  the  earth,  hut  of  all  the  ten  thousand  limes 
ten  thousand  snacious  globes  that  exist  within 
the  boundaries  of  creation.  This  view  conveys 
an  idea  of  power  still  more  august  and  over- 
whelming than  any  of  the  views  already  stated, 
and  we  dare  not  presume  to  assert,  that  such,  a 
degree  of  physical  force  is  beyond  the  limits  of 
infinite  perfection  ;  but  on  the  supposition  it 
existed,  it  would  confound  all  our  ideas  of  the 
wisdom  and  intelligence  of  the  Divine  mind,  and 
would  appear  altogether  inconsistent  with  the 
character  which  the  scripture  gives  us  of  the 
Deity  as  "the  only  wise  God."  For,  it  would 
exhibit  a  stupendous  system  of  means  altogether 
disproportioned  to  the  end  intended — namely,  to 
produce  the  alternate  succession  of  day  and  night 
to  the  inhabitants  of  our  globe,  which  is  more 
beautifully  and  harmoniously  effected  by  a  simple 
rotation  on  its  axis,  as  is  the  case  with  the  other 
globes  which  compose  the  planetary  system. 
Such  considerations,  however,  show  us,  that,  on 
whatever  hypothesis,  whether  on  the  vulgar  or 
the  scientific,  or  in  whatever  other  point  of  view, 
the  frame  of  nature  may  be  contemplated,  the 
mind  is  irresistibly  impressed  with  ideas  of 
power,  grandeur,  and  magnificence.  And,  there- 
fore, when  an  inquiring  mind  is  directed  to  con- 
templa'e  the  works  of  God,  on  any  hypothesis  it 
may  choose,  it  has  a  tendency  to  rouse  reflec- 
tion, and  to  stimulate  the  exercise  of  the  moral 
and  intellectual  faculties,  on  objects  which  aie 
worthy  of  the  dignity  of  immortal  minds. 

*  See  Appendix,  No.  i. 


34 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


We  may  now  be,  ia  eome  meiuure,  pri-i>arcd 
to  decide,  whether  illiMlraiioni  of  (he  omnipo- 
tence of  ihe  Dfity,  derived  from  (he  ityiitcin  of 
the  material  world,  or  ilioee  va|;ue  and  meinphy- 
sical  disquiiiiioiis  which  are  f;enerally  given  in 
tbeotogioil  ayslems,  be  munt  calculated  to  im- 
preM  the  mind,  and  to  inspire  it  with  revcrrnce 
and  adoration.  The  fulluwing  ia  a  description, 
given  of  th:a  attribute  of  God,  by  a  well-known 
•ystematic  writtr,  who  has  generally  bven  consi- 
dered as  a  jiidicidiis  and  orthodox  divine  : — 

"  God  is  almighty,  Rev.  i.  18,  chap.  iv.  8. 
This  will  evideiiily  appear,  in  that,  if  he  be  infi- 
Qite  in  all  his  other  pi-rfections,  he  must  be  so  in 
power:  thus,  if  he  be  omniscient,  he  knows  what 
is  possible  or  ex|>edient  to  be  done  ;  and  if  he  be 
an  infinite  sovereign,  he  wills  whatever  shall  come 
to  pass.  Now  this  knowled^je  would  be  insigni- 
ficant, and  his  power  inefficacious,  were  he  not 
infinite  in  |K>wi-r,  or  almighty.  Again,  this  might 
be  argued  foiu  his  jusiice,  cither  in  rewarding  or 
punishing  :  for  if  he  were  not  infinite  in  power, 
he  could  do  neither  of  these,  at  least  so  far  as  to 
render  him  ihe  object  of  that  desire  or  fear, 
which  is  agreeable  to  the  nature  of  these  perfec- 
tions ;  neiiher  could  infinite  faillrfulness  accom- 
plish all  the  promises  which  he  hath  made,  so  as 
to  excite  that  trust  and  dependence  which  is  a 
part  of  religious  worship  ;  nor  could  he  say  with- 
out limitation,  as  he  docs,  /  have  spoken  it,  I 
will  alio  bring  it  to  pass  ;  I  have  purposed  it,  I 
will  also  do  it ;  Isa.  xlvi.  II.  But  since  power 
is  visible  in,  and  demonstrated  by  its  effect,  and 
infinite  power  by  those  efTects  which  cannot  be 
produced  by  a  creature,  we  may  observe  the 
almighty  power  of  God  in  all  his  works,  both  of 
nature  and  grace  :  thus  his  eternal  power  is  un- 
derstood, as  the  apostle  says,  By  the  things  thai 
are  made,  Rom.  i.20,  not  that  there  was  an  eter- 
nal production  of  things,  but  tiie  exerting  this 
power  in  time  proves  it  to  be  infinite  and  truly 
divine  ;  for  no  creature  can  produce  the  smallest 
particle  of  matter  out  of  nothing,  much  less  fur- 
nish the  various  species  of  creatures  with  those 
endowments  in  which  they  excel  one  another, 
and  set  forth  their  Creator's  glory.  And  the 
glory  of  his  power  is  no  less  visible  in  the  works 
of  providence,  whereby  he  upholds  all  things, 
disposes  of  them  according  to  his  pleasure,  and 
brings  about  events  which  only  he  who  has  an 
almighty  arm  can  effect." — Ridgley's  Body  of 
Divinity,  p.  39. 

This  is  the  whole  that  Dr.  Ridgley  judges  it 
necessary  to  state,  in  illustration  of  the  attribute 
of  Omnipotence,  except  what  he  says  in  relation 
to  its  operation  "  in  the  work  of  grace,"  in  "  the 
propagation  and  success  of  the  Gospel,"  &c. 
subjects,  to  which  the  idea  of  power,  or  physical 
energy,  does  not  pro|)erly  apply.  Such,  however, 
are  the  meager  and  abstract  disquusitions  gene- 
rally given  by  most  systeciwiic  writers.  There 
is  a  cooiioual  play  oa  the  term  "  infinite,"  which 


to  most  minds  conveys  no  idea  at  all,  unlefl  it 
bo  aNsocialed  wi:h  ample  coitceptiuiis  of  nsMDn, 
inagniiude,  and  extension  ;  and  it  i»  consianily 
applied  to  subjects  to  which  it  was  iMsver  intende4 
to  apply,  such  as  ■'  infinite  faiihfuliiess,  intinit* 
justice,  iiifintte  truth,"  &c.  an  appliraiion  of  the 
teini  which  is  never  sanctioned  by  Mrripiure,  and 
which  has  a  tendency  to  introduce  confusion  into 
our  conceptions  of  ihe  perfeciions  of  Goil.  Grant- 
ing that  the  statements  and  reasonings  in  sucfi  an 
extract  as  the  above  were  unquestionable,  yet 
what  impression  can  they  make  upon  ihe  mind  ? 
Would  an  ignorant  person  feel  his  conceptions  of 
the  Divinity  much  enlarged,  or  nis  moral  powers 
aroused,  by  such  vague  and  general  statements  ? 
And,  if  not,  it  appears  somewhat  unaccountable, 
that  those  sources  of  illustration,  which  would 
Convey  the  most  ample  and  definite  views  of  the 
"  eternal  power"  and  glory  of  God,  choiild  be 
studiously  concealed  from  the  view.  Vague  de- 
scriptions and  general  views  of  any  objoct  will 
never  be  effectual  in  awakening  the  attention, 
and  arresting  the  faculties  of  the  mind.  The 
heart  will  always  remain  unimpressed,  and  the 
understanding  will  never  be  thoroughly  excited 
ill  its  exercise,  unless  the  intellect  have  presented 
before  it  a  well-defined  and  interesting  object, 
and  be  enabled  to  survey  it  in  its  various  aspects  * 
and  this  object  must  always  have  a  r'laiinn  to 
the  material  world,  whether  it  be  viewed  in  con- 
nexion with  religion,  or  with  any  other  subject. 


Thus  I  have  endeavoured,  in  the  preceding 
sketches,  to  present  a  few  detached  illustrations 
of  the  omnipotence  and  grandeur  of  the  Deity, 
as  displayed  in  the  vast  magnitude  of  ihe  material 
universe — the  stupendous  velocities  of  the  celes- 
tial bodies — and  in  the  immeasurable  regions  of 
space  which  surround  them,  and  in  which  their 
motions  are  performed.  Such  a  magnificent  spec- 
tacle as  the  fabric  of  the  universe  presents — so 
majestic,  God-like,  and  overwhelming,  to  beings 
who  dwell  "  in  tabernacles  of  clay" — was  surely 
never  intended  to  be  overlooked,  or  to  be  ga7cd 
at  with  indifference,  by  creatures  endowed  with 
reason  and  intelligence,  wnd  destined  to  an  im- 
mortal existence.  In  forming  a  universe  com- 
posed of  so  many  immense  systems  and  workls, 
and  replenished  with  such  a  variety  of  sensitive 
and  intelligent  existences,  the  Creator  doubtless 
intended  that  it  should  make  a  sublime  and  re- 
verential impression  on  the  minds  of  all  the  intel- 
lectual t>eing8  to  whom  it  might  be  displayed,  and 
that  it  should  convey  some  palpable  idea  of  the 
infinite  glories  of  his  nature,  in  so  far  as  material 
objects  can  be  supposed  to  adumbrate  the  perfec- 
tions ofaijpiritual  and  imcreated  Eauence.  Dwell- 
ing in  "  light  inaccessible"  to  mortals,  and  for 
ever  veiled  from  the  highest  created  being,  by 
the  pure  spirituality  and  immensity  of  his  nature, 


OMNIPOTENCE  OF  THE  DEITY. 


3d 


there  is  no  conceivable  mode  by  which  the  in- 
finite graiiiieur  of  Deity  could  be  cxhibiled  to 
finite  iritelliiiences,  but  through  ihe  medium  of 
those  masiinificent  opera' inns  which  are  inces- 
santly goini;  f'irwaid  throughout  the  boundless 
regions  of  space.  Concealed  from  the  gaze  of 
all  »Jie  "  principalities  and  powers"  in  heaven, 
in  the  unfaihomable  depths  of  his  Essence,  be  dis- 
plays his  presence  in  the  universe  he  has  created, 
and  the  slory  of  his  power,  by  launching  magni- 
ficent worlds  into  existence,  by  adorning  them 
with  diversified  spIendours,by  peopling  them  with 
various  ranks  ofintelligent  existence,  and  by  im- 
pelling th'3m  in  their  movements  through  the  illi- 
mitable tracts  of  creation. 

It  will  readily  be  admitted  by  every  enligh'en- 
ed  Christian,  that  it  must  be  a  highly  desirable 
attainment,  to  acquire  the  most  glorious  idea  of 
the  Divine  Being  which  the  limited  capacity  of 
our  minds  is  capable  of  receiving.  This  is  one  of 
the  grand  difficulties  in  religion.  The  idea  of  a 
Being  purely  immaterial,  yet  pervading  in- 
finite space,  and  possessed  of  noaensible  qualities, 
confounds  and  bewilders  the  human  intellect,  so 
that  its  conceptions,  on  the  one  hand,  are  apt  to 
verge  towards  extravagancy,  while,  on  the  other, 
thev  are  apt  to  degenerate  into  something  ap- 
proaching to  inanity.  Mere  abstract  ideas  and 
reasonings  respecting  infinity,  eternity,  and  abso- 
lute perfection,  however  Sublime  we  may  con- 
ceive them  to  be,  completely  fail  in  arresting  the 
understanding,  and  affecting  the  heart ;  our  con- 
ceptions become  vague,  empty,  and  confused,  for 
want  of  a  material  vehicle  to  give  them  order,  sta- 
bility, and  expansion.  Something  ofthe  nature  of 
vast  extension,  of  splendid  and  variegated  objects, 
and  of  mighty  movements,  is  absolutely  necessary, 
in  order  to  convey  to  spirits  dwelling  in  bodies  of 
clay,  a  definite  conception  ofthe  invisible  glories 
of  the  Eternal  Mind  ;  and,  therefore,  in  the  im- 
mense variety  of  material  existence  with  which 
the  universe  is  adorned,  we  find  every  requisite 
assistance  of  this  kind  to  direct  and  expand  our 
views  ofthe  great  object  of  our  adoration.  When 
the  mimi  is  perplexed  and  overwhelmed  with  its 
conceptions,  when  it  labours,  as  it  were,  to  form 
some  well-defined  conceptions  of  an  Infinite  Be- 
ing, it  here  finds  some  tangible  objects  on  which 
to  fix,  some  sensible  tubstratum  for  its  thoughts 
to  rest  upon  for  a  little,  while  it  attempts  to  pene- 
trate, in  its  excursions,  into  those  distant  regions 
which  eye  hath  not  seen,  and  to  connect  the  whole 
of  its  mental  survey  with  the  energies  of  the 
"  King,  Eternal,  Immortal,  and  Invisible. 

To  such  a  train  of  thotight  we  are  uniformly 
directed  in  the  sacred  oracles,  where  Jehovah  is 
represented  as  describing  himself  by  the  effects 
which  his  power  and  wisdom  have  produced. 
"  Israel  shall  be  saved  in  the  Lord  with  an  ever- 
lasting salvatii  For  thus  saith  Jehovah  that 
creat^  the  heavens ;  God  himself  that  forroed 
the  earth  and  made  it ;  he  hath  established  it,  he 


created  it  not  in  vain,  he  formed  it  to  be  inhabit- 
ed ;  I  am  the  Lord,  and  there  is  none  else." — "  I 
have  made  the  earth  and  created  man  upon  it,  my 
hands  have  stretched  out  the  heavens,  and  all 
their  host  have  I  commanded." — "  Hearken  unto 
me,  O  Israel  :  I  am  the  first,  I  also  am  the  last. 
Mine  hand  also  hath  laid  the  foundation  of  the 
earth,  and  my  right  hand  hath  spanned  the 
heavens  :  when  I  call  unto  them,  they  stand  up 
together." — "  Who  ha;h  measured  the  waters  in 
the  hollow  of  his  hand,  and  meted  out  heaven  with 
the  span,  and  weighed  the  mountains  in  scales? 
He  who  sitteth  upon  the  circle  of  the  earth,  and 
the  inhabitants  thereof  are  as  grasshoppers  ;  that 
stretched  out  the  heavens  as  a  curtain,  that  faint- 
eth  not,  neither  is  weary." — "  The  Lord  made 
the  heavens,  the  heaven  of  heavens,  with  all  their 
hosts ;  honour  and  majesty  are  bef  )re  him,  and  his 
kingdom  ruleth  overall."*  Such  sublime  descrip- 
tions of  Jehovah,  and  references  to  his  material 
works,  are  reiterated  in  every  portion  of  the  sa- 
cred volume ;  and  the  import  and  sublimity  of  such 
expressions  cannot  be  fully  appreciated,  unless 
we  take  into  view  all  the  magnificent  objects 
which  science  has  unveiled  in  the  distant  re- 
gions of  creation. 

This  subject  is  calculated  not  merely  to  over- 
power the  intellect  with  ideas  of  sublimity  and 
grandeur,  but  also  to  produce  a  deep  moral  im- 
pression upon  the  heart ;  and  a  Christian  philo- 
sopher would  be  deficient  in  his  duty,  were  he  to 
overlook  this  tendency  of  the  objects  of  his 
contemplation. 

One  important  moral  effect  which  this  subject 
has  a  natural  tendency  to  produce,  is,  profound 
HUMILITY.  What  an  insignificant  being  does 
man  appear,  when  he  compares  himself  with  the 
magnificence  of  creation,  and  with  the  myriads 
of  exalted  intelligences  with  which  it  is  peopled! 
Wha  are  all  the  honours  and  splendours  of  this 
earthly  ball,  of  which  mortals  are  so  proud,  when 
placed  in  competition  with  the  resplendent  glo- 
ries ofthe  skies  ?  Such  a  display  as  the  Almighty 
has  given  of  himself,  in  the  magnitude  and  va- 
riety of  his  works,  was  evidently  intended  "  to 
stain  the  pride"  of  al!  human  grandeur,  that  "  no 
flesh  should  glory  in  his  presence."  Yet,  there  is 
no  disposition  that  appears  so  prominent  among 
puny  mortals,  as  pride,  ambition,  and  vainglory 
— the  very  opposite  of  humility,  and  of  all  those 
tempers  which  become  those  "  who  dwell  in 
tabernacles  of  clay,  and  whose  foundation  is  in 
the  dust."  Even  without  taking  into  account 
the  state  of  man  as  a  depraved  intelligence, 
what  is  there  in  his  situation  that  should  inspire 
him  with  "  lofiy  looks,"  and  induce  him  to  look 
down  on  his  fellow-men  with  supercilious  con- 
tempt ?  He  derived  his  origin  from  the  dust, 
he  is  allied  with  the  beasts  that  ()erish,  and  he  if 
fast  hastening  to  the  grave,  where  his  caicaai 

*  In.  zlv.  18,  IS.  zlviii,  IS,  IS.  zL  ts,  ss,  *«. 


18 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


will  bMDma  the  food  for  noisome  reptileii.  He 
it  every  niumeni  <ltt|>etident  on  a  Su|>erior  Being 
for  eveiy  piiixe  ihal  beam,  and  every  brealh  he 
draws,  and  for  all  ihat  he  possesiies  ;  he  is  de- 
pendent even  on  llie  mcane.it  of  his  species  for 
his  accommoddiions  and  comforts.  He  holds 
•very  enjoymi-nt  on  the  most  precarious  tenure, 
— his  friemln  may  be  snatched  in  a  moniont  from 
his  cmbracu  ;  liis  riches  may  take  to  theniiU'lves 
wings  and  fly  away  ;  and  his  health  and  beau'y 
may  be  blasted  in  an  hour,  by  a  breath  of  wind. 
Hunger  and  thirsi,  cold  and  heal,  poverty  and 
disgiace,  sorrow  and  disappointment,  pain  and 
disease,  minifle  themselves  with  all  his  pursuits 
and  enjoyments.  His  knowledge  is  circum- 
•cribed  within  the  narrowest  limits,  his  errors 
and  follies  are  glaring  and  innumerable  ;  and  he 
■tands  as  an  almost  undi-tinguishable  atom, 
amidst  the  immensity  of  God's  works.  Still, 
with  all  these  powerful  inducements  to  the  ex- 
ercise of  humility,  man  dares  to  be  proud  and 
arrogant. 

.  — "  M.in,  proud  Man, 
Dresae<1  in  n  little  brief  authnrity, 
Plays  such  I'mtastic  tricks  before  high  Heaven, 
As  make  the  angels  weep." 

How  affectinv  to  contemplate  the  warrior,  flush- 
ed with  diabolical  pride,  pursuing  his  conquests 
through  heaps  of  slain,  in  order  to  ob'aiii  pos- 
session of  "  a  poor  pitiable  speck  of  perishing 
earth;"  exclaiming  in  his  rage,  "  I  will  pur- 
gue,  I  will  overtake,  I  will  divide  the  spoil,  my 
lust  shall  be  satisfied  upon  them,  I  will  draw 
my  sword,  my  hand  shall  destroy  them" — to  be- 
hold the  man  of  rank  glorying  in  his  wealih,  and 
bis  empty  titles,  and  looking  around  upon  the 
inferior  orders  of  his  fellow-mortals  as  the  worms 
of  the  dust — to  behold  the  man  of  ambition  push- 
ing his  way  through  bribery,  and  treachery,  and 
slaughter,  to  gain  possession  of  a  throne,  that  he 
may  look  down  with  proud  pre-eminence  upon 
his  fellows— 'o  hehokl  the  haughty  airs  of  the 
noble  dame,  inflated  with  the  idea  of  her  beauty, 
and  her  high  birth,  as  she  struts  alons,  surveying 
the  ignoble  crowd  as  if  they  were  the  dust  be- 
neath her  feet — to  behold  the  smaiterer  in  learn- 
ing, pufled  up  with  a  vain  con-^eit  of  his  super- 
ficial acquirements,  when  he  has  scarcely  entered 
tba  porch  of  knowledge — in  fln«,  lo  behold  all 
noka,  iromthr  highest  to  the  lowest,  big  wiih  an 
Uea  of  their  own  importance,  and  fired  with  pride 
aad  revengii  at  the  least  provocation,  whether 
iniLginnry  or  real !  How  inconsistent  the  mani- 
feotations  of  such  iem|>ers,  with  the  many  humi- 
liating circums'ances  </  our  present  condition, 
and  with  the  low  rank  which  we  hold  in  the  scale 
ef  Uaireraal  Being? 

It  ii  not  impmhable,  that  there  are  in  the 
oaiverse  intelligences  of  a  superior  order,  in 
whose  breasts  pride  never  found  a  plare — to 
whom  this  globe  of  ours,  and  all  its  inhabitants, 
appear  as  iooonsiderable  as  a  drop  of  water  filled 


with  microscopic  animalculm,  does  to  the  ] 
lord*  of  this  earthly  region.  There  is  at  least 
one  Being  to  whom  this  sentiment  is  a|i{>Jicablc, 
in  its  uimoet  extent : — "  Before  Him  all  nations 
are  as  a  drop  of  a  bucket,  and  the  inhabiiants 
of  the  earth  as  grasshoppers ;  yea,  they  are  as 
nothing,  and  are  counted  to  him  less  than  no- 
thing, and  vanity."  Could  we  wing  our  way ,  with 
the  Mwifiness  of  a  seraph,  from  sun  to  sun,  and 
from  world  to  world,  till  we  had  surveyed  all  the 
systems  visible  to  the  naked  eye,  which  are  only 
as  a  mere  s|>erk  in  the  map  of  the  universe^ 
could  we,  nt  the  same  lime,  coniemplaio  the 
glorious  landscapes  and  scenes  of  grandeur  thiy 
exhibits-could  we  also  mingle  wiih  the  pure  and 
exalted  intelligences  which  people  those  resplen- 
dent abodes,  and  behold  their  humble  and  ardent 
adorations  of  their  Almighty  Maker,  their  be- 
nign and  condescending  deportment  towards 
one  another ;  "  each  esteeming  another  better 
than  him-ielf,"  and  all  united  in  the  bonds  of  the 
purest  affection,  without  one  haughty  or  discord- 
ant feeling — what  indignation  and  astonishment 
would  seize  us,  on  our  return  to  this  obscure 
corner  of  creation,  to  behold  beings  enveloped  ia 
the  mist  of  ignorance,  immersed  in  depravity  and 
wickedness,  liable  to  a  thoa-iand  accidents,  ex- 
posed to  the  ravages  of  tlie  earthquake,  the  vol- 
cano and  the  storm  ;  yet  proud  as  Lucifer,  and 
glorying  in  their  shame  !  We  sliould  be  apt  to 
view  them,  .".<  we  now  do  those  bedlamites,  who 
fancy  themselves  to  be  kings,  surrounded  by  their 
nobles,  while  they  are  chained  to  the  walls  of  a 
noisome dungeim.  "  Sure  pride  was  never  made 
for  nun."  How  abhorrent,  then,  must  it  appear 
in  the  eyes  of  superior  beings,  who  have  taken 
an  expansive  range  through  the  field  of  creation  ? 
How  abhorrent  it  is  in  the  sight  of  the  Almighty, 
and  how  amiaMe  is  the  opposite  virtue,  we  learu 
from  his  word: — "  Every  one  that  is  proud  in 
heart  is  an  abomination  to  the  Lord." — "  God 
resisteth  the  proud,  but  giveih  grace  to  the  hum- 
ble."— "  Thus  sailh  the  Hij-h  and  Lofty  One, 
who  inhabitelh  eternity,  I  dwell  in  the  high  and 
holy  place ;  with  him  also  that  is  of  an  humble 
and  contrite  spirit;  to  revive  the  spirit  of  the 
humble,  and  the  heart  of  the  contrite  ones." — 
While,  therefore,  we  contemplate  the  omnipo- 
tence of  God,  in  ihe  immensity  of  creation,  let 
us  learn  to  cultivate  humility  and  self-abase- 
ment. This  was  one  of  the  lessons  which  the 
pious  Psalmist  deduced  from  his  survey  of  the 
nocturnal  heavens.  When  he  behekl  the  mouo 
walking  in  the  brightness,  and  the  inni  merable 
host  of  stars,  overpowered  wiih  a  sense  of  his 
own  insignificance,  and  the  greatness  of  divine 
condescension,  he  exclaimed,  "  O  Lord  !  what 
is  man,  that  thou  art  mindful  of  him,  or  the  son 
of  man,  that  thou  shouldeit  visit  him !" 

Again,  this  subject  is  also  calculated  lo  inspire 
us  with  aavERCNCC  and  VENKKATioit  of  God. 
Profound  veneration  of  the  Divine  Beio^  lies  at 


OMNIPOTENCE  OP  THE  DEITY. 


■   S7 


••the  Foundition  of  all  religious  worship  and  obe- 
dience. Hat,  111  order  to  venerate  God  aright,  we 
must  know  liim  ;  anJ,  in  order  to  acquire  (he 
Crue  knowledge  of  hiiii,  we  must  coiilemijlate  him 
Chroifht  the  medium  of  those  works  and  dispen- 
sations, by  whicti  he  displays  the  glories  of  his 
nature  to  the  iimabitants  of  our  world.  I  have 
already  exhibited  a  few  specimens  of  the  stupen- 
dous operations  of  his  power,  in  that  portion  of 
the  system  of  the  universe  which  lies  open  to  our 
inspection  ;  and  there  is  surely  no  mind  in  which 
the  least  spark  of  piety  exists,  but  must  feel 
strong  emotions  of  reverence  and  awe,  at  the 
thought  of  that  Almighty  and  Incomprehensible 
Beina,  who  impels  the  huge  masses  of  the  pla- 
netary globes  with  so  amazing  a  rapidity  through 
the  sky,  and  who  has  diversified  the  voids  of 
space  with  so  vast  an  assemblage  of  magnificent 
worlds.  Even  those  manifestations  of  Deity 
which  are  confined  to  the  globe  \ve  inhabit,  when 
attentively  considered,  are  calculated  to  rouse 
even  the  unthinking  mind,  to  astonishment  and 
awe.  The  lof  y  mountains,  and  expansive  plains, 
the  mass  of  water  in  the  mighty  ocean,  the  thun- 
ders rolling  along  the  sky,  the  lightnings  flashing 
from  cloud  to  cloud,  the  hurricane  and  the  tem- 
pest, the  volcano  vomiting  rivers  of  fire,  and  the 
earthquake  shaking  kingdoms,  and  levelling  cities 
with  the  ground — all  proclaim  the  Majesty  of 
Him,  by  whom  the  elements  of  nature  are  ar- 
ranged and  directed,  and  seem  to  address  the  sons 
of  men  in  language  like  this  ;  "  The  Lord 
reigneih,  he  is  clothed  with  majesty ;  at  his  wrath 
the  earth  irembles  ;  a  fire  goeth  before  him,  and 
buriieth  up  his  enemies." — "  Let  all  the  earth 
fear  the  Lord,  let  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  world 
stand  in  awe  of  him." 

There  is  one  reason,  among  others,  why  the 
bulk  of  mankind  feel  so  littlo'veneration  of  God, 
and  that  is.  that  they  seldom  contemplate,  with 
fixed  attention,  "the  operations  of  h.s  hands." 
If  we  wish  to  cherish  this  sublime  sentiment  in 
/our  hearts,  we  must  familiarize  our  minds  to 
frequent  excursions  over  all  those  scenes  of 
Creation  and  Providence,  which  the  volume  of 
nature,  and  the  volume  of  inspiration  unfold  to 
view.  We  must  endeavour  to  assist  our  concep- 
tions of  the  grandeur  of  these  objects,  by  every  dis- 
covery which  has  b-'on  or  may  yet  be  made,  and 
by  every  mode  of  illustration  by  which  a  sublime 
and  comprehen'iive  idea  of  the  particular  object  of 
contemplation  may  be  obtained.  If  we  would 
wish  to  acquire  some  definite,  though  imperfect, 
concepliim  of  the  physical  extent  of  the  universe, 
our  minds  might  be  assisted  by  such  illustrations 
as  the  following  : — Light  flies  from  the  sun  with 
a  velocity  of  nearly  two  hundred  thousand 
miles  in  a  moment  of  time,  or,  about  1,400  000 
times  swifter  than  thy^otion  of  a  cannon  ball : 
Suppose  that  one  of  tne  highest  order  of  intelli- 
gences is  endowed  with  a  power  of  rapid  motion 
superioi  to  that  of  light,  and  with  a  corresponding 


degree  of  intellectual  energy  ;  that  he  his  bcOB 
flying  without  intermission,  from  one  province  of 
creation  to  another,  for  six  thousand  years,  and 
will  continue  the  same  rapid  course  far  a  thousand 
millions  of  years  to  come  ;  it  is  highly  probable, 
if  not  absolutely  certain,  thai,  ut  tlie  end  of  this 
vast  tour,  he  would  have  advanced  no  further  thaa 
"  the  suburbs  of  creation"— and  that  all  the  mag- 
nificent systems  of  material  and  iniellectual  be*' 
ings  he  had  surveyed,  during  his  rapid  flight, 
and  for  such  a  length  of  ages,  bear  no  more  pro- 
portion to  the  whole  Empire  of  Omnipotence, 
than  the  smallest  grain  of  sand  does  to  all  the 
panicles  of  mai  ter  of  the  same  size  contained  in 
ten  thousand  worlds.  Nor  need  we  entertain 
the  least  fear,  that  the  idea  of  the  extent  of  the 
Creator's  power,  conveyed  i»y  such  a  representa» 
tion,  exceeds  the  bounds  of  reality.  On  the  other 
hand,  it  must  fall  almost  inhniiely  short  of  it. 
For,  as  the  poet  has  justly  observed — 

"  Can  man  conceive  beyond  tohat  God  can  do .'" 

Were  a  seraph,  in  prosecuting  the  tour  of 
creation  in  the  manner  bow  stated,  ever  to  arrive 
at  a  limit  beyond  which  no  farther  displays  of  the 
Divinity  could  be  perceived,  the  thought  would 
overwhelm  his  faculties  with  unutterable  anguish 
and  horror:  he  would  feel,  that  he  had  now,  in 
some  measure,  comprehended  all  the  plans  and 
operations  of  Omnipotence,  and  that  no  farther 
manifestation  of  the  Divine  glory  remained  to  be 
explored.  But  we  may  rest  assnred,  that  this 
can  never  happen  in  the  case  of  any  created  in- 
telligence. We  have  every  reason  to  believe, 
both  from  the  nature  of  an  infinite  Being,  and 
from  the  vast  extent  of  creation  already  explored, 
that  the  immense  mass  of  material  existence,  and 
the  endless  variety  of  sensitive  and  intellectual 
beings  with  which  the  universe  is  replenished,  are 
intended  by  Jehovah  to  present  to  his  ralional  oflV 
spring  a  shadow,  an  emblem,  or  a  representation^ 
(in  so  far  as  finite  extended  existence  can  be  a 
representation,)  of  the  Infinite  Perfections  of  his 
nature,  which  would  otherwise  have  remained  for 
ever  impalpable  to  all  subordinate  intelligence. 

Ib  this  manner,then,  might  we  occasionally  exer- 
cise our  minds  on  the  grand  and  diversified  objects 
which  the  universe  exhibits  ;  and  in  proportion  as 
we  enlarge  the  sphere  of  our  contemplations,  in  a 
similar  proportion  will  our  views  of  God  himself 
be  extended,  and  a  corresponding  sentiment  of  ve- 
neration impressed  upon  the  mind.  For  the  soul 
of  man  cannot  venerate  a  mere  abstract  being,  that 
was  never  manifested  through  a  sensible  medium^ 
however  many  lofty  terms  may  be  used  to  describe 
his  perfections.  It  venerates  that  Ineffable  Being, 
who  conceals  himself  behind  the  scenes  ofCrea- 
ti3n,through  the  medium  of  the  visible  displays  he 
exhibits  of  his  Power,  Wisdom,  and  Beneficence, 
in  th«?  Economy  of  Nature,  and  in  the  Record* 
of  Revelation.  Before  the  universe  was  formed, 
Jehovah  existed  alone,  possessed  of  every  attri* 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


bote  which  he  now  ditplajr*.  But,  had  only  one 
aolilary  iiiirlligence  bron  created,  and  placed  io 
the  infinite  void,  without  a  malrrial  aubatratum 
beneath  and  around  him,  he  could  never  have 
been  animated  with  a  ■eniiment  of  profound  ve- 
neration fur  his  Creator  ;  becaune  no  ubjccti  ex- 
Uted  to  excite  it,  or  to  ahow  that  his  Invisible 
Maker  was  invested  with  those  attributes  whjch 
be  is  now  known  to  |N>ssess.  Arc<irdinf;ly ,  we  find, 
in  the  sacred  writings,  that,  when  a  seniinientof 
reverence  is  demanded  from  the  sons  of  men, 
those  sensible  objects  which  are  calculated  to 
excite  the  emotion,  are  unifurmly  exhibited; 
"  Pear  ye  not  ine  ?  saith  the  Lord.  Will  ye  not 
tremble  at  my  presence  7  who  have  placed  the 
•and  for  the  bound  of  the  sea,  by  a  perpetual  de- 
cree, that  it  cannot  poAs  it ;  and  though  the  waves 
thereof  tO!«  themselves,  yet  they  cannot  prevail ; 
though  they  roar,  yet  can  they  not  pass  over  it." 
"  Who  would  not  fear  thee,  O  King  of  nations  ? 
Thou  art  the  true  God,  and  an  everlasting 
King.  Th<iu  hast  made  the  earth  by  thy  power, 
thou  hast  established  the  world  by  thy  wisdom, 
thou  host  siriMched  out  the  heavens  by  thy  discre- 
tion. When  thou  utterest  thy  voice,  there  is  a 
noise  of  waters  in  the  heavens,  thou  caiisest  the 
vapours  to  ascend  from  the  ends  of  the  earth,  Ihou 
makest  lightnings  with  rain,  and  bringest  forth 
the  winds  out  of  thy  treasures."* 

But,  however  enlarged  and  venerable  concep- 
tions of  God  we  may  derive  from  the  manifesta- 
tions of  his  power,  they  must  fall  infinitely  short 
of  what  is  due  to  a  being  of  boundless  perfection. 
For  there  may  be  attributes  in  the  Divine  Es- 
sence, of  which  we  cannot  possibly  form  the 
least  conception — attributes  which  cannot  be 
shadowed  fiirih  or  represented  by  any  portion  of  the 
material  or  intellectual  world  yet  discovered  by  us, 
or  by  all  the  mighty  achievements  by  which  hu- 
man redemption  was  effected — attributes  which 
have  not  been  yet  displayed,  in  their  effects,  to 
the  highest  orders  of  intelligent  existence.  And, 
therefore,  as  that  excellent  philosopher  and  di- 
vine, the  honourable  Mr.  Boyle,  has  well  observ- 
ed—" Our  ideas  of  God,  however  so  great,  will 
rather  express  the  greatness  of  our  veneration, 
then  the  Immensity  of  his  perfections  ;  and  the 
notions  worthy  of  the  most  intelliuent  mm  are 
far  short  of  being  worthy  the  incomprehcnxible 
God— 4he  brightest  idea  we  can  frame  of  God  be- 
ing infinitely  inferior,  and  no  more  than  a  Parht- 
iionf  in  respect  of  the  sun  ;  for  though  that  meteor 
is  splendid,  and  resembles  the  nun,  vet  it  resides 
in  a  cloud,  and  is  not  only  much  beneath  the  sun 
in  disttuice,  but  inferior  in  bigness  and  splendour." 

•  Jerem.  x.  7-13. 

t  A  Parhrlion  or  Mnrk-Sun,  Is  a  meteor  In  the 
form  of  a  very  bri-^tit  lUht,  appearinj;  on  one  side  of 
the  sun,  ami  somewhat  resemhlln;  the  appeamnre 
of  that  luminary.  Tr.ls  phenomenon  is  loippoiied  to 
be  produced  by  the  refraction  and  n-flcction  uf  the 
sun's  rays  from  a  watery  cloud  fctomellmrs  three  or 
fourorthcscparhella,allorthemt>e.'\rlnKa  certain  re- 
semblance 10  the  real  sua  have  been  seen  at  one  time. 


In  short,  were  we  habitually  to  cherish  lliBt 
profound  veneration  of  God  which  his  works  are 
calculated  lo  inspire,  with  what  humility  would 
we  approach  the  presence  of  this  auguat  Being  ! 
with  what  emotions  of  awe  woukJ  we  prwenl 
our  adoraion*!  and  with  what  reverence  would 
we  talk  of  his  inicrulable  piir|KMiea,  and  incom- 
prehensible operations  !  We  would  not  ia!k  about 
hira,  as  some  writers  have  done,  with  the  same 
ease  and  indifference,  a*  a  mathematician  would 
talk  about  the  properties  of  a  triangle,  or  a  phi- 
losopher about  the  effects  of  a  mechanical  en- 
gine ;  nor  would  we  treat,  with  a  spirit  of  levity, 
any  of  the  solemn  declaralions  of  his  word,  or  the 
mighty  movements  of  his  providence.  We  would 
be  ever  ready  to  join  with  ardour  inthe  sublime  de- 
votions of  the  inspired  writers,  "  Great  and  mar- 
vellous are  thy  works.  Lord  God  Almighty,  just 
and  true  are  thy  ways,  thou  King  of  saints.  VVho 
would  not  fear  thee.  O  Lord,  and  glorify  thy  name  7 
Let  all  the  earth  fear  the  Lord,  let  all  the  inha- 
bitants of  the  world  stand  in  awe  of  him." 

Lastly,  the  views  we  have  taken  of  the  om- 
nipotence and  grandeur  of  the  Deity  are  calcu- 
lated to  inspire  ui  viith  hope  and  confidekcb 
in  the  prospect  of  that  eternal  existence  tofuek 
lUs  before  u*.  The  period  of  our  existence  in 
this  terrestrial  scene  will  soon  terminate,  and 
those  bodies  through  which  we  now  hoU  arorr^ 
s|>ondence  with  the  visible  creation,  be  crumbled 
into  dust.  The  gradual  decay,  and  the  ultimate 
dissolution  of  human  bodies,  present  a  scene  at 
which  reason  stands  aghast ;  and,  on  a  cursory 
survey  of  the  chambers  of  the  dead,  it  is  apt  to 
exclaim,  in  (he  language  of  despair,  "  Can  these 
dry  bones  live  ?"  A  thousand  difficulties  crowd 
upon  the  mind, which  appear  repugnant  to  the  idea 
that  "  beauty  shall  again  spring  out  of  the  ashes, 
and  life  out  of  the  dust."  But,  when  we  look 
abroad  to  the  displays  of  Divine  power  and  intel- 
ligence, in  the  wide  expanse  of  Creation,  we 
perceive  that 

'  Almighty  God 


Has  done  much  more  ;  nor  Is  his  arm  impaired 
Through  lensth  of  ilays.    And  what  he  can,  he  will  ' 

His  faithfulness  stands  bound  to  see  it  done." 

We  perceive  thai  he  has  created  systems  in 
such  vast  profusion,  that  no  man  can  number  | 
them.  The  world.s  every  mom<nl  under  his  su-  ' 
perintendence  and  direction,  are  unqtieKtionahl)  - 
far  more  numerous  than  all  the  human  being* 
who  have  hitherto  existed,  or  will  yet  exist  tiO 
the  close  of  lime.  And,  if  he  has  not  only  ar- 
ranged the  general  features  nf  each  oTthese  workla, 
and  established  the  physical  laws,  by  wnicJi  its 
economy  is  regulated,  but  has  also  arranged  the 
diversifNMi  circiimsiancea,  and  directs  the  mi- 
nuteat  movements  of  the  myriads  of  sensitive  and 
intellectual  existences  it  con'ains,  weouehl  nevec 
for  a  moment  lo  doubt,  that  the  minutest  parti- 
cles of  every  human  body,  however  widely  sepa- 
rated from  each  other,  and  mingled  with  other 


WISDOM  OF  THE  i>EITY. 


29 


'■extraneous  substances,  are  known  to  him  whose 
presence  pervaJes  all  space ;  and  that  all  the 
■atoms  requisite  for  the  construction  of  the  Re- 
surrection body  will  be  reassembled  for  this 
.purpose  •'  by  the  energy  of  that  mighty  power, 
whereby  he  is  able  to  subdue  all  things  to  him- 
8«lf."  If  vve  supjjose  that  a  number  of  human 
beings,  amouniing  to  three  hundred  thousand 
millions,  shall  start  from  the  grave  into  new  lite, 
at  the  general  resurrection,  and  that  the  atoms 
of  each  of  these  bodies  are  just  now  under  the 
special  superintendence  of  the  Almighly — and 
that  at  least  an  equal  number  of  worlds  are 
-under  his  particular  care  and  direction — the  ex- 
ertion of  power  and  intelligence,  in  the  former 
•case,  cannot  be  supposed  to  be  greater  that  what 
b  requisite  in  the  latter.  To  a  Being  possess- 
ed of  intinite  Power,  conjoined  with  boundless 
Intelligence,  the  superintendence  of  countless 
atoms,  and  of  countless  worlds,  is  equally  easy, 
where  no  contradiction  is  implied.  For  as  the 
poet  has  well  observed, — 

"  He  summons  into  being,  with  like  ease, 
A  whole  creation,  and  a  single  grain." 

And  since  this  subject  tends  to  strengthen  our 
hope  of  a  resurrection  from  the  dead,  it  i-!  aleo 
■  calculated  to  inspire  us  with  confidence  in  the 
prospect  of  those  eternal  scenes  which  will  burst 
upon  the  view,  at  the  dissolution  of  all  terrestrial 
things.  Btiyondthe  period  fixed  for  the  con- 
flagration of  this  world,  "  a  wide  and  unbounded 
prospect  lies  before  us;" and  though,  at  present, 
"shadows,  clouds,  and  darkness  rest  upon  it," 
yet  the  boundless  magnificence  of  the  Divine 
empire  which  science  has  unfolded,  throws  a 
radiance  over  the  scenes  of  futurity,  which  is 
fraught  with  consolation  in  the  view  of  "  the 
wreck  of  matter  and  the  crush  of  worlds."  It 
opens  tons  a  prospect  of  perpetual  improvement 
in  knowledge  and  felicity  ;  it  presents  a  fie!d  in 
which  the  hiimaa  families  may  be  for  ever  ex- 
panding, .'or  ever  contemplating  new  scenes  of 
grandein-  rising  to  the  view,  in  bounJIess  per- 
spective, through  an  interminable  succession  of 
«xistence.  It  convinces  us  that  the  happiness 
of  the  eternal  state  will  not  consist  in  an  unva- 
ried repetition  of  the  same  perceptions  and  enjoy- 
ments, but  that  new  displays  of  the  Creator's 
glory  will  be  continually  bursting  on  the  asto- 
nished mind,  world  without  end.  And  as  we 
know  the  sima  beneficence  and  care  which  are 
displayed  in  the  nrrnniicment  of  svslems  of 
worlds,  are  also  displayed  in  supporting  and 
providing  for  the  smallest  microscopic  animal- 
cute,  we  have  no  reason  to  harbnur  the  least 
fear,  lest  we  should  be  overlooked  in  the  immen- 
sity of  creation,  or  lost  amidst  the  multiplicity 
of  those  works  amnns  which  the  Deity  is  in- 
cessantly ernjiloyed  ;  f)r,  as  he  is  Omnipresent 
and  Omniscient,  his  care  and  influence  must  ex- 
tend to  every  creature  he  has  fi>rmed.  There- 
fore, though  "  the  elements  shall  melt  wiih  fer- 


vent heat,  and  the  earth,  and  all  the  works  there- 
in be  dissolved,  yet  we,  according  to  his  promise, 
look  for  new  heavens  and  a  new  earth,  whereio 
,.dwellelh  righteousness." 


SECTION  HI. 

On  the  IVisdom  and  Intelligence  of  the  Deitf. 

In  surveying  the  system  of  nature  with  a 
Christian  and  a  Philosophic  eye,  it  may  be  con- 
sidered in  ditferent  points  of  view.  It  may  be 
viewed  either  as  displaying  the  power  and  mag- 
nificence of  the  Deity  in  the  immense  quantity  of 
materials  of  which  it  is  composed,  and  in  the  au- 
gust machinery  and  movements  by  which  ita 
economy  is  directed ; — or,  as  manifesting  hi> 
Wisdom  in  the  nice  adaptation  of  every  minute 
circumstance  to  the  end  it  was  intended  to  ac- 
complish , — or  as  illustrating  his  unbounded  bene- 
ficence in  the  provision  which  is  made  for  the 
accommodation  and  happiness  of  the  numerous 
tribes  of  sentient  and  intelligent  beings  it  con- 
tains. Having,  in  the  preceding  section,  endea- 
vured  to  exhibit  some  of  those  objects  which 
evince  the  Omnipotence  of  Deity,  and  the  pious 
emotions  they  are  calculated  to  excite,  I  shall 
now  offer  a  few  popular  illustrations  of  Divine 
Wisdom,  as  displayed  in  the  arrangements  of 
the  material  worlJ — which  shall  chiefly  be  con- 
fined to  those  objects  which  are  most  prominent 
and  obvious  to  the  vulgar  eye. 

Wiidom  is  that  perfection  of  an  intelligent 
agent,  by  which  he  is  enabled  to  select  and  employ 
the  most  proper  means  in  order  to  accomplish  a 
good  and  important  end.  It  includes  the  idea  of 
knowledge  or  intelligence,  but  may  be  distinguish- 
ed from  it.  Knowledge  is  opposed  to  ignor.ince, 
wisdom  is  opposed  to  folly  or  error  in  conduct. 
As  applied  to  God,itinHy  be  considered  as  com- 
prehending the  operations  of  his  Omniscience 
and  benevolence,  or,  in  other  words,  his  know- 
ledge to  discern,  and  his  disposition  to  choose 
those  means  and  ends  which  are  calculated  to  pro- 
mote the  order  and  the  happiness  of  the  universe. 
The  Wisdom  of  God  is,  doubtless,  displayed 
in  every  arrangement  he  has  made  throughout 
all  the  provinces  of  his  immense  and  eternal  king- 
dom, however  far  they  may  be  rem  >ved  from  the 
sphere  of  human  observation.  But  it  is  only  in 
those  parts  of  the  system  of  nature  which  lie  open 
to  our  particular  investigation,  that  the  traces  of 
this  perfection  can  be  distinctly  perceived.  The 
Heavens  declare  the  glory  of  God's  Wisdom,  as 
well  as  of  his  Power.  The  planetary  system — that 
portion  of  the  heavens  with  which  we  are  best 
acquainted — displays  both  the  magnificence  and 
the  skill  of  its  Divine  Author,  in  the  magnitudes, 
distances,  revolutions,  pro|>ortions,  and  uses  of 
the  various  globes  of  which  it  is  composed,  and  ia 


80 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


ibe  diveraifwd  apptratu*  by  which  light  and  dark> 
D««s  ar«  aiivinately  distribuieil.  The  suii,  an 
inunMiN  luniiiiuua  world,  by  fui  (he  largest  budy 

♦  ia  the  tjff*m,  U  placed  in  the  centre.  Nu  olher 
poailioowiMild  have  auiled  fur  an  equable  dutri- 
butionof  illumiiiaiion  and  heal  through  the  dif- 
ferent |>aris  ufihe  system.  Around  him,  at  dif- 
ferent disiances,  nieven  primary  planets  revolve, 
accompanied  with  t-iglitecn  secondaries,  or  ni<x>ns, 
^-all  ill  majestic  order  and  harmony,  no  one  inler- 
niplingihe  movements  of  another,  but  invariably 
keeping  the  paths  prescribed  them,  and  perform- 
ing their  revolutions  in  their  appointed  times. 
To  all  these  revolving  (globes,  the  sun  disiienses 
motion,  light,  heat,  fertility,  and  other  unceasing 
mergies,  for  the  comfort  and  happiness  of  their 
respective  inhabitants — without  which,  perpe- 
tual sterility,  eternal  winter,  and  eternal  night, 
would  reign  over  every  region  of  our  globe,  and 
throughout  surrounding  worlds. 

The  disiance  at  which  the  heavenly  bodies, 
particularly  the  sun,  are  placed  from  the  earth,  is 
a  manifest  evidence  of  Divine  Wisdom.  If  the 
aun  were  much  nearer  us  than  he  is  at  present, 
the  earth,  as  now  constituted,  would  be  wasted 
and  parched  with  excessive  heat ;  tiie  waters 
would  be  turned  into  vapour,  and  the  rivers,  seas, 
and  oceans,  would  soon  disappear,  leaving  no- 
thing beliind  them  but  frightful  barren  dells  and 
gloomy  caverns ;  vegetation  would  completely 
cease,  and  the  tribes  of  animated  nature  languish 
and  die.  On  the  other  hand,  were  the  sun  much 
&rther  distant  than  he  now  is,  or  were  his  bulk, 
or  the  influence  of  his  rays,  diminished  one  half 
of  what  they  now  are,  the  land  and  the  ocean 
would  soon  become  one  frozen  mass,  and  univer- 
sal desolation  and  sterility  would  overspread  the 
&ir  face  of  nature,  and,  instead  of  a  pleasant  and 
comfortable  abode,  our  globe  would  become  a 
frightful  desert,  a  state  of  misery  and  perpetual 
punishment.*  But  herein  is  the  wisdom  of  God 
displayed,  that  he  has  formed  the  sun  of  such  a  de- 
terminate size,  and  placed  it  at  such  a  convenient 
distance,  as  not  lo  annoy,  but  to  refresh  and 
cheer  us,  and  to  enliven  the  soil  with  its  genial 
influence  ;  so  that  we  plainly  perceive,  to  use  the 
language  uf  the  prophet,  that  "  He  hath  esta- 
blished the  world  by  his  wisdom,  and  stretched 
out  the  heavens  by  his  understanding." 


•  It  forms  no  objection  to  these  remarks,  that  ealo- 
tie,  or  the  matter  of  lirat,  docs  not  altogether  ilepend 
upon  the  (lirert  liitluence  of  the  solar  rays.  The 
lub«t;uice  of  c:klunc  may  be  chiefly  connected  with 
the  r^nsiltulion  of  the  xlobe  we  inhabit.  But  still, 
it  Is  quite  cenuin  that  the  earth,  at  prrsnult/  crnisli- 
tuUd,  mfiuM  suflV  r  eflT^ts  most  disastrous  to  sentient 
i)elngs,'%ere  it  removed  murh  nearer  to,  or  much 
fc^her  from  the  central  luminary.  Tlio»c  planct;< 
Winch  are  removed  several  hundreds  of  millions  of 
miles  fartlier  from  the  sun  lh.-uiour  slotM?,  may  pos- 
sibly ex|ierience  a  decree  of  heal  murh  creater  then 
ours  ;  hut,  in  this  case,  the  constitution  of  the  solid 
parts  of  these  globes,  and  of  their  surroundini;  at- 
mospheres, must  be  very  ditTerent  from  what  ob- 
tains Ui  the  pbyalcal  arrangements  of  our  (lobe. 


The  rotation  of  the  several  planetary  gioties 
around  tlieir  axis,  to  produce  the  alteruaie  suc- 
cesaiuo  ufday  and  night,  strikingly  drmunstrate« 
the  wisdom  and  benevolence  of  Uieir  great  Au- 
thor. Were  the  earth  and  the  other  planetary 
worlds  destitute  of  a  diurnal  rooiion,  only  one 
half  of  lliejr  surfaced  could  be  inliabiled,  ajid  the 
oitier  half  would  remain  a  dark  and  checrleat 
desert.  The  sun  woud  be  the  only  tuavenly  orb 
which  would  be  recognized  by  (he  inhabitants  of 
eaOi  respective  woilti,as existing  intJie  un. Terse; 
and  tiiat  scene  of  grandeur  which  night  uulitMs 
in  the  boundless  expanse  of  the  sky,  would  Im 
for  ever  veiled  from  iheir  view.  Fur,  il  appears 
to  be  one  grand  design  of  the  Creator,  in  giving 
these  bodies  a  diurnal  motion,  not  only  to  cheer 
their  inhabiiaius  with  light  and  warmih,  and  the 
gay  Colouring  produced  by  the  solar  rays,  but  also 
to  open  lo  them  a  prospect  of  mher  portions  of 
his  vast  dominions,  which  are  dis|M;rsed  in  end- 
less variety  throughout  the  illimiiabie  regions  of 
space  ;  in  order  Uiat  they  may  acquire  a  more 
sublime  impression  of  the  glory  of  his  kingdom, 
and  of  his  eiernal  Power  and  Godhead.  But, 
were  perpelual  day  to  irradiate  the  planets,  it 
would  throw  an  eternal  and  impeneirable  veil 
over  the  glories  of  the  sky,  behind  which,  the 
magnihcent  operations  of  Jehovah's  power  would 
be,  in  a  greal  measure,  concealed.  It  is  this 
circumstance  which  we  should  consider  as  the 
principal  reason  why  a  rotatory  motion  has  beea 
impressed  on  tiie  planetary  globes ;  and  not 
merely  that  a  curtain  of  darkness  might  be 
thrown  around  their  inhabitants,  during  the  re- 
pose of  sleep,  as  in  the  world  in  which  we  dwelL 
For  in  some  o(  the  oiher  planetary  worlds  b*> 
longing  to  our  system,  the  intelligent  beings  with 
which  they  are  peopled  may  stand  in  no  need  of 
that  nocturnal  repose  which  is  necessary  for  man  ; 
tlieir  physical  poweis  may  be  incapable  of  being 
im(>Aired,  and  their  mental  energies  may  be  in 
per|>etual  exercise.  And  in  some  of  those  bodies 
which  are  surrounded  with  an  assemblage  of 
rings  and  nwons,  as  the  planet  Saturn,  the  di- 
versified grandeur  of  their  celestial  phenomena, 
in  the  absence  of  the  sun,  may  present  a  scene 
of  contempation  and  enjoy  men  ,  far  more  interest* 
ing  than  all  the  splendour.s  of  their  noon-day. 
Besides,  had  (he  planets  no  motion  round  iheir 
axis,  and  were  both  iheir  hemispheres  supposed 
to  be  peopled  with  inhabitants,  their  physical  slate 
and  enjoyments  would  be  as  opposite  to  each 
olher,  as  if  they  lived  under  ihe  governinenl  of 
two  distinct  independent  beings.  While  the  one 
class  was  basking  under  the  f-plendours  of  perpe- 
tual day,  the  olher  would  be  involved  in  all  the 
horrors  of  an  everlasting  night.  While  the  one 
hemisphere  would  be  parched  with  exci;ssive  heal, 
the  other  would  be  bound  in  the  fellers  of  eternal 
ice  ;  and,  in  such  a  globe  as  ours,  the  motion  o( 
(he  tides,  the  ascent  of  the  vapours,  the  currents 
of  the  atmcsphere^  the  course  of  the  winds,  tha 


■• 


WISDOM  OF  THE  DEITY. 


81 


benign  influences  of  the  rains  and  dews,  and  a 
thoii^nd  other  movements  which  produce  so 
many  salutary  and  beneficial  effects,  wimld  be 
completely  deranged.  Hence  we  find  that  in  all 
the  planetary  bodies  on  which  observations  can 
conveniently  be  made,  a  rotatory  motion  actually 
exists,  in  the  secondary,  as  well  as  in  the  pri- 
mary planets,  and  even  in  the  sun  himself,  the 
centre,  and  the  mover  of  the  whole  :  in  which  ar- 
rangement of  the  Almighty  Creator,  the  evidences 
of  wisdom  and  design  are  strikingly  apparent. 

This  amazing  scene  of  Divine  woiknianship 
and  skill, which  the  planetary  system  exhibits,  we 
have  reason  to  believe,  is  multiplied,  and  diversi- 
fied, to  an  indefinite  extent,  throughout  all  the  other 
systems  of  creation,  displaying  to  the  intelligences 
(rfevery  region,  "  the  manifold  wisdom  of  God.' 
For  there  can  be  no  question,  that  every  star 
we  now  behold,  either  by  the  naked  eye,  or  by 
the  help  of  a  telescope,  is  the  centre  of  a  system 
of  planetary  worlds,  where  the  agency  of  God, 
and  his  unsearchable  wisdom,  may  be  endlessly 
varied,  and,  perhaps,  more  strikingly  displayed 
than  even  in  the  system  to  which  we  belong. 
These  vast  globes  of  light  could  never  have  been 
designed  merely  to  shed  a  few  glimmering  rays 
on  our  far-distant  world ;  for  the  ten-thousandth 
part  of  them  has  never  yet  been  seen  by  the  in- 
habitants of  the  earth,  since  the  Mosaic  creation, 
except  by  a  few  astronomers  of  the  past  and  the 
present  age  ;  and  the  light  of  many  of  them,  in 
all  probability,  has  never  yet  reached  us  ;  and 
perhaps  never  will,  til!  the  period  of  "  the  con- 
summation of  all  terrestrial  things."  They  were 
not  made  in  vain  ;  for  such  a  supposition  would 
be  inconsistent  with  every  idea  we  can  form  of 
the  attributes  of  a  Being  of  infinite  perfection. 
They  were  not  intended  merely  to  diversify  the 
voids  of  infinite  space  with  a  useless  splendour, 
which  has  no  relation  to  intellectual  natures  ;  for 
this  would  give  us  a  most  distorted  and  inconsist- 
ent idea  of  the  character  of  Him  who  is  "  the 
only-wise  God  ;"  and  we  are  told, by  an  authority 
which  cannot  be  questioned,  that  '■  by  his  wis- 
dom he  made  the  heavens,  and  stretched  them 
out  by  his  understanding."  The  only  rational 
conclusion,  therefore,  which  can  be  deduced,  is 
that  they  are  destined  to  distribute  illumination 
and  splendour,  vivifying  influence,  and  happiness, 
among  incalculable  numbers  of  intelligent  beings, 
of  various  dearees  of  physical,  moral,  and  intel- 
lectual excellence.  And,  wherever  the  Creator 
has  exerted  his  Almighty  energies  in  the  produc- 
tion of  sensitive  and  intellectual  natures,  wo  may 
rest  assured,  that  there  also  his  infinite  wisdom 
and  intelligence,  in  an  endless  variety  of  arrange- 
ments, contrivances,  and  adaptations,  are  unceas- 
ingly displayed. 

But  after  all,  whatever  evidences  of  contri- 
vance and  design  the  celestial  globes  may  ex- 
hibit, it  is  not  in  the  heavens  that  the  most 
•triking  displays  of  Divine  toitdom  can  be  traced 


by  the  Inhabitants  of  our  world.  It  is  only  a 
few  general  relations  and  adaptations  that  can  be 
distinctly  perceived  among  the  orbs  of  the  firma- 
ment ;  though,  in  so  far  as  we  are  able  to  trace 
the  purposes  which  they  subserve,  the  marks 
of  beauty,  order,  and  design  are  uniformly  ap- 
parent. But  we  are  placed  at  too  great  a  dis- 
tance from  the  orbs  of  heaven,  to  be  able  to 
investigate  the  particular  arrangements  which 
enter  into  the  physical  and  moiul  economy  of 
the  celestial  worlds.  Were  we  transported  to 
the  surface  of  the  planet  Jupiter,  and  had  an 
opportunity  of  surveying,  at  leisure,  the  regions 
of  that  vast  globe,  and  the  tribes  of  sensitive 
and  intellectual  existence  which  compose  its  po- 
pulation— of  contemplating  the  relations  of  its 
moons  to  the  pleasure  and  comfort  of  its  inha- 
bitants— the  constitution  of  its  atmosphere  as  to 
its  reflective  and  refractive  powers,  in  producing 
a  degree  of  illumination  to  compensate  for  the 
great  distance  of  that  planet  from  the  sun — its 
adaptation  to  the  functions  of  animal  life — the 
construction  of  the  visual  organs  of  its  inha- 
bitants, and  the  degree  of  sensibility  they  pos- 
sess corresponding  to  the  quantity  of  light  re- 
ceived from  the  sun — the  temperature  of  the 
surface  and  atmosphere  of  this  globe  correspond- 
ing to  its  distance  from  the  central  source  of 
heat,  and  to  the  physical  constitution  of  sensitive 
beings — in  short,  could  we  investigate  the  re- 
lations which  inanimate  nature,  in  all  its  va- 
rieties and  sublimities,  bears  to  the  necessities 
and  the  happiness  of  the  animated  existences 
that  traverse  its  different  regions,  we  should, 
doubtless,  behold  a  scene  of  Divine  Wisdom  and 
intelligence,  far  more  admirable  and  astonishing 
that  even  that  which  is  exhibited  in  our  sublu- 
nary world.  But  since  it  is  impossible  for  us 
to  investigate  the  economy  of  other  worlds,  while 
we  are  chained  down  to  this  terrestrial  sphere, 
we  must  direct  our  attention  to  those  arrange- 
ments and  contrivances  in  the  constitution  of  our 
own  globe,  which  lie  open  to  our  particular  in- 
spection, in  order  to  perceive  more  distinctly 
the  benevolent  designs  of  Him  "  in  whom  we 
live  and  move,  and  have  our  being."  And  here 
an  attentive  observer  will  find,  in  almost  every 
object,  when  minutely  examined,  a  display  of 
goodness  and  intelligence,  which  will  constrain 
him  to  exclaim,  "  Oh  the  depth  of  the  riches  both 
of  the  wisdom  and  the  knowledge  of  God." 

Wisdom,  considered  as  consisting  in  con- 
trivance, or  the  selection  of  the  most  proper 
moans  in  order  to  accomplish  an  important  end, 
may  be  exemplified  and  illustrated  in  a  variety 
of  familiar  objects  in  the  scene  of  nature. 

The  earth  on  which  we  tread  was  evidently 
intended  by  the  Creator  to  support  man  and  other 
animols,  along  with  their  habitations,  and  to  fur- 
nish those  vegetable  productions  which  are  ne- 
cessary for  their  subsistence  ;  and,  accordingly, 
he  has  given  it  that  exact  degree  of  consistency 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


whkh  ii  i«<|ui!iit«  (hr  thete  purpo<ea.  Wer«  it 
imich  harder  than  it  now  is  ;  were  it,  for  eiam- 
pie,  as  denae  as  a  rock,  it  wmilH  \yo  inca|iaMe  of 
cultivation,  and  vegetables  cnak!  nnt  be  produced 
from  iuaurface.  W«re  it  softer,  it  would  \ns  in- 
sufficieffi  to  support  u«,  and  we  should  sink  at 
every  aiep,  like  a  persim  walking  in  a  quagmire. 
Had  this  circumslance  not  been  adended  to  in  its 
formation,  the  earth  would  have  been  rendered 
aseiess  as  a  habitable  world,  fur  all  (hose  animated 
beings  which  now  traverse  its  -urface.  The  ex- 
act adjusunenl  of  the  solid  parts  of  our  globe  to 
the  nature  and  necessities  of  the  beings  which 
inhabit  it,  is,  therefore,  an  instance  and  an  evi- 
dence of  fVisdom. ' 

The  diversity  of  twrface  which  it  every  where 
preserrts,  in  the  mountains  and  vales  with  which 
it  is  variegated,  indicates  the  same  benevolent 
contrivance  and  design.  If  the  earth  were  di- 
vested of  its  mountains,  and  its  surface  every 
where  uniformly  smooth,  there  wouM  be  no  rivers, 
springs,  or  fountains ;  for  water  can  flow  only 
from  a  higher  to  a  lower  place  ;  the  vegetable 
tribes  would  droop  and  languish  ;  man  and  other 
animals  would  be  deprived  of  what  is  necessary 
ibr  their  existence  and  comfort ;  we  should  be 
destitute  of  many  useful  stones,  minerals,  plants, 
and  trees,  which  are  now  produced  on  the  sur- 
face, and  in  the  interior  of  monntains ;  the  sea  itself 
would  become  a  stagnant  marsh,  or  overflow  the 
land  ;  and  the  whole  surface  of  nature  in  our  ter- 
restrial sphere  would  present  an  unvaried  scene 
of  dull  uniformity.  Those  picturesque  and  sub- 
lime rcenes  which  fire  the  imagination  of  the 
poet,  and  which  render  mountainous  districts  so 
pleasing  to  the  philosophic  traveller,  would  be 
completely  withdrawn  ;  and  all  around,  when  com- 
pared with  such  diversified  landscapes,  would  ap- 
pear as  fatiguing  to  the  eye  as  the  vast  solitudes 
of  the  Arabian  deserts,  or  the  dull  monotony  of 
the  ocean.  But  in  consequence  of  the  admirable 
distribution  of  hills  and  mountains  over  the  sur- 
face of  our  globe,  a  variety  of  tiseful  and  orna- 
mental eflfects  is  produced.  Their  lofty  summits 
are  destined  by  providence  to  arrest  the  vapours 
which  float  in  the  regions  of  the  air  ;  their  inter- 
nal cavities  form  so  many  spacious  basins  for  the 
reception  of  waters  distilled  from  the  clouds  ;  they 
are  the  original  sources  of  springs  and  rivers, 
which  water  and  fertilize  the  earth ;  they  form 
immense  magazines,  in  which  are  deposited 
stones,  metals,  and  minerals,  which  are  of  so 
essential  service  in  the  arts  that  promote  the  com- 
fort of  human  life  ;  they  serve  for  the  production 
of  a  vast  variety  of  herbs  and  trees  ;  they  arrest 
the  progress  of  storms  and  tempests ;  they  af!brd 
shelter  and  entertainment  to  various  animals 
which  minister  to  the  wants  of  mankind  :  in  a 
word,  they  adorn  and  embellish  the  face  of  na- 
ture-~'lhey  form  thousands  of  sublime  and  beau- 
tiful landscapes,  and  afford  from  their  summits 
the  most  delifhtful  prospects  ef  the  plains  below. 


All  these  circumstances  demonstrate  the  constun- 
maie  wisdom  of  the  Great  Archiieci  ri  iiMiure, 
and  lead  us  to  conclude,  that  tixxiniaina,  so  far 
from  being  mde  cxrrescences  of  iiaiure,  as  soate 
have  asserted,  form  an  esfeniial  part  in  the  con- 
stitution, not  only  of  our  globe,  tnit  of  all  habita- 
ble worlds.  And  ihii*  conclusion  is  c(inttrined,8o 
far  as  our  observation  extends,  « iih  regard  to  lli« 
moon,  and  several  of  the  planetary  bodies  vthirh 
belong  to  oiir  system,  whose  surfaces  are  f(>ut>d 
to  be  diversified  by  sublime  raroificatiuns  of 
mountain  8cei>cry  ;  which  circumslance  fi>rms 
one  collateral  proof,  among  many  others.thatlhcv 
are  the  abodes  ofjtentienl  and  intellectual  beings. 
Again,  theeo^rtn;  which  is  spread  over  the 
face  of  nature  indicates  the  wiHlom  of  the  Deity. 
It  is  essential  to  the  present  mode  of  our  exist- 
ence, and  it  was  evidently  intended  by  the 
Creator,  that  we  should  be  enabled  easily  to 
recognize  the  forms  and  properties  of  the  various 
objects  With  which  we  are  surrounded.  But 
were  the  objects  of  nature  destitute  of  colour,  or 
were  the  same  unvaried  hue  spread  ovtu-  the 
face  of  creation,  we  should  be  destitute  of  all  the 
entertainments  of  vision,  and  be  at  a  loss  to  dis- 
tinguish one  object  froai  another.  We  should 
be  unable  to  distinguish  rugged  precipices  from 
fruitful  hills  ;  naked  rocks  from  human  liabiia- 
tions  ;  the  trees  from  the  hills  that  bear  them, 
and  the  tilled  from  the  untilled  lands.  '*  We 
should  hesitate  to  pronounce  whether  an  adja^ 
cent  enclosure  contained  a  piece  nf  pasturage, 
a  plot  of  arable  land,  or  a  field  of  corn  ;  and  it 
would  require  a  little  journey,  and  a  minute  in- 
vestigation, to  determine  such  a  point.  We 
could  not  determine  whether  the  first  j)erspn  we 
met  were  a  solder  in  his  regimentals,  or  a  swain 
in  his  Sunday  suit ;  a  bride  in  her  ornaments, 
or  a  widow  in  her  weeds."  Such  would  have 
been  the  aspect  of  nature,  and  such  the  incon- 
veniences to  which  we  should  have  been  subjects 
ed,  had  God  allowed  us  light,  without  the  dis- 
tinction of  colours.  We  could  have  distinguished 
objects  only  by  intricate  trains  of  reasoning,  and 
by  circumstances  of  time,  place,  and  relative 
position.  And,  to  what  delays  and  perplexities 
should  wc  have  been  reduced,  had  we  bc«n 
obliged  every  moment  to  distinguish  one  thing 
from  another  by  reasoning  !  Our  whole  life 
must  then  have  been  employed  rather  in  study 
than  in  action ;  and,  after  all,  we  must  have  re- 
mained in  eternal  uncertainty  as  to  many  things 
which  are  now  quite  obvious  to  every  one  as 
soon  as  he  opens  his  eyes.  We  could  neither 
have  communicated  our  thoughts  by  writing, 
nor  have  derived  instruction  from  others  through 
the  medium  of  books :  so  that  we  should  now 
have  been  almost  as  ignorant  of  the  transactions 
of  past  ages,  as  we  are  of  the  events  which  are 
passing  in  the  planetary  worlds  ;  and,  conse- 
quently, we  could  never  have  enjoyed  a  written 
revelation  from  baaven,  nor  any  other  infallible 


% 


WISEKJM  OP  THE  DEITY. 


u 


guide  to  direct  as  in  the  path  to  happiness,  is 
the  Almighty  had  not  distinguished  ihe  rays  of 
light,  and  painted  the  objects  around  us  with  a 
diversityof  colours, — so  essentially  connected  are 
the  minutest,  and  the  most  magnificent  works 
of  Deity.  But  now,  in  the  present  constitution 
of  things,  colour  characterizes  the  class  to  which 
every  individual  belongs,  and  indicates,  upon  the 
first  inspection,  its  respective  quality.  Every 
olyect  wears  its  peculiar  livery,  and  has  a  dis- 
tinguishin?  mark  by  which  it  is  characterized. 

The  different  hues  which  are  spread  over  the 
scenery  of  the  world,  are  also  highly  ornamental 
to  the  face  of  nature,  and  afford  a  variety  of 
pleasures  to  the  eye  and  the  imagination.  It 
is  this  circumstance  which  adds  a  charm  to  the 
fields,  the  valleys,  and  the  hills,  the  lofty  moun- 
tain, the  winding  river,  and  the  expansive  lake  ; 
and  which  gives  a  splendour  and  sublimity  to  the 
capacious  vault  of  hi^aven.  Colour  is,  therefore, 
an  essential  requisite  to  every  world  inhabited 
by  sensitive  beings ;  and  we  know,  that  provision 
has  been  made  for  diffusing  it  throughout  all  the 
globes  which  may  exist  in  the  distant  regions 
which  our  telescopes  have  penetrated  ;  for  the 
light  which  radiates  from  the  most  distant  stars 
is  capable  of  being  separated  into  the  prismatic 
colours,  similar  to  those  which  are  produced  by 
the  solar  rays;  which  furnishes  a  presumptive 
proof  that  thay  are  intended  to  accomplish  de- 
signs in  their  respective  spheres  analogous  to 
those  which  light  subserves  in  our  terrestrial 
habitation— or,  in  other  words,  that  they  are  des- 
tined to  nonvey  to  the  minds  of  sentient  beings, 
impressions  of  light  and  colour,  and  consequent- 
ly, beings  susceptible  of  such  impressions  must 
reside  within  the  sphere,  or  more  immediate 
influence  of  these  far-distant  orbs. 

The  same  benevolent  design  is  apparent  in  the 
general  cohmr  which  prevail*  throughout  the  scene 
of  sublunary  nature.  Had  the  fields  been  clothed 
with  hues  of  a  deep  red,  or  a  brilliant  white,  the 
eye  would  have  been  dazzled  with  the  splendour 
of  their  aspect.  Had  a  dark-blue  or  a  black 
colour  generally  prevailed,  it  would  have  cast  a 
universal  gloom  over  the  face  of  nature.  But  an 
agreeable  green  holds  the  medium  between  these 
two  extremes, equally  remote  from  adismal  gloom 
and  excessive  splendour,  and  bears  such  a  relation 
to  the  structure  of  the  eye,  that  it  refreshes,  in- 
stead of  tiring  it,  and  supports,  instead  of  dimi- 
nishing its  force.  At  the  same  time,  though  one 
{reneral  colour  prevails  over  the  landscape  of  the 
earth,  it  is  diversified  by  an  admirable  variety  of 
shades,  so  that  every  individual  object  in  the 
vegetabln  world  can  be  accurately  distinguished 
from  another  ;  thi'S  producing  a  beautiful  and 
variegated  appearance  over  the  whole  scenery 
of  nature.  "  Who  sees  not  in  all  these  thinn 
that  the  hand  of  the  Lord  hath  wrought  ihia  ?" 

If  from  the  earth  we  turn  our  attention  to  tha 


waters,  we  shall  perceive  similar  traces  of  the 
exquisite  wisdom  and  skill  of  the  Author  of  nature. 
Water  is  one  of  the  most  essential  elementary 
parts  in  the  constitution  of  our  globe,  witliuut 
which  the  various  tribes  of  beings  which  now 
people  It  could  not  exist.  It  supplies  a  necessary 
beverage  to  man,  and  to  all  the  animals  that  peo- 
ple the  earth  and  the  air.  It  forms  a  solvent  for 
a  great  variety  of  solid  bodies  ;  it  is  the  element 
in  which  an  infinitude  of  organized  beings  pass 
their  existence  ;  it  acts  an  important  part  in  con- 
veying life  and  nourishment  to  all  the  tribes  of 
the  vegetable  kingdom,  and  gives  salubrity  to  the 
atmospherical  regions.  Collected  in  immense 
masses  in  the  basins  of  the  sea,  it  serves  as  a 
vehicle  for  ships,  and  as  a  medium  of  communi- 
cation between  people  of  the  most  distant  lands. 
Carried  along  with  a  progressive  motion  over  the 
beds  of  streams  and  of  rivers,  it  gives  a  brisk  im- 
pulse to  the  air,  and  prevents  the  unwholesome 
stagnation  ^of  vapours  ;  it  receives  the  filth  of  po- 
pulous cities,  and  rids  them  of  a  thousand  nui- 
sances. By  its  impulsion  it  becomes  the  mover 
of  a  multitude  of  machines  ;  and,  when  rarefied 
into  steam,  it  is  transformed  into  one  of  the  most 
powerful  and  useful  agents  under  the  dominion  of 
man.  All  which  beneficial  effects  entirely  depend 
on  the  exact  degree  of  density,  or  specific  gravity, 
which  the  Creator  has  given  to  its  constituent 
parts.  Had  it  been  much  more  rarified  than  it 
is,  it  would  have  been  altogether  unfit  to  answer 
the  purposes  now  specified  ;  the  whole  face  of 
the  earth  would  have  been  a  dry  and  barren  waste; 
vegetable  nature  could  not  have  been  nourished ; 
our  floating  edifices  could  not  have  been  supporU 
ed  ;  the  lightest  bodies  would  have  sunk,  and  all 
regular  intercourse  with  distant  nations  would 
have  been  prevented.  On  the  other  hand,  had  its 
parts  been  much  denser  than  they  are  ;  for  exam- 
ple, had  they  been  of  the  consistency  of  a  thin 
jelly,  similar  disastrous  effects  would  have  in- 
evitably followed  ;  no  ships  could  have  ploughed 
the  ocean  ;  no  refreshing  beverage  would  have 
been  supplied  to  the  animal  tribes  ;  the  absorbent 
vessels  of  trees,  herbs,  and  flowers  would  have 
been  unable  to  imbibe,  the  moisture  requisite  for 
tlieir  nourishment ;  and  we  should  thus  have  been 
deprived  of  all  the  beneficial  effects  we  now  derive 
from  the  use  of  that  liquid  element,  and  of  all  the 
diversified  scenery  of  the  vegetable  world.  But 
the  configuration  and  consistency  of  its  parts  are 
so  nicely  adjusted  to  the  constitution  of  the  other 
elements,  and  to  the  wants  of  the  sensitive  and 
vegetable  tribes,  as  exactly  to  subserve  the  ends 
intended  in  the  system  of  nature. 

Water  has  been  ascertained  to  be  a  compound 
body  formed  by  the  union  of  two  different  kinds 
of  air — oxygen  and  hydrogen.  It  has  the  pro- 
perty of  becoming,  in  certain  cases,  mjch  lighter 
than  air ;  though,  in  its  natural  liquid  state,  it  is 
800  times  heavier  than  that  fluid  ;  and  haa  also 


84 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


the  property  of  aAerward*  resuming  its  natural 
wei|;ht.  Were  il  not  for  this  pro[nTty,  evapora- 
tion could  not  be  proluced  ;  and,  consequently,  no 
clouds,  rain,  nor  dew,  could  be  formed,  to  water 
and  fertilize  the  different  regions  of  the  earth. 
But,  in  consequence  of  this  wonderful  ^troperty, 
the  ocean  becomes  an  inexhaustible  cistern  to  our 
world.  From  its  expansive  surface  are  exhaled 
tboM  vapours  which  supply  the  rivers,  and  nourish 
the  vegetable  prciductioiia  of  every  land.  "  The 
air  and  the  sun,"  says  an  elegant  writer,  "  con- 
Ititute  the  mighty  engine  which  works  without 
intermission  to  raise  the  liquid  treasure  ;  while 
the  clouds  serve  as  so  many  aqueducts  to  convey 
them  along  the  atmosphere,  and  distribute  (hem, 
at  seasonable  periods,  and  in  regular  proportions, 
through  all  tlie  regions  of  the  globe.'' 

Notwithstanding  the  properties  now  sta'ed, 
motion  vjoattill  requisite,  to  ensure  ail  the  advan- 
tages we  now  derive  from  the  liquid  element. 
Had  the  whole  mass  of  waters  been  in  a  stag- 
nant state,  a  thousand  inconveniences  and  dis- 
astrous consequences  would  have  inevitably  en- 
sued. But  the  All-wise  Creator  has  impressed 
upon  its  various  masses  a  circulating  motion, 
which  preserves  its  purity,  and  widely  extends 
ita  beneficial  influence.  The  rills  pour  their 
liquid  stores  into  the  rivers  ;  the  rivers  roll  their 
watery  treasures  into  the  ocean  ;  the  waters  of 
the  ocean,  by  alibratory  motion,  roll  backwards 
and  forwards  every  twelve  hours,  and,  by  means 
of  currents,  and  the  force  of  winds,  are  kept  in 
constant  agitation.  By  the  solar  heat,  a  portion 
of  these  waters  is  carried  up  into  the  atmosphere, 
and,  in  the  form  of  clouds,  is  conveyed  by  the 
winds  over  various  regions ;  till,  at  last,  it  de- 
scends in  rain  and  dew,  to  supply  the  springs 
"  which  run  among  the  hills."  So  that  there  is 
a  constant  motion  and  circulation  of  the  watery 
element,  that  it  may  serve  as  an  agent  for  carry- 
ing forward  the  various  processes  of  nature,  and 
for  ministering  to  the  wants  of  man  and  beast. 

In  fine,  were  the  waters  in  a  state  of  perpe- 
tual stagnation,  the  filth  of  populous  cities  would 
be  accumulated  to  a  most  unwholesome  degree ; 
the  air  would  be  filled  with  putrid  exhalations  ; 
and  the  vegetable  tribes  would  languish  and  die. 
Were  they  deprived  of  the  property  of  being 
evaporated,  (in  which  state  they  occupy  a  space 
1400  times  greater  than  in  their  liquid  state,) 
rain  and  dew  could  never  be  produced,  and  the 
earth  would  be  turned  into  "  a  dry  and  (mrched 
wilderness  ;"  neither  grass  nor  com  could  be 
sufficiently  dried  to  lay  up  for  use  ;  our  clothes, 
when  washed,  could  never  be  dried ;  and  a  variety 
of  common  operations,  which  now  conduce  to 
our  convenience  and  comfort,  could  never  be 
carried  on.  But  the  infinite  wisdom  of  the 
Creator,  foreseeing  all  the  effects  which  can 
possibly  arise  from  these  principles  of  nature, 
has  •ffwtuattjr  provided  against  such  disasters, 


by  arranging  all  things,  in  number,  weight,  npi 
measure,  to  subnerve  the  beneficial  ends  for  I 
which  they  were  ordained.  "  He  causeth  the 
vapours  to  ascend  from  the  ends  of  the  earth ; 
he  sendeth  the  springs  into  the  valleys,  which  run 
among  the  hills.  'I'licy  give  drink  to  every  beast 
of  the  field  ;  the  wild  asses  quench  tlieii  thirst. 
By  them  the  fowls  of  heaven  are  refreshed, 
which  sing  among  the  branches.  He  waiereih 
the  hills  from  his  chambers,  and  the  earth  is  sa- 
tisfied with  the  the  fruit  of  his  works."  , 

Let  us  now  atieiul  to  the  atmosphere,  in  the  con-     I 
stitution  of  which  the  wisdom  ofGod  is  no  less  con- 
spicuous than  in  the  other  departments  of  nature. 

The  atmosphere  is   one  of  the  moat  essential 
appendages  to  the  globe  we  inhabit,  and  exhibits 
a  most  striking  scene  of  Divine  skill  and  omni- 
potence.    The  term  atmosphere  is  applied  to  the 
whole  mass  of  fluids,  consisting  of  air,  vapours, 
electric  fluid,  and  other  matters,  which  surround 
the  earth  to  a  certain  height.      This  mass  of 
fluid  matter  gravitates  to  the  earth,  revolves  with 
it  in  its  diurnal  rotation,  and  is  carried  along 
with  it  in  its  course  round  the  sun  every  year. 
It  has  been  computed  to  extend  about  45  miles 
above  the  earth's  surface,  and  it  presses  on  the 
earth  with  a  force  pro|ioriioned  to  iis  height  and 
density.     From  experiments  made  by  the  ba- 
rometer, it  has  been  ascertained,  that  it  presses 
with    a  weight  of  about   15  pounds  on    every 
square  inch  of  the  earth's  surface  ;  and,  therelbre, 
its  pressure  on  the  body  of  a  middle-sized  man,  is     j 
equal  to  about  32,000  lbs.  or  14  tons  avoirdupois,    i 
a  pressure  which  would  be  insupportable,  and 
even  fatal,  were  it  not  equal  in  every  part,  and 
counterbalanced   by  the  spring  of  the  air  within     . 
us.     The  pressure  of  the  whole  atmosphere  up-     ■ 
on  the   earth,  is  computed  to  be  equivalent  to     ' 
that  of  a  globe  of  lead  60  miles  in  diameter,  or 
about  6,000,000,000.000,000  tons  ;  that  is.  the     : 
whole   mass  of  air  which  surrounds  the  globe,     : 
compresses  the  earth  with  a  force  or  power  equal    ,' 
to  that  of  Jive  thousand  millions  of  millions  of    J 
tons.  *      This    amazing    pressure  is  however,    ^ 
essentially  necessary  for  the  preservation  of  the     < 
present  constitution  of  our  globe,  aiHi  of  the  ani- 
mate<l   beings  which   dwell  on    its   surface.     It     i 
prevents  the    heat  of  the  sun  from   converting     '. 
water,  and  all  other  fluids  on  the  face  of  the  earth,     'i 
into  vapour  ;  and  preserves  the  vessels  of  all  orga-     i 
nized  beings  in  due  tone  and  vigour.     Were  the 
atmospherical   pressure   entirely     removed,   the      ; 
elastic  fluids  contained  in    the  finer   vessels   of     ^ 
men  and  other  animals,  would  inevitably  burst 
them,  and  life  would  become  extinct  ;t  and  moat 

*  See  Appendix,  No.  11. 

♦  TTie  necessity  of  the  atmospherical  pressure,  for 
the  comfort  and  preservation  of  animal  life,  ml([lit 
be  illustrated  by  the  effects  expcrlenred  by  those 
who  have  ascended  to  the  summits  of  very  h\gh 
mountains,  or  who  have  been  carried  to  a  ipvat 
helfht  above  the  surface  of  the  earth  In  baUooos 


WISDOM  OP  THE  DEITY. 


96 


of  the  substances  on  the  face  of  the  earth,  par- 
ticularly liquids,  would  be  dissipated  into  vapour. 
The  atmosphere  is  now  ascerained  to  be  a 
compound  substance,  firmed  of  two  very  differ- 
ent ingredients,  termed  oxtf!^en  and  nitrogen 
g-as.  Of  100  measures  of  atmospheric  air,  21 
are  oxygen,  and  79  nitrogen.  The  one,  namely, 
oxygen,  is  the  principle  of  combustion,  and  the 
vehicle  of  heat,  and  is  absolutely  necessary  for 
the  support  of  animal  life,  and  is  the  most  pow- 
erful and  energetic  agent  in  nature.  The  other 
is  altogether  incapable  of  supporting  either  flame 
or  animal  life.  Were  we  to  breathe  oxygen  air, 
without  any  mixture  or  alloy.,  our  animal  spirits 
would  be  raised,  and  the  fluids  in  our  bodies 
would  circulate  with  greater  rapidity  ;  but  we 
should  soon  infallibly  perish  by  the  rapid  and 
unnatural  accumulation  of  heat  in  the  animal 
frame.  If  the  nitrogen  were  extracted  from  the 
air,  and  the  whole  atmosphere  contained  nothing 
but  oxygen,  or  vital  air,  combustion  would  not 
proceed  in  that  gradual  manner  which  it  now 
does,  but  with  the  most  dreadful  and  irresistible 
rapidity:  not  only  wood  and  coals,  and  other 
substances  now  used  for  fuel,  but  even  stones, 
iron,  and  other  metallic  substances,  would  blaze 
with  a  rapidity  which  would  carry  destruction 
through  the  whole  expanse  of  nature.  If  even 
the  proportions  of  the  two  airs  were  materially 
altered,  a  variety  of  pernicious  effects  would  in- 
stantly be  produced.  If  the  oxygen  were  less 
in  quiuility  then  it  now  is,  fire  would  lose  its 
strength,  candles  would  not  diflTuse  a  suflScient 
light,  and  .animals  would  perform  their  vital  func- 
tions with  the  utmost  difficulty  and  pain.  On 
the  other  hand,  ware  the  nitrogen  diminished, 
and  the  oxygen  increased,  the  air  taken  in  by  re- 
spiration would  be  more  stimulant,  and  the  cir- 
culation of  the  animal  fluids  would  become  ac- 
celerated ;  but  the  tone  of  the  vessels  thus  sti- 
mulated to  increased  action  would  be  destroyed 
by  too  great  an  excitement,  and  the  body  would 
inevitablv  waste  and  decay.  Ajain,  were  the 
oxygen  comp'ete'.y  extracted  from  the  a'mosphere, 
and  nothing  but  nitrogen  remained,  fire  and  flame 
would  be  extinguished,  and  instant  destruction 
would  be  carried  throughout  all  the  departments 
of  vegetable  and  animated  nature.  For  a  lighted 
taper  will  not  burn  for  a  single  moment  in  nitro- 

Acosta,inhls  relationof  a  jonmevamon^the  moun- 
tains of  Peru,  stiites.  th  U  "  he  and  hi»  companions 
were  surpriseil  with  such  extreme  panss  of  stmin- 
Sn?  ant  vomitine,  not  without  castins  up  of  blood 
too,  and  with  Ro  violent  a  distemper,  Ihit  they  would 
undouhteilly  hive  died  had  they  remained  two  or 
three  hours  lonser  in  that  elevated  situation."  Count 
Zambeccari.  and  his  comoanions,  who  jiscended  In 
a  Inlloon,  on  the  7th  of  November,  1783,  to  a  great 
height,  found  their  hands  and  feet  so  swelled,  that 
It  v/as  necessary  for  a  surseon  to  make  incisions 
in  the  Rl{in.  In  tHJtIi  the  cases  now  stated,  the  per- 
sons ascendetl  to  so  ereat  a  height  that  the  pressure 
of  the  atmosphere  was  not  suiTicient  to  counter- 
balance the  pressure  of  ttic  fluids  of  the  lx>dy. 


gen  gas,  and  if  an  animal  be  plunged  into  it,  it  is 
instantly  suffocated. 

Again,  not  only  the  extraction  of  any  one  of 
the  component  parts  of  the  atmosphere,  or  the 
alteration  of  their  respective  proportions,  but  even 
the  slightest  increase  or  diminution  of  their  «pe- 
eijic  gravity,  would  he  attended  with  the  most 
disastrous  eflfects.  The  nitrogen  is  found  to  be  a 
little  lighter  than  common  air,  which  enables  it 
to  rise  towards  the  higher  regions  of  the  atmo- 
sphere. In  breathing,  the  air  which  is  evolved 
from  the  lungs,  at  every  expiration,  consists 
chiefly  of  nitrogen,  which  is  entirely  unfit  to  be 
breathed  again,  and  therefore  rises  above  our 
heads  before  the  next  inspiration. — Now,  had 
nitrogen,  instead  of  being  a  little  lighter,  been  a 
slight  degree  heavier  than  common  air,  or  of  the 
same  specific  gravity,  it  would  have  accumulated 
on  the  surface  of  the  earth,  and  particularly  in 
our  apartments,  to  such  a  degree  as  to  have  pro- 
duced diseases,  pestilence,  and  death,  in  rapid 
succession.  But  being  a  little  lighter  than  the 
surrounding  air,  it  flies  upwards,  and  we  never 
breathe  it  again,  till  it  enters  into  new  and  salu- 
tary combination.a.  Such  is  the  benevolent  skill 
which  the  Author  of  Nature  has  displayed,  for 
promoting  the  comfort  and  preservation  of  eveiy 
thing  that  lives.* 

Farther,  were  the  air  coloured,  or  were  its  par- 
ticles much  larger  than  they  are,  we  could  never 
obtain  a  distinct  view  of  any  other  object.  The 
exhalations  which  rise  from  the  earth,  being 
rendered  visible,  would  disfigure  the  rich  land- 
scape of  the  universe,  and  render  life  disagreeable. 
But  the  Almighty,  by  rendering  the  air  invisible, 
has  enabled  us  not  only  to  lake  a  delighlfiil  and 
distinct  surveyof  the  objects  that  surround  us,  but 
has  veiled  from  our  view  the  gross  humours  inces- 
santly perspired  from  animal  bodies,  the  filth  ex- 
haled from  kitchens,  streets,  and  sewers, and  every 
other  object  that  would  excite  disgust.  Again, 
were  the  different  portions  of  the  atmosphere  com- 
pletely stationary,  and  not  susceptible  of  agitation, 


•  The  necessity  of  atmospherical  air  for  the  sup- 
port of  life,  was  strikingly  exeraplifleil  In  the  fate 
of  the  unhappy  men  who  died  in  the  Black-hole  of 
Calcutta.  On  the  20th  of  June,  1756,  about  8  o'clock 
in  the  evenins,  uo  men  were  forced,  at  the  point  of 
the  bayonet,  into  a  dungeon  only  18  feet  squaie. 
They  had  been  but  a  few  minutes  confined  in  this 
infernal  prison,  before  every  one  fell  into  a  per- 
spinition  so  profuse,  that  no  idea  can  be  formed  of 
it.  This  brought  on  a  raging  thirst,  the  most  difUcult 
respiration,  and  an  outrageous  delirium.  Such  was 
the  horror  of  their  situation,  that  every  insult  that 
could  be  devised  against  the  guard  without,  and  all 
the  opprobrious  names  that  the  Viceroy  and  his 
otficers  could  be  loaded  with,  were  repeated,  to  pro- 
voke the  guanl  to  fire  upon  them,  anil  terminate  their 
suflTerings.  Before  II  o'clock  the  .same  evening,  one- 
third  of  the  men  were  dead ;  and  l>cfore  6  next 
morning,  only  23  came  out  alive,  but  most  nf  them 
in  a  high  putrid  fever.  All  these  dreadful  effects 
were  occasioned  by  the  want  of  atmospheric  air,  and 
by  their  breathing  a  supcmbiimlant  4uantity  of  the 
nitrogen  emitted  from  their  lungs. 


96 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


all  nature  would  aoon  be  thrown  into  conru- 
■ion.  The  va|>oiir«  which  are  frxhalt-d  from  ihv  sra 
by  the  heal  of  the  pun  would  be  iiuspcnded,  and 
remain  for  ever  fixed  over  ihoite  places  from 
whence  they  aroie.  For  want  of  this  agitation 
of  the  air,  which  now  scatlcrs  and  disperses  the 
clouds  over  every  region,  the  sun  would  con- 
atanily  scorch  some  districts,  and  be  for  ever  hid 
fitNii  others  ;  the  balance  of  nature  would  be  de- 
stroyed ;  navigation  would  be  useless, and  we coiild 
no  longer  enjoy  the  produciions  of  different  cli- 
mates. In  fine,  were  the  atmosphere  capable  of 
being  froz*>n,  or  converted  into  a  solid  mass,  as 
all  other  fluids  are,  (and  we  know  no  reason  why 
it  should  not  be  subject  to  congelation,  but  the 
will  of  the  Creator,)  the  lives  of  every  animal  in 
the  air,  the  waters,  and  the  earth,  would,  in  a 
few  moments,  be  completely  extinguished.  But 
the  admirabie  adjuslnient  of  every  circumstance, 
in  relation  to  this  useful  element,  produces  all  the 
beneficial  effects  which  we  now  experience,  and 
strikingly  demonstrates,  that  the  intelligent  Con- 
triver of  all  things  is  "  wonderful  in  counsel,  and 
excellent  in  working." 

From  the  instances  now  stated,  we  may  plainly 
perceive,  that  if  the  Almighty  had  not  a  particular 
regard  to  tiio  happiness  of  his  intelligent  offspring, 
and  to  the  comfort  of  every  animated  existence  ; 
or,  if  be  wished  to  inflict  summary  punishment 
on  a  wicked  world,  he  could  easily  effert,  by  a 
very  slight  change  in  the  constitution  of  the  at- 
mosphere, the  entire  destruction  of  the  human 
race,  and  the  entire  conflagration  of  the  great 
globe  they  inhabit, — throughout  all  its  elementary 
regions.  He  has  only  to  extract  one  of  its  coti- 
stituent  parts,  and  the  grand  catastrophe  is  at 
once  accomplished.  With  what  a  striking  pro- 
priety and  emphasis,  tlien,  do  the  inspired  wri- 
ters declare,  that,  "  In  Him  we  live,  and  move, 
and  have  our  being  ;"  and  that  "  in  His  hand  is 
the  soul  of  every  living  thing,  and  the  breath  of 
all  mankind  !" 

A  great  variety  of  other  admirable  properties 
is  possessed  by  the  atmosphere,  of  which  I  shall 
briefly  notice  only  the  following  : — It  is  the  ve- 
hicle of  smtlls,  by  which  we  become  acquainted 
with  the  qualities  of  the  food  which  is  set  before 
us,  and  learn  to  avoid  those  places  which  are 
damp,  unwholesome,  and  dangerous.  It  is  the 
medium  of  sounds,  by  means  of  which  knowledge 
iaconveyed  to  uur  minds.  Its  undulations,  like 
•o  many  couriers,  nm  for  ever  backwards  and 
forwards,  to  convey  our  thoughts  to  others,  and 
dieirs  to  us  ;  and  lo  bring  news  of  transactions 
whii'.h  frequently  occur  at  a  considerable  distance. 
A  few  strokes  on  a  la-gc  bell,  through  the  minis- 
tration of  the  air,  will  convey  signals  of  distress, 
or  of  joy,  in  a  quarter  of  a  minute,  to  the  po|)ula- 
tion  oifa  city  containing  a  hundred  thousand  in- 
habitants. So  that  the  air  may  be  considered 
as  the  conveyer  of  the  thoughts  of  mankind,  which 


are  the  cement  nf  society.  It  transmits  to  our  ears 
all  the  htu-moniea  of  music,  and  rxpressrs  every 
passion  u(  the  soul:  it  swells  the  notrs  i  if  the 
nightingale,  and  distributes  alike  to  every  ear  tfte 
pleasures  which  arise  from  the  harmonious  sounds 
of  a  concert.  It  pr<xluces  the  blue  colour  of  the  sky, 
and  is  the  cause  of  the  morning  and  evening  twi- 
light, by  its  property  of  bending  the  rays  of  light, 
and  reflecting  thrni  in  all  directions.  1 1  forms  an 
essential  requisite  for  carrying  on  all  the  pro- 
cesses of  the  vegetable  kingdom,  and  serves  for 
the  production  of  clouds,  rain,  aiK)  dew,  which 
nourish  and  fertilize  the  earth.  In  shott,  it  would 
be  impossible  to  enumerate  all  the  advantages  we 
derive  from  this  noble  appendage  to  our  world. 
Were  the  earth  divested  of  its  atmosphere,  or 
were  only  two  or  three  of  its  properties  changed 
or  destroyed,  it  would  be  leA  altogether  unfit  for 
the  habitation  of  sentient  beings.  Were  it  di- 
vested of  its  undulating  quality,  we  should  be  de- 
prived of  all  the  advantages  of  speech  and  con- 
versation—of  all  the  melody  of  the  leathered  song- 
sters, and  of  all  the  pleasures  of  music  ;  and,  like 
the  deaf  and  dumb,  we  could  have  no  power  ot 
communicating  our  thoughts  but  by  visible  signs. 
Were  it  deprived  of  its  reflective  powers,  the  sun 
would  appear  in  one  part  of  the  sky  of  a  daz- 
zling brightness,  while  aH  around  would  appear  as 
dark  as  midnight,  and  the  stars  would  be  visible  at 
noon-day.  Were  it  deprived  of  its  refractive 
powers,  instead  of  the  gradual  approach  of  the 
day  and  the  night  which  we  now  experience,  at 
sunrise,  we  should  be  transported  all  at  once  from 
midnight  darkness  to  the  splendour  of  noon-dayf 
and,  at  sunset,  should  make  a  sudden  transition 
from  the  splendours  of  day  to  all  the  horrors  of 
midnight,  which  would  bewilder  the  traveller  in 
his  journey,  and  strike  the  creation  with  amaze- 
ment. In  fine,  were  the  oxygen  of  the  atmos- 
phere completely  extracted,  destruction  woiiU 
seize  on  all  the  tribes  of  the  living  worki,  through- 
out every  region  of  earth,  air,  and  sea. 

Omitting  at  present  the  consideration  of  an  in- 
definite variety  of  other  particulars,  which  suggest 
themselves  on  this  subject,  I  shall  just  notice  one 
circumstance  more,  which  has  a  relation  both  to 
the  waters  and  to  the  atmosphere.  It  is  a  well- 
known  law  of  nature,  that  all  bodies  are  expanded 
by  heat,  and  contracted  by  coW.  There  is  only 
one  exception  to  this  law  which  exists  in  the 
economy  of  our  globe,  and  that  is,  lAe  erpantiom 
of  water,  in  the  art  of  fretting.  While  the 
parts  of  every  other  body  are  reduced  in  bulk, 
and  their  specific  gravity  increased  by  the  appli- 
cation of  cold  ;  water,  on  the  contrary,  when 
congealed  into  ice,  is  incrcase<l  in  bulk,  and  be- 
comes of  a  less  specific  gravity  than  the  surround- 
ing water,  and,  therefore,  sw  ims  upon  its  surfiice. 
Now,  had  the  case  been  otherwise :  had  water, 
when  deprived  of  a  portion  of  its  heat,  folkiwed 
the  general  law  of  nature,  and,  like  all  othei 


WISDOM  OF  THE  DEITY. 


87 


bodies,  become  specificaUy  heavier  than  it  was 
before,  the  present  constitution  of  nature  would 
have  been  materially  deranged,  and  many  of  our 
present  comforts,  and  even  our  very  existence, 
would  have  been  endangered.  Al  whatever  time 
the  temperature  of  the  atmosphere  became  reduced 
to  32°  of  the  common  thermometer,  or  to  what  is 
called  the  freezing  point,  the  water  on  the  surface 
ot'our  rivers  anJ  lakes  would  have  been  convert- 
ed into  a  layer  of  ice  ;  this  layer  would  have  sunk 
to  the  bottom  as  it  froze  ;  another  layer  of  ice 
would  have  been  immediately  produced,  which 
would  also  have  sunk  to  the  former  layer,  and  so 
on  in  succession,  till,  in  the  course  of  time,  all  our 
rivers  from  the  surface  to  the  bottom,  and  every 
other  portion  of  water,  capable  of  being  frozen, 
would  have  been  converted  into  solid  masses  of 
ice,  which  all  the  heat  of  summer  could  never 
have  melted.  We  should  have  been  deprived  of 
most  of  the  advantages  we  now  derive  from  the 
liquid  element,  and,  in  a  short  time,  the  face  of 
nature  would  have  been  transformed  into  a  frozen 
chaos.  But  in  the  existing  constitution  of  things, 
all  such  dismal  effects  are  prevented,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  Creator  having  subjected  the 
waters  to  a  law  contrary  to  that  of  other  fluids, 
by  means  of  which  the  frozen  water  swims  upon 
the  surface,  and  prevents  the  cold  from  pene- 
trating to  any  great  depth  in  the  subjacent  fluid  ; 
and  when  the  heat  of  the  atmosphere  is  increased, 
is  exposed  to  its  genial  influence,  and  is  quickly 
changed  into  its  former  liquid  state.  How  ad- 
mirably, then,  does  this  exception  to  the  general 
law  of  naiure  display  the  infinite  intelligence 
of  the  Great  Contriver  of  all  things,  and  his 
providential  care  for  the  comfort  of  his  creatures, 
when  he  arranged  and  established  the  economy 
of  naiure! 

Variety  'f  Nature. 

As  a  striking  evidence  of  Divine  Intelligence, 
we  may  next  consider  the  immense  variety  which 
the  Creator  has  introduced  into  every  department 
of  the  material  world. 

In  every  region  on  the  surface  of  the  globe,  an 
endless  multiplicity  of  objects,  all  differing  from 
one  another  in  shape,  colour,  and  motion,  present 
themselves  to  the  view  of  the  beholder.  Moun- 
tains covered  with  forests,  hills  clothed  with  ver- 
dure, spacious  plains  adorned  with  vineyards, 
orchards,  and  waving  grain  :  naked  rocks,  abrupt 
precipices,  extended  vales,  deep  dells,  meandering 
rivers,  roaring  cataracts,  b  ooks  and  rills  ;  lakes 
and  gulfs,  bays  and  promontories,  seas  and  oceans, 
caverns  and  grottoes — meet  the  eye  of  the  student 
of  Naiure,  in  every  country,  with  a  vaiiety  which 
is  at  once  beautiful  and  majestic.  Nothing  can 
exceed  the  variety  of  the  vegetable  kingdom, 
which  pervades  all  climates,  and  almost  every 
portion  of  the  dry  land,  and  of  the  bed  of  the  ocean. 
The   immense  collections  of  Natural  Hislofy 


which  are  to  be  seen  in  the  Museum  at  Paris, 
show,  that  botanists  are  already  acquainted  with 
nearly  fifiy-six  thousand-  different  species  of 
plants.*  And  yet,  it  is  probable,  that  these  form 
but  a  very  small  portion  of  what  actually  exist, 
and  that  several  hundreds  of  thousands  of  spe- 
cies remain  to  be  explored  by  the  industry  of 
future  ages.  For,  by  far  the  greater  part  of  the 
vegetable  world  still  remains  to  be  surveyed  by 
the  scientific  botanist.  Of  the  numerous  tribes 
of  vegetable  nature  which  flourish  in  the  inte- 
rior of  Africa  and  America,  in  the  immense 
islands  of  New  Holland,  New  Guinea,  Borneo, 
Sumatra,  Java,  Ceylon,  Madagascar,  and 
Japan ;  in  the  vast  regions  of  Tartary,  Thibet, 
Siberia,  and  the  Burmaii  empire  ;  in  the  Philip- 
pines, the  Moluccas,  the  Ladronas,  the  Caroli- 
nas,  the  Marquesas,  the  Society,  the  Georgian, 
and  in  thousands  of  other  islands  which  are  scat- 
tered over  the  Indian  and  Pacific  oceans — little  or 
nothing  is  known  by  the  naturalists  of  Europe, 
and  yet  it  is  a  fact  which  admits  of  no  dispute, 
that  every  country  hitherto  explored  produces  a 
variety  of  species  of  plants  peculiar  to  itself;  and 
those  districts  in  Europe  which  have  been  fre- 
quently surveyed,  present  to  every  succeeding 
explorer  a  new  field  of  investigation,  and  reward 
his  industry  with  new  discoveries  of  the  beauties 
and  varieties  of  the  vegetable  kingdom.  It  has 
been  conjectured  by  some  naturalists,  on  the 
ground  of  a  multitude  of  observations,  that 
"  there  is  not  a  square  league  of  earth,  but  what 
presents  some  one  plant  peculiar  to  itself,  or,  at 
least,  which  thrives  there  better,  or  appears  more 
beautiful  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  world." 
This  would  make  the  number  of  species  of  vege- 
tables to  amount  to  as  many  millions  as  there  are 
of  square  leagues  on  the  surface  of  the  earth. 

Now,  every  one  of  these  species  of  plants 
differs  from  another,  in  its  size,  structure,  form, 
flowers,  leaves,  fruits,  mode  of  propagation,  colour, 
medicinal  virtues,  nutritious  qualities,  internal 
vessels,  and  the  odours  it  exhales.  They  are  of 
all  sizes,  from  the  microscopic  mushroom,  invi- 
sible to  the  naked  eye,  to  the  sturdy  oak,  and  'Jie 
cedar  of  Lebanon,  and  from  the  slender  willow 
to  the  banian  tree,  under  whose  shade  7000 
persons  may  find  ample  room  to  repose.  A 
thousand  different  shades  of  colour  distinguish 
the  different  species.  Every  one  wears  its  pe- 
culiar livery,  and  is  distinguished  by  its  own  na- 
tive hues ;  and  many  of  their  inherent  beauties 
can  be  distinguished  only  by  the  help  of  the  mi- 
croscope. Some  grow  upright,  others  creep 
along  in  a  serpentine  form.  Some  flourish  (ot 
ages,  others  wither  and  decay  id  a  few  months  ; 
some  spring  up  in  moist,  others  in  dry  soils; 
some  turn  towards  the  sun,  others  shrink  and 


*  Bdinboifb  PUloeophieal  Journal.  July,  iffiB. 
p.  48> 


38 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


eontract  when  we  tpprouh  to  touch  them.  Not 
only  are  the  ditferent  xpeciei  of  plants  and 
flower*  distingumhed  from  each  ort)«r,  liy  their 
ditferent  furma,  but  even  ihe  different  individual! 
of  (he  same  species,  in  a  bed  of  tulips  or  car* 
nations,  for  example,  (here  is  scarcely  a  flower 
in  which  some  dilTereiice  may  not  be  observed 
in  its  structure,  Kize,  or  as»<-niblage  of  culuurs ; 
Bof  can  any  two  flowers  be  found  in  which  the 
ahape  and  shades  are  exactly  similar.  Of  all  the 
hundred  thousand  miliit.ns  of  plants,  trees,  herbs, 
and  flowers,  with  which  our  globe  is  variegated, 
there  are  not,  perhaps,  two  individuals  precisely 
alike,  in  every  point  of  view  in  which  they  may 
be  contem|>lated ;  yea,  there  is  not,  perhaps,  a 
single  leaf  in  the  forest,  when  minutely  examin- 
ed, that  will  not  be  found  to  difler,  in  certain 
aspects,  from  its  fellows.  Such  is  the  wondeiful 
and  infinite  diversity  with  which  the  Creator  has 
adorned  the  vegetable  kingdom. 

His  wisdom  is  also  evidently  displayed  in  this 
vast  profusion  of  vegetable  nature — in  adapting 
each  plant  to  the  soil  and  situation  in  which  it 
is  destined  to  flourish— in  furnishing  it  with  those 
vessels  by  which  it  absorbs  the  air  and  moisture 
on  which  it  feeds — and  m  adapting  it  to  the  na- 
ture and  necessities  of  animated  beings.  As  the 
earth  teems  with  animated  existence,  and  as  the 
different  tribes  of  animals  depend  chiefly  on  the 
productions  of  the  vegetable  kingdom  for  their 
subsistence,  so  there  is  an  abundance  and  a  va- 
riety of  plants  adapted  to  the  peculiar  constitutions 
of  every  individual  species.  This  circumstance 
demonstrates,  that  there  is  a  precontrived  rela- 
tion and  fitness  between  the  internal  constitution 
of  the  animal,  and  the  nature  of  the  plants  which 
afford  it  nourishment ;  and  shows  us,  that  the  ani- 
mal and  vegetable  kingdoms  are  the  workmanship 
of  One  and  the  same  Almighty  Being,  and  that, 
in  his  arrangements  with  regard  to  the  one,  he  had 
in  view  the  necessities  of  the  other. 

When  we  direct  our  attention  to  the  tribes  of 
mnimated  nature,  we  behold  a  scene  no  less  va- 
riegated and  astonishing.  Above  fifty  thousand 
species  of  animals  have  been  detected  and  de- 
scribed by  naturalists,  besides  several  thousands 
of  species  which  the  naked  eye  cannot  discern, 
and  which  people  the  invisible  regions  of  the 
waters  and  the  air.  And,  as  the  greater  part  of 
the  globe  has  never  yet  been  tlniroughly  expl<ir- 
ed,  several  hundreds,  if  not  thousands,  of  species 
unknown  to  the  scientific  world  may  exist  in  the 
depths  of  the  ocean,  and  in  the  unexplored  regions 
oT  the  land.  All  these  species  diflTer  from  one 
another  in  colour,  size,  and  shape ;  in  the  inter- 
nal structure  of  their  bodies,  in  the  number  of 
their  sensitive  organs,  limbs,  feet,  joints,  claws, 
wings,  and  fins  ;  in  their  dispositions,  faculties, 
Bcvements,  and  modes  of  subsistence.  They 
are  of  all  sites,  from  the  mite  and  the  gnat,  up  to 
die  elephant  and  ibe  whale,  and  Crom  the  mite 


downwards  to  those  invisible  animalcuir,  a  Imm^ 
dred  thousand  of  whicn  woukl  not  et,ual  a  grain 
of  i>and.  S<ime  fly  through  the  allno^phere,some 
glide  thriNigh  the  waters,  others  traverse  the  solid 
land.  Some  walk  on  two,  some  on  Kiur.  some 
on  twenty,  and  some  on  a  hundred  fret.  Some 
have  eye*  furnished  with  two,  some  with  eight, 
some  with  a  hundred,  and  some  with  eight 
ttiousand  distinct  transparent  globes,  for  ibe  pu^• 
pose  of  vision.* 

Our  astonishment  at  the  variety  which  ap|>ears 
in  the  animal  kingdom  is  still  farther  increased 
when  we  consider  not  only  the  diversities  which 
are  apparent  in  their  external  aspect,  but  also  in 
their  internal  structure  and  orgauizai  ion.  When 
we  reflect  on  the  thousands  of  moveirenls,  adjust- 
ments, adaptations,  and  compensations,  which 
are  requisite  in  order  to  ll.e  construction  of  an 
animal  system,  for  enabling  it  to  perform  its  in- 
tended functions  ; — when  we  consider,  that  every 
species  of  animals  has  a  system  of  organization 
peculiar  to  itself,  consisting  of  bones,  joints,  bkxMi- 
vessels,  and  muscular  motions,  differing  in  a 
variety  of  respects  from  those  of  any  oU.er  spe- 
cies, and  exactly  adapted  to  its  various  necessi- 
lies  and  modes  of  existence  ;  and  when  we  con- 
sider, still  farther,  the  incomprehensibly  delicate 
contrivances,  and  exquisite  borings,  polishin^^, 
claspings,  and  adaptations,  which  enter  into  the 
organization  of  an  animated  being  ten  thousand 


*  The  eye*  of  beetles,  silk-worms,  flies,  and  se- 
veral other  liinds  of  insects,  are  among  the  most 
curious  and  wonderful  prodnctlons  of  the  God  of 
Nature.  On  the  head  of  a  fly  are  two  large  pro- 
tuberances, one  on  eiich  side  ;  these  constitute  its 
organ.s  of  vision.  'ITie  whole  surface  of  these  pro- 
tuberanres  is  covered  with  a  multitude  of  ymall 
hemispheres  placed  with  the  utmost  rtcularity,  In 
rows,  rrosslns  each  other  In  a  kind  of  lattice 
work.  These  little  hemispheres  have  each  of  them  a 
minute  transparent  convex  lens  in  the  middle,  each 
of  which  ha«  a  distinct  branch  of  the  optic  nerve 
ministcrinfi;  toil;  sothat  the  difl"erent  lenses  may 
be  considered  as  so  many  distinct  eyes.  iMr.  Leeu- 
wenhock  counted  C936  in  the  two  eyes  of  a  silk- 
worm, when  In  UsJIy  slate  ;  3180  in  each  eye  of  the 
beetle  ;  and  gooo  in  the  two  eyes  of  a  nmmon  Jly. 
Mr.  Hook  reckoned  14,000  in  the  eyes  of  a  drone 
fly ;  and,  in  one  of  the  eyes  of  a  dragon  fly  there 
have  been  reckoned  I3,5S0  of  these  lenses,  and,  con- 
sequently. In  both  eyes,  47,000,  every  one  of  which 
Is  caput>le  of  foiniing  a  distinct  image  of  any  object. 
In  the  same  manner  as  a  common  convex  glass  ;  so 
that  there  are  »7,«00  images  formed  on  the  retina 
of  this  llttje  animal.  Mr.  Lecuwcnhock  having 
prepared  the  eye  of  a  fly  for  the  purpose,  placed 
it  a  little  farther  from  his  microscope  than  when 
he  would  examine  an  object,  so  as  to  Icavr  a  proper 
local  distance  between  It  and  the  lens  of  his  micro- 
scope ;  and  then  looke<l  through  twth,  In  the  manner 
of  a  telescope, at  the  steeple  of  the  church,  which 
was  2S9  feet  high,  and  750  feet  dlsunt.  and  could 
plainly  see  through  every  little  lens,  the  whole 
steeple  lnvcrte<l,  though  not  larger  than  the  point 
of  a  flne  needle:  and  then  directing  It  lo  a  neigh- 
Itouring  house,  saw  through  many  of  these  little 
hemispheres,  not  only  the  frontol  the  house,  but  also 
the  doors  and  windows,  and  could  discern  distinctly 
whether  the  windows  were  open  or  shut.  Such  an 
exquisite  piece  of  Divine  mechanism  transcends  all 
human  comprehension. 


WISDOM  OP  THE  DEITY. 


99 


times  less  than  a  mite  ;  and  that  the  different 
species  of  those  animals  are  likewise  all  differ- 
ently organized  from  one  another, — we  cannot 
but  be  struck  with  reverence  and  astonishment,  at 
the  Intelligence  of  that  Tncomprehensible  Being 
who  arranged  the  organs  of  all  the  tribes  of  ani- 
mated nature,  who  "  breathed  into  them  the  breath 
of  life,"  and  who  continually  upholds  them  in  all 
their  movements ! 

Could  we  descend  into  the  subterraneous  apart- 
ments of  the  globe,  and  penetrate  into  those  un- 
known recesses  which  lie  towards  its  centre,  we 
should,  doubtless,  behold  a  variegated  scene  of 
wonders,  even  in  those  dark  and  impenetrable  re- 
gions. But  all  the  labour  and  industry  of  man  have 
not  hitherto  enabled  him  to  penetrate  farther  in- 
to the  bowels  of  the  earth  than  the  six  thousandth 
part  of  its  diameter ;  so  that  we  must  remain  for 
ever  ignorant  of  the  immense  caverns  and  masses 
of  matter  that  may  exist,  and  of  the  processes 
that  may  be  going  on,  about  its  central  regions. 
In  those  regions,  however,  near  the  surface, 
which  lie  within  the  sphere  of  human  inspection, 
we  perceive  a  variety  analogous  to  that  which 
is  displayed  in  the  other  departments  of  nature. 
Here  we  find  substances  of  various  kinds  formed 
into  strata,  or  layers,  of  different  depths— earths, 
sand,  gravel,  marl,  clay,  sandstone,  freestone, 
marble,  limestone,  fossils,  coals,  peat,  and  simi- 
lar materials.  In  these  strata  are  found  metals 
and  minerals  of  various  descriptions-~salt,  nitrate 
of  potash,  ammonia,  -sulphur,  bitumen,  platina, 
gold,  silver,  mercury,  iron,  lead,  t  in,  copper,  zinc, 
nickel,  manganese,  cobalt,  antimony,  the  dia- 
mond, rubies,  sapphires,  jaspers,  emeralds,  and  a 
countless  variety  of  other  substances,  of  incalcu- 
lable benefit  to  mankind.  Some  of  these  sub- 
stances are  so  essentially  requisite  for  the  comfort 
of  man,  that,  without  them,  he  would  Soon  dege- 
nerate into  the  savage  state,  and  be  deprived  of  all 
those  arts  which  extend  his  knowledge,  and  which 
cheer  and  embellish  the  abodes  of  civilized  life. 

If  we  turn  our  eyes  upward  to  the  regions  of 
the  atmosphere,  we  may  also  behold  a  spectacle 
of  variegated  magnificence.  Sometimes  the  skv 
is  covered  with  sable  clouds,  or  obscured  with 
mists  ;  at  other  times  it  is  tinged  with  a  variety 
of  hues,  by  the  rays  of  the  rising  or  the  setting  sun. 
Sometimes  it  presents  a  pure  azure,  at  other  times 
it  is  diversified  with  strata  of  dappled  clouds.  At 
one  time  we  behold  the  rainbow  rearing  its  ma- 
jestic arch,  adorned  with  all  the  colours  of  light ; 
at  another,  the  Aurora  Borealis  illuminating  the 
sky  with  its  fantastic  coruscations.  At  one 
time  we  behold  the  fiery  meteor  sweeping  through 
the  air  ;  at  another,  we  perceive  the  forked 
lightning  darting  from  the  clouds,  and  hear  the 
thunders  rolling  through  the  sky.  Sometimes  the 
vault  of  heaven  appears  like  a  boundless  desert, 
and  at  other  times  adorned  with  an  innumerable 
host  of  stars,  and  with  the  moon  "  walking  in 
brightness."    In  short,  whether  we  direct  our 


view  to  the  vegetable  or  the  animal  tribes,  to  the 
atmosphere,  the  ocean,  the  mountains,  ihe  plains, 
or  the  subterranean  recesses  of  the  globe,  we  be- 
hold a  scene  of  beauty,  order,  and  variety,  which 
astonishes  and  enraptures  the  contemplative 
mind,  and  constrains  us  to  join  in  the  devout  ex- 
clamations of  the  Psalmist,  '•  H'jw  manifold  ore 
thy  loorks,  O  Lord  !  In  wisdom  hast  iliou  made 
them  all,  the  earth  is  full  of  thy  riches  ;  su  is  the 
great  and  wide  sea,  wherein  are  thmgs  creeping, 
innumerable,  both  small  and  great  beasts." 

This  countless  variety  of  objects  which  appears 
throughout  every  department  of  our  sublunary 
system,  not  only  displays  the  depths  of  Divme  wis- 
dom, but  also  presents  us  with  a  faint  idea  of  the 
infinity  of  the  Creator,  and  of  the  immense  mul- 
tiplicity of  ideas  and  conceptions  which  must  have 
existed  in  the  Eternal  Mind,  when  the  fabric  of 
our  globe,  and  its  numerous  tribes  of  inhabitants, 
were  arranged  and  brought  into  existence.  And, 
if  every  other  world  which  floats  in  the  immen- 
sity of  space  be  diversified  with  a  similar  varie- 
ty of  existence,  altogether  different  from  ours,  (as 
we  have  reason  to  believe,  from  the  variety  we 
already  perceive,  and  from  the  botindless  plans 
and  conceptions  of  the  Creator.)  the  human  mind 
is  lost  and  confounded,  when  it  attempts  to  form 
an  idea  of  those  endlessly  diversified  plans,  con- 
ceptions, and  views,  which  must  have  existed 
during  an  eternity  past,  in  the  Divine  mind. 
When  we  wouul  attempt  to  enter  into  the  con- 
ception of  so  vast  and  varied  operations,  we  feel 
our  own  littleness,  and  the  na'rrow  limits  of  oar 
feeble  powers,  and  can  only  exclaim,  with  the 
Apostle  Paul,  "Oh  the  depihofihe  riches  both 
of  the  wisdom  and  knowledge  of  God  !  how  un- 
searchable are  his  counsels,  and  his  ways  of  crea- 
tion and  providence  past  finding  out." 

This  characteristic  of  variety,  which  is  stamp- 
ed on  alt  the  works  of  Omnipotence,  is  doubtless 
intended  to  gratify  the  principle  of'  curiosity 
and  the  love  of  novelty,  which  are  implanted  in 
the  human  breast ;  and  thus  to  excite  rational 
bemgs  to  the  study  and  investigation  of  the  works 
of  the  Creator  ;  that  therein  they  may  behold  the 
glory  of  the  Divine  character,  and  be  stimulated 
to  the  exercise  of  love,  admiration,  and  reve- 
rence. For  as  the  records  of  revelation,  and  the 
dispensations  of  providence,  display  to  us  the 
various  aspects  of  the  moral  character  of  Deity, 
so,  the  diversified  phenomena,  and  the  muitipli* 
city  of  objects  and  operations  which  the  scenery 
of  nature  exhibits,  present  to  us  a  specimen  of  the 
ideas,  as  it  were,  of  the  Eternal  Mind,  in  so  far 
as  they  can  be  adumbrated  by  material  objects, 
and  exhibited  to  mortals,  through  the  medium  of 
corporeal  organs. 

To  convey  an  adequate  conception  of  the  num- 
ber of  these  ideas,  as  exhibited  on  the  globe  in 
which  we  live,  would  baffle  the  arilhmelician's 
skill,  and  set  his  numbers  at  defiance.  We 
may,  however,  assist  our  conceptions  a  litll«,  bjr 


40 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


confining  our  attention  to  on«  dcptrtment  of  nt- 
tur«;ror  example,  the  Animal  Kingdom.  The 
number  of  the  difTerctit  8|>eciesuf  anim&la,  taking 
into  account  those  which  are  hitherto  undi»co- 
▼ered,  and  tho!<e  which  are  inviiible  (o  the  nakrd 
eye,  cannot  be  etiiniaied  at  les«  than  300.000. 
In  a  human  body  there  are  reckoned  about  446 
muades,  in  each  of  which  according  to  anatomiaii, 
there  are  at  least  10  several  intentions,  or  due 
qualifications  to  be  observed — its  proper  figure, 
its  just  magnitude,  the  right  disposition  of  its 
•everal  ends,  upper  and  lower,  the  position  of  the 
whole,  the  insertion  of  its  proper  nerves,  veins, 
arteries,  &c.  so  that  in  the  muscular  system  alone 
there  are  4  460  Heveral  ends  or  aims  to  be  attend- 
ed to.  The  bones  are  reckoned  to  be  in  number 
about  245,  and  the  distinct  scopes  or  intentions 
of  each  of  these  are  above  40 ;  in  all,  about  9,800  ; 
■o  that  the  system  of  bones  and  muxcles  alone, 
without  taking  any  other  parts  into  consideration, 
amounts  to  about  14,000  different  intentions  or 
adaptations.  If  now,  we  suppose,  that  all  the 
apecies  of  animals  above  staled  are  differently 
eonatnicted,  and,  taken  one  with  another,  contain 
at  an  average  a  system  of  bones  end  muscles  as 
numerous  as  in  the  human  body — the  number  of 
species  must  be  multiplied  by  the  number  of  dif- 
ferent aims  or  adaptations,  and  the  product  will 
amount  to  4,200,000,000.  If  we  were  next  to  at- 
tend to  the  many  thousands  of  blood  vessels  m  an 
animal  body,  and  the  numerous  ligaments,  mem- 
branes, humours,  and  flu  id»  of  various  descriptions 
—the  skin,  with  its  millions  of  pores,  and  every 
other  part  of  an  organical  system,  with  the  aims 
and  intentions  of  each,  we  should  have  another  sum 
of  many  hundreds  of  millions  to  be  multiplied  by 
the  former  product,  in  order  to  express  the  diver- 
sified ideas  which  enter  into  the  coiistruction  of 
the  animal  world.  And,  if  we  still  farther  cor)- 
sider,  that  of  the  hundreds  of  millions  of  indi- 
viduals belonging  to  each  species,  no  two  indi- 
viduals exactly  resemble  each  other — that  all  the 
myriads  of  vegetables  with  vjhich  the  earth  is 
covered,  are  distinguished  from  each  other,  by 
some  one  characteristic  or  another,  and  that  every 
grain  of  sand  contained  in  the  mountains,  and  in 
the  bed  of  the  ocean,  as  shown  by  the  microscope, 
discover*  a  diflferent  form  and  configuration  from 
another — we  are  here  presented  with  an  image 
of  the  infinity  of  the  conception*  of  Him  in  whose 
incomprehensible  mind  they  all  existed,  during 
countless  ages,  before  the  universe  was  formed. 

To  overlook  this  amazing  scene  of  Divine  In- 
telligence, or  tu  consider  it  as  beneath  our  notice 
as  some  have  done — if  it  be  not  the  characteristic 
of  impiety,  is,  at  least,  the  mark  of  a  weak  and 
undiscriminating  mind.  The  man  who  disre- 
gards the  visible  displays  of  Infinite  Wisdom, 
or  who  neglects  to  investigate  them,  when  op- 
portunity offers,  acts  as  if  he  considered  himself 
already  possessed  of  a  sufficient  portion  of  in- 
telligence, and  stood    in  no   need  of  sensible 


aaaiatancea  to  direct  his  cooceptiont  of  the  Cr»> 
ator.  Pride,  and  false  roiicepiioiis  of  the  nature 
and  design  of  true  religion,  frequently  lie  at  the 
foundation  of  all  that  indifference  and  neglect 
with  which  the  visible  works  of  God  aie  treated, 
by  those  who  make  pretensions  to  a  high  d». 
gree  of  spiritual  at  ainmenls.  The  truly  pioua 
man  will  trace,  with  wonder  and  delight,  the  foot* 
steps  of  his  P'ather  and  his  Gud,  wherever 
they  appear  in  the  variegated  scene  of  creation 
around  him,  and  will  be  filled  with  s<irruw,  and 
contrition  of  heart,  that,  amidst  his  excursions  and 
ifjlitary  walks,  he  has  so  uftrn  disregarded  *'  the 
works  of  the  Lord,  and  the  operation  of  his  hands." 
In  fine,  the  variety  which  appears  un  the  face 
of  nature,  not  only  enlarges  our  conceptions  of  In- 
finite Wisdom,  but  is  also  the  (bundaiion  of  all 
our  discriminations  and  judgments  as  rational 
beings,  and  is  of  the  most  essential  uiiliiy  in  the 
affairs  of  human  society.  Such  is  the  variety 
of  which  the  features  of  the  hi  man  <x>untetiance 
are  susceptible,  that  it  is  probable  that  no  two  in- 
dividuals, of  all  the  millions  of  the  race  of  Adam 
that  have  existed  since  the  beginning  of  time, 
would  be  found  to  resemble  each  other.  We 
know  no  two  human  beings  presently  existing, 
however  similar  to  each  other,  but  may  be  di»> 
tinguished  either  by  their  stature,  their  forms, 
or  the  features  of  their  faces ;  and  un  the  ground 
of  this  dissimilarity,  the  various  wheels  of  the 
machine  of  society  move  onward,  without  clash- 
ing or  confusion.  Had  it  been  otherwise — had 
the  faces  of  men  and  their  organs  of  s|>ee<:h  been 
cast  exactly  in  the  same  mould,  as  would  have 
been  the  case,  had  the  world  been  framed  accord- 
ing to  the  Epicurean  system,  by  blind  chance 
directing  a  concourse  of  atoms,  it  might  have 
been  as  difficult  to  distinguish  one  human  coun- 
tenance from  another,  as  to  distingui^h  the  eggs 
laid  by  the  same  hen,  or  the  drops  of  water  which 
trickle  from  the  same  orifice  ;  and  consequently, 
society  would  have  been  thrown  into  a  state  of 
universal  anarchy  and  confusion.  Frit-nds  would 
not  have  been  distinguished  from  enemies,  viilaina 
from  I  he  good  and  honest,  fathers  from  sons,  the 
culprit  from  the  innocent  person,  nor  the  branches 
of  the  same  family  from  one  another.  And  what  a 
scene  of  perpetual  confiision  and  disturbance 
would  thus  have  been  created!  Frauds,  thefts, 
robberies,  murders,  assassinations,  f()rgeries,  and 
injustice  of  all  kinds,  might  have  bet-n  daily  com- 
mitted without  the  least  possibility  of  detection. 
Nay,  were  even  the  variety  oftonti  in  the  hu- 
man voice,  peculiar  to  each  person,  to  cease,  and 
the  handwriting  of  all  men  to  become  perfectly 
uniform,  a  multitude  of  distressing  Heieptions  and 
perplexities  would  be  produced  in  the  domestic, 
civil,  and  commercial  transactions  of  mankind. 
But  the  All-wise  and  Beneficent  Creator  has  pre* 
vented  all  such  evils  and  inconveniences,  by  the 
character  of  variety  which  he  has  impressed  OQ 
the  human  species ;  and  on  all  his  works.    By  ih« 


WISDOM  OP  THE  DEITY. 


41 


^teeuHar  features  of  his  countenance  every  man 
may  be  disiin^uished  in  ihe  light;  by  the  tones 
of  his  voicB  he  maybe  recognized  in  the  dark, 
or  when  he  is  separated  from  his  fellows  by  an 
impenetrable  partition  ;  and  his  handwriting  can 
attest  his  existence  ami  individuality,  when  con- 
tinents and  oceans  interpose  between  him  and  his 
relations,  and  be  a  witness  of  his  sentiments  and 
purposes  to  future  generations. 

"■ 

Thus,  I  have  taken  a  very  cursory  view  of 
M>me  evidences  of  Divine  Wisdom,  which  ap- 
pear in  the  general  constitution  of  ihe  earth,  the 
voaters,  and  the  atmosphere,  and  in  the  charac- 
teristic of  variety,  which  is  impressed  on  all  the 
objects  of  the  visible  creation.  When  these  and 
Other  admirable  arrangements,  in  our  sublunary 
system,  are  seriously  contemplated,  every  ratio- 
nal and  pious  mind  will  be  disposed  to  exclaim 
with  the  Psalmist — "  There  is  none  like  unto 
thee,  O  Lord,  neither  are  there  any  works  like 
unto  thy  works." — "  Thou  art  great,  and  dost 
wondrous  things,  thou  art  God  alone." — "  O 
that  men  would  praise  the  Lord  for  his  good- 
ness, and  for  his  wonderful  works  towards  the 
children  of  men!" 

When  we  consider  not  only  the  utili^,  but  the 
beauty  and  grandeur  of  the  wise  arrangements 
of  nature,  what  reason  have  we  to  admire  and 
adore  the  goodness  of  the  great  Author  of  our 
existence !  Were  all  the  diversities  of  shape  and 
colour,  ofiiiountains  and  vales,  of  rivers  and  lakes, 
of  light  and  shade,  which  now  embellish  the  va- 
rious landscapes  of  the  world,  to  disappear,  and 
were  one  unvaried  scene  perpetually  to  present  it- 
self lo  the  eye,  how  dull  and  wearisome,  and  unin- 
teresting; would  the  aspect  of  the  universe  appear 
to  an  intelligent  mind!  Although  the  variegated 
beauties  which  adorn  the  surface  of  our  globe, 
and  the  vault  of  heaven,  are  not  essential  to  our 
existence,  as  sensitive  beings,  yet,  were  they 
completely  withdrawn,  and  nothing  presented  lo 
the  eye  but  a  boundless  expanse  of  barren  sands, 
the  mind  would  recoil  upon  itself,  its  activity 
would  be  destroyed,  its  powers  would  be  confin- 
ed, as  it  were,  to  a  prison,  and  it  would  roam 
in  vain  amidst  the  surrounding  waste,  in  search 
of  enjoyment.  Even  the  luxuries  of  a  palace, 
were  it  possible  to  procure  them  amidst  such 
a  scene  of  desolation,  would  become  stale  and 
insipid,  and  would  leave  the  rational  soul,  almost 
destitute  of  ideas  and  of  mental  energy,  to  the 
tiresome  round  of  a  cheerless  existence.  But 
in  the  actual  state  of  the  world  we  live  in,  there 
is  no  landscape  in  nature,  from  the  icebergs  of 
Grreenland  to  the  verdant  scenes  of  the  torrid 
sone.  in  which  objects,  either  of  sublimity  or  of 
beauty,  in  boiindless  vari"ty,  are  not  presented 
to  the  view;  in  order  to  slimnlate  the  mind  to 
activity,  to  gratify  its  desire  of  novelty,  and  to 
■elevate  its  conceptions  of  the  Bencfi'-ent  Creator. 

And,  if  the  pretent  constitutioa  of  our  world 
6 


displays  so  evident  marks  ofbean'y  and  benevo- 
lent design,  now  that  it  is  inhabited  by  an  assenv- 
blage  of  depraved  intelligences,  and  its  physical 
aspect  deformed,  in  consequence  of  "  the  wicked- 
ness of  man" — what  transportin;;  beauties  and 
sublimities  must  it  have  presented,  whi^n  it  ap- 
peared fresh  from  the  hand  of  its  Alini«hty  Ma- 
ker, and  when  all  things  were  pronounced  by  him 
to  be  very  good  ?  After  a  deluye  of  waters  has 
swept  away  many  of  its  primeval  beauties,  and  has 
broken  and  deranged  even  its  subterraneous  strata, 
this  terrestrial  world  still  presents  to  the  eye  a 
striking  scene  of  beauty,  order,  and  beneficence. 
But  we  have  the  strongest  reason  to  believe,  that 
before  sin  had  disfigured  the  aspect  of  this  lower 
world,  all  was  "  beauty  to  the  eye,  and  music  to 
the  ear" — that  "  immortality  breathed  in  the 
winds,  flowed  in  the  rivers,"  and  exhaled  from 
every  plant  and  flower.  No  storms  disturbed  the 
tranquillity  of  nature,  nor  created  the  least  alarm 
in  the  breasts  of  its  holy  inhabitants.  No  earth- 
quakes shook  the  ground,  nor  rent  the  foundations 
of  nature.  No  volcanoes  vomited  their  rivers  of 
lava,  nor  overwhelmed  the  plains  with  deluges  of 
fire.  No  barren  deserts  of  heath  and  sand  dis- 
figured the  rich  landscape  of  the  world — no  ten»- 
pests  nor  hurricanes  tossed  the  ocean,  nor  scorch- 
ing heats,  nor  piercing  colds,  nor  pestilence,  nor 
disease,  annoyed  the  human  frame.  In  the  pa- 
radisaical state  of  the  world,  we  may  reasonably 
suppose,  that  all  the  elements  of  nature  contri- 
buted directly  to  the  pleasure  and  enjoyment  of 
man,  and  of  the  other  tribes  of  animated  natuie; 
an  i  that  they  were  not  subjected,  as  they  now 
are,  to  the  operation  of  ihose  natural  agents  which 
so  frequently  spread  destruction  and  ruin  among 
L'le  abodes  of  men.  To  suppose  the  contrary  to 
hi  ve  happened,  would  be  inconsistent  with  the 
state  of  pure  and  happy  intelligences,  and  with 
the  benignity  of  the  Creator  ;  and  would  imply, 
that  God  was  either  unwilling  or  unable  to  re- 
move such  physical  evils.  But  we  cannot  sup- 
pose it  beyond  the  limits  of  Infinite  Wisdom  and 
Omnipotence,  to  create  and  arrange  a  world  en- 
tirely free  from  those  evils  and  inconveniences 
which  now  flow  from  the  operation  of  certain  phy- 
sical agents;  without,  at  the  same  lime,  supposing 
that  his  power  and  intelligence  are  confined 
within  certain  bounds,  beyond  which  they  cannot 
pass.  And,  therefore,  if,  in  the  existing  consti- 
tution of  things,  the  harmony  of  nature  is  occa- 
sionally disturbed,  and  its  beauty  defaced,  by 
earthquakes,  storms,  auid  tempests — we  must  re- 
member, that  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  are  now 
a  depraved  race  of  mortals,  no  longer  adorned 
with  primeval  purity  and  innocence  ;  and  that  the 
physical  economv  of  our  globe  has  undergone  a 
certain  derangement,  corresponding  to  the  moral 
tlate  of  its  present  occupants.  But  since  this 
earth,  even  in  its  present  state  of  degradation  and 
derangement,  presents  to  the  view  of  every  b^ 
bolder  so  many  objects  ofbeauty  and  uia^oificeooe, 


4i 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


and  10  nufiMTOUt  trmcea  oT  Divine  Beneficence — 
we  may  reasonably  conrlixJe,  that  •cenetof  Di- 
Tine  Wisdom  and  Goodness,  far  more  glorious 
tnd  transporting,  must  be  displayed  in  tboae 
worlds  where  moral  evil  has  never  shed  its  ma- 
il^ influence,  and  where  the  inhabitants— mipe- 
rior  to  disease  and  death — bask  fur  ever  in  the 
regions  ofiinmiKtaliiy.  And,  therefore,  however 
admirable  the  displays  of  Divine  Wisdom  may 
appear  in  the  sublunary  scene  around  us,  they 
must  he  considered  as  inferior  to  those  which  are 
exhibited  in  many  other  provinces  of  Jehovah's 
empire,  in  so  far  at  they  are  blended  with  those 
physical  derangements  which  indicate  his  dis- 
pleasure against  the  sins  of  men. 


Were  we  now  to  direct  nur  attention  to  the 
mechanism  of  animated  beings,  and  to  consider 
the  numberless  contrivances  and  adaptations  in 
their  organical  structure  and  functions,  a  ihou- 
Band  instances  of  exquisite  wisdom  and  design, 
■till  more  striking  and  admirable,  would  crowd 
upon  o«ir  view.  For,  although  the  general  fabric 
of  the  world,  and  the  immense  variety  of  objects 
it  contains,  are  evident  proofs  of  a  Wise  and  In- 
telligent Contriver,  yet  if  is  chiefly  in  the  minute 
and  delicate  contrivances  of  organical  structures, 
their  adaptation  to  the  purposes  of  life,  motion, 
and  enjoyment,  and  their  relation  and  correspKin- 
dence  to  the  surrounding  elements,  that  the  con- 
summate skill  of  the  Great  Architect  of  nature 
is  most  strikingly  perceived.  But  as  it  forms  no 
part  of  my  present  plan  lo  enter  on  so  extensive 
a  field  of  illustration,  on  which  volumes  might  be 
written,  I  shall  content  myself  with  merely  sta- 
ting an  example  or  two.  My  first  example  shall 
be  taken  from 

The  Stnteture  of  the  Human  Eye. 

The  eye  is  one  of  the  nicest  pieces  of  mecha^ 
nism  which  the  human  understanding  can  contem- 
plate ;  but  as  it  requires  a  knowledge  of  its  ana- 
tomical structure,  and  of  the  principles  of  optics, 
to  enable  us  to  appreciate  its  admirable  functions, 
I  shall  confine  myself  to  a  few  general  descrip- 
tions and  remarks. 

The  eye  is  nearly  of  a  globular  form.  It  coi>- 
■ists  chiefly  of  three  coa/f,  and  three  humourt. 
The  first  or  outer  coat,  is  termed  ulerotica ;  it 
is  every  where  white  and  opaque,  and  is  joined 
at  its  anterior  edge  to  another  which  has  more 
convexity  than  any  other  part  of  the  globe  of  the 
eye.  and,  being  exceedingly  transparent,  is  call- 
ed the  cornea.  These  two  parts  are  perfectly 
diflerent  in  their  structure,  and  are  supposed, 
by  ^ome  anatomists,  to  be  as  distinct  from  each 
other  as  the  glass  of  a  watch  is  from  the  case  into 
which  it  is  fixed.  Next  within  this  coat  is  that 
called  the  ehoroidet,  on  account  of  its  being  fur- 
nished with  a  great  number  of  vessels.  It  serves, 
•■  it  were,  for  a  lining  to  lh<«  Mher,  and  is  joined 


with  that  part  of  the  eye  termed  iris.  The  ircf 
in  an  opaque  membrane  like  the  choroidrs,  but 
ofdifTerent  colours  indifferenl  eye(,ai>grav,  black, 
or  hazel.  It  is  composed  of  two  S4:ls  of  muscular 
fibres,  the  one  of  a  circular  form,  which  contracts 
the  hole  in  the  middle,  called  the  pupil,  when  the 
light  is  too  strong  for  the  eye;  and  ihe  other,  of 
radial  fibres,  tends  every  where  from  the  circum- 
ference of  the  iris  towards  the  middle  oflhe  pupil; 
which  fibres,  by  their  contractions,  dilate  and 
enlarge  the  pupil,  when  the  light  is  weak,  in  or- 
der to  let  in  more  of  its  rays.  The  third  coat  ia 
called  the  retina,  upon  which  are  painted  the 
images  of  all  visible  objects,  by  the  rays  of  light 
which  flow  from  them.  It  spread*  like  net-work 
all  over  the  inside  of  the  choroides,  and  is  n<K 
thing  more  than  a  fine  expansion  of  the  optic 
nerve;  by  which  nerve  the  impressions  of  via^ 
ble  objects  are  conveyed  to  the  brain. 

The  inside  of  the  globe  of  the  eye,  within  these 
tunics  or  coats,  is  filled  with  three  humours,  called 
the  aqueous,  the  crystalline,  and  the  vitreous. 
The  ajueoti*  humour  lies  at  the  fore  part  of  the 
eye,  and  occupies  all  the  space  between  the  cry^ 
talline  and  the  prominent  cornea.  It  haw  ibe  same 
specific  gravity  and  refractive  power  as  water,aixi 
seems  chiefly  of  use  to  prevent  the  crystalline 
from  being  easily  bruised  by  nibbing,  or  by  a  blow 
•^and  perhaps  it  serves  for  the  crystalline  humour 
to  move  forward  in,  while  we  view  near  objects, 
and  backward  for  remoter  objects ;  without 
which,  or  some  other  mechanism  effecting  the 
same  purpose,  we  could  not,  according  lo  the 
laws  of  optics,  perceive  objects  distinctly,  wneo 
placed  at  different  distances.  Behind  the  aqu^ 
ous  lies  the  cryntaUine  humour,  which  is  shaped 
like  a  double  convex  glass,  and  is  a  little  more 
convex  on  the  back  than  on  the  fore  part.  Thia 
humour  is  transparent  like  crystal,  is  nearly  of  the 
consistence  of  hard  jelly,  and  converges  iheraya 
which  pass  through  it,  from  visible  objects,  to  ita 
focus  at  the  bottom  or  back  part  of  the  eye. 
The  vitreous  humour  lies  behind  the  crystalline, 
and  fills  up  the  greatest  part  of  the  orb  of  the  eye, 
giving  it  a  globular  shape.  It  is  nearly  of  the  con- 
sistence of  the  white  of  an  egg,  and  very  trans- 
parent ;  its  fore  part  is  concave,  for  the  crvstal- 
line  humour  to  lodge  in,  and  its  back  part  being 
convex,  the  retina  is  spread  over  it.  It  serve* 
as  a  medium  to  keep  the  crystalline  humour  and 
the  retina  at  due  distance.  From  what  has  now 
been  stated,  it  is  obvious,  that  the  images  of 
external  objects  are  depicted  in  the  retina,  in  an 
inverted  position,  in  the  same  manner  as  the 
images  formed  by  a  common  convex  lens;  but 
how  the  mind,  in  this  case,  perceives  objects 
erect,  is  a  question,  about  which  the  learned  have 
divided  in  their  opinions.'* 

*  An  klea  of  the  relative  positions  of  tlipr«a;«and 
humntir*  descrltieil  aliovc,  mny  tie  ctitnlned  by  a 
simple  inspection  of  the  Plate.  FIb.  «.— Fiif.  5,  re- 
presents a  front  view  of  the  human  eye.  as  k  a»> 


WISDOM  OP  THE  DEITY. 


43 


The  ball  of  the  eye,  as  now  described,  is  situ- 
ated in  a  bony  cavity,  called  its  orbit,  composed 
by  the  junction  of  seven  different  bones,  hol- 
lowed out  at  their  edges.  This  cavity  is  in  all 
the  vacant  spaces  filleH  with  a  loose  fat,  which 
serves  as  a  proper  medium  for  the  eye  to  rest  in, 
and  as  a  socket  in  which  it  may  move.  It  is 
sheltered  by  the  eyebrows,  which  are  provided 
with  hair,  to  prevent  the  descending  sweat  of 
the  forehead  from  running  down  into  it.  As  a 
still  farther  protection  to  this  delicate  organ,  it 
is  furnished  with  the  eyelid,  which,  like  a  cur- 
tain, is  drawn  over  it  with  inconceivable  swift- 
ness, for  its  security,  on  the  approach  of  danger. 
It  also  serves  to  wipe  it  from  superfluous 
moisture,  and  to  cover  it  during  sleep.  In  the 
upper  part  of  its  orbit,  it  is  furnished  with  a 
gland ,  to  supply  it  with  water  sufficient  to  wash 
off*  dust,  and  to  keep  its  outer  surface  moist, 
without  which  the  cornea  would  be  less  trans- 
parent, and  the  rays  of  light  would  be  disturbed 
in  their  passage  ;  and  the  superfluous  water  is 
conveyed  to  the  nose  through  a  perforation  in 
the  bone. 

For  the  purpose  of  enabling  the  eye  to  move  in 
its  socket,  six  muscles  are  provided.  These  are 
admirably  contrived  to  move  it  in  every  direction, 
tipwards  or  downwards,  to  the  right  or  to  the  left, 
or  in  whatever  direction  the  occasion  may  re- 
quire ;  and  thus  we  are  spared  the  trouble  of 
turning  our  heads  continually  towards  the  objects 
we  wish  to  inspect.  If  we  want  to  look  upward, 
one  of  these  muscles  lifts  up  the  orb  of  the  eye ;  if 
we  would  cast  our  eyes  to  the  ground,  another 
muscle  pulls  them  down.  A  third  muscle  moves 
the  globe  outwards  towards  the  temples,  and  a 
fourth  draws  it  towards  the  nose.  A  fifth,  which 
slides  within  a  cartilaginous  ring,  like  a  cord 
over  a  pulley,  and  is  fastened  to  the  globe  of  the 
eye  in  two  points,  makes  it  roll  about  at  pleasure. 
A  sixth  lies  under  the  eye,  and  is  designed  to 
temper  and  restrain,  within  proper  bounds,  the 
action  of  the  rest,  to  keep  it  steadily  fixed  on 
the  object  it  beholds,  and  to  prevent  those  frightful 
contortions  which  otherwise  might  take  place. 
By  these,  and  a  multitude  of  other  mechanical 
contrivances,  all  acting  in  harmonious  combina- 
tion, the  eye,  as  a  natural  telescope  and  micro- 
scope, is  made  to  advance,  to  recede,  to  move  to 
the  right  and  to  the  left,  and  in  every  other  direc- 
tion ;  and  to  view  near  and  distant  objects  with 
equal  distinctness;  so  that  a  single  eye,  by  the 
variety  of  positions  it  may  assume,  performs  the 
office  of  a  thousand.* 

The  utility  of  these  several  movements,  and 
the  pain  and  inconvenience  which  would  be  suf- 
fered, were  any  of  them  wanting,  can  scarcely  be 

pears  In  Its  natural  state,  and  exhibits  the  relative 
positions  of  the  Cornea,  Ir^,  and  Pupil. 

•  Files  anil  other  insects,  whoso  eyes  are  Im- 
moveable, have  several  thousands  of  distinct  globM 
in  each  eye.    See  note  page  88. 


conceived,  by  any  one  whose  eyes  have  always 
remained  in  a  sound  state.  We  are  so  much  ao 
customed  to  the  regular  exercise  of  our  visual  or- 
gans, that  we  seldom  reflect  on  the  numerous 
delicate  springs  which  must  be  set  in  action,  be- 
fore the  functions  of  vision  can,  with  ease,  bo 
performed.  But  were  any  one  of  the  muscular 
organs,  now  described,  to  fail  in  its  functions,  we 
should  soon  experience  so  many  inconveniences, 
as  would  throw  a  gloom  on  all  the  other  comforts 
of  life;  and  convince  us,  how  much  we  are  in- 
debted, every  moment,  to  the  provident  care  and 
goodness  of  our  Beneficent  Creator,  for  thousands 
of  enjoyments  which  we  seldom  think  of,  and  for 
which  we  are  never  sufficiently  grateful. — 
"  With  much  compassion,  as  well  as  astonish- 
ment at  the  goodness  of  our  loving  Creator,"  says 
Dr.  Nieu wentyt,"  have  I  considered  the  sad  state 
of  a  certain  gentleman,  who,  as  to  the  rest,  was 
in  pretty  good  health,  but  only  wanted  the  use  of 
those  two  little  muscles  that  serve  to  lift  up  the 
eyelid,  and  so  had  almost  lost  the  use  of  his  sight 
— being  forced,  as  long  as  this  defect  lasted,  to 
shove  up  his  eyelids  every  moment,  with  his  own 
hands,  "t 

How  admirable,  then,  is  the  formation  of  the 
eye,  and  how  grateful  ought  we  to  feel  at  the  con- 
sideration, that  we  are  permitted  to  enjoy  all  the 
transporting  pleasures  of  vision,  without  the  least 
perplexity  or  effort  on  our  part !  If  the  loss  of 
action  in  a  singie  muscle  produces  so  many  dis- 
tressing sensations  and  efforts,  what  would  be  tlic 
consequence  if  all  the  muscles  of  the  eye  were 
wanting  or  deranged  ?  And  is  it  man  that  go- 
verns these  nice  and  intricate  movements  ?  or  is 
it  the  eye  itself,  as  a  self-directing  machine,  that 
thus  turns  around,  seasonably  and  significantly, 
towards  every  visible  object?  Man  knows 
neither  the  organs  of  vision,  nor  the  functions 
they  ought  to  perform.  The  eye  is  only  an  un- 
conscious machine,  in  the  hands  of  a  Superior 
Intelligence,  as  a  watch,  or  a  steam  engine,  is  in 
the  hands  of  a  mechanic.  It  is  God  alone  who 
constantly  performs  its  movements,  according 
to  certain  laws,  which  he  has  submitted  to  our 
inclinations  and  desires  ;  "for  in  him  we  live 
and  move."  We  are  desirous  to  see  certain 
objects  around  us :  this  is  all  the  share  we  have 
in  the  operations  of  our  eyes  ;  and  without  per- 
plexing our  understanding,  without  the  least  care 
or  management,  in  regard  to  any  of  the  functions, 
we  can,  in  a  few  moments,  take  a  survey  of  the 
beauties  and  sublimities  of  an  extensive  land- 
scape, and  of  the  glories  of  the  vault  of  heaven. 
Thus,  the  Divine  Being  operates  not  only  in  this, 
but  in  a  thousand  different  ways,  in  the  various 
senses  and  contrivances  which  belong  to  our  ani- 
mal system;  and  yet,  thoughtless  and  ungrate- 
ful man  oAen  inquires,  in  the  language  of  doubt 

t  Nienwentyt's  Religious Philospher,  vol.  1,  p.m. 


1 


44 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


and  hetiution,  "  Where  ii  God  my  Maker  ?" 
He  if  in  iis,  and  around  us,  directing  every 
movenfMnt  in  our  animal  frame  lo  act  in  harmony 
with  the  aurrotinding  elcmentn.  and  to  minister 
to  our  enjoyments ;  and  it  it  only  when  his  ex- 
quisite operations  are  deranged  by  external  vio- 
lence, thai  we  feel  inconvenience  or  pain. 

Such  are  only  a  few  general  outlines  of  the 
structure  of  the  eye:  for  no  notice  has  been 
taken  of  the  numerous  minute  veins,  arteries, 
nerves,  lymphatics,  glands,  and  many  other  par- 
ticulars which  are  connected  with  this  organ. 
But  all  this  delicate  and  complicated  apparatus, 
in  the  structure  of  the  eye,  would  have  been  of 
Mo  use  whatever  for  the  purpose  of  vision,  had 
not  a  distinct  substance  been  created  to  act  upon 
it,  exactly  adapted  to  its  nature  and  functions. 
In  order  that  the  eye  might  serve  as  the  medium 
of  our  perceptions  of  visible  objects,  light  was 
formed,  and  made  to  travel  from  its  sourre  at 
the  rate  of  195,000  miles  in  a  second  of  time. 
This  prodigious  velocity  of  light  is,  doubtless,  es- 
sential to  the  nature  of  vision  ;  since  it  actually 
exists,  and  since  we  find  that  it  radiates  with  the 
same  swiftness  from  the  most  distant  visible  star, 
M  from  the  sun  which  enlightens  our  system. 
To  abate  the  force  of  this  amazing  velocity, 
its  particles  have  been  formed  almost  infinitely 
small — a  circumstance  which  alone  prevents  this 
delightful  visitant  from  becoming  the  most  tre- 
mendous and  destnictivn  element  in  nature.  Dr. 
Nieuwentyt  has  computed,  that,  in  one  secoixl  of 
time,  there  flows  418,660.000,000,000,000,000,- 
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000*  particles  of 
light  out  of  &  burning  candle,  which  number  con- 
tainsat  least  6,337,242,000,000  times  the  number 
of  grains  of  sand  in  the  whole  earth,  supposing 
every  cubic  inch  of  the  earth  to  contain  a  million 
ofgrains.  It  has  been  justly  remarked,  by  Mr. 
Ferguson  and  other  authors,  that  "  if  ilie  particles 
of  light  were  so  large,  that  a  million  of  them 
were  equal  in  bulk  to  an  ordinary  grain  of 
sand,  we  durst  no  more  open  our  eyes  to  the 
light,  than  suffer  sand  to  be  shot  point  blank 
against  them,  from  the  mouth  of  a  cannon."  It 
may  also  be  remarked,  that  the  property  which 
all  bodies  possess,  of  reflecting  light,  is  essen- 
tial to  the  purpose  of  vision,  without  which,  the 
splendid  and  variegated  scene  of  nature  would 
be  changed  into  a  dreadful  gloom  ;  and  were  the 
rays  of  light  of  one  uniform  colour,  and  not  com- 
pounded of  various  hues,  one  object  could  not 
be  distinguished  from  another,  and  the  beauti- 
fiil  aspect  of  our  globe  would  instantly  disappear. 

Thus  we  see,  that  the  eye  is  adapted  to  light, 
and  light  to  the  eye ;  and  in  this  admirable 
adaptation  the  wisdom  of  the  Creator  is  strikingly 
displayed.  For  light  has  no  effect  upon  the  ear, 
«v  upoo  any  other  organ  of  sensation  ;  to  as  to 


produce  a  perception  of  visible  objects  ;  as,  on 
the  other  hand,  the  undulations  «f  the  air  have  no 
effect  upon  the  eye,  so  as  to  produce  the  sensa- 
tion  of  tamnd.  The  eye  did  nm  produce  the 
light,  nor  did  the  light  form  the  eye  ;  they  are 
perfectly  distinct  from  each  other,  yet  so  nicely 
adapted  in  every  particular,  that  had  any  one 
quality  or  circumstance  been  wanting  in  either, 
the  functions  of  vision  could  nn(  have  been  per- 
formed in  the  manner  in  which  they  now  operate, 
which  strikingly  demonatrates,  that  one  and  ihe 
same  Intelligent  Being,  possessed  of  a  wisdom 
beyond  our  comprehension,  formed  the  curious 
structure  of  the  eye,  and  endued  the  rays  of  light 
with  tho«e  propertiet  of  colour,  motion,  and  mi- 
nutettcss,  which  are  calculated,  through  the  me- 
dium ufthis  organ,  to  produce,  in  sentient  beings, 
the  idey  of  visible  objects.  And,  surely,  he 
never  intended  (hat  tuch  exquisite  skill  and  con- 
trivance should  be  altogether  overlooked  by  ra- 
tional beings,  for  whose  pleasure  and  enjoyment 
all  this  benevolent  care  is  exercised. 

Manner  in  which  vixion  it  performed. 

Let  us  now  attend  a  little  to  the  manner  in 
which  vision  is  performed,  by  the  medium  of 
light  acting  on  the  organs  of  sight.  If  we  take 
a  common  convex  glass — a  reading  glass  for  ex- 
ample—and hold  it  at  some  distance  from  a 
candle  or  a  window  sash,  placing  a  piece  of 
white  paper  behind  the  glass,  at  the  distance  of 
its  focus,  the  image  of  the  candle  or  sash  will  be 
painted  on  the  paper,  in  an  inverted  position. 
This  experiment  may  be  performed,  with  a  better 
effect,  by  darkening  a  room,  and  placing  the  con- 
vex glass  in  a  hole  cut  out  of  the  window  shutter, 
when  the  rays  of  light  flowing  from  the  objects 
without,  and  passing  through  theglas8,will  form  a 
picture  of  the  objects  opposite  the  window,  on  the 
white  paper,  adorned  with  the  moat  beautiful  co- 
lours. In  a  manner  similar  to  this,  are  (he  images 
of  external  objects  depicted  on  the  back  part 
of  the  inner  coat  or  membrane  of  the  eye.  The 
rays  of  light,  prooeeding  in  all  directions,  from 
surrounding  objects,  and  falling  on  the  eye,  are 
transmitted  through  the  pupil  ;  and  being  refract- 
ed by  the  different  humours,  (particularly  by  the 
eryttaUine  humour,  which  acts  the  part  of  a  con- 
vex lens,)  they  converge  to  a  focus  on  the  retina, 
where  the  images  of  visible  objects  are  painted  in 
an  inverted  position  ;  and,  by  means  of^  the  optic 
nerve,  these  images  are  conveyed    to  the  mind. 

The  following  figure  will  perhaps  more  dis- 
tinctly illustrate  this  point.  Let  a,  6,  e,  a,  y, 
represent  the  globe  of  the  eye,  and  A,  B,  C,  an 
object  at  a  certain  distance  from  it.  Now,  it  is 
well  known  that  every  point  of  a  visible  object 
svnds  out  rays  of  light  in  all  directions  ;  and, 
therefore,  a  certain  portion  of  the  rays  which 
6ow  from  the  object  ABC,  will  fall  upon  the 
iwrnea,  between  «  and  y,  and,  passing  tbrou^  the 


WISDOM  OP  THiS  DEITY. 


4S 


aqueous  humour,  m,  n,  and  the  cn/stalline  humour 
0,  p,  and  the  vitreous  humour,  D,  E,  will  be  con- 
verged to  a  focus  on  the  retina,  and  paint  a  dis- 
tinct picture,  a  6  c,  of  the  object  A  B  C,  in  an 
inverted  position.  The  rays  from  the  point  A 
of  the  object,  after  being  refracted  by  the  different 
humours,  will  be  brought  to  a  point  at  a;  those 
from  B  will  be  converged  at  6  ;  and  those  from 
C  at  c  ;  and,  of  course,  the  intermediate  rays 
between  A  B,  and  B  C,  will  be  formed  between 
a  6,  and  6  c,  and  the  object  will  become  visible 
by  means  of  its  image  or  representation  being 
painted  on  the  retina,  in  all  the  colours  and  pro- 
portions which  belong  to  it.  If  we  take  a  bul- 
lock's eye,  and  cut  off  the  three  coals  from  the 
back  part,  and  put  a  piece  of  thin  white  paper 
over  that  part,  and  hold  the  eye  towards  the  win- 
dow or  any  bright  object,  we  shall  see  the  image 
of  the  object  depicted  upon  the  paper,  and  in  an 
inverted  position,  as  stated  above. 

In  order  that  we  may  more  distinctly  perceive 
the  wonders  of  vision,  and  the  numerous  circum- 
stances on  which  it  depends,  let  us  suppose  our- 
selves placed  on  an  eminence,  which  commands 
a  view  of  a  variegated  and  extensive  landscape. 
Let  us  suppose  ourselves  stationed  on  Arthur's 
seat,  or  on  the  top  of  Salisbury  Crags,  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  Edinburgh.  Turning  our  face  to  the 
north-west,  the  city,  with  its  castles,  spires,  and 
stately  edifices,  presents  itself  to  our  view.  Be- 
yond it,  on  the  north  and  west,  a  beautiful  coun- 
try, adorned  with  villas,  plantations,  and  fertile 
fields,  stretches  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  till 
the  view  is  bounded  by  the  castle  of  Stirling,  at 
the  distance  of  more  than  thirty  miles.  On  the 
right  hand,  we  behold  the  port  of  Leith,  the  ship- 
ping in  the  roads,  the  coast  of  Fife,  the  isles  of 
Inchkeith  and  of  May,  and  the  Frith  of  Forth, 
gradually  losing  itself  in  the  German  ocean.  If 
we  suppose  the  length  of  this  landscape  to  be 
forty  miles,  and  its  breadth  twenty-live,  it  will, 
of  course,  comprehend  an  area  of  a  thousand 
square  miles. 

The  first  circunwtance  which  strikes  the  mind, 
is  the  immente  multitude  of  ray »  of  refleciedlight 
which  flow,  in  all  directions,  from  the  myriads 
of  objects  which  compose  the  surrotrnding  scene. 
In  order  to  form  a  rude  idea  of  this  infinity  of 
radiations,  I  fix  my  attention  on  a  single  object — 
I  direct  my  eye  to  Nelson's  monument,  o  the 
Gallon  hill.  From  the  parapet  at  the  top,  a  thou- 
aod  different  points  aend  forth  a  thousand  differ- 


enl  cones  of  rays,  which,  entering  my  eye,  ren- 
der the  different  parts  of  it  distinctly  visible,  be- 
sides myriads  of  rays  from  the  same  pomts, 
which  flow  in  every  other  direction  through  the 
open  spaces  of  the  atmosphere  which  surround 
them.  How  many  thousands  of  millions,  then, 
of  different  radiations,  must  be  issuing  forth 
every  moment  from  the  whole  mass  of  the  monu- 
ment I  And  if  one  object  pours  forth  such  a  flood 
of  rays,  how  immense  must  be  the  number  of  ra- 
diations which  are  issuing  from  all  the  objects 
which  compose  this  extensive  landscape  !  My- 
riads of  rays,  from  myriads  of  objects,  must  be 
crossing  each  other  in  an  infinity  of  directions, 
so  that  the  mind  is  confounded  at  the  apparent 
confusion  which  seems  to  exist  in  this  immensity 
of  radiations  ;  yet  every  ray  passes  forward  in 
the  crowd,  in  the  most  perfect  order,  and  without 
being  blended  or  confused  with  any  other  ray,  pro- 
duces its  specific  effect  on  every  eye  that  is  open 
to  receive  it.  But  this  is  not  all :  these  millions 
of  rays  which  flow  from  the  minutest  points  of 
the  surrounding  scene,  before  they  can  produce 
the  sensation  of  vision,  and  form  a  picture  of  the 
landscape  on  the  retina,  must  be  compressed  into 
a  space  little  more  than  one-eighth  of  an  inch  in 
diameter,  before  they  can  enter  the  pupil  of  the 
eye  ;  yet  they  all  pass  through  this  small  aperture 
without  the  least  confusion,  and  paint  the  images 
of  their  respective  objects  in  exactly  the  same 
order  in  which  these  objects  are  arranged.  An- 
other circumstance  demands  attention.  The 
rays  which  proceed  from  the  objects  before  me 
are  not  all  directed  to  the  spot  where  I  stand,  but 
are  difTused  throughout  every  point  of  the  sur- 
rounding space,  ready  to  produce  the  same  effect, 
wherever  sentient  beings  are  present  to  receive 
them.  Were  the  whole  inhabitants  of  Edin- 
burgh placed  on  the  sloping  declivity  of  Arthur's 
seat,  and  along  the  top  of  Salisbury  Crags,  and 
were  millions  of  other  spectators  suspended  in  the 
surrounding  atmosphere,  similar  sea<<ations  would 
be  produced,  and  a  scene  similar  to  that  which 
I  now  behold,  would  be  depicted  in  every  eye. 
Amidst  the  infinity  of  cones  of  light,  crossing 
each  other  in  an  infinity  of  directions,  no  confii- 
sion  would  ensue,  but  every  spectator,  whose 
eyes  were  in  a  sound  stale,  would  obtain  a  cor- 
rect view  of  the  scene  before  him  ;  and  hence  it 
happens,  that,  whenever  I  shift  my  position  to 
the  right  hand  or  to  the  left,  other  streams  of  light 
enter  my  eye,  and  produce  the  same  affect     \et 


4« 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


r 


i 


BM  now  attend  to  another  circumitance,  no  lesi 
admirable  than  the  preceding,  and  that  is,  Uie 
dittinet  imprt$*ion  which  I  have  of  the  ahape, 
colour,  and  motion,  of  the  multiplicity  of  objects 
I  am  now  contemplating,  and  the  tmeUl  space 
within  which  their  images  are  depicted  at  the 
bottom  of  ray  rye.  Cutild  a  painter,  after  a  long 
•eriet  ofingeniout  efforts,  delineate  the  eitenaive 
landscape  now  before  me,  on  a  piece  of  pa|>er  not 
exceeding  the  size  of  a  silver  sixpence,  so  that 
every  object  might  be  distinctly  seen,  in  its  pro- 
per shape  and  colour,  as  it  now  appears  when  I 
•urrey  the  scen«  around  me,  he  would  be  incom- 
parably superior  to  all  the  masters  of  his  art  that 
ever  went  before  him.  This  effect,  which  far 
transcends  the  utmost  efforts  of  human  genius, 
is  accomplished  in  a  moment,  in  millions  of  in- 
stances, by  the  hand  of  nature,  or,  in  other  words, 
by  "  the  finger  of  God."  All  the  objects  I  am  now 
surveying,  comprehending  an  extent  ofa  thousand 
square  miles,  are  accurately  delineated  in  the  bot- 
tobi  of  my  eye,  on  a  space  le*»  than  half  an  inch 
,in  diameter.  How  delicate,  then,  must  be  the 
'  strokes  of  that  Divine  pencil,  which  has  formed 
such  *  picture  !  I  turn  my  eyes  to  the  castle  of 
Edinburgh,  which  appears  one  of  the  most  con- 
spicuous objects  in  my  field  of  view.  Supposing 
that  portion  of  it  which  strikes  my  eye  to  be  500 
feet  long,  and  90  in  height,  I  find,  by  calculation, 
that  it  occupies  only  the  six  hundred  thousandth 
part  of  the  whole  landscape,  and,  consequently, 
fills  in  roy  eye  no  more  than  the  twelve  hundred 
thousandth  part  of  an  inch.  I  next  direct  my 
eye  towards  the  Frith  of  Forth,  and  perceive  a 
steamboat  sailing  between  Q,ueensferry  and  New- 
haven, — I  distinctly  trace  its  motion  for  the  space 
of  40  minutes,  at  the  end  of  which  it  reaches  the 
chain  pier  at  Newbaven,  having  passed  over  a 
space  of  five  miles  in  length,  which  is  but  the 
eighth  part  of  the  lineai  extent  of  the  landscape 
in  that  direction  ;  and,  consequently,  occupies, 
in  the  picture  formed  on  my  retina,  a  lineal  space 
of  only  one-sixteenth  of  an  inch  in  extent  And, 
if  the  boat  be  reckoned  about  88  feet  in  length, 
its  image  is  only  the  three  hundredth  part  of  this 
extent ;  and  of  course,  fills  a  space  in  the  eye  of 
only  the  four  thousand  eight  hundredth  part  of  a 
Hnial  inch.  Yet,  my  perception  of  the  motion 
of  the  vessel  could  be  produced  only  by  a  corres- 
ponding motion  of  its  image  in  my  eye  ;  (hat  is, 
by  the  gradual  motion  of  a  point  one  4,8U0ih  of 
an  inch  in  diameter,  over  a  space  one-sixteenth 
of  an  inch  in  length.  How  inconceiveably  fine 
and  accurate,  then,  must  be  the  impression  of 
thoae  strokes  which  the  rays  of  light,  fiom  visible 
objects,  produce  on  the  retina  of  the  eye  !  The 
mind  is  lost  in  wonder  when  it  attempts  to  trace 
■o  exquisit«  and  admirable  an  effect. 

I  take  a  reflecting  teletcope,  and,  through  it, 
view  some  of  the  distant  parts  of  the  landscape. 
My  wonder  is  still  increased,  when  I  consider 
(be  new  direction  into  which  tbe  raja  of  light  are 


bent — the  crnnings  and  reerossings,  and  refrte* 
lions,  and  reflections,  that  lake  place  between 
the  mirrors  and  the  lenses  (^  the  imirnment, 
and  the  successive  images  that  arc  f^irmrd — so 
that,  instead  ofa  scene  of  coiifimion,  which, 
previous  to  exjierience,  might  have  iH-en  expect- 
ed from  the  numerous  additional  bondings  and  in« 
tersections  of  the  rays^I  now  perc<rive  hun- 
dreds of  objects,  wiih  the  most  perfect  distinct- 
ness, which  were  b«-(bre  invisible.  Rixys  of  light 
from  distant  and  minute  object!<,  which  a  moment 
before  made  no  sensible  impression  on  my  eve, 
being  collected  and  variously  mudified  by  the 
telescope,  now  paint  a  vivid  representation  of 
their  objects,  in  their  true  figures,  colours,  and 
positions. 

From  a  consideration  of  the  innumerable 
modifications  of  the  rays  of  light,  and  of  the 
immense  variety  of  effects  they  produce  in  every 
region  of  the  earth — I  am  led  to  investigate  what 
proportion  of  the  $olar  ligtU  fallt  upon  our  globe, 
in  order  to  produce  so  diversified  a  scene  of  sub- 
limity and  beauty.  Supposing  the  sun's  rays  to 
be  chiefly  confined,  in  their  effects,  within  the 
limits  of  the  planetary  system,  since  they  diverge 
in  every  direction,  they  must  fill  a  cubical  space 
of  3,600,000,000  miles  in  diameter ;  which,  con- 
sequently, will  contain  about  24.000,000,000,- 
000,000;000,000,000,000  cubical  miles;  so  that 
an  eye,  placed  in  any  point  of  this  vast  space, 
would  receive  a  distinct  impression  from  the 
solar  rays.  The  solidi'y  of  the  earth  is  about 
264,000,000,000  cubical  miles,  and,  therefore, 
it  receives  only  the  .o,ooo.oco,'(wi.a)o.ooD^  P*^»  "f 
the  light  which  fills  the  sphere  of  the  solar  sys- 
tem. So  that  the  light  which  cheers  all  tbe  in- 
habitants of  the  world,  and  unveils  such  a  variety 
of  beautiful  and  magnificent  objects,  is  nothing 
more  than  a  tingle  ttream  of  celestial  radiance 
out  of  ninety  thousand  billions  ofsimilar  stream* 
which  the  great  source  of  light  is  every  momerrt 
diffusing  throughout  the  surrounding  worlds. 
But  the  solar  rays  are  not  confined  within  ihe 
bounds  of  the  planetary  system  ;  their  influence 
extends,  in  every  direction,  as  far  as  the  nearest 
stars,  filling  a  cubical  space  at  least  40. 000,000,- 
000.000  miles  in  diameter,  ar>d  which  contains 
33.  500.000  000,000,000,000,000,000  000,000,- 
000,000  000,  or  thirty-three  thousand,  five  huiK 
dred  sexiillions  of  cubical  miles.  And,  were 
^w«  to  institute  comparisons  and  calculations, 
with  respeol  to  the  possible  variety  of  effects 
they  might  produce  throughout  this  immense 
region,  whole  pages  might  be  filled  with  figures, 
cyphers,  and  computations.  We  might  compute 
how  many  globes  similar  to  the  earth,  or  any  of 
the  larger  planets,  might  be  contained  within 
this  vast  s|>ace,  allowing  several  hundreds  of 
cubical  miles  of  empty  spare  around  each  globe 
— how  many  myriads  of  refract  ion.<  and  reflec- 
tions the  rays  of  light  would  suffer,  in  regard  to 
the  peculiar  objects  connected  with  every  eat 


WISDOM  OF  THE  DEITY. 


47 


of  these  globes — hoiv  many  eyes  of  sentient 
beings  might  be  affected  by  the  diversities  of 
colour,  shape,  and  motion,  which  would  thus  be 
produced — and  what  a  variety  of  shades  of  light 
and  colour,  and  what  a  diversity  of  scenery, 
would  be  produced,  according  to  the  distances 
of  the  respective  globes  from  the  central  lumi- 
nary. After  what  we  have  just  now  stated,  iiow- 
ever,  we  may  rest  satisfied  with  joining  in  the 
pious  exclamation  of  one  who  had  just  finished 
a  devout  survey  of  the  structure  of  the  human 
frame:  "Marvellous  are  thy  works,  and  that 
my  soul  knoweth  right  well.  How  precious  are 
thy  thoughts  unto  me,  O  God!"  (or,  as  the  words 
might  be  rendered,)  "  How  precious  are  thy 
wonderful  contrivances  concerning  me,  O  God  I 
how  great  is  the  sum  of  them  !  If  I  should  count 
them,  they  are  more  in  number  than  the  sand.'' 
In  what  direction  soever  I  turn  mine  eyes,  what- 
ever portion  of  thy  works  I  investigate,  "lam 
still  toith  thee."*  Thine  infinity  and  unsearch- 
able wisdom  are  impressed  on  every  object,  so 
that  I  feel  myself  every  moment  encompassed 
by  thine  immensity,  and  am  irresistibly  led  to 
wonder  and  adore. 

I  shall  now  conclude  these  reflections  on  vi- 
sion, with  two  or  three  additional  remarks.  It 
is  worthy  of  notice,  in  the  first  place,  that  the 
eye  has  the  power  of  adapting  itself  to  objects 
placed  at  different  distances.  By  means  of  some 
delicate  pieces  of  mechanism,  not  hitherto  satis- 
factorily explained,  it  can  perceive,  with  dis- 
tinctness, a  large  object,  at  the  distance  of  six 
miles,  and  the  next  moment  it  can  adjust  itself 
to  the  distinct  perception  of  an  object  at  the  dis- 
tance of  six  inches ;  so  that  it  acts  the  part  both 
of  a  telescope  and  a  microscope,  and  can  be  in- 
stantaneously adjusted  to  perform  either  as  the 
one  instrument  or  as  the  other.  This  necessarily 
supposes  a  corresjwnding  alteration  in  the  state 
of  the  organ,  every  time  we  lift  our  eye  from  a 
near,  to  look  at  a  distant  object.  Either  the  cor- 
nea is  somewhat  flattened,  or  the  crystalline 
.  humour  is  pushed  backwards,  or  both  these 
changes,  in  combination  with  others,  may  con- 
cur in  causing  the  rays  from  distant  objects  to 
unite  exactly  on  the  retina,  without  which  distinct 
vision  cannot  l)e  iiroduced.  This  contrivance,  in 
whatever  kind  of  mechanism  it  may  consist,  is 
one  which  art  would  vainly  attempt  to  imitate. 
We  can  see  objects  that  are  near  us,  with  a  mi- 
croscope, and  those  that  are  distant,  with  a  tele- 
scope ;  but  we  would  in  vain  attempt  to  see  dis- 
tant objects  with  the  former,  or  those  that  are 
only  a  few  inches  from  us  with  the  latter,  with- 
out a  variety  of  changes  being  mado  in  the  aper- 
tures and  positions  of  the  glasses  belonging  to 
the  respective  insrumcnts.  In  this  resp(M:t,  there- 
fore, as  well  as  in  every  other,  the  eye  is  an 
optical  instrument,  incomparably  superior  to  any 

•  Psalm  czzxlx.  14, 17, 18. 


instrument  or  imitation  that  art  can  produce ;  and, 
were  it  not  for  the  peculiar  property  now  de- 
scribed, it  would  be  almost  unfit  for  the  purpose 
of  vision,  notwithstanding  all  the  other  delicate 
contrivances  which  enter  into  its  construction.  If 
it  were  adjusted  only  for  the  distinct  perception 
of  distant  objects,  every  object  within  the  limits 
of  an  ordinary  apartment  would  appear  a  mass  of 
confusion  ;  and  were  it  adjusted  solely  for  viewing 
objects  within  the  limits  of  a  few  feet  or  inches, 
the  glories  of  the  heavens,  and  the  beautiful  land- 
scape of  the  earth,  would  be  veiled  from  our  sight 
as  if  they  were  enveloped  in  a  mist. 

Another  circumstance  worthy  of  attention,  is, 
the  power  which  the  pupil  of  the  eye  possesses 
of  contracting  or  enlarging  the  aperture  or  hole 
through  which  tlie  light  is  admitted.  When  the 
light  is  too  weak,  the  pupil  is  enlarged  ;  when  it 
is  too  strong,  it  is  again  contracted.  Accord  ingly, 
we  find,  that  when  we  enter  a  darksome  apart- 
ment, though,  at  first,  nothing  can  be  accurately 
distinguished,  yet,  in  the  course  of  a  minute  bt 
two,  when  the  pupil  has  had  time  to  dilate,  we  . 
can  perceive  most  objects  with  considerable 
distinctness.  And,  on  the  other  hand,  when  y/e 
pass  from  a  dark  room  to  an  apartment  lighted 
up  with  a  number  of  lustres,  we  feel  uneasy  at 
the  sudden  glare,  till  the  pupil  has  contracted 
itself,  and  excluded  a  portion  of  the  superfluous 
rays.  Were  it  not  for  this  property,  we  should  (or 
the  most  part  either  be  surrounded  with  a  disagree- 
able gloom  or  oppressed  with  an  excessive  splen- 
dour. It  is  for  this  reason,  that  we  are  unable  to 
look  upon  tlie  stin  without  being  dazzled,  and  are 
under  the  necessity  of  closing  the  eyelids,  or  of 
turning  away  the  head,  when  a  strong  light  sud- 
denly succeeds  to  darkness. 

Again,  it  may  not  be  improper  to  observe,  how 
wisely  the  Author  of  nature  has  fixed  the  dis- 
tance at  which  we  ordinarily  see  near  objects  most 
distinctly.  This  distance  is  generally  from  five 
to  eight  inches  from  the  eye.  But  had  the  eye 
been  formed  for  distinct  vision  at  the  distance  of 
only  one  inch,  the  object  would  have  obstructed 
the  light,  and  room  would  have  been  wanting  for 
the  performance  of  many  necessary  operations, 
which  require  the  hand  to  intervene  between  the 
eye  and  the  object.  And  had  the  limits  of  dis- 
tinct vision  for  near  objects  been  beyond  two  or 
three  feet,  sufficient  light  would  not  have  been 
afforded  for  the  inspection  of  minute  objects,  and 
we  could  neither  have  written  a  letter,  nor  have 
read  a  book,  with  the  same  convenience  and  ease 
wp  arc  now  enabled  to  do. 

From  the  preceding  descriptions  and  remarks, 
it  will  evidently  appear,  with  what  admirable  skill 
the  different  parts  of  the  organs  ofvision  are  con- 
structed, and  how  nicely  they  are  adapted  to  the 
several  ends  they  were  intended  to  subserve. 
Were  any  one  of  these  parts  wanting,  or  obstruct- 
ed in  its  functions,  vision  would  either  be  im- 
peded, or  rendered  painful  and  distressing,  or 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


completely  destroyed.  If  any  of  the  humours  cf 
the  eye  Mere  wauling— iflhey  wire  less  tran«|>a- 
rent — if  they  were  of  a  diflferenl  refractive  |)ower 
— ^)r  if  they  were  of  a  grrater  or  less  convexity 
than  they  now  are,  however  minute  the  ahera- 
Uon  might  be,  vision  would  inevitably  be  ob- 
■tucted,  and  every  object  would  appear  confused 
and  indistinct.  If  the  retina,  on  which  the  im- 
ages of  objects  are  (minted,  were  flat,  instead  of 
being  concave,  while  objects  in  the  middle  of  the 
view  appeared  distinct,  every  object  towards  the 
•idea  would  appear  dim  and  confused.  If  the  cor<> 
Ilea  were  asopaque  as  the  sclerotica,  to  which  it  is 
joined,  or  if  the  retina  were  not  connected  with 
the  optic  nerve,  no  visible  object  could  possibly 
be  perceived.  If  one  of  the  six  muscles  of  the 
eye  were  wanting,  or  impei'ed  in  its  functions, 
we  could  not  turn  il  to  the  right  ;  if  a  second 
were  deficient,  we  could  not  turn  it  to  the  left ; 
if  a  third,  we  could  not  lift  ii  upwards  ;  if  a  fourth, 
we  could  not  move  it  downwards  ;  and  if  it  were 
deprived  of  the  oiher  two  muscles,  il  would  be 
apt  to  roll  about  in  frighifulicontortions.  If  the 
eyes  were  placed  in  any  other  part  of  tlie  body 
than  the  head — if  they  were  much  more  promi- 
nent than  they  now  are — if  they  were  not  sur- 
rounded by  the  bony  socket  in  which  they  are 
lodged — and  if  they  were  not  frequently  covered 
by  the  eyelid — ihey  would  be  exposed  to  a  thou- 
sand accidents  from  which  they  are  now  protected. 
If  they  wanted  moisture,  and  if  they  were  not  fre- 
quently wiped  by  the  eyelids,  they  would  be- 
come less  transparent,  and  more  liable  to  be  in- 
flamed ;  and  if  they  were  not  sheltered  by  the 
eyebrows,  the  sweat  and  moisture  of  the  fore- 
head would  frequently  annoy  them.  Were  the 
lightwrhich  acts  upon  them  devoid  of  colour — were 
it  not  reflected  from  objects  in  every  direction — 
were' its  motion  less  swift,  or  its  particles  much 
larger  than  tliey  now  are — in  short,  were  any 
one  circumstance  connected  with  the  structure 
of  this  organ,  and  with  the  modification  of  the 
rays  of  light,  materially  diflTcrent  from  its  present 
arrangement,  we  should  either  be  subjected  to  the 
hourly  recurrence  of  a  thoiisund  painful  sensa- 
tions, or  be  altogether  deprived  of  the  entertain- 
ments of  vision. 

How  arJmirable  an  organ,  (hen,  w  the  eye,  and 
how  nic>.-ly  adapted  to  unveil  to  our  view  the 
glories  of  the  universe  !  Without  the  application 
of  any  skill  or  laborious  eflTorls,  on  our  part,  it 
turns  in  every  direction,  transports  us  to  every 
■urrounding  object,  depicts  the  nicest  shades  and 
colours  on  its  delicate  membranes,  and 

'  TakM  in.  at  once,  the  landscape  of  the  world, 
AlmtmiU  iniet.  which  a  grain  might  rlote, 
And  half  creates  the  wonJ'rous  wurld  we  see." 
Young 

—How  strikingly  does  it  display,  in  every  part 
of  its  structure  and  adaptations,  the  marks  of 
benevolent  desit^n,  and  of  Infinite  Intelligence  ! 
However  common  it  is  to  open  our  eyes,  and  to 


behokl,in  an  instant,  the  beauties  of  an  extetwive 

landiicape,  and  however  little  we  may  be  ac- 
customed to  admire  this  wonderful  efft-ct, — (here 
is  not  a  doctrine  in  Religion,  nor  a  fact  recorded 
in  Revelation,  more  mysterious  and  iocr>mpre- 
hensibte.  An  excellent  French  writer  has  w«l' 
observed—"  The  sight  of  a  tree  and  of  the  sun. 
which  God  shows  me,  is  as  real  and  as  imme- 
diate a  revelation  as  that  which  led  Moses  to- 
wards the  burning  bush.  The  only  difference 
between  both  these  actions  ofGod  on  Moses  and 
me,  is,  that  the  first  is  out  of  the  common  order 
and  economy ;  whereas  the  other  is  occasioned 
by  the  sequel  and  connexion  of  those  laws  which 
God  has  established  for  the  regulation  both  of 
man  and  nature." 

If,  then,  tlie  eye  of  man  (who  is  a  depraved 
inhabitant  of  a  world  lying  partly  in  ruins)  is  an 
organ  so  admirably  fitted  for  extending  our  pro^ 
pects  of  the  visible  creation — we  may  reason- 
ably conclude,  that  organized  beings,  of  superior 
intelligence  and  moral  purity,  possess  the  sense 
of  vision  in  a  much  greater  degree  of  perfection 
than  man,  in  his  present  state  of  degradation — 
and  that  they  may  be  enabled,  by  their  natural 
organs,  to  penetrate  into  regions  of  the  universe 
far  beyond  what  man,  by  the  aid  of  artificial 
helps,  will  ever  be  able  to  descry.  It  may  not 
be  altogether  extravagant,  nor  even  beyond  thfl 
reality  of  existing  facts,  to  suppose,  that  there 
are  intelligences  in  the  regions  of  Jupiter  or  Sa- 
turn, whose  visual  organs  are  in  so  perfect  a 
slate,  that  they  can  descry  the  mountains  of  our 
moon,  and  the  continents,  islands,  tuid  oceans 
which  diversify  our  globe,  and  are  able  to  de- 
lineate a  map  of  its  surface,  to  mark  the  period 
of  its  diurnal  rotation,  and  even  to  distinguish 
Its  cities,  rivers,  and  volcanoes.  It  is  quite 
evident,  that  il  must  be  equally  easy  to  Divine 
Wisdom  and  Omnipotence,  to  form  organs  with 
powers  of  vision  far  surpassing  what  I  have  now 
supfK)sed,  as  toform  an  organ  in  which  the  niag^ 
nilicent  scene  of  heaven  and  earth  is  depirted, 
in  a  moment,within  the  compass  of  half  an  inch. 
There  are  animals  whose  range  of  vision  is  cir- 
cumscribed within  the  limits  of  a  few  feel  or 
inches  ;  and,  had  we  never  perceived  objects 
through  an  organ  in  the  same  slate  of  perfec- 
tion as  that  with  which  we  are  furnished,  we 
could  have  formed  as  lilllc  conception  of  ihe 
sublimity  and  extent  of  our  present  range  of 
sight,  as  we  can  now  do  of  those  powers  of 
vision,  which  would  enable  us  to  descry  Ihe  in- 
habitants of  distant  worlds.  The  invention  of 
the  telescope  shows,  that  the  penelraling  |)oner 
of  the  eye  may  be  indefinitely  increased  ;  and 
since  the  art  of  man  can  extend  the  limits  cf  natu- 
ral vision,  it  is  easy  to  conceive,  that,  in  the  hand 
of  Omnipotence,  a  slight  modification  of  the 
human  eye  might  enable  il,  with  the  utmost  die- 
linciness,  to  penetrate  into  regions  to  which  the 
imagination  can  set  no  bounds.    And,  therefore, 


WISDOM  OF  THE  DEITY. 


49 


it  is  not  unreasonable  to  believe,  (bat,  in  the 
future  world,  this  will  be  one  property,  among 
oliiers,  of  the  resurrection-body,  that  it  will  be 
furnished  witli  organs  of  vision  far  superior  to 
the  present,  in  order  to  qualify  its  intelligent  in- 
habitant for  taking  an  ample  survey  of  the  ''riches 
and  glory"  of  the  umpire  of  God. 

I  have  dkvelt  somewhat  particularly  on  the 
functions  of  the  eye,  m  order  to  show,  that  it  is 
only  when  we  take  a  minute  inspection  of  the  ope- 
rations of  the  Creator,  that  his  Infinite  Wisdom 
and  Intelligence  are  most  distinctly  perceived. 
The  greater  part  ofChristians  will  readily  admit 
that  the  Wisdom  of  God  is  manifested  in  every 
object,  but  few  of  them  take  the  trouble  to  inquire 
in  what  particular  contrivances  and  adajttations 
this  wisdom  is  displayed  ;  and,  therefore,  rest 
satisfied  with  Viigue  and  general  views,  which 
seldom  produce  any  deep  impression  on  the  mind. 
"  The  works  of  the  Lord,"  which  are  "great" 
and  admirable,  "  must  be  sought  out  by  all  those 
who  have  pleasure  therein  ;"  and  the  more  mi- 
nutely they  are  inspected,  the  more  exquisite  and 
admirable  do  all  his  arrangements  appear. 

Were  we  to  enter  into  an  investigation  of  the 
visual  organs  of  the  lower  animals,  and  to  con- 
sider the  numerous  varieties  which  occur  in 
their  structure,  position,  and  movements,  and 
how  nicely  the  peculiar  organization  of  the  eye 
is  adapted  to  the  general  structure  of  the  animal, 
and  to  its  various  necessities  and  modes  of  ex- 
istence— the  operation  of  the  same  inscrutable 
Wisdom  and  Intelligence  would  meet  our  eye  at 
every  step.  Birds,  for  example,  which  procure 
their  food  by  their  beak,  have  the  power  of  seeing 
distinctly  at  a  very  small  distance  ;  and,  as  their 
rapid  motion  through  the  air  renders  it  neces- 
sary that  they  should  descry  objects  at  a  con- 
siderable distance,  they  have  two  peculiar  me- 
chanical contrivances, connected  with  their  organs 
of  vision,  for  producing  both  these  effects.  One 
of  these  contrivances  consists  in  a  flexible  rim 
formed  of  bone,  which  surrounds  the  broadest 
part  of  the  eye,  and  by  occasionally  pressing  upon 
its  orb,  shortens  its  focal  distance,  and  thus 
enables  it  to  inspect  very  near  objects.  The 
other  consists  of  a  peculiar  muscle,  which  draws 
back,  as  occasion  requires,  the  crystalline  humour, 
by  which  means  it  can  take  a  distinct  view  of  a 
distant  landscape  ;  and  can  pass  from  the  sight 
of  a  very  near,  to  the  sight  of  a  distant  object, 
with  rapidity  and  ease.  In  fishes,  which  live  in  a 
medium  of  a  different  refractive  power  from  that 
of  air,  the  crystalline  humour  has  a  greater  degree 
of  convexity,  and  more  nearly  approaches  to  a 
globular  form  than  that  of  land  animals — which 
conformation  is  essentially  ret^uisitetodistinctness 
of  vision  in  the  watery  element.  A  fish  of  course 
cannot  see  distinctly  in  air,  nor  a  quadruped 
under  water  :  and  every  person  who  has  dived 
loto  the  water  with  his  eye*  open,  kaowi,  tliat 
7 


though  he  may  perceive  the  general  forms  and 
colours  of  object--,  his  vision  is  obscure  and  in- 
distinct. In  hares  and  rabbits  the  eyes  are  very 
convex  and  prominent,  so  that  they  can  see  nearly 
quite  round  them  ;  whereas, in  dogx^  which  pursue 
these  animals,  the  visual  organs  are  placed  more 
in  the  front  of  the  head,  to  look  rather  before  than 
behind  them.  Some  animals,  as  cats  and  owls 
which  pursue  their  prey  in  the  dark,  have  th* 
pupil  of  their  eye  so  formed  as  to  be  capable  of 
great  expansion,  so  that  a  few  rays  of  light  may 
make  a  lively  impression  on  their  retina ;  while 
the  eagle,  which  is  able  to  lookdirectly  at  the  sun, 
has  its  pupil  capable  of  being  contracted  almost 
to  a  point.  Insects,  such  as  the  beetle,  the  fly, 
and  the  butterfly,  whose  eyes  are  incapable  of 
motion,  have  several  thousands  of  small  transpa- 
rent globes  set  in  a  convex  hemisphere,  everyone 
of  which  is  capable  of  forming  an  image  of  an  ob- 
ject; so  that  they  are  enabled  to  view  the  objects 
around  them  withouimoving  their  heads.  But,  it 
would  be  beyond  the  limits  of  my  plan  to  prose- 
cute this  subject  any  farther ;  enough  has  already 
been  stated,  to  show,  that  the  eyes  of  men  and 
other  animals  are  master-pieces  of  art,  which  far 
transcend  the  human  understanding  ;  and  that 
they  demonstrate  the  consummate  wisdom  of  Him 
who  planned  "nd  constructed  the  organical  func- 
tions of  the  various  tribes  of  animated  existence. 
I  shall  now  conclude  this  branch  of  my  subject, 
by  presenting  an  instance  or  two  of  the  meehor 
nism  of  the  bones,  and  the  movements  it  is  fitted 
to  produce. 

The  bones  of  the  human  frame  are  articulated, 
or  connected  together,  in  different  ways,  but 
most  frequently  in  the  following  manner.  Either, 
I.  a  bone  with  a  round  head  is  articulated  with 
a  cavity,  and  plays  in  it  as  a  ball  in  a  soeket; 
or,  2.  they  are  connected  together  by  a  hinge- 
like articulation,  which  enables  a  bone  to  move 
up  or  down,  backwards  or  forwards,  like  a  door 
upon  its  hinges.  An  idea  of  these  two  motions, 
and  the  purposes  they  serve,  may  be  obtained, 
by  considering  the  construction  of  the  pedestal  of 
a  telescope,  and  the  joints  on  which  it  moves. 
One  of  the  joints  is  of  the  nature  of  a  hinge,  by 
which  a  vertical  motion,  or  a  motion  upwards 
and  downwards  is  produced.  A  horizontal 
motion,  or  a  motion  towards  the  right  hand  or 
the  left,  is  produced  by  a  pivot  moving  in  a  socket; 
so  that,  by  these  two  motions,  the  telescope  can 
be  made  to  point  in  any  direction.  Such  is  the 
nature  of  the  articulations  of  the  bones,  and  the 
movements  they  produce  ;  and  wherever  one  or 
other  of  these  motions,  or  both  of  them  combined, 
are  requisite  for  the  comfort  and  convenience  of 
the  individual,  such  «  power  of  motion  is  uni- 
formly found  to  exiet.  If  the  movement  of  a  joint 
in  every  direction  would,  in  any  particular  case, 
be  found  inconvenient,  the  binge-like  articulatioB 
u  fixed  upon ;  but  if  a  motion  in  oTerjr  direction  is 


50 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


raquired  for  the  conrenient  ua«  of  particular  mem- 
ben,  and  for  the  variety  of  evolulioiis  which  a  sen- 
tient  being  may  have  occasion  (oniaktt,  the  ball  and 
■ocket  artirulaiioii  is  combined  with  the  former. 
For  example,  let  any  perBOii,  fur  a  moment, 
consider  the  joints  uf  his  fingers,  and  compare 
them  with  the  joint  at  h  ■  writl,  where  the  hand 
is  connected  wiih  the  fore  arm.     If  he  hold  the 
badt  of  his  hand  upwards,  he  will  find  that  he 
can  move  his  fingers  upwards,  or  downwards  ; 
but  he  cannot  turn  them  to  the  right  hand,  or  to 
the  lefl,  so  as  to  make  them  describe  a  circular 
motion.     He  will  aUo  find  that  his  wriiit  is  ca- 
pable of  a  similar  movement,  so  that  the  hand 
may  be  bent  in  a  vertical  direction.     But,  in 
addition  to  this  motion,  it  is  also  capable  of 
being  turned  in  a  horizontal  direction,  or  from 
one  side  to  another.     In  the  former  case,  we  have 
an   example  of  the   hinge   articulation;  in  the 
latter,  it  is  combined  with  an  articulation  which 
produces  nearly  the  same  effect  as  a  pivot  mov- 
ing  in  a  socket.     Now,  had  the  joints   of  the 
fingers  been  ca)>able  of  the  same  motions  as  the 
wrist,  the  hand  would  have  lost  its  firmness,  and 
been  incapable  of  per<I)rming  a  variety  of  mecha- 
nical operations  which  lequire  objects  to  be  held 
with  asiesuly  grasp.     On  the  other  hand,  if  the 
joint  of  the  wrist  had  been  formed  in  the  same 
manner  as  the  joints  of  the  fingers,  and  confined 
to  a  vertical  motion,  the  hand  would  have  been 
incapable  of  one  out  of  a  hundred  varied  move- 
ments,  which    it    can    now    perform   with    the 
greatest  ease.     In  this  case,  we  could  not  have 
borad  a  hole  with  a  gimblet,  cut  down  com  with 
a  sickle,  digged  the  earth  with  a  spade,  sewed 
clothes  with  a  needle,  tossed  up  a  ball,  or  turned 
up  the  palm  of  the  hand,   for  any  of  the  useful 
purposes  for  which  that  motion   was  ordained. 
In  short,  without   the    rotatory    motion  of  the 
wrist,  the  greater  part  of  the  operations  connected 
with  gardening,  agriculture,  cookery,  washing, 
spinning,  weaving  (lainiing, carving,  engraving, 
building,  and  oiher  mechanical  arts,  could  not  be 
performed ;  and  such  of  them  as  could  be  effected, 
would  be  accomplished  only  with  the  greatest 
inconvenience  and  labour.  Any  person  may  con- 
Tinca  himself  of  this,  by  holding  his  hand  in  a 
boricontal  position,  and    preventing   his    wrist 
joint  from  turnif)g  round,  and  then  by  trying  what 
operations    he  can  easily    perform  without  the 
rotatory  motion  ;  and  he  will  soon  perceive  with 
what    exquisite  skill  the  numerous  movements 
of  our  animal   frames  have  been  contrived  by 
the  great  Author  of  uur  existence.    In  each  hand 
there  are  17  bonus,  all  of  which  are  essential  to 
the  diflbrent  motions  we  wish  to  perform.    Every 
finger   is  composed  of  three  bones,    connected 
together  by  articulations,  imiscles,  and  ligaments. 
If,  instead  of  three,  each  finger  were  composed 
oTonly  one  bone,  it  would  be  quite  inyoesible 
far  oe  to  grasp  a  single  object. 


The  same  admirable  contrivance  may  bu  per- 
ceived in  the  movements  of  which  die  heaH  is 
susceptilile.  It  was  requisite,  in  order  to  our 
convenience  and  comfort,  that  we  nhoukl  be  i  na- 
bled  to  move  our  head  backwards  or  forwards — 
to  look  up  towards  tiie  heavens,  or  downwards 
to  the  ground.  It  was  alm>  expedient,  that  it 
should  have  a  power  of  turning  to  the  right,  or  to 
the  left,  soavtotake  in  a  considerable  portion 
of  a  circle,  wi  hout  being  under  the  necessity  of 
turning  round  the  whole  b<Mly.  Accordingly  we 
find,  that  both  these  motions  are  provided  for,  in 
the  manner  in  which  the  head  is  connected  with 
the  vertebree.  The  head  rests  upon  the  uppermost 
of  these  bones,  to  which  it  is  connected  by  a  hinge 
joint,  similar  to  those  in  the  fingers,  which  allows 
it  to  move  backwards  and  forwards ;  and, by  means 
of  a  round,  longish  process,  or  projection,  which 
moves  in  a  socket,  it  is  enabled  to  move  horizon- 
tally, as  upon  an  axis.  Had  the  first  motion 
been  wanting,  we  could  not  have  looked  up  to  the 
zenith,  without  laying  flat  on  our  back  ;  nor  could 
we  have  looked  to  the  ground,  without  placing 
our  bodies  in  a  prone  position,  and,  in  such  a 
case,  we  could  never  have  seen  our  own  feet,  un- 
less when  they  were  bent  considerably  forward. 
Had  the  second  motion  been  wanting,  we  could 
have  looked  to  nothing  except  the  objects  directly 
before  us,  without  the  trouble  of  turning  round 
the  whole  body,  either  to  the  right,  or  to  the  left'. 
But  in  the  construction  of  our  corporeal  system, 
every  thing  is  so  arranged  and  adapted  to  another, 
as  at  once  to  contribute  to  ease,  and  facility  of 
motion,  in  all  the  varied  operations  and  move- 
ments we  have  occasion  to  perform  ;  which 
circumstance  forcibly  demonstrates  both  the  be- 
nevolent intentions,  and  the  admirable  wisdom 
of  Him  "  whose  hands  have  made  and  fashioned 
us,"  and  who  "  breathed  into  our  nostrils  the 
breath  of  life." 

The  above  are  only  two  or  three  out  of  a 
hundred  of  similar  instances,  which  might  be 
produced  to  rhow  the  benevolent  care  which  has 
been  exercised  in  arranging  and  articulating 
the  system  of  bones,  of  which  the  prop-work  of 
the  human  frame  is  composed.  Were  we  to  enter 
into  an  investigation  of  the  actions  and  uses  of 
the  various  muscles,  the  wonderful  system  of  veins 
and  au'leries,  the  action  of  the  heart,  stomach, 
and  bowels  ;  the  process  of  respiration,  and  in- 
sensible perspiration,  and  the  system  of  nerves, 
glands,  lymphatics,  and  lacteals — a  thousand  in- 
stances of  Divine  wisdom  and  beneficence  would 
crowd  ujKJO  our  view,  which  could  not  fail  to  ex- 
cite the  pious  and  contemplative  mind  to  join  is 
the  devotions  of  the  "  sweet  singer  of  Israel," 
"  I  will  praise  thee  ;  for  I  am  fearfully  and  won- 
derfully made  ;  marvellous  are  thy  works,  and  that 
my  soul  knoweth  right  well." — But  as  I  intended 
to  |>resent  only  a  few  iipe«imen«  cf  the  Wisdom 
cf  God,  as  displayed  in  the  coastnntiM  of 


WISDOM  OP  THE  DEITT. 


S] 


the  material  world,  I  shall  conclude  this  depart- 
ment of  niy  subject  with  a  single  reflection.* 

Howfoolith  and  ungrateful  is  it  for  roUional 
beings  to  overlook  the  wiie  and  beneoolent  arrange- 
ments of  the  Creator,  in  the  material  universe  ! 
How  many  thousands  of  human  beings  pass  their 
existence  without  once  reflecting  on  I  he  numerous 
evidences  of'Divine  Wisdom  and  Beneficence, 
which  appear  around  them,  or  fettling  the  least 
spark  of  gratitude  for  their  preservation  and  com- 
forts, to  that  Being  "  in  whose  hand  their  breath 
is,  and  whose  are  all  their  ways  !"  Yea,  how 
many  are  there  who  consider  themselves  as  stand- 
ing high  in  the  ranks  of  the  Christian  profession, 
who  affect  to  look  down,  with  a  certain  degree 
of  contempt,  on  the  study  of  the  material  works 
«f  God,as  if  it  were  too  gross  a  subject  for  their 
spiritual  atrainmenls  !  They  profess  to  trace  the 
wisdom  of  God  in  the  Scriptures,  and  to  feel  gra- 
titude for  his  pardoning  mercy ;  but  they  seWom 
feel  that  gratitude  which  they  ought  to  do  for  those 
admirable  armngements  in  their  own  bodies,  and 
the  elements  around  them,  by  which  their  lives 
are  preserved,  and  their  happiness  promoted  ; 
and  even  seem  to  insinuate,  that  they  have  little 
ornothing  to  do  with  the  contrivances  of  the  God 
of  Nature.  They  leave  it  to  the  gen  ius  of  infidel 
philosophers  to  trace  the  articulations  of  the 
bones,  the  branchings  of  the  veins  and  arteries, 
the  properties  of  light,  and  the  composition  of 
the  atmosphere,  while  they  profess  to  feast  their 
minds  on  more  sublime  and  spiritual  entertain- 
ments. But,  surely,  such  astonishing  displays 
of  the  wisdom  and  benignity  of  the  Most  High, 
as  creation  exhibits,  were  never  intended  to  be 
treated  by  his  intelligent  offspring  with  apathy 
or  indifference  ;  and  to  do  so,  must  indicate  a 
certain  degree  of  ingratitude  towards  Him  whose 
inceseant  energy  sustains  the  whole  assemblage 
of  sentient  and  intelligent  beings,  and  who  dis- 
plays himself,  in  their  construction  and  preser- 
vation, to  be  "  wonderful  in  counsel,  and  excellent 
in  working."  Shall  we  imagine,  that,  because 
Grod  stands  in  the  gracious  relation  of  our  Re- 
deemer, he  has  ceased  to  stand  in  the  relation  of 
our  Creator  and  Preserver  ?  Or  shall  we  con- 
sider those  subjects  as  unworthy  of  our  attention, 
which  are  the  theme  of  the  praises  of  the  hea- 
Tonly  host  ?  Rev.  iv.  11.  Can  we  suppose 
that  the  Almighty  displayed  his  infinite  wisdom 
in  the  curious  organization  of  the  human  eye, 
that  man — the  only  being  in  this  world  who  is 
eadewed  with  faculties  capable  of  appreciating 

•  Those  who  wlsti  to  prssecute  this  subject,  par- 
ticularly tt)i«t  part  of  It  whlct»  relates  to  the  con- 
trivances of  Divine  Wisdom,  whicli  appear  In  the 
animal  system,  wlllfind  ample  pratlflcatlon  in  Nleu- 
wentyt's  "  Religious  Philooojiher,"  Vol.  I,  and  Dr. 
Paley's  "  N.itura!  Theology."  A  variety  of  useful 
remarks  on  this  subject  will  also  he  found  In  Ray's 
"Wisdom  of  God  In'the  Cre.ition,"  Derham's  "Phy- 
skso-Thenlogy,"  and  Boimet's  "  Contemplation  of 
Nature." 


its  structure,  and  for  whose  use  and  enfertaiirment 
it  was  intended — should  overlook  such  a  wonder- 
ful piece  of  Divine  workmanship,  atid  feel  not 
gratitude  for  the  besiowment  of  so  admirable  a 
gift  ?  Shall  we  extol  the  ingenuity  di.splayed  in 
a  clock  or  a  watch,  in  a  chess- player,  or  a  steam 
engine,  and  shall  we  feel  no  sentiment  of  admira- 
tion at  the  view  of  millions  of  instances  of  Divine 
mechanism  which  infinitely  transcend  the  powers 
of  the  human  understanding  ?  To  act  in  this 
manner,  as  too  many  are  disposed  to  do,  is  un- 
worthy of  man,  both  as  a  Christian  and  as  an 
intelligent  agent.  Such  was  not  the  conduct  of 
the  inspired  writers  ;  their  spirituality  of  views 
did  not  lead  them  to  neglect  the  contemplation 
of  any  of  the  works  of  God.  "  I  will  meditate 
on  alt  thy  works,"  says  the  Psalmist,  "  and  talk 
of  all  thy  doings  ;  I  will  utter  abimdanlly  the  me- 
mory of  Ihy  great  goodness,  and  speak  of  thy 
wondrous  works."  Accordingly  we  find,  that 
the  wonders  df  the  human  frame,  the  economy 
of  the  animal  and  the  vegetable  tribes,  the  scenery 
of  the  "  dry  land,"  and  of  the  "  mighty  deep, 
and  the  glories  of  the  heavens,  were  the  frequent 
subjects  of  therir  devout  contemplation.  They 
consider  them  in  relation  to  the  unceasing  agtncy 
of  Grod,  by  whom  they  were  formed  and  arranged, 
and  as  declarikig  his  Wisdom,  Goodness,  and  Om- 
nipotence :  and,  with  this  view,  ought  all  the 
scenes  of  the  visible  creation  to  be  investigated 
by  his  intelligent  creatures. 

We  have  reason  to  believe,  that  it  is  owing, 
in  part,  to  want  of  attention  to  the  Divine  wisdom 
and  beneficence, as  exhibited  in  the  construction  of 
the  visible  world,  that  many  professed  Christians 
entertain  so  vague  and  confused  ideas  respect- 
ing the  wisdom  and  goodness  ot  Deity,  as  dis- 
played in  the  economy  of  Redemption.  The 
terms,  Wisdom,  Goodness,  and  Beneficence, 
in  their  mouths,  become  words  almost  without 
meaning,  to  which  no  precise  or  definite  ideas 
are  attached  :  because  they  have  never  considered 
the  instances  and  the  evidence  of  these  attributes, 
displayed  in  the  material  creation.  And,  if  our 
minds  have  not  been  impressed  with  a  sense  of 
the  wisdom  and  beneficence  of  God,  in  those  ob- 
jects which  are  presented  to  the  external  sense, 
we  cannot  be  supposed  to  have  luminous  aud 
distinct  ideas  of  those  spiritual  objects  and  ar> 
rangements  which  are  removed  beyond  the  sphere 
of  ourcorporeal  organs.  For  all  our  ideas,  in  rela- 
tion to  Religion  and  its  objects,  are  primarily 
derived  from  the  intimations  we  receive  of  exter- 
nal objects,  through  the  medium  of  our  senses  ; 
and,  consequently,  the  more  clearly  we  perceive 
the  agency  of  God,  in  his  visible  operations,  the 
more  shall  we  be  qualified  to  perceive  the  wisdom 
and  harmony  ofhis  dispensations,  as  recorded  in 
the  vohime  of  inspiration. 

Wc  live  in  a  world,  all  the  arrangements  of 
which  are  the  effects  of  infinite  Wisdom.     W« 


68 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOBOPHER. 


ar«  RUrrounded  with  wondera  on  every  hand  ;  and 
therefore  weceaie  lo  admire,  or  fo  hx  our  atten- 
tion on  any  one  of  the  wonders  daily  performed  by 
God.     We  have  never  been  accustomed  to  con- 
template or  to  iuhabii  a  world  where  benevolence 
and  wisdom  are  not  displayed  ;  and,  therefore,  we 
are  apt  to  imagine,  that  the  circiimsiaiiceaof  our 
terrestrial  existence  could  not  have  been  muoh 
otherwise  than  they  actually  are.     We  behold 
the  tun  in  the  morning,  ascending  from  the  east 
—a  thousand  !>hining  globes  are  seen  in  the  ca- 
nopy of  the  i>ky,  when  he  has  disappeared  in  the 
west.     We  open  our  eyelids,  and  the  myriad 
of  objects  which  compose  an  extensive  landscape 
are,  in  a  moinent,  painted  on  our  retina,— we 
wish  to  move  our  bodies,  and,  in  an  instant,  the 
joints  and  miiiioles  of  our  hands  and  feet  perform 
their  several  functions.     We  spread  out  our  wet 
clothes  to  dry,  and  in  a  few  hours  the  moisture  is 
evaporated.   We  behold  the  fields  drenched  with 
rain,  and  in  a  few  days  it  dbappears,  and  is 
dispersed  through  the  surrounding  atmosphere,  to 
be  again  inibodied  into  clouds.     These  are  all 
common  operations,  and,,  therefore,  thoughtless 
and  ungrateful  man  seldom  considers  the  obliga- 
tions he  is  under  to  the  Author  of  his  existence, 
for  the  numerous  enjoyments  which  flow  from 
these  wise  arrangements.     But  were  the  globe 
we  inhabit,  and  all  its  appendages,  to  remain  in 
their  present  slate — and  were  only  the  principle 
of  evaporation  and  the  refractive  and  r^ective 
jnoperties  of  Ihe  air  to  be  destroyed — we  should 
soon  feel,  by  the  universal  gloom  which  would  en- 
sue, and  by  a  thousand  other  inconveniences  we 
should  sufler,  what  a  miserable  world  was  allotted 
for  our  abode.     We  should  most  sensibly  per- 
ceive the  wisdom  and  goodness  we  had  formerly 
overlooked,  and  would  most  ardently  implore  the 
restoration  of  those  arrangements  for  which  we 
were  never sufFcienily  grateful.  And  why  should 
we  not  n<m>— while  we  enjoy  so  many  comforts 
flowing  from    the  plans  of  infinite  Wisdom- 
have  our  attention  directed  to  the  benevolent  con- 
trivances within  us,  and  around  us,  in  order  that 
grateful  emotions  may  be  hourly  arising  in  our 
hearts,  to  the  F  ither  of  our  spirits  ?  For  the  es- 
sence of  true  reli>>ion  consists  chiefly  in  gratitude 
to  the  God  of  our  life,  and  the  Author  of  salva- 
tion ;  and  every  pleasing  sensation  we  feel  from 
the  harmonies  and  the  beauties  oC  nature,  ought 
to  inspire  us  with  this  sacred  emotion.  "  Hearken 
unto  this,  O  man  !  stand  still,  and  consider  the 
wonderful  works  of  God.      Contemplate    the 
balancings  of  the  clouds,  the  wondrous  works 
of  Him  who  is  perfect  in  knowledge." — "  He 
hath  made  the  earth  by  his  power,  he  hath  esta- 
blished the   world   by   his   wisdom.     When  he 
uttereth  his  voice,  there  is  a  noise  of  waters  in 
the  heavens  :  he  rauseth  the  vapours  to  ascend 
from  the  ends  of  the  earth,  and  bringeth  the  winds 
oat  of  hia  treasure*."   While  it  ia  ■hamefiil  for 


man  to  be  inattentive  to  the  wonder*  which  stir 
round  him,  what  can  be  more  pleasing  and  con 
genial  to  a  rational  and  devout  niiiid,  than  con« 
teniplaiions  on  the  works  of  the  Most  Hi^lil 
"  What  can  be  more  gratifying,"  *ays  Sturm 
"  than  to  contemplate,  in  the  heaven*,  in  ihe 
earth,  in  the  waier,  in  the  night  and  day.  and 
indeed,  throughout  all  naiure,  the  proof*  which 
they  afford  of  the  wisdom,  the  purity,  and  the 
goodness  of  our  great  Creator  and  Preserver! 
What  can  t>e  more  delighifiil  than  lo  recogniza, 
in  the  whole  creation,  in  all  the  natural  world, 
in  every  thing  we  see,  traces  of  the  ever-work- 
ing providence  and  tender  mercy  uf  the  great 
Father  of  all !" 


SECTION  IV. 

On  the  Ovodnef  or  Benevolence  of  the 'DiiTT. 

The  Benevolence  of  God  is  that  perfection 
of  his  nature,  by  which  he  communicates  hap- 
piness to  the  various  ranks  of  sensitive  and  in- 
telligent existence. 

The  system  of  Nature,  in  all  its  parts,  exhibits 
an    unbounded  display  of  this  attribute  of  the 
Divine  Mind,  both  in  relation   to  man,  and    in 
relation   to    the  subordinate   tribes  of  animated 
existence.  In  relation  inMan — the  magnificence 
and  glory  of  the  heavens— the  variegated  colouring 
which  is  spread  over  the  scene  of  nature — the 
beautiful  flowers,  shrubs,  and  trees,  with  which 
the  earth  is  adorned,  which  not  only  delight  the 
eye,  but  perfume    the   air   with  their   delicious 
odours — the   various  kinds  of  agreeable  sounds 
that  charm  the  ear— the  music  of  the  feathered 
songsters,  which  fill   the  groves  with  their  me- 
lody— the  thousands  of  pleasant  images  which 
delight  the  eye,  in  the  natural  embellishments  of 
creation— the  agreeable  feelings  produced  by  the 
contact  of  almost  every  thing  we  have  occasion 
to  touch — the  pleasure  attached  to  eating,  drink- 
ing, muscular  mot  ion,  anil  activity — the  luxuriant 
profusion,  »nd  rich  variety  of  aliments  which  the 
earth  nffords — and   the  in'erchaniies  of  thought 
and  an>-ction — all  proclaim  the  Benevolence  of 
our  Almighty  Maker,  and  show  that  the  commu- 
nication of  happiness  is  one  grand  object  of  all 
his   arrangements.      For   these  circum<tance« 
are  not   etxentially  requisite  lo  our    existence. 
We  might  have  lived,  and  breathed,  and  walked, 
though  every  thing  we  touched  had   produced 
pain  ;  though  every  thing  we  ate  and  drank  had 
been  bitter;  though  every  movement  of  our  hands 
artd  feet  had  been  accompanied  with  uneasiness 
and  fatigue ;  though  every  toiind  had  been  as  harsh 
as  the  saw  of  the  carpente<^,  though  no  birds  had 
warhled  in  the  groves  ;  though  no  flowers  had 
decked  ttie  fields,  or  filled  the  air  with  their  per* 


BENEVOLENCE  OF  THE  DEITY. 


58 


"fumes;  though  one  unvaried  scene  of  dull  uni» 
■fonnily  had  |irevail«d,  and  beauty  and  sublimity 
had  been  swept  from  the  face  of  nature  ;  though 
the  earth  had  been  covered  with  a  mantle  of  blacic, 
and  no  radiant  orbs  had  appeared  in  our  nocturnal 
sky.  Bui  what  a  miserable  world  should  wo  then 
have  inhabited,  compared  with  that  which  we 
■now  possess !  Life  would  have  passed  away 
ivithout  enjoyment :  and  pain  would  have  over- 
balanced the  pleasure  of  existence.  Whereas,  in 
the  exisiins  constitution  of  things,  all  the  objects 
-around  us,  and  every  sense  of  which  we  are  pos- 
sessed, when  preserved  in  its  natural  vigour,  have 
a  direct  ten  lency  to  produce  pleasing  sensations, 
and  to  contribute  to  our  enjoyment:  and  it  is 
chiefly  when  we  indulge  in  foolish  and  depraved 
passions,  and  commit  immoral  actions,  that  the 
benevolent  intentions  of  the  Deity  are  frustrated, 
and  pain  and  misery  produced. 

If  we  consider,  further,  that  the  inexhaustible 
botmtydf  the  Creator,  and  the  numerous  pleasures 
we  enjoy,  are  bestowed  upon  a  guilty  race  of  men, 
the  benevolence  of  the  Deity  will  appear  in  a 
still  more  striking  point  of  view.  Man  has  dared 
to  rebel  against  his  Maker ;  he  is  a  depraved  and 
ungratefdi  creature.  The  great  majority  of  our 
race  have  banished  God  from  their  thoughts, 
trampled  upon  his  laws,  neglected  to  contemplate 
his  works,  refused  to  |>ay  him  that  tribute  of 
reverence  and  adoration  which  his  perfections 
demand,  have  been  ungrateful  for  his  favours, 
'bave  blasphemed  his  name,  and  have  tran^errcd 
"to  "  four-footed  beasts,  and  creeping  things,"  that 
homage  which  is  due  to  him  alone.  It  has  been 
the  chief  part  of  tkeir  employment,  in  all  ages, 
to  counteract  the  effects  of  his  Beneficence,  by 
inflicting  injustice,  oppression,  and  torture,  upon 
each  other ;  by  maiming  the  human  frame,  burn- 
ing cities  and  villages,  turning  fruitful  fields  into 
&  wilderness,  and  by  every  other  act  of  violence, 
carrying  death  and  destruction  through  the  world. 
And  if  water,  car,  and  the  light  of  heaven,  had 
been  placed  within  the  limits  of  their  control,  it 
is  more  than  probable,  that  whole  nations  would 
have  been  occasionally  deprived  of  these  elements, 
80  essential  to  human  existence.  Yet,  notwith- 
standing the  prevalence  of  such  depraved  dispo- 
sitions, the  streams  of  Divine  benevolence  to- 
wards our  apostate  race  have  never  yet  been 
interrupted.  The  earth  has  never  stopped  in  its 
career,  and  thrown  nature  into  a  scene  of  confu- 
sion ;  the  li^'ht  of  heaven  has  never  ceased  to 
illume  the  world  ;  the  springs  of  water  have  never 
been  dried  up,  nor  has  the  fertile  soil  ceased  to 
enrich  the  plains  with  golden  harvests.  God 
"  hath  not  left  himself  without  a  witness,"  to  his 
beneficenoe,  in  any  age,  in  that  he  hath  imceas- 
inglv  bestowed  on  the  inhabitants  of  the  world 
"  rain  from  heaven,  and  fruitful  seasons,  filling 
iheir  hearts  with  food  and  glaflness."  This  is 
one  of  the  characters  of  Deity  which  forms  the 


most  perfect  contrast  to  the  -selfish  and  revengeful 
dispositions  of  man,  which  as  far  transcends 
human  benevolence,  as  the  heavens  in  extent 
surpass  the  earlfi — a  character  calculai«d  to  ex- 
cite our  highest  love  and  admiration,  and  which 
we  are  called  upon,  in  the  Sacred  Oracles,  to 
imitate  and  revere.  "  Be  ye  merciful,  as  your 
Father  who  is  in  heaven  is  merciful:  for  he 
inaketh  his  sun  to  rise  «in  the  evil  and  on  the 
good,  and  sendeth  rain  on  the  just  and  on  the 
unjust." — "  O  that  men  would  praise  the  Lord  for 
his  goodness,  and  for  his  wonderful  works  to  the 
children  of  men." 

From  such  considerations,  we  learn,  even  from 
the  system  of  nature,  ihatwierc^  is  an  attribute 
of  the  Deity  ;  for,  if  mercy  consists  in  bestowing 
favours  on  those  who  are  unworthy,  or  who  merit 
punishment,  the  greatest  sinners  in  all  ages  have 
sliared  in  it,  and  every  individusd  of  the  humao 
race  now  existing  enjoys  a  certain  portion  of 
those  comforts  which  flow  from  the  benevolent 
arrangements  which  the  Creator  has  established. 
"  He  maketh  the  sun  to  rise  on  the  evil  and  on  the 
good."  Though  the  nations  in  ancient  times, 
as  well  asat  present,  "  walked  in  their  own  way," 
indulging  in  impiety,  falsehood,  lewdness,  war, 
devastations,  revenge,  abominable  idolatries,  and 
every  other  violation  of  his  law,  he  still  supported 
the  functions  o*"  their  animal  frames,  and  caused 
the  influence  of  the  sun,  the  rains,  and  the  dews, 
to  descend  upon  their  fields,  that  they  might  be 
refreshed  with  his  bounty,  and  filled  "  with  food 
and  gladness."  If  mercy  were  not  an  essential 
attribute  of  the  Deity,  he  would  have  cut  them 
down  in  the  midst  of  their  first  transgressions, 
shattered  to  pieces  the  globe  on  which  they  dwelt, 
and  buried  them  in  eternal  oblivion.  But  whether 
Divine  mercy  *vill  extend  to  the  final  forgiveness 
of  sin,  and  the  communication  of  eternal  happi- 
ness to  such  beings,  can  be  learned  only  from  the 
disceveries  of  revelation. 

In  relation  to  the  inferior  animals — the  im- 
mense multitude  of  living  creatures  with  wMch 
the  earth  is  replenished,  is  a  striking  evidence 
of  the  vast  profusion  of  Divine  Beneficence. 
More  than  a  hundred  thousand  species  of  ani- 
mated beings  are  dispersed  through  the  ditTei- 
ent  regions  of  the  air,  the  water,  and  the  earth, 
besides  myriads  which  arc  invisible  to  the  un- 
assisted eye.  To  estimate  the  number  of  in- 
dividuals belonging  to  any  one  species  is  beyond 
the  power  of  man.  What  countless  myriads 
of  herrings,  for  example,  are  contained  in  a  single 
shoal,  which  is  frequently  more  than  six  miles 
long  and  three  miles  broad.  To  estimate  the 
number  of  individuals  in  all  the  different  species 
would,  therefore,  be  as  impossible  as  to  count  the 
grains  of  sand  in  the  Arabian  deserts.  There 
is  not  a  single  spot,  in  any  region  of  the  gkibe, 
but  what  teems  with. animated  beings.  Yet,  all 
this  vast  assemblage  of  sensitive  existeaoe  is 


64 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


unplj  prorided  tor  by   the  bountiful  Creator. 
"  TheM    all     wait   upon   him,   and  he   giveih 
them  ihoir  int-al  in  due   teason."     They  e-ijoy 
not  only  life,  but  also  a  happy  existence.     The 
•portive    motions  and  gesticulaliuns  of  all   the 
animal  tribes — the  birds  skimming    through    the 
air,  warbhng  in  the  groves,  and  perching  on  tho 
tree* — (he  beasts   of  tho   field,  bounding  in  the 
foreau,  and  through  the  lawns — the  fishes  sport- 
ing in  the  waters — ihe  reptiles  wriggling  in  the 
dust,  and   the   winged    insects,  by  a   thousand 
wanton  mazes  —  all  declare  that  they  are   re- 
joicing in  their  existence,  and  in  the  exercise  of 
Uioae  powers  v.iih  which  the  Creator  has  fur- 
nished iheni.    So  that,  wherever  we  turn  our  eyes, 
we  evidently  perceive,  that  "  the  earth  is  bill  of 
the  goodness  of  the  Lord;"  and  that  "  his  lender 
mercies  are  over  all  his  works."     This   subject 
is  boundless — but  it  would  be  inconsistent  with 
the  limited  plan  of  this  work,  to  enter  into  any 
particular  details.    And  it  is  the  less  necessary, 
when  we  consider,  that  every  instance  of  Divine 
Wisdom   is,  at  the  same  time,  an   instance   of 
bentvoUnce;  for  it  is  the  ultimate  object  of  all 
tlie  wise  contrivances  in  the  system  of  Nature, 
tliat  happiness  may  be  comtnunicaied  to  tiie  va- 
rious ranks  of  sensitive  and  intelligent  existence. 
Goodntss  chooses  the  em/,  and  wisdom  selects 
the  most  proper  meant,  for  iia  accomplishment; 
so  that  these  two  attributes  must  always  be  con- 
siderfMJ  in  simultaneous  operation.     And,  there- 
fore, the   instances  I   have  already  specified,  of 
the  Wisdom  and  Intelligence  of  the  Creator,  may 
also  be  considered,  as  exemplifications  of  Divine 
Benevolence.     I  shall,  therefore,  conclude   this 
topic  with  'he  following  extract  from  Dr.  Paley. 
"  Contrivance  proves  design  ;  and  the  promi- 
nent tendency  of  the  contrivance,  indicates  the 
disposition  of  the  designer.    The  world  abounds 
with  contriviinces  ;  and  all  the  contrivances  we 
are  acquainted  with,  are  directed  to  beneficial 
purposes.     Evil,  no  doubt,  exists  ;  but  it  is  never 
that  we  can  perceive,  the  object  of  contrivance. 
Teeth    are  contrived  to  eat,  nut  to  ache  ;  their 
aching  now  and  then,  is  incidental  to  the  con- 
trivance, perhaps  inseparable  from  it ;  or  even, 
if  you  will,  let  it  be  called  a  defect  in  the  con- 
trivance, but  it  is  not  the  object  of  it.     This  is  a 
disliuctiun  which  well  deserves  to  be  attended  to. 
In  describing!  implement*  of  husbandry,  you  will 
htrdly  say  (/a  sickle,  that  it  is  made  to  cut  the 
reaper's  lingers,   (hough  from  the  construction 
of  the  ioslrumrnt,  and  the  manner  of  using  it, 
this  misc'iief  <'ften  hapftens.     But  if  you   had 
occasion  'o  describe  instruments  of  torture  or  ex- 
ecution, This,  you  woukl  say,  is  to  extend  the  si- 
n<*<vs ;  this  to  dislocate  (he  joints  ;  this  to  break 
the  bonc'i;  this  to  scorch  libe  soles  of  the  feet. 
Here  pain  and  misery  are  the  very  ohjeeU  of  the 
contrivan<-e.     Now  nothing  of  this  sort  is  to  be 
Ibuad  in  the  works  of  natdre.    We  never  dts- 


eover  a  train  of  contrivance  to  bring  about  a> 
evil  purpose.  No  anatomist  ever  discovered  a 
8}-^iem  of  organizulion  calculated  to  produce 
pa  in  and  diseane  ;  or  in  expla.niiig  the  pans  uf  the 
human  body,  ever  said.  This  is  to  irritate  ;  ihts  to 
inflame  ;  this  duct  is  tu  convey  iho  gravel  to  the 
kidneys  ;  this  gland  to  secrete  ihr-  humour  which 
furm^  (he  gout.  If,  by  chance,  he  come  at  a 
part  of  which  he  knows  not  the  use,  tlie  muel  he 
can  say  is,  that  it  is  uselses  ;  no  one  ever  suspects 
that  It  is  put  there  tu  incommode,  to  annoy,  or 
torment.  Since,  then,  God  hath  called  forth  his 
consummate  wisdom  to  contrive  and  provide  for 
our  happiness,  and  the  world  appears  to  have 
been  constituted  with  this  design  at  first,  so 
long  as  this  constitution  is  upheld  by  him,  we 
nnust,  in  reason,  suppose  the  same  design  tu  cno- 
tinue." — PaUy'i  Moral  Philoiophy,  Book  II. 
Chap.b. 

I'hus,  I  have  endeavoured,  in  this  and  the  pre- 
ceding section,  to  exhibit  a  few  specimens  of  the 
Wisdom  and  Goodness  of  God,  in  the  system  of 
nature.  These  might  have  been  multiplied  to  an 
indefinite  extent,  but  the  insiaiices  adduced,  I 
presume,  are  sufficient  to  show,  that  the  economy 
of  the  maieriaJ  world  is  not  altogether  a  barren 
subject,  to  a  pious  and  contemplative  mind. 
Every  intelligent  believer  in  Revelation  will 
readily  admit,  that  it  wouM  be  a  highly  desirable 
object,  to  induce  upon  the  mass  of  Christians  such 
a  habit  of  devout  attention  to  the  visible  works  of 
creation,  as  wuuld  lead  them,  in  their  social  and 
solitary  walks,  to  recognize  the  agency  of  God, 
in  every  object  they  behold ;  to  raise  their  thoughts 
to  Him  as  the  Great  First  Cause,  and  to  ex> 
pand  their  hearts  with  emotions  uf  gratitude. 
How  very  different  must  be  the  sentiments  and 
the  piety  of  the  man  who  looks  on  the  scene 
of  wisdom  and  magnificence  around  him,  with 
a  "  brute  unconscious  gaze,"  as  thousands  of 
professed  Christians  do— and  the  grateful  and 
pious  emotions  of  him  who  recognizes  Itie  b^ 
nevolent  agency  of  God,  in  the  motions  of  his 
fingers,  and  his  eyeballs  ;  in  the  pulsation  of 
his  heart ;  in  the  picture  of  external  objects 
every  moment  formed  on  his  retina;  in  the  re- 
flection of  the  rays  of  light,  and  the  diversified 
colours  they  produce;  in  the  dryingof  his  clothes; 
in  the  constitution  of  the  atmosphere;  in  the 
beauty  and  magnificence  of  the  earth  and  the 
heavens;  ar>d  in  every  other  object  that  meets  his 
eye,  in  the  expanse  of  nature  !  The  numberless 
astonishing  instances  of  Divine  agency,  which 
every  where  present  themselves  t<>  our  view  in. 
the  scene  arouiKt  us,  seem  evidently  intended 
to  arrest  the  mind  to  a  consideration  of  an 
"  ever-preaeni  Deity  ;"  and  I  envy  not  tho  sen- 
timents or  the  feelings  of  that  man  who  ima- 
gines, that  he  stands  in  no  need  of  such  sensible 
mediums,  to  impress  his  mind  with  a  sense  o£ 
ths  benevolent  caru  and  oi»%ipre*ene*  of  God. 


CHAPTER  II. 

COXn-AINlNG  A  CURSORY  VIEW  OP  SOME  OP  THE  SOENCES  WHICH  ARE  RELATED 
TO  RELIGION  AND  CHRISTUN  THEOLOGY. 


Theology  has  generally  been  viewed  as  a 
study  of  a  very  limited  range  :  and,  hence,  when 
it  has  been  admitted  into  ihe  circle  of  the  sciences, 
a  much  smaller  space  has  been  allotted  for  its  dis- 
cussion, than  has  been  devoted  to  almost  any 
other  department  of  human  knowledge.  When 
considered,  however,  in  irs  most  extensive  sense, 
— in  its  relations  to  the  Divine  Being — to  his  past 
and  present  dispensations  towards  the  human  race 
— to  the  present  circumstances  and  the  future 
destiny  of  man — and  to  the  physical  and  moral 
condition  of  all  the  sentient  and  intelligent  beings 
of  which  we  have  any  intimation — it  ought  to  be 
viewed  as  the  most  varied  and  comprehensive  of 
all  the  sciences ;  as  embracing,  within  its  exten- 
sive grasp,  all  the  other  departments  of  useful 
knowledge,  both  human  and  divine.  As  it  has 
God  for  its  object,  it  must  include  a  knowledge 
of  the  universe  he  has  formed — oflhe  movements 
which  are  continually  going  on  throughout  the 
wide  extent  of  his  empire,  in  so^far  as  they  lie 
open  to  our  inspection— of  the  attributes  which 
appear  to  be  displayed  in  all  his  operations — of 
the  moral  laws  he  has  framed  fur  the  regulation 
of  holy  intelligences — of  the  merciful  arrange- 
ments he  has  made  for  the  restoration  of  fallen 
man — of  the  plans  by  which  the  knowledge  of  his 
will  is  to  be  circulated  and  extended  in  the  world 
in  which  we  live — of  the  means  by  which  truth, 
and  moral  purity,  and  order,  are  to  be  promoted 
among  our  apostate  race,  in-order  to  their  resto- 
ration to  the  happiness  they  have  lost — together 
with  all  those  diversified  ramifications  of  know- 
ledge, which  have  either  a  more  remote  or  a 
more  immediate  bearing  on  the  grand  object  now 
specified.  Like  the  lines  which  proceed  from 
the  circumference  to  the  centre  of  an  inunense 
circle — all  the  moral*  arts  and  sciences  which 
have  been  invented  by  men^-every  department 
of  human  knowledge,  however  far  it  may,  at  first 
sight,  appear  to  be  removed  from  religion — may 
be  considered  as  havingadirectbearingon  The- 
ology, as  the  grand  central  point, and  as  having  a 
certain  tendency  to  promote  its  important  objects. 
It  is  much  to  be  regretted,  that  Theology  has 
so  seldom  been  contemplated  in  this  point  of 
TJew — and  that  the  sciences  have  been  considered 


•  The  epithet  moral  Is  here  used  in  tts  application 
to  arts,  boi'au»e  there  are  certain  arts  wlilch  must 
be  considered  as  having  an  Immoral  tendency,  such 
as  the  art  of  war,  the  art  of  Iwxing,  of  jumbling, 
Ac.  aa.1  which,  therefore,  cannot  have  a  direct  ten- 
dency to  promote  the  otyecu  of  reUgloa. 


rather  as  so  many  independent  branches  of  secu- 
lar knowledge,  than  as  subservient  to  the  elucida- 
tion of  the  facts  and  doctrines  of  religion  and  to  the 
accomplishment  of  its  benevolent  designs.  Hence, 
it  has  happened  that  Philosophy  and  Religion, 
instead  of  marching  hand  in  hand  to  the  portals  of 
immortality,  have  frequently  set  tiiemselves  in 
hostile  array  ;  and  combats  have  ensued  equally 
injurious  to  the  interests  of  both  parties.  The 
Philosopher  has  occasionally  been  disposed  to 
investigate  the  economy  of  nature,  without  a  refer- 
ence to  the  attributes  of  that  Almighty  Being  who 
presides  over  its  movements,  as  if  the  universe 
were  a  self-moving  and  independent  machine; 
and  has  not  unfrequenlly  taken  occasion,  from 
certain  obscure  and  insulated  facts,  to  throw  out 
insinuations  hostile  to  the  truth  and  the  charac- 
ter of  the  Christian  Revelation.  The  Theolo- 
gian, on  the  other  hand,  in  the  heat  of  his  intem- 
perate zeal  against  the  infidel  philosopher,  has  un- 
guardedly been  led  to  declaim  against  the  study 
of  science,  as  if  it  were  unfriendly  to  religion — 
has,  in  effect,  set  the  works  of  God  in  opposition 
to  his  word — ^has  confounded  the  foolish  theories 
of  speculative  minds  with  the  rational  study  of  the 
works  of  Deity — and  has  thus  prevented  the  mass 
of  mankind  from  ex[)anding  their  minds,  by  the 
contemplation  of  the  beauties  and  sublimities  of 
nature. 

It  is  now  high  time  that  a  complete  reconcilia- 
tion were  efTected  between  these  contending  par- 
ties. Religion  ought  never  to  disdain  to  derive 
her  supports  and  illustrations  from  the  researclies 
of  science  ;  for  the  investigations  of  philoso- 
phy into  the  economy  of  Natiu-e,  from  whatever 
motives  they  may  be  undertaken,  are  nothing 
else  than  an  inquiry  into  the  plans  and  opera- 
tions of  the  Eternal  Mind.  And  Philosophy 
ought  always  to  consider  it  as  her  highest  honour, 
to  walk  as  an  handmaid  in  the  train  of  that  reli- 
gion which  points  out  the  path  to  the  regions  of 
eternal  bliss.  By  their  mutual  aid,  and  the  sub- 
serviency of  the  one  to  the  other,  the  moral  and 
intellectual  improvement  of  man  will  be  promot- 
ed, and  the  benevolent  purposes  of  God,  in  the 
kingdom  of  providence,  gradually  accomplished. 
But  when  set  in  opposition  to  each  other,  the 
human  mind  is  bewildered  and  retarded  in  its 
progress,  and  the  Deity  is  apt  to  be  considered 
as  set  in  opposition  to  himself— as  proclaiming 
one  system  of  doctrines  from  the  economy  of  re- 
velation, and  another,  and  an  opposite  system, 
from  the  economy  of  nature.    But  if  the  Chrw> 


ae 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


tiui  ReTefation  and  the  tjirtein  of  the  material 
world  derived  their  origin  froin  ihe  same  Al- 
mighty Beinit,  the  most  complete  harinony  must 
tulMist  between  the  rerelaiiona  they  respectively 
unfold  ;  and  the  apparent  inconaistencies  which 
ocrur,  mutt  be  owing  chiefly  to  the  circum- 
•tancea  of  our  present  station  inihe  universe,  and 
to  the  obacure  and  limited  views  we  are  obliged 
to  take  of  some  of  the  grand  and  diversified  ob- 
ject* they  embrace.  And,  therefore,  we  have 
reascn  to  believe  that,  when  the  system  of  nature 
shall  be  more  extensively  explored,  and  ihe  lead- 
ing objects  of  revelation  contemplated  in  a  clearer 
light,  without  being  tinged  with  the  false  colour- 
ing of  party  opinions  and  contracted  views,  and 
when  rational  inquirers  shall  conduct  their  re- 
aearche'i  w'ith  a  greater  degree  of  reverence,  humi- 
lity and  Christian  temper,  (he  beauty  and  harmo- 
ny ofali  the  plans  and  revelations  of  the  Deity,  in 
reference  both  to  the  physical  and  the  moral  world, 
will  be  more  distinctly  perceived  and  appreciated. 

In  the  following  cursory  sketches,  it  forms  no 
part  of  my  plan  to  trace  even  an  outline  of  the 
difl^erent  sciences  which  are  connected  with  reli- 
gion, much  less  to  enter  into  any  particular  de- 
tails, in  relation  to  their  facts  and  principles.  It 
would  be  comparatively  easy  to  fill  up  the  remain- 
ing sheets  of  this  volume  with  skeletons  of  the 
different  sciences  ;  but  such  meager  details  as 
behooved  to  be  brought  forward,  could  not  be 
interesting  to  the  general  reader,  and  would  fail 
in  accomplishing  the  object  proposed.  My  de- 
sign simply  is,  to  select  some  leading  facts,  or 
general  truths,  in  relation  to  some  of  the  physical 
sciences,  for  the  purpose  of  showing  their  connec- 
tion with  the  objects  of  religion  and  the  interests 
of  rational  piety.  At  the  same  time,  such  de- 
finite descriptions  will  be  given  as  will  enable 
common  readers  to  appreciate  the  objects  and 
bearings  of  the  difTerent  branches  of  knowledge 
which  may  be  presented  to  their  view. 

The  first  science'*'  I  shall  notice  is  that  of 

NATURAL    HI8T0RT. 

This  science,  taken  in  its  roost  comprehensive 
sense,  includes  a  knowledge  and  description  of 
all  the  known  facts  in  the  material  universe. 

It  is  to  be  regretted,  that  most  books  published 
under  the  title  o{  Natural  Hittory,  to  which  com- 
mon readers  have  access,  contain  nothing  more 
than  a  general  description  of  animals,  as  if  this 
■cienc*  were  confined  merely  to  one  clasa  of 
beiags ;  whereas  there  is  an   infinite  variety  of 

*  The  term  teUitee,  in  its  roost  general  and  exten- 
•hre  sense,  signifies  knowledfe,  particularly  that 
species  of  Icnowledge  which  is  acipilred  by  the  exer- 
tion of  the  humiin  faculties.  In  a  more  restricteil 
sense,  it  denote*  a  tyttttnatie  species  of  knowledge, 
which  consitu  of  rule  and  order,  such  as  Mathema- 
tics, Astronomy,  Natural  Philosophy,  *c.-  In  th« 
disrussions  conulned  In  thli  work,  It  Is  used  I  Its 
most  general  sense,  as  denoting  the  various  depart- 
ment* of  human  knowledge.  In  which  »enie  history, 
both  natural,  clvU,  and  sacrsd,  may  b«  lerated 
»cUmu 


other  objects  sekJnm  noticed,  which  would  appeal 
no  less  interesting,  and,  in  vome  instances,  much 
more  novel  and  gratifying  to  the  general  reader, 
and  to  the  youthful  mind.  All  ihe  diversified 
forms  of  matter,  whether  existing  on  the  sur&ce 
or  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  in  the  oCcan,  the 
atmosphere,  or  in  the  houvens,  form  the  legiti- 
mate objects  of  this  department  of  the  science  oT 
nature. 

Were  we,  therefore,  to  sketch  a  comprehea- 
sive  outline  of  the  subjects  of  Natural  History, 
we  might,  in  the  first  place,  take  a  cursory  sur- 
vey of  the  globe  we'inhabit,  in  reftrence  to  its 
magnitude,  figure,  motions,  and  general  arrange- 
ments— the  form,  relations,  and  extern  of  its  con- 
tinents— the  numerous  islands  which  diversify 
thesurfaceoftheocean— the  magnitude,  the  direc- 
tion, and  the  extent  of  its  rivers,  and  ihe  quantity 
of  water  they  pour  into  the  oceati — the  direc- 
tion, elevation,  and  extent  ofthe  different  rangesr 
of  mountains  which  rise  from  its  surface — the 
plains,  morasses,  lakes,  forests,  dells,  and  sandy 
deserts,  which  diversify  its  aspect — the  extent, 
the  motions,  the  colour,  and  the  different  aspects 
ofthe  ocean,  and  the  facts  which  have  be«n  ascer- 
tained respecting  its  saltness,  its  depth, its  bottom, 
and  its  different  currents.  We  might  next  take 
a  more  particular  view  of  some  of  the  most  re- 
markable objects  on  its  surface,  and  give  a  detail 
ofthe  facts  which  are  known  respecting  the  his- 
tory of  volcanoet — their  number — the  countries 
in  which  they  are  situated — the  awful  pheno- 
mena they  exhibit— and  the  devastations  they 
have  produced  ;  the  history  oitarlhquake*,  their 
phenomena  and  effects,  and  the  countries  most 
subject  to  their  ravages — basaltic  and  rocky 
wonders,  natural  bridges,  precipices,  cataracts, 
ice  islands,  icebergs,  glaciers,  whirlpools,  mine- 
ral wells,  reciprocating  fountains,  boiling  springs, 
sulphuric  mountains,  bituminous  lakes,  volcanic 
islands — the  various  aii])eets  of  nature  in  the 
different  zones,  and  the  conlra-sts  presented  be- 
tween the  verdant  scenes  of  tropical  climes,  and 
the  icy  cliffs  of  the  polar  regions.  We  would 
next  take  a  survey  of  the  subterraneous  wonders 
which  lie  beneath  the  surface  of  the  earth — the 
immense  chasms  and  caverns  which  wind  in  va- 
rious directions  among  the  interior  strata  of  our 
globe — sud)  as  the  great  Kentucky  cavern,  and 
the  grotto  of  Antiparos— the  mines  of  rait,  coal, 
copper,  lead, diamond,  iron,  quicksilver,  tin,  ^old, 
and  silver — the  substances  which  composn  the 
various  strata,  the  fossil  bones,  shells,  ai.d  petri- 
factions, which  are  imbedded  in  the  different 
layers,  and  the  bcndings  and  disruptions  which 
appear  to  have  taken  place  in  the  sulistances 
which  compose  the  exterior  crust  of  the  earth. 
We  might  next  surrey  the  atmoftphere  with  nhich 
the  earth  is  environed,  and  give  a  detail  of  the 
facts  which  have  been  ascertained  respecting  its 
specific  gravity  and  pressure,  the  elementary  prin- 
ciples of  which  it  is  compounded,  iu  refraetitra 


NATURAL  HISTORY. 


57 


and  reflective  powers,  and  the  phenomena  which 
resuU  from  its  various  properties  and  mnditica- 
tions — the  meteors  which  appear  in  its  difierent 
regions— thunJer  and  lightning,  winds,  hail,  rain, 
clouds,  rainbows,  parhelias  or  mock-suns,  mete- 
oric stones,  the  aurora  borealis,  luminous  arches, 
ignes  fatui,  the  mirage,  the  fata  morgana,  hur- 
ricanes, monsoons,  whirlwinds  and  waterspouts, 
•ounds  and  echoes. 

In  prosecuting  our  survey  of  sublunary  nature, 
we  would  next  advert  to  the  various  orders  of 
the  vegetable  tribes — their  anatomical  structure 
— the  circulation  of  their  juices — the  food  by 
which  they  are  nourished — the  influence  of  light 
and  air  on  their  growth  and  motions — their  male 
and  female  organs — their  periods  of  longevity — 
their  modes  of  propagation — their  diseases  and 
dissolution — iheir  orders,  genera,  and  species — 
their  immense  variety — their  influence  on  the 
salubrity  of  the  atmosphere — the  relation  which 
their  rool»,  leaves,  and  fruits  bear  to  the  wants 
of  man  an  i  other  animals,  in  supplying  food, 
clothing,  and  materials  for  constructing  habita- 
tions'— the  gums  and  resinous  substances  they 
exude — the  odours  they  exhale — the  variety  of 
colours  they  exhibit — the  vast  diversity  of  forms 
in  which  they  appear — and  the  beauty  and  va- 
riety which  they  spread  over  the  whole  face  of 
nature. 

The  mineral  kingdom  would  next  require  to  be 
surveyed.  We  would  inquire  into  the  facts  which 
have  been  ascertained  respecting  the  earthy,  aon 
line,  inflammoMe,  and  metallic  substances  which 
are  found  on  the  surface  and  in  the  bowels  of 
the  earth — their  specific  and  distinguishing  cha- 
racters— the  elementary  principles,  or  simple 
substances,  of  which  they  are  composed — the 
regions  of  the  earth  where  the  respective  mine- 
rals most  frequently  abound — and  the  ends 
which  they  are  designed  to  accomplish  in  the 
constitution  of  the  globe.  We  would  consider, 
more  particularly,  the  various  metals,  such  as 
iron,  copper,  lead,  tin,  gold,  silver,  bismuth,  zinc, 
&c.  in  reference  to  the  substances  with  which 
they  are  united  in  their  native  ores — the  changes 
produced  upon  them  by  the  action  of  oxygen  and 
the  different  acids — their  combustibility — their 
combination  with  phosphorus,  sulphur,  and  car- 
bon  ;  and  the  various  compounds  into  which  they 
may  be  f)rmed — their  important  uses  in  the  arts 
which  minister  to  the  comfort  and  embellishment 
of  human  life — their  relation  to  the  multifarious 
necessities  of  man — and  the  wisdom  and  good- 
ness of  the  Creator,  as  displayed  in  their  ar- 
rangement in  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  and  in 
the  admirable  properties  of  which  they  are  pos- 
sessed. In  these  details,  the  natural  history 
of  Iran  would  hold  a  prominent  place.  In  point 
oCutiliiy,  it  claims  the  highest  rank  in  the  class 
of  metals,  and  is  intrinsically  more  valuable  than 
gold  aind  silver,  and  all  the  diamonds  of  the  East. 
—There  ia  scarcely  a  mineral  substaiKe  in  the 
8 


whole  compass  of  nature,  which  affords  a  ntore 
striking  instance  of  the  beneficial  and  harmo- 
nious adaptation  of  things  in  the  universal  sys- 
tem. We  would,  therefore,  consider  it  in  reference 
to  its  vast  abundance  in  all  parts  of  the  world— 
the  numerous  substances  into  which  it  enters 
into  combination — its  magnetical  property — its 
capability  of  being  fused  and  welded — the  nu- 
merous useful  utensils  it  has  been  the  means 
of  producing — its  agency  in  carrying  forward  im- 
provements in  art  and  science,  in  the  civilization 
of  barbarous  tribes,  and  in  promoting  the  progress 
of  the  human  mind ;  and  the  aids  which  it  affords 
to  the  Christian  missionary  in  heathen  lands. 

Having  surveyed  the  inanimate  parts  of  the 
terraqueous  globe,  and  its  appendages,  we  might 
next  direct  our  attention  to  ihe  animated  tribes 
with  which  it  is  peopled.  Beginning  at  Man, 
the  head  of  the  animal  creation,  we  would  de- 
tail the  principal  facts  which  have  been  ascer- 
tained respecting  his  structure  and  organical 
functions — the  muscular  movements  of  the  hu- 
man body,  the  system  of  bones,  nerves,  veins, 
and  arteries  ;  the  process  of  respiration  ;  and  the 
organs  of  vision,  hearing,  smelling,  tasting,  and 
feeling,  by  which  he  holds  a  correspondence 
with  the  material  world — the  modifications  which 
appear  in  his  corporeal  fi-ame  and  in  his  mental 
faculties,  during  the  periods  of  infancy,  puberty, 
manhood,  and  oid  age — the  causes  and  phenomena 
of  sleep  and  dreaming — the  varieties  of  the  human 
race,  in  respect  of  colour,  stature,  and  features — 
the  deviations  from  the  ordinary  course  of  nature, 
which  occasionally  occur,  in  the  case  of  monsters, 
dwarfs,  and  giants — the  moral  and  intellectual 
faculties — and  those  distinguishing  characteristics 
which  prove  the  superiority  of  man  over  the  other 
tribes  of  animated  nature. 

The  inferior  ranks  of  the  animal  creation 
would  next  demand  our  attention.  We  would 
take  a  survey  of  the  numerous  tribes  of  Quadru- 
peds, Birds,  Fishes,  Serpents,  Jjizards,  and  In- 
sects, in  reference  to  the  characteristic  marks  bj 
which  the  different  species  are  distinguished,— 
their  food  and  habitations — the  different  modes 
in  which  they  display  their  architective  faculty, 
in  constructing  places  of  abode  for  sheher  and 
protection — the  clothing  with  which  they  are 
furnished — their  sagacity  in  finding  out  the  pro- 
per means  for  subsistence  and  self-preservation — 
their  hostilities— their  artifices  in  catching  their 
prey,  and  escaping  their  enemies — their  modes 
of  propagation — their  transformations  from  one 
state  and  form  to  another — their  migrations  to 
different  countries  and  climates — thair  various 
instincts — their  care  in  rearing  and  protecting 
their  young — their  passions,  mental  characters, 
and  social  dispositions — their  language,  or  modes 
of  communication  with  each  other — their  capaci- 
ties for  instruction  and  improvement — iheir  dit 
ferent  powers  of  locomotion — the  adaptation  of 
all  their  organs  to  the  purposes  for  which  thej 


68 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


•Mill  intended — the  indicatioot  thev  give  of 
being  possessed  of  moral  dispositions  and  rational 
powera — their  ditTerent  periods  of  longevity,  and 
tba  ends  which  they  are  intendud  to  subserve  in 
the  system  of  nature.  Along  with  these  details, 
certain  views  might  be  exhibited  of  the  various 
forms  of  sensitive  life,  and  modes  of  existence, 
•vhich  obtain  in  those  numerous  species  of  an- 
imals which  are  invisible  to  the  naked  eye,  and 
which  tiie  microscope  discovers  in  almoel  every 
iepartment  of  nature. 

Having  surveyed  the  objects  which  compoAo 
our  sublunary  system,  we  would  next  direct  our 
view  to  the  regions  of  the  sky,  and  contemplate 
the  (acts  which  have  been  discovered  in  relation  to 
the  celestial  orbs.  We  would  first  attend  to  the 
appcerent  motion  of  the  sun,  the  diflerent  |>oints  of 
the  horizon  at  which  he  seems  to  rise  and  set, 
and  the  different  degrees  of  elevation  to  which  he 
arrives,  at  different  seasons  of  the  year, — the 
different  aspects  he  presents  as  viewed  from  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  earth's  surface,  and  the  differ- 
ent lengths  of  days  and  nights  in  different  parts 
of  the  world.  We  would  next  attend  to  the  varied 
phases  of  the  moon — the  direct  and  retrograde 
motions  of  the  planets  —  the  apparent  diurnal 
motion  of  the  whole  celestial  sphere,  from  east 
to  west— -and  the  different  clusters  of  stars  which 
•re  Men  in  our  nocturnal  sky,  at  different  sea- 
aoot  of  the  year.  We  would  next  consider  the 
deduetions  which  science  has  made,  respecting 
the  order  and  arrangement  of  the  panels  which 
compose  the  solar  system — their  distances  from 
the  sun,  and  from  the  earth — their  magnitudes 
— the  periods  of  ilieir  diurnal  and  annual  revo- 
lutions —  the  secondary  planets,  or  moons, 
which  accompany  them  —  their  eclipses  —  the 
various  phenomena  whicli  their  surfaces  present 
when  viewed  through  telescopes — the  physical 
influence  which  some  of  them  produce  on  the 
■uriace  of  our  globe — and  the  singular  appear- 
ance of  those  bodies  called  Comttt,  which 
occasionally  visit  this  part  of  our  system.  We 
would,  in  the  next  place,  extend  our  views  to 
the  starry  regions,  and  consider  the  number 
of  stars  which  present  themselves  to  the  naked 
eye  —  the  immensely  greater  numbers  which 
are  discovered  by  telescope^^the  systems  into 
which  they  appear  to  be  arranged  —  the  facta 
which  have  been  ascertained  respecting  new 
star* — double  and  triple  ttare-T-etars  once  visi- 
ble, which  have  now  disappeared  from  the  hea- 
vens—variable stars,  whoae  lustre  is  increased 
and  diminished  at  different  periods  of  time — and 
the  straQturte  and  position  of  the  many  hundreds 
cSNdntla,  or  starry  systems,  which  appear  to  be 
dispersed  throughout  the  immensity  of  creation. 

All  the  particular*  now  stated,  and  many 
others  which  might  have  been  specified — eorm- 
dertd  limpli/  a* /acts  which  exist  in  the  system 
of  Nature— form  the  appropriate  and  legitimate 
etjeot*  of  Nuural  History,  and  demand  the  se- 


rious attention  of  every  rational  intelligence, 
that  wishfs  to  trace  the  perfections  and  agency 
of  the  Almighty  Creator.  To  investigate  the 
causes  uf  the  diversified  phenomena  which  the 
material  world  exhibits,  and  ihe  principle*  and 
mo<ies  by  which  many  of  the  facts  now  alluded 
to  are  ascertained,  is  the  peculiar  province  ol 
Natural  Philosophy,  Chymisuy ,  and  the  Mathe- 
matical Sciences. 

Amid  so  vast  a  variety  of  objects  as  Natural 
History  presents,  it  is  difficult  to  fix  on  sny  par- 
ticular facts,  as  spucinieiis  of  the  interestinf 
nature  of  ihisdeparimeiit  of  knowledge,  without 
going  beyond  the  limits  to  which  I  am  necessarily 
confined  in  this  volume.  I  shall  content  myself 
with  a  description  of  two  objects,  which  have  a 
•  reference  chiefly  to  the  vegetable  kingdom.— 
The  first  of  these  is 

The  Banian  Tree. — "  This  tree,  which  is 
also  called  the  Burr  T\ee,  or  the  Indian  Fig,  is 
one  of  the  most  curious  and  beautiful  of  Nature'* 
productions, in  the  genial  climate  of  India,  where 
she  sports  with  the  greatest  variety  and  profusion. 
Each  tree  is  in  itself  a  grove ;  and  some  of  them 
are  of  an  amazing  size  and  extent,  and,  contrary 
to  most  other  animal  and  vegetable  productions, 
seem  to  be  exempted  from  decay.  Every  branch 
from  the  main  body  throws  out  its  own  roots  ; 
at  first,  in  small  tender  fibres,  several  yards  from 
the  ground  ;  these  continually  grow  thicker,  until, 
by  a  gradual  descent,  they  reach  the  surface,  and 
there,  striking  in,  they  increase  to  large  trunks, 
and  become  parent  trees,  shotting  out  new 
branches  from  the  tops.  These,  in  time,  bu»> 
pend  their  roots,  and  receiving  nourishment 
from  the  earth,  swell  into  trunks,  and  shiwt  forth 
other  branches ;  thus  continuing  in  a  state  of 
progression,  so  Ion:;  as  the  earth,  the  first  parent 
of  them  all,  contributes  her  sustenance.  A 
banian  tree,  with  many  trunks,  forms  the  most 
beautiful  Valks,  vistas,  and  cool  recesses,  that 
can  be  imagined.  The  leaves  are  large,  soft, 
and  of  a  lively  green  ;  the  fruit  is  a  small  fig,  when 
ripe  of  a  bright  scarlet,  affording  sustenance  to 
monkeys,  squirrels,  peacocks,  and  birds  of  va- 
rious kinds,  which  dwell  among  the  branches. 

"  The  Hindoos  are  peculiarly  fond  of  the 
banian  tree  ;  they  consider  its  long  duration,  its 
outstretching  arms,  and  its  overshadowing  bene- 
ficence, as  emblems  of  the  Deity,  and  almost  pay 
it  divine  honours.  The  brahmins,  who  thus 
'  find  a  fane  in  every  sacred  grove,'  spend  much  of 
their  time  in  religious  solitude,  under  the  shade 
of  the  banian  tree  ;  they  plant  it  near  'heir  tem- 
ples or  pagodas ;  and  in  those  villages  where  there 
is  no  structure  erected  for  public  worship,  they 
place  an  image  under  one  of  these  trees,  and  there 
perform  a  morning  and  evening  sacrifice.  The 
natives  of  all  castes  and  tribes  are  f<iiid  of  recreat- 
ing in  the  cool  recesses,  beautiful  walks,and  love- 
ly vistas  of  this  umbrageous  canopy,  impervious 
to  the  houeat  beam*  of  a  tropical  sun.     Thass 


NATURAL  HISTORY. 


59 


•i«  (he  trees  under  which  a  sect  of  naked  phi- 
losophers, called  Gymnosophists,  assembled  in 
Arriaii's  days,  and  ihis  historian  of  Ancient 
Greece  presents  a  true  picture  of  the  modern 
Hindoos. — '  In  winter,'  he  says,  'the  Gymno- 
sophists enjoy  the  benefit  of  the  sun's  rays  in  the 
open  air  ;  and  in  summer,  when  the  heat  becomes 
excessive,  they  pass  their  time  in  cool  and  moist 
places,  under  large  trees,  which  accordinj;  to  ihe 
accounts  of  Nearchus,  cover  a  circumference  of 
Ji\>t  acres,  and  extend  their  branches  so  far,  that  ten 
thousand  men  may  easily  find  shelter  under  them. 
"  On  the  banks  of  the  river  Narbuddy,  in  the 
province  of  Guzzerat,  is  a  banian  tree,  supposed, 
by  some  persons,  to  be  the  one  described  by 
Nearchus,  and  certainly  not  inferior  to  it.  It  is 
distinguished  by  the  name  of  Cuhbeer  Burr, 
which  wa^  given  it  in  honour  of  a  famous  saint. 
High  flood.s  have,  at  various  times,  swept  away 
a  considerable  pan  of  this  extraordinary  tree  ; 
but  what  siill  remains,  is  nearly  two  thousand 
feet  in  circumference  measured  round  the  princi- 
pal stems  ;  the  overhanging  branches,  not  yet 
struck  down,  cover  a  much  larger  space  ;  and 
under  it  grow  a  number  of  custard-apple  and 
other  frml  trees.  The  large  trunks  of  this  single 
tree  amount  to  three  hundred  and  fifty ;  and  the 
smaller  ones  exceed  three  thousand ;  every  one 
of  these  is  constantly  sending  forth  branches  and 
hanging  roots,  to  form  other  trunks  and  become 
the  parents  of  a  future  progeny.  The  Cubbeer 
Burr  is  famed  throughout  Hindostan,  not  only 
on  account  of  its  great  extent,  but  also  of  its  sur- 
passing beauty  The  Indian  armies  generally 
encimp  around  it ;  and  at  stated  seasons,  solemn 
Jatarras,  or  Hindoo  fesiivals,  to  which  thousands 
of  votaries  repair,  from  every  part  of  the  Mogul 
empire,  arc  there  celebrated.  It  is  said  that  se- 
ven thousand  persons  find  ample  room  to  repose 
under  its  shade.  It  has  long  been  the  custom  of 
the  British  residents  in  India,  on  their  hunting 
and  shooting  parlies,  to  f>rm  extensive  encamp- 
ments, and  spend  weeks  together,  under  this  de- 
lightful and  magnificent  pavilion,  which  alTords 
a  shelter  to  all  travellers,  pariicularly  to  the  reli- 
gions tribes  of  the  HmHoos.  Ii  is  generally  filled 
with  greenwood  pigeons,  doves,  peacocks,  and  a 
variety  of  feathered  songsters — with  monkeys, 
which  both  divert  the  spectator,  by  their  antic 
tricks,  and  interest  him  by  the  paternal  affection 
they  display  to  their  young  offsprins,  in  teaching 
them  to  select  their  food,  and  to  exert  themselves 
injumpinu  from  bounh  to  bough,— and  is  shaded 
by  bats  of  a  lar^e  size,  many  of  them  measuring 
upwards  of  six  R-et  from  the  extremity  of  one 
wini  to  the  other.  This  tree  affords  not  only 
■helier,  but  sustenance,  to  all  its  inhabitants, 
being  •■overed,amid  its  bright  foliage,  with  small 
figs,  of  a  rich  scarlet,  on  which  ihey  all  regale 
with  as  much  deliiht  as  the  lords  of  creation  on 
their  mure  costiv  fure.in  their  parties  of  pleasure." 
—Su  Encyclopedia  Britannica,  Art.  Ficua. 


This  tree,  which  is  doubtless  one  of  the  most 
singular  and  magnificent  objects  in  the  vegetable 
kingdom,  appears  to  be  a  world  in  miniature,  in 
which  thousands,  both  u{  human  beings  and  of 
the  interior  tribes  that  traverse  the  earth  and  the 
air,  may  find  ample  accommodation  and  subsist- 
ence. What  a  striking  contrast  does  it  present 
to  the  forestsof  trees,  or  mushrooms,  which  are 
perceived  by  the  help  of  the  microscope,  in  a 
pi>.'ce  o{ mouldiness — every  plant  of  which  is  se- 
veral hundreds  of  times  smaller  than  the  point  o< 
a  fine  needle!  Yet  both  are  the  effects  of  the 
agency  of  the  same  All-wise  and  Omnipotent 
Being.  And  whai  an  immense  variety  of  gra- 
dations is  to  be  found  in  the  vegetable  world,  be- 
tween these  two  extremes — every  part  of  the  vast 
interval  being  filled  up  with  flowers,  herbs,  shrubs, 
and  trees  of  every  colour,  form,  and  size,  and  in 
such  vast  multitudes  and  profusion  that  no  man 
can  number  them  ! 

An  object,  which  approximates  in  a  certain  de- 
gree to  the  one  now  described,  is  mentioned  in 
"  Staunton's  Account  of  Macartney's  Embassy 
toChina,"  p.  70.  It  is  called  by  botanists  .^dan- 
sonia,  and  is  also  known  by  the  lame  of  the 
Monkey  Bread  Tree,  and  was  discovered  in  the 
island  of  St  Jago.  "  The  circumference  or  girth 
of  the  base  was  56  feet,  which  soon  divided  into 
two  vast  branches,  the  one  in  a  perpendicular 
direction,  whose  periphery,  or  girth,  was  42  feet, 
the  other  26.  Another,  of  the  same  species,  stood 
near  it,  whose  single  trunk,  girthing  only  38  feet, 
was  scarcely  noticed." 

The  only  other  specimen  I  shall  exhibit  to  the 
reader  has  a  relation  both  to  the  animal  and  to  the 
vegetable  kingdom.  It  is  well  known  that  the 
examination  of  flowers,  and  vegetables  of  every 
description,  by  the  microscope,  opens  anew  and 
interesting  field  of  wonders  to  the  inquiring 
naturalist.  Sir  John  Hill  has  given  the  following 
curious  account  of  wliat  appeared  on  his  examin- 
ing a  carnation. 

"The  principal  flower  in  an  elegant  bouquet 
was  a  carnation  :  the  fragrance  of  this  led  me  to 
enjoy  it  frequently  and  near.  The  sense  of  smell- 
ing was  not  the  only  one  affected  on  these  occa- 
sions: while  that  was  satiated  with  the  powerful 
sweet,  the  ear  was  constantly  attacked  by  an 
extremely  soft,  but  agreeable  murmuring  sound. 
It  was  easy  to  know  that  some  animal  within  the 
covert  must  be  the  musician,  and  that  the  little 
noise  must  come  from  some  little  creature,  suited 
to  produce  it.  I  instantly  distended  the  lower  part 
of  the  flower,  and  placin<j  it  in  a  full  light,  could 
discover  troops  of  little  insects  frisking,  with  wild 
jollity,  among  the  narrow  pedestals  that  support- 
ed its  leaves,  and  the  little  threads  that  occupied 
its  centre.  What  a  fragrant  world  for  their  ha- 
biiaiion!  What  a  perfect  security  from  all  an- 
noyance, in  the  dusky  husk  that  surrounded  the 
scene  of  action!  Adapting  a  microscope  to  takfe 
in,  at  one  view,  the  whole  base  of  the  flower,  I 


•0 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER, 


fmre  myseiran  opportunity  of  contemplating  what 
tk«y  were  about,  anti  litis  fur  many  daj'S  toge- 
ther, wiUiout  giving  lh«m  the  least  diAiurbaitce, 
Thus,  I  could  di.'Cover  their  economy,  tlieir 
passions,  and  their  enjoyments.    The  microscope, 

00  this  occasion,  had  given  what  nature  seemed 
to  have  denied  to  the  objects  of  cuntemplai ion. 
The  base  of  the  flower  extended  itself  under  its 
influence  to  a  vast  plain  ;  ttie  slender  stenis  of 
the  leaves  became  trunks  of  so  many  stalely 
cedars  ;  the  threads  in  the  middle  seemed  co- 
lumns of  massy  structure,  supporting  at  the  lop 
several  ornaments  ;  and  the  narrow  spaces  be- 
tween were  enlarged  into  walks,  parterres,  and 
terraces.  On  the  polished  bottoms  orthese,brighler 
than  Parian  marble,  walked  in  pairs,  alone, 
or  in  larger  companies,  the  winged  inhabitants ; 
these  from  little  dusky  flies,  for  such  only  the 
naked  eye  would  liave  shown  them,  were  raised 
to  glorious  glittering  anintals,  stained  with  living 
purple,  and  with  a  glossy  gold,  that  would  have 
made  all  the  labours  of  the  loom  contemptible  in 
the  comparison.  I  could,  at  leisure,  as  they 
walked  together,  admire  their  elegant  limbs, 
their  velvet  bhoulders,  and  their  silken  wings  ; 
their  backs  vying  with  the  empyrean  in  its  blue  ; 
and  their  eyes,  each  formed  of  a  thousand  others, 
outglittering  the  little  planes  on  a  brilliant ;  above 
description,  and  too  great  almost  for  admiration. 

1  could  observe  them  here  singling  out  their  fa- 
Touritc  females ;  courting  them  with  the  music  of 
their  buzzing  wings  with  little  songs,  formed  for 
their  little  organs  pleading  them  from  walk  to  walk, 
among  the  perfumed  shades,  and  pointing  out  to 
their  taste  the  drop  of  liquid  nectar,  just  burst- 
ing from  some  vein  within  the  living  trunk — here 
were  the  perfumed  groves,  the  more  than  mystic 
•hades  of  the  poet's  fancy  realized.  Here  the 
happy  lovers  spent  their  days  in  joyful  dalliance, 
or,  in  the  triumph  of  their  little  ht-arts.  skipped 
after  one  another  from  stem  to  stem,  among  the 
painted  trees,  or  winged  their  short  flight  to  the 
close  shadow  of  some  broader  leaf,  to  revel  un- 
disturbed in  the  heights  of  all  felicity." 

This  picture  of  the  splendour  and  felicity  of 
intect  life.  may«  to  certain  readers,  appear 
•omewhat  overcharged.  But  those  who  have 
be^n  much  in  the  habit  of  contemplating  the  beau- 
ties of  the  animal  and  vegetable  world,  through 
nicroacopes,  can  easily  enter  into  all  the  views 
which  are  here  described.  I  have  selected  this 
example,  for  the  purpose  of  illustrating  the  un- 
boModed  goodness  of  th«  Creator,  in  the  vast 
prafiMion  of  enjoyment  he  has  communicated, 
eren  to  lb«  lowest  tribes  of  animal  existence. 
and  as  a  specimen  of  those  invisible  worlds 
which  exist  beyond  the  range  of  our  natural 
vision.  For  it  appears  that  there  is  a  grada'ion 
of  worlds  downward  m*  well  as  upward.  How- 
ever small  our  globe  may  appear  when  compared 
with  the  sun  and  with  the  immensity  of  starry 
•jatems  which  lie  di^rsed  through  the  infinity 


of  space,  there  are  worlds  Glled  with  myriads 
of  living  beings,  which,  in  point  of  size  and  ex- 
tent, bear  as  small  a  proportion  to  the  earth,  as 
the  earth  bears  to  the  vast  assemblage  of  the 
celestial  worlds.  A  single  flower,  a  leaf,  or  a 
drop  of  water,  may  appear  as  large  and  as  diver- 
sified in  its  structure,  to  some  of  the  beings 
which  inliabit  it,  as  the  whole  earth  appears  to 
the  view  of  man  ;  and  a  tliousand  scenes  of  mag- 
nificence and  beauty  may  be  presented  to  their 
sight,  of  which  no  distinct  conception  can  be 
formed  by  the  human  mind.  The  many  thousands 
of  transparent  globes,  of  which  their  eyes  are 
composed,  may  magnify  and  multiply  the  objects 
around  them  without  end,  so  that  an  object 
scarcely  visible  to  the  eye  of  man  may  appear 
to  them  as  a  vast  extended  universe. 

"  Having  examined,"  says  St.  Pierre,  "one 
day,  by  a  microscope,  the  flowers  of  thyme,  I  dis- 
tinguished in  ihem,  with  equal  surprise  and  d^ 
light,  superb  flagons  with  a  long  neck,  uf  a  sutH 
stance  resembling  the  amethyst,  from  the  gullets 
of  which  seemed  to  flow  ingots  of  liquid  gold.  I 
have  never  made  observatims  of  the  corolla, 
simply  of  the  smallest  flower,  without  finding  it 
composed  of  an  admirable  substance,  half  trans- 
parent, studded  with  brilliants,  and  shining  in 
the  most  lively  colours.  The  beings  which  live 
under  a  reflex  thus  enriched,  must  have  ideas 
very  different  from  ours,  of  light,  and  of  the  othei 
phenomena  of  nature.  A  drop  of  dew,  filtering  is 
the  capillary  and  transparent  tubes  of  a  plant, 
presents  to  them  thousands  of  cascades  ;  the  same 
drop  fixed  as  a  wave  on  the  extremity  of  one  of 
its  prickles,  an  ocean  without  a  shore  ;  evaporat- 
ed into  air,  a  vast  aerial  sea.  It  is  cre<lihle,  then, 
from  analogy,  that  there  are  animals  feeding  on 
the  leaves  of  plants  like  the  cattle  in  our  n  eadows 
and  on  our  mountains,  which  repose  under  the 
shades  ofa  down  imperceptibe  to  the  naked  eye, 
and  which,  from  goblets  forme<l  like  so  many 
suns,  quaff  nectar  of  the  colour  of  gold  and  silver." 

Thus  it  appears,  that  the  universe  extends  to 
infinity  on  either  hand  ;  and  that  whrnever  mat- 
ter exists,  from  the  ponderous  globes  of  heaven 
down  to  the  invisible  atom,  there  the  Almighty 
Creator  has  pre|)ared  habitations  for  countless 
orders  of  existence,  from  the  seraph  to  the  ani- 
malcula,  in  order  to  demonstrate  his  boundless 
beneficence,  and  the  infinite  variety  of  modes  by 
which  he  can  difiuse  happiness  through  ilie  uni- 
versal system. 

"  How  sweet  to  muse  upon  His  skill  displajr'd 
Iiifli  Ite  skill  !  In  all  that  he  has  matte  ; 
To  trace  In  nature's  most  minute  deslim 
The  si^.-iiure  and  stump  of  power  divine; 
Contrivance  exquisite,  expres se<t  with  ease. 
Where  uuasslsled  siKht  no  beauty  sees  ; 
The  shapely  limb  and  luhrlratpit  joint. 
Within  the  small  dlmrnrions  of  a  voint: 
Musrie  and  nerve  miraculoiixly  spun, 
His  ml«!hty  worit  who  speaks  and  it  is  .lone  ; 
Th' invisible  in  things  scarce  seen  reveal'd; 
To  whom  an  atom  Is  an  ample  fleld  !" 
Cowptr'i  I 


NATURAL  HISTORY. 


61 


With  regard  to  the  reUgioua  tendency  of  the 
study  of  Natural  History,  it  may  be  remarked — 
that,  as  all  ihe  objects  which  it  embraces  are  ihe 
■  vxirkmanship  of  God — the  delineations  and  de- 
scriptions of  ttie  Natural  Historian  must  be  con- 
sidered as  "  The  history  of  ttie  operations  of  the 
Creator  ;"  or,  in  other  words,  so  far  as  the  science 
extends,  "  The  history  of  the  Creator  himself:" 
for  the  marks  of  his  incessant  agency,  his  power, 
wisdom,  and  beneficence,  are  impressed  on  every 
object,  however  minute,  throughout  the  three 
kingdoms  of  nature,  and  throughout  every  region 
of  earth,  air,  and  sky.  As  the  Deity  is  invisi- 
ble to  mortal  eyes,  and  cannot  be  directly  con- 
templated by  finite  minds,  without  some  material 
medium  of  communication — there  are  but  two  me- 
diums with  which  we  are  acquainted,  by  which 
we  can  attain  a  knowledge  of  his  nature  and  per- 
fections. These  are,  either  thv/acta  which  have 
occurred  in  the  course  of  his  providential  dispen- 
sations towards  our  race,  since  the  commence- 
ment of  time,  and  the  moral  truths  connected 
with  them— or,  the  facts  which  are  displayed  in 
the  economy  of  nature.  The  first  class  of  facts  is 
recorded  in  the  Sacred  Hisory,  and  in  the  Annals 
of  Nations;  the  second  class  is  exhibited  in  the 
diversified  objects  and  motions  which  appear 
throughout  the  system  of  the  visible  universe. 
The  one  may  be  termed  the  Moral  History,  and 
the  other,  the  Natural  HiMory,  of  the  operations 
of  the  Creator.  It  is  obviously  incumbent  on 
every  rational  being,  to  contemplate  the  Creator 
through  both  these  mediums ;  for  each  of  them 
conveys  its  distinct  and  peculiar  revelations ;  and 
consequently  our  perception  of  Deity  through 
the  one  mtdium  does  not  supersede  the  neces- 
sity of  our  contemplating  him  through  the  other. 
While,  therefore,  it  is  our  duty  to  contemplate 
the  perfections,  the  providence,  and  the  agency 
of  God,  as  displayed  in  ihe  Scripture  Revelation, 
it  is  also  incumbent  upon  us,  to  trace  his  attri- 
butes in  the  System  of  Nature,  in  order  that  we 
may  be  enable  to  contemplate  the  eternal  Jeho- 
vah, in  exyery  variety  of  aipect,  in  which  he  has 
been  pleased  to  exhibit  himself,  in  the  universe 
be  has  formed. 

The  visible  creation  may  be  considered  as  a 
permanent  and  sensible  manifestation  of  Deity, 
intended  every  moment  to  present  to  our  view 
the  unceasing  energies  of  Him  "  in  whom  we 
live  and  move."  And  if  the  train  of  our  thoughts 
were  directed  in  its  proper  channel,  we  would 
perceive  God  in  every  ol)ject,and  in  every  move- 
ment :  we  would  behold  him  operating  in  the 
whirlwind,  and  in  the  storm  ;  in  the  subterra- 
neous cavern,  and  in  the  depths  of  the  ocean  ;  in 
the  gentle  rain,  and  the  refreshing  breeze  ;  in  the 
rainbow,  the  fiery  meteor,  and  the  lightning's 
flash  ;  in  the  splendours  of  the  sun,  and  the  majes- 
tic movements  of  the  heavens  ;  in  the  frisking  of 
the  lambs,  the  songs  of  birds,  and  the  buzz  of  in- 
Becta }  in  tiie  circulation  <af  our  blood,  th«  mave- 


ments  of  our  joints,  the  motion  of  our  eyeballs, 
and  in  the  rays  of  light  which  are  cmiinuallv 
darting  from  surrounding  objects,  for  the  purposes 
of  vision.  For  these,  and  ten  ihuui^arid  other 
agencies  in  the  system  of  nature,  are  nothing 
else  but  the  voice  of  Deity,  proclaiming  to  the 
sons  of  men,  in  silent  but  emphatic  language, 
"  Stand  still,  and  consider  the  wonderful  works 
of  God." 

If,  then,  it  be  admitted,  that  the  study  of 
Nature  is  the  study  of  the  Creator — to  overlook 
the  grand  and  beautiful  scenery  wi;h  which  we 
are  surrounded,  or  to  undervalue  any  thing  which 
Infinite  Wisdom  has  formed,  is  to  overlook  and 
contemn  the  Creator  himself.  Whatever  God 
has  thought  proper  to  create,  and  to  present  to 
our  view  in  the  visible  world,  it  becomes  man 
to  study  and  contemplate,  that,  from  thence,  he 
may  derive  motives  to  excite  him  to  the  exercise 
of  reverence  and  adoration,  of  gratitude  and 
praise.  In  so  far  as  any  individual  is  unac- 
quainted with  the  various  facts  of  the  history  of 
nature,  in  so  far  does  he  remain  ignorant  of  the 
manifestations  of  Deity;  for  every  object,  on  the 
theatre  of  the  universe,  exhibits  his  character 
and  designs  in  a  different  point  of  view.  He 
who  sees  God  only  as  he  displays  himself  in  his 
operations  on  the  earth,  but  has  never  contem- 
plated the  firmament  with  the  eye  of  reason,  must 
be  unacquainted  with  those  amazing  energies  of 
eternal  Power,  which  are  displayed  in  the  stu- 
pendous fabric  and  movements  of  the  orbs  of 
heaven.  He  who  sees  God  only  in  the  general 
appearances  of  nature,  but  neglects  to  penetrate 
into  his  minute  operations,  must  remain  igno- 
rant of  those  astonishing  manifestations  of  divine 
wisdom  and  skill  which  appear  in  the  contri- 
vances, adaptations,  and  functions  of  the  animal 
and  the  vegetable  kingdoms.  For,  the  more  we 
know  of  the  work,  the  more  accurate  and  cooh 
prehensive  will  be  our  views  of  the  Intelligence 
by  whom  it  was  designed  ;  and  the  farther  we 
carry  our  investigations  of  the  works  of  God,  the 
more  admirable  and  astonishing  will  his  plans 
and  perfections  appear. 

In  short,  a  devout  contemplation  of  the  works 
of  nature  tends  to  ennoble  the  human  soul,  and 
to  dignify  and  exalt  the  affections.  It  inspires 
the  mind  with  a  relish  of  the  beauty,  the  harmo- 
ny, and  order  which  subsist  in  the  universe  around 
us — it  elevates  the  soul  to  the  love  and  admira- 
tion of  that  Being  who  is  the  author  of  our  com- 
forts, and  of  all  that  is  sublime  and  beneficent  in 
creation,  and  excites  us  to  join  with  all  holy 
beings  in  the  chorus  of  praise  to  the  God  and 
Father  of  all.     For  they 

"Whom  Nature's  works  lian  charm,  with  God  hnnself 
Hold  converse,  grow  faniiliarday  by  day 
With  his  conceptions,  act  upon  his  v'an, 
And  form  to  his  the  relish  of  their  souls." 

The  man  who  surveys  the  vast  fiekl  of  nature 
with  tbo  ey«  of  reason  and  devotion,  will  not  odjr 


69 


THE  CHll         AN  PHILOSOPHER. 


pin  t  more  comprehentive  view  of  (hat  illimit- 
able power  which  orgmnized  the  universe,  but 
will  find  his  tources  of  enjoymrnt  com  inually 
increased,  and  will  feel  an  ardcni  desire  after 
that  ginrtoua  world,  where  the  veil  which  now 
hides  from  our  sight  some  of  the  giandeat  mani- 
iesiations  of  Deity  will  be  withdrawn,  and  the 
wonders  ofOmnipoienre  bedisplayed  in  all  their 
■plendoiir  and  perfection. 

In  conformity  with  these  sentiments,  we  find 
the  inspired  writers,  in  numerous  instances,  call- 
ing our  atienliun  to  the  wonders  of  creating 
power  and  wisdom.  In  one  of  ihe  first  speeches 
in  which  the  Almighty  is  introduced  as  address- 
ing the  sons  of  men,  and  the  longest  one  in  the 
Bible,'*  our  attention  is  exclusively  directed  to 
dte  subjects  of  Natural  History  ;  —  the  whole 
address  having  a  reference  to  the  economy  of 
Divine  Wisdom  in  the  arrangement  of  the  world 
at  its  first  creation — the  wonders  of  the  ocean, 
and  of  light  and  darkness — the  phenomena  of 
thunder  and  lightning,  rain,  hail,  snow,  frost,  and 
other  meteors  in  the  atmosphere — the  intellectual 
&culties  of  man,  and  the  economy  and  instincts 
of  quadrupeds,  birds,  fishes,  and  other  tribes  of 
animated  existence.  Indeed,  the  greater  part  of 
the  sublime  descriptions  contained  in  the  book  of 
Job  has  a  direct  reference  to  the  agency  of  God 
in  the  material  creation,  and  to  the  course  of  his 
providence  in  relation  to  the  different  characters 
of  men  ;  and  the  reasonings  of  the  different 
Speakers  in  that  sacred  drama  proceed  on  the  sup- 
position that  their  auditors  were  intimately  ac- 
quainted with  the  varied  appearances  of  nature, 
and  their  tendency  to  exhibit  the  character  and 
perfections  of  the  Omnipotent  Creator.  We  find 
the  Psalmist,  in  the  I04ih  Psalm,  employed  in  a 
devout  description  of  similar  objects,  from  the 
oonlemplatiun  of  which  his  mind  is  raised  to 
adoring  views  of  their  AIniifjhty  Author — and, 
from  the  whole  of  his  survey,  he  deduces  the  fol- 
lowing conclusions  : — "  How  manifold  are  thy 
works,  O  Lord  !  In  voudom  thou  hast  made  them 
all!  The  earth  is  full  of  thy  riches;  so  is  this 
great  and  wide  sea,  wherein  are  things  creeping 
innumerable,  both  small  and  great  beasts.  The 
glory  of  the  Lord  shall  endure  for  ever ;  the 
Lord  shall  rejoice  in  all  his  works.f  I  will  sing 
mio  the  Lord  as  long  as  I  live  ;  I  will  sing 
praiaes  to  my  God,  while  I  have  my  being." 

•  Job,  chap,  xxxvill.  xxxix.  xl.  xll. 

♦  Ttie#-/ivr«ofiheLorrl,  In  this  passage,  rtenotes  the 
display  of  hU  perfections  In  the  matt-rial  universe : 
and  the  declaralinn  of  the  inspired  writer  plainly 
intimates,  that  this  display  will  continue  for  ever, 
»Bd  will  remain  as  an  object  of  unceasing  contem- 
plation Id  all  Intelligences,  and  as  nn  eternal  mcinu- 
■sent  of  Ms  power  and  wlsiloni.  For,  although  the 
•artb  and  the  aerial  hr:.ivcns  will  be  rhantrcd  at  the 
«lo»eof  that  iHspensjition  of  I'rovldonce  which  re- 
spects ourwoni,  yet  the  general  frame  of  the  uni- 
veiae,  in  Its  other  parta,  will  remain  iiiljctantiaily 
the  same  ;  and  not  only  so,  tmt  will  in  all  prnUiblllty 
be  perpetually  increasing  In  magnitude  and  gran- 
tmu.  And  tke  chance  wliick  will  be  effected  in  respect 


But  in  order  to  enter  into  the  spirit  of  such 
sublime  reflections,  we  must  nut  content  uurselves 
with  a  superficial  and  cursory  view  of  the  objects 
and  operations  of  nature, — we  tnu»t  not  think 
it  sufficient  lo  acquiesce  in  such  vague  proposi- 
tions as  these—"  The  glory  nf  G<kI  is  seen  in 
every  blade  of  grass,  and  every  drop  of  water; 
all  nature  is  full  of  wonders,  from  the  dust  of  ttte 
earth  to  the  stars  of  the  firmament."  We  must 
study  the  works  of  creation  with  ardour,  survey 
them  with  minute  attention,  and  rndeavour  to 
acquire  a  *ptc\fic  and  comprehtntivt  knowledge 
of  the  Creator's  designs.  We  niUKi  endeavour 
to  acquire  a  knowledge  of  the  particular  modes, 
circumstances,  contexture,  coiifiguiaiiuns,  adap- 
tations, structure,  functions,  and  relations  oC 
those  objects  in  nhich  l>enevolenre  and  design 
conspicuously  appear-~iii  the  animal  and  the 
vegetable  world,  in  the  ocean,  the  atmosphere, 
and  the  heavens  ;  that  the  mind  may  be  enabled 
to  draw  ihe  conclusion  with  full  conviction  and 
intelligence—"  In  udtdom  thou  hasl  wade  them 
uU."  The  pointed  interrogatories  which  Jeho- 
vah addressed  to  Job,  evidently  inipiy,  that  Job 
ha  previously  acquired  an  intimate  acquaintance 
with  the  works  of^  nature.  It  seems  to  be  taken 
for  granted,  as  a  matter  of  course,  that  he  made 
himself  acquainted  with  ihe  general  range  of  facts 
in  the  visible  creation  ;  and  the  intention  of  the 
several  questions  presented  lo  his  consideratioo 
evidently  was  to  impress  him  with  a  sense  of  his 
own  impotency,  and  to  lead  him  to  the  investiga- 
tion of  the  wonders  of  Creating  Power  which  he 
had  formerly  overlooked.  The  conclunion  which 
the  Psalmist  draws  respecting  the  tVisdom  dis- 
played throughout  all  the  works  of  God,  plainly 
intimates,  thai  he  had  made  the  different  parts  of 
nature  the  subject  of  minute  exammaiion,  and  of 
deep  reflection  ;  otherwise  he  could  not  have  ra- 
tionally deduced  his  conclusion,  cm  fell  those  emo- 
tions which  filled  his  mind  with  the  pious  rapture 
so  beautifully  expressed  in  thai  hymn  of  praise 
to  the  Creator  of  the  world. 

We  have,  therefore,  reason  to  believe,  from 
these  and  other  instances,  that  pious  men,  "  in 
the  days  of  old,"  were  much  more  accustomed 
than  modem  Christians  to  contemplate  and  ad- 
mire the  visible  works  of  the  Lord — and  it  is 
surely  much  lobe  regretted,  that  we  who  enjoy 
so  many  superior  means  of  information,  and  who 
have  access  to  the  brilliant  discoveries  of  later 
and  more  enlightened  times,  should  inanilest  so 
much  disregard  to  "  the  works  of  Jehovah  and 
the  operations  of  his  hands."  To  enable  the 
common  mass  of  Christians  to  enter  into  the 
spirit  of  this  delightful  study  and  ChHslian  duty, 
should,  therefiire,  be  one  object  of  those  period- 
ical and  other  religious  works  which  are  put  into 
their  hands  ;  so  that  they  may  be  enab!ed,  with 

to  the  terraqueous  globe  and  Its  appendages  will  be 
such  that  Jehovah  will  have  reason  to  "  rajOios"  in 
this  as  well  as  In  all  his  other  works. 


GEOGRAPHY. 


6S 


vigour  and  intelligence,  to  form  the  pious  re^- 
hitiun  of  Asaph,  "I  will  metliiate  on  all  thy 
Works,  O  Lord  !  anJ  talk  of  ihy  doings." — '  I 
will  utter  abundanlly  the  memory  of  thy  great 
goodness,  and  tell  of  iby  wondrous  works."'*' 

OEOSRAPHT. 

The  next  department  of  knowledge  I  shall 
notice  is  the  science  of  Geography. 

The  object  of  this  science  is,  to  describe  the 
world  we  inhabit,  in  reference  to  the  continents, 
islands,  mountains,  oceans,  seas,  rivers,  env- 
pires,  and  kmgdums  with  which  it  is  diversified, 
together  with  the  manners,  customs,  and  reli- 
gion of  the  different  tnbes  which  people  its 
surface. 

In  order  to  fo-m  an  accurate  conception  of 
the  relative  positions  of  objects  on  the  surface 
of  the  earth,  and  to  enter  with  intelligence  on 
the  study  of  this  subject,  it  is  requisite,  first  of 
all,  to  hdve  an  accurate  idea  of  its  figure  and 
magnitude.  Fur  a  long  series  of  ages  it  was 
supposed,  by  the  bulk  of  mankind,  that  the  sur- 
face of  the  earth  was  nearly  a  plane,  indefinitely 
extended,  and  bounded  on  all  sides  by  the  sky. 
Lactantius,  and  several  of  the  fathers  of  the 
Christian  church,  strenuously  argued  that  the 
earth  was  extended  infinitely  downwards,  and 
established  upon  several  foundations.  The  an- 
cient philosopher  Heraclitus  is  said  to  have  be- 
lieved that  the  earth  was  of  the  shape  of  a  skifT 
or  canoe,  very  much  hollowed  ;  and  the  philo- 
sopher Leucippus  supposed  it  to  be  of  the 
form  of  a  cylinder  or  a  drum.  It  is  only  within 
the  period  of  the  last  three  hundred  years  that 
the  true  figure  of  the  earth  has  been  accurately 
ascertained.  I'his  figure  is  now  found  to  be 
that  of  an  oblate  spheroid,  nearly  approach- 
ing to  the  shape  of  a  globe  or  sphere.  To 
have  asserted  tliis  opinion  several  ages  ago 
would  have  been  considered  as  a  heresy  in  reli- 
gion, and  would  have  bubjected  its  abettors  to 
tlie  tuiathemas  of  the  church,  and  even  to  the 
peril  of  their  lives.  Historians  inform  us  that 
the  learned  Spigelius,  Bishop  of  Upsal,  in  Swe- 
den, sufl^ered  martyrdom  at  the  stake,  in  de- 
fence of  the  doctrine  of  the  Antipodes ;  and  we 
know  that,  for  asserting  the  motion  of  the  earth, 
the  celebrated  philosopher  Galileo  was  immured 
in  a  dungeon,  and  condemned  by  an  assembly  of 
cardinals  to  all  the  horrors  of  perpetual  imprison- 
ment. The  doctrine  he  maintained,  and  which 
is  now  universally  received  by  every  one  ac- 
quainted with  the  subject,  was  declared  by  those 
arrogant  ecclesiastics  to  be  "  a  proposition 
absurd  in  its  very  nature,  false  in  philosophy, 
heretical  in  religion,  and  contrary  to  the  Holy 
Scriptures."     Such  are  some  of  the  horrible 

"  A  select  list  of  popular  works  on  Ntitural  His- 
tory, and  the  other  sciences  noticed  in  tlie  following 
•kotcbes,  will  be  found  in  the  appendix. 


and  pernicious  consequences  which  flow  from 
ignorance  of  the  phenomena  of  nature,  and  of 
those  laws  by  which  the  Almighty  governs  the 
universe  he  has  formed  ;  and  which-  prove  it  to 
be  a  Christian  duty  for  every  rational  beino  to 
study  the  order  and  economy  of  the  visible 
world. 

That  the  earth  is   nearly  of  a  globular  figure, 
is  proved  by  the  following  coiisidcrai  ions : — 1. 
When  we  stand  on   tiie  seashore,  while  the  sea 
is  perfectly  calm,  we  perceive  that  the  surface 
of  the  water  is  not  quite  plain,  but   convex  or 
rounded  ;  and  if  we  are  on  one  side  of  an  arm 
of  the  sea,  as  the  Frith  of  Forth,  and,  with 
our  eyes  near  the  water,  look  towards  the  oppo- 
site coast,  we  shall  plainly  see  the   water  ele- 
vated between  our  eyes  and  the  opjiosiie  shore, 
so  as  to  prevent  our   seeing  the  land  near  the 
edge  of  the  water.     The  same  experiment  may 
be  made  on  any  portion  of  still. water,  of  a  mile 
or  two  in  extent,  when  its  convexity  will  be  pei^ 
ceived  by  the   eye.     A  little  boat,  for  instance, 
may  be  perceived  by  a  man  who  is  any  height 
above  the  water,  but  if  he  stoops  down,  and  lays 
his  eye  near  the  surface,  he  will  fin.l  that  the 
fluid  appears  to  rise,  and  intercept  the  view  of 
the  boat.     2.  If  we  take  our  station  on  the  sei^ 
shore,  and  view  the  ships  leaving  the  coast,  in 
any  direction — as  they  retire  from  our  view,  we 
may  perceive  the  masts  and  rigging  of  the  ves- 
sels when  the  hulls  are  out  of  sight,  and,  as  it 
were,  sunk  in  the  water.     On  the  other  hand, 
when  a  ship   is  approaching  the  siiore,  the  first 
part  of  her  that  is  seen  is  the  topmast ;  as  she 
approaches  nearer,  the  sails  become  visible,  and 
last  of  all,  the  hull  comes  gradually  into  view.f 
The   reason  of  such  appearances    obviously  ia, 
that  the  round  or  oonvex  surface  of  the  water 
interposes  between  our  eye  and  the  body  of  the 
ship,  when  she  has  reached  a  certain  distance, 
while,  ut  the  same  time,  the  sails  and  topmast, 
from   their   greater    elevation,  may  be  still   in 
view.     To  the  same  cause  it  is  owing,  that  the 
higher  the  eye   is  placed,  the  more  extensive  is 
the  prospect ;  and  hence  it  is  common  for  sailors 
to  climb  to  the  tops  of  masts,  in  order  to  discover 
land  or  ships  at  a  distance.     The  con  rary  of  ali 
this  would  take  place,  if  the  earth  and  waters  were 
an  extended  plane.     When  a  ship  came  within 
view,  the  hull  would   first  make  its  appearance, 
being  the  largest  object,  next  the  sails,  and,  last 
of   all,     the     topmast.     These    considerations, 
which  hold  true  in  all  parts  of  the  woild,  prove 
to  a  certainty,  that  the  mass  of  the  ocean  is  of 
a  globular  form  :  and  if  the  ocean  be  a  portion 
of  a  sphere,  it  follows  that  the  land  also  is  of 
the  same  general   figure  ;  for  no  portion  of  the 
etu-th's   surface   is  elevated   above  fiur   or  five 

tin  order  to  make  sucli  observations  to  .-uivantajre^ 
the  observer's  eye  sliould  be  as  near  as  possible  oa 
a  level  with  tlie  sea,  and  he  should  use  a  telescop* 
to  enable  liim  to  perceive  more  distinctly  tlie  uppet 
part  of  the  vesMl. 


•4 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


bQm  above  th«  terel  of  the  oceui.    S.  Thai  th« 

earth  la  round  fruiii  north  to  south,  appear*  frum 
the  following  circumatance  :— ■When  we  travel  a 
conaiderable  diataoce  (rom  north  to  atMith,  or  from 
•ouih  to  north,  a  number  of  mw  ttars  succea- 
•ively  appear  in  the  heavenR,  in  the  quarter  to 
which  we  are  advancing,  and  mUVf  of  thosu  in  the 
oppoaitequaiter  gradually  disappear,  which  would 
not  happen  if  the  earih  were  a  plane  in  liiat  direc- 
tion. 4.  That  the  earth  is  :Ound  frum  east  to  west, 
appears  frum  actual  experiment ;  for  many  navi- 
gators, by  railing  in  a  westerly  direction,  have 
gone  quite  round  it,  from  east  to  west ;  and  were 
it  not  fur  the  frozen  seas  withmthe  polar  regions, 
which  interrupt  uavigation  in  those  directions, 
it  would,  long  ere  now,  have  been  circumnavi- 
gated from  north  to  south.  5.  All  those  prix^is 
are  confirmed  and  illustrated  by  eclipses  of  the 
moon,  which  present  an  ocular  demomtration  of 
the  earth's  rotundity.  An  eclipse  of  the  moon 
is  caused  by  the  intervention  of  the  body  of  the 
earth  between  the  sun  and  moon  ;  in  which  case 
the  shadow  of  the  earth  falls  upon  the  moon. 
This  shadow  is  found,  in  all  cases,  and  in  every 
position  of  the  earth,  to  be  of  a  drculoo'  figure  ; 
which  incontrovertibly  proves,  that  the  whole 
mass  of  land  and  water,  of  which  the  earth  is 
composed,  is  nearly  of  a  globular  form.  The 
mountains  and  vales  which  diversify  its  surface 
detract  little  or  nothing  from  its  globular  shape  ; 
fur  they  bear  no  more  pro|M)rtion  to  its  whole 
bulk  than  a  few  grains  of  sand  to  a  common  ter- 
restrial globe  ;  the  highest  mountains  on  its  sur- 
&ce  being  little  more  than  the  two-lhousandih 
part  of  its  diameter.  Some  of  the  mountains 
oa  the  surface  of  the  moon  are  higher  than  those 
on  the  earth,  and  yet  that  body  appears,  both  to 
the  naked  eye  and  through  telescopes,  of  a 
■pherical  figure. 

To  some  readers,  the  discovery  of  the  true 
figure  of  the  earth  may  appear  as  a  matter  of 
very  trivial  importance  in  religion.  I  hesitate 
not,  however,  to  affirm  that  it  constitutes  a  most 
important  fact  in  the  history  of  Divine  Provi- 
dence. Had  not  this  discovery  been  made,  it 
is  probable  that  the  vast  continent  of  America 
might  yet  have  remained  undiscovered ;  for, 
Columbus,  who  first  discovered  that  new  world, 
had  learned,  contrary  to  the  general  opinion  of 
the  times,  that  ihe  earth  was  of  a  spherical 
figure;  and,  from  the  maps  then  existing,  he 
began  to  conjecture,  that  the  nearest  way  of 
■ailing  to  the  East  Indies  would  be  to  sail 
westward.  And  although  he  missed  the  objt^ct 
of  bia  research,  he  was  the  means  of  laying 
open  to  view  a  vast  and  unknown  region  of  the 
earth,  destined,  in  due  time,  to  receive  from  the 
Eastern  world  the  blessings  of  knowledge,  civi- 
lization, and  religion.  On  the  knowledge  of  the 
■pherical  figure  of  the  earth,  the  art  of  naviga- 
tion in  a  great  measure  depends ;  and  all  the 
voyages  of  diaoovery,  which  have  been  made 


in  later  yearn,  were  undertaken  in  consequence 
of  the  knowle<ige  uf  this  fact.  Had  mankind 
remained  unacquamted  with  this  discovery,  the 
circumnavigation  of  the  globe  would  never  have 
been  attempted — vast  portions  «-f  the  habituble 
world  would  have  remained  unknown  and  unex- 
plored— no  regular  iniurcoune  would  have  been 
maintained  between  the  various  tribes  of  the 
human  race  ;  and,  consequently,  the  blessings 
of  Divine  Revelation  omiM  never  have  been 
cuminuiiicaled  to  the  greater  part  of  the  Gentile 
world.  Besides,  the  knowledge  of  the  true  figure 
and  magnitude  of  our  sublunary  work!  forms  the 
groundwork  of  all  the  sublime  discoveries 
which  have  hitherto  been  made  in  the  region* 
of  the  firmament.  For  its  diameter  furms  the 
bate  line  of  ihose  triangles  by  which  the  die* 
lances  and  magnitudes  of  the  celestial  globes 
have  been  determined  ;  without  a  knowledge  of 
the  extent  of  which,  the  important  resalis  which 
have  been  deduced  respecting  the  system  of  the 
universe  could  not  have  been  a!certained,  and, 
consequently,  our  views  of  the  grandeur  and 
omnipotence  of  the  Deity,  and  of  the  magnift* 
cence  and  extent  of  his  dominions,  must  have 
been  much  more  circumscribed  than  they  now 
are.  Such  is  the  intimate  connexion  that  sub- 
sists between  every  part  of  the  chain  uf  Divine 
dispensations,  that  if  any  one  link  had  been 
either  broken  or  dissolved,  the  state  of  things, 
in  the  moral  and  intellectual  world,  would  have 
been  very  different  from  what  it  now  is;  and 
the  plans  of  Providence,  for  accoaiplishing  the 
renovation  and  improvement  of  mankind,  would 
have  been  either  partially  or  totally  frustrated 

With  regard  to  the  magnitude  of  the  eaith — 
I  have  already  staled  tiio  mode  by  which  we 
may  acquire  the  most  accurate  and  comprehen- 
sive coiicepti'jn  of  this  particular,  in  the  course 
of  the  illustrations  which  were  given  of  the  om- 
nipotence of  Deity,  (pp.  9 — II.)  It  is  ne- 
cessary here  only  to  remark — that,  according  to 
the  latest  computations,  the  diameter  of  the 
earth  is  about  7,930  miles,  and  iis  circumference 
24,912  miles;  and  consequently,  the  whole  sur- 
face of  the  land  and  water  il  contains  compre- 
hends an  area  of  197,552,160  miles.  The  pro- 
portion of  land  and  water  on  its  surface  cannot 
be  very  accurately  ascertained ;  but  it  is  quite 
evident,  from  an  inspectiun  of  a  map  of  the 
world,  that  the  water  occupies  at  least  two-thirds 
of  its  surface,  and,  of  course,  the  land  cannot 
occupy  more  than  one-third.  Supposing  it  to  be 
only  one-fnirth  of  the  earth's  surface,  it  wiU 
contain  49,387,040  square  miles,  which  is  con- 
siderably more  than  what  is  stated  in  most  of 
our  late  systems  of  geography  ;  in  some  of  which 
the  extent  of  the  land  is  rated  at  39  millions, 
and  in  others  so  low  as  30  millions  of  square 
miles — the  former  of  which  statements  being 
lees  than  one-fifth,  and  the  latter  lees  than  aa»> 
sixth  of  the  sur&ce  of  the   globe.     But  il  ii 


GEOGRAPHY. 


69 


quite  obviou-s  that  the  «xtent  of  the  land  cannot 
be  ie3s  than  one-fourlh  of  the  area  of  the  globe, 
and  must,  therefore,  comprehend  at  least  60 
milHuns  of  square  miles.  And  if  a  large  arc- 
tic continent,  elev.n  hundred  leagues  in  length, 
exi^^t  around  the  North  Pole,  as  some  French 
philosophers  infer  from  Captain  Parry's  late 
discoveries* — the  quantity  of  land  on  the  terra- 
queous globe  will  be  much  greater  than  what  has 
been  now  stated. 

General  Divisions  of  the  Earth. — 
The  surface  of  the  earth  is  divided,  from  north 
to  south,  by  two  bands  of  earth,  and  two  of  water. 
The  first  band  of  earth  is  the  ancient  or  East- 
ern Continent,  comprehending  Europe,  Asia, 
and  Africa ;  the  greatest  length  oP  which  is 
found  to  be  in  a  line  beginning  on  the  east 
point  of  the  northern  part  i*f  Tartary,  and  ex- 
tending from  thence  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
which  measures  about  10,000  miles,  in  a  direc- 
tion nearly  from  north-east  to  south-west ;  but 
if  measured  according  to  the  meridians,  or  from 
north  to  south,  it  extends  only  7,600  miles,  from 
the  nordiernmost  cape  in  Lapland  to  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope.  This  vast  body  of  land  contains 
about  36  millions  of  square  miles,  forming  nearly 
one-fifth  of  the  whole  surface  of  the  globe.  The 
Other  bind  of  earth  is  what  is  commonly  called 
the  New  Continent,  which  comprehends  North 
and  South  America.  Its  greatest  length  lies  in 
a  line  bi;i»intiing  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  Plata, 
passing  through  the  island  of  Jamaica,  and  ter- 
minatini;  beyond  Hudson's  Bay  ;  and  it  measures 
about  8  000  miles.  This  body  of  land  contains 
about  14  millions  of  square  miles,  or  somewhat 
more  than  a  third  of  the  old  continent. 

It  may  not  be  improper  here  to  remark,  that 
the  two  lines  now  mentioned,  which  measure 
the  greatest  lengths  of  the  two  continents,  divide 
them  into  two  equal  parts,  so  that  an  equal  por- 
tion of  land  Kes  on  each  tiide  of  these  lines,  and 
that  each  of  these  linex  has  an  inclination  of 
about  30  degrees  to  tKe  equator,  but  in  opposite 
directions  ;  that  of  the  old  continent  extending 
from  the  north-east  to  the  south-west,  and  that 
of  the  new  continent  from  the  north-west  to  the 
south-east  ■  and  that  they  both  terminate  at  the 
same  degree  of  northern  and  southern  latitude. 
It  may  al^o  be  noticed,  that  the  old  and  new 
continents  are  almost  opposite  to  each  other,  and 
that  the  old  is  more  extensive  to  the  north  of  the 
equator,  and  the  new  more  extensive  to  the 
south.  The  centre  of  the  old  continent  is  in  the 
17ih  degree  of  north  latitude,  and  the  centre  of 
the  new  in  the  17th  degree  of  south  latitude;  so 
that  they  seem  to  be  made  to  count erbulance 
each  other,  in  order  to  preserve  the  equability 
of  the  diurnal  rotation  o'  the  earth.  There  is 
also  a  singular  connexion  between  the  two  con- 
tinents, namely,  that  if  they  were  divided  into 


two  parts,  all  four  would  be  surrounded  by  the 
sea,  were  it  not  for  the  two  small  necks  of  land 
<:allcd  the  isthmuses  of  Siiez  and  Paiiam.i.f 

Between  the  two  continents  now  meniioned,)ie 
two  immense  bands  of  water,  termed  the  Pacific 
and  the  Atlantic  oceans,  whose  greatest  length  is 
likewise  in  a   direction  from  north  to   south. 

Besides  the  two  bands  of  earth  to  which  I 
have  adverted,  many  extensive  portions  of  land 
are  dispersed  through  the  ocean,  which  covers 
the  remaining  part  of  the  earth's  surface  ;  par- 
ticularly the  extensive  regions  of  New  Holland, 
which  occupy  a  space  nearly  as  large  as  the 
whole  of  Europe,  and  the  arctic  continent, 
which  probably  exists  within  the  northern  polar 
regions',  arid  which  some  French  writers  pro- 
pose to  designate  by  the  name  of  Boreasia,  is  in 
all  probability,  of  equal  extent.  There  are  also 
the  extensive  islands  of  New  Guinea,  Borneo, 
Madagascar,  Sumatra,  Japan,  Great  Britain, 
New  Zealand,  Ceylon,  Iceland,  Cuba,  Java, 
and  thousands  of  others,  of  different  dimensions, 
scattered  through  the  Pacific,  the  Indian,  and 
the  Atlantic  oceans,  and  which  form  a  very 
considerable  portion  of  the  habitable  regions  of 
the  globe. 

General  Features  of  the  Earth's 
Surface. — In  taking  a  general  survey  of  the 
external  features  of  the  earth,  the  most  prominent 
objects  that  strike  the  eye  are  those  huge  eleva- 
tions which  rise  above  the  level  of  its  general  sur- 
face, termed  Hills  and  Mountains.  These 
are  dis>ributed,  in  various  forms  and  sizes, 
through  every  portion  of  the  continents  and 
islands  ;  and,  running  into  immense  chains,  form 
a  sort  of  connecting  band  to  the  other  portion  of 
the  earth's  surface.  The  largest  mountains  are 
generally  formed  into  immense  chains,  which 
extend,  in  nearly  the  same  direction,  for  several 
hundreds,  and  even  thousands  of  miles.  It  has 
been  observed  by  some  philosophers,  that  the 
most  lofty  mountains  form  two  immense  ridges, 
or  belts,  which,  with  some  interruptions,  extend 
around  the  whole  globe,  in  nearly  the  same  direc- 
tion. One  of  these  ridges  lies  between  the  45th 
and  55th  degree  of  north  latitude.  Beginning 
on  the  western  shores  of  France  and  Spain,  it 
extends  eastward,  including  the  Alps  and  the 
Pyrenees,  in  Europe,  the  Uralian  and  Altaic 
mountains,  in  Asia — extending  from  thence  to 
the  shores  of  Kamschaika,  and  after  a  short  in- 
terruption from  the  sea,  they  rise  again  on  the 
western  coast  of  America,  and  terminate  at 
Canada,  near  the  eastern  shore.  It  is  supposed 
that  the  chain  is  continued  completely  round  the 
globe,  through  the  space  that  is  covered  by  the 
Atlantic  ocean,  and  that  the  Azores,  and  other 
islands  in  that  direction,  are  the  only  summits  that 
are  visible,  till  "Vve  come  to  the  British  isles, 
The  other  ridge  runs  along  the  Southern  hemi- 


Bee  Monthly  Magazine,  April,  1SS8,  p.  SSt. 
9 


«  Bee  Buffon's  Natural  Histor/,  vol.  L 


66 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


•phere,  between  the  60th  and  90ih  drgreei  of 
•oulh  laiiliide,  of  which  detached  poriionx  are 
(bund  in  the  mountains  uf  Tucuman,  and  of  Para- 
guay, in  South  America, — of  Monomoinpa  and 
Caflraria,  in  Africa;  in  New  Holland,  New 
Caledunia,  the  New  HebridvH,  the  Friendly,  the 
Society,  and  other  islands  in  the  Pacific  orean. 
Fmm  these  ridgrs  flows  a  variety  of  ramifica- 
tiona,  in  both  hemispheres,  towards  the  Equator, 
and  the  Poles,  which  altogether  present  a  mag- 
nificent scenery,  which  diversities  and  enlivens 
the  surface  of  our  globe. 

The  highest  mountains  in  the  world,  accord- 
ing to  some  late  accounts  published  in  the 
"  Transactions  of  the  Asiatic  Society,"  are  the 
Himalaya  chain,  north  of  Bengal,  on  the  borders 
of  Thibet.  The  highest  mountain  in  this  range 
ia  stated  to  be  about  27,000  feet,  or  a  little  more 
than  five  miles,  in  perpendicular  height,  and  is 
visible  at  the  distance  of  230  milea.  Nineteen 
different  mountains  in  this  chain  are  stated  to 
be  above  four  miles  in  perpendicular  elevation. 
Kext  to  the  Himalayas,  are  the  Andes,  in  South 
America,  which  exteiKl  more  than  4000  miles  in 
length,  from  the  province  of  Quito  to  the  straits 
of  Magellan.  The  highest  summit  of  the  Andes 
ia  Chimborazo,  which  is  said  to  be  20,600  feet, 
or  nearly  four  miles,  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 
The  highest  mountains  in  Europe,  are  the  Alps, 
which  run  through  Switzerland  and  the  north  of 
Italy, — the  Pyrenees,  which  separate  France 
from  Spain,  and  the  Dofrafeld,  which  divide 
Norway  from  Sweden.  The  most  elevated 
ridges  in  Asia,  are  Mount  Taurus,  Imaus,  Cau- 
casus, Ararat,  the  Urd!ian,  Altaian,  and  the 
mountains  of  Japan — in  Africa,  Mount  Atlas, 
and  the  mountains  of  the  Moon.  Some  of  the 
mountains  in  these  ranges  are  found  to  contain 
immense  caverns  or  perforations,  of  more  than 
two  miles  in  circumference,  reaching  from  their 
summits  lo  an  immeasurable  depth  into  the  bow- 
els of  the  earth.  From  these  dreadful  openings 
are  frequently  thrown  up,  to  an  immense  height, 
torrents  of  fire  and  smoke,  rivers  of  melted  metnis, 
clouds  of  ashes  and  cinders,  and  sometimes 
red-hot  stones  and  enormous  rocks,  to  the  dis- 
tance of  several  miles,  accompanied  with  thun- 
ders, lightnings,  darkness,  and  horrid  subterrane- 
ous sounds — producing  the  most  terrible  devasta- 
tions through  all  the  surrounding  districts.  The 
roost  noted  mountains  of  this  kind  in  Europe, 
are  mount  Hecia,  in  Iceland  ;  Etna,  in  Sicily ; 
and  Vesuvius,  near  the  city  of  Naples,  in  Italy. 
Numbers  of  volcanoes  are  also  to  be  foimd  in 
South  Anterica,  in  Africa,  in  the  islands  of  the 
Italian  ocean,  and  in  the  Empire  of  Japan.* 

We  who  live  in  Great  Britain,  where  the 
higtiest  mountain  is  little  more  than  three-quar- 
ters of  a  mile  in   perpendicular  elevation,  can 

*  A  more  particular  description  of  the  phenome- 
na of  ttiese  tecTlAo  oiuecU  wtU  be  found  la  Cbap. 
It.  Sect  3. 


form  no  ade<|uate  idea  of  the  magnificence  and 
a^ful  sublimity  of  the  mountain  scenery  in  some 
of  the  countries  now  mentioned  ;  especially  when 
th«  volcano  is  bclrhing  forth  its  flames  with  a 
raging  noise,  and  spreading  terror  and  desolation 
around  its  base.  From  the  tups  uf  the  loflj 
ridges  of  the  Andes,  the  moiit  grand  and  novel 
scenes  sometimes  burst  upon  the  eve  of  the  as> 
tonished  traveller.  He  beholds  the  upper  suiw 
face  of  the  clo«ids  far  below  him,  covering  the 
subjacent  plain,  and  surrounding,  like  a  vast  sea, 
the  foot  of  the  moimiain;  while  the  place  OK 
which  he  stands  appears  like  an  islanid  in  the 
midst  of  the  ocean.  He  sees  the  lightnings 
issuing  from  the  clouds,  and  hears  the  noise  of 
the  tem|i«*t,  and  the  thunders  rolling  far  beneath 
his  feet,  while  all  is  serene  around  him,  and  the 
blue  vault  of  heaven  appears  without  a  cloud. 
At  other  times,  he  contemplates  the  meat  sub- 
lime and  extensixe  prosftecls — mountains  ranged 
around  him,  covered  with  eternal  snows,  and  su»> 
rotinding,  like  a  vast  amphitheatre,  the  plains  b^ 
low — rivers  winding  from  their  sources  towards 
the  ocean — cataracts  da.shing  headlong  over  tr»- 
merxlous  clifl^H— enormous  rocks  del  ached  from 
their  bases,  «iid  rolling  down  the  declivity  of  the 
mountains  with  a  noise  louder  than  thunder — 
frightful  precipices  impending  over  his  head- 
unfathomable  caverns  yawning  from  below — and 
the  distant  volcano  sending  forth  its  hellowings, 
with  its  top  enveloped  in  the  fire  and  smoke.— 
Those  who  have  studied  nature  on  a  grand  scale, 
have  always  been  struck  with  admiration  and 
astonishment  at  the  sublime  and  awful  exhibition 
of  wonders  which  mountainotis  regions  exhibit ; 
and,  perhaps,  there  is  no  terrtUrial  scene  which 
presents,  at  ono  view,  so  many  objects  of  over- 
powering magnitude  and  grandeur,  and  which 
inspires  the  mind  with  so  impresisive  an  idea  of 
the  power  of  that  Almighty  Being,  who  "  weigb- 
eih  the  mountains  in  scales,  and  taketh  up  the 
isles  as  a  very  little  thing." 

The  OcEAit. — The  ocean  surrounds  the 
earth  on  all  sides,  and  penetrates  into  the  inte- 
rior parts  of  different  countries;  sometimes  by 
large  openings,  and  frequently  by  small  straits. 
Could  the  eye  lake  in  this  immense  sheet  of 
waters  at  one  view,  it  would  api>ear  the  most 
august  object  under  the  whole  heavens.  It  oc- 
cupies a  space  on  the  surface  of  the  globe  at 
least  three  times  greater  than  that  which  is  oo 
cii|)ied  by  the  land  ;  comprehending  an  extent 
of  148  millions  uf  iiquare  miles.  Though  the 
ocean,  sirictly  speaking,  is  hut  one  immense 
body  of  waters  extending  in  different  directions, 
yet  different  names  have  been  appropriated  to 
different  portions  of  its  surface.  That  portion 
of  its  waters  which  rolls  between  the  western 
coast  of  America  and  the  eastern  of  Asia,  is 
called  the  Paci/e  ocean ;  and  that  portion 
which  separates  Europe  and  Afiira  from  Aroe- 
lica,  ih«  AlioMtie  ocean.     Other  pociiooa  are 


GEOGRAPHY. 


67 


vanned  the  Narikem,  Southern,  and  Indian 
«>eeans.  Whea  its  waters  penetrate  into  the 
land,  they  form  what  are  called  gulfs,  and  medi- 
terranean seas.  But  without  following  it 
through  all  its  windings  and  divisions,  I  shall 
state  a  few  general  facts. 

With  regard  to  the  deptk  of  this  body  of 
water,  no  certain  conclusions  have  yet  been 
formed.  Beyond  a  certain  depth,  it  has  hitherto 
been  found  unfathomable.  We  know,  in  gene- 
ral, that  the  depth  of  the  sea  increases  gradually 
as  we  leave  the  shore  ;  but  we  have  reason  to 
believe  that  this  increase  of  depth  continues 
only  to  a  certain  distance.  The  numerous 
islands  scattered  every  where  through  the  ocean, 
demonstrate,  that  the  bottom  of  the  waters,  so 
far  from  uniformly  sinking,  sometimes  rises 
into  lofty  mountains.  It  is  highly  probable,  that 
the  depth  of  the  sea  is  somewhat  in  proportion 
tO  the  elevation  of  the  land  ;  for  there  is  some 
reason  to  conclude,  that  the  present  bed  of  the 
ocean  formed  the  inhabited  part  of  the  ancient 
world,  previous  to  the  general  deluge,  and  that 
we  are  now  occupying  the  bed  of  the  former 
ocean  ;  and,  if  so,  its  greatest  depth  will  not  ex- 
ceed four  or  five  miles  ;  for  there  is  no  moun- 
tain that  rises  higher  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 
But  the  sea  has  never  been  actually  sounded  to 
a  greater  depth  than  a  mile  and  sixty-six  feet. 
Along  the  coast  its  depth  has  always  been  found 
proportioned  to  the  height  of  the  shore  ;  where 
the  coast  is  high  and  mountainous,  the  sea  that 
washes  it  is  deep  ;  but  where  the  coaist  is  low, 
the  water  is  shallow.  To  calculate  the  quantity 
of  water  it  contains,  we  must  therefore  suppose 
a  medium  depth.  If  we  reckon  its  average 
deptti  at  two  miles,  it  will  contain  296  miilions 
of  cubical  miles  of  water.  We  shall  have  a 
more  specific  idea  of  this  enormous  mass  of 
water,  if  we  consider,  that  it  is  sufficient  to 
cover  the  whole  globe,  to  the  height  of  more  than 
«ight  thousand  feet ;  and  if  this  water  were 
reduced  to  one  -  spherical  mass,  it  would  form  a 
globe  of  more  than  800  miles  in  diameter. 

With  regard  to  its  bottom — As  the  sea  covers 
80  great  a  part  of  the  globe,  we  should,  no  doubt, 
by  exploring  its  interior  recesses,  discover  a  vast 
number  of  interesting  objects.  So  far  as  the 
bed  of  the  ocean  has  been  explored,  it  is  found 
to  bear  a  great  resemblance  to  the  surface  of  the 
dry  land ;  being,  like  it,  full  of  plains,  caverns, 
rocks,  and  mountains,  some  of  which  are  abrupt 
and  almost  perpendicular,  while  others  rise  with 
a  gentle  acclivity,  and  sometimes  tower  above 
the  water,  and  form  islands.  The  materials, 
too,  which  compose  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  are 
the  same  which  form  the  basis  of  the  dry  land. 
It  also  resembles  the  land  in  another  remarkable 
particular ; — many  fresh  springs,  and  even  rivers, 
rise  out  of  it ;  an  instance  of  which  appears 
near  Goa,  on  the  western  coast  of  Hindostan, 
«ad  io  the   Mediterrane&a  sea,  not  far  fr«m 


Marseilles.  The  sea  sometimes  assumes  dif- 
ferent colour*.  The  materials  which  compose 
its  bottom  cause  it  to  reflect  different  hues  in 
different  places ;  and  its  appearance  is  also 
affected  by  the  winds  and  by  the  sun,  while  the 
clouds  that  pass  over  it  communicate  all  their 
varied  and  fleeting  colours.  When  the  sun 
shines,  it  is  green  ;  when  he  gleams  through  a 
fog,  it  is  yellow ;  near  the  poles,  it  is  black , 
while,  in  the  torrid  zone,  its  colour  is  often 
brown ;  and,  on  certain  occasions,  it  assumes 
a  luminous  appearance,  as  if  sparkling  with 
fire. 

The  ocean  has  three  land*  of  motion.  The 
first  is  that  undulation  which  is  produced  by  the 
wind,  and  which  is  entirely  confined  to  its  sur- 
face. It  is  now  ascertained  that  this  motion 
can  be  destroyed,  and  its  surface  rendered 
smooth,  by  throwing  oil  upon  its  waves.  The 
second  motion  is,  that  continual  tendency  which 
the  whole  water  in  the  sea  has  towards  the 
west,  which  is  greater  near  the  equator  than 
towards  the  poles.  It  begins  on  the  west  side 
of  America,  where  it  is  moderate ;  but  a.s 
the  waters  advance  westward,  their  motion  is 
accelerated ;  and,  after  having  traversed  the 
globe,  they  return,  and  strike  with  great  vio- 
lence on  the  easlem  shore  of  America.  Being 
stopped  by  that  continent,  they  rush,  with  impe- 
tuosity, into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  thence  they 
proceed  along  the  coast  of  North  America,  till 
tliey  come  to  the  south  side  of  the  great  bank 
of  Newfoundland,  when  they  turn  off  and  run 
down  through  the  Western  Isles.  This  motion 
is  most  probably  owing  to  the  diurnal  revolu- 
tion of  the  earth  on  its  axis,  which  is  in  a  direc- 
tion contrary  to  the  motion  of  the  sea.  The 
third  motion  of  the  sea  is  the  tide,  which  is  a 
regular  swell  of  the  ocean  every  12j  hours. 
The  motion  is  now  ascertained  to  be  owing  to 
the  attractive  influence  of  the  moon,  and  also 
partly  to  that  of  the  sun.  There  is  always  a 
flux  and  reflux  at  the  same  time,  in  two  parts 
of  the  globe,  and  these  are  opposite  to  each 
other  ;  so  that  when  our  antipodes  have  high 
water  we  have  the  same.  When  the  attractive 
powers  of  the  sun  and  moon  act  in  the  same 
direction,  which  happens  at  the  time  of  new  and 
full  moon,  we  have  the  highest,  or  spring  tides  ; 
but  when  their  attraction  is  opposed  to  each 
other,  which  happens  at  the  quarters,  we  have 
.the  lowest,  or  neap  tides. 

Such  is  the  ocean, — a  most  stupendous  scene 
of  Omnipotence,  which  forms  the  most  magnifi- 
cent feature  of  the  globe  we  inhabit.  When 
we  stand  on  the  seashore,  and  cast  our  eyes 
over  the  expanse  of  waters,  till  the  sky  and  the 
waves  seem  to  mingle,  all  that  the  eye  can  take 
in  at  oru  survey,  is  but  an  inconsiderable  speck, 
less  than  the  hundred- thousandth  part  of  the 
whole  of  this  vast  abyss.  If  every  drop  of 
water  can  be  divided  into  28  miilious  of  distinct 


68 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


pfttts,  as  lome  philosophers  have  dementi ntted, * 
what  an  imraen*«  awemblage  of  watery  parti- 
cles mud  be  contained  in  the  unfathomable  ca- 
rerns  of  the  ocean !  Here  the  powers  of  cal- 
culation are  oumplelely  set  at  defiance  ;  and  an 
ima^  of  iiifiniiy,  immensity,  and  endleM  dura- 
tion it  presented  to  the  mind.  This  mighty  ex- 
panse of  waters  it  the  grand  reservoir  of  nature, 
and  the  source  of  evaporation,  which  enriches 
the  earth  with  fertility  and  verdure.  Every 
cloud  which  floats  in  the  atmosphere,  and  every 
fountain,  and  rivule',  and  flowing  stream,  are 
indebted  to  this  inexhaustible  source  for  those 
watery  treasures  which  they  distribute  through 
every  region  of  the  land.  In  fine,  whether  we 
consider  the  ocean  as  rearing  its  tremendous 
billows  in  the  midst  of  the  tentpest,  or  a.<i  stretch- 
ed out  in'o  a  smooth  expanse — whether  we  con- 
sider its  imineasdrable  extent,  its  mighty'  move- 
ments, or  the  innumerable  beings  which  glide 
through  its  rolling  waves — we  cannot  but  be 
struck  with  astonishment  at  the  grandeur  of  that 
Omnipotent  Being  who  holds  its  waters  "  in 
the  hollow  of  his  hand,"  and  whqhas  said  to  Its 
foaming  surges,  "Hitherto  shall  thou  come, 
and  no  farther,  and  here  shall  thy  proud  waves 
be  stayed.'' 

RiVEKs. — The  next  feature  of  the  earth's 
sur&ce  which  ma.y  be  noticed,  is,  the  rivers 
with  which  it  is  indented  in  every  direction. 
These  are  exceedingly  numerous,  and  seem  to 
form  as  essential  a  part  in  the  constitution  of 
our  globe,  as  the  mountains  from  which  they 
flow,  and  as  the  ocean  to  which  they  direct 
their  course.  It  is  reckoned,  that  in  the  old  con- 
tinent there  are  about  430  rirers  which  fall  di- 
rectly into  the  ocean,  or  into  the  Mediterra- 
nean and  the  Black  seas  ;  but  in  the  new  conti- 
nent, there  are  only  about  146  rivers  knowp,  which 
fall  directly  into  the  sea.  In  this  enumeration, 
however, only  the  great  rivers  are  included,  such 
as  the  TImmcs,  the  Danube,  the  Wolga,  and 
the  Rhone.  Besides  thesu,  there  are  many 
thousands  of  streams  of  smaller  dimensions, 
which,  rising  from  the  mountains,  wind  in  every 
direction,  till  they  fall  into  the  large  rivers,  or 
are  carried  into  the  ocean.  The  largest  rivers 
in  Europe  are — the  Wolga,  which,  rising  in  the 
northern  parts  of  Russia,  runs  a  course  of  1 700 
miles,  till  it  falls  into  the  Caspian  Sea — the 
Danube,  whose  course  is  1300  miles,  from  the 
mountains  of  Switzerland  to  the  Black  Sea — 
and  the  Don,  which  runs  a  course  of  1200  miles. 
The  greatest  rivers  in  Asia  are — the  Hoanho, 
in  China,  whose  course  is  2400  miles — the 
Buorhampooter,  the  Euphrates,  and  the  Ganges. 
The  longest  river  in  Africa  is  the  Nile,  the 
courio  of  which  is  estimated  at  2000  miles. 
In  the  continent  of  America,  the  rivers  appear 

•  The  demonstration  of  this  proposition  may  be 
SMn  In  Nleuwent/t't  R«U(k>iu  Philosopher,  voL 


to  be  formed  on  the  grandest  scale,  both  as  to    *' 
the  length  of  their  course,  and  the  va«t  body  of     i 
waters    which  they  po<ir  into  the  ocean.     The 
Amazon,  ihe  lar).><-st  river  in  the  world,  runt  a 
course   of  above  3000  miles   across  the  conti- 
nent   of  Souih  America,   till   it   fallt    into   th« 
Atlantic  ocean,   where  it  discharge*   i  body  of 
waiera  160  miles  in  breadth.     Next   to  thit  is 
the  river  Su   Lawrence,   which    is  more  than      ' 
2400  milea  from   its  mouth    through   the    Uke 
Oniario  to   the  Lake  Alempigo  and  the  Aiwini- 
boils  ;  and  the  rivers  La  Plata  and  JVIitsissippi, 
each  of  whose  courses  it  not  less  than   SiOOO     i 
miles. 

When  we  consider  the  number  and  the  magni- 
tude of  these  majestic  streams,  it  is  evident  that      \ 
an  enormous  miys  of  water  it  coniinua.ly  pouring 
into  the  ocean,  from  every  direction.     From  ob- 
servations which  have  bt;en   n:ade  on  the  river 
Fo,  which   runs  through  Loinbardy,  and  WUrs 
a  tract  of  land  380  miles  long  and  120  brc«d^it 
is  (bund,  that  il  moves  at  the  rate  of  four  miles      ' 
an  hour,  is  1000  feel  broad,  and  10  feet  in  depth,      j 
and,  consequently,  supplies   the  sea  with  6068 
millions  of  cubical  feet  of  water  in  a  day,  or  a 
cubical  mile   in  29  days.     On  the  supposition      , 
that  the  quantity  of  water  which  the  Sea  receives 
from  the  great  rivers  in  all  countries  it  propor- 
tional to  the  extent  and  surface   of  those  coun- 
tries, it  will  follow,  that  the  quantity  of  waters 
carried  to  the  sea  by  all  the  other  rivers  oo.  lh«      * 
globe   is  1083  times  greater  than  that  furuMked 
by   the   Po,    (supposing  the   land,    as  fornMrly 
stated,  to  contain  about  49  millions   of  square 
miles,)  and  will  snpply  the  ocean  irith    13,A36 
cubical  miles  of  water  in  a  year.    Now  reckon- 
ing the  ocean,  as  formerly,  to  contain  296  mil- 
lions of  cubical  miles  of  water,  this  last  number, 
divided  by   the   former,  will  give  a  quotient  of 
21,716.     Hence    it   appears,     that,   were     the       I 
ocean  completely  drained  of  its  waters,  il  would 
require  more  than  ttPtnty  thousand  years]  before       \ 
its  caverns   could   be    again  -completely  filled 
by  all  the  rivers  in  the  world  running  into  it  at 
their  present  rate. 

Here,    two   questions    will  naturally  occur^ 
Whence  do  the  rivers  receive  to  constant  a  sup-       '^ 
ply  of  waters  ?  and  why  has  not  the  ocean  long 
ago  overflowed  the  world  ?  since  so  prodigiout  a 
mass  of  water  is   continually  flowing   into  its       ! 
abyss.     This  was  a  difficulty  which  long  po*-        ) 
zled  philosophers  ;  but  it   is   now   satisfactorily        i 
solved   from    a   consideration  of  the  effects  of 
evaporation.     By  the  heat  of  the  tun  the  parti- 
cles of  water  are  drawn  up  into  the  atmosphere 


^  Buffbn  mnkes  this  result  to  be  819  rears,  in 
which  he  Is  followed  by  Goldsmith,  and  most  sutise- 
qiient  writers  ;  but  he  proceeds  nn  the  false  atsump- 
tlon.  that  the  ore:in  covers  only  half  the  surface  of 
the  ^lolie,  arm  that  It  contains  only  8S  mllllnns  of 
square  miles,  and  he  estimates  the  averaM  depth  of 
the  ocean  to  be  only  440  yards,  er  one-noirth  of  » 
ffiiie. 


GEOGRAPHY. 


69 


from  the  surface  of  the  ocean,  and  float  in  the 
air  in  the  form  of  clouds  or  vapour.  These  va- 
pours are  carried,  by  the  winds,  over  the  surface 
of  the  land,  and  are  again  condensed  into  water 
on  the  tops  and  the  sides  of  mountains,  which, 
gliding  down  into  their  crevices  and  caverns,  at 
length  breakout  into  springs,  a  number  of  which 
meeting  in  one  common  valley  becomes  a  river ; 
and  many  of  these  united  together  at  length  form 
such  streams  as  the  Tay,  the  Thames,  the  Da- 
nube, and  the  Rhine.  That  evaporation  is  suf- 
ficient to  account  for  this  effect,  has  been  demon- 
strated by  many  experiments  and  calculations. 
It  is  found  that,  from  the  surface  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean sea,  which  contains  762,000  square  miles, 
there  are  drawn  up  into  the  air,  every  day,  by 
evaporation,  6280  millions  of  tons  of  water, 
while  the  rivers  which  flow  into  it  yield  only 
1827  millions  of  tons  in  the  same  time;  so  that 
there  is  raised  in  vapour  from  the  Mediterranean 
nearly  three  times  the  quantity  of  water  which  is 
poured  into  it  by  all  its  rivers.  One  third  of  this 
falls  into  the  sea  before  it  reaches  the  land  ; 
another  part  falls  on  the  low  lands,  for  the  nou- 
rishment of  plants  ;  and  the  other  third  part  is 
quite  sufficient  to  supply  the  sources  of  all  the 
rivers  which  run  into  the  sea.  This  is  in  full 
conformity  to  what  was  long  ago  stated  by  an 
inspired  naturalist :  "  All  the  rivers  run  into 
the  sea,  and  yet  the  sea  is  not  full ;  unto  the 
place  from  whence  the  rivers  came,  thither  do 
they  return  again;"  but,  before  they  regain  their 
former  place,  they  make  a  circuit  over  our  heads 
through  the  regions  of  the  atmosphere. 

Such  are  the  varied  movements  and  transfor- 
mations which  are  incessantly  going  on  in  the 
rivers,  the  ocean  and  the  atmosphere,  in  order  to 
preserve  the  balance  of  nature,  and  to  supply 
the  necessities  of  the  animal  and  the  vegetable 
tribes;  all  under  the  agency  and  direction  of 
Him  who  "  formed  the  sea  and  the  dry  land," 
and  who  has  arranged  all  things  in  number, 
weight,  and  measure,  to  subserve  the  purposes 
of  his  will. 

Rivers  serve  many  important  purposes  in  the 
economy  of  our  globe.  They  carry  off"  the  re- 
dundant waters  which  fall  in  rains,  or  which 
ooze  from  the  springs,  which  might  otherwise 
settle  into  stagnant  pools  ;  they  supply  to  the 
seas  the  loss  of  waters  occasioned  by  their  daily 
evaporation ;  they  cool  the  air  and  give  it  a  gen- 
tle circulation  ;  they  fertilize  the  countries  through 
which  they  flow  ;  their  waters  afford  a  whole- 
"Bome  drink,  and  the  fishes  they  contain  a  deli- 
cious food,  for  the  nourishment  of  man ;  they 
facilitate  commerce,  by  conveying  the  produc- 
tions of  nature  and  art  from  the  inland  countries 
to  the  sea;  they  form  mechanical  powers  for 
driving  machinery  of  different  kinds;  they  enli- 
ven and  diversify  the  scenery  of  the  countries 
through  which  they  pass ;  and  the  cataracts 
which  they  frequently  form  among  the  mountains 


present  us  with  scenes  the  most  picturesque  and 
sublime ;  so  that  every  part  of  the  constitution 
of  nature  is  rendered  subservient  both  to  utility 
and  to  pleasure 

Waiving  the  consideration  of  other  particulars, 
I  shall  simply  state  some  of  the  artificial  divisions 
of  the  earth,  and  two  or  three  facts  respecting  its 
inhabitants. 

The  land  has  generally  been  divided  into  four 
parts,  Europe,  Asia,  Africa,  and  America,  to 
which  has  been  lately  addsd  the  division  called 
Australasia,  which  comprehends  New  Holland, 
New  Guinea,  New  Zealand,  Van  Dieman's 
land,  and  several  other  islands  in  the  Pacific 
ocean.  Europe  comprehends  the  following 
countries,  Norway,  Sweden,  Denmark,  Russia, 
Prussia,  Germany,  Austria,  Turkey,  Italy,  Swit- 
zerland, France,  Holland, or  the  Netherlands, 
Spain,  Portugal,  and  Great  Britain  and  Ireland, 
together  with  the  islands  of  Sicily,  Malta,  Can- 
dia,  Corsica,  Sardinia,  Majorca,  Minorca,  Ivica, 
Zealand,  Funen,  Gothland,  Iceland,  and  several 
others  of  smaller  note. — Asia,  the  largest  and 
most  populous  division  of  the  ancient  continent, 
contains  the  Empires  of  China  and  Japan,  Chi- 
nese Tartapy,  Thibet,  Hindostan,  or  British 
India,  the  Burman  Empire,  Persia,  Arabia, 
Turkey  in  Asia,  Siberia,  Independent  Tartary, 
and  a  variety  of  territories  inhabited  by  tribes 
with  wiiich  we  are  very  imperfectly  acquainted ; 
together  with  the  immense  islands  of  Borneo, 
Sumatra,  Java,  Ceylon,  Segalien,  the  Philip- 
pines, and  thousands  of  others  of  smaller  dimen- 
sions. It  was  in  Asia  where  the  humcui  race 
was  first  planted  ;  it  became  the  nursery  of  the 
world  after  the  universal  deluge,  and  it  was  the 
scene  in  which  the  most  memorable  transactions 
recorded  in  the  sacred  history  took  place.  But 
its  inhabitants  are  now  immersed  in  Mahometan 
and  Pagan  darkness  ;  and  the  Christian  religion, 
except  in  a  few  insulated  spots,  is  almost  unknown 
among  its  vast  population.  It  is  the  richest 
and  most  fruitful  part  of  the  world,  and  produces 
cotton,  silks,  spices,  tea,  coffee,  gold,  silver, 
pearls,  diatnonds,  and  precious  stones  :  but  des- 
potism, in  its  worst  fi)rms,  reigns  uncontrolled 
over  every  part  of  this  immense  region. 

Africa  comprehends  the  following  kingdoms, — 
Morocco,  Algiers,  Tunis,  Tripoli,  Egypt,  Zaa- 
ra,  Negroland,  Guinea,  Nubia,  Abyssinia,  Caf- 
fraria,  Dahomey,  Benin,  Congo,  Angola,  and 
various  other  territories.  By  far  the  greater 
part  of  Africa  remains  hitherto  unexplored,  and, 
consequently,  we  are  possessed  of  a  very  slender 
portion  of  information  respecting  the  numerous 
tribes  that  may  inhabit  it.  This  quarter  of  the 
world,  which  once  contained  several  flourishing 
kingdoms  and  states,  is  now  reduced  to  a  gene- 
ral state  of  barbarism.  That  most  aborainabW 
traffic,  the  slave  trade,  is  carried  on  to  an  un- 
limited extent  on  its  eastern  coasts,  by  a  set  of 
European   ruffians,  whose  villanies  are  a  dia* 


70 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


grace  to  human  naturr.  Ita  moat  striking  fea- 
tures are  those  immense  deserts,  near  its  north- 
em  parts,  whidi  comprise  nearly  one-third  of  ita 
surface.  The  deserts  of  Zaara  are  1500  miles 
long,  and  800  broad. 

.Jmerifa  is  diviiled  into  North  and  South.  It 
remained  unknown  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  east- 
ern hemisphere  tilt  the  year  1482,  when  it  was 
discorered  by  Columbus,  who  first  landed  on 
Ouanahani,  or  Cat  Uland,  one  of  the  Bahama 
isles.  North  America  comprehends  the  follow- 
ing countries  :  The  United  States,  New  and  Old 
Mexico,  Upper  and  Lower  Canada,  Nova  Sco- 
tia, New  Brunswick,  and  Labrador.  South 
America  comprehends  the  immense  districts 
called  Terra  Fimia,  Peru,  Guiana,  Amazonia, 
Paraguay,  Brazil,  Chili,  and  Patagonia. — Be- 
tween N.  and  S.  America  lie  the  islands  of 
Cuba,  St.  Domingo,  Jamaica,  and  Porto  Rico, 
known  by  the  name  of  the  IVett  Indie*.  Be- 
sides these,  there  are  connected  with  America, 
the  Bahama  aixl  Carribbee  islands,  Newfound- 
land, Cape  Breton,  Tobago,  Trinidad,  Terra 
del  Fuego,  &c.  America  is  distinguished  by  ita 
numerous  and  extensive  lakes,  which  resemble 
large  inland  seas.  Ita  rivers,  also,  form  one  of 
ita  grand  and  distinguishing  features,  being  the 
largest  on  the  globe.  It  is  likewise  diversified 
with  lofty  and  extensive  ranges  of  mountains. 
When  first  discovered  it  was  almost  wholly  cover- 
ed with  immense  forests,  and  thinly  peopled  with 
a  number  of  savage  tribes.  Its  mingled  popula- 
tion of  Aborigines  and  Europeans  is  now  ma- 
king rapid  advances  in  knowledge,  civilization, 
and  commerce. 

In  regard  to  the  human  inhabitants  that  occu- 
py the  different  regions  now  specified — they  have 
been  divided  by  some  geographers  into  the  six 
following  classes — I.  The  dwarfish  inhabitants 
of  th«  polar  regions  ;  as  the  Laplanders,  the 
GhrMolanders,  and  the  Esquimaux. — 2.  The 
flat-nosed  olive-coloured  tawny  race  ;  as  the  Tar- 
tars, the  Chinese,  and  the  Japanese. — 3.  The 
Uwdu  of  Asia  with  European  features.  Of  this 
description  are  the  Hindoos,  the  Burmans,  and 
the  inhabitants  of  the  islands  in  the  Indian  ocean. 
—4.  The  woolly-haired  negroes  of  Africa,  dis- 
tinguished by  their  black  colour,  their  flat  noses, 
and  their  thick  lips. — 6.  The  copper-coloured 
native  Americans,  distinguished  likewise  by 
their  black  hair,  small  black  eyes,  high  cheek- 
bones, and  flat  noses. — 6.  The  sixth  variety  is 
the  white  European  nations,  as  the  British,  the 
French,  the  Italians,  and  the  Germans. 

The  nu»U>er  of  inhabitants  which  peo(>le  the 
earth  at  one  time  may  be  estimated  to  amount  to 
at  least  eight  hundred  milliont ;  of  which  600 
millioiu  may  be  assigned  to  Asia ;  80  millions 
to  Africa ;  70  millions  to  America  ;  and  150 
milliont  to  Europe. — With  regard  to  their  reli- 
gion, th«y  nuy  b«  estimated  as  IbUows : 


Hacans, 

Mahometan*. 

Roman  Catholics, 

Protestants, 

Greeks  and  Armlnians, 

Jews, 


SOOKMO.OM 


From  this  estimate  it  appears,  that  there  are 
more  than  four  Pagans  and  Mahometans  to  one 
Christian,  and  only  one  Protestant  lo  17  of  all  the 
other  denominations.  Although  all  the  Roman 
Catholics,  Greeks,  and  Protesianta  were  reckoned 
true  Christians,  there  still  remain  mote  than 
620  millions  of  our  fellow  men  ignorant  of  iha 
true  God,  and  of  his  will  as  revealed  in  ths 
Sacred  Scriptures ;  which  shows  what  a  vast 
field  of  exertion  still  lies  open  to  Christian  be- 
nevolence, before  the  blessings  of  civilization, 
menial  improvement,  rational  liberty,  and  Chris- 
tianity be  fully  communicated  to  the  Pagan  and 
Mahometan  world. 

If  we  suppose  that  the  earth,  at  an  average, 
has  always  been  as  populous  as  it  is  now,  and 
that  it  contains  800  millions  of  inhabitants,  as 
above  stated,  and  if  we  reckon  32  years  for  a 
generation,  at  the  end  of  which  period  the 
whole  human  race  is  renewed  ;  it  will  follow, 
that  145  thousand  millions  of  human  beings 
have  existed  on  the  earth  since  the  present  sys- 
tem of  our  globe  commenced,  reckoning  5829 
years  from  Adam  to  the  present  time.*  And, 
consequently,  if  mankind  had  never  died,  there 
would  have  been  182  times  the  present  number 
of  the  earth's  inhabitants  now  in  existence.  It 
follows  from  this  statement,  that  25  millions  of 
mankind  die  every  year,  2853  every  hour,  and 
47  every  minute,  and  that  at  least  an  equal  num- 
ber, during  these  periods,  are  emerging  from 
non-existence  to  (he  stage  of  life  ;  so  that 
almost  every  moment,  a  rationtkl  and  immortal 
being  is  ushered  into  the  world,  and  another  is 
transported  to  the  invisible  state.  Whether, 
therefore,  we  contemplate  the  world  of  matter, 
or  the  world  of  mind,  we  perceive  incessant 
changes  and  revolutions  going  on,  which  are 
gradually  carrying  forward  the  earth  and  its  in- 
habitants to  some  important  consumnnation.-^ 
If  we  suppose   that,  before  the  close  of  time, 


•  This  calculation  proceeds  on  the  supposition, 
that  only  4004  years  elapsed  between  the  Mosaic 
creation  and  the  birth  of  Christ,  arcordin<:  to  the 
Hebrew  chronolopy.  But  Dr.  Hsles,  In  his  late 
work  on  .Srripturc  chronolocy,  lias  proved,  almost 
to  a  demonstration,  that,  from  the  creation  to  the 
birth  of  Christ  are  to  be  reckoned  5411  years;  and 
this  computation  ne.irly  agrees  with  the  Samaritan 
and  Scptuaeint  chronology,  iind  with  that  of  Jose- 
phus.  Accoriling  to  this  computation,  7835  years 
arelo  be  reckoiieil  from  the  creation  to  the  present 
time  i  and,  consequently,  220  thousand  millions  of 
human  beings  will  have  existed  since  the  creation, 
which  Is  more  than  ss  times,  the  number  of  inhsr 
bitants  presently  existing. 


GEOGRAPHY. 


71 


IS  many  human  beings  will  be  brought  into  ex- 
istence, as  have  already  existed,  during  the  by- 
past  ages  of  the  world,  there  will,  of  course,  be 
found,  at  the  general  resurrection,  290,000,000,- 
000  of  mankind.  Vast  as  such  an  assemblage 
would  be,  the  whole  of  the  human  beings  here 
supposed,  allowing  six  square  feet  for  every  indi- 
vidual, could  be  assembled  within  the  space  of 
62.400  square  miles,  or  on  a  tract  of  land  not 
much  larger  than  that  of  England,  which  con- 
tains, according  to  the  most  accurate  calcula- 
tions, above  50,000  square  miles. 

Our  world  is  capable  of  sustaining  a  much 
greater  number  of  inhabitants  than  has  ever  yet 
existed  upon  it  at  any  one  time.  And  since  we 
are  informed  in  the  Sacred  Oracles,  that  God 
*'  created  it  not  in  vain,  but  formed  it  to  be  in- 
habited," we  have  reason  to  believe,  that,  in 
future  ages,  when  the  physical  and  moral  ener- 
gies of  mankind  shall  be  fully  exerted,  and  when 
Peace  shall  wave  her  olive  branch  over  the  na- 
tions, the  earth  will  be  much  more  populous 
than  it  has  ever  been,  and  those  immense  deserts, 
where  ravenous  animals  now  roam  undisturbed, 
will  be  transformed  into  scenes  of  fertility  and 
beauty.  If  it  be  admitted,  that  the  produce  of 
twelve  acres  of  land  is  sufficient  to  maintain  a 
familyconsistingof  six  persons,  and  if  we  reckon 
only  one-fourth  of  the  surface  of  the  globe  ca- 
pable of  cultivation,  it  can  be  proved,  that  the 
earth  could  afford  sustenance  for  16,000  millions 
of  inhabitants,  or  tmenty  times  the  number  \haX 
is  presently  supposed  to  exist.  So  that  we  have 
no  reason  to  faar  that  the  world  will  be  over- 
stocked with  inhabitants  for  many  ages  to  come ; 
or  that  a  period  may  soon  arrive  when  the  in- 
crease of  population  will  surpass  the  means  of 
subsistence,  as  some  of  the  disciples  of  Mal- 
thus  have  lately  insinuated.  To  suppose,  as 
some  of  these  gentlemen  seem  to  do,  that  wars 
and  diseases,  poverty  and  pestilence,  are  neces- 
sary evils,  in  order  to  prevent  the  increase  of 
the  human  race  beyond  the  means  of  subsist- 
ence which  nature  can  afford — while  the  im- 
mense regions  of  New  Holland,  New  Guinea, 
Borneo,  and  th?  greater  part  of  Africa  and 
America  are  almost  destitute  of  inhabitants- 
is  both  an  insult  on  the  dionity  of  human  nature, 
and  a  reflection  on  the  wisdom  and  beneficence 
of  Divine  Providence.  The  Creator  is  bene- 
volent and  bountiful,  and  "  his  tender  mercies 
are  over  all  his  works  ;"  but  man,  by  his  tyranny, 
ambition,  and  selfishness,  has  counteracted  the 
streams  of  Divine  beneficence,  and  introduced 
into  the  social  slate  poverty,  disorder,  and  mi- 
sery, with  all  their  attendant  train  of  evils;  and 
it  is  not  before  such  demoralizing  principles  bo 
in  some  measure  eradicated,  and  the  principles 
of  Christian  benevolence  brought  into  active 
operation,  that  the  social  state  of  man  will  be 
greatly  meliorated,  and  the  bounties  of  heaven 
(iilly  enjoyed  by  the  human  race,     ff,  in  the  pre- 


sent deranged  state  of  the  social  and  political 
world,  it  be  found  difficult,  in  any  particular 
country,  to  find  sustenance  for  its  inhabitants, 
emigration  is  the  obvious  and  natural  remedy; 
and  the  rapid  emigrations  which  are  now  taking 
place  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  New  Holland, 
Van  Dieman's  Land,  and  America,  are,  doubt- 
less, a  part  of  those  arrangements  of  Providence, 
by  which  the  Creator  will  accomplish  his  de- 
signs, in  peopling  the  desolate  wastes  of  our 
globe,  and  promoting  the  progress  of  knowledge 
and  of  the  true  religion  among  the  scattered  tribes 
of  mankind. 


With  that  branch  of  knowledge  to  whicn  I 
have  now  adverted,  every  individual  of  the  hu- 
man race  ought  to  be,  in  some  measure,  ac- 
quainted. For  it  is  unworthy  of  the  dignity  of 
a  rational  being,  to  stalk  abroad  on  the  surface 
of  the  earth,  and  enjoy  the  bounty  of  his  Crea- 
tor, without  considering  the  nature  and  extent 
of  his  sublunary  habitation,  the  variety  of  au- 
gust objects  it  contains,  the  relation  in  which  he 
stands  to  other  tribes  of  intelligent  agents,  and 
the  wonderful  machinery  which  is  in  constant 
operation  for  supplying  his  wants,  and  for  pro- 
ducing the  revolutions  of  day  and  night,  spring 
and  autumn,  summer  and  winter.  In  a  reli- 
gious point  of  view,  geography  is  a  science  of 
peculiar  interest.  For  "  the  salvation  of  God," 
which  Christianity  unfolds,  is  destined  to  be 
proclaimed  in  every  land,  in  order  that  men  of 
all  nations  and  kindreds  and  tongues  may  par- 
ticipate in  its  blessings.  But,  without  exploring 
every  region  of  the  earth,  and  the  numerous 
islands  which  are  scattered  over  the  surface  of 
the  ocean,  and  opening  up  a  regular  intercourse 
with  the  different  tribes  of  human  beings  which 
dwell  upon  its  surface,  we  can  never  carry  into 
effect  the  purpose  of  God,  by  "  making  known 
his  salvation  to  the  ends  of  the  earth.''  As 
God  has  ordained,  that  "  all  flesh  shall  see  the 
salvation"  he  has  accomplished,  and  that  human 
beings  shall  be  the  agents  for  carrying  his  de- 
signs into  effect — so  we  may  rest  assured  that 
he  has  ordained  every  mean  requisite  for  accom- 
plishing this  end ;  and,  consequently,  that  it  is 
his  will  that  men  should  study  the  figure  and 
magnitude  of  the  earth,  and  all  those  arts  by 
which  they  may  be  enabled  to  traverse  and  ex- 
plore the  different  regions  of  land  and  water, 
which  compose  the  terraqueous  globe — and  that 
if  is  also  his  will,  that  every  one  who  feels  an 
interest  in  the  present  and  eternal  happiness 
of  his  fellow  men,  should  make  himself  acquaint- 
ed with  the  result  of  all  the  discoveries  in  this 
science  that  have  been,  or  may  yet  be  made,  in 
order  to  stimulate  his  activity,  in  conveying  to 
the  wretched  sons  of  Adam,  wherever  they 
may  be  found,  "  the  unsearchable  riches  <^ 
Ch'risL" 


79 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


To  the  miMionary,  and  the  directors  of 
Bible  and  Missionarjr  Societies,  a  minute  and 
comprehensive  knowledge  of  the  scivnce,  and 
of  all  the  (acts  connected  with  it,  i*  essentially 
requisite  ;  without  which  ihey  would  uAcn  gru|ie 
in  the  dark,  and  spend  iheir  money  in  vain,  and 
"  their  labour  for  (hat  which  duth  not  profit." 
They  must  be  intimately  acquainted  with  the 
extensive  field  of  operation  which  lies  before 
them,  and  with  the  physical,  the  moral,  and  the 
political  state  of  the  difTurcnt  tribes  to  which 
thoy  intend  to  send  the  message  of  salvation  ; 
otherwise  their  exertions  will  bo  made  at  ran- 
dom, and  their  schemes  be  conducted  without 
judgment  or  discrimination.  To  attempt  to 
direct  the  mtveracnts  of  Missionary  Societies, 
without  an  intimate  knowledge  of  this  subject, 
is  as  foolish  and  absurd  as  it  would  be  fur  a  land 
surveyor  to  lay  down  plans  for  the  improvement 
of  a  gentleman's  estate,  bei()re  he  had  surveyed 
the  premises,  and  made  himself  acquainted  with 
the  objects  upon  them,  in  their  various  aspects, 
positions,  and  bearings.  If  all  those  who  direct 
and  support  the  operations  of  such  societies, 
were  familiarly  acquainted  with  the  different 
fields  for  missionary  exertions,  and  with  the 
peculiar  state  and  character  of  the  diversified 
tribes  of  the  heathen  world,  so  far  as  they  are 
known,  injudicious  schemes  might  be  frustrated 
before  they  are  carried  into  effect,  and  the  funds 
of  such  institutions  preserved  from  being  wasted 
to  no  purpose.  In  this  view,  it  is  the  duty  of 
every  Christian,  to  mark  the  progress  and  re- 
gults  of  the  various  geographical  expeditions 
which  are  now  going  forward  in  quest  of  disco- 
veries, in  connexion  with  the  moral  and  political 
movements  which  are  presently  agitating  the 
nations:  for  every  navigator  who  ploughs  the 
ocean  in  search  of  new  islands  and  continents, 
and  every  traveller  who  explores  the  interior  of 
unknown  countries,  should  be  considered  as  so 
many  pioneers,  sent  beforehand,  by  Divine  Pro- 
vidence, to  prepare  the  way  for  the  labours  of 
the  missionary,  and  f>r  the  combined  exertions 
of  Christian  benevolence.* 

•  On  this  subject  the  author  feels  preat  pleasure 
in  referrlne  his  readers  to  a  small  volume,  lately 
published,  by  James  Douglas,  Esq.  of  Cavers,  enti- 
tled, "  Hints  on  Missions,"— a  work  which  deserves 
the  attentive  penisal,  both  of  the  philosopher,  the 
politician,  and  the  Christian,  and  particularly  of  the 
directors  of  Missionary  Societies ;  and  which  Is 
Characterized  by  a  spirit  of  enllKhtcncd  philanthro- 
py, and  a  amderuatlon  of  thmnrhi,  which  has  sel- 
oom  been  equalletl  in  the  discussion  nf  such  topics. 
It  eooeentrates,  as  It  were,  Into  a  focus,  the  tlsht 
whldi  has  been  reflected  from  hundrcls  of  voliunes ; 
and  the  oriirinal  hints  it  suei;ests  claim  the  serious 
consideration  of  the  superintendents  of  misslon.vy 
schemes  ;  without  an  attention  to  some  of  which, 
the  beneliclal  effects  rcsulilne  from  such  \mdertiOc- 
In^  will  l>e  few  and  unim|>ortant.  Ktiould  this  note 
happen  to  strike  the  eye  of  thr  worthy  author,  It  Is 
submitted,  with  all  due  defercnre,  whether  a  more 
extensive  circulation  of  the  suiwtonce  of  this  vo- 
lume, in  a  leiw  expensive  form,  and  with  a  few  mo- 
dtflcatlOM,  to  brine  >t  within  the  range  of  thought 


But  even  to  every  private  Christian,  geographj 
is  an  interesting  branch  of  study,  without  sonM 
knowledge  of  which  his  prayers  and  hisChrisliab 
sympathies  cannot  be  judiciously  and  extensively 
directed.  We  occasionally  hear  the  ministers  of 
religion,  at  the  commencement  ufpublic  worship, 
on  the  first  day  of  the  week,  imploring  the  Di- 
vine blessing  on  their  brethren  throughout  the 
Christian  church, who  are  commencing  ihe  same 
exercbies ;  and  at  the  close  of  worship  in  the 
aflemoon,  that  the  same  blessing  may  seal  the 
instructions  which  have  been  delivered  in  ail  the 
churches  of  the  saints ;  as  if  all  the  public  reK- 
gious  services  of  the  universal  church  were,  at 
thai  moment,  drawing  to  a  close.  This  is  all 
very  well,  so  far  as  it  goes:  the  expression  of 
such  benevolent  wishes  is  highly  becoming,  and 
congenial  to  the  spirit  of  Christianity.  But 
a  very  slight  acquaintance  with  geographical 
science  will  teach  us,  that,  when  we  in  this 
country  are  commencing  the  religious  services 
of  the  first  day  of  the  week,  our  Christian  bre- 
thren in  the  East  Indies,  who  live  under  a  very 
different  meridian,  have  finished  theirs  ;  those 
in  Russia,  Poland,  Greece,  Palestine,  and  on 
the  banks  of  the  Caspian  sea,  have  performed 
one-half  of  their  public  religious  worship  and 
instructions ;  and  those  in  New  Holland  and 
Van  Dieman's  Laud  have  retired  to  rest,  at  the 
close  of  their  Sabbath.  On  the  other  hand,  our 
friends  in  the  West  India  islands  and  in  Ame- 
rica, at  the  close  of  our  worship,  are  only  about 
tocoramence  the  public  instruct  ions,  of  the  Chris- 
tiiui  Sabbath.  If,  then,  it  be  submitted,  that 
our  prayers,  in  certain  cases,  ought  to  be  tpecifie, 
to  have  a  reference  to  the  particular  cases  and 
relations  of  certain  classes  of  individuals,  there 
can  be  no  valid  reason  assigned,  why  they 
should  not  have  a  reference  to  the  geographical 
positions  of  the  different  portions  of  the  Chris- 
tian church,  as  well  as  to  those  who  live  on  or 
near  our  own  meridian :  that,  for  example,  in 
the  beginning  of  our  public  devotions,  we  might 
implore  tl»t  the  blessing  of  God  may  accom- 
pany the  instructions  which  have  been  delivered 
in  the  eastern  parts  of  the  wor'.d  ;  and  at  the 
close  of  worship,  that  the  same  agency  may  di- 
rect in  the  exercises  of  those  in  the  western 
hemisphere,  who  are  about  to  enter  on  the  sa- 
cred services  of  that  day.  On  the  same  princi- 
ple, we  may  perceive  the  absurdity  of  those 
"  concerU^'^  for  prayer  in  different  places  at  tht 

possessed  by  eeneral  reader?,  would  not  have  a  ten- 
dency to  promote  its  benevolent  olj.'ecis. 

'The  author  does  not  seem  to  mean,  that  it  is  ab- 
surd for  Christians  in  every  part  of  the  earth  to 
a/isemble  on  the  samediiy  in  their  re«po<'tlve  places 
of  devotion,  to  pray  for  a  universal  extension  of 
Christianity.  This  objection  would  lie  with  equal 
welRht  apUnit  the  gabhnth.  His  only  obiertlon 
appears  to  bo  a4?ainst  the  mppmtiilrm.  that  Chrls- 
ti.ins,  mcetin?  In  different  parts  of  the  earth  at  the 
same  hour  of  the  day,  are  praying  In  all  places  el 
the  tame  moment.— Ameriam  Editor. 


GEOLOGY. 


78 


same  hour,  which  were  lately  proposed,  and 
attempted  by  a  certain  portion  of  the  religious 
world.  Even  within  the  limits  of  Europe,  this 
could  not  be  attempted,  with  the  prospect  of 
Christians  joining  in  devotion  at  one  and  the 
same  limu  ;  for,  when  it  is  six  o'clock  in  one 
part  of  Europe,  it  is  eight  at  another,  and  five 
o'clock  at  a  third  place ;  much  less  could  such  a 
concert  take  place  throughout  Europe,  Asia,  and 
America.  So  that  science,  and  a  calm  consi- 
deration of  the  nature  and  relations  of  things, 
may  teach  us  to  preserve  our  devotional  fervour 
and  zeal  within  the  bounds  of  reason  and  pro- 
priety ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  to  direct  our 
reflections,  and  our  Christian  sympathies,  to 
take  a  wider  range  than  that  to  which  they  are 
usually  confined. 

Besides  the  considerations  now  suggested,  a 
serious  contemplation  of  the  physical  objects 
and  movements  which  this  science  exhibits,  has 
a  tendency  to  excite  pious  and  reverential  emo- 
tions. To  contemplate  this  huge  globe  of  land 
and  water,  flying  with  rapidity  through  the  voids 
of  space,  conveying  its  vast  population  from  one 
region  to  another  at  the  rate  of  fifteen  hundred 
thousand  miles  in  a  day,  and  whirling  round  its 
axis  at  the  same  time,  to  produce  the  constant 
succession  of  day  and  night, — to  contemplate 
the  lofty  ridges  of  mountains  that  stretch  around 
it  in  every  direction  ;  the  flaming  volcanoes  ; 
the  roaring  cataracts ;  the  numerous  rivers,  in- 
cessantly rolling  their  watery  treasures  into  the 
seas  ;  the  majestic  ocean,  and  its  unfathomable 
caverns  ;  the  vapours  rising  from  its  surface,  and 
replenishing  the  springs  and  rivers  ;  the  ava- 
lanche hurling  down  the  mountain's  side  with  a 
noise  like  thunder;  the  luxuriant  plains  of  the 
torrid  zone  ;  the  rugged  clifls  and  icebergs  of 
the  polar  regions  ;  and  thousands  of  other  ob- 
jects of  diversified  beauty  and  sublimity, — has 
an  evident  tendency  to  expand  the  conceptions 
of  the  human  mind,  to  increase  its  sources  of 
animal  enjoyment,  and  to  elevate  the  aflections 
to  that  all-powerful  Being  who  gave  birth  to  all 
the  sublimities  of  Nature,  and  who  incessantly 
superintends  all  its  movements. 

In  fine,  from  the  numerous  moral  facts,  which 
geography  unfolds,  we  learn  the  vast  depth  and 
extent  of  that  moral  degradation  into  which  the 
human  race  has  fallen — the  ferocious  tempers, 
and  immoral  practices,  which  are  displayed  in 
the  regions  of  pagan  idolatry — the  horrid  cru- 
elties, the  vile  abominations,  that  are  daily  per- 
petrated under  the  sanction  of  what  is  termed 
religion— the  wide  extent  of  population,  over 
which  the  prince  of  darkness  sways  his  sceptre 
— the  difliculties  which  require  to  be  surmount- 
ed before  the  "  gospel  of  salvation"  can  extend 
its  full  influence  throughout  the  pagan  world— 
and  the  vast  energies  which  are  requisite  to  ac- 
complish this  glorious  event.  All  these  por- 
tiona  of  information  are  cakulated  to  coofirm 
10 


and  illustrate  the  scriptural  doctrine  of  the  uni- 
versal depravity  of  man — to  exercise  the  faith 
of  the  Christian,  on  the  promises  of  Jehovah, 
in  reference  to'  the  conversion  of  the  benighted 
nations — to  rouse  his  sympathies  towards  his 
degraded  brethren  of  mankind,  to  excite  his  in- 
tercession in  their  behalf,  and  to  direct  his  be- 
ni^olence  and  activity  in  devising  and  execut- 
ing schemes  for  enlightening  the  people  who  are 
sitting  "  in  darkness,  and  in  the  shadow  of 
death." 


Another  subject  intimately  related  to  the  fbr> 
mer,  is  the  science  ofGeology. 

This  science  has  for  its  object,  to  investigate 
and  describe  the  internal  structure  of  the  earth, 
the  arrangement  of  the  materials  of  which  it  is 
composed,  the  circumstances  peculiar  to  its  ori- 
ginal formation,  the  different  states  under  which 
it  has  existed,  and  the  various  changes  which  it 
appears  to  have  undergone,  since  the  Almighty 
created  the  substance  c^  which  it  is  composed. 
Prom  a  consideration  of  the  vast  quantity  of  ma- 
terials contained  in  the  internal  structure  of  our 
globe,  and  of  the  limited  extent  to  which  men  can 
carry  their  operations,  when  they  attempt  to  pene- 
trate into  its  bowels,  it  is  obvious,  that  our  know- 
ledge of  this  subject  must  be  very  shallow  aod 
imperfect.  The  observations,  however,  which 
have  been  made  on  the  structure  of  our  globe 
during  the  last  half  century,  and  the  conclusions 
deduced  from  them,  are  highly  interesting,  both 
to  the  philosopher  and  to  the  Christian.  Before 
the  facts,  on  which  this  branch  of  natural  histo- 
ry is  founded,  were  accurately  ascertained,  a 
variety  of  objections  to  the  Mosaic  history  of  the 
creation  were  started  by  certain  skeptical  philo- 
sophers, founded  on  partial  and  erroneous  views 
of  the  real  structure  and  economy  of  the  earth. 
But  it  is  now  found,  that  the  more  accurately 
and  minutely  the  system  of  nature  is  explored, 
the  more  distinctly  do  we  perceive  the  harmony 
that  subsists  between  the  records  of  Revelation, 
and  the  operations  of  the  Creator  in  the  material 
world.  If  both  be  admitted  as  the  effects  of  the 
agency  of  the  same  Almighty  and  Eternal  Being, 
they  must,  in  the  nature  of  things,  completely 
harmonize,  and  can  never  be  repugnant  to  each 
other — whether  we  be  capable,  in  every  instance, 
of  perceiving  their  complete  coincidence,  or  not. 
If  any  facts  could  be  produced  in  the  visible  crea- 
tion which  directly  contradict  the  records  of  the 
Bible,  it  would  form  a  proof,  that  the  oracles 
which  we  hold  as  divine  were  not  dictated  by 
the  Creator  and  Governor  of  the  universe.  But, 
although  some  garbled  facts  have  been  trium- 
phantly exhibited  in  this  view,  it  is  now  ascer- 
tained, from  the  discoveries  which  have  been 
lately  made  in  relation  to  the  structure  and  forma- 
tion of  the  earth,  that  the  truth  of  the  &cU  d»> 


74 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


Uiled  in  sacred  history  resU  on  a  solid  and 
immutable  basis;  and  that  the  Supremo  Intelli- 
gence who  arranged  the  fabric  of  heaven  and 
earth,  and  he  alone,  commutiicaied  to  the  inspir- 
ed writers  the  doctrines  and  the  facts  they  have 
recorded  ;  and  we  have  reason  to  believe,  that,  as 
geologists  proceed  in  their  researches  and  inves- 
tigations, still  more  sensible  proofg  of  the  autlAn- 
ticity  oTRevelation  will  be  brought  to  light. 

Qeology  has,  of  lato,  become  an  interesting 
object  of  inquiry  to  the  student  of  general  science, 
and  is  now  prosecuted  with  ardour  by  many  dis- 
tinguished philosophers.  The  observations  which 
have  been  made  in  various  parts  of  the  world, 
by  late  navigators ;  the  facts  which  have  been 
ascertained  by  Pallas,  Saussure,  De  Luc,  Hun)- 
boldt,  and  other  intelligent  travellers ;  and  the 
discoveries  which  have  been  brought  to  light  by 
modern  chymists  and  mineralogists,  have  all 
conspired  to  facilitate  geological  inquiries,  to 
render  them  more  enlightened  and  satisfactory, 
and  to  prepare  the  way  for  future  ages  establish- 
ing a  rational,  scriptural,  and  substantial  theory 
cf  the  earth.  The  man  who  engages  in  such  in- 
^irieshu  always  at  hand  a  source  of  rational 
iiiTesiigation  and  enjoyment.  The  ground  on 
which  he  treads — the  aspect  of  the  surrounding 
country— the  mines,  the  caves,  and  the  quarries 
which  he  explores — every  new  country  in  which 
h* travels,  every  mountain  he  climbs,  and  every 
new  surface  of  the  earth  that  is  laid  open  to  his 
inspection,  offer  to  him  novel  and  interesting 
•tores  of  information.  On  descending  into  mines, 
we  are  not  only  gratified  by  displays  of  human  in- 
genuity, but  we  also  acquire  views  of  the  strata  of 
the  earth,  and  of  the  revolutions  it  has  undergone 
since  the  period  of  its  formation.  Our  research- 
es on  the  surface  of  the  earth,  amidst  abrupt  pre- 
cipices and  lofty  mountains,  introduce  us  to  the 
grandest  and  most  sublime  works  of  the  Creator, 
and  present  to  our  view  the  effects  of  stupendous 
forces,  which  have  overturned  mountains,  and 
rent  tlie  foundations  of  nature.  "  In  the  midst  of 
such  scenes,  the  geologist  feels  his  mind  invigo- 
rated ;  the  magnitude  of  the  appearances  before 
him  extinguishes  all  the  little  and  contracted  no- 
tions he  may  have  formed  in  the  closet ;  and  he 
learns,  that  it  is  only  by  visiting  and  studying 
tiiose  stupendous  works,  that  he  can  form  an 
adequate  conception  of  the  great  relations  uf 
the  crust  of  the  globe,  and  of  its  mode  of  forma- 
tion."* 

The  upper  crust,  or  surface  of  the  earth,  is 
ibiud  to  be  composed  of  different  $trata,  or  beds 
placed  one  above  another.  These  strata,  or  lay- 
ers, are  very  much  mixed,  and  their  direction, 
matter,  thickness,  and  relative  position,  vary 
eonaiderably  in  different  places.  These  strata 
ve  divided  into  seven  classes,  as  follows: — 
black  earth,  clay,  sandy  earth,  marl,  bog,  chalk, 

*  £dl&but(b  Eocrdop.  Axt  Utnenlogy- 


and  scabeous  or  stony  earth.  The  surface  of 
the  globe,  considered  in  relation  to  its  inequali- 
ties, is  divided  into  highland,  lowland,  and  the 
bottom  of  the  sea.  Highland  comprises  Alpine 
land,  composed  of  mountain  groups,  or  series  of 
mountain  chains :  lowland  comprises  those 
extensive  flat  tracts  which  are  almost  enthely 
destitute  of  small  mountain  groups.  To  the 
bottom  of  the  sea  belong  the  flat,  rocky  bottom, 
shoals,  reefs,  and  islands. 

At  first  sight,  the  solid  mass  of  the  earth 
appears  to  be  a  confused  assemblage  of  rocky 
masses,  piled  on  each  other  without  regularity  or 
order,  where  none  of  those  admirable  displays  of 
skill  and  contrivance  are  to  be  observed,  which 
so  powerfully  excite  attention  in  the  structure  of 
animals  and  vegetables.  But,  on  a  nearer  and 
more  intimate  view,  a  variety  of  beautiful  ar- 
rangements has  been  traced  by  the  industry  of 
geologists,  and  the  light  of  modem  discoveries; 
by  which  they  have  been  enabled  to  classify  these 
apparent  irregularities  of  nature.  The  materials 
of  which  the  solid  crust  of  the  earth  is  composed, 
have  been  arranged  into  the  four  fullowing  class- 
es : — 1.  Those  rocks  which  contain  neither  any 
animal  nor  vegetable  remains  themselves,  not 
are  intermixed  with  rocks  which  do  contain 
them,  and  are  therefore  termed  primitive,  or 
primary  rocks ;  the  period  of  whose  forma'ion 
is  considered  as  antecedent  to  that  of  the  crea- 
tion of  organic  beings.  These  are  granite, 
gneiss,  mica  slate,  and  clay  slate,  which  occur 
abundantly  in  aU  regions  of  the  globe,  with 
quartz  rock,  serpentine,  granular  limestone,  &c. 
which  occur  more  sparingly.  2.  Rocks  con- 
taining organic  remains,  or  generally  associated 
with  other  rocks  in  which  such  substances  are 
found,  and  which,  as  having  Ix-en  formed  pos- 
terior to  the  existence  of  organized  beings,  are 
termed  leeondary.  These  are  greywacke, 
sandstone,  limestone,  and  gypsum  of  various 
kinds,  slate  clay,  with  certain  species  of  trap, 
aixl  they  are  found  lying  above  the  primary  or 
older  rocks.  3.  Above  these  secondary  rocks, 
beds  of  gravel,  sand,  earth,  and  moss  are  found, 
which  have  been  termed  alluvial  rocks  or  for- 
mationt.  This  class  comprehends  those  rocky 
substances  formed  from  previously  existing  rocks, 
of  which  the  materials  have  been  broken  down 
by  the  agency  of  water  and  air;  they  are  there- 
fore generally  loose  in  their  texture,  and  are 
never  covered  with  any  real  solid  and  rocky 
secondary  strata.  4.  Volcanic  rock* ;  under 
which  class  are  comprehended  all  those  rocks, 
beds  of  lava,  scoriae,  and  other  matter,  thrown 
out  at  certain  points  of  the  earth's  surface  by  the 
action  of  subterraneous  fire. 

"  The  phenomena  of  geolc>gy  show,  that  the 
original  format  ion  of  the  rocks  has  been  accompa- 
nied, in  nearly  all  its  stages,  by  a  process  of 
waste,  decay,  and  recomposition.  The  rocks, 
u  thej  were  stiocessiTely  deposited,  were  acted 


GEOLOGY. 


upon  by  air  and  water,  heat,  &c.  broken  into 
fragments,  or  worn  down  into  grains,  out  of 
which  new  strata  were  formed.  Even  the  newer 
secondary  rocks,  since  their  consolidation,  have 
been  subject  to  great  changes,  of  which  very  dis- 
tinct monuments  remain.  Thus,  we  have  single 
mountains  which,  from  their  structure,  can  be 
considered  only  as  remnants  of  great  formations, 
or  of  great  continents  no  longer  in  existence. 
Mount  Meisner,  in  Hesse,  six  miles  long  and 
three  broad,  rises  about  1800  feet  above  its  base, 
and  2100  above  the  sea,  overtopping  all  the 
neighbouring  hills  from  40  to  50  miles  round. 
The  lowest  part  of  the  mountain  consists  of  the 
same  shell,  limestone,  and  sandstone,  which 
exist  in  the  adjacent  country.  Above  these 
are,  first,  a  bed  of  sand,  then  a  bed  of  fossil 
wood,  100  feet  thick  at  some  points,  and  the 
whole  is  covered  by  a  mass  of  basalt,  500  feet  in 
height.  On  considering  these  facts,  it  is  irapos- 
rible  to  avoid  concluding,  that  this  mountain 
which  now  overtops  the  neighbouring  country, 
occupied  at  one  time,  the  bottom  of  a  cavity  in 
(he  midst  of  higher  lands.  The  vast  mass  of 
fossil  wood  could  not  all  have  grown  there,  but 
must  have  been  transported  by  water  from  a 
more  elevated  surface,  and  lodged  in  what  was 
then  a  hollow.  The  basalt  which  covers  the 
wood  must  also  have  flowed  in  a  current  from  a 
higher  site ;  but  the  soil  over  which  both  the 
wood  and  the  basalt  passed,  has  been  swept 
away  leaving  this  mountain  as  a  solitary  memo- 
rial to  attest  its  existence.  Thus,  also,  on  the 
side  of  Mount  Jura  next  the  Alps,  where  no 
other  mountain  interposes,  there  are  found  vast 
blocks  of  granite  (some  of  1000  cubic  yards)  at 
the  height  of  more  than  2000  feet  above  the  lake 
of  Geneva.  These  blocks  are  foreign  to  the 
rocks  among  which  they  lie,  and  have  evidently 
come  from  the  opposite  chain  of  the  Alps;  but 
the  land  which  constituted  the  inclined  plane 
over  which  they  were  rolled  or  transported,  has 
been  worn  away,  and  the  valley  of  lower  Swit- 
zerland, with  its  lakes,  now  occupies  its  place. 
Transported  masses  of  primitive  rocks,  of  the 
same  description,  are  found  scattered  over  the 
north  of  Germany,  which  Van  Buch  ascertained 
by  their  characters  to  belong  to  the  mountains  of 
Scandinavia ;  and  which,  therefore,  carry  us 
back  to  a  period  when  an  elevated  continent, 
occupying  the  basin  of  the  Baltic,  connected 
Saxony  with  Norway. — Supp.  to  Ency.  Brit. 
vol.6. 

The  production  of  a  bed  for  vegetation,  is  ef- 
fected by  the  decomposition  of  rocks.  This  de- 
composition is  effected  by  the  expansion  of  water 
in  the  pores  or  fissures  of  rocks,  by  heat  or  con- 
gelation— by  the  solvent  power  of  moisture — and 
by  electricity,  which  is  known  to  be  a  powerful 
agent  of  decomposition.  As  soon  as  the  rock 
begins  to  be  softened,  the  seeds  of /ic^i«n»,  which 
are  constantly  floating  in  the  air,  make  it  their 


resting  place.  Their  generations  occupy  it  till 
a  finely  divided  earth  is  formed,  which  becomes 
capable  of  supporting  mosses  and  heath ;  acted 
upon  by  light  and  heat,  these  plants  imbibe  the 
dew,  and  convert  constituent  parts  of  the  air 
into  nourishment.  Their  death  and  decay  afford 
food  for  a  more  perfect  species  of  vegetable  j  and, 
at  length,  a  mould  is  formed,  in  wiiicli  even  the 
trees  of  the  forest  can  fix  their  roots,  and  which 
is  capable  of  rewarding  the  labours  of  the  culti- 
vator. The  decomposition  of  rocks  tends  to  the 
renovation  of  soils,  as  well  as  their  cultivation. 
Finely  divided  matter  is  carried  by  rivers  from 
the  higher  districts  to  the  low  countries,  and  al- 
luvial lands  are  usually  extremely  fertile.  By 
these  operations,  the  quantity  of  habitable  sur- 
face is  constantly  increased ;  precipitous  cliffs 
are  generally  made  gentle  slopes,  lakes  are  filled 
up,  and  islands  are  formed  at  the  mouths  of  great 
rivers ;  so  that  as  the  world  grows  older,  its  ca- 
pacity for  containing  an  increased  number  of  in- 
habitants is  gradually  enlarging. 

Of  all  the  memorials  of  the  past  history  of  our 
globe,  the  most  interesting  are  those  myriads  of 
remains  of  organized  bodies  which  exist  in  the 
interior  of  its  outer  crusts.  In  these,  we  find 
traces  of  innumerable  orders  of  beings  existing 
under  different  circumstances,  succeeding  one 
another  at  distant  epochs,  and  varying  through 
multiplied  changes  of  form.  "  If  we  examine 
the  secondaiy  rocks,  beginning  wiih  the  most 
ancient,  the  first  organic  remains  which  present 
themselves,  are  those  of  aquatic  plants  and  large 
reeds,  but  of  species  different  from  ours.  To 
these  succeed  madrepores,  encrenities,  and  other 
aquatic  zoophites,  living  beings  of  the  simplest 
forms,  which  remain  attached  to  one  spot,  and 
partake,  in  some  degree,  of  the  nature  of  vege- 
tables. Posterior  to  these,  are  ammonites,  and 
other  mollusci,  still  very  simple  in  their  forms, 
and  entirely  different  from  any  animals  now 
known.  Afler  these,  some  fishes  appear  ;  and 
plants,  consisting  of  bamboos  and  ferns,  increase, 
but  still  different  from  those  which  exist.  In  the 
next  period,  along  with  an  increasing  number  of 
extinct  species  of  shells  and  fishes,  we  meet  with 
amphibious  and  viviparous  quadrupeds,  such  as 
crocodiles  and  tortoises,  ~and  some  reptiles,  as 
serpents,  which  show  that  dry  land  now  existed. 
As  we  approach  the  newest  of  the  solid  rock 
formations,  we  find  lamantins,  phocae,  and  other 
cetaceous  and  mammiferous  sea  animals,  with 
some  birds.  And  in  the  newest  of  these  for- 
mations, we  find  the  remains  of  herbiferous  land 
animals  of  extinct  species,  the  paleotherium, 
anaplotherium,  &c.  and  of  birds,  with  some  fresh 
water  shells.  In  the  lowest  beds  of  loose  soil, 
and  in  peat  bogs,  are  found  the  remains  of  the 
elephant,  rhinoceros,  hippopotamus,  elk,  &c.  of 
different  species  from  those  which  now  exist,  but 
belonging  to  the  same  genera.  Lastly,  the  bones 
of  the  species  which  are  apparently  the  same 


7d 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


with  those  now  exialing  alive,  are  never  found 
except  in  the  very  latest  alluvial  depositions,  or 
those  which  are  either  formed  in  the  aides  of 
rivers,  the  bottoms  of  ancient  lakes  and  marshes 
now  dried  up,  in  peat  be<ls,  in  the  Assures  and 
caverns  of  certain  rocks,  or  at  small  depths  be- 
low the  present  surface,  in  places  where  they 
may  have  been  overwhelmed  by  debris,  or  even 
buried  by  man.  Human  bones  are  never  found 
except  among  those  of  animal  species  now  liv- 
ing, and  in  situations  which  show,  that  they 
have  been,  comparatively  speaking,  recently  de- 
posited."— Supp.  to  Ency.  Brit.  vol.  6. 

More  than  thirty  diflerent  species  of  animals 
have  been  found  imbedded  in  the  secondary  stra- 
ta— no  living  examples  of  which  are  now  to  be 
found  in  any  quarter  of  the  globe.  Among  the 
most  remarkable  of  these  are  the  following. — 

1.  The  Mammoth,  which  bears  a  certain  re- 
semblance to  the  Elephant,  but  is  much  larger, 
and  differs  considerably  in  the  size  and  form  of  the 
tusks,  jaws,  and  grinders.  The  fossil  remains 
of  this  animal  are  more  abundant  in  Siberia  than 
in  other  countries  ;  there  being  scarcely  a  spot, 
from  the  river  Don  to  Kamtschatka,  in  which 
they  have  not  been  found.  Not  only  single  bones 
and  perfect  skeletons  of  this  animal  are  fre- 
quently to  be  mot  with  ;  Imt,  in  a  late  instance, 
the  whole  animal  was  found  preserved  in  ice. 
This  animal  was  discovered  on  the  banks  of 
the  frozen  ocean,  near  the  mouth  of  the  river 
Jena,  in  1799 ;  and  in  1805,  Mr.  Adams  got  it 
conveyed  over  a  space  of  7000  miles  to  Peters- 
burgh,  where  it  is  deposited  in  the  Museum. 
The  flesh,  skin,  and  hair  were  completely  pre- 
served, and  even  the  eyes  were  entire.  It  was 
provided  with  a  long  mane,  and  the  body  was 
covered  with  hair.  This  hair  was  of  different 
qualities.  There  were  stiff  black  bristles  from 
12  to  15  inches  long,  and  these  belonged  to  the 
tail,  mane,  and  ears.  Other  bristles  were  from 
9  to  10  inches  long,  and  of  a  brown  colour  ;  and 
besides  these,  there  was  a  coarse  wool,  from  3 
to  5  inches  long,  of  a  pale  yellow  colour.  This 
mammoth  was  a  male  :  it  measured  9  feet  4 
inches  in  height,  and  was  16  feet  4  inches  long 
without  including  the  tusks.  The  tusks,  mea- 
suring along  the  curve,  are  9  feet  6  inches  ;  and 
the  two  together  weigh  360  lbs.  avoirdupois. 
The  head  alone  without  the  tusks,  weighs  414  lbs. 
avoirdupois.  The  remains  of  this  animal  have 
been  found  likewise  in  Iceland,  Norway,  Scot- 
land, England,  and  in  many  places  through  the 
(Xmlinent  onwards  to  the  Arctic  ocean. 

2.  The  Megatherium.  A  complete  skeleton 
of  this  cdoRsal  species  was  found  in  diluvial 
■oil,  near  Buenos  Ayres,  and  sent  to  Madrid. 
The  specimen  is  14  feet  long,  and  7  Spanish 
feet  in  height. 

S.  The  great  Mastodon  of  the  Ohio.  This 
■pecies  appears  to  have  been  as  tall  as  the  ele- 
phuK,  but  with  kmger  and  thicker  limba.    It  had 


tusks  like  the  elephant,  and  appears  to  hava  Ibh 
ed  on  roots.  Its  remains  abound  in  AmericSf 
particularly  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio. 

4.  The  T\ipir,  which  also  abounds  in  Am9> 
rica.  The  one  named  Gigemtic  Tojnr,  is  about 
18  feet  long,  and  12  feet  high. 

6.  The  Iriah  Elk,  or  Elk  of  the  Isle  of  Man. 
This  gigantic  species,  now  ap|>arcntly  extinct, 
occurs  in  a  fossil  slate,  in  Ireland,  Isle  of  Man, 
England,  Germany,  and  France.  The  most 
perfect  specimen  of  this  species,  which  waa 
found  in  the  Isle  of  Man,  may  be  seen  in  the 
Museum  of  the  University  of  Edinburgh.  It  is 
6  feet  high,  9  feet  long,  aiid  in  heijtht  to  the  tip  of 
the  right  horn,  9  feet  7}  inches.  An  engraving 
of  this  skeleton  may  be  seen  in  vol.  6  of  Supp.  to 
Ency.  Brit. 

From  a  consideration  of  the  phenomena  abova 
described,  geologists  have  been  led  to  conclude, 
"  that  rocks  now  buried  at  a  great  depth,  consti- 
tuted, at  one  time,  the  surface  of  continents,  and 
the  seat  of  organic  life ;  and  that  many  orders  of 
beings  have  been  called  into  existence,  and  afteiw 
wards  destroyed   by   great  revolutions,   which 
introduced  new  classes  of  mineral  dejwsits,  ac- 
companied with  new  tribes  of  organic  beings." 
It  has  also  been  concluded  by  some,  that  the  ap- 
pearance of  man  upon  the  face  of  the  globe,  is, 
geologically  speaking,  a  very  recent  event ;  b»» 
fore  which  the  earth  had  been  inhabited  thousaoda 
of  years  by  various  families  of  plants  and  tribea 
of  animals,  which  had  been  destroyed  aixl  r^ 
newed  in  a  long  series  of  successions.  Whether 
these  conclusions  be  necesiary  inference*  from 
the    phenomena  of  organic  remains  and  other 
geological  facts,  1  shall  not,  at  present,  stop  to 
inquire.  It  is  sufficient  for  the  Christian  philoso- 
pher to  show,  that  though  they  shouM  be  admit- 
ted in  their  full  extent,  they  are  not  inconsistent 
with  the  records  of  sacred  history,  as  some  di- 
vines have  been  disposed  to  maintain.    Though 
it  could  be  proved  to  a  demonstration,  that  the 
materiaU  of  which   the  present  system  of  our 
globe  is  composed,  have  existed  for  millions  of 
years,    it   would    not,    in    the  least,   invalidate 
the  Mosaic  account  of  the  arrangement  of  our 
world.     For  Moses  no  where  affirms,  that   the 
materiale  or  eubttanc*  of  the  earth  were  created, 
or  brought  from  nothing  into  existence,  at  the  />•• 
riod  when  his  history  commences.  His  language, 
on  the  contrary,  evidently  implies,  that  the  ma- 
terials which  enter  into  the  constitution  of  our 
globe  did  exist,  at  the  epoch  at  which   he   com- 
mences his  narration.     "  The  earth  xeas  with- 
out form,  and  void ;  and  darkness  ioas  upon  the 
face  of  the  deep."     This  passage  plainly  impliea 
the  following  things — 1.  That  the  original  atoms, 
or  materials,  out  of  which  the  terraqueous  kIoI>*> 
in  its  present  state,  was  formed,  were  then  m 
existence,  or  had  been  previously  created.     Hote 
long  they  had  been  in  existence   is  not  stated. 
We  may  aui^Mae  them  to  have  existed  fcr  a 


GEOLOGY. 


77 


year,  a  thousand  years,  or  a  million  of  years, 
Just  as  geological  phenomena  seem  to  warrant, 
without  in  the  least  invalidating  the  authority  of 
the  sacred  historian,  who  states  nothing  contra- 
ry to  the  truth  of  either  supposition.  2.  That 
the  materials  of  our  globe,  as  then  existing,  were 
in  a  chaotic  state.  Instead  of  that  order  and 
beauty  which  we  perceive  on  the  face  of  nature, 
the  whole  mass  presented  a  scene  of  contusion 
and  disorder — such  a  scene,  perhaps,  as  would 
be  presented,  were  the  earth  stripped  of  its  ver- 
dure, were  its  strata  universally  disrupted,  its 
mountains  hurled  into  the  plains,  and  its  rivers 
and  seas,  by  some  terrible  convulsion,  to  forsake 
their  ancient  channels.  3.  The  passage  seems 
to  imply,  that  the  whole,  or  the  greater  portion 
of  the  earth,  as  it  then  existed,  was  covered  with 
a  deluge  of  water  :  "  Darkness  covered  the  face 
of  the  deep,"  or  the  abyss. 

Such  was  the  state  of  the  terrestrial  system  at 
the  period  when  Moses  commences  his  narra- 
tion ;  no  intimation  being  given  of  the  period  of 
its  duration  in  this  condition ;  and,  consequently, 
nothing  asserted  to  militate  against  any  geologi- 
csd  system  which  is  founded  on  the  facts  which 
have  been  discovered  respecting  tlie  organic  re- 
mains which  are  found  in  the  strata  of  our  globe. 
It  is  a  mistake  into  which  too  many  have  been 
apt  to  fall,  to  suppose,  that  Moses  begins  his 
history  at  the  period  when  the  first  portions  of 
material  existence  were  created  out  of  nothing  ; 
and  that  it  was  his  design  to  mark  the  precise 
epoch  when  the  whole  assemblage  of  created  be- 
ings lliroughout  the  universe  was  brought  into 
existence.  His  primary,  if  not  his  sole  inten- 
tion evidently  was,  to  detail  the  progress  of  those 
arrangements  by  which  the  earth  was  gradually 
reduced  to  that  form  and  order  in  which  we  now 
behold  it,  from  tlie  chaotic  materials  which  pre- 
viously existed.  And,  as  an  emphatic  and  ap- 
propriate introduction  to  his  narration,  he  states 
this  important  truth :  "  In  the  beginning  God 
created  the  heaven  and  the  earth."  This  pass- 
age, being  of  a  general  and  comprehensive  na- 
ture, decides  nothing  with  regard  to  the  period, 
or  precise  epoch,  at  which  the  different  bodies  in 
the  universe  were  called  into  being  ;  but  is  evi- 
dently intended  to  convey  the  following  import- 
ant truth,  in  opposition  to  all  fanciful,  chimeri- 
cal, and  atheistical  notions  respecting  the  origin 
of  the  World  ;  namely,  "  That,  at  what  period 
soever,  in  the  lapse  of  duration,  any  object  was 
brought  into  existence,  it  derived  that  existence 
from  the  Gud  of  Israel,  the  self-existent  and  eter- 
nal Jehovah." — "In  the  beginning  God  created 
the  heaven  and  the  earth."  As  the  language  of 
the  sacred  historian,  therefore,  decides  nothing 
with  regard  to  time — to  limit  the  creation  of 
every  portion  of  the  material  system  within  the 
peritxi  of  six  thousand  years,  is  lo  make  an  un- 
necessary concession  to  the  infidel  philosopher, 
which  may   afterwards  be  found  inconsistent 


with  Certain  facts  which  exist  in  the  material 
world. 

But,  whatever  may  be  said  with  respect  to  the 
slate  and  duration  of  the  earth  prior  to  the  pe- 
riod at  which  Moses  commences  his  narration, 
it  is  admitted  by  every  geologist,  that  our  globe, 
Oslo  its  present  form  and  arrangement,  has  been, 
comparatively,  of  but  short  duration.  Cuvier, 
one  of  the  most  enlightened  geologists  of  the 
age,  deduces,  from  certain  progressive  changes 
on  the  earth's  surface,  as  well  as  from  the  con- 
current traditions  of  many  nations,  that  the  first 
appearance  of  man  upon  the  face  of  the  globe, 
or,  at  least,  the  renewal  of  the  human  race  after 
some  great  catastrophe,  cannot  be  referred  to  a 
period  farther  back  than  5000  or  6000  years 
from  the  present  time.  Geologists,  too,  of  every 
description,  however  different  the  systems  or 
theories  they  have  adopted,  have  all  been  con- 
strained, from  the  evidence  of  fact,  to  admit  this 
conclusion,  "  That  every  part  of  the  dry  land 
was  once  covered  by  the  ocean  ;"  thus  confirming 
the  scriptural  account  of  that  stupendous  event, 
the  universal  delvge.  This  event,  from  its  very 
nature,  must  have  been  accompanied  with  the 
most  terrible  convulsions,  both  on  the  exterior 
surface,  and  in  the  interior  strata  of  the  globe. 
Accordingly  we  find,  that  traces  of  this  awful 
catastrophe  exist  in  every  region  of  the  earth. 
Mr.  Parkinson  describes  the  whole  island  of 
Great  Britain,  as  having,  since  its  completion, 
"  suffered  considerable  disturbance  from  some 
prodigious  and  mysterious  power.  By  this 
power  all  the  known  strata,  to  the  greatest  depths 
that  have  been  explored,  have  been  more  or  less 
broken  and  displaced,  and,  in  some  places,  have 
been  so  lifted,  that  some  of  the  lowest  of  them 
have  been  raised  to  the  surface ;  while  portions 
of  others,  to  a  very  considerable  depth  and  ex- 
tent, have  been  entirely  carried  away."  The 
whole  of  the  Alpine  region  in  Switzerland,  and 
tlie  north  of  Italy,  considered  as  one  mass,  shows 
the  most  evident  marks  of  dislocation.  At  the 
height  of  3500  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea, 
M.  Saussure  met  with  a  chasm  a  hundred  feet 
wide,  and  so  deep  that  he  saw  no  bottom.  All 
travellers  on  the  Alps  have  regarded  them  with 
horror.  They  mark  the  most  evident  convul- 
sions, but  show  no  signs  of  having  been  occa- 
sioned by  attrition.  Mr.  Townsend,  speaking 
of  the  Pyrenees,  which  he  personally  inspected, 
says,  "  What  is  most  remarkable  is,  to  see  four 
enormous  chasms,  almost  perpendicular,  which 
divided  both  mountains  and  their  valleys,  and 
which  appear  as  if  they  had  just  been  rent 
asunder."  Throughout  the  ranges  of  the  Andes, 
and  in  every  other  mountainous  region,  similar 
chasms  and  disruptions,  indicating  the  former 
operation  of  some  tremendous  power,  are  fre- 
quently observed  by  those  who  visit  such  scenes 
of  grandeur. — In  some  of  the  coal  mines  in  our 
country,  the  coal  is  in  some  places  lifted  up  or 


78 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


fhrown  down  •CTerol  hundrods  of  feet  from  the 
places  it  appear*  uriginally  to  have  occupied, 
"  Two  miles  north  of  Newcastle,"  »ays  Mr. 
Townsend,  "one  great  dyke  or  fault  throws 
down  the  coftl  640  feet — at  the  distance  of  S  miles 
it  is  cut  off,  and  thrown  down  again  240  feel." 

An  evidence  of  the  effects  which  could  be 
produced  only  by  a  general  deluge,  is  also  af- 
forded by  those  organic  remains  to  which  I  have 
already  adverted,  and  particularly  by  those  im- 
mense quantities  of  marine  shells,  which  have 
been  discovered  in  situations  so  elevated,  and 
in  places  so  far  removed  from  the  sea,  as  to 
prove  that  they  were  left  there  by  a  flood  ex- 
tending over  the  whole  globe.  At  Touraine,  in 
France,  a  hundred  miles  from  the  sea,  is  a  bed 
of  shells  stretching  9  leagues  in  extent,  and  20 
feet  in  depth,  and  including  shells  not  known  to 
belong  to  the  neighbouring  sea.  Humboldt 
found  sea  shells  on  the  Andes  at  an  elevation  of 
14,120  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  The  slaty 
mountain  of  La  Bolca,  near  Verona,  is  famous 
for  petrifactions,  among  which  are  enumerated 
more  than  one  hundred  species  of  fish,  natives 
of  Europe,  Asia,  Africa,  and  America,  here  as- 
lembled  in  one  place. 

It  appears,  therefore,  that  the  researches  of 
geology  confirm  the  fact  of  a  universal  deluge, 
and  thus  afford  a  semibie  proof  of  the  credibility 
of  the  sacred  historism,  and,  consequently,  of 
the  truth  of  the  doctrines  of  Divine  Revelation. 
But,  besides  the  testimony  which  this  science 
bears  to  the  authenticity  of  Scripture  History,  it 
exhibits  some  of  the  grandest  objects  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  physical  o()erations  of  Divine  Provi- 
dence. It  presents  to  our  view,  in  a  most  im- 
pressive form,  the  majestic  agency  of  God,  in 
convulsing  and  disarranging  the  structure  of  our 
globe,  which  at  first  sprung  from  his  hand  in 
perfect  order  and  beauty.  When  we  contem- 
plate the  objects  which  this  science  embraces, 
we  seem  to  be  standing  on  the  ruins  of  a  former 
world.  We  behold  "  hills"  which  "  have  melt- 
ed like  wax  at  the  presence  of  the  Lord,"  and 
"  mountains"  which  "  have  been  carried  into 
the  midst  of  the  sea."  We  behold  rocks  of 
enormous  size,  which  have  been  rent  from  their 
foundations,  and  rolled  from  one  continent  to  an- 
other— the  most  solid  strata  of  the  earth  bent 
imder  the  action  of  some  tremendous  power, 
and  dispersed  in  fragments  thiough  the  sur- 
rounding regions.  We  behold  the  summits  of 
lofty  mountains,  over  which  the  ocean  had  rolled 
its  mighty  billows— confounding  lands  and  seas 
in  one  universal  duvastation — trans{x)rting  plants 
and  forests  from  one  quarter  of  the  world  to  an- 
other, and  spreading  universal  destruction  among 
the  animated  inhabitants  of  the  water  and  the 
earth.  When  we  enter  the  wild  and  romantic 
•cene  of  a  mountainous  country,  or  descend  into 
the  subterraneous  regions  of  the  globe,  we  are 
every  where  struck  with  the  Testiges  of  opera- 


tions carried  on  by  the  powers  of  nature,  upon  a 
scale  of  prodigious  magnitude,  and  with  the  ex-  '' 
ertion  of  forces,  the  stupendous  nature  of  which  [ 
astonishes  and  overpowers  the  mind.     C'  nteni-  ' 
plating  such  scenes  uf  grandeur,  wr  perceive  the  \ 
force  and  sublimity  of  those  descriptions  of  Deity  i 
contained  in  the  volume  of  inspiration :  "  The  : 
Lord  reigneth,  he  is  clothed  with  majesty  ;  in  his  : 
hand  are    the  deep    placet   of  the  earth,  the  ' 
strengthof  the  hills  is  his  also.    He  removeth  the  ; 
mountains,  and  they  know  not  :    he  uverturneth  \ 
them  in  his  anger  ;   he  shaketh   the    earth  out  ; 
of  her  place,  and   the   pillars   diereof  tremble.  ■ 
At  his  presence  the  earth  shook  and  trembled  :  ' 
the  foundations  also  of  the  hills  moved,  and  were 
shaken,  because  he  was  wrath." — "  Thou  cover*  ^ 
edst  the  earth  with  the  deep,  as  with  a  gai^ 
ment  ;  the  waters  stood  above  the  mouniaina  { 
At   thy   rebuke  they  fled  ;    at  the  voice  of  thjr  ' 
thunder  they  hastened  away."     While  retracing  j 
such  terrific  displays  of  omnipotence,  we  are  na«  J 
turally  led  to  inquire  into  the  iMral  cause  which  "\ 
induced  the  benevolent  Creator  to  inflict  upon  the  \ 
world  such  overwhelming  desolations.     For  rea-  ' 
son,  as  well  as  revelaiion,  declares  that  a  moral 
cause  must  have  existed.     Man  must  have  vio- 
lated the  commands  of  his  Maker,  and  frustrated 
the  end  of  his  creation  ;  and  to  this  conclusion  ' 
the   sacred  historian  bears  ample  testimony.—  • 
"God  saw  that   the   wickedness  of  man  waa  j 
great  in  the  earth,  and  that  every  imagination 
of  the  thoughts  of  his  heart  was  only  evil  con- 
tinually :  and  Jehovah  said,  I  will  destroy  man  ' 
whom  I  have  created,  from  the  face  of  the  earth, 
both  man  and  beast,  and  the  creeping  thing,  and 
the  fowls  of  the  air." 

ASTRONOMY.  | 

Another  science  which  stands  in  an  intimate 

relation  to  religion,  is  Astronomy.  i 

This  sublime  science  teaches  us  the  magni-  ' 
tudes  and  distances  of  the  heavenly  bodies,  their  ' 
arrangement,  their  various  motions  and  pheno- 
mena, and  the  laws  by  which  their  movements 
are  regulated.    It  presents  to  our  view  objects  the  i 
most  wonderful  and  sublime  ;  whether  we  consider 
the  vast  magnitude  of  the  bodies  about  which  it  is  '< 
conversant — iheir  immense  number — the  velocity  , 
of  their  motions — the  atlonithing  force*  rr^u'uiw  i 
to  impel  them  in  their  rapid  career  through  the  ; 
regions  of  the  sky — the  vait  upacet  which  su^ 
round  them,  and  in  which  they  iwrform  (heir  re-  i 
volutions — the  magnificent  circlet  they  describe  i 
— l\\e»plendaur  of  their  appearance — or  the  impor- 
tant ends  they  are  destined  lo  serve  in  ihe  grand 
system  of  the  universe.    Having  advened  lo  this 
subject,    when  illustrating  the  omnipotence  of  ! 
Ihe  Deity,  I  shall  here  simply  stale  a  few  addi- 
tional facts  with  respect  to  the  general  appear-  > 
ance    of  the  heavens,   the    bodies  which  com-  ^ 
pose  the  planetary  system,  and  the  discoveries  ^ 
which  have  been  made  in  the  region  of  the  stars.  ^ 


GEOLOGY. 


79 


When  we  aft  our  eyes  towards  the  sky,  we 
perceive  an  apparent  hollow  hemisphere,  placed 
at  an  indefinite  distance,  and  surrounding  the 
earth  on  every  hand.  In  the  day  time,  the  prin- 
cipal object  which  appears  in  the  hemisphere,  is 
the  sun.  In  the  morning,  we  see  him  rise  above 
the  distant  mountains,  or  from  the  extremity  of 
the  ocean;  he  gradually  ascends  the  vault  of 
heaven,  and  then  declines,  and  disappears  in  the 
opposite  quarter  of  the  sky.  In  the  northern 
parts  of  the  globe,  where  we  reside,  if  about  the 
21st  of  March ,  we  place  ourselves  on  an  open  plain, 
with  our  face  towards  the  south,  the  sun  will 
appear  to  rise  on  our  left,  or  due  east,  about  six 
in  the  morning,  and  about  the  same  hour  in  the 
evening,  he  will  set  due  west.  In  the  month  of 
June  he  rises  to  our  left,  but  somewhat  behind 
us,  in  a  direction  towards  the  north-east,  ascends 
to  a  greater  height  at  noon  than  in  the  month  of 
March,  and,  after  describing  a  large  arc  of  the 
heavens,  sets  on  our  right,  and  still  behind  us,  in 
the  north-western  quarter  of  the  sky.  In  the 
month  of  December,  if  we  stand  in  the  same 
position,  we  may  observe,  without  turning  our- 
selves, both  his  rising  and  setting.  He  rises  in 
the  south-east,  ascends  to  a  small  elevation  at 
noon,  and  sets  in  the  south-west,  after  having 
described  a  very  small  arc  of  the  heavens.  Every 
day  he  appears  to  move  a  little  towards  the  east, 
or  contrary  to  his  apparent  diurnal  motion  ;  for 
the  stars  which  are  seen  to  the  eastward  of  him, 
appear  every  succeeding  day  to  make  a  nearer 
approach  to  the  place  in  which  he  is  seen.  All 
the  variety  of  these  successive  changes  is  accom- 
plished within  the  period  of  365  days  6  hours,  in 
which  time  he  appears  to  have  made  a  complete 
revolution  round  the  heavens  from  west  to  east. 

The  moon  is  the  next  object  in  the  heavens 
which  naturally  attracts  our  attention  ;  and  she  is 
foimd  to  go  through  similar  variations  in  the  course 
of  a  month.  When  she  first  becomes  visible  at 
new  moon,  she  appears  in  the  western  part  of 
the  heaverw,  in  the  form  of  a  crescent,  not  far 
from  the  setting  sun.  Every  night  she  increases 
in  size,  and  removes  to  a  greater  distance 
from  the  sun,  till  at  last,  she  appears  in  the  east- 
ern part  of  the  horizon,  just  as  the  sun  disap- 
pears in  the  western  ;  at  which  time  she  presents 
a  round  full-enlightened  face.  After  this,  she 
gradually  moves  farther  and  farther  eastward, 
ami  her  enlightened  part  gradually  decreases,  till 
dl^st  she  seems  to  approach  the  sun  as  nearly 
inlhe  east  as  she  did  in  the  west,  and  rises  only 
a  little  before  him  in  the  morning,  in  the  form  of 
a  crescent.  All  these  different  changes  maybe 
traced  by  attending  to  her  apparent  positions, 
from  time  to  time,  with  respect  to  the  fixed  stars. 

A  dark  shadow  is  occasionally  seen  to  move 
across  the  face  of  the  moon,  which  obscures 
her  light,  and  gives  her  the  appearance  of  tar- 
nished copper.  Sometimes  this  shadow  covers 
ooly  a  small  portion  of  her  lur&ca ;  at  other 


times  it  covers  the  whole  of  her  disk  for  an  hour 
or  two,  and  its  margin  always  appears  of  the 
figure  of  a  segment  of  a  circle.  This  phenome- 
non, which  happens,  at  an  average,  about  twice 
every  year,  is  termed  an  eclipse  of  the  moon.  It 
is  produced  by  the  shadow  of  the  earth  falling 
upon  the  moon,  when  the  sun,  the  earth,  and  the 
moon,  are  nearly  in  a  straight  line ;  and  can 
happen  only  at  the  time  of  full  moon.  Some- 
times the  moon  appears  to  pass  across  the  body 
of  the  sun,  when  her  dark  side  is  turned  towards 
the  earth,  covering  his  disk  either  in  whole  or  in 
part,  and  intercepting  his  rays  from  a  certain 
portion  of  the  earth.  This  is  called  an  eclipse 
of  the  sun,  and  can  happen  only  at  the  time  of 
new  moon.  In  a  total  eclipse  of  the  sun,  which 
seldom  happens,  the  darkness  is  so  striking,  that 
the  planets,  and  some  of  the  larger  stars,  are  dis- 
tinctly seen,  and  the  inferior  animals  appear 
struck  with  terror. 

Again,  if,  on  a  winter's  evening,  about  six 
o'clock,  we  direct  our  view  to  the  eastern  quar- 
ter of  the  sky,  we  shall  perceive  certain  stars 
just  risen  above  the  horizon ;  if  we  view  the 
same  stars  about  midnight,  we  shall  find  them  at 
a  considerable  elevation  in  the  south,  having 
apparently  moved  over  a  space  equal  to  one  half 
of  the  whole  hemisphere.  On  the  next  morning, 
about  six  o'clock, the  same  stars  will  be  seen  set- 
ting in  the  western  part  of  the  sky.  If  we  turn  our 
eyes  towards  the  north,  we  shall  perceive  a  simi- 
lar motion  in  these  twinkling  orbs,  but  with  this 
difference,  that  a  very  considerable  number  of 
them  neither  rise  nor  set,  but  seem  to  move 
round  an  immoveable  point,  called  the  north 
pole.  Near  this  point  is  placed  the  polar  star, 
which  seems  to  have  little  or  no  apparent  motion, 
and  which,  in  our  latitude,  appears  elevated  a 
little  more  than  half  way  between  the  northern 
{•art  of  our  horizon  and  the  zenith  or  point  above 
our  heads.  A  person  who  has  directed  his 
attention  to  the  heavens  for  the  first  lime,  after 
having  made  such  observations,  will  naturally  in- 
quire— Whence  come  those  stars  which  begin  to 
appear  in  the  east  ?  Whither  have  those  gone, 
which  have  disappeared  in  the  west  ?  and,  what 
becomes,  during  the  day,  of  the  stars  which  are 
seen  in  the  night? — It  will  soon  occur  to  a  ra- 
tional observer,  who  is  convinced  of  the  round- 
ness of  the  earth,  that  the  stars  which  rise  above 
the  eastern  horizon  come  from  another  hemis- 
phere, whicti  we  are  apt  to  imagine  below  us, 
and  when  they  set,  return  to  that  hemisphere 
again;  and,  that  the  reason  why  the  stars  are 
not  seen  in  the  day-time,  is,  not  because  tliey 
are  absent  from  our  hemisphere,  or  have  ceased 
to  shine,  but  because  their  light  is  obscured  by 
the  more  viv  id  splendour  of  the  sun.*    From  sudj 

•  This  Is  put  beyond  all  doubt,  by  tlie  invention  of 
the  telescope ;  by  which  Instrument,  adapted  to  an 
equatorial  motion,  we  are  enabled  to  see  many  of 
the  stars  even  at  noon-<laj'.    The  Author  of  UUi 


t 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


dbMrratiou  we  ve  led  to  conclude,  that  the 
globe  on  which  we  tread  is  euipended  in  empij 
space — is  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  the  celee- 
tial  vault — and  that  the  whole  sphere  of  the 
heavens  has  an  apparent  motion  round  the  eartti 
every  twenty-four  hours.  Whether  this  motion 
be  real,  or  only  apparent,  must  be  determined  by 
other  considerations. 

Such  general  views  of  the  nocturnal  heavens, 
which  every  common  observer  may  take,  have 
a  tendency  to  expand  the  mind,  and  tu  elevate  it 
to  the  contemplation  of  an  invisible  power,  by 
which  such  mighty  movements  are  conducted. 
Whe^er  we  consider  the  vast  concave,  with  all 
its  radiant  orbs,  moving  in  majestic  grandeur 
around  our  globe,  or  the  earth  itself  whirling 
round  its  inhabitants  in  an  opposite  direction — 
an  idea  of  sublimity,  and  of  Almighty  energy, 
irresistibly  forces  itself  upon  the  mind,  which 
throws  completely  into  the  shade  the  mightiest 
efforts  of  human  power.  The  most  powerful 
mechanical  engines  that  were  ever  constructed 

work,  almut  eleven  years  ago,  made  a  number  of 
(fbeervations,  by  means  of  an  eqitaXorial  telucope, 
to  deterrolue  the  following  particulars :— What  stars 
and  planets  may  be  conveniently  seen  In  the  day- 
time, when  the  sun  Is  alwve  the  horizon  ?  What  de- 
grees of  magnifying  power  are  requisite  for  distin- 
guishing them!  How  near  their  conjunction  with 
the  sun  the>'  may  be  seen  ;— and,  whether  tiie  dimi- 
nution of  the  aperture  of  the  telescope,  or  the  in- 
crease of  magnifying  power,  conduces  most  to  ren- 
der a  star  or  planet  visible  In  day-light.  The  results 
of  several  hundreds  of  observations  on  these  points, 
accompanied  with  some  original  deductions  and  re- 
marks, are  Inserted  in  "  Nicholson's  Philosophical 
Journal,"  for  October,  1813,  vol.  38,  p.  tO»— 128.  The 
following  are  some  of  the  results  which  were  de- 
duced from  the  observations  : — That  a  star  of  the 
ftrtt  magnitude  may  tie  distinguished  at  any  time  of 
the  day,  with  a  majrnlfying  power  of  36  times,  but 
that  a  higher  magnifying  power  Is  preferable— That 
most  of  the  stars  of  the  second  magnitude  may  he 
seen  with  a  iMjwer  of  lOO;  and  with  a  power  of  60 
times,  when  the  son  is  not  much  more  than  two 
hours  above  the  horizon — That  the  planet  Jupiter, 
when  not  within  30  or  40  degrees  of  the  sun,  may  tie 
seen  with  a  power  of  15  times ;— and  that  Venus 
may,  In  most  instances,  be  seen  with  a  power  of 
from  7  to  toe  times,  and  upwards— That  Jupiter 
can  scarcely  be  dlstlngulsbed  iu  the  day-time,  when 
within  26  degrees  of  the  son ;  bnt  that  Venus  may 
be  distinctly  perceived  near  her  superior  conjunc- 
tion, when  only  one  degree  and  27  minutes  from 
the  sun's  margin  ;  and,  consequently,  may  be  visible 
at  the  time  of  that  coBjunction,  when  her  geocen- 
tric latitude  equals  or  exceeds  l  degree  4>  minutes 
—That  she  may  be  perceived,  like  a  fine.  Blender 
crescent,  within  35  hours  after  passing  her  inferior 
conjunction,  tic.  Ac.  One  practical  purpose  to 
which  sudi  observations  on  Vonias,  at  the  lime  of 
her  tupsrli/r  conjunction,  may  be  applied.  Is,  to 
determine  thediflference  flf  any)  between  her  jKilar 
nd  equatorial  diameters.  For,  it  Is  only  at  that 
coi^iinction  that  she  presents  to  the  earth  a  full  en- 
lightened hemisphere  ;  and  in  no  other  position  can 
the  measure  of  both  diameters  lie  taken,  except 
when  she  makes  a  trantit  across  the  sun's  disk. 
As  the  Earth,  Mars,  Jupiter,  and  isaturn,  are  found 
to  be  spheroids,  it  i5  highly  probable  that  Venus 
la  of  a  similar  figure;  but  this  ))oint  has  never  yet 
been  ascertained  by  actual  observation.  Kee  also 
"The  Edinburgh  Phllos.  Journal,"  ^o.  5,  for  July 
MM,  p.  ifi  ;  and  Ho.  IS,  for  July,  isas— "  TheSeou 
Mag."  for  Feb.  1814,  p.  84.—"  MooUtlr  Mag."  Feb. 
IIU,  and  Aoffiut  UM,  p.  ft. 


by  tli«  agency  of  man,  can  acarcely  afford  ua  tlw 
least  aaaiaitnce  in  Ibrmin^  a  cuucepiiun  of  that 
incomprehenaible  power,  which,  with  uncea^ 
ing  energy,  communicates  motion  to  revolving 
worlds.  And  yet  such  is  the  a^ifcy  with  which 
the  heavens  are  viewed  by  the  greater  part  of 
mankind,  that  there  are  thousands  who  have  .ic- 
casionally  gazed  al  tlie  stars,  for  the  space  of 
fifly  years,  who  are  still  igiKirani  of  the  fact,  that 
they  perform  an  appareni  diurnal  revoluiioo 
round  our  globe. 

Again,  if  we  contemplate  the  heavens  with 
some  attention,  for  a  number  of  succeanre 
nights,  we  shall  find,  that  by  far  the  greater  port 
of  the  stars  never  vary  their  posiiiona  with  re- 
spect to  each  other.  ]f  we  observe  two  stars  al 
a  certain  apparent  distance  from  eacli  other, 
either  north  or  south,  or  in  any  other  direction, 
they  will  appear  at  the  same  distance,  and  in  the 
same  relative  position  to  each  other,  the  next 
evening,  the  next  month,  and  the  next  year.  The 
stars,  for  instance,  which  form  the  tword  and 
belt  of  Orkm,  present  to  our  eye  the  same  figur« 
and  relative  as|>ect,  during  the  whole  |>eriod  they 
are  visible  in  winter,  and  from  one  year  to 
another :  and  the  same  is  the  case  with  all  the 
fixed  stars  in  the  firmament.  On  examining  the 
sky  a  little  more  minutely  however,  we  perceive 
certain  bodies  which  regularly  shift  their  poaU 
lions.  Sometimes  they  appear  to  move  towards 
the  east,  sometimes  towards  the  west,  and  at 
other  times  seem  to  rimain  in  a  stationary  posi* 
tion.  These  bodies  have  obtained  the  name  of 
planet*,  or  wandering  stars ;  and,  in  our  latitude, 
are  most  frequently  seen,  either  in  liie  easieni 
and  western,  or  in  the  southern  parts  of  the  hea- 
vens. Ten  of  these  planetary  orbs  have  been 
discovered  ;  six  of  which  are,  for  the  most  part, 
invisible  to  the  naked  eye.  By  a  careful  exami- 
nation of  the  motions  of  these  bodies,  and  iheii 
different  aspects,  astronomers  have  determined, 
that  they  all  move  round  the  sun  as  the  centre  of 
their  motions,  and  form,  along  with  the  earth  and 
several  smaller  globes,  one  grand  and  harmonioua 
system.  This  assemblage  of  planetary  bodies  ia 
generally  termed  the  solar  system,  of  which  I 
shall  DOW  endeavour  to  exhibit  a  brief  outline. 

Tax   SOLAB  8T8TEH. 

Of  this  system,  the  sun  ia  the  centre  and  the 
animating  principle,  and  by  far  tlie  larcest  body 
that  exists  within  its  limits.  The  first  thing 
that  strikes  the  mind  when  contemplating  this 
glorious  orb,  is  its  astonihhing  magnitude.  Tbia 
vast  globe  is  found  to  be  about  880.000  miles  in 
diameter,  and,  consequently,  contains  a  masa  of 
matter  equal  to  thirteen  hundred  tkouaand  ^obm 
of  the  size  of  the  earth.  Were  its  central  parte 
placed  adjacent  to  the  surface  of  the  earth,  ita 
circumference  would  reach  two  hundred  thmi- 
i«Bd  miles  beyond  the  nooo's  ocbit,  on  every 


ASTRONOMY. 


81 


side,  filling  a  cubical  space  of  681,472,000,000,- 
000,000  miles.  If  it  would  require  18.000  years 
to  traverse  every  square  mile  on  the  earth's  sur- 
face, at  the  rate  of  thirty  miles  a  day,  (see  p. 
9,)  it  would  require  more  than  two  thousand 
millions  of  years  to  pass  over  every  part  of  the 
sun's  surface,  at  the  same  rate.  Even  at  the 
rate  of  90  miles  a  day  it  would  require  more 
than  80  years  to  go  round  its  circumference.  Of 
a  body  so  vast  in  its  dimensions,  the  human  mind, 
with  all  its  efforts,  can  form  no  adequate  con- 
ception. It  appears  an  extensive  universe  in  it- 
self; and,  although  no  other  body  existed  within 
the  range  of  infinite  space,  this  globe  alone 
would  afford  a  powerful  demonstration  of  the 
omnipotence  of  the  Creator.  Were  the  sun  a 
hollow  sphere,  surrounded  by  an  external  .shell, 
and  a  luminous  atmosphere  ;  were  this  shell  per- 
forated with  several  hundreds  of  openings  into 
the  internal  part ;  were  a  globe  as  large  as  the 
earth  placed  at  its  centre,  and  another  globe  as 
large  as  the  moon,  and  at  the  same  distance  from 
the  centre  as  the  moon  is  from  us,  to  revolve 
round  the  central  globe, — it  would  present  to  the 
view  a  universe  as  splendid  and  glorious  as  that 
which  now  appears  to  the  vulgar  eye, — a  uni- 
yerse  as  large  and  extensive  as  the  whole  crea- 
tion was  conceived  to  be,  by  our  ancestors,  in 
the  infancy  of  astronomy.  And  who  can  tell, 
but  that  Almighty  Being,  who  has  not  left  a 
drop  of  water  in  a  stagnant  pool  without  its  in- 
habitants, has  arranged  a  number  of  worlds  with- 
in the  capacious  circuit  of  the  sun,  and  peopled 
them  with  intelligent  beings  in  the  first  stages  of 
their  existence,  to  remain  there  for  a  certain 
period,  till  they  be  prepared  for  being  transported 
to  a  more  expansive  sphere  of  existence  ?  It  is 
easy  to  conceive,  that  enjoyments  as  exquisite, 
and  a  range  of  thoughts  as  ample  as  have  ever 
yet  been  experienced  by  the  majority  of  the  in- 
habitants of  our  world,  might  be  afforded  to  my- 
riads of  beings  thus  placed  at  the  centre  of  this 
magnificent  luminary.  This  supposition  is,  at 
least,  as  probable  as  that  of  the  celebrated  Dr. 
Herschel,  who  supposed  that  the  ea^/erior  surface 
of  the  sun  was  peopled  with  inhabitants.  For, 
if  this  were  the  case,  the  range  of  view  of  these 
inhabitants  would  be  confined  within  the  limits 
of  two  or  three  hundred  miles,  and  no  celestial 
body,  but  an  immense  blaze  of  light,  would  be 
visible  in  their  hemisphere.  Such  is  the  variety 
which  appears  among  the  works  of  Gtod,  and 
such  is  the  diversity  of  situations  in  which  sen- 
sitive beings  are  placed,  that  we  dare  not  pro- 
nounce it  impossible  that  both  these  suppositions 
may  be  realized. 

Though  the  sun  seems  to  perform  a  daily  cir- 
cuit around  our  globe,  he  may  be  said,  in  this 
respect,  to  be  fixed  and  immoveable.  This  motion 
is  not  real,  but  only  apparent,  and  is  owing  to 
the  globe  on  which  we  are  placed  moving  round 
its  axis  from  west  to  east ;  just  as  the  objects  on 
11 


the  bank  of  the  river  seem  to  move  in  a  contrary 
direction,  when  we  are  sailing  along  its  stream 
in  a  steamboat.  The  only  motion  which  is 
found  to  exist  in  the  sun  is,  a  motion  of  rototton, 
like  that  of  a  globe  or  ball  twirled  round  a  pivot 
or  axis,  which  is  performed  in  the  space  of  25 
days  and  10  hours.  This  motion  has  been  as- 
certained by  means  of  a  variety  of  dark  spots 
which  are  discovered  by  the  telescope  on  the 
sun's  disk  ;  which  first  appear  on  his  eastern 
limb,  and,  after  a  period  of  about  thirteen  days, 
disappear  on  his  western,  and,  after  a  similar 
period,  reappear  on  his  eastern  edge.  These 
spots  are  various,  both  in  number,  in  magnitude, 
and  in  shape  :  sometimes  40  or  50,  and  some- 
times only  one  or  two  are  visible,  and  at  other 
times  the  sun  appears  entirely  without  spots.— 
Most  of  them  have  a  very  dark  nucleus,  or  cen- 
tral part,  surrounded  by  an  umbra,  or  fainter 
shade.  Some  of  the  spots  are  as  large  as  would 
cover  the  whole  continent  of  Europe,  Asia,  and 
Africa,  others  have  been  observed  of  the  size  of 
the  whole  surface  of  the  earth  ;  and  one  was  seen, 
in  the  year  1779,  which  was  computed  to  be 
more  than  ^fty  thousand  miles  in  diameter. 

With  regard  to  the  nature  of  this  globe— it 
appears  highly  probable,  from  the  observations  of 
Dr.  Herschel,  that  the  sun  is  a  solid  and  opaque 
body,  surrounded  with  luminous  clouds  which 
float  in  the  solar  atmosphere,  and  that  the  dark 
nucleus  of  the  spots  is  the  o|)aque  body  of  the 
sun  appearing  through  occasional  openings  in 
this  atmosphere.  The  height  of  the  atmosphere, 
he  computes  to  be  not  less  than  1843,  nor  more 
than  2765  miles,  consisting  of  two  regions ;  that 
nearest  the  sun  being  opaque,  and  probably  re- 
sembling the  clouds  of  our  earth  ;  the  outermost 
emitting  vast  quantities  of  light,  and  forming  the 
apparent  luminous  globe  we  behold. 

The  sun  is  the  grand  source  of  light  and  heat, 
both  to  the  earth  and  to  all  the  other  planetary 
bodies.  The  heat  he  diffuses  animates  every 
part  of  our  sublunary  system,  and  all  that  vari- 
ety of  colouring  which  adorns  the  terrestrial  land- 
scape is  produced  by  his  rays.  It  has  been 
lately  discovered,  that  the  rays  of  light,  and  the 
rays  of  heat,  or  caloric,  are  distinct  from  each 
other;  for,  it  can  be  demonstrated,  that  some 
rays  from  the  sun  produce  heat,  which  have  no 
power  of  communicating  light  or  colour.  The 
greatest  heat  is  found  in  the  red  rays,  the  leawt 
in  the  rMet  rays  ;  and  in  a  space  beyond  the 
red  rays,  where  there  is  no  light,  the  tempera- 
ture is  greatest.  The  rays  of  the  sun  have  also 
been  found  to  produce  different  chymical  effects. 
The  white  muriate  of  silver  is  blackened  in  the 
violet  ray,  in  the  space  of  15  seconds,  though  the 
red  will  not  produce  the  same  effect  in  less  than 
20  minutes.  Phosphorus  is  kindled  hi  the  vici- 
nity of  the  red  ray,  and  extinguished  in  the  vici- 
nity of  the  violet.  The  solar  light,  therefore, 
coDsists  of  three  different   orders  of  rays,   one 


8t 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


producing  colour,  t  iccond  producing  heat,  ami  a 
third  ehymieal  etTecU.  Euler  haa  coinpulod  that 
the  light  of  the  sun  is  equal  to  6500  candles  at  a 
foot  distance,  while  the  moon  would  be  as  one 
candle  at  7|  feet ;  Venus  at  421  feet ;  and  Jupi- 
tar  at  1320  feet. — Tliat  this  immense  luminary 
appear*  ao  email  to  our  eyes,  is  owing  to  its  vast 
diatance,  which  is  no  less  than  ninety-five  mil- 
lions of  miles.  Some  faint  idea  of  this  distance 
may  be  obtained,  by  considering,  that  a  steam- 
boat, moving  at  the  rate  of  200  miles  a,day, 
would  require  ihirtten  hurulred  years  before  it 
could  traverse  the  space  which  intenreoes  be- 
tween ua  and  the  itm. 

"Hall  sacred  source  of  inexhausted  light! 
Prodigious  Instance  of  creatlns;  might ! 
His  distance  man's  imagination  foils  ; 
Numbers  will  scarce  avail  to  count  the  miles. 
As  swift  as  thought  he  darts  his  radiance  round 
To  dlstanl  worlds,  his  system's  utmost  l>ound." 

Brown. 

The  Planet  Mercury. — Mercu^r  is  the  nearest 
planet  to  the  sun  that  has  yet  been  discovered. 
He  is  about  37  millions  of  miles  distant  from  the 
sun,  and  revolves  around  him  in  88  days.  His 
diameter  is  about  3200  miles.  Before  the  dis- 
covery of  the  four  new  planets,  Ceres,  Pallas, 
Juno,  and  Vesta,  in  the  beginning  of  the  present 
century,  this  globe  was  considered  as  the  smallest 
primary  planet  in  the  system.  His  surface, 
however,  contains  above  32  millions  of  square 
miles,  which  is  not  much  less  than  all  the  habi- 
table parts  of  our  globe.  On  account  of  his  near- 
ness to  the  sun,  he  is  seldom  seen  by  the  naked 
eye  ;  being  always  near  that  quarter  of  the  hea- 
vens where  the  sun  appears  ;  and  therefore,  few 
discoveries  have  been  made  on  his  surface,  by 
the  telescope.  M.  Schroeter  concludes,  from 
certain  observations,  that  this  planet  revolves 
round  its  axis  in  24  hours  and  five  minutes.  The 
stm  will  appear  to  an  inhabitant  of  Mercury 
seven  limes  larger  than  to  an  inhabitant  of  the 
earth  ;  and,  if  the  degree  of  heat  be  in  propor- 
tion to  a  planet's  nearness  to  the  sun,  the  heat 
in  this  planet  will  be  seven  times  greater  than 
on  the  surface  of  our  globe ;  and,  consequently, 
were  the  earth  placed  in  the  same  (>osition,  all 
the  water  on  its  surface  would  boil,  and  soon  be 
turned  into  vapour.  But  the  All-wise  Creator 
has,  doubtlesa,  attempered  the  surface  of  this 
slobe,  and  the  constitution  of  the  beings  tiiat 
may  occupy  it,  to  the  situation  in  which  they 
are  placed.* 

•  From  a  variety  of  fccts  which  have  been  observ- 
ed In  relation  to  the  production  of  caloric.  It  does  not 
appear  prol>able,  that  the  degree  of  heat  on  the  sur- 
fkces  of  the  different  planets  is  Inversely  propor- 
tional to  the  squaret  of  their  rcspcrtive  disumces 
fh>m  the  sun.  It  lamore  proliable,  that  it  ikiiends 
Chiefly  onti»edlstrtbatlon  of  Ihe  iitbttanre  nf  color te 
on  the  surfaces  and  throughout  the  atmospheres  of 
these  bodie*— in  dUbrent  quantities,  according  to  t  he 
4Ur«rent  altuations  ihay  occupy  ta  the  solar  system ; 


Venus,  the  next  planet  in  order  from  the  SHa, 
revolves  around  him  in  224  days,  at  the  distance 
of  68  millions  uf  miles,  and  its  diameter  is  about 
•even  thousand  seven  hundred  nkilcs,  or  nearly 
the  size  of  the  earth  ;  and  it  turns  rouml  its  axia 
in  the  space  of  23  hours  and  SO  minutes.  This 
planet  is  the  most  brilliant  orb  which  appears  in 
our  nocturnal  heaven.i,  and  is  usually  distinguish- 
ed by  the  name  uf  the  (nomingand  evening  star. 
When  it  approaches  nearest  to  the  earth,  it  ia 
about  27  millions  of  miles  c'istani ;  and  at  its 
greatest  distance,  it  is  no  less  than  163  niilTiona 
of  miles  from  the  earth.  Were  the  whole  of 
its  enlightened  surface  turned  towards  the  earth, 
when  it  is  nearest,  it  would  exhibit  a  light  and 
brilliancy  twenty-five  times  greater  than  it  ge- 
nerally does,  and  appear  like  a  small  brilliant 
moon  ;  but  at  that  lime,  its  dark  hemisphere  is 
turned  towards  our  glube.  Both  Venus  and 
Mercury,  when  viewed  by  a  telescope,  appear  to 
pass  successively  through  all  the  shapes  and  ap- 
pearances of  the  moon;  sometimes  assuming  a 
gibbous  phase,  and  at  other  times  the  fijrm  uf  a  half 
moon,  or  that  of  a  crescent ;  which  proves  that 
tliey  are  dark  bodies  in  themselves,  and  derive 
their  light  from  the  sun.  The  most  distinct  and 
beautiful  views  of  Venus,  especially  when  she 
appears  as  a  crescent,  are  to  be  obtained  in  the 
day  time,  by  means  uf  an  equatorial  telescope.— 
From  a  variety  of  observations  which  the  author 
has  made  with  this  instrument,  it  has  been  found 
that  Venus  may  be  seen  every  clear  day  without 
interruption,  during  a  period  of  583  days,  with 
the  occasional  exception  of  13  days  in  one  case, 
and  only  3  days  in  another — a  circumstance 
which  cannot  be  affirmed  of  any  other  celestial 
body,  the  sim  only  excepted.!     M.  Schroeter 


and  tliat  these  different  quantities  of  caloric  are  put 
into  artion  by  the  influence  of  the  solur  rays,  so  as 
to  proiluce  that  decree  of  tfnrible  heat  requisite  for 
each  respective  planetary  globe.  Unthls  h>'pothesis 
—which  is  corroborated  by  a  very  great  variety  of 
facts  and  experiment."— there  may  be  no  more  sen- 
sible heat  felt  on  the  .surface  of  the  planet  Mercury, 
than  on  the  surface  of  llerschel,  although  one  of 
these  bodies  Is  nearly  so  times  nearer  the  sun  than 
the  other.  We  have  only  to  suppose  that  a  small 
quantity  of  caloric,  exists  in  Mercury,  and  a  larger 

?uantity  in  Herschel,  proportionate  to  his  dl.«tance 
rora  the  centre  of  the  system.  On  thi.'  ground,  we 
have  no  reason  to  l)elleve,  either  that  the  planets 
nearest  the  sun  are  parcheil  with  excessive  heat,  or 
that  those  that  are  moat  distant  are  exposed  to  all  the 
rigours  of  Insuflerable  cold,  or  that  the  different  de- 
grees of  temperature  which  may  be  found  In  these 
bodies  render  them  unfit  for  lieing  the  abodes  of 
sensitive  and  Intellectual  beings. 

»See  Edln.  Phil.  Journ.  No.  V.  July,  I8S0,  and  No. 
XIII.  July  1893.- 1  have  found  from  observation,  that 
this  planet  may  be  seen  In  the  day  tune,  when  only 
!•  43'  from  the  sun's  centre  ;  and  consequently 
when  Its  geocentric  latitude  at  the  time  of  the  supe- 
rior coixjunctlon  exceeds  that  quantity.  It  may  be 
distinctly  seen  during  the  whole  period  of  S8S  day*, 
excepting  about  35  hours  before  and  after  its  inferior 
conjunction.  It  is  well  known  to  astronomers,  that 
there  has  been  a  difference  of  opinion  with  respect 
to  the  period  at  the  rotation  of  this  planet.  Casalnl, 
from  obseryaUoni  on  a  bright  spot  which  advanced 


ASTRONOMY. 


8S 


mffirms,  that  he  has  discovered  mountains  on  the 
surface  of  this  globe,  one  of  which  is  10,  another 
II,  and  a  third  22  miles  hig!i.  It  appears  also 
to  be  encompassed  with  an  atmosphere,  the 
densest  part  of  which  is  about  16  000  feet  high. 
About  twice  in  the  course  of  a  cenlury,  this  pla- 
net appears  to  pass,  like  a  dark  spot,  across  the 
sun's  disk.  This  is  termed  the  transit  of  Venus. 
The  last  transit  happened  June  3,  1769  ;  the 
next  will  happen  on  December  8,  1874,  which 
will  be  invisible  in  Europe.  Another  will  hap- 
pen on  the  6th  of  December,  1882,  which  will  be 
partly  visible  in  Gre.-il  Britain. 

The  Earth  is  the  next  planet  in  the  system. 
Ii  moves  round  the  sun  in  363  days,  5  hours,  and 
49  minutes,  at  the  distance  of  95  millions  of 
miles,  and  round  its  axis  in  23  hours,  56  minutes, 
4  seconds.  The  former  is  called  its  annual,  and 
the  latter,  its  diurnal  motion.  That  the  earth 
is,  in  reality,  a  moving  body,  is  a  fact  which  can 
no  longer  be  called  in  question ;  it  is  indeed  sus- 
ceptible of  the  clearest  demonstration.  But  my 
limits  will  not  permit  to  enter  into  a  detail  of  the 
arguments  by  which  it  is  suppprted.  I  have  al- 
ready adverted  to  one  consideration,  from  which 
its  diurnal  rotation  may  be  inferred.  (See  p. 
23.)  Either  the  earth  moves  round  its  axis 
every  day,  or  the  whole  universe  move.s  round  it 
in  the  same  time.  To  suppose  the  latter  case  to 
be  the  fact,  would  involve  a  reflection  on  the 
wisdom  of  its  almighty  Author,  and  wjuld  form 
the  only  exception  that  we  know  to  that  beauti- 
ful proportion,  harmony,  and  simplicity,  which 
appear  in  all  the  works  of  nature.  Were  it  pos- 
sible to  construct  a  machine  as  large  as  the  city 
of  London,  and  to  apply  to  it  mechanical  powers 
sufficient  to  make  it  revolve  on  an  axis,  so  as  to 
carry  round  a  furnace  for  the  purpose  of  roasting 
a  joint  of  mutton,  suspended  in  the  centre  of  its 
motion — while  we  might  admire  the  ingenuity 
and  the  energies  displayed  in  its  construction — 
all  mankind  would  unite  in  condemning  it  as  a 
display  of  consummate  folly.  But  such  an  extra- 
vagant piece  of  machinery  would  not  be  half  so 

20  degrees,  in  24  hours,  St  minutes,  rtctermlned  the 
time  of  if?  rotation  to  be  23  hours  and  20  minutes. 
On  the  other  hand,  Bianchini,  from  similar  observa 
lions,  concluded,  that  its  diurnal  period  was  24  days 
and  9  hours.  The  difficulty  of  decidinz  Iwtwecn 
these  two  opinions,  arises  from  the  sliort  time  in 
which  observations  can  be  maileon  this  planet.either 
l)efore  sunrise  or  after  sun-set,  which  prevents  us 
from  tracln?.  with  accuracy,  the  progressive  motion 
of  its  spots  for  a  sulflclent  leneth  of  time.  And  al- 
thou<;li  an  ol)«erver  should  marlc  the  position  of  the 
gpots,  at  the  s;ime  hour,  on  two  succee  lin;;  evenings, 
and  And  they  had  moved  forward  about  20  degrees 
in  24  hours,  he  would  still  lie  at  a  loss  to  determine, 
whether  they  had  moved  20  decrees  in<Ul.  since  the 
preccdinz  obsorvition.or  had  finished  a  revolution, 
and  20  decrees  more.— In  "  Nicholson's  Philosophical 
Journal,"  vol.  38.  I  endeavoured  to  show  how  this 
point  maybe  determined  l)y  observations  on  Venus 
in  the  daytime,  by  which,  In  certain  cases,  the  pro- 
gressive motion  of  her  spots  mi(;ht  be  traced,  without 
interruption,  for  12  hours  or  more,  which  would 
completely  settle  the  period  of  rotation. 


preposterous  as  to  suppose,  that  the  vast  universe 
is  daily  revolving  around  our  little  globe,  and  that 
all  the  planetary  motions  have  an  immediate  re- 
spect to  it.  And  shall  we  dare  to  ascribe  to  him 
who  is  "  the  only  wise  God,"  contrivances 
which  we  would  pronounce  to  be  the  perfection 
of  folly  in  mankind?  [r  is  recorded  of  the  astro- 
nomer Alphonsus,  king  of  Castile,  who  lived  in 
the  13th  century,  that,  after  having  studied  the 
Ptolemaic  system,  which  supposes  the  earth  at 
rest  in  the  centre  of  the  universe,  he  uttered  the 
following  impious  sentence ;  "  If  I  had  been  of 
God's  privy  council,  when  he  made  the  world,  I 
would  have  advised  him  better."  So  that  false 
conceptions  of  the  system  of  nature,  lead  to  erro- 
neous notions  of  that  adorable  Being  who  is  pos- 
sessed of  infinite  perfection.  We  find  that  bodies 
much  larger  than  the  earth  have  a  similar  rota- 
tion. The  planet  Jupiter,  a  globe  295,000  miles 
in  circumference,  moves  round  his  axis  in  less 
than  ten  hours ;  and  all  the  other  planetary 
bodies,  on  which  spots  have  been  discovered,  are 
found  to  have  a  diurnal  motion.  Besides,  it  is 
found  to  be  a  universal  law  of  nature  that  smaller 
globes  revolve  round  larger ;  but  there  is  no  ex- 
ample in  the  universe,  of  a  larger  body  revolving 
around  a  smaller.  The  moon  revolves  around 
the  earth,  but  she  is  much  smaller  than  the 
earth;  the  moons  which  move  around  Jupiter, 
Saturn,  and  Herschel,  are  all  less  than  their  pri- 
maries, and  the  planets  which  perform  their  re- 
volutions around  the  sun  are  much  less  than  that 
central  luminary. 

With  regard  to  the  annual  revolution  of  the 
earth,  if  such  a  motion  did  exist,  the  planetary 
system  would  present  a  scene  of  inextricable  con- 
fusion. The  planets  would  sometimes  move 
backwards,  sometimes  forwards,  and  at  other 
times  remain  stationary ;  and  would  describe 
loope'd  curves,  so  anomalous  and  confused,  that 
no  man  in  his  senses  could  view  the  all-wise 
Creator  as  the  author  of  so  much  confusion. 
But,  by  considering  the  earth  as  revolving  in  an 
orbit  between  Venus  and  Mars,  (which  all  ce- 
lestial observations  completely  demonstrate,)  all 
the  apparent  irregularities  of  the  planetary  mo- 
tions are  completely  solved  and  accounted  for  ; 
and  the  solar  system  presents  a  scene  of  beauty, 
harmony  and  grandeur,  combined  with  a  simplicity 
of  design  which  characterizes  all  the  works  of 
Omnipotence. 

The  Moon. — Next  to  the  sun,  the  moon  is  to 
us  the  most  interesting  of  all  the  celestial  orbs. 
She  is  the  constant  attendant  of  the  earth,  and 
revolves  around  it  in  27  days,  8  hours  ;  but  the 
period  from  one  new  or  full  moon  to  another  is 
about  29  days,  12  hours.  She  is  the  nearest  of 
all  the  heavenly  bodies  ;  being  only  about  two 
hundred  and  forty  thousand  miles  distant  from  the 
earth.  She  is  much  smaller  than  the  earth  ;  be- 
ing only  2,180  miles  in  diameter.  Her  surface, 
when  viewed  with  a  telescope,  presents  an  inte 


84 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER 


reating  and  a  variegated  aspect ;  b«ing  divcraified 
with  mountains,  valleys,  rocks,  and  plains,  in 
every  variety  of  iorm  and  posiiion.  Some  of 
these  mountains  form  long  and  elevated  ridges, 
reaembling  tlie  chains  of  tliu  Al|>s  and  the  Ande^l ; 
while  others,  of  a  conical  form,  rise  to  a  great 
height,  from  the  middle  of  level  plains,  some- 
what resembling  the  P^ak  of  Teneriffc  But  the 
moet  singular  feature  of  the  moon,  is,  those  cir- 
cular ridges  and  cavities  which  diversify  every 
portion  of  her  surface.  A  range  of  mountains  of 
a  circular  form,  rising  three  or  four  miles  above 
the  level  of  ihe  adjacent  districts,  surrounds,  like 
a  mighty  rampart,  an  extensive  plain  ;  and,  in 
Uie  middle  of  this  plain  or  cavity,  an  insulated 
conical  hill  rises  to  a  considerable  elevation. 
Several  hundreds  of  these  circular  plains,  most  of 
which  are  considerably  below  the  level  of  the  sur- 
rounding country,  may  be  perceived,  with  a  pood 
telescope,  on  every  region  of  the  lunar  surface. 
They  are  of  all  dimensions,  from  two  or  three 
'miles  to  forty  miles  in  diameter  ;  and,  if  tliey  be 
adorned  with  verdure,  they  must  present  to  the 
view  of  a  spectator,  placed  among  them,  a  more 
variegated,  romantic,  and  sublime  scenery  than 
is  to  be  found  on  the  surface  of  our  globe.  An 
idea  of  some  of  these  scenes  may  be  acquired  by 
conceiving  a  plain  of  about  a  hundred  miles  in 
circumference,  encircled  with  a  range  of  moun- 
tains, of  various  forms,  three  miles  in  perpendicu- 
lar height,  and  having  a  mountain  near  the  cen- 
tre, whose  top  reaches  a  mile  and  a  half  above 
the  level  of  the  plain.  From  the  top  of  this  cen- 
tral mountain,  the  whole  plain,  with  all  its  variety 
of  objects,  would  be  distinctly  visible;  and  the 
view  would  appear  to  be  bounded  on  all  sides  by 
a  lofty  amphitheatre  of  mountains,  in  every  di- 
versity of  shape,  rearing  their  summits  to  the 
tkj.  From  the  summit  of  the  circular  ridge,  the 
conical  hill  in  the  centre,  the  opposite  circular 
range,  the  plain  below,  and  some  of  the  adjacent 
plains,  which  encompass  the  exterior  ridge  of  the 
mountains,  would  form  another  variety  of  view  ; 
and  a  third  variety  would  be  obtained  from  the 
various  aspects  of  the  central  mountain,  and  the 
surrounding  scenery,  as  viewed  from  the  plains 
below. 

The  lunar  mountains  are  of  all  sizes,  from  a 
iurlong  to  five  miles  in  perpendicular  elevation. 
Certain  luminous  spots,  which  have  been  occa- 
sionally seen  on  the  dark  side  of  the  moon,  senm 
to  demonstrate  that  fire  exists  in  this  planet.  Dr. 
Herschel  and  several  other  astronomers  suppose, 
that  they  are  volcanoes  in  a  state  of  eruption.  It 
would  be  a  more  pleasing  idea,  and  perhaps  as 
nearly  corresponding  to  fact,  to  suppose,  that 
these  phenomena  are  owing  to  some  occasional 
•plendid  illuminations,  produced  by  the  lunar  in- 
habitants, during  their  long  nights.  Such  a  scene 
M  the  burning  oTMoscow,  Ihe  conflagration  of  an 
eitensive  forest,  or  the  splendid  illumination  of 
•  large  city  with  ga»4igbu,  might  present  simi- 


lar appearances  to  a  spectator  in  the  moon.  Thr 
bright  spots  of  the  moon  are  the  mountainout 
regions  ;  the  dark  spots  are  the  plains,  or  more 
level  parts  of  her  surface.  There  may  probably 
be  rivers  or  small  lakes  on  this  planet ;  but  ther« 
are  no  seas  or  large  collection  of  water.  It  ap- 
pears highly  probable,  from  the  observations  of 
Srhroeter,  that  the  moon  is  encompassed  with 
an  atmosphere ;  but  no  clouds,  rain,  nor  snow 
seem  to  exist  in  it.  The  illuminating  fwwer  of 
tile  light  derived  from  the  moon,  according  to  the 
experiments  made  by  Professor  Leslie,  is  about 
the  one  hundred  and  Jijiy  thoutandlh  part  of  the 
illuminating  power  of  the  sun.  Accor  ling  to 
the  experiments  of  M.  Boguer,  it  is  only  as  1  to 
300,(X)0. 

The  Moon  always  presents  the  same  face  to 
us ;  which  proves,  that  she  revolves  round  her 
axis  in  the  same  time  that  she  revolves  round  the 
earth.  As  this  orb  derives  its  light  from  the 
sun,  and  reflects  a  portion  of  it  upon  the  earth, 
so  the  earth  performs  the  same  office  to  the  moon. 
A  spectator  on  the  lunar  surface  would  behold 
the  earth,  like  a  luminous  orb,  suspended  in  the 
vault  of  heaven,  presenting  a  surface  about  IS 
times  larger  than  the  moon  does  to  us,  and  ap- 
pearing sometimes  gibbous,  sometimes  horned, 
and  at  other  times  with  a  round  full  face.  The 
light  which  the  earth  reflects  upon  the  dark  side 
of  the  moon  may  be  distinctly  perceived  by  a 
common  telescope,  from  three  to  six  or  eight 
days  after  the  change.  The  lunar  surface  con- 
tains about  15  millions  of  square  miles,  and  is, 
therefore,  capable  of  containing  a  population 
equal  to  that  of  our  globe,  allowing  only  about 
53  inhabitants  to  every  square  mile.  That  this 
planet  is  inhabited  by  sensitive  and  intelligent 
beings,  there  is  every  reason  to  conclude,  from  a 
consideration  of  the  sublime  scenery  with  which 
its  surface  is  adorned,  and  of  the  general  benefi- 
cence of  the  Creator,  who  appears  to  have  left  no 
large  portion  of  his  material  creation  without 
animated  existences  ;  and  it  is  highly  probable, 
that  direct  proofn  of  th«  moon's  being  inhabited 
may  hereafter  be  obtained,  when  all  the  varie- 
ties on  her  surface  shall  have  been  more  minute- 
ly explored.* 

The  planet  Mart. — Next  to  the  earth  and 
moon,  the  planet  Mars  performs  his  revolu- 
tion round  the  sun,  in  one  year  and  ten  months, 
to  the  distance  of  145  millions  of  miles.  His 
diameter  is  about  4,200  miles,  and  he  is  distin- 
guished from  all  the  other  planets,  by  his  mdt^ 
appearance,  which  is  owing  to  a  dense  otmo*- 
phere  with  which  he  is  environed.  With  a  good 
telescope,  his  surface  appears  diversified  by  a 
variety  of  8|iots ;  by  the  motion  of  which  it  is 
found,  that  ho  turns  round  his  axis  in  24  hours 
and  40  minntes.  The  inclination  of  his  axis  to 
the  plane  of  his  orbit  being  about  28°  42',  the 

*  See  Appendix,  No.  m. 


ASTRONOMY. 


85 


days  and  nights,  and  the  different  seasons  in  this 
planet,  will  bear  a  considerable  resemblance  to 
those  we  experience  in  our  terrestrial  sphere.* 

At  his  nearest  approach  to  the  earth,  his  dis- 
tance from  us  is  about  50  millions  of  miles; 
and,  at  his  greatest  distance,  he  is  about  240 
millions  of  miles;  so  that  in  the  former  case  he 
appears  nearly  25  times  larger  than  in  the  latter. 
To  a  spectator  in  this  planet,  our  earth  will 
appear,  alternately,  as  a  morning  and  evening 
star,  and  will  exhibit  all  the  phases  of  the  moon, 
just  as  Venus  does  to  us,  but  with  a  less  degree 
of  apparent  magnitude  and  splendour.  A  lumi- 
nous zone  has  been  observed  about  the  poles  of 
Mars,  which  is  subject  to  successive  changes. 
Dr.  Herschel  supposes  that  it  is  produced  by  the 
reflection  of  the  sun's  light  from  his  frozen  re- 
gions, and  that  the  melting  of  these  masses  of 
polar  ice  is  the  cause  of  the  variation  in  its  mag- 
nitude and  appearance.  This  planet  moves,  in 
its  orbil,  at  the  rate  of  fifty- five  thousand  miles 
an  hour. 

JTie  new  planets. — Between  the  orbits  of 
Mars  and  Jupiter,  four  planetary  bodies  have 
been  lately  discovered,  accompanied  with  cir- 
cumstances somewhat  different  from  those  of  the 
other  bodies  which  compose  our  system.  They 
are  named  Ceres,  Pallas,  Juno,  and  Vesta. 
The  planet  Ceres  was  discovered  at  Palermo, 
in  Sicily,  by  M.  Piazzi,  on  the  first  day  of  the 
present  century.  It  is  of  a  ruddy  colour,  and 
appears  abour  the  size  of  a  star  of  the  8th  magni- 
tude, and  is  consequently  invisible  to  the  naked 
eye.  It  performs  its  revolution  in  4  years  and  7 
months,  at  the  distance  of  260  millions  of  miles 
from  the  sun,  and  is  reckoned,  by  some  astrono- 
mers, to  be  about  1624  miles  in  diameter,  or 
about  half  the  diameter  of  Mercury.  It  appears 
to  be  surrounded  with  a  large  dense  atmosphere. 
— Pallas  was  discovered  the  following  year, 
namely,  on  the  28th  of  March,  1802,  by  Dr. 
Olbers  of  Bremen.  It  is  supposed  to  be  about 
2000  miles  in  diameter,  or  nearly  the  size  of  the 
moon.  It  revolves  about  the  sun  in  4  years  and 
7  months,  or  nearly  in  the  same  time  as  Ceres, 
at  the  distance  of  266  millions  of  miles;  and  is 
surrounded  with  a  nebulosity  or  atmosphere, 
above  400  miles  in  height,  similar  to  that  of 
Ceres. — The  planet  Juno  was  discovered  on  the 
1st  September,  1804,  by  Mr.  Harding  of  Bre- 
men. Its  mean  distance  from  the  sun  is  about 
253  millions  of  miles;  its  revolution  is  comple- 
ted in  4  years  and  130  days,  and  its  diameter  is 
computed  to  be  about  1425  miles.  It  is  free 
from  the  nebulosity  which  surrounds  Pallas,  and 
is  distinguished  from  all  the  other  planets  by  the 

•  The  inclination  of  the  earth's  axis  to  the  ecliptic, 
or.  It  other  words,  to  the  plane  of  its  annual  orbit, 
Is  83  degrees  and  28  minutes,  which  is  the  cause  of 
the  diversity  of  seasons,  and  of  ttie  different  length 
of  days  and  nights.  Were  the  axis  of  the  earth  per- 
pendicular to  its  orbit,  as  Is  the  case  with  the  pla- 
ne«  Jupiter,  there  would  be  no  diversity  of  seasons. 


great  eccentricity  of  its  orbit :  being,  at  its  least 
distance  from  the  sun,  only  189  millions  of  miles, 
and  at  iis  greatest  distance  316  millions. —  Vesta 
was  discovered  by  Dr.  Olbers  on  the  29th 
March,  1807.  It  appears  like  a  star  of  the  5lh 
or  6th  magnitude,  and  may  sometimes  be  distin- 
guished  by  the  naked  eye.  Its  light  is  more  in- 
tense and  while  than  any  of  the  other  three,  and 
it  is  not  surrounded  with  any  nebulosity.  It  is 
distant  from  the  sun  about  225  millions  of  miles, 
and  completes  its  revolution  in  3  years  and  240 
days.  Its  diameter  has  not  yet  been  accurately 
ascertained ;  but  from  the  intensity  of  its  light, 
and  other  circumstances,  it  is  concluded,  that  it 
exceeds  in  magnitude  both  Pallas  and  Juno. 

These  planetary  globes  present  to  our  view  a 
variety  of  anomalies  and  singularities,  which 
appear  incompatible  with  the  regularity,  pro- 
portion, and  harmony  which  were  formerly  sup- 
posed to  characterize  the  arrangements  of  the 
solar  system. — They  are  bodies  much  smaller  in 
size  than  tlie  other  planets — they  revolve  nearly 
at  the  same  distanced  from  the  sun,  and  perform 
their  revolutions  in  nearly  the  same  periods— 
their  orbits  are  much  more  eccentric,  and  have  a 
much  greater  degree  of  inclination  to  the  ecliptic, 
than  those  of  the  old  planets — and,  what  is  alto 
gether  singular,  (except  incase  of  comets,)  their 
orbits  cross  each  other;  so  that  there  is  a.  possibi- 
lity  that  two  of  these  bodies  might  happen  to  in- 
terfere, and  to  strike  each  other,  in  the  course  of 
their  revolutions.  The  orbit  of  Ceres  crosses 
the  orbit  of  Pallas.  Vesta  may  sometimes  be  at 
a  greater  distance  from  the  sun  than  either  Ceres, 
Pallas  or  Juno,  although  its  mean  distance  is  less 
than  that  of  either  of  them,  by  several  millions 
of  miles  ;  so  that  the  orbit  of  Vesta  crosses  the 
orbits  of  all  the  other  three.  From  these  and 
other  circumstances,  it  has,  with  a  high  degree 
of  probability,  been  concluded — that  these  four 
planets  are  the  fragments  of  a  large  celestial  body 
which  once  revolved  between  Mars  and  Jupiter, 
and  which  had  been  burst  asunder  by  some  im- 
mense irruptive  force.  This  idea  seems  to  have 
occurred  to  Dr.  Olbers  after  he  had  discovered 
the  planet  Pallas,  and  he  imagined  that  other 
fragments  might  possibly  exist.  He  concluded, 
that,  if  they  all  diverged  from  the  same  point, 
"  they  ought  to  have  two  common  points  of  re- 
union, or  two  nodes  in  opposite  regions  of  the 
heavens,  through  which  all  the  planetary  frag- 
ments must  sooner  or  later  pass."  One  of  these 
nodes  he  found  to  be  in  the  constellation  Virgo, 
and  the  other  in  the  Whale ;  and  it  is  a  remark- 
able coincidence,  that  it  was  in  the  latter  of 
these  regions  that  the  planet  Juno  was  discover- 
ed by  Mr.  Harding.  In  order  to  detect  the  re- 
maining fragments  (if  any  existed)  Dr.  Olbers 
examined,  three  times  every  year,  all  the  small 
stars  in  Virgo  and  the  Whale  ;  and  it  was  ac- 
tually in  the  consellation  Virgo,  that  he  dis- 
covered the  planet  Vesta.    It  is  nut  unlikely 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


that  other  fragments  of  a  timilar  detcripiion  may 
be  discovered.  Dr.  Brewster  altribules  the  fall 
of  meteoric  stones'*  to  the  smaller  fragmrnts  of 
these  bodies  happening  to  come  within  the  sphere 
of  the  earth's  attraction .  His  ingenious  rca- 
•onings  oo  this  subject,  and  in  support  of  Dr. 
OHjets*  hypothesis  above  stated,  may  be  seen  in 
Edin.  Ency.  vol.  ii.  p.  641,  and  in  his  "Sup- 
plementary chapters  to  Ferguson's  Astronomy." 

The  (acts  to  which  I  have  now  adverted  seem 
to  imfbld  a  new  scene  in  the  history  of  the  dis- 
pensations of  the  Almighty,  and  to  warrant  the 
conclusion,  that  the  earth  is  not  the  only  globe 
in  the  universe  which  is  subject  to  physical 
changes  and  moral  revolutions. 

The  Planet  Jupiter.— This  planet  is  490 
millions  of  miles  distant  from  the  sun,  and  per- 
forms its  annual  revolution  in  nearly  twelve  of 
our  years,  moving  at  the  rate  of  twenty-nine 
thousand  miles  an  hour.  It  is  the  largest  planet 
in  the  solar  system  ;  being  89,000  miles  in  di- 
ameter, or  about  fourteen  hundred  times  larger 
than  the  earth.  Its  motion  round  its  axis  is  per- 
formed in  nine  hours  and  fifiy-six  minutes  ;  and, 
therefore,  the  portions  of  its  surface  about  the 
equator  move  at  the  rate  of  28,000  miles  an  hour, 
which  is  nearly  twenty-seven  times  swifter  than 
the  earth's  diurnal  rotation.  The  figure  of  Ju- 
piter is  that  of  an  oblate  spheroid,  the  axis,  or 
diameter  passing  through  the  poles,  boing  about 
6000  miles  shorter  than  that  passing  through  the 
equator.  The  Earth,  Saturn,  and  Mars  are 
also  spheroids  ;  and  it  is  highly  probable  that 
Mercury,  Venus,  and  Herschel  are  of  a  similar 
figure,  though  the  fact  has  not  yet  been  ascer- 
tained by  actual  observation.  When  viewed 
with  a  telescope,  several  spots  have  been  occa- 
sionally discovered  on  the  surface  of  this  planet, 
by  the  motion  of  which,  its  rotation  was  deter- 
mined. 

But  what  chiefly  distinguishes  the  surface  of 
Jupiter  is  several  streaky  appearances,  or  dusky 
strips,  which  extend  across  his  disk,  in  lines 
parallel  to  his  equator.     These   are  generally 

•  Meteoric  stones,  or,  what  arc  generally  tenne<t 
mtroUtet,  are  stones  which  sometimes  fall  from  the 
mrper  regions  of  the  atmosphere,  upon  the  earth.— 
"nt  substance  of  which  they  are  composed  is,  for  the 
most  part,  metaUic;  but  the  ore  of  whlrh  they  con- 
sist Is  not  to  be  found  in  the  tame  conttHunU  pro- 
portUmt  In  any  terrestrial  substances.  Their  fall  is 
■enerally  preceded  by  a  luminous  appearance,  a  hiss- 
Ug  noise,  and  a  loud  explosion ;  and,  when  found 
iimnediately  after  tli(>lrdcs<-en(,  are  always  hot  — 
Their  size  differs,  from  small  fragment;,  uf  lnron.sl- 
derable  welgnt,  to  the  most  ponderous  masses.  Some 
of  the  Largest  ponionn  of  these  stones  have  been 
foand  to  weigh  from  800  lbs.  to  several  tons ;  and 
they  have  often  descended  to  the  earth  with  a  force 
■nffldent  to  bur}'  them  many  feet  under  the  soil.— 
Some  have  supposed  that  tlteae  bodies  are  projected 
tirom  volcanoes  in  the  moon  -,  others,  that  they  pro- 
ceed from  volcanoes  on  the  earth ;  while  others  ima- 
gine that  they  are  generated  in  the  regions  of  the 
atmosphere  -,  but  the  true  cause  it,  probably,  not  yet 
Mccrtaincd.  in  some  insLinces,  these  stones  have 
MBetrated  through  the  roofs  of  bouses,  and  proved 
imiiicUve  to  the  inhsMtants 


termed  his  belt*.  Three  of  these  belts,  or  tones 
nearly  eqtii-distant  from  each  other,  are  moot  fre- 
quently observed  ;  but  they  are  not  regular  or 
constant  in  their  appearance  .f  Sometimes  only 
one  is  to  be  seen,  sometimss  five,  and  sometimes 
seven  or  eight  have  bek;n  distinctly  visible;  and, 
in  ihe  latter  case,  two  of  them  have  been  knowp 
to  disappear  during  Ihe  time  of  observation.  On 
the  28th  May,  1780,  Dr.  Herschel  perceived 
"  the  Uihole  twrface  of  Jupiter  covered  with  small 
curved  belts,  or  rather  lines,  that  were  not  con- 
tinuous across  his  disk."  Though  these  belts 
are  generally  parallel  to  each  oilier,  yet  they  are 
not  always  so.  Their  breadth  islikcwuie  varia- 
ble ;  one  belt  having  been  observed  to  grow  nar- 
row, while  another  in  its  neighbourhood  has  in- 
creased in  breadth,  as  if  the  one  had  flowed  into 
the  other.  The  time  of  their  continuance  is  also 
uncertain;  sometimes  they  remain  unchanged 
for  several  months,  at  other  times,  new  belts 
have  been  formed  in  an  hour  or  two.  What 
these  belts  or  variable  apiiearances  are  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  determine.  Some  have  regarded  them  as 
strata  of  clouds  floating  in  the  atmosphere  of  Ju- 
piter; while  others  imagine,  that  they  are  the 
marks  of  great  physical  revolutions  which  are 
perpetually  changing  the  surface  of  that  planet. 
The  former  opinion  appears  the  most  probable. 
But,  whatever  be  the  nature  of  these  belts,  the 
sudden  changes  to  which  they  are  occasionally 
subject,  seem  to  indicate  the  rapid  operation  of 
some  powerful  physical  agency  ;  for  some  of 
them  are  more  than  five  thousand  miles  in 
breadth  ;  and  since  they  have  been  known  to  dis- 
apftear  in  the  space  of  an  hour  or  two,  and  even 
during  the  time  of  a  casual  observation — agents 
more  jwwerful  than  any  with  which  we  are  ac- 
quainted must  have  produced  so  extensive  an 
effect. 

Jupiter  is  attended  by  four  satellites  or  moons, 
which  present  a  very  beautiful  appearance  when 
viewed  through  a  telescope.  The  first  moon,  or 
that  nearest  the  planet,  is  230,000  miles  distant 
from  its  centre,  and  goes  rmmd  it  in  42}  hours ; 
and  will  appear  from  its  surface  four  times 
larger  than  our  moon  does  to  us.  The  second 
moon,  being  farther  distant,  will  appear  about 
the  size  of  ours  ;  the  third,  somewhat  less  ;  and 
the  fourth,  which  is  a  million  of  mil«-s  distant 
from  Jupiter,  and  takes  sixteen  days  to  go  round 
him,  will  appear  only  about  one-third  the  diame- 
ter of  our  moon.  These  moons  suffer  frequent 
eclipses  from  passing  through  Jupiter's  shadow, 
in  the  same  way  as  our  moon  is  eclipsed  by 
passing  through    the  shadow  of  the  earth.    Bj 

t  A  representation  of  these  belts.  In  the  positions 
in  which  they  most  frequently  appear,  is  extiibil- 
ed  In  the  engraving.  Kig.  8.  Fig.  I.  represents  the 
double  ring  of  Saturn,  ns  It  appears  when  viewed 
through  a  powerful  telescope— Figures  i.a,  S,  4, 
and  6,  represent  Saturn,  Jupiter,  Herschel.  the 
Earth  and  Moon,  <n  tiuir  relative  litet  em4  ff- 


ASTRONOMY 


87 


Jie  eclipse  of  these  moons,  the  motion  of  light 
was  ascertained ;  and  they  are  found  to  be  of  es- 
sential use  in  determining  the  longitude  of  places 
on  the  surface  of  our  globe.  This  planet,  if  seen 
from  its  nearest  moon,  will  present  a  surface  a 
thousand  times  as  large  as  our  moon  does  to  us, 
and  will  appear  in  the  form  of  a  crescent,  a  half^ 
moon,  a  gibbous  phase,  and  a  full-moon,  in  regu- 
lar succession,  every  24  hours.  Jupiter's  axis 
being  nearly  perpendicular  to  his  orbit,  he  has  no 
sensible  change  of  seasons,  such  as  we  experi- 
ence on  the  earth.  Were  we  placed  on  the  sur- 
face of  this  planet,  with  the  limited  powers  of 
vision  we  now  possess,  our  earth  and  moon 
would  entirely  disappear,  as  if  they  were  blotted 
out  from  the  map  of  creation  ;  and  the  inhabitants 
of  these  regions  must  have  much  better  eyes  than 
ours,  if  they  know  that  there  is  such  a  globe  as 
the  earth  in  the  universe. 

The  planet  Saturn. — This  planet  is  900  mil- 
lions of  miles  distant  from  the  sun,  being  nearly 
double  the  distance  of  Jupiter.  Its  diameter  is 
79,000  miles,  and,  consequently,  it  is  more  than 
nine  hundred  times  the  bulk  of  the  earth.  It 
takes  29i  years  to  complete  its  revolution  about 
the  sun  ;  but  its  diurnal  motion  is  completed  in 
ten  hours  and  sixteen  minutes  ;  so  that  the  year 
in  this  planet  is  nearly  thirty  times  the  length  of 
ours,  while  the  day  is  shorter,  by  more  than  one- 
half  The  year,  therefore,  contains  about  twen- 
ty-five thousand  one  hundred  and  fifty  days,  or 
periods  of  its  diurnal  rotation,  which  is  equal  to 
10,759  of  our  days.  Saturn  is  of  a  spheroidal 
figure,  or  somewhat  of  the  shape  of  an  orange  ; 
his  equatorial  being  more  than  six  thousand  miles 
longer  than  his  polar  diameter.  His  surface, 
like  that  of  Jupiter,  is  diversified  with  belts  and 
dark  spots.  Dr.  Herschel,  at  certain  times,  per- 
ceived five  belts  on  his  surface,  three  of  which 
were  dark,  and  two  bright.  The  dark  belts  had 
a  yellowish  tinge,  and  generally  covered  a  larger 
rone  of  the  disk  of  Saturn,  than  the  behs  of  Jupi- 
ter <jccupy  upon  his  surface.  On  account  of  the 
great  distance  of  this  planet  from  the  sun,  the 
light  it  receives  from  that  luminary  is  only  the 
ninetieth  part  of  what  we  enjoy ;  but,  by  calcula- 
tion, it  is  found,  that  diis  quantity  is  a  thousand 
times  greater  than  the  light  which  the  full  moon 
affords  to  us.  Besides,  it  is  surrounded  by  no 
fewer  than  seven  moons,  which  supply  it  with 
light  in  the  absence  of  the  sun.  Five  of  these 
moons  were  discovered  during  the  seventeenth 
century,  by  Huygens  and  Cassini ;  and  the  sixth 
and  seventh  were  discovered  by  Dr.  Herschel,  in 
1789,  soon  after  his  large  forty  foot  reflecting 
telescope  was  constructed.  These  moons,  and 
also  those  which  accomp.iny  Jupiter,  are  esti- 
mated to  be  not  less  than  the  earth  in  magnitude, 
and  are  found,  like  our  moon,  to  revolve  round 
their  axis  in  the  .same  time  in  which  they  revolve 
about  their  respective  primaries. 

Rings  of  Saturn. — The  most  extraordinary 


circumstance  connected  with  this  planet,  v^ 
the  phenomenon  of  a  double  ring,  which  sur- 
rounds its  body,  but  no  where  touches  it,  being 
thirty  thousand  miles  distant  from  any  part  oi 
the  planet,  and  is  carried  along  with  the  planet 
in  its  circuit  round  the  sun.  This  is  the  most 
singular  and  astonishing  object  in  the  whole  range 
of  the  planetary  system  ;  no  other  planet  being 
found  environed  with  so  wonderful  an  appendage ; 
and  the  planets  which  may  belong  to  other  sys- 
tems, being  placed  beyond  the  reach  of  our  ob- 
servations, no  idea  can  be  formed  of  the  peculiar 
apparatus  with  which  any  of  them  may  be  fur- 
nished. This  double  ring  consists  of  two  con- 
centric rings,  detached  from  each  other;  the  in- 
nermost of  which  is  nearly  three  limes  as  broad  as 
the  outermost.  The  outside  diameter  of  the  exte- 
rior ring  ia  204,000  mi\es  \  and,  consequently,  its 
circumference  will  measure  six  hundred  and 
forty  thousand  miles,  or  eighty  times  the  diame- 
ter of  our  globe.  Its  breadth  is  7,200  miles,  or 
nearly  the  diameter  of  the  earth.  Were  four 
hundred  and  fifty  globes,  of  the  size  of  the  earth, 
placed  close  to  one  another,  on  a  plane,  this 
immense  ring  would  enclose  the  whole  of  them, 
together  with  all  the  interstices,  or  open  spaces 
between  the  different  globes.  The  outside  dia- 
meter of  the  innermost  ring  is  184,000  miles,  and 
its  breadth  twenty  thousand  miles,  or  about  2J 
times  broader  than  the  diameter  of  the  earth. 
The  dark  space,  or  interval,  between  the  two 
rings,  is  2,800  miles.  The  breadth  of  both  the 
rings,  including  the  dark  space  between  them, 
is  thirty  thousand  miles,  which  is  equal  to  the 
distance  of  the  innermost  ring  from  the  body  of 
Saturn. 

The  following  figure  represents  a  view  ofSa- 
tum  and  his  rings,  as  they  would  appear,  were 
our  eye  perpendicular  to  one  of  the  planes  of  those 
rings ;  but  our  eye  is  never  so  much  elevated 
above  either  plane,  as  to  have  the  visual  ray 
standing  at  right  angles  to  it ;  it  is  never  ele- 
vated more  than  30  degrees  above  the  planes  of 
the  rings.  When  we  view  Saturn  through  a 
telescope,  we  always  see  the  ring  at  an  oblique 
angle,  so  that  it  appears  of  an  oval  form,  the 
outward  circular  rim  being  projected  into  an 
ellipsis  more  or  less  oblong,  according  to  the 
different  degrees  of  obliquity  with  which  it  is 
viewed,  as  will  be  seen  in  the  figure  of  Saturn 
in  the  copperplate  engraving. 

These  rings  cast  a  deep  shadow  upon  the 
planet,  which  proves  that  they  are  not  shining 
ftuida,  but  composed  of  solid  matter.  They  ap- 
pear to  be  possessed  of  a  higher  reflective  power 
than  the  surface  of  Saturn  ;  as  the  light  re- 
flected by  them  is  more  brilliant  than  that  of 
the  planet.  One  obvious  use  of  this  double  ring 
is.  to  reflect  light  upon  the  planet,  in  the  absence 
of  the  sun  ;  what  other  purposes  it  may  be  in- 
tended to  subserve,  in  the  system  of  Saturn,  is, 
at  present,  to  us  unknown.    The  suo  illuminates 


M 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


one  side  of  it  during  fifteen  years,  or  one-half 
of  the  period  of  the  planet's  revolution;  and 
during  the  next  fifteen  years,  the  other  side  is 
enlightened  in  its  turn.  Twice  in  the  course  of 
thirty  years, there  is  a  short  period,  during  which 
neither  side  is  enlightened,  and  when,  of  course, 
it  ceases  to  be  visible  ; — namely,  at  the  time 
when  (he  sun  ceases  to  shine  on  one  side,  and 
is  about  to  shine  on  the  other.  It  revolves 
round  its  axis,  and,  consequently,  around  Saturn, 
in  ten  hours  and  a  half,  which  is  at  the  rate  of  a 
thousand  miles  in  a  minute,  or  fifty-eight  times 
swifter  than  the  earth's  equator.  When  viewed 
from  the  middle  zone  of  the  planet,  in  the  absence 
of  the  Sim,  the  rings  will  appear  like  vast  lumi- 
nous arches,  extending  along  the  canopy  of  hea- 
ven, from  the  eastern  to  the  western  horizon  ; 
having  an  apparent  breadth  equal  to  a  hundred 
times  the  apparent  diameter  of  our  moon,  and 
will  be  seen  darkened  about  the  middle,  by  the 
shadow  of  Saturn.* 

There  is  no  other  planet  in  the  solar  system, 
whose  firmament  will  [iresent  such  a  variety  of 
splendid  and  magnificent  objects,  as  that  of  Sa- 
turn. The  various  as|)ects  of  his  seven  moons, 
one  rising  above  the  horizon,  while  another  is 
setting,  and  a  third  approaching  to  the  meridian  ; 

•  See  the  tngrvrtng,  flg.  7,  which  represents  a 
Ttew  of  the  appearance  which  the  rin^sand  moons 
of  Saturn  will  exhibit.  In  cert  iln  M.ieii,  about  mid- 
nlicht,  when  heheld  from  a  point  30  or  30  decrees 
north  from  his  equator.  The  shailc  on  the  ut)|>er 
part  of  thp  rings  reprenrnts  the  shadow  of  the  Ijody  of 
Saturn.  The  shadow  will  apiwarto  move  fraduall/ 
to  the  west  as  the  morning  approaches. 


one  entering  into  an  eclipse,  and  another  emer^ 
ing  from  it;  one  appearing  as  a  crescent,  and 
another  with  a  gibbous  pha.«e  ;  and  sonietimra 
the  whole  of  them  shining  in  the  same  hemi- 
sphere, in  one  bright  assemblage ;  the  majestio 
motions  of  the  rings, — at  one  time  illuminating 
the  sky  with  their  splendour,  and  eclipsing  the 
stars  ;  at  another,  casting  a  deep  shade  over  cer> 
tain  regions  of  the  planet,  and  unveiling  tu  view 
the  wonders  of  the  starry  firmament— are  scenes 
worthy  of  the  majesty  of  the  Divine  Being  to 
unfold,  and  of  rational  creatures  to  contemplate. 
Such  magnificent  displays  of  wisdom  and  om- 
nipotence lead  us  to  conejude  that  the  numerouf 
splendid  objects  connected  with  this  planet  were 
not  created  merely  to  shed  their  lustre  on  naked 
rocks  and  barren  sands ;  but  that  an  immense 
population  of  intelligent  beings  is  placed  in  those 
regions,  to  enjoy  the  bounty  and  to  adore  the 
perfections  of  their  great  Creator.  The  double 
ring  of  Saturn,  when  viewed  through  a  good  te- 
lescope, generally  appears  like  a  luminous  handle 
on  each  side  of  the  planet,  with  a  dark  interval 
between  the  interior  cd^e  of  the  ring  and  the 
convex  body  of  Saturn ;  which  is  owing  to  its 
oblique  position  with  respect  to  our  line  of  vision. 
When  its  outer  edge  is  turned  directly  towards 
the  earth,  it  becomes  invisible,  or  appears  like  a 
dark  stripe  across  the  di.^k  of  the  planet.  This 
phenomenon  happens  once  everv  fifteen  years. 

TVu  planet  Hertchtl. — This  planet,  which 
is  also  known  by  the  names  of  the  Oeorgium 
Sidui,  and  Uranus,  was  discovered  by  Dr. 
Herscbel  oo  the  13th  March,  I78I.     It  is  th* 


ASTRONOMY. 


most  distant  planet  from  the  sun,  that  has  yet 
been  discovered  ;  being  removed  at  no  less  than 
1800  millions  of  .niles  from  that  luminary,  which 
is  nineteen  t.mes  farther  than  the  earth  is  from 
the  sun — a  distance  so  great,  that  a  cannon  ball, 
flying  at  the  rate  of  480  miles  an  hour,  vvould 
not  reach  it  in  400  years.  Its  diameter  is  about 
35,000  miles  ;  and,  of  course,  it  is  about  eighty 
times  larger  than  the  earth.  It  appears  like  a 
star  of  the  sixth  magnitude  ;  but  can  seldom  be 
distinguished  by  the  naked  eye.  It  takes  about 
83  years  and  a  half  to  complete  its  revolution 
round  the  sun ;  and,  though  it  is  the  slowest 
movin<;  body  in  the  system,  it  moves  at  the  rate 
of  15,000  miles  an  hour.  As  the  degree  of  sen- 
sible heat  in  any  planet  does  not  appear  to  de- 
pend altogether  on  its  nearness  to  the  sun,  the 
temperature  of  this  planet  may  be  as  mild  as 
that  which  obtains  in  the  most  genial  climate  of 
our  globe.*  The  diameter  of  the  sun,  as  seen 
from  Herschel,  is  little  more  than  the  apparent 
diameter  of  Venus,  as  seen  by  the  naked  eye ; 
and  the  light  which  it  receives  from  that  lumi- 
nary, is  360  times  less  than  what  we  experience ; 
yet  this  proportion  is  found  by  calculation  to  be 
equal  to  the  effect  which  would  be  produced  by 
248  of  our  full  moons ;  and,  in  the  absence  of 
the  sun,  there  are  «ir  moons  which  reflect  light 
upon  this  distant  planet,  all  of  which  were  dis- 
covered likewise  by  Dr.  Herschel.  Small  as  the 
proportion  of  light  is,  which  this  planet  receives 
from  the  sun,  it  is  easy  to  conceive,  that  beings 
similar  to  man,  placed  on  the  surface  of  this 
globe,  with  a  slight  modification  of  their  organs 
of  vision,  might  be  made  to  perceive  objects  with 
a  clearness  and  distinctness  even  superior  to 
what  we  can  do.  We  have  only  to  suppose, 
that  the  Creator  has  formed  their  eyes  with /mpt/« 
capable  of  a  much  larger  expansion  than  ours  ; 
and  has  endued  their  retina  with  a  much  greater 
degree  of  nervous  sensibility.  At  all  events,  we 
may  rest  assured,  that  He  who  has  placed  sen- 
tient beings  in  any  region,  has,  by  laws  with 
which  we  are  partly  unacquainted,  adapted  the 
constitution  of  the  inhabitant  to  the  nature  of 
the  habitation. 

"  Strange  and  amaslng  must  the  difference  be, 
Twixt  this  (lull  planet  and  bright  Mercury ; 
Yet  reason  says,  nor  can  we  doubt  at  all. 
Millions  of  beings  dwell  on  either  ba,\\. 
With  constitutions  fitted  forthat  spot 
Where  Providence,  all- wise,  has  fixed  their  lot." 
Balcer'i  Univerie. 

The  celestial  globes  which  I  have  now  de- 
scribed, are  all  the  planets  which  are  at  present 
known  to  belong  to  the  solar  system.  It  is  pro- 
bable that  other  planetary  bodies  may  yet  be  dis- 
covered between  the  orbits  of  Saturn  and  Her- 
schel, and  even  far  beyond  the  orbit  of  the  latter  ; 
uuf  it  is  also  not  improbable  that  planets  may 

*  See  Note,  page  83. 
12 


exist  in  the  immense  interval  of  37  millions  of 
miles  between  Mercury  and  the  Sun.l  These 
(if  any  exist)  can  be  detected  only  by  a  series  of 
dcu/  observations,  made  with  equatorial  telescopes ; 
as  they  could  not  be  supposed  to  be  seen,  after 
sunset,  on  account  of  their  proximity  to  the  sun. 
Five  primary^  planets,  and  eight  secondane», 
have  been  discovered  within  the  last  42  years  , 
and,  therefore,  we  have  no  reason  to  conclude, 
that  all  the  bodies  belonging  to  our  system  have 
yet  been  detected,  till  every  region  of  the  heavens 
be  more  fully  explored. 

Comets. — Besides  the  planetary  globes  to 
which  I  have  now  adverted,  there  is  a  class  of 
celestial  bodies  which  occasionally  appear  in  the 
heavens,  to  which  the  name  of  comets  has  been 
given.  They  are  distinguished  from  the  other 
celestial  bodies,  by  their  ruddy  appearance,  and 
by  a  long  train  of  light,  called  the  tail,  which 
sometimes  extends  over  a  considerable  portion  of 
the  heavens,  and  which  is  so  tremsparent,  that 
the  stars  may  be  seen  through  it.  The  tail  is 
always  directed  to  that  part  of  the  heavens  which 
is  opposite  to  the  sun,  and  increases  in  size  as  it 
approaches  him,  and  is  again  gradually  dimi- 
nished, as  the  comet  flies  off  to  the  more  distant 
regions  of  space.  Their  apparent  magnitude  is 
very  different :  sometimes  they  appear  only  of 
the  bigness  of  (he  fixed  stars  ;  at  other  times 
they  equal  the  diameter  of  Venus  ;  and  some- 
times they  have  appeared  nearly  as  large  as  the 
moon.  They  traverse  the  heavens  in  all  direc- 
tions, and  cross  the  orbits  of  the  planets.  When 
examined  through  a  telescope,  they  appear  to 
consist  of  a  dark  central  nucleus,  surrounded  by 
a  dense  atmosphere,  or  mass  of  vapours.  They 
have  been  ascertained  to  move  in  long  narrow 
ellipses  or  ovals,  around  the  sun  ;  some  of  them, 
on  their  nearest  approach  to  him,  having  been 
within  a  million  of  miles  of  his  centre  ;  and  then 
fly  off  to  a  region  several  thousands  of  millions 
of  miles  distant.  When  near  the  sun,  they  move 
with  amazing  velocity.  The  velocity  of  the 
comet  which  appeared  in  1680,  according  to  Sir 
Isaac  Newton's  calculation,  was  eight  hundred 
and  eighty  thousand  miles  an  hour.  They  ap- 
pear to  be  bodies  of  no  great  density,  and  their 

*  The  Author,  some  years  ago,  described  a  method 
by  which  the  planets  (if  any)  within  the  orbit  of 
Mercuo',  may  l>e  discovered  in  the  day-time,  by 
means  of  a  simple  contrivance  for  intercepting  the 
solarrays,  and  by  the  frequent  application,  by  a  num- 
ber of  observers,  of  powerful  telescopes,  to  a  certain 
portion  of  the  sky.  In  the  vicinity  of  the  sun.  The 
details  of  this  plan  have  not  yettieen  published ;  but 
the  reader  will  see  them  alluded  to  in  No.  V.  of  the 
Edinburgh  PhilosopWcal  Journal,  for  July  1820,  p. 
191. 

1  A  primary  planet  is  that  which  revolves  round 
the  sun  as  a  centra;  as  Mars,  Jupiter,  and  Saturn. 
A  secondary  planet  is  one  which  revolves  round  a 
primary  planet  as  Its  centre  ;  as  the  Moon,  and  the 
satellites  of  Jupiter  and  Saturn.  The  primary  pla- 
nets are  distinguished  from  the  fixed  stars  by  the 
steadiness  of  their  light ;  not  having  a  twirMinf 
appearance,  as  the  stars  exhibit. 


90 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


•is*  Midom  escMds  that  oT  iIm  moon.  The 
length  of  the  taib  of  some  comeu  bu  bern  esii- 
nated  at  fifty  miltiom  of  miles.  According  to 
Dr.  Herschel's  coroputstions,  the  solid  nucleus 
or  central  part  of  the  comet  which  appeared  in 
1811,  was  only  428  miles  in  diameter  ;  but  the 
real  diameter  of  the  head,  or  nebulous  portion 
of  the  comet,  he  computed  to  be  about  127  thou- 
sand miles.  The  length  of  its  tail  he  computed 
to  be  above  one  liundred  millions  of  miles,  and 
its  breadth  nearly  fifteen  millions.  It  was  near- 
est to  the  earth  on  the  11th  of  October,  when  its 
distance  was  113  millions  of  mites.  The  num- 
ber of  comets  which  have  occasionally  been  seen 
within  the  limits  of  our  system,  since  the  com- 
mencement of  the  Christian  era,  is  about  500, 
of  .which  the  paths  or  orbits  of  98  have  been  cal- 
culated. 

As  these  bodies  cross  the  paths  of  the  planets 
in  every  direction,  there  is  a  possibility,  that 
some  of  them  might  strike  against  the  earth  in 
their  approach  to  the  sun  ;  and,  were  this  to 
happen,  the  consequences  would  be  awful  beyond 
description.  But  we  may  rest  assured  that  that 
Almighty  Being  who  at  first  launched  them  into 
existence,  directs  all  their  motions,  however 
complicated  ;  and  that  the  earth  shall  remain  se- 
cure against  all  such  concussions  from  celestial 
agents,  till  the  purposes  of  his  moral  government 
in  this  world  shall  be  fully  accomplished.  What 
regions  these  bodies  visit,  when  they  pass  beyond 
the  limits  of  our  view  ;  upon  what  errands  they 
are  sent,  when  they  again  revisit  the  central 
parts  of  our  system  ;  what  is  the  difference  in 
their  physical  constitution,  from  that  of  the  sun 
and  planets  ;  and  what  important  ends  they  are 
destined  to  accomplish,  in  the  economy  of  the 
universe,  are  inquiries  which  naturally  arise  in 
the  mind,  but  which  surpass  the  limited  powers 
of  the  human  understanding  at  present  to  deter- 
mine. Of  this,  however,  we  may  rest  assured, 
that  they  were  not  created  in  vain  ;  that  they 
subserve  purposes  worthy  of  the  infinite  Creator  ; 
and  that  wherever  he  has  exerted  his  power, 
there  also  he  manifests  his  wisdom  and  bene- 
ficence.* 

Such  is  a  general  outline  of  the  leading  fiicts 
connected  with  that  system  of  which  we  form  a 
part.  Though  the  energies  of  divine  power  had 
never  been  exerted  beyond  the  limits  of  this  sys- 
tem, it  would  remain  an  eternal  monument  of  the 
wisdom  and  omnipotence  of  its  Author.     Indc- 

•  A  comet  has  lately  been  discovered,  whose  peri- 
odical revolution  is  found  to  be  only  3  years  and  107 
days.  At  its  i;re»te»l  distance  from  the  sim,  it  is 
within  the  orbit  of  Jupiter,  and  it  possesses  this 
peculiar  »dv.intagc  for  observation,  th.-xt  it  will  be- 
come  visible  ten  times  In  thirtythref  ye.\rs.  It  was 
last  seen  in  June.  \m,  by  the  astronomers  in  the 
Otwervatory  of  Paramatta,  New  Holland, In  positions 
very  near  to  those  which  had  been  previously  calcu- 
lated by  Mr  Enke.  It  is  proltable,  that  the  obnerva- 
tlons  which  may  hereafter  lie  made  on  this  comet, 
will  lead  to  more  definite  and  accurate  views  of  the 
nature  and  destination  of  these  slntfulsrtwdles. 


pendent  of  the  sun,  which  is  like  a  vast  univarM 
in  itself,  and  of  the  numerous  comets  which  are 
continually  traversing  its  distant  regions,  it  con- 
tains a  mass  of  material  existence,  arranged  in 
the  most  beautiful  order,  tv\o  thousand  five  hun- 
dred times  larger  than  our  globe.  From  late 
observations,  there  is  the  sironeest  reason  to 
conclude,  that  the  sun,  along  with  all  this  vast 
lusemblage  of  bodies,  is  carried  through  the  re- 
gions of  the  universe,  towards  some  distant  point 
of  space,  or  around  some  wide  circumference,  at 
the  rate  of  more  than  sixty  thousand  miles  an 
hour ;  and  if  so,  it  is  highly  probable,  if  not  ab- 
solutely certain,  that  we  shall  never  again  occu- 
py that  portion  cX ahaoluU  tpace,  through  whicli 
we  are  this  moment  passing,  during  all  the  suc- 
ceeding ages  of  eternity. 

Such  a  glorious  system  must  have  been 
brought  into  existence,  to  subserve  purposes 
worthy  of  the  infinite  wisdom  and  benevolence 
of  the  Creator.  To  supfxwe  that  the  distant 
globes,  of  which  it  is  composed,  with  thtir  mag- 
nificent apparatus  of  rings  and  moons,  were 
created  merely  for  the  purpose  of  affording  a 
few  astronomers,  in  these  latter  times,  a  peep  at 
them  through  their  glasses,  would  be  inconsistent 
with  every  principle  of  reason ;  and  would  be 
charging  Him,  who  is  the  source  of  wisdom, 
with  conduct  which  we  would  pronounce  to  be 
folly  in  the  sons  of  men.  Since  it  appears,  so 
far  as  our  observation  extends,  that  matter  exists 
solely  for  the  sake  of  sensitive  and  intelligent  be- 
ings, and  tliat  the  Creator  made  nothing  in  vain; 
it  is  a  conclusion  to  which  we  are  necessarily 
led,  that  the  planetary  globes  are  inhabited  bjr 
various  orders  of  intellectual  beings,  who  parti- 
cipate in  the  bounty,  and  celebrate  the  glory  of 
their  Creator. 

When  this  idea  is  taken  into  consideration,  it 
gives  a  striking  emphasis  to  such  sublime  decla- 
rations of  the  sacred  volume  as  these: — "All 
nations  before  him  are  as  nothing — He  sittelh 
upon  the  circle  of  the  earth,  and  the  inhabitants 
thereof  are  as  grasshoppers — The  nations  areas 
the  drop  of  a  kueket — All  the  inhabitants  of  the 
world  are  reputed  a*  nothing  in  his  sight ;  and  he 
doth  according  to  his  will  in  the  army  of  heaven, 
and  among  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth — Thoa 
hast  made  heaven,  and  the  heaven  of  heivena, 
with  all  their  host ;  and  ihoti  preservest  them  all, 
and  the  ho*t  o/heaven  woT$hippeth  thee — When  I 
consider  thy  heavens,  what  it  man,  that  thou  art 
mindful  of  him!"  If  the  race  of  Adam  were  the 
principal  intelligences  in  the  universe  of  God, 
such  passages  would  be  stripped  of  all  their  suIk 
limity,  would  degenerate  into  mere  hyperboles, 
and  be  almost  without  meaning.  If  man  were 
the  only  rational  being  who  inhabited  the  matt- 
rial  world,  as  some  arrogantly  imagine,  it  would 
be  no  wonder  at  all,  that  God  should  be  "  mind- 
ful of  him;"  nor  could  "all  the  inhabitants  of 
thia  world,"  with  any  propriety,  be  comi>ared  to 


ASTRONOMY. 


91 


"  a  drop  of  a  bucket,"  and  be  "  reputed  as 
nothing  in  his  sight."  Such  declarations  would 
be  contrary  to  fact,  if  this  supposition  were  ad- 
mitted ;  for  it  assumes  that  man  holds  the  princi- 
pal station  in  the  visible  universe.  The  expres- 
sions— "  The  heavens,  the  heaven  of  heavens," 
and  "  the  host  of  heaven  worshipping  God," 
would  also,  on  this  supposition,  degenerate  into 
something  approaching  to  mere  inanity.  These 
expressions,  if  they  signify  any  thing  that  is  wor- 
thy of  an  inspired  teacher  to  communicate,  evi- 
dently imply,  that  the  universe  is  vast  and  exten- 
sive, beyond  the  range  <f  human  comprehension 
— that  it  is  peopled  with  myriads  of  inhabitants 
— that  these  inhabitants  are  possessed  of  intel- 
lectual natures,  capable  of  appreciating  the  per- 
fections of  their  Creator — and  that  they  pay  him 
a  tribute  of  rational  adoration.  "  The  host  of 
heaven  worshippeth  thee."  So  that  the  language 
of  scripture  is  not  only  consistent  with  the  doc- 
trine of  a  plurality  of  worlds,  but  evidently  sup- 
poses their  existence  to  all  the  extent  to  which 
modern  science  can  carry  us.  However  vast  the 
universe  now  appears — however  numerous  the 
worlds  and  systems  of  worlds,  which  may  exist 
within  its  boundless  range — the  language  of 
scripture  is  sufficiently  comprehensive  and  sub- 
lime, to  express  all  the  emotions  which  naturally 
arise  in  the  mind,  when  contemplating  its  struc- 
ture— a  characteristic  which  will  apply  to  no 
other  book,  or  pretended  revelation.  And  this 
consideration  shows  not  only  the  harmony  which 
subsists  between  the  discoveries  of  revelation 
and  the  discoveries  of  science,  but  also  forms  by 
itself  a  strong  presumptive  evidence,  that  the 
records  of  the  Bible  are  authentic  and  divine.* 
Vast  as  the  solar  system,  we  have  now  been 
contemplating,  may  appear,  it  is  but  a  mere 
point  in  the  map  of  creation.  To  a  spectator 
placed  in  one  of  the  stars  of  the  seventh  magni- 
tude, not  only  the  glories  of  this  world,  and  the 
more  resplendent  scenes  of  the  planet  Saturn, 
but  even  the  sun  himself  would  entirely  disap- 
pear, as  if  he  were  blotted  out  of  existence. 
"  Were  the  sun,"  says  Mr.  Addison,  "  which 
enlightens  this  part  of  the  creation,  with  all  the 
host  of  iIm  planetary  worlds  that  move  about  him, 
utterly  extinguished  and  annihilated,  they  would 
not  be  missed  by  an  eye  that  could  take  in  the 
whole  compass  of  nature,  more  than  a  grain  of 
sand  upon  the  seashore.  The  space  they  pos- 
sess is  so  exceedingly  little,  in  comparison  of  the 
whole,  that  it  would  scarce  make  a  blank  in  cre- 
ation." 

7%e  Fixed  Stars. — When  we  pass  from  the 
planetary  system  to  other  regions  of  creation, 
we  have  to  traverse,  in  imagination,  a  space  so 
immense,  that  it  has  hitherto  baffled  all  the  ef- 
forts of  science  to  determine  its  extent.  In  these 
remote  and  immeasurable  spaces,  are  placed 

See  Appendix,  No  VL 


those  immense  luminous  bodies  usually  denomi- 
nated the^ed  stars.  The  nearest  stars  are,  on 
good  grounds,  concluded  to  be  at  least  twenty  bit- 
lions  of  miles  distant  from  our  globe — a  distance 
through  which  light  (the  swiftest  body  in  nature) 
could  not  travel  in  the  space  of  three  years ;  and 
which  a  ball,  moving  at  the  rate  of  500  miles  an 
hour,  would  not  traverse  in  four  millions  five 
hundred  thousand  years,  or  750  times  the  period 
which  has  elapsed  since  the  Mosaic  creation. — 
But  how  far  they  may  be  placed  beyond  this  dis- 
tance, no  astronomer  will  pretend  to  determine. 
The  following  consideration  will  prove,  to  those 
unacquainted  with  the  mathematical  principles 
of  astronomy,  that  the  stars  are  placed- at  an  im- 
measurable distance.  When  they  are  viewed 
through  a  telescope  which  magnifies  objects  a 
thousand  times,  they  appear  no  larger  than  to 
the  naked  eye ;  which  circumstance  shows,  that 
though  we  were  placed  at  the  thousandth  part  of 
the  distance  from  them  at  which  we  now  are, 
they  would  still  appear  only  as  so  many  shining 
points;  for  we  should  still  be  distant  from  the 
nearest  of  them,  twenty  thousand  millions  of 
miles  :  or,  in  other  words,  were  we  transported 
several  thousands  of  millions  of  miles  from  the 
spot  we  now  occupy,  though  their  numbers  would 
appear  exceedingly  increased,  they  would  appear 
no  larger  than  they  do  from  our  present  station  ; 
and  we  behooved  to  be  carried  forward  thousands 
of  millions  of  miles  further  in  a  long  succession, 
before  their  disks  appeared  to  expand  into  large 
circles,  like  the  moon.  Dr.  Herschel  viewed 
the  stars  with  telescopes,  magnifying  six  thou- 
sand times,  yet  they  still  appeared  only  as  bril- 
liant points,  without  any  sensible  disks,  or  in- 
crease of  diameter.  This  circumstance  incon- 
testably    proves  the    two   following  things  :— 

1.  That  the  stars  are  luminous  bodies,  which 
shine  by  their  own  native  light;  otherwise  they 
could  not  be  perceived  at  such  vast  distances. 

2.  That  they  are  bodies  of  an  immense  size,  not 
inferior  to  the  sun ;  and  many  of  them,  it  is 
probable,  far  exceed  that  luminary  in  bulk  and 
splendour. 

The  stars,  on  account  of  the  difference  in  their 
apparent  magnitudes,  have  been  distributed  into 
several  classes  or  orders.  Those  which  appear 
largest  are  called  stars  of  the  ^rst  magnitude  ; 
next  to  those  in  lustre,  stars  of  the  second  mag- 
nitude, and  so  on  to  stars  of  the  sixth  magnitude, 
which  are  the  smallest  that  can  be  distinguished 
by  the  naked  eye.  Stars  of  the  7th,  8th,  9th,  10th, 
&c.  magnitudes,  which  cannot  be  seen  by  the 
naked  eye,  are  distinguished  by  the  name  of  tele- 
scopic stars.  Not  more  than  a  thousand  stars  can 
be  distinguished  by  the  naked  eye,  in  the  clearest 
winter's  night ;  but,  by  means  of  the  telescope, 
millions  have  been  discovered.  (See  p.  11.) 
And,  as  it  is  probable  that  by  far  the  greater 
part  lie  beyond  the  reach  of  the  best  glasses  which 
have  been  or  ever  will  be  constructed  by  man — 


M 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


Um  real  number  of  the  atari  may  be  presumed 
to  be  beyond  all  human  calculation  or  concep- 
tion, and  perbapsbcyond  the  grasp  of  an  angelic 
comprehension. 

In  consequence  of  recent  discoveries,  we  have 
now  the  strongest  reason  to  believe,  tliat  all  the 
stars  in  the  universe  are  arranged  into  clusters, 
or  groups,  which  astronomers  distinguish  by  the 
name  of  Nebula  or  Starry  Si/»tem$,  each  ne- 
bula consisting  of  many  thousands  of  stars.  The 
nearest  nebula  is  that  whitish  space  or  zc/ne, 
which  is  known  by  the  name  of  the  Milky  fVay, 
to  which  our  sun  is  supposed  to  belong.  It  con- 
sists of  many  hundreds  of  thousands  of  stars. — 
When  Dr.  Herschel  examined  this  region,  with 
his  powerful  telescopes,  he  found  a  portion  of  it 
only  15  degrees  long  and  2  broad,  which  con- 
tained Jifly  thousand  stars  large  enough  to  be 
distinctly  counted  ;  and  he  suspected  twice  as 
many  more,  which,  for  want  of  sufficient  light  in 
his  telescope,  he  saw  only  now  and  then.  More 
than  two  thousand  five  hundred  nebuls  have  al- 
ready been  observed  ;  and,  if  each  of  them  con- 
tain as  many  stars  as  the  Milky  Way,  several 
hundreds  of  qnillions  of  stars  mast  exist,  even 
within  that  portion  of  the  heavens  which  lies 
open  to  our  observation. 

It  appears,  from  numerous  observations,  that 
various  changes  are  occasionally  taking  place  in 
the  regions  of  the  stars.  Several  stars  have  ap- 
peared for  a  while  in  the  heavens,  and  then 
vanished  from  the  sight.  Some  stars  which 
wore  known  to  the  ancients,  cannot  now  be  dis- 
covered ;  and  stars  are  now  distinctly  visible, 
which  were  to  them  unknown.  A  few  stars 
have  gradually  increased  in  brilliancy,  while 
others  have  been  constantly  diminishing  in  lustre. 
Certain  stars,  to  the  number  of  15,  or  upwards, 
are  ascertained  to  have  a  periodical  increase  and 
decrease  of  their  lustre,  sometimes  appearing 
like  stars  of  the  1st  or  2d  magnitude,  sometimes 
diminishing  to  the  size  of  the  4th  or  5th  magni- 
tude, and  sometimes  altogether  disappearing  to 
the  naked  eye.  It  also  appears,  that  changes 
are  taking  place  among  the  nebulae — that  seve- 
ral nebulae  are  formed  by  the  decomposition  of 
larger  nebulae,  and  that  many  nebulae  of  this 
kind  are  at  present  detaching  themselves  from 
the  nebula  of  the  milky  way.  These  changes 
■eem  to  indicate,  that  mighty  movements  and 
rast  operations  are  continually  going  on  in  the 
distant  regions  of  creation,  under  the  8uperii>- 
tondence  of  the  Sovereign  of  the  Universe,  upon 
a  acale  of  magnitude  and  grandeur  which  orer- 
whelnM  the  hunnan  understanding. 

To  explore,  more  extensively,  the  region  of 
the  starry  firmament ;  to  mark  the  changes  that 
are  taking  place  ;  to  ascertain  all  the  changea- 
ble stars  ;  to  determine  the  periodical  variations 
of  their  light ;  the  revolutions  of  double  and  tri- 
ple stars ;  and  the  motions,  and  other  pheno- 
mmk  peculiar  to  thac*  great  bodies,  will  (iimiah 


employment  Am-  future  enlightened  generations 
and  will,  perhaps,  form  a  part  of  the  studies  mmI 
investigations   of   superior    int«lligenci:i>,    m   a 
higher  sphere  of  existence,  during  an  inJefioite 
la|ise  of  ages. 

If  every  one  of  these  immense  bodies  be  a 
Sun,  equal  or  superior  to  ours,  and  encircled 
with  a  host  of  planetary  worlds,  as  we  have  every 
reason  to  conclude,  (see  pp.  11,  31.)  bow  vast 
must  be  the  extent  of  creation !  how  nume* 
rous  the  worlds  and  beings  which  exist  wiiiiin  its 
boundless  range!  and,  how  great,  beyond  all  hu- 
man or  angelic  conception,  muat  be  the  power 
and  intelligence  of  that  glorious  Being,  who  call- 
ed this  system  from  nothing  into  existence,  and 
continually  superintends  all  its  roovemenls  !  The 
mind  is  bewildered  and  confounded  when  it  at- 
tempts to  dwell  on  this  subject ;  it  feels  tlie  nar- 
row limits  of  its  present  faculties ;  it  kMigs  for 
the  powers  of  a  seraph,  to  enable  it  to  take  a 
more  expainsive  flight,  into  those  regions  which 
"  eye  hath  not  seen ;"  and,  while  destitute  of 
these,  and  chained  down  to  this  obscure  conier  of 
creation,  it  can  only  exclaim,  in  the  language  of 
inspiration,  "  Who  can  by  searching  fuid  out 
God  ? — Great  is  our  Lord,  and  of  great  power  ; 
his  understanding  is  infinite  ! — Great  and  mar- 
vellous are  thy  works,  Lord  God  Almighty  ! — 
Who  can  utter  the  mighty  acts  of  Jehovali — who 
can  show  forth  ail  his  praise  !" 

After  what  has  been  now  stated  in  relation  to 
the  leading  facts  of  astronomy,  it  would  be  need- 
less to  spend  time  in  endeavouring  to  show  its 
connexion  with  religion.  It  will  be  at  once  ad- 
mitted, that  all  the  huge  globes  of  luminous  and 
oqaque  matter,  to  which  we  have  adverted,  are 
the  workmanship  of  Him  "  who  is  wonderful  in 
counsel  and  excellent  in  working ;"  and  form  a 
part  of  the  dominions  of  that  august  Sovereign, 
"  whose  kingdom  ruleth  over  all."  And  shall  it 
ever  be  insinuated,  that  this  subject  has  no  rela- 
tion to  the  great  object  of  our  adoration  ?  and 
that  it  is  of  no  importance  in  our  views  of  the 
Divinity,  whether  we  conceive  his  dominions  as 
circumscribed  within  the  limits  of  little  more 
than  25,000  miles,  or  as  embracing  an  extent 
which  comprehends  innumerable  worlds?  Tbe 
objects  around  us  in  this  sublunary  sphere  stri- 
kingly evince  the  superintendency,  the  wisdom, 
and  benevolence  of  the  Creator;  but  this  aci- 
ence  demonstrates,  beyond  all  other  department* 
of  human  knowledge,  the  grandeur  and  magni- 
Jlcence  of  his  operations  :  and  raises  the  mind  to 
subliraer  views  of  his  attribute!*  than  can  be  ac- 
quired by  the  contemplation  of  any  other  objects. 
A  serious  contemplation  of  the  sublime  object* 
which  astronomy  has  explored,  must,  therefore, 
have  a  tendency  to  inspire  us  with  profound 
veneration  of  the  eternal  Jehovah — to  humble  us 
in  the  dust  before  his  august  presence — to  excite 
admiration  of  his  condescension  and  grace  in  the 
work  of  redemption — to  show  us  the  littleneas  af 


ASTRONOMY. 


9$ 


this  world,  and  the  insignificancy  of  those  riches 
and  honours  lo  which  ambitious  men  aspire  with 
so  much  labour  and  anjVety  of  mind — to  demon- 
strate the  glory  and  magnificence  of  God's  uni- 
versal kingdom — to  convince  us  of  the  infinite 
sources  of  varied  felicity  which  he  has  in  his 
power  lo  communicate  to  holy  intelli:;ence3 — to 
enliven  our  hopes  of  the  splendours  of  that  "  ex- 
ceeding great  and  eternal  weight  of  glory"  which 
will  burst  upon  the  spirits  of  good  men,  when 
they  pass  from  this  region  of  mortality — and  to 
induce  us  to  aspire  with  more  lively  ardour  after 
that  heavenly  world,  where  the  glories  of  the 
Deity  and  the  magnificence  of  his  works  will  be 
more  clearly  unfolded. 

If,  then,  such  be  the  efTects  which  the  objects 
of  astronomy  have  a  tendency  to  produce  on  a  de- 
vout and  enlightened  mind — to  call  in  question 
the  propriety  of  exhibiting  such  views  in  religious 
publications,  or  in  the  course  of  religious  instruc- 
tion, would  be  an  approach  to  impiety,  and  an 
attempt  to  cover  with  a  veil  the  most  illustrious 
visible  displays  of  divine  glory.  It  forms  a 
striking  evidence  of  the  depravity  of  man,  as  well 
as  of  his  want  of  true  taste,  and  of  a  discernment 
of  what  is  excellent,  that  the  grandeur  of  the  noc- 
turnal heavens,  and  the  perfections  of  Deity  they 
proclaim,  are  beheld  with  so  much  apathy  and 
indifference  by  the  bulk  of  mankind.  Though 
"  the  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  God,"  in  the 
most  solemn  and  impressive  language,  adapted 
to  the  comprehension  of  every  kindred  and  every 
tribe,  yet  "  a  brutish  man  knoweth  not,  neither 
doth  a  fool  understand  this."  They  can  gaze 
upon  these  resplendent  orbs  with  as  little  emo- 
tion as  the  ox  that  feeds  on  the  grass,  or  as  the 
horse  that  drags  their  carcasses  along  in  their 
chariots.  They  have  even  attempted  to  ridicule 
the  science  of  the  heavens,  to  caricature  those 
who  have  devoted  themselves  to  such  studies,  and 
to  treat  with  an  indifference,  mingled  with  con- 
tempt, the  most  august  productions  of  Omnipo- 
tence. Such  persons  must  be  considered  as  ex- 
posing themselves  to  that  divine  denunciation — 
"  Because  they  regard  not  the  works  of  J«hovah, 
neither  consider  the  operations  of  his  hands,  he 
will  destroy  them  and  not  build  them  up."  If 
The  structure  of  the  heavens,  and  the  immensity 
of  worlds  and  beings  they  contain,  were  intended 
by  the  Creator  to  adumbrate,  in  some  measure, 
his  invisible  perfections,  and  to  produce  a  sub- 
lime amd  awful  impre!»sion  on  all  created  intelli- 
gences, (see  pp.  22,  26,  28,)  it  must  imply  a  high 
degree  of  disrespect  to  the  Divinity  wilfully  to 
overlook  these  astonishing  scenes  of  Power  and 
Intelligence.  It  is  not  a  matter  of  mere  taste  or 
caprice,  whether  or  not  we  direct  our  thoughts 
to  such  subjects,  but  an  imperative  duty  to 
which  we  are  frequently  directed  in  the  word  of 
God;  the  wilful  ne^f  Zee/ of  which,  where  there 
is  an  opportunity  of  attending  to  it,  must  subject 
us  to  all  that  ia  included   in  the  threatening 


now  specified,  if  there  be  any  meaning  in  lan- 
guage. 

That  the  great  body  of  professed  Christians 
are  absolute  strangers  to  the  sublime  sentiments 
which  a  serious  contemplation  of  the  heavens  in- 
spires, must  be  owing,  in  part,  to  the  minds  of 
Christian  parents  and  teachers  not  having  been 
directed  to  such  subject,  or  to  the  views  they  en- 
tertain respecting  the  relation  of  such  contempla- 
tions to  the  objects  of  religion.  In  communi- 
cating religious  instructions  in  rt'ference  to  the 
attributes  of  God,  the  heavens  are  seldom  referred 
to,  except  in  such  a  vague  and  indefinite  manner 
as  can  produce  no  deep  nor  vivid  impression  on 
the  mind  ;  and  many  pious  persons,  whose  views 
have  been  confined  to  a  narrow  range  of  objects, 
have  been  disposed  to  declaim  against  such  stu- 
dies, as  if  they  had  a  tendency  to  engender  pride 
and  self-conceit,  and  as  if  they  were  even  dan- 
gerous to  the  interests  of  religion  and  piety. 
How  very  different  were  the  feelings  and  the 
conduct  of  the  sacred  writers  !  They  call  upon 
every  one  ofGod's  intelligent  offspring  to  "  stand 
still,  and  consider  the  wottdrous  works  of  the 
Most  High  :"  and  describe  the  profound  emo- 
tions of  piety  which  the  contemplation  of  them 
produced  on  their  own  minds;  "  Lift  up  your 
eyes  on  high  and  behold !  Who  hath  created 
these  things !  The  heavens  declare  the  glory  of 
God.  and  the  firmament  showelh  his  handy-work. 
— When  I  consider  thy  heavens,  the  work  of 
thy  fingers,  the  moon  and  the  stars  which  thou 
hast  ordained — what  is  man  that  thou  art  mind- 
ful of  him,  and  the  son  of  man  that  thou  visitest 
him !  Thou,  even  thou,  art  Lord  alone ;  thou 
hast  made  heaven,  and  the  heaven  of  heavens, 
with  all  their  host;  and  thou  preservest  them  all; 
and  the  hosts  of  heaven  worship  thee.  All  the 
gndsof  the  nations  are  idols  ;  but  the  Lord  made 
the  heavens :  Honour  and  Majesty  are  before  him. 
Jehovah  hath  prepared  his  throne  in  the  heavens: 
and  his  kingdom  ruleih  over  all.  Sing  praises 
unto  God,  ye  kingdoms  of  the  earth,  to  him  that 
rideth  on  the  heaven  of  heavens.  Ascribe  ye 
power  to  our  God  ;  for  his  strength  is  in  the 
heavens.  Praise  him  for  his  mighty  acts,  praise 
him  according  to  his  excellent  greatness."  If  we 
would  enter,  with  spirit,  into  such  elevated  strains 
of  piety,  we  must  not  content  ourselves  with 
a  passing  and  vacant  stare  at  the  orbs  of  heaven, 
as  if  they  were  only  so  many  brilliant  studs  fixed 
in  the  canopy  of  the  sky  ;  but  must  "  consider" 
them,  with  fixed  attention,  in  all  the  lights  in 
which  revelation  and  science  have  exhibited 
them  to  our  view,  if  we  wish  to  praise  God  for 
his  mighty  works,  and  "  according  to  his  excel' 
lent  irreatness."  And,  for  this  purpose,  the  con- 
clusions deduced  by  those  who  have  devoted 
themselves  to  celestial  investigations,  ought  to 
be  presented  to  the  view  of  the  intelligent  Chria> 
tian,  that  he  may  be  enabled  to  "  speak  of  the  glory 
of  Jehovah's  kingdom,  and  to  talk  of  his  power." 


94 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


Ua*iiig,  in  the  preceding  skeichea,  consider- 
ably exceeded  the  limits  originally  prescribed 
(or  thi«  deparimeni  of  my  subject,  I  am  reluc- 
tantly com[ielled  to  deepatch  the  remaining  sci- 
ences with  a  few  brief  notices. 

KATORAL    PHILOSOPHY. 

The  object  of  Natural  Philotophy  is,  to  ob- 
serve and  describe  the  phenomena  of  the  mate- 
rial universe,  with  a  view  to  discover  their 
causes,  and  the  laws  by  which  the  Almighty  di- 
rects the  moven>cnis  of  all  Uxiies  in  heaven  and 
on  earth.  It  embraces  an  investigation  of  the 
laws  of  gravitation,  by  which  the  planets  are  di- 
rected in  their  motions — the  laws  by  which  wa- 
ter, air,  light,  and  heat  are  regulated,  and  (he 
effects  they  produce  in  the  various  states  in  which 
they  operate — the  nature  of  colours,  sounds,  elec- 
tricity, galvanism,  and  magnetism,  and  the  laws 
of  their  operation — the  causes  which  operate  in 
the  production  of  thunder,  lightning,  luminous 
and  fiery  meteors,  hail,  rain,  snow,  dew,  and 
other  atmospherical  phenomena.  In  short,  it 
embraces  all  the  objects  of  Natural  History  for- 
merly alluded  to,  with  a  view  to  ascertain  the 
causes  of  their  varied  appearances,  and  the 
principles  that  operate  in  the  changes  to  which 
they  are  subject ;  or,  in  other  words,  the  laws  by 
which  the  diversified  phenomena  of  universal  na- 
ture are  produced  and  regulated.  One  subordi- 
nate use  of  the  knowledge  derived  from  this 
science,  is,  to  enable  us  to  construct  all  those  me- 
chanical engines  which  facilitate  human  labour, 
and  increase  the  comforts  of  mankind,  and  all 
those  instruments  which  tend  to  enlarge  our  views 
of  the  operations  of  nature.  A  still  higher  and 
nobler  use  to  which  philosophy  is  subservient, 
is,  to  demonstrate  the  wisdom  and  intelligence 
of  the  Great  First  Cause  of  all  things,  and  to 
enlarge  our  conceptions  of  the  admirable  con- 
trivance and  design  which  appear  in  the  different 
departments  of  universal  nature.  In  this  view,  it 
may  be  considered  as  forming  a  branch  oi  Natural 
Theology,  or,  in  other  words,  a  branch  of  the  reli- 
gion of  angels,  and  of  all  other  holy  intelligences. 

This  department  of  Natural  Science  has  ge- 
nerally been  divided  into  the  following  branches : 

I.  Meehaiao. — This  branch,  considered  in 
its  most  extensive  range,  includes  an  investiga- 
tion of  the  general  properties  of  matter ;  such  as 
■olidity,  extension,  divisibility,  motion,  attrac- 
tion, and  repulsion— the  laws  of  gravitation,  and 
of  ceniral  forces,  as  they  appear  to  operate  in 
the  motions  of  the  celestial  bodies,  and  on  the 
surface  of  our  globe,  in  the  phenomena  of  falling 
bodies,  the  motions  of  projectiles,  the  vibration 
of  pendulums,  &c. — the  theory  of  machines,  the 
principles  on  which  their  energy  depends  ;  the 
properties  of  the  mechanical  powers — the  Uver, 
the  whtel  and  axle,  thepui/ey,  the  inclined  plane, 
the  wedge,  and  the  sereio— «nd  thp  effects  result- 
ing from  their  Tariotu  cooibinatioBi.    From  the 


investigations  of  phik>so|>hers  on  these  subjects, 
we  learn  the  laws  by  which  the  great  btidira  tA 
the  universe  are  diri-rted  in  their  m'ltioiw  ;  (he 
laws  which  bind  togi-iher  the  differviii  {wrtions  of 
matter  on  the  surface  uf  the  earth,  and  which 
regulate  the  nioiions  of  aointal,  vegetable,  and 
inanimate  nature ;  and  the  principles  on  whidi 
cranes,  mills,  wheel-carriages,  pile-engines, 
threshing-inachiiies,  and  other  engines,  are  con- 
structed ;  by  nx-uii!)  of  which,  man  has  been 
enabled  to  accomplish  operations  far  be)ond  the 
limits  of  his  own  physical  powers. 

Without  a  knowledge  of  the  laws  of  motion, 
and  assistance  from  the  combined  effects  of  the 
mechanical  powers,  man  would  be  a  very  limited 
being,  his  enjoyments  woukl  be  few,  and  his  ac- 
tive energies  confined  wiihin  a  very  narrow 
range.  In  a  savage  state,  ignorant  of  nianufaL- 
tures,  agriculture,  architecture,  navigation,  and 
the  other  arts  which  depend  upon  mechunical 
combinations,  he  is  exposed,  without  shelter,  to 
the  inclemencies  of  the  season  ;  he  is  unable  to 
transport  himself  beyond  seas  and  oceans,  to 
visit  other  climes  and  other  tribes  of  his  fellow 
men  ;  he  exists  in  the  desert,  comfortless  and 
unimproved  ;  the  fertile  soil,  over  which  he 
roams,  is  covered  with  thorns,  and  briers,  and 
thickets,  for  the  haunt  of  beasts  of  prey  ;  his  en- 
joyments are  little  superior  to  those  of  the  lion, 
the  hyena,  and  the  elephant,  while  he  is  much 
their  inferior  in  point  of  agility  and  physical 
strength.  But  when  philosophy  has  once  de- 
monstrated the  principles  of  mechanics,  and  in- 
troduced the  practice  of  the  useful  wis,  "  the 
wilderness  and  the  solitary  place  are  made  glad, 
and  the  desert  rejoices  and  blossoms  as  the  rose." 
Cities  are  founded,  and  gradually  rise  to  opt^ 
lence  and  splendour  j  palaces  and  temples  are 
erected ;  the  damp  cavern  and  the  rush-buiii 
hut  are  exchanged  for  the  warm  and  comfortable 
apartments  of  a  substantial  mansion  ;  ships  are 
built,  and  navigated  across  the  ocean  ;  the  trea- 
sures of  one  country  are  conveyed  to  another, 
an  intercourse  is  carried  on  between  the  most 
distant  tribes  of  mankind  ;  commerce  flourishes, 
and  machinery  of  all  kinds  is  erected,  for  facili- 
tating human  labour,  and  promoting  the  enjoy- 
ments of  man.  And  when  the  principles  and 
the  practice  of  "  pure  and  undefiled  religion" 
accompany  these  physical  and  mechanical  ope- 
rations, love  and  affection  diffuse  their  benign 
influence  ;  the  prospect  brightens  as  years  roll 
on,  and  man  advances  with  pleasure  and  in>- 
provement  to  the  scene  of  his  high  destination. 

II.  Hydroelatice  treats  of  thf  prtteure  and  equi- 
librium of  fluid*.  From  the  experiments  which 
have  been  made  in  this  branch  of  philosophy, 
the  following  iinporiant  principles,  among  many 
others  have  been  deduced  : — 

(1 . )  That  the  *wjhce  of  all  wattri  which  havt 
a  communication,  whilst  they  are  at  reM,  will  be 
perfectly  level.     This  principle  will  ba  more 


HYDROSTATICS.  95 

clearly  understood  by  an  inspection  of  the  follow-     (Fig.  1.)  it  will  run  through  the  horizontal  tube 
ing  figures.     If  water  be  poured  into  the  tube  A,     E,  and  rise  in  the  opposite  tube  B,  to  the  same 


aright  at  which  it  stands  at  A.  It  is  on  this 
Afinciple  that  water  is  now  conveyed  under 
ground,  through  conduit  pipes,  and  made  to  rise 
»o  the  level  of  the  fountain  whence  it  is  drawn. 
The  city  of  Edinburgh,  a  considerable  part  of 
which  is  elevated  above  the  level  of  the  surround- 
ing country,  is  supplied  with  water  from  a  reser- 
voir on  the  Pentland  hills,  several  miles  distant. 
The  water  is  conveyed  in  leaden  pipes  down  the 
declivity  of  the  hill,  along  the  interjacent  plain, 
and  up  to  the  entrance  of  the  castle,  whence  it  is 
distributed  to  all  parts  of  the  city.  If  the  point 
A  represent  the  level  of  the  reserroir,  C  D  will 
represent  the  plain  along  which  the  water  is  con- 
veyed, and  B  the  elevation  to  which  it  rises  on 
the  castle  hill.  On  the  same  principle,  and  in 
a  similar  manner,  the  city  of  London  is  supplied 
with  water  from  the  water-works  at  London 
bridge.  Had  the  ancients  been  acquainted  with 
this  simple  but  important  principle,  it  would 
have  saved  them  the  labour  and  expense  of  rear- 
ing those  stupendous  works  of  art,  the  aqtieducts, 
which  consisted  of  numerous  arches  of  a  vast 
size,  and  sometimes  piled  one  above  another. 

Fig.  2.  represents  the  typhon,  the  action  of 
which  depends  upon  the  pressure  of  the  atmos- 
phere. If  this  instrument  be  filled  with  water, 
or  any  other  liquid,  and  the  shorter  leg,  G, 
plunged  to  the  bottom  of  a  cask,  or  other  vessel, 
containing  the  same  liquid,  the  water  will  run 
out  at  the  longer  lea,  F,  till  the  vessel  be  emptied, 
in  consequence  of  the  atmospheric  pressure  upon 
the  surface  of  the  liquid.  On  this  principle, 
water  may  be  conveyed  over  a  rising  ground  to 
any  distance,  provided  the  perpendicular  height 
of  the  syphon  above  the  surface  of  the  water  in 
the  fountain  does  not  exceed  32  or  33  feet.  On 
ihe  g&me  principle  are  constructed  the  famitnn 


at  command,  the  cup  of  Tantcdu*,  and  other  en- 
tertaining devices.  The  same  principle,  too, 
enables  us  to  account  for  springs  which  are  some- 
times found  on  the  tops  of  mountains,  and  for 
the  phenomena  of  intermitting  springs,  or  those 
which  flow  and  stop  by  regular  alternations. 

(2.)  Any  quanlity  of  flvid,  however  smdU, 
may  be  made  to  counterpoise  any  quantity,  however 
large.  This  is  what  has  generally  been  termed 
tlie  Hydrostatical  Paradox  ;  and  from  this  princi- 
pie  it  follows,  that  a  given  quantity  of  water  may 
exert  a  force  several  hundred  times  greater  or 
less,  according  to  the  manner  in  which  it  is  em- 
ployed. This  force  depends  on  the  height  of  the 
column  of  water,  independent  of  its  quantity;  for 
its  pressure  depends  on  its  perpendicular  height. 
By  means  of  water  conveyed  through  a  very 
small  perpendicular  tube,  of  great  length,  a  very 
strong  hogshead  has  been  burst  to  pieces,  and 
the  water  scattered  about  with  incredible  force. 
On  this  principle,  the  hydro$tatic press,  and  other 
engines  of  immense  power,  have  been  con- 
structed. 

(3.)  Every  body  which  it  heavier  than  water, 
or  which  sinks  in  it,  displaces  so  much  of  the  wata 
as  is  e<fual  to  the  bulk  of  the  body  immersed  in  tht 
water.  On  this  principle,  the  specific  gravities, 
or  comparative  weight,  of  all  bodies  are  deter- 
mined. It  appears  to  have  been  first  ascertained 
by  Archimedes,  and,  by  means  of  it,  he  deter- 
mined that  the  golden  crown  of  the  king  of  Sy- 
racuse had  been  adulterated  by  the  workmen. 
From  this  principle  we  learn,  among  many  other 
things,  the  specific  gravity  of  the  human  body  ; 
and  that  four  pounds  of  cork  will  preserve  a  per- 
son weighing  135  pounds  from  sinking,  so  that 
he  may  remain  with  his  head  completely  above 
water. 


96 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


Jtydmt&et,  which  has  woicuinoi  been  treated 
u  a  distinct  dcpartmeni  of  mechanical  philovo- 
phy,  may  bo  cunsidervJ  as  a  branch  orhydroiita- 
lics.  Il  tcaclies  us  what  rrlalc<  to  the  motion  of 
Jbtidt,  and  how  to  Mtimatc  their  velocity  and 
force.  On  the  principles  of  this  science,  all  ma- 
chines worked  by  water  are  constructed — aa 
steam-engines,  water-mills,  common  and  for- 
cing pumps,  syphons,  fountains,  and  fire-en- 
gines. 

III.  Pntutnatic*. — This  branch  of  philosophy 
treats  of  t)ie  nature  and  properties  of  the  atnios- 
phore,  and  of  their  effects  on  solid  and  fluid  bo- 
dies. From  this  science  we  learn,  that  air  has 
weight,  and  presses  on  all  sides,  like  other  fluids  ; 
that  the  pressure  of  the  atmosphere  upon  the  top 
of  a  mountam  is  less  than  on  a  plain  beneath ; 
that  it  presses  upon  our  bodies  with  a  weight  of 
several  thousand  pounds  more  at  one  time  than 
at  another ;  that  air  can  be  compressed  into  forty 
thousand  times  less  space  than  it  naturally  occu- 
pies; that  it  is  of  an  elastic  or  expansive  nature, 
and  that  the  force  of  its  spring  is  equal  to  its 
weight ;  that  its  elasticity  is  increased  by  heat ; 
that  it  is  necessary  to  the  production  of  sound, 
the  support  of  flame  and  animal  life,  and  the  ger- 
mination and  growth  of  all  kinds  of  vegetables. 

These  positions  arp  proved  and  illustrated  by 
such  experiments  as  the  following : — The  gene- 
ral pressure  of  the  atmosphere  is  proved  by  such 
experiments  as  those  detailed  in  No.  II.  of  the 
.Appendix.  The  following  experiment  proves 
that  air  is  comprexsihle.  If  a  glass  tube,  open 
at  one  end,  and  closed  at  the  other,  be  plunged, 
with  the  open  end  downwards,  into  a  tumbler  of 
water,  the  water  will  rise  a  little  way  in  the  tube  ; 
which  shows,  that  the  air  which  filled  the  tube 
is  compressed  by  the  water  into  a  smaller  space. 
The  daslicUy  of  air  is  proved  by  tying  up  a 
bladder,  with  a  very  small  quantity  of  air  within 
it,  and  putting  it  under  the  receiver  of  an  air- 
pump,  when  it  will  be  seen  gradually  to  inflate, 
till  it  becomes  of  its  full  size.  A  similar  effect 
would  take  place,  by  carrying  the  bladder  to  the 
higher  regions  of  the  atmosphere.  On  the  com- 
pression and  elasticity  of  the  air,  depends  the 
construct  ion  of  that  dangerous  and  destructive  in- 
strument, the  air-gun. 

That  it  is  capable  of  being  rarified  by  heat,  is 
proved  by  holding  to  the  fire  a  half-blown  bladder, 
ti^tly  lied  at  the  neck,  when  il  will  dilate  to 
nearly  its  full  size;  and  if  either  h  fuU-bloum 
bladder,  or  a  thin  glass  bubble  filled  with  air  is 
held  to  a  strong  fire,  it  will  burst.  The  elasti- 
city of  the  air  is  such,  tliat  Mr.  Boyle,  by  moans 
of  an  air-pump,  caused  it  to  dilate  till  it  occupied 
fourteen  thousand  times  the  s|)ace  that  it  usually 
does.  That  air  is  ner'essary  to  sound,  flame, 
animal  and  vegetable  life,  is  proved  by  the  fol- 
lowing experiments  :  When  the  receiver  of  an 
air-pump  is  exhausted  of  its  air,  a  cat,  a  mouse, 
or  a  bird,  placed  in  it,  expires  b  a  few  moineots, 


in  the  greatest  agonies.  A  bell  runf  in  the  same 
siti^tion  produces  no  scund  ;  and  a  lighti-d  candle 
is  instantly  extinguislied.  Similar  rxpc-rimcnts 
prove  that  air  is  necessary  for  the  flight  of  birds, 
the  ascent  of  smoke  and  va|N>ur!',  the  expUwiun 
of  gunpowder,  and  the  growth  of  |>lants ;  and 
that  all  bodies  descend  equally  swift  in  a  place 
void  of  air  ;  a  guinea  and  a  ft-athcr  being  found 
to  full  to  the  bottom  of  an  exhausted  receiver  at 
the  same  instant. 

On  the  principles  which  this  science  has  es- 
tablished, have  been  constructed  the  air-pump, 
the  barometer,  the  thcrniomctiT,  the  diving-bcU, 
the  hygrometer,  the  condenser,  and  various  other 
instruments,  which  have  contributed  to  the  com- 
fort of  human  life,  and  to  ilic  enlargement  of  our 
knowledge  of  the  constitution  of  nature. 

IV.  Acousticit. — This  science  treats  of  the 
nature,  the  |>henoniena,  and  iImj  laws  of  sotma, 
and  the  theory  of  musical  concord  and  liarmony. 
From  the  ex|>eriments  which  have  been  made  on 
this  subject,  wo  learn,  that  air  is  essential  to  the 
production  of  sound  ;  that  it  arises  from  vihratimu 
in  the  air,  communicated  to  it  by  vibrations  of 
the  sounding  body  ;  that  these  vibrations,  or 
aerial  pulses,  are  pro|>agatud  all  around  in  a 
spherical  undulatory  manner;  that  their  density 
decreases,  as  the  squares  of  the  distances  from 
the  sounding  body  increase  ;  that  they  arc  pro- 
pagated together  in  great  numbers  from  dilferent 
bodies,  without  disturbance  or  confusion,  as  is 
evident  from  concerts  of  musical  instruiucnts  : 
that  water,  timber,  and  flannel,  are  also  good 
conductors  of  sound ;  that  sound  travels  at  the 
rate  of  1142  feet  in  a  second,  or  about  thirteen 
miles  in  a  minute  ;  that  the  softest  whis|>cr  flies 
as  fast  as  the  loudest  thunder;  and  that  the  ut- 
most limits,  within  which  the  loudest  sounds 
produced  by  artificial  means  can  l>e  heard,  is 
180  or  200  miles;*  that  soimJ  striking  against 
an  obstacle,  as  the  wall  of  a  house,  may,  like 
light,  be  reflected,  and  produce  another  sound, 
which  is  called  an  echo;  and  that,  after  it  has 
been  reflected  from  several  |>laccs,  it  may  be 
collected  into  one  point  or  focus,  where  it  will 
be  more  audible  than  in  any  other  place.  On 
these  principles,  whis|K:rin»  galleries,  speaking 
trumpets,  and  other  acoustic  instruments,  ate 
constructed. 

V.  Optic*. — Thb  branch  of  philosophy  treats 
of  vision,  light,  and  colours,  and  of  the  varioiw 
phenomena  of  visible  objects  produced  by  the 
rays  of  light,  reflected  from  mirrors,  or  tram- 
mitted  through  lenses.    From   this  science   we 


•  In  the  wnr  l»ctwccn  Eni'lnml  ami  Holland,  in 
1S73.  the  noi^e  of  the  iruns  wuk  heanl  In  those  pnrts 
of  Wnlcs  which  wcri:  cstinmicil  to  lie  two  hunilretl 
miles  tlistant  fn)m  the  scimic  <if  nrtlon.  But  the 
sounds  proilurcti  by  volcanoes  have  boon  heard  at  a 
much  greater  iliMaiice  :  some  insiance*  nf  which 
are  xtateil  in  Chap.  IV.  .Sect.  2.  Several  ol^r  facts 
in  relation  to  sound  are  Uetullod  in  Cbap.  UL  Art 
Acouttie  Tunrui*. 


OPTICS— ELECTRICITY. 


97 


te&m,  that  light  flies  at  the  rate  of  nearly  twelve 
niiliions  of  miles  every  minute — that  it  moves  in 
straight  lines — that  its  particles  may  be  several 
thousands  of  miles  distant  from  each  other — that 
every  visible  body  emits  particles  of  light  from 
its  surface,  in  all  directions — that  the  particles  of 
light  are  exceedingly  small ;  for  a  lighted  candle 
will  fill  a  cubical  space  of  two  miles  every  way 
with  its  rays,  before  it  has  lost  the  least  sensible 
part  of  its  substance ;  and  millions  of  rays,  from 
a  thousand  objects,  will  pass  through  a  hole  not 
larger  than  the  point  of  a  needle,  and  convey  to 
the  mind  an  idea  of  the  form,  position,  and  colour 
of  every  individual  object — that  the  intensify  or 
degree  of  light  decreases,  as  the  square  of  the 
distance  from  the  luminous  body  increases  ;  that 
is,  at  two  yards'  distance  from  a  candle,  we  shall 
have  only  the  fourth  part  of  the  light  we  should 
have  at  the  distance  of  one  yard  ;  at  three  yards' 
distance,  the  ninth  part ;  at  four  yards,  the  six- 
teenth part,  and  so  on — that  glass  tenses  may  be 
ground  into  the  following  forms  ,  plano-convex, 
plano-concave,  double  convex,  double  concame,  and 
meidsens,  that  is,  convex  on  one  side,  and  con- 
cave on  the  other — that  specula,  or  mirrors,  may 
be  ground  into  either  a  spherical,  parabolical,  or 
cylindrical  form — that,  by  means  of  such  mirrors 
and  lenses,  the  rays  of  light  may  be  so  modified 
as  to  proceed  either  in  a  diverging,  converging, 
or  parallel  direction,  and  the  images  of  visible 
objects  represented  in  a  variety  of  new  forms, 
positions,  and  magnitudes — that  every  ray  of 
white  light  may  be  separated  into  seven  primary 
colours  :  red,  orange,  yellow,  green,  blue,  indigo, 
and  violet — that  the  variegated  colouring  which 
appears  on  the  face  of  nature  is  not  in  the  objects 
themselves,  but  in  the  light  which  falls  upon 
them — that  the  rainbow  is  produced  by  the  re- 
fhiction  and  reflection  of  the  solar  rays  in  the 
drops  of  falling  rain — that  the  rays  of  light  are 
refracted,  or  bent  out  of  their  course,  when  they 
Tall  upon  g'ass,  water,  and  other  mediums — that 
the  light  of  the  sun  may  be  collected  into  a  point 
or  focus,  and  made  to  produce  a  heal  more  in- 
tense than  that  of  a  furnace* — that  the  rays  from 
visible  objects,  when  reflected  from  a  concave 
mirror,  converge  to  a  focus,  and  paint  an  image 
of  the  objects  before  it,  and  that  when  they  pass 
through  a  convex  glass,  they  depict  an  image  be- 
hind it. 

'  This  is  produrert  by  means  of  lenses,  or  mirrors 
ofalar?"  diameter,  called  buming-fflasses.  By  these 
instruments  the  hardest  meMls,  on  which  common 
fires,  and  even  glasshouse  furnaces,  could  produce 
no  elTect,  have  been  melteil  in  a  few  seconds.  M. 
Villette,  a  Frenchman,  nearly  a  century  ago,  con- 
utrurted  a  mirror,  three  feet  eleven  Inches  in  diame- 
ter.and  three  feet  two  inches  in  focal  distance,  which 
melted  copper  ore  in  eight  seconds,  iron  ore  In  twenty- 
four  second.?,  a  fish's  tooth  in  thirty-two  seconds, 
east  iron  in  sixteen  seconds,  a  silver  sixpence  In 
seven  seconds,  and  tin  in  three  seconds.  This 
mirror  condensed  the  solar  rays  17,257  times,  a  de- 
gree of  heat  which  is  about  four  hundred  and  ninety 
times  greater  than  common  fire.  Mr.  Parker,  of 
London,  constructed  a  lens  three  feet  in  diameter, 
13 


On  these  and  other  principles  demonstrated  by 
this  science,  the  Camera  Obscura,  llie  Magic 
Lantern,  the  Phantasmagoria,  the  Kaleidoscope, 
the  Uelioslata,  the  Micrometer — SpectacleS| 
Opera-Glasses,  Prisms,  single,  compound,  lu- 
cernal,  and  solar  Microscopes,  reflecting  arni  rfr 
fracting  Telescopes,  and  other  optical  instni 
ments,  have  been  constructed  by  means  of  whicl 
the  natural  powers  of  human  vision  have  been 
wonderfully  increased,  and  our  prospects  into 
the  works  of  God  extended  far  beyond  what  for- 
mer ages  could  have  conceived. 

VI.  Electricity. — This  name  has  been  given 
to  a  science  which  explains  and  illustrates  the 
opei^iions  of  a  very  subtile  fluid  called  the  e/eo 
tric  fluid,  which  appears  to  pervade  every  part 
of  nature,  and  to  be  one  of  the  chief  agents  em- 
ployed in  producing  many  of  the  phenomena  of 
the  material  world.  If  a  piece  of  amber,  seal- 
ing wax,  or  sulphur,  be  rubbed  with  a  piece  of 
flannel,  it  will  acquire  the  power  of  attracting 
small  bits  of  paper,  feathers,  or  other  light  sub- 
stances. If  a  tube  of  glass,  two  or  three  feet  in 
length,  and  an  inch  or  two  in  diameter,  be  rubbed 
pretty  hard,  in  a  dark  room,  with  a  piece  of  dry 
woollen  cloth,  besides  attracting  light  substan- 
ces, it  will  emit  flashes  of  fire,  attended  with 
a  crackling  noise.  This  luminous  matter  is 
called  electricity,  or  the  electric  fluid.  If  a  large 
globe  or  cylinder  of  glass  be  turned  rapidly 
round,  and  made  to  rub  against  a  cushion,  streams 
and  large  sparks  of  bluish  flame  will  be  elicited, 
which  will  fly  round  the  glass,  attract  light  bo- 
dies, and  produce  a  pungent  sensation  if  the 
hand  be  held  to  it.  This  glass,  with  all  its  re- 
quisite apparatus,  is  called  an  electrical  machine. 
It  is  found,  that  this  fluid  will  pass  along  some 
bodies,  and  not  along  others.  The  bodies  over 
which  it  passes  freely  are,  water,  and  most  other 
fluids,  except  oil  and  the  aerial  fluids ;  iron,  cop- 
per, lead,  and  in  general  all  the  metals,  semi- 
metals,  and  metallic  ores  ;  which  are,  therefore, 
called  conductors  of  electricity.  But  it  will  not 
pass  over  glass,  resin,  wax,  sulphur,  silk,  baked 
woods,  or  dry  woollen  substances  ;  nor  through 
air,  except  by  force,  in  sparks,  to  short  distances. 
These  bodies  are,  therefore, called  non-condttctort. 

The  following  facts  among  others,  have  been 
ascertained  respecting  this  wonderful  agent  :— 
That  all  bodies  with  which  we  are  acquainted 
possess  a  greater  or  less  share  of  this  fluid — tha, 
the  quantity  usually  belonging  to  any  body  pro- 
duces no  sensible  eflects  ;  but  when  any  surface 

and  six  feet  eight  inches  focus,  which  weighed  2U 
pounds.  It  melted  twenty  grains  of  gold  in  four  se- 
conds, and  ten  grains  of  platina  in  three  seconds. 
The  power  of  burning  glHSses  is  «»  the  area  of  tht 
lens  directly,  and  the  square  of  the  focal  distance  in 
Tersely— or,  in  other  words,  the  broader  the  mirror 
or  lens,  and  the  shorter  the  focal  distance,  the  more 
intense  is  the  heat  produced  by  sucli  instruments, 
A  globular  decanter  of  water  makes  a  powerful 
burning-slass  ;  and  house  furniture  has  been  set  on 
Are  by  incautiously  exposing  it  to  the  rays  of  tbr. 
sun. 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


becomes  possessed  of  more  or  leu  than  its  nalu- 
lul  share,  it  exhibits  certain  appearances,  in  the 
ferm  of.  light,  sound,  attraction,  oi  repulsion, 
which  are  ascribed  to  the  power  called  electric — 
that  there  are  two  different  species  of  the  electri- 
cal fluid,  or,  at  least  two  different  modifications 
of  the  same  general  principle,  termed  yontive 
and  negative  electricity — that  positive  anil  nega- 
tive electricity  always  accompany  each  other  ; 
for  if  a  substance  acquire  the  one,  the  bo<ly  with 
which  it  is  rubbed  acquires  the  other— that  it 
moves  with  amazing  rapidity ;  having  been  trans- 
mitted through  wires  of  several  miles  in  length, 
without  taking  up  any  sensible  space  of  time; 
and,  therefore,  it  is  not  improbable,  that  were  an 
insulated  conducting  substance  extended  from 
one  continent  to  another,  it  might  be  made  to  fly 
to  the  remotest  regions  of  the  earth  in  a  few 
seconds  of  time — that  it  has  a  power  of  suddenly 
oontracting  the  muscles  of  animals,  or  of  giving 
a  thock  to  the  animal  frame— that  this  shock  may 
be  communicated,  at  the  same  instant,  to  a  hun- 
dred persons,  or  to  an  indefinite  number  who 
form  a  circle,  by  joining  their  hands  together — 
that  it  may  be  accumulated  to  such  a  degree  as 
to  kill  the  largest  animals — that  vivid  sparks  of 
this  fluid,  attended  with  a  crackling  noise,  may 
be  drawn  from  different  parts  of  the  human  body, 
when  the  person  is  insulated,  or  stands  upon  a 
stool,  supported  by  glass  feet — that  electricity 
sets  fire  to  gunpowder,  spirits  of  wine,  and  other 
inflammable  substances — that  it  melts  iron  wire, 
and  destroys  the  polarity  of  the  magnetic  needle — 
that  it  augments  the  natural  evaporation  of  fluids, 
promotes  the  vegetation  of  plants,  and  increases 
the  insensible  perspiration  of  animals,  and  can 
be  drawn  from  the  clouds  by  means  of  electrical 
kites,  and  other  elevated  conductors.  By  means 
of  the  electrical  power,  small  models  of  machinery 
have  been  set  in  nctian:  orreries  to  represent 
the  movements  of  the  planets,  have  been  put  in 
motion ;  and  small  bells  have  been  set  a  ringing 
for  a  length  of  time  ;  and,  in  consequence  of  the 
knowledge  we  have  acquired  of  the  mode  of  its 
operation  in  the  system  of  nature,  the  lightnings 
of  heaven  have  been  arrested  in  their  course,  and 
constrained  to  descend  to  the  earth,  without  pro- 
ducing any  injurious  effects. 

From  these,  and  a  variety  of  other  facts' and 
•iperiments,  it  is  now  fully  ascertained,  that 
lightning  and  electricity  are  identical ;  and  that 
it  is  the  prime  agent  in  producing  the  awful  phe- 
nomena of  a  ihutKler-siorm  ;  the  lightning  being 
the  rapid  motion  of  vast  masses  of  electric  mat- 
ter, and  thunder  the  noMe,  with  its  echoes,  pro- 
duced by  the  rapid  motion  of  tlielii;htning  through 
the  atmosphere.  There  can  be  little  doubt  that, 
in  combination  with  steam,  the  gases,  and  other 
agents,  it  also  produces  many  of  the  terrific  phe- 
nomena of  earthquakes,  volcanoes,  whirlwinds, 
waler-s|)outs,  and  hurricanes,  and  the  sublime 
caroKations  of  the  mirora  bonaliM.     In  the  (^>e> 


rations  of  this  powerful  fluid  we  behold  a  stita 
king  display  of  the  sovereignty  and  majestic 
agency  of  Qod.  In  directing  its  energies,  "  his 
way  is  in  the  whirlwind  and  the  storm,  and  the 
clouds  are  the  dust  of  his  feet ;  the  heavens  are 
covered  with  sackcloth,  the  mountains  quake  be- 
fore him,  the  hills  melt,  the  earth  is  burned  at  his 
presence,  and  the  rocks  are  thrown  down  by  him :" 
Nah.  i.  S— 6.  It  is  easy  to  conceive,  that,  by  a 
few  slight  modifications  produced  by  the  hand  of 
Omnipotence,  this  powerful  fluid  might  become 
the  agent  of  producing  either  the  most  awful  and 
tremendous,  or  the  most  glorious  and  transport- 
ing scenes,  over  every  region  of  our  globe.  As 
it  now  operates,  it  is  calculated  to  inspire  ns 
rather  with  awe  and  terror  than  with  admiration 
and  joy  :  and  to  lead  our  thoughts  to  a  consider- 
ation of  the  state  of  man  as  a  depraved  intelli- 
gence, and  a  rebel  against  his  IVlaker. 

VII.  Galvanism  is  intimately  connected  with 
electricity,  though  it  is  generally  considered  as  a 
branch  of  chymistry.  It  is  only  another  mode 
of  exciting  electrical  action.  In  electricity  the 
effects  are  produced  chiefly  by  mechanical  action ; 
but  the  effects  of  galvanism  are  produced  by  the 
cA^mtcoi  action  of  bodies  upon  each  other.  If 
we  take  a  piece  of  zinc,  and  place  it  under  the 
tongue,  and  lay  a  piece  of  silver,  as  big  as  a  half- 
crown,  above  it ;  by  bringing  the  outer  edges  of 
these  pieces  in  contact,  we  shall  immediately 
experience  a  peculiar  and  disagreeable  tase,  like 
that  of  copper.  The  same  thing  may  be  noticed 
with  a  guinea  and  a  piece  of  charcoal.  If  a  per- 
son, in  the  dark,  put  a  slip  of  tinfoil  upon  one  of 
his  eyes,  and  a  piece  of  silver  in  his  mouth,  by 
causing  these  pieces  to  communicate,  a  faint 
flash  will  appear  before  his  eyes.  If  a  living 
frog  or  fish,  having  a  slip  of  tinfoil  pasted  upon 
its  back,  be  placed  upon  a  piece  of  zinc,  by  for- 
ming a  communication  between  the  zinc  and  tin- 
foil, the  sf>asms  of  the  muscles  are  excited. 
These  and  similar  effects  are  produced  by  that 
modification  of  electricity  which  has  been  termed 
galvanism.  Three  different  c>nductors,orwhat 
is  called  i  galvanic  circle,  are  requisite  to  pro- 
duce such  effects.  A  piece  of  copper,  a  piece  of 
flannel,  moistened  with  water  or  acid,  and  a 
piece  of  zinc,  laid  upon  one  another,  form  a  cir- 
cle ;  and  if  this  circle  be  repealed  a  number  of 
times,  a  galvanic  pile  or  battery  may  be  formed 
capable  of  giving  a  powerful  shock.  The  most 
common  and  convenient  form,  however,  of  a  bat- 
tery, is  found  to  be  a  trough  of  baked  wood,  three 
or  fr«ir  inches  deep  and  as  many  wide.  In  the 
sides  are  grooves,  opposite  to  each  other,  into 
each  of  which  is  placed  a  double  metallic  plate,  of 
zinc  and  copper  soldered  together,  and  the  cells 
are  then  filled  either  with  salt  and  water,  or 
with  a  solution  of  nitrous  acid  and  water. 

By  means  of  the  galvanic  agency,  a  variety  of 
surprising  effects  have  been  produced.  Guti- 
powder,  cotton,    and   other   inflammable    sub 


GALVANISM— MAGNETISM. 


99 


stances,  have  been  inflamed— charcoal  has  been 
made  to  burn  with  a  most  brilliant  and  beautiful 
white  flame— water  has  been  decomposed  into 
its  elementary  parts — metals  have  been  melted 
and  set  on  fire — fragments  of  diamond,  charcoal, 
and  plumbago,  have  been  dispersed,  as  if  they 
had  been  evaporated— platina,  the  hardest  and 
heaviest  of  the  metals,  has  been  melted  as  readily 
as  wax  in  the  flame  of  a  candle— the  sapphire, 
quartz,  magnesia,  lime,  and  the  firmest  com- 
pounds in  nature,  have  been  made  to  enter  into 
fusion.  Its  effects  on  the  animal  system  are  no 
less  surprising.  When  applied  to  a  fowl  or  a 
rabbit,  immediately  after  life  is  extinct,  it  produ- 
ces the  most  strange  and  violent  convulsions  on 
the  nervous  and  muscular  system,  as  if  the  vital 
functions  were  again  revived  ,  and  when  applied 
to  the  human  body  after  death,  the  stimulus  has 
produced  the  most  horrible  contortions  and  gri- 
maces in  the  muscles  of  the  head  and  face,  and 
the  most  rapid  movements  in  the  hands  and  feet. 

The  galvanic  agency  enables  us  to  account  for 
the  following  among  other  facts  : — Why  porter 
hats  a  diflferent  and  more  pleasant  taste,  when 
drunk  out  of  a  pewter  vessel,  than  out  of  glass  or 
earthenware, — why  a  silver  spoon  is  discoloured 
when  used  in  eating  eggs, — why  the  limbs  of 
people,  under  amputation,  are  sometimes  con- 
vulsed by  the  application  of  the  instruments, — 
why  pure  mercury  is  oxydized  when  amalgama- 
ted with  tin, — why  works  of  metal,  which  are 
soldered  together,  soon  tarnish  in  the  places 
where  the  metals  are  joined, — and  why  the  cop- 
per sheathing  of  ships,  when  fastened  with  iron 
nails,  is  soon  corroded  about  the  place  of  con- 
tact. In  all  these  cases  a  galvanic  circle  is 
formed,  which  produces  the  effects.  We  have 
reason  to  believe,  that,  in  combination  with  the 
discoveries  which  modem  chymistry  is  daily  un- 
folding, the  agencies  of  this  fluid  will  enable  us  to 
carry  the  arts  forward  towards  perfection,  and  to 
trace  the  secret  causes  of  some  of  the  sublimest 
phenomena  of  nature. 

VIII.  Magnetism. — This  department  of  phi- 
losophy describes  the  phenomena  and  the  pro- 
perties of  the  loadstone,  or  natural  magnet.  The 
natural  magnet  is  a  hard  dark-coloured  mineral 
body,  and  is  usually  found  in  iron  mines.  The 
following  are  some  of  its  characteristic  proper- 
ties : — 1.  It  attracts  iron  and  steel,  and  all  sub- 
stances which  contain  iron  in  its  metallic  state. 
2.  If  a  magnet  be  suspended  by  a  thread,  or 
nicely  poised  on  a  pivot,  or  placed  on  a  piece  of 
wood,  and  set  to  float  in  a  basin  of  water,  one 
end  will  constantly  point  nearly  towards  the 
north  pole  of  the  earth,  and  the  other  towards 
the  south  ;  and  hence  those  parts  of  the  ma<met 
have  been  called  the  north  and  south  pole*.  3. 
When  the  north  pole  of  one  mignet  is  presented 
near  to  the  south  pole  of  another,  thev  will  at- 
tract each  other ;  but  if  the  north  pole  of  one  be 
pr«8«nt«d  to  lh«  north  pole  of  another,  or  a  south 


pole  to  a  south,  they  will  repel  each  other.  4. 
A  magnet  placed  in  such  a  manner  as  to  be  ettr 
tirely  at  liberty,  inclines  one  of  its  poles  to  the 
horizon,  and  of  course  elevates  the  other  above 
it.  This  property  is  called  the  dipping  of  the 
magnet.  5.  Magnets  do  not  point  directly  north 
and  south  ;  but  in  different  parts  of  the  world 
with  a  different  declination  eastward  or  westward 
of  the  north  ;  it  is  also  different  at  the  same  place 
at  different  times.  In  London,  and  in  must  pla- 
ces of  Great  Britain,  the  magnetic  needle,  at 
present,  points  about  24  degrees  to  the  west  of 
north.  For  more  than  160  years  it  has  been 
gradually  declining  from  the  north  to  the  west  ^ 
but  seems  of  late  to  have  begun  its  deciination  to 
the  eastward.  6.  Any  magnet  may  be  made  to 
communicate  the  properties  now  mentioned  to 
any  piece  of  iron  or  steel.  For  example,  by 
gently  rubbing  a  penknife  with  a  magnet,  it  will 
be  immediately  invested  with  the  property  of  at- 
tracting needles,  or  small  pieces  of  iron  or  steel. 
7.  Heat  weakens  the  power  of  a  magnet,  and  the 
gradual  addition  of  weight  increases  the  mag- 
netic power.  8.  The  properties  of  the  magnet 
are  not  affected  either  by  the  presence  or  the  ab- 
sence of  air ;  and  the  magnetic  attraction  is  not 
in  the  least  diminished  by  the  interposition  of 
any  bodies  except  iron.  A  magnet  will  equally 
affect  the  needle  of  a  pocket  compass  when  a 
thick  board  is  placed  between  them  as  when  it  is 
removed.  It  has  been  lately  discovered,  that  the 
violet  rays  of  the  solar  spectrum,  when  condensed 
with  a  convex  glass,  and  made  to  pass  along  a 
piece  of  steel,  have  the  power  of  communicating 
to  it  the  magnetic  virtue. 

The  cause  which  produces  these  singular 
properties  of  the  magnet  has  hitherto  remained 
a  mystery  ;  but  the  knowledge  of  the  polarity  of 
the  magnet  has  been  applied  to  a  most  important 
practical  purpose.  By  means  of  it,  man  has 
now  acquired  the  dominion  of  the  ocean,  and  has 
learned  to  trace  his  course  through  the  pathless 
deep  to  every  region  of  the  globe.  There  can 
be  little  doubt  that  magnetism  has  an  intimate 
connexion  wiih  electricity,  galvanism,  light, 
heat,  and  chymical  action  ;  and  the  discoveries 
which  have  been  lately  made,  and  the  experiments 
which  are  now  making  by  Morichini,  Oersted, 
Abraham,  Hansteen,  Barlow,  Beaufoy,  and 
Scoresby,  promise  to  throw  some  light  on  this 
mysterious  agent,  and  on  the  phenomena  of  na- 
ture with  which  it  is  connected. 

Such  is  a  faint  outline  of  some  of  the  inte- 
resting subjects  which  natural  philosophy  em- 
braces. Its  relation  to  religion  will  appear  from 
the  following  considerations : 

I.  Its  researches  have  led  to  the  invention  of 
machines,  engines,  and  instruments  of  various 
kinds,  which  augment  the  energies,  increase  the 
comforts,  and  promote  the  general  improvement 
of  mankind;  and  these  objects  are  inseparably 
connected  with  the  propagation  of  Christianity 


100 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


through  the  world.  If  we  admit,  that,  in  future 
ages,  (he  religion  of  the  Bible  will  shed  its  benign 
influence  over  all  nations — that  the  external 
condition  of  the  human  race  will  then  be  prosper- 
ous and  greatly  melioratt-d  beyond  what  it  has 
ever  been — and,  (hat  no  miraculous  inUrporition  of 
Deity  is  to  be  ex|K-cied  to  bring  about  such  degi> 
rable  events^it  will  follow,  that  such  objects  can 
be  ac(x>mplished  only  in  the  ordinary  course  of 
Providence,  by  rational  investigations  into  the 
principles  and  powers  of  nature,  and  the  appli- 
cation of  the  inventions  of  science  to  the  great 
objects  of  religion  and  of  human  improvement, 
as  I  shall  endeavour  briefly  to  illustrate  in  the 
following  chapter.  As  the  destructive  effects  of 
many  physical  agents,  in  the  present  condition  of 
our  globe,  are,  doubtless,  a  consequence  of  the 
■in  and  depravity  of  man ;  we  have  reason  to  be- 
lieve that,  when  the  economy  of  nature  shall  be 
more  extensively  and  minutely  investigated,  and 
the  minds  of  men  directed  to  apply  their  discove- 
ries to  philanthropic  and  religious  objects,  they 
will  be  enabled  t(f  counteract,  in  a  great  measure, 
those  devastations  and  fatal  effects  which  are 
now  produced  by  several  of  the  powers  of  nature. 
The  general  happiness  of  all  ranks,  which  will 
be  connected  with  the  universal  extension  of 
Christianity,  necessarily  supposes  that  this  ob- 
ject will  be  accomplished  ;  for,  were  a  dread  of 
destruction  from  the  elements  of  nature  frequent- 
ly to  agitate  the  mind,  as  at  present,  no  perma- 
nent tranquillity  would  be  enjoyed  ;  nor  would 
that  ancient  prediction,  in  reference  to  this  era, 
receive  its  full  accomplishment,  that  "  there  shall 
be  nothing  to  hurt  or  dettroy  in  all  God's  holy 
mountain,  when  the  earth  shall  be  full  of  the 
knowledge  of  the  Lord."  And  since  miraculous 
interpositions  are  not  to  be  expected,  to  what 
quarter  can  we  look  for  those  subordinate  agen- 
cies by  which  this  object  is  to  be  effected,  but  to 
the  discoveries  and  inventions  of  philosophical 
science  ? 

Science  has  already  enabled  us  to  remedy 
many  of  those  evils  which  are  the  accidental  ef- 
fects of  the  operation  of  physical  agents.  For 
example — the  discoveries  of  the  philosopher,  with 
respect  to  the  nature  of  the  electric  fluid,  have 
enabled  us  to  construct  conductors  for  preserving 
buildings  from  the  stroke  of  lightning  :  and  we 
have  every  reason  to  hope,  that  in  the  progress  of 
electric,  galvanic,  and  chymical  science,  more 
complete  thunder-guards,  applicable  to  all  the 
situations  in  which  a  person  may  be  exposed, 
will  be  inventeil.  Nay,  our  increasing  know- 
ledge of  the  electric  fluid,  and  of  the  chymical 
agents  which  concur  in  its  operation,  may  ena- 
ble us  to  dissipate  thunder-storms  altogether,  by 
disturbing  the  riectririty  of  the  clouds  by  means 
of  a  serirs  of  elevated  artificial  conductors.  This 
is  not  only  possible,  but  has  already  been  in 
some  degree  efliscted.  The  celebrate<l  Euler  in- 
I  us,  in  bis  "  Letters  to  a  German  Princess," 


that  he  corresponded  with  a  Moravian  priest, 
named  Divitch,  who  assured  hiro  "  that  he  ha4 
averted,  during  a  whole  summer,  every  thunder 
storm  which  threatened  his  own  habitation  toi 
the  neightiourhood,  by  meant  of  a  machine  con- 
structed on  the  principles  of  electricity— that  ths 
machinery  sensibly  attracted  the  clouds,  and  con* 
strained  them  to  descend  quietly  in  a  distillation, 
without  any  but  a  very  distant  ihunder-clap," 
Euler  assures  us  that  "  the  fact  is  undoubted, 
and  confirmed  by  irresistible  proof."  Yea,  not 
only  may  the  destructive  eflV-cis  of  lightning  be 
averted  by  the  inventions  of  philosophy,  but  its 
agency  may  be  rendered  subservient  to  human 
industry,  and  made  to  act  as  a  mechanical  power. 
This  effect,  too,  has  been  partially  accomplished. 
About  the  year  1811,  in  the  village  of  Philips- 
thai,  in  Eastern  Prussia,  an  attempt  was  made 
to  split  an  immense  stone  into  a  multitude  of 
pieces,  by  means  of  lightning.  A  bar  of  iron,  in 
the  form  of  a  conductor,  was  previously  fixed  to 
the  stone,  and  the  ex|>eriment  was  attended^ith 
the  most  complete  success  ;  for,  during  the  very 
first  thunder-storm,  the  lightning  burst  the  stone 
without  displacing  it.* 

It  is,  therefore,  probable,  that  in  the  future  agM 
of  the  world,  this  terrific  meteor,  and  other  de- 
structive agents,  which  now  produce  so  much 
alarm,  and  so  many  disastrous  effects,  may,  by 
the  aid  of  philosophy,  be  brought  under  (he  con- 
trol of  man,  and  be  made  to  minister  to  his 
enjoyment. 

The  electric  fluid  has  also  been,  in  many  in- 
stances, successfully  applied  in  curing  palsies, 
rheumatisms,  spasms,  obstructions,  and  inflam- 
mation ;  and  it  is  known  to  have  a  )>cculiar  ei^ 
feet  on  the  nervous  system.  Lightning  has  been 
known  to  restore  the  blind  to  a  temporary  enjoy- 
ment of  sight.  Mr.  Campbell,  of  Succoth,  in 
Dumbartonshire,  who  had  been  blind  for  several 
years,  was  led  by  liis  servant  one  evening  through 
the  streets  of  Glasgow,  during  a  terrible  thunder- 
storm. The  lightning  sometimes  fluttered  along 
the  streets  for  a  quarter  of  a  minute  witliout  ceas- 
ing. While  this  fluttering  lasted,  Mr.  C.  saw 
the  street  distinctly,  and  the  changes  which  had 
been  made  in  that  part  by  taking  down  one  of 
the  city  gates.  When  the  storm  was  over,  his 
entire  blindness  returned.  A  still  more  remaik> 
able  instance  is  stated,  along  with  this,  under 
the  article  Thunder,  in  Dr.  Gloig's  Supp.  to 
Ency.  Brit,  which  was  written  by  the  late  Profess- 
or Robison.  It  if  also  possible  that  barren  deserts 
might  be  enriched  with  fertility,  and  immenss 
portions  of  the  desolate  wastes  of  our  globe  pr^ 
pared  for  the  support  and  accommodation  of  hu- 
man beings,  by  arresting  the  clouds,  and  draw- 
ing down  their  electrical  virtue  and  their  watery 
treasures  by  means  of  an  extended  series  of  ele- 
vated metallic  conductors.     What  has  been  now 

■  Sea  Monthljr  Macaalns.  roL  M,  p.  l« 


NATURAL  PHILOSOPHY. 


101 


mated  is  only  one  instance,  out  of  many,  which 
might  be  adduced,  of  the  extensive  and  bei^hcial 
effects  which  may  be  produced,  in  future  ages, 
by  the  application  of  the  discoveries  of  natural 
science.  ' 

2.  A  knowledge  of  natural  philosophy  enables 
us  to  detect  pretended  miracles,  and  to  discrimi- 
nate between  those  phenomena  which  are  pro- 
duced by  the  powers  of  nature,  and  the  supposed 
effects  of  diabolical  mfluence.  It  has  been  chiefly 
owing  to  ignorance  of  the  principles  of  natural 
science,  that  mankind,  in  all  ages,  have  been  so 
easily  imposed  upon  by  pretender.s  to  supernatu- 
ral powers.  Is  is  owing  to  the  same  cause,  that 
superstitious  notions  and  vain  alarms  have  spread 
their  influence  so  extensively  among  the  lower 
ranks  of  the  population  of  every  country.  The 
pretended  miracles  by  which  Pagan  and  Popish 
priests  endeavour  to  support  the  authority  of 
their  respective  religious  systems,  and  every  spe- 
cies of  degrading  superstition,  vanish  into  smoke, 
when  examined  by  the  light  of  modern  science  ; 
and  there  can  be  no  question  that  an  enlightened 
missionary  would,  in  many  instances,  find  the 
principles  aind  the  instruments  of  natural  philo- 
sophy important  auxiliaries  in  undermining  the 
fabric  of  heathen  idolatry  and  priestcraft.  They 
tend  to  dissipate  a  thousand  idle  terrors  which 
haunt  and  agitate  the  human  mind  ;  to  detect  a 
thousand  kinds  of  imposture  by  which  it  has 
been  held  in  cruel  bondage ,  and  to  prevent  the 
perpetration  of  those  deeds  of  cruelty  which  have 
uniformly  marked  the  reign  of  superstition.* 
Had  our  forefathers  connected  a  knowledge  of 
this  subject  with  their  study  of  the  Scriptures, 
they  would  not  have  brought  upon  themselves 
that  indelible  disgrace  which  now  attaches  to 
their  memories,  on  account  of  their  having  con- 
demned and  burned  at  the  stake  hundreds  of  un- 
happy women,  accused  of  crimes  of  which  they 
could  not  possibly  have  been  guilty.  In  New- 
Kngland,  towards  the  close  of  the  17th  century, 
the  witchcraft  phrensy  rose  so  high,  that  the  ex- 
ecution  of  witches    became  a  calamity  more 


•  Mr.  Douglas,  In  his  "  Hints  on  Missions,"  for- 
merly referred  to,  when  speaking  of  the  facilities 
which  Chrisli.ans  now  possess  for  extensive  mis- 
sionary exertions,  sussests,  thatn;itural  philosophy 
niif;ht  be  an  imporuint  auxiliary  to  Christian  mis- 
8ion:ir!es.  "  All  the  ancient  '  war  weapons  of  vic- 
tory,' exceptinsc  mirAcles.  are  at  their  disposal ;  and 
new  Instruments  of  still  tteater  potency,  which  the 
science  of  tr.e  latter  days  has  been  accumulating  for 
a  universal  revolution  of  the  mind,  are  ready  to  be 
brousht  into  action,  upon  a  scale  of  overpowering 
raasriitude.  Even  the  sinsle  resouro*  which  is  lost 
may  yet  lie  recompensed  by  equivalents,  and  a  sub- 
stitute, in  many  respects,  m  ly  be  found  for  miracles. 
The  first  effect  of  a  miracle  l«.  to  rouse  tlie  attention, 
anil  to  overawe  opposing;  prejudices ;  the  second  to 
aflTorl  a  proof  of  the  relision  of  which  it  is  a  sealing 
iccompiuiiment.  Tlu  firat  object  mitrht  be  g-ained 
by  the  natiircl  Tnn^fic  of  rrperlntfntal  pMli,»ophy  : 
and  as  to  the  seconil,  the  difference  In  the  proof  from 
mirarlos  lies  rather  in  its  lieing  more  circuitous, 
than  in  its  beini;  less  conclusive  at  the  |)resent  day 
ttiaa  in  the  tunes  of  the  apostles." 


dreadful  than  the  sword  otthe  pestitence.  Not 
only  old  women,  but  children  of  ten  vears,  were 
put  to  death  ;  young  girls  were  stri|)ped  naked, 
and  the  marks  of  witchcraft  searched  for  upon 
their  bodies  with  the  most  indecent  curiosity; 
and  those  spots  of  the  scurvy  which  age  impress- 
es upon  the  bodies  of  old  men,  were  taken  for 
evident  signs  of  infernal  power.  So  that  igno- 
rance of  the  laws  and  phenomena  of  nature  has 
led  even  Christians  to  commit  acts  of  injustice 
and  horrid  cruelty.  For,  let  it  be  remembered, 
that  it  was  Christian  magistrates  and  ministers, 
under  a  pretended  zeal  for  the  honour  of  God, 
who  sanctioned  such  cruel  and  unrighteous  de- 
crees. This  consideration,  viewed  in  connexion 
with  many  others,  tends  to  show,  that  the  Chris- 
tian revelation,  considered  abstractly  by  itself, 
without  a  reference  to  the  visible  system  of  the 
universe,  is  not  sufficient  for  all  the  purposes  for 
which  it  was  intended ;  as,  on  the  other  hand, 
the  study  of  the  works  of  nature  is  not  sufficient 
of  itself  to  lead  the  mind  to  the  true  knowledge 
of  God,  without  the  aid  of  the  discoveries  de- 
rived from  the  sacred  oracles.  For,  although  the 
Bible  has  been  in  the  hands  of  Protestant  Chris- 
tians ever  since  the  reformation,  yet  it  is  only 
since  the  light  of  modem  science  began  to  diffiise 
its  influence,  that  the  superstitions  of  the  dark 
ages,  and  the  vulgar  notions  respecting  witch- 
craft, necromancy,  and  other  species  of  infernal 
agency,  began  to  vanish,  even  from  the  minds  of 
Christian  teachers  ;  as  is  evident  from  the  writ- 
ings of  many  eminent  divines  who  flourished  dur- 
ing the  16th  and  17th  centuries.  As  the  two 
revelations  which  God  has  given  us  throw  a  mu- 
tual lustre  on  each  other ;  the  one  must  always 
be  considered  as  incomplete  without  the  other. 
Both  are  necessary  in  order  "  to  make  the  man 
of  God  perfect,"  and  to  enable  him  to  prosecute, 
with  intelligence  and  success,  the  great  objects 
of  religion  ;  and  the  Christian  minister  who  at 
fects  to  despise  the  aids  of  science  in  the  cause 
of  religion,  has  yet  much  to  learn  with  respect  to 
some  of  the  grand  bearings  of  theChristian  system. 
3.  The  investigations  of  natural  philosophy  ttn- 
fold  to  us  the  incessant  agency  of  God,  and  the 
plans  by  which  his  wise  and  benevolent  designs 
in  the  system  of  nature  are  accomplished.  From 
the  immeasurable  globes  of  heaven,  down  to  the 
minutest  atoms,  we  perceive  a  regular  chain  of 
causes  and  efTecls,  conspiring,  in  a  thousand  dif- 
ferent modes,  to  accomplish  the  purposes  of  in- 
finite wisdom  and  goodness.  The  operation  of 
cent.'al  forces  and  of  the  law  of  gravitation  on 
the  earth  and  in  the  heavens — the  hydrostatical 
laws  which  regulate  the  pressure  and  the  motion 
of  fluids — the  chymical  properties  of  the  atmos- 
phere, its  undulatory,  refractive,  and  reflective 
powers — the  motion  of  the  rays  of  light,  and  the 
infinite  variety  of  effects  they  produce — the  pro- 
cess of  evaporation — the  agencies  of  electricity 
and  galvanism — the  properties  of  the  magnet, 


103 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


•ad  the  chymical  aeiioB  of  acida  and  alk«li«a, 
and  of  the  minutest  partidet  of  matter  upon  each 
other— otif^ht  to  be  viewed  aa  ao  many  modifica- 
tions of  the  agency  of  Deity,  and  as  manifesta- 
tions of  his  wisdom,  in  carrying  forward  those 
plans  which  regard  the  interests  of  his  universal 
kingdom ;  just  as  we  consider  the  rise  and  fall  of 
empires,  the  revolutions  of  nations,  and  the  cir- 
culation of  the  Scriptures  in  heathen  lands,  as 
so  many  acts  of  his  moral  administration  as  the 
Governor  of  mankind.  For  let  it  be  carefully  re- 
membered, thai  all  these  physical  agencies  have 
ultimately  a  moral  and  intellectual  bearing ;  and 
are  essentially  connected  with  every  other  part 
of  God's  providential  procedure.  Though  we 
may  be  apt  to  consider  them  as  so  many  detach- 
ed and  insulated  pieces  of  machinery,  with  which 
we  have  little  concern,  or  may  even  disdain  to 
notice  their  mode  of  operation;  yet,  in  the  all- 
comprehensive  mind  of  Him  who  takes  in,  at 
one  glance,  the  whole  chain  of  causes  and  effects, 
they  are  as  essentially  connected  with  his  ultimate 
purposes,  and  the  eternal  destiny  of  man,  as  are 
the  revelations  of  his  word.  Were  a  single 
principle  or  motion  which  now  animates  the 
system  of  nature  to  cease— were  the  agencies  of 
electricity,  for  example,  or  the  principle  of  eva- 
poration, to  be  destroyed — the  physical  constitu- 
tion of  our  globe  would  instantly  bo  deranged  ; 
nature  would  be  thrown  into  confusion  ;  and  the 
sentient  and  intellectual  beings  that  now  in- 
habit the  earth  would  either  be  destroyed,  or 
plunged  into  an  abyss  of  misery.  If,  therefore, 
we  admit  that  the  moral  agency  of  God  is  worthy 
of  our  contemplation,  we  ought  to  consider  his 
physical  operations  also  as  no  less  worthy  of  our 
study  and  investigation ;  since  they  form  the 
groundwork  of  all  his  other  manifestations. 

There  is  nothing,  however,  which  so  striking- 
ly characterizes  the  bulk  of  mankind,  and  even 
the  great  mass  of  the  Christian  world,  as  that 
apathy  and  indifference  with  which  they  view 
the  wonders  of  creation  which  surround  them. 
They  can  look  on  all  that  is  grand,  and  beautiful, 
and  beneficent  in  nature,  without  feeling  the  least 
sentiment  of  admiration,  or  of  gratitude  to  that 
Being  who  is  incessantly  operating  within  them 
and  around  them  ;  and  they  are  disposed  to  con- 
sider the  experiments  of  philosophers,  by  which 
the  wonderful  agency  of  God  is  unveiled,  as  only 
ao  many  toys  and  amusements  for  the  entertain- 
ment of  children.  They  woiikl  prefer  the  paltry 
entertainments  of  a  card-table,  c^a  ball-room,  or 
of  a  gossipping  party,  to  the  inspection  of  the 
nicest  pieces  of  divine  mechanism,  and  to  the 
contemplation  of  the  moat  august  scene  in  nature. 
However  lightly  some  religionists  may  be  dis- 
posed to  treat  this  subject,  that  spirit  of  indif- 
ference with  which  the  visible  works  of  God  are 
treated  must  be  considered  as  flowing  from  the 
aame  depravrd  prindple  which  leads  multitudes 
10  reject  the  revelations  of  the  Bible,  aitd  to  trifle 


with  their  ererlaatmg  intereata.  "  Man,"  aays 
Rollin,  "  livea  in  the  midst  of  a  world  of  which 
he  is  the  sovereign,  as  a  stranger,  who  looka 
with  indifference  u|>on  all  that  passes  in  it,  and 
as  if  it  was  not  hia  concern.  The  universe,  la 
all  its  parta,  declares  and  points  out  its  Author ; 
but,  for  the  most  part,  to  the  deaf  and  blind,  who 
have  neither  ears  to  hear,  noreyes  to  see.  On* 
of  the  greatest  aervices  that  philosophy  can  do 
us,  is  to  awaken  us  from  this  drowsiness,  and 
rouse  us  from  this  lethargy,  which  is  a  dishonour 
to  humanity,  and  in  a  manner  reduces  us  below 
the  beasts,  whose  stupidity  is  the  consequence  of 
their  nature,  and  not  the  effect  of  neglect  or  in- 
difference. It  awakens  our  curiosity,  it  excitea 
our  attention,  and  leads  us  as  it  were  by  the  hand, 
through  all  the  parts  of  nature,  to  induce  us  to 
study  and  search  out  the  wonderful  works  of  it." 
—Belle*  Lettre*,  vol.  4. 

Since,  therefore,  the  science  of  natural  phik^ 
sophy  is  conversant  about  the  works  of  the  AW 
mighty,  and  its  investigations  have  a  direct 
tendency  to  illustrate  the  perfections  of  hia 
nature,  to  unveil  the  plan  of  his  operations,  to 
unfold  the  laws  by  which  he  governs  the  king- 
dom of  universal  nature,  and  to  display  the  order, 
symmetry,  and  proportion,  which  reign  through- 
out the  whole — it  would  be  needless  to  enter  into 
any  further  process  of  reasoning,  to  show  that 
the  study  of  it  is  connected  with  the  great  objects 
of  religion.  Whatever  studies  tend  to  raise  our 
minds  to  the  Supreme  Ruler  of  all  worlds — to 
expand  our  views  of  his  infinite  knowledge  and 
wisdom — to  excite  our  gratitude  and  our  admira- 
tion of  the  beneficent  designs  which  appear  in 
all  his  arrangements— to  guard  us  against  em^ 
neous  conceptions  of  his  providential  procedure— 
and  to  furnish  us  with  important  auxiliaries  for 
extending  the  influence  of  his  religion  through  the 
world;  must  always  be  interesting  to  every  Chris- 
tian who  wishes  to  enlarge  his  intellectual  views, 
and  to  make  progress  in  the  knowledge  of  God. 

CHYlflSTRT. 

This  science,  which  is  intimately  related  to 
the  preceding,  has  for  its  ol)ject  to  ascertain  tb« 
ingredients,  or  first  principles,  of  which  all  matter 
is  composed — to  examine  the  compounds  formed 
by  the  combination  of  these  ingredient!* — to  in- 
vestigate those  changes  in  natural  bodies,  which 
are  not  accompanied  with  itentihle  motion,  and 
the  nature  of  the  |)ower  which  produces  these 
combinations  and  changes. 

Within  the  limits  of  the  last  half  century,  tha 
empire  of  cliymistry  has  been  wonderfully  ex- 
tended. From  an  obscure  and  humble  place 
among  the  objects  of  study,  it  has  ri-^en  to  a  high 
and  dignified  station  among  those  sciences  which 
improve  and  adorn  the  human  mind.  No  longer 
confined  to  the  paltry  and  mercenary  object  of 
searching  for  the  philoeophrr's  stone,  or  of  fur- 
nishing a  little  amusement,  it  now  extends  its 


CHYMISTRY. 


103 


•way  over  all  the  arts  which  minister  to  the  com- 
fort and  improvement  of  social  life,  and  over 
every  species  of  animate  and  inanimate  matter, 
within  the  range  of  human  investigation.  "  The 
forms  and  appearances,"  (says  Sir  Humphrey 
Davy,)  "  of  the  beings  aud  substances  of  the 
external  world,  are  almost  infinitely  various,  and 
tliey  are  in  a  state  of  continued  alteration.  Even 
the  earth  itself,  throughout  its  whole  surface, 
undergoes  moditicalions.  Acted  on  by  moisture 
and  air,  it  affords  the  food  of  plants ;  an  immense 
number  of  vegetable  productions  arise  from  ap- 
parently the  same  materials ;  these  become  the 
substance  of  animals ;  one  species  of  animal 
matter  is  converted  into  another ;  the  most  perfect 
and  beautiful  of  the  forms  of  organized  life  ulti- 
mately decay,  and  are  resolved  into  inorganic 
aggregrates;  and  the  same  elementary  sub- 
stances, differently  arranged,  are  contained  in 
the  inert  soil,  or  bloom  and  emit  fragrance  in 
the  tiower,  or  become  in  animals  the  active 
organs  of  mind  and  intelligence.  In  artificial 
operations,  changes  of  the  same  order  occur-, 
substances  having  the  characters  of  earth,  are 
converted  into  metals ;  clays  and  sands  are  united, 
so  as  to  become  porcelain;  earths  and  alkalies 
are  combined  into  glass ;  acrid  and  corrosive 
matters  are  formed  from  tasteless  substances  ; 
colours  are  fixed  upon  stuffs,  or  changed,  or  made 
to  disappear;  and  the  productions  of  the  vegeta- 
ble, mineral,  and  animal  kingdoms  are  convert- 
ed into  new  forms,  and  made  subservient  to  the 
purposes  of  civilized  life.  To  trace,  in  detail, 
these  diversified  and  complicated  phenomena ; 
to  arrange  them,  and  deduce  general  laws  from 
their  analogies,  is  the  business  of  chymistry." — 
Elements  of  Chymical  Philoxophy. 

Cliy  mists  have  arranged  the  general  forms  of 
matter  into  the  four  following  classes.  The^rst 
class  consists  of  Solids,  which  form  the  principal 
parts  of  the  globe,  and  which  differ  from  each  other 
in  hardness,  colour,  opacity,  transparency,  densi- 
ty, and  other  properties.  The  second  class  consists 
of  Fluids,  such  as  water,  oils,  spirits,  &c.,  whose 
parts  possess  freedom  of  motion,  and  require 
great  mechanical  force  to  make  them  occupy  a 
smaller  space.  The  third  cIms  comprehends 
Elastic  Fluids,  or  Gases,  which  exist  freely  in 
the  atmosphere  ;  but  may  be  confined  by  solids 
and  fluids,  and  their  properties  examined.  Their 
parts  are  highly  moveable,  compressible,  and 
expansive  ;  they  are  all  transparent ;  they  pre- 
sent two  or  three  varieties  of  colour ;  and  they 
differ  greatly  in  density.  The  fourth  class 
comprehends  Ethereal  Substances,  which  are 
known  to  us  only  in  their  states  of  motion,  when 
acting  upon  our  organs  of  sense,  and  which  are 
not  susceptible  of  being  confined.  Such  are  the 
rays  of  light,  and  radiant  heat,  which  are  inces- 
santly in  motion,  throughout  the  spaces  that  in- 
tervene between  our  globe  and  the  sun  and  the 
•tars.  Chymists  divide  the  substances  in  nature 


also  into  simple  and  oompound.  Simple  Sub- 
stances are  those  which  have  never  yet  been  de- 
composed, nor  formed  by  art.  Compound  Sub- 
stances are  those  which  are  formed  by  the  union 
of  two  or  more  simple  substances.  The  follow- 
ing are  all  the  simple  substances,  with  which  we 
are  at  present  acquainted :  Caloric,  Light,  Oxy- 
gen, Nitrogen,  Carbon,  Hydrogen,  Sulphur, 
Phosphorus,  the  Metals,  and  some  of  the  Earths, 
All  that  I  propose,  under  this  article,  is,  simply 
to  state  some  of  the  properties  of  two  or  three  of 
these  simple  substances. 

Caloric,  or  elementary  fire,  is  the  name  now 
given  by  chymists  to  that  element  or  property 
which,  combined  with  various  bodies,  produces 
the  sensation  of  heat,  while  it  is  passing  from  one 
body  to  another.  This  substance  appears  to 
pervade  the  whole  system  of  nature.  There  are 
six  diflerent  sources,  from  whence  caloric  may 
be  procured.  It  may  be  produced  by  combus- 
tion, in  which  process  the  oxygen  gas  of  the 
atmosphere  is  decomposed,  and  caloric,  one  of 
its  component  parts,  set  at  liberty — by  friction, 
or  the  rubbing  of  two  substances  against  each 
other — by  percussion,  as  the  striking  of  steel 
against  a  piece  of  flint — by  the  mixture  of  two 
or  more  substances ;  as  when  sulphuric  acid  is 
poured  upon  water  or  magnesia — by  electricity 
and  galvanism.  The  discharge  of  an  elettric 
or  galvanic  battery  will  produce  a  more  intense 
degree  of  heat  than  any  other  means  whatever. 
But  the  principal,  and  probably  the  original 
source  of  caloric,  is  the  Sun,  which  furnishes 
the  earth  with  a  regular  supply  for  the  support 
and  nourishment  of  the  animal  and  vegetable 
tribes.  From  this  source  it  moves  at  the  rate  of 
195,000  miles  in  a  second  of  time ;  for  it  has 
been  already  stated,  that  the  sun  sends  forth  rays 
of  heat,  which  are  distinct  from  those  which  pro- 
duce illumination,  and  which  accompany  them 
in  their  course  through  the  ethereal  regions. 

Caloric  is  the  cause  of  fluidity,  in  all  sub- 
stances which  are  capable  of  becoming  fluid.  A 
certain  portion,  or  dose  of  it,  reduces  a  solid  body 
to  the  state  of  an  incompressible  fluid  ;  a  larger 
portion  brings  it  to  the  state  of  an  aeiiform  or 
gaseous  fluid.  Thus,  a  certain  portion  of  caloric 
reduces  ice  to  a  state  of  water  ;  a  larger  portion 
converts  it  into  steam  or  vapour.  There  is 
reason  to  believe  that  the  hardest  rocks,  the 
densest  metals,  and  every  isolid  substance  on 
the  face  of  the  earth,  might  be  converted  into 
a  fluid,  and  even  into  a  gas,  were  they  submit- 
ted to  the  action  of  a  very  high  temperature. 
This  substance  is  called  sensible  caloric,  when 
it  produces  the  sensation  of  heat  ;  and  latent 
caloric,  when  it  forms  an  insensible  part  of 
the  substance  of  bodies.  All  bodies  are,  in  a 
greater  or  less  degree,  conductors  of  caloric. 
Metals  and  liquids  are  gixxl  conductors  of  heat, 
but  silk,  cotton,  wool,  wood,  &c.  are  bad  conduc- 
tors of  it.    For  example,  if  we  put  a  short  po- 


t04 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


k«r  ln(o  the  fire  at  one  end,  it  will  toon  become 
hot  at  the  other  ;  but  this  will  not  ha|))>en  with  a 
piece  of  wood  of  the  same  lengrh,  and  under  the 
same  ciruumatances.  A  person  with  a  silken 
purse,  containing  metal  coin,  may  stand  so  near 
the  fire,  as  to  make  the  metal  almost  too  hot  to 
touch,  though  the  temperature  of  the  purse  will 
apparently  be  scarcely  altered.  Ifahand  be  put 
upon  a  hot  body,  part  of  the  caloric  leaves  the 
hot  body  and  enters  the  hand,  producing  the  sen- 
sation of  heat.  On  the  contrary,  if  a  hand  be 
put  on  a  cold  body,  as  a  piece  of  iron,  or  another 
cold  hand,  part  of  the  caloric  contained  in  the 
hand  leaves  it  to  unite  with  the  colder  body, 
producing  (he  sensation  of  cold.  In  short,  ca- 
loric is  diffused  throughout  all  bodies,  and  enters 
into  every  operation  in  nature  ;  and  were  it  not 
for  the  influence  of  this  subtile  fluid,  there  is 
reason  to  believe,  that  the  whole  matter  of  the 
universe  would  be  condensed  into  a  solid  mass. 
Oxygen  is  a  very  pure,  subtile,  and  elastic 
substance,  generally  diffused  throughout  nature  ; 
but  is  neve^  found  unless  in  combination  with 
other  substances.  It  is  one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant agents  in  nature  ;  there  being  scarcely  a 
single  process,  whether  natural  or  artificial,  in 
which  oxygen  has  not  some  important  share. 
When  combined  with  caloric,  it  is  called  ary^en 
gat,  which  forms  one  of  the  constituent  parts  of 
the  atmosphere.  In  this  state,  it  forms  the 
principle  of  combustion ;  producing  the  most 
rapid  deflagration  of  all  combustible  substances. 
If  a  lighted  taper  be  let  down  into  ajar  of  oxy- 
gen gas,  it  burns  with  such  splendour,  that  the 
eye  can  scarcely  bear  the  glare  of  light  ;  and  at 
the  same  time  produces  a  much  greater  heat 
than  when  burning  in  common  air.  If  a  steel 
wire,  or  a  thin  file,  having  a  sharp  point,  armed 
with  a  bit  of  wood  in  inflammation,  be  introduced 
into  a  jar  filled  with  this  gas,  the  steel  will  take 
fire,  and  its  combustion  will  continue,  producing 
a  most  brilliant  phenomenon.  It  has  been 
proved,  by  numerous  experiments,  that  this  gas 
is  so  euential  to  combustion,  that  no  substance 
will  bum  in  common  air,  which  has  been  pre- 
viously deprived  of  its  oxygen.  It  is  also  es- 
sential to  animal  life  ;  so  that  man,  and  all  the 
inferior  ranks  of  animated  nature,  may  be  said 
to  depend  upon  this  fluid  for  their  existence.  Its 
basis  gives  the  acid  character  to  all  mineral  and 
vegetable  sails  :  and  the  calcination  of  metals  is 
altogether  effected  by  their  union  with  oxygen. 
It  constitutes  the  basis  both  of  the  atmosphere 
which  surrounds  the  earth,  and  of  the  water 
which  forms  its  rivers,  seas,  and  oceans.  It 
pervades  the  substance  of  all  the  vegetable  tribes, 
and  enables  them  to  perform  th'-ir  functions ; 
and,  in  combination  with  the  different  metals, 
serves  the  most  important  purposes  in  the  use- 
ful arts.  In  the  operation  of  this  elementary 
princi(>le,  we  perceive  a  striking  display  of  the 
agency  of  th«  Creator,  and  of  the  admirable 


means  which  his  wisdom  has  contrived  for  pre* 

serving,  indue  order,  the  system  of  nature.  And, 
as  this  wonderful  Mibsiance  is  so  essentially  ne- 
cessary to  animal  and  vegetable  existence,  cvcrj 
thing  is  so  arranged  as  to  produce  a  regular  bu|>- 
ply  of  it,  notwithstanding  its  incessant  changes, 
and  the  multifarious  combinations  into  which  it 
is  continually  entering. 

One  of  the  most  extraordinary  effects  of  oxygen 
appears,  when  it  is  combined  in  a  certam  pro> 
portion  with  nitrogen,  so  as  to  form  the  gaseous 
oxide  of  nitrogen,  or  what  is  commonly  called 
nitrous  oxide.  This  gas  consists  of  6S  parts  ni- 
trogen, and  37  oxygen,  by  weight.  When  in- 
haled into  the  lungs,  it  produces  an  extraordinary 
elevation  of  the  animal  spirits,  a  propensity  to 
leaping  and  running,  involuntary  fits  of  laughter, 
a  rapid  flow  of  vivid  ideas,  and  a  thousand  de- 
lightful emotions  ;  without  being  accompanied 
with  any  subsequent  feelings  of  debility.  This 
circumstance  shows  what  a  variety  of  delightful 
or  pernicious  eflfecis  might  flow  from  the  slightest 
change  in  the  constitution  of  the  atmosphere, 
were  the  hand  of  the  Almighty  to  interpose  in 
altering  the  proportion  of  its  constituent  parts  : 
for  atmospheric  air  is  composed  of  79  parts  of 
nitrogen,  and  21  of  oxygen,  which  is  not  a  very 
different  proportion  from  the  above.  Another  gas 
called  ntft-tc  oxide,  comjMJsed  of  56  parts  oxygen, 
and  44  nitrogen,  produces  instant  suffocation  in 
all  animals  that  attempt  to  breathe  it.  One  of 
the  most  corrosive  acids,  the  nitrout  acid,  or 
aquafortis,  is  composed  of  75  parts  oxygen  and 
25  parts  nitrogen  ;  so  that  we  are  every  moment 
breathing  a  certain  substance,  which,  in  another 
combination,  would  produce  the  most  dreadful 
pain,  and  cause  our  immediate  destiuction. 
What  a  striking  proof  does  this  afford  of  the  in- 
finite comprehension  of  the  divine  mind,  in  fore- 
seeing all  the  consequences  of  the  elements  of 
nature,  and  in  directing  their  numerous  combi- 
nations in  such  a  manner  as  to  promote  the  hap* 
piness  of  animated  beings  ! 

Nitrogen,  or  azote,  is  a  substance  generally 
diffused  throughout  nature,  and  particularly  in 
animated  bodies.  It  is  not  to  be  found  in  a  solid 
or  liquid  state,  but,  combined  with  caloric,  it 
forms  nitrogen  gas,  which  is  one  of  the  ingre- 
dients of  the  atmosphere.  It  is  capable  of  su{v 
porting  either  flame  or  animal  life.  This  is 
proved  by  introducing  an  animal,  or  a  burning 
candle,  into  a  vessel  full  of  this  gas :  in  which 
case,  the  animal  is  suddenly  suficjcated,  and  iho 
candle  instantly  extinguished.  It  is  this  gas 
which  is  expelled  from  the  lunga  at  every  respi- 
ration, and,  rising  over  our  heads,  soon  enters 
into  new  combinations.  Thouch  it  is  destruc- 
tive to  animal  life,  it  appears  to  be  favourable  to 
plants,  which  vegetate  freely  when  surrxMinded 
with  nitrogen. 

Hydrogen  is  another  elementary  substance, 
abundant  in  nature,  aod)  when  unitod  to  caloria. 


CHYMISTRY. 


lOb 


forms  hydritgen  gas.  It  is  one  of  the  conslitu- 
eni  parts  of  wafer ;  for  it  has  been  completely 
detn<«r!triited  by  experiment,  that  water  is  com- 
posed of  85  parts  by  weight  of  oxygen,  and  15 
of  hydrogen,  in  evory  Hundred  parts  of  the  fluid. 
This  gas  was  formwly  known  by  the  name  of 
it\flammable  air.  It  is  distinguished  among  mi- 
ners by  the  name  of  jrre-damp ;  it  abounds  in 
coal-mines,  and  sometimes  produces  the  most 
tremendous  explosions,  it  is  incapable,  by  it- 
self, of  supporting  combustion,  and  cannot  be 
breathed  without  the  most  imminent  danger.  It 
is  the  chief  constituent  of  oils,  fats,  spirits,  ether, 
coals,  and  bitumen ;  and  is  supposed  to  be  one 
of  the  agents  which  produce  :he  i^nes  falui  and 
the  northern  lights.  It  is  the  hghlest  of  all  pon- 
derable bodies ;  being  from  twelve  to  fifteen  times 
lighter  than  common  air.  A  hundred  cubic  in- 
ches of  it  weigh  about  2i  grains.  On  account 
of  its  great  levity  it  is  used  for  filling  air-balloons. 
In  contact  with  atmospheric  air,  it  burns  with  a 
pale  blue  colour.  When  mixed  with  oxygen  gas, 
it  may  be  exploded  like  gunpowder,  with  a  vio- 
lent report.  Carburelted  hydrogen  gas,  which 
is  carbon  dissolved  in  hydrogen,  is  that  beautiful 
gas,  which  is  now  employed  in  lighting  our 
streets,  shops,  and  manufactories. 

Carbon  is  another  simple  substance  extensively 
diffused  throughout  nature.  It  is  found  pure  and 
solid  only  in  the  diamond;  but  it  may  be  pro- 
cured in  the  state  of  charcoal,  by  burning  a  piece 
of  wool  closely  covered  with  sand,  in  a  cruci- 
ble. Carbon  enters  into  the  composition  of  bi- 
tumen and  pit  coal,  and  of  most  animal  and  some 
mineral  substanf^es  ;  and  it  f)rms  nearly  the 
whole  of  (he  solid  basis  of  all  vegetables,  from 
the  most  delicate  flower  to  the  stalely  oak.  It  is 
»lso  a  component  part  of  sugar,  and  of  all  kinds 
of  wax,  oils,  gums,  and  resins.  It  combines 
with  iron  in  various  proportions,  and  the  results 
are  cast  iron  and  steel.  Black  lead  is  a  com- 
position of  nine  parts  of  carbon  to  one  of  iron  ; 
and  is,  iheref  >ro,  called  a  carburet  of  iron.  Carbon 
is  indetlmctihle  by  aje,  and  preserves  its  iden- 
tity in  all  the  combinations  into  which  it  enters. 
Carbonic  na/l  gas  is  a  combination  of  carbon  and 
oxygen.  It  is  found  in  a  state  ofcombmation  with 
lime,  forming  limestone,  marble,  and  chalk  ;  and 
mav  be  se;)arated  from  them  by  heat,  or  by  means 
of  the  mineral  acids.  This  gas,  which  was  for- 
merly called  fixed  air,  is  found  in  mines,  caves, 
tlie  bottoms  of  wells,  wine  cellars,  brewers'  vats, 
and  in  the  neighbourhood  of  lime-kilns.  It  is 
known  to  miners  by  the  name  of  the  choke-damp, 
and  loo  frequently  runs  on  deadly  errands.  It 
extinguishes  flame  and  animal  life.  It  is  the 
heaviest  of  ail  the  gases  ;  being  nearly  twice  the 
weight  of  common  air,  and  twenty  times  the 
weicht  of  hydrogen.  Ft  may,  therefore,  be 
poured  from  one  vessel  to  another ;  and  if  a 
small  quantity  of  it  be  poured  upon  a  lighted 
taper,  it  will  be  instantly  extinguished.  It  is  a 
14 


powerful  antiseptic,  or  preserver  from  putrefac- 
tion. Meat  which  has  been  sealed  up  in  it  (says 
Mr.  Parkes)  has  been  known  to  have  preserved 
its  texture  and  appearance  for  more  than  twenty 
years.  There  is  no  substance  of  more  import- 
ance in  civilized  life  than  the  di.Terent  forms  of 
Carbon.  "  In  nature,"  says  Sir.  H.  Davy, 
"  this  element  is  constantly  active  in  an  import- 
ant series  of  operations.  It  is  evolved  in  fer- 
mentation and  combustion,  in  carbonic  acid  ;  it 
is  separated  from  oxygen  in  the  organs  of  plants ; 
it  is  a  'principal  element  in  animal  structures  ; 
and  is  found  in  different  forms  in  almost  all  the 
prodi^s  of  organized  beings." 

Sulphur  is  a  substance  which  has  been  known 
from  the  earliest  ages.  It  was  used  by  the  an- 
cients in  medicine,  and  its  fumes  have,  for  more 
than  2000  years,  been  employed  in  bleaching 
wool.  It  is  found  combined  with  many  mineral 
substances,  as  arsenic,  antimony,  copper,  and 
most  of  the  metallic  ores.  It  exists  in  many  mi- 
neral waters,  and  in  combination  with  vegetable 
and  animal  matters,  but  is  most  abundant  in  vol- 
canic countries,  particularly  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Vesuvius,  Etna,  and  Hecla  in  Iceland. 
It  is  a  solid,  opaque,  combustible  substance,  of 
a  pale  yellow  colour,  very  brittle,  and  almost 
without  taste  or  smell.  Its  specific  gravity  is 
nearly  twice  that  of  water  ;  it  is  a  con-conduct- 
or of  electricity,  and,  of  course,  becomes  elec- 
tric by  friction.  When  heated  to  the  tempera- 
ture of  170°  of  Fahrenheit's  thermometer,  it 
rises  up  in  the  form  of  a  fine  powder,  which  is 
easily  collected  in  a  proper  vessel,  and  is  named 
the  fiovoers  of  sulphur.  It  is  insoluble  in  water, 
but  may  be  dissolved  in  oils,  in  spirit  of  wine, 
and  in  hydrogen  gas.  When  sulphur  is  heated 
to  the  temperature  of  302°  in  the  open  air,  it 
takes  fire  spontaneously,  and  burns  with  a  pale 
blue  flame,  and  emits  a  great  quantity  of  fumes 
of  a  strong  suffocating  odour.  When  heated 
to  the  temperature  of  570°,  it  burns  with  a  bright 
while  flame,  and  emits  a  vast  quantity  of  fumes. 
When  these  fumes  are  collected,  they  are  found 
to  consist  entirely  of  sulphuric  acid;  so  that  sul- 
phur, by  combustion,  is  converted  into  an  add. 
It  is  the  base  of  several  compound  substances. 
It  unites  with  oxygen,  hydrogen,  nitrogen,  phos- 
phorus, the  alkalies,  the  metals,  and  some  of  the 
earths.  This  substance  is  of  great  importance 
in  medicine,  as  it  is  found  to  penetrate  to  the  ex- 
tremities of  the  most  minute  vessels,  and  to  im- 
pregnate all  the  secretions.  It  is  also  used  in  the 
arts,  particularly  in  bleaching  and  dying;  it  forms 
a  very  large  proportion  of  gunpowder  ;  and  one 
of  its  most  common,  but  not  least  useful  propMir- 
ties,  is  that  of  its  combustibility,  by  which,  with 
the  help  of  a  tinder-box,  light  is  almost  instanta- 
neously produced.  As  this  substance  has  not 
yet  been  decomposed,  it  is  considered  by  chy- 
mists,  in  the  mean  time,  as  one  of  the  simple 
substances. 


106 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


Photphorus  is  another  simple  combustible  sub- 
stance, but  is  never  found  in  ■  pure  state  in  na- 
ture.    It  is  commonly  united  tooiygcii  in  a  state 
of  phosphoric  acid,  which  is  found  in  different 
animal,  vegetable,  ami  mineral  substances.     It 
was  first  discovered  by   Brandt,  a  chymist  of 
Hamburgh,  in  the  year  1667,  and  afiprwards  by 
the  Honourable  Mr.  Buyle,  in  1679.     It  was 
formerly  obtained  by  a  disgusting  process ;  but 
it  is  now  extracted  from  the  6one«uf  animals,  by 
burning  them,  and  then  reducing  them  to  a  fine 
powder,  aind  aflerwards  pouring  sulphurio  acid 
upon  them.     This  substance,  when  pure,  resem- 
bles bees'  wax,   being  of  a  clear,  trausparent, 
yellowish  colour ;  it  is  insoluble  in  watir;  it 
may  be  cut  with  a  knife,  or  twisted  to  pieces  with 
the  fingers  ;  and  it  is  about  double  the  specific 
gravity  of  water.     Its  most  remarkable  property 
is  its  very  strong  attraction  for  oxygen,  from 
which  circumstance,  it  burns  spontaneously  in 
the  open  air  at  the  temperature  of  43''  ;  that  is, 
it  attracts  the  oxygen  gas  from  the  atmosphere, 
and  heat  and  flame  are  produced.     It  gradually 
consumes  when  exposed  to  the  common  tempe- 
rature of  air,  emits  a  whitish  smoke,  and  is  lu- 
minous in  the  dark  ;  for  this  reason  it  is  kept  in 
phials  of  water  ;   and  as  the  heat  of  the  hand  is 
sufficient  to  inflame  it,  it  should  seldom  be  han- 
dled except  under  water.     At  the  temperature  of 
99°  it  melts  ;  it  evaporates  at  219°,  and  boils  at 
554°.     When  heated  to  148°  it  takes  fire,  and 
bums  with  a  very  bright  flame,  and  gives  out  a 
very  large  quantity  of  white  smoke,  which  is  lu- 
minous in  the  dark  ;  at  the  same  time  it  emits 
an  odour,  which  has  some  resemblance  to  that  of 
garlic  ;  and  this  smoke,  when  collected,  is  proved 
to  be  an  acid.     It  bums  with  the  greatest  splen- 
dour in  oxygen  gas,  and  when  taken  internally, 
it  is  found  to  be  poisonous.     If  any  light  sub- 
stance,  capable  of  conducting  heat,  be  placed 
upon  the  surface  of  boiling  water,  and  a  bit  of 
phosphorus  be  laid  upon  it,  the  heat  of  the  water 
will  be  sufficient  to  sei  the  phosphorus  on  fire. 
If  we  write  a  few  words  on  paper  with  a  bit  of 
phosphorus  fixed  in  a  quill, Vhen  the  writing  is 
carried  into  a  dark  room  it  will  appear  beauti- 
fully luminous      If  a  piece  of  phosphorus,  about 
the  size  of  a  pea,  be  dropped  into  a  tumbler  of 
hot  water,  and  a  stream  of  oxygen  gas  forced  di- 
ractly  upon  it,  it  will  display  the  most  brilliant 
ooubustion  under  water  that  can  be  imagined. 
All  experiments  with  phosphorus,  however,  re- 
quire to  be  performed  with  great  caution.     This 
substance  is  used  in  making  phosphorus  match- 
bottles,  phosphoric  oil,  phosphoric  tapers,  and 
various  phosphoric  fireworks.     Pkosphorized  h/- 
drogen  gas  is  produced  by  bits  of  phosphonis 
remaining  some  hours  in  hydrogen  gas.     It  is 
supposed  to   be   this   gas  which    is  often  seen 
hovering  on  the  surface  of  burial  grounds  and 
manhes,  known  in  Scotland  by  the  name  ofspun- 
kU,  and  in  England  by  that  of  mU-o-the-witp. 


Some  animals,  as  tlio  glou>-worm  and  ihe^r- 
fly,  and  fish  in  a  putrescent  state,  exhibit  phos- 
phorescent qualities.  M.  Peron  describvs  a  sin- 
gular instance  of  this  kind  in  an  animal  which  he 
calls  i\\c  pyromnna  atlantieum,  which  he  observeti 
in  his  voyage  from  Europe  to  the  Isleof  FriUKe 
The  darkness  was  intense  when  it  was  fir»i  dis* 
covered  ;  and  all  at  once  there  appeared  at  some 
distance,  as  it  were,  a  vast  sheet  of  plK>»pnorus 
floating  on  the  waves,  which  occupied  a  great 
space  before  the  vessel.  When  the  vessel  had 
passed  through  this  inflamed  part  of  the  sea,  it 
was  found  that  this  prodigious  light  was  occa- 
sioned by  an  immense  number  of  small  animals, 
which  swam  at  different  depths,  and  appeared  to 
assume  various  forms.  Those  which  were  dee|>- 
est  looked  like  great  red-hot  cannon  balls,  while 
those  on  the  surface  resembled  cylinders  of  red- 
hot  iron.  Some  of  them  were  caught,  and  were 
found  to  vary  in  size  from  three  to  seven  inches. 
All  the  exterior  surface  of  the  animal  was  bristled 
with  thick  long  tubercles,  shining  like  so  many 
diamonds  j  and  these  seemed  to  be  the  principal 
seat  of  its  wonderful  phosphorescence. 

Such  is  a  brief  description  of  the  principal 
elementary  substances,  which,  in  a  thousand  di- 
versified firms,  pervade  the  system  of  nature, 
and  produce  all  that  variety  which  we  behold  in 
the  atmosphere,  the  waters,  the  earth,  and  the. 
various  processes  of  the  arts.  It  is  probable  that 
some  of  these  substances  are  compounds,  though 
they  have  not  yet  been  decomposed.  Yea,  it  is 
possible,  and  not  at  all  improbable,  that  tiiere  are 
but  two,  or  at  most  three,  elementary  substances 
in  nature,  the  various  modifications  of  which 
produce  all  the  beauties  and  sublimities  in  the 
universe.  Perhaps  caloric,  o.xygen,  and  hydro- 
gen, may  ultimately  be  found  to  constitute  all 
the  elementary  principles  of  nature.  Without 
prfMeciiting  this  subject  farther.  I  shall  conclude 
this  article  wiih  a  few  cursory  reflections,  tend- 
ing to  illustrate  its  connexion  with  religion. 

The  remarks  which  I  have  already  thrown  out 
in  reference  to  natural  philosophy  will  equally 
apply  to  the  science  of  chymistry  ;  and,  there- 
fore, do  not  require  to  be  repeated.  In  addition 
to  these,  the  fjllowinj  observations  may  be 
stated  :— 

1.  This  science  displays,  in  a  striking  point 
of  view,  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  God,  in 
producing;,  by  the  mnxt  timple  means,  the  mo$t 
a.Honixhing  arul  benevolent  fjfects.  All  the  va- 
ried phenomena  we  perceive,  throughout  the 
whole  system  of  sublunary  nature,  are  produced 
by  a  combination  of  six  or  seven  simple  sub- 
stanci's.  I  formerly  adverted  to  the  infinite 
variety  which  exists  in  the  vegetable  kingdom, 
(see  pp.  37,  38.)  About  fifty-six  ihotisnnd  dif- 
ferent species  of  plants  have  already  been  dis- 
covered by  botanists.  All  these,  from  the  hum- 
ble shnib  to  the  cedar  of  Lebanon,  which  adorn 
the  surface  of  the  globe,  in  every  dime,  witk 


CHYMISTRY. 


107 


•uch  a  oiversity  of  fjrms,  shades,  and  colours,  are 
»ne  result  of  the  combinations  of  "  four  or  five 
■laturai  substances— caloric,  light,  water,  air, 
and  carbon."  "  When  we  consider,"  savs  Mr. 
Parkes,  "  that  the  many  thousand  tribes  of  ve- 
getables are  not  only  all  formed  from  a  few  simple 
substances,  but  that  they  all  enjoy  the  same  sun, 
vegetate  in  the  same  medium,  and  are  supplied 
with  the  same  nutritnent,  we  cannot  but  be  struck 
with  the  rich  economy  of  Nature,  and  are  al- 
most induced  to  doubt  the  evidence  of  those 
senses  with  which  the  God  of  nature  has  fur- 
nished us.  That  it  should  be  possible  so  to 
modify  and  intermingle  a  few  simple  substances, 
and  thence  produce  ail  the  variety  of  form,  colour, 
odour,  &c.  which  are  observable  in  the  different 
families  of  vegetables,  is  a  phenomenon  too  as- 
tonishing for  our  comprehension.  Nothing  short 
of  Omnipotence  could  have  provided  such  a  pa- 
radise for  man." — Chymical  Catechism,  chap.  9. 

Soft  roll   your  incense,  herbs,  and   fruits,  and 

flowers, 
In  mingled  clouds  to  Him,  whose  sun  exalts. 
Whose  breath  perfumes  you,  and  whose  pencil 

paints."  Thomson. 

AVhat  an  admirable  view  is  here  opened  up  of 
the  economy  of  divine  wisdom,  and  of  the  bene- 
ficent care  which  has  been  taken  to  secure  the 
comfort  and  happiness  of  every  living  creature  : 
and  how  ungrateful  a  disposition  must  it  indicate 
in  rational  beings  to  overlook  such  benevolent 
arrangements  !  It  is  highly  probable,  that  in  all 
other  worlds  disposed  throughout  the  universe 
an  infinite  diversity  of  scenery  exists,  and  that 
no  one  globe  or  system  exactly  resembles  an- 
other; and  yet,  it  is  probable,  that  the  primary 
elements  of  matter,  or  the  few  simple  sitbstajiees 
of  which  our  world  is  composed,  may  be  of  the 
same  nature  as  those  which  form  the  constituent 
parts  of  every  other  system  ;  and  may  give  birth 
to  all  the  variety  which  exists  throughout  ihe 
wide  extent  of  creation,  and  to  all  the  changes 
and  revolutions  through  which  the  different  sys- 
tems may  pass,  during  every  period  of  infinite 
duration. 

2.  From  this  science  we  have  every  reason  to 
conclude,  that  matter  is  indestructible.  In  the 
various  changes  that  take  place  in  material  sub- 
stances, the  particles  of  matter  are  not  destroyed, 
but  only  assume  new  forms,  and  enter  into  new 
combinations.  When  a  piece  of  wood,  for  ex- 
ample, is  burned*to  ashes,  none  of  its  principles 
are  destroyed ;  the  elementary  substances  of 
which  it  was  composed  are  only  separated  from 
one  another,  and  f)rmed  into  new  compounds. 
Carbon,  as  already  slated,  appears  to  be  inde- 
structible by  age,  and  to  preserve  its  essential 
properties  in  every  mode  of  its  existence. 
That  Being,  indeed,  who  created  matter  at  first, 
may  reduce  it  to  nothing  when  he  pleases  :  but 
it  is  highly  improbable  that  his  power  will  ever 
be  wterposed  to  produce  this  effect ;  or  that  any 


particle  of  matter  which  now  exists  will  ever  be 
annihilated,  into  whatever  new  or  varied  com- 
binations it  may  enter.  When  any  particular 
world,  or  assemblage  of  material  existence,  has 
remained  in  its  original  state  for  a  certain  perioij^ 
of  duration,  and  accomplished  all  the  ends  it  was 
intended  to  subserve  in  that  state,  the  materials 
of  which  it  is  composed  will,  in  all  probability,., 
be  employed  for  erecting  a  new  system,  and  es- 
tablishing a  new  series  of  events,  in  which  new  • 
scenes,  and  new  beauties  and  sublimities,  v^ill 
arise  from  new  and  varied  combinations.  For 
the  Creator  does  nothing  in  vain.  But  J^anni- 
hilatetan<l  again  to  create,  ivould  be  opewing  in 
vain;  and  we  uniformly  find,  that  in  all  tiie 
arrangements  of  Deity  in  the  present  state  ol 
things.  Nature  is  frugal  and  econotpical  in  all 
her  proceedings ;  so  that  there  is  no  process, 
when  thoroughly  investigated,  that  appears  un- 
neces.sary  or  superfluous. 

From  the  fact,  that  matter  appears  to  be  irj- 
deslructible,  we  may  learn,  that  the  Creator 
may,  with  the  self-same  materials  which  now 
exist  around  us,  new-model  and  arrange  the 
globe  we  inhabit,  after  the  general  conflagration, 
so  as  to  make  a  more  glorious  world  to  arise 
out  of  its  ashes ;  purified  from  those  physical 
evils  which  now  exist ;  and  fitted  for  the  ac- 
commodation either  of  renovated  men,  or  of 
other  pure  intelligences.  From  the  same  fact, 
combined  with  the  consideration  of  the  infinite 
diversity  of  effects  which  the  simple  substances 
of  nature  are  capable  of  producing,  we  may  be 
enabled  to  form  a  conception  of  the  ease  with 
which  the  Creator  may  new-model  our  bodies, 
after  they  have  been  dissolved  in  the  dust ;  and 
how,  from  the  same  original  atoms,  he  may  con- 
struct and  adorn  them  with  more  glorious  forms 
and  more  delightful  and  exquisite  senses  than 
they  now  possess. 

In  short,  the  rapid  progress  which  chymical 
science  is  now  making,  promises,  ere  long,  to 
introduce  improvements  among  the  human  race, 
which  will  expand  their  views  of  the  agency  of 
God,  counteract  many  physical  evils,  and  pro- 
mote, to  an  extent  which  has  never  yet  been 
experienced,  their  social  and  domestic  enjoy- 
roei^.  The  late  discoveries  of  chymisiry  tend 
to  convince  us,  that  the  properties  and  powers  of 
natural  subjects  are  only  beginning  to  be  disco- 
vered. Who  could  have  imagined,  a  century 
ago,  that  an  invisible  substance  is  contained  in  a 
piece  of  coal,  capable  of  producing  the  most 
beautiful  and  splendid  illumination — that  this 
substance  may  be  conveyed,  in  a  few  moments, 
through  pipes  of  several  miles  in  length — and 
thai  a  citv,  containing  several  hundred  thousands 
of  inhabitants,  may  be  instantly  lighted  up  by  it, 
without  the  aid  of  either  wax,  oil,  or  tallow? 
Who  could  have  imagined,  that  one  of  the  in- 
gredients of  the  air  we  breathe  is  the  principle  of 
combustion — that  a  rod  of  iron  may  be  made  to 


lOS 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


burn  with  a  brilliancy  that  dazzles  ihr  eyc» — 
that  a  piece  of  charcoal  may  be  inado  (o  burn 
with  a  white  and  iplemlid  lij;ht,  which  is  iofe- 
rior  only  to  the  solar  rays — and  (hat  liu-  diamond 
is  nothing  more  than  carbon  in  a  crystallized 
state,  and  difTers  only  in  a  slight  degree  from  a 
bit  of  common  charcoal  ?  Who  could  have  sur- 
mised, that  a  substance  would  be  discovered,  of 
such  a  degree  of  levity,  as  would  have  power 
sufficient  to  buny  up  a  number  of  men  to  the  up- 
per parts  of  the  atmosphere,  and  enable  them  to 
•wim,  in  safety,  above  the  regions  of  the  clouds  ? 
These  are  only  specimens  of  still  more  brilliant 
discoveries  which  will,  doubtless,  be  brou_ght  to 
light  by  the  researches  of  future  generations. 
We  have  reason  to  believe,  that  the  investiga- 
tions of  this  science  will,  in  due  time,  enable  us 
to  counteract  most  ofth^  diseases  incident  to  the 
human  frame  ;  and  to  prevent  many  of  those  fatal 
accidents  to  which  mankind  are  now  exposed. 
Davy's  safety  lamp  has  already  preserved  many 
individuals  from  destruction,  when  working  in 
coal  mines;  and  thousands,  in  after  ages,  will 
be  indebted  to  this  discovery,  for  security  from 
the  dreadful  explosions  of  hydrogen  gas.  And, 
we  tnist,  that  the  perio(|  is  not  far  distant,  when 
specific  antidotes  to  the  diseases  peculiar  to  the 
different  trades  and  occupations  in  which  man- 
kind are  employed  will  be  discovered  ;  and  the 
health  and  vigour  of  the  mass  of  society  be  pre- 
served unimpaired,  amidst  all  iha  processes  in 
which  they  may  be  engaged.  In  fine,  the  rapid 
progress  of  chymical  discovery  carries  forward 
our  views  to  a  period,  when  aian,  having  tho- 
roughly explored  the  powers  of  nature,  and  sub- 
jected them,  in  some  measure,  to  his  control,  will 
be  enabled  to  ward  off*  most  of  those  physical 
evils  with  which  he  is  now  annoyed,  and  to 
raise  himself,  in  some  degree,  to  :he  dignity  and 
happiness  he  enjoyed  before  moral  evil  had  shed 
its  baleful  influence  on  our  terrestrial  system. 
Such  a  period  corresponds  to  many  of  the  de- 
scriptions contained  in  the  Sacred  Oracles  of  the 
millenial  state  of  the  church  ;  when  social,  do- 
mestic, moral,  and  intellectual  improvement  shall 
be  carried  to  the  utmost  [lerfection  which  our 
sublunary  station  will  permit ;  when  wars  shall 
cease;  when  the  knowledge  of  Jehovah  shall 
cover  the  earth  ;  when  every  man  shall  sit  under 
his  vine  and  fig-tree,  without  being  exposed  to 
the  least  alarm  ;  and  when  there  sliall  be  nothing 
to  hurt  nor  destroy  throughout  the  church  of  the 
living  God.  And,  therefore,  we  ought  to  con- 
aider  the  various  discoveries  and  improvements 
now  going  forward  in  this  and  other  departments 
of  science,  as  preparing  the  way  for  the  introduc- 
tion of  this  long-expected  and  auspicious  era. 

AltATOMT    ASD   PIITSIOLOOY. 

The  general  object  of  both  these  sciences  is 
lo  investigate  and  deacribe  the  structure  and 


economy  of  the  animal  frame.  Anatomy  di>> 
sects  dead  bodies,  phywutlogy  investigates  th« 
functions  of  those  that  are  Uving.  The  former 
examines  the  fluidii,  muscles,  viscera,  and  all  lb* 
other  parts  of  tlie  human  bixly,  in  a  slate  of  rcs(, 
the  latter  considers  them  in  a  state  of  action. 

The  parts  of  the  human  body  have  been  die- 
tinguished  into  two  ditferent  kinds — solids  and 
fluids.  The  solid  |iarts  are  bones,  earlUagtt, 
ligamenU,  mutclet,  tendons,  membranes,  nerves, 
arteries,  veins,  hair,  nails,  and  duct*,  or  fine  tu- 
bular vessels  of  various  kinds.  Of  these  solid 
parts,  the  following  compound  organs  consist ; 
the  6ra>n  and  cerebtUum ;  the  lungs ;  the  heart , 
the  stomach ;  the  liver ;  the  spleen ;  the  panereat; 
the  glands;  t\\K  kitlneys ;  the  intestines ;  the  me- 
nentery ;  the  larynx ;  and  the  organs  of  sense— 
the  eyes,  ears,  nou,  and  tongue.  The  fluid  porta 
are,  the  saliva,  or  spittle,  phlegm,  serum,  tha 
cAy/e,  blood,  bile,  milk,  lympha,  urine,  the  pam^ 
creaiic  juice,  ami  the  o^eous/iumour  of  ihc  eyes. 
The  human  body  is  divided  into  three  great  c^ 
vilies — the  head;  the  thorar,  or  breast  ;  and  th« 
abdomen,  or  belly.  The  head  is  formed  of  the 
bones  of  the  cranium,  and  encloses  the  brain 
and  Cerebellum.  The  thorax  is  conijiosed  of  the 
vertebrae  of  the  back,  the  sternum,  and  true  ribs  ; 
and  contains  the  heart,  the  pericardium,  the 
breast,  and  the  lun/;s.  The  abdomen  is  separated 
from  the  thorax  by  means  of  the  diaphragm, 
which  is  a  fleshy  and  membranous  substance, 
composed,  for  the  most  part,  of  mu!>cular  hbres. 
This  cavity  is  formed  by  the  lumbar  vertjbraj, 
the  OS  sacrum,  ihe  ossa  innominata,  the  false 
ribs,  the  peritona;um,  and  a  variety  of  muscles. 
It  encloses  the  stomach,  intestines,  omentum,  or 
caul,  the  liver,  [lancreas,  spleen,  kidneyv.,  and 
urinary  bladder.  Without  attempting  any  tech- 
nical description  of  these  different  pars,  which 
could  convey  no  accurate  ideas  to  a  general 
reader,  I  shall  merely  state  two  or  three  facts  in 
relation  to  tlie  system  of  bones,  muscles,  and 
blood-vessels,  as  specimeru  of  the  wonderful  struc- 
ture of  our  bodily  frame. 

The  Bones  may  be  regarded  as  the  prop- work 
or  basis  on  which  the  human  body  is  constructed. 
They  bear  the  same  relation  to  the  animal  sys- 
tem, as  the  wool-work  to  a  building.  They  give 
shape  and  firmness  to  the  body  ;  they  support  its 
various  parts,  and  prevent  it  from  sinking  by  its 
own  weight  ;  they  serve  as  levers  for  the  muscles 
to  act  upon,  and  to  defend  the  brain,  the  heart, 
the  lun»s,  and  other  vital  parts,  from  external  in- 
jury. Of  the  bones,  some  are  hollow,  and  filled 
with  marrow  ;  others  are  solid  thruiighoul ;  some 
are  very  imtaU  —  others  very  large;  some  are 
round,  and  others  flat  ;  some  are  plane,  and 
others  convex  or  concave  ; — and  all  these  several 
forms  pro  requisite  for  the  situations  they  oc- 
cupy, and  the  respective  fimctions  tliey  have  lo 
perform.  The  spins,  or  back-bone,  c  onsisisof  24 
vertebre,  or  small  bones,  connected  together  bj 


ANATOMY  AND  PHYSIOLOGY. 


.09 


tartilagcs,  articulations,  and  ligaments ;  of  which 
seven  belong  to  the  neck,  twelve  to  the  back,  and 
five  to  the  loins.  In  the  centre  of  each  vertebra 
there  is  a  hole  for  the  lodgment  and  continuation 
of  the  spinal  marrow,  which  extends  from  the 
brain  to  the  rump.  From  these  vertebrsE  the 
arched  bones  called  rt6«  proceed  ;  and  seven  of 
them  join  the  breast-bone  on  each  side,  where 
they  terminate  in  carlilaoes,  and  form  the  cavity 
of  the  thorax  or  chest.  The  five  lower  ribs,  with 
a  number  of  muscles,  fijrm  the  cavity  of  the  ab- 
domen, as  above  stated.  The  spine  is  one  of 
the  most  admirable  mechanical  contrivances  in 
the  human  frame.  Had  it  cimsisted  of  only  three 
or  four  bones,  or  had  the  holes  in  each  bone  not 
exactly  corresponded  and  fitted  into  each  other, 
the  spinal  marrow  would  have  been  bruised,  and 
life  endangered  at  every  bending  of  the  body. 
The  skull  is  composed  of  ten  bones,  and  about  51 
are  reckoned  to  belong  to  the  face,  the  orbits  of 
the  eyes,  and  the  jaws  in  which  the  teeth  are 
fixed.  There  are  seldom  more  than  16  teeth  in 
each  jaw,  or  S2  in  all.  The  number  of  bones  in 
a  human  body  is  generally  estimated  at  about 
245 ;  of  which  there  are  reckoned,  in  the  skull, 
head,  and  face,  61  :  in  the  trunk,  64 ;  in  the 
arms,  and  hands,  60 ;  in  the  legs,  and  feet,  60. 
The  bones  are  provided  with  ligaments  or  hinges, 
which  bind  and  fasten  them  together,  and  pre- 
vent them  from  being  displaced  by  any  violent 
motion  ;  and,  that  the  ligaments  may  work 
smoothly  into  one  another,  the  joints  are  Sepa- 
rated by  cartilages  or  gristles,  and  provided  with 
a  gland  for  the  secretion  of  oil  or  mucus,  which 
is  constantly  exuding  into  the  joints  ;  so  that 
every  requbite  is  provided  by  our  benevolent 
Creator,  to  prevent  pain,  and  to  promote  facility 
of  motion.  "  In  considering  the  joints,"  says 
Dr.  Paley,  "  there  is  nothing,  perhaps,  which 
ought  to  move  our  gratitude  more  than  the  re- 
flection, haw  tcell  they  wear.  A  limb  shall  swing 
upon  its  hinge  or  play  in  its  socket  many  hun- 
dred times  in  an  hour,  for  60  years  together, 
without  diminution  of  agility ;  which  is  a  long 
time  for  any  thing  to  last — for  any  thing  so  much 
worked  as  the  joints  are." 

The  Muscnlar  Syslem. — A  muscle  is  a  bundle 
of  fleshy,  and  sometimes  of  tendinous  fibres. 
The  fleshy  fibres  compose  the  body  of  the  muscle ; 
and  the  tendinous  fibres  the  extremities.  Some 
muscles  are  long  and  round  ;  some  plain  and  cir- 
cular ;  some  are  spiral,  and  some  have  straight 
fibres.  Some  are  double,  having  a  tendon  run- 
ning through  the  body  from  head  to  tail ;  some 
have  two  or  more  tendinout  branches  running 
through,  with  variuns  rows  and  orders  of  fibres. 
All  these,  and  several  other  varieties,  are  essen- 
tially requisite  for  the  respective  offices  they  have 
to  perform  in  the  animal  system.  The  muscles 
constitute  the  fleshy  part  of  the  human  body, 
•'ltd  give  it  that  varied  and  beautifiil  form  we  ob- 
Ecnre  over  all  its  surface.     Rut  their  principal 


design  is  to  serve  as  the  organs  of  motion.  They 
are  inserted,  by  strong  tendinous  exiremiticB, 
into  the  different  bones  of  which  the  skeleton  is 
composed  ;  and,  by  their  contraction  and  disten- 
tion, give  rise  to  all  the  movements  t<£  the  body. 
The  muscles,  therefore,  may  be  considered  as  so 
many  cords  attached  to  'he  bones  :  and  the  Author 
of  nature  has  fixed  them  according  to  the  most 
perfect  principles  of  mechanism,  so  as  to  produce 
the  fittest  motions  in  the  parts  for  the  movement 
of  which  they  are  intended. 

One  of  the  most  wonderful  properties  of  the 
muscles  is,  the  extraordinary  force  they  exert, 
although  they  are  composed  of  such  slender 
threads  or  fibres.  The  following  facts,  in  rela- 
tion to  this  point,  are  demonstrated  by  the  cele- 
brated BoreUi,  in  his  work,  "  De  Motu  Ani- 
malium."  When  a  man  lifts  up  with  his  teeth  a 
weight  of  200  pounds,  with  a  rope  fastened  to 
the  jaw-teeth,  the  muscles  named  temporalis  and 
masseter,  with  which  people  chew,  and  which  per- 
form this  work,  exert  a  force  of  above  15,000lb8. 
weight.  If  any  one  hanging  his  arm  directly 
downwards  lifts  a  weight  of  20  pounds,  with  the 
third  or  last  joint  of  his  thumb,  the  muscle  which 
bends  the  thumb  and  bears  that  weight  exerts  a 
force  of  about  three  thousand  pouruis.  When  a 
man,  standing  upon  his  feet,  leaps  or  springs  up- 
wards to  the  height  of  two  feet,  if  the  weight  of 
such  a  man  be  150  pounds,  the  muscle  employed 
in  that  action  will  exert  a  force  2000  times  great- 
er ;  that  is  to  say,  a  force  of  about  three  hundred 
thousand  pounds.  The  heart,  at  each  pulse  or 
contraction,  by  which  it  protrudes  the  blood  out 
of  the  arteries  into  the  veins,  exerts  a  force  of 
above  a  hundred  thousuTid  pounds.  Who  can 
contemplate  this  amazing  strength  of  the  mus- 
cular system,  without  admiration  of  the  power 
and  wisdom  of  the  Creator,  who  has  thus  endued 
3  bundle  of  threads,  each  of  them  smaller  thau 
a  hair,  with  such  an  astonishing  degree  of  me- 
chanical force  !  There  have  been  reckoned  about 
446  muscles  in  the  human  body,  which  have  been 
dissected  and  distinctly  described  ;  every  one  of 
which  is  essential  to  the  performance  of  some 
one  motion  or  other,  which  contributes  to  our 
ease  and  enjoyment ;  and,  in  most  instances,  a 
great  number  of  them  is  required  to  perform  their 
different  functions  at  the  same  time.  It  has 
l>een  calculated,  that  about  a  hundred  muscles  are 
employed  every  time  we  breathe.  "  Breathing 
with  ease,"  says  Dr.  Paley,  "  is  a  blessing  of 
every  moment ;  yet,  of  all  others,  it  is  that  which 
we  possess  with  the  least  consciousness.  A  man 
in  an  asthma  is  the  only  man  who  knows  how  to 
estimate  it." 

The  Heart  and  Blood-vessels. — The  heart  is 
a  hollow  muscular  organ,  of  a  conical  shape,  and 
consists  of  four  distinct  cavities.  The  two  largi- 
est  are  called  ventricles,  and  the  two  smallest 
auridea.  The  ventricle.s  send  out  the  blood  to 
the   arteries ;  the  auricles  receive  it  from  the 


no 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER, 


veins.  The  heart  i<  enclosed  in  the  ptneardium, 
a  membranous  bag,  which  contains  a  quantity 
of  water,  or  lymph.  This  water  lubricates  the 
heart,  and  facilitates  all  its  motions.  The  heart 
is  the  general  resenroir  of  the  blood.  When  the 
heart  contracts,  the  blood  is  propelled  from  the 
right  ventricle  into  the  lungs,  through  the  pulmo- 
nary arteries,  which,  like  all  the  other  arteries, 
are  furnished  with  wUves  that  play  easily  for- 
ward, but  admit  not  the  blood  to  return  toward 
the  heart.  The  blood,  afler  circulating  tlirougli 
the  lungs,  and  having  there  been  revivified  by 
coming  in  contact  with  the  air,  and  imbibing  a 
portion  of  its  oxygen,  returns  into  the  left  auricle 
of  the  heart,  by  the  pulmonary  vein.  At  the 
same  instant,  the  left  ventricle  drives  the  blood 
into  the  aorta,  a  large  artery  which  sends  off 
branches  to  supply  the  head  and  arms.  Another 
large  branch  of  the  aorta  descends  along  the  in- 
side of  the  back-bone,  and  detaches  numerous 
ramifications  to  nourish  the  bowels  and  inferior 
extremities.  After  serving  the  most  remote  ex- 
tremities of  the  body,  the  arteries  are  converted 
into  veins,  which,  in  their  return  to  the  heart, 
gradually  unite  into  larger  branches,  till  the  whole 
terminate  in  one  great  trunk,  called  the  vena 
cava,  whicli  discharges  itself  into  the  right  au- 
ricle of  the  heart,  and  completes  the  circulation. 
Each  ventricle  of  the  heart  is  reckoned  to  con- 
tain abou'one  ounce,  or  two  tabiespoonsfull  of 
blood.  The  heart  contracts  4000  limes  every 
hour;  and,  consequently,  there  passes  through 
it  250  pounds  of  blood  in  one  hour.  And  if  the 
mass  of  blood  in  a  human  body  be  reckoned  at 
an  average  of  twenty-live  pounds,  it  will  follow 
that  the  whole  ma»*  of  blood  passes  through  the 
heart,  and  consequently  through  the  thousands 
of  ramificatiuns  of  the  veins  and  arteries,  ftmr- 
teen  times  every  hour,  or  about  once  every  four 
minutes.  We  may  acquire  a  ruile  idea  of  the 
force  with  which  the  blood  is  impelled  from  the 
heart,  by  considering  the  velocity  with  which 
water  issues  from  a  syringe,  or  from  the  pipe  of 
a  fire-engine.  Could  we  behold  these  rapid  mo- 
tions incessantly  going  on  witliin  us,  it  would 
overpower  our  minds  with  astonishment,  and 
even  with  terror.  We  should  be  apt  to  feel 
alarmed  on  making  the  smallest  exertion,  lest 
the  parrs  of  this  delicate  machine  should  bo 
broken  or  deranged,  and  its  functions  interrupted. 
The  arteries,  into  which  the  blood  is  forced, 
branch  in  every  direction  through  the  body,  like 
the  roots  and  branches  of  a  tree  ;  running  through 
the  substance  of  the  bones,  and  every  part  of  the 
animal  frame,  till  they  are  lost  in  such  fine  tubes 
&s  to  be  wholly  invisible.  In  the  parts  where 
the  arterie*  are  lost  to  the  sight,  the  veins  take 
their  rise,  and  in  their  comraenrement  are  also 
imperceptible. 

Retpiralion. — The  organs  of  respiration  are 
the  lungs.  They  are  divided  into  five  lobes ; 
ifane  of  which  lie  on  the  right,  and  two  on  the 


left  side  of  the  thorax.  The  substance  of  the 
lungs  is  chiefly  composed  of  infinite  ramifica 
tions  of  the  trachea,  or  windpipe,  which,  al\rr 
gradually  becoming  more  and  more  mrnutr,  ter> 
minate  in  little  cells,  or  vesicles,  which  have  t 
free  communication  with  one  another.  At  etich 
inspiration,  these  pipes  and  cells  are  filled  with 
air,  which  is  again  discharged  by  expiration. 
In  this  manner,  a  circulation  of  air,  which  is  ne- 
cessary to  the  existence  of  men  and  o:her  ani- 
mals, is  constantly  kept  up  as  long  as  life  re- 
mains. The  air-cclls  of  the  lungs  open  into  the 
windpipe,  by  which  they  communicate  with  the 
external  atmosphere.  The  whole  internal  struc- 
ture of  the  lungs  is  lined  by  a  transparent  mem- 
brane, estimated  at  only  the  thousandth  part  of 
an  inch  in  thickness ;  but  whose  surface,  from 
its  various  convolutions,  measures  fifteen  square 
feet,  which  is  equal  to  the  external  surface  of  the 
body.  On  this  thin  and  extensive  membrane 
innumerable  veins  and  arteries  are  distributed, 
some  of  them  finer  than  hairs ;  and  through  these 
vessels  all  the  blood  of  the  system  is  successively 
propelled,  by  a  most  curious  and  admirable  me- 
chanism. It  has  been  computed,  that  the  luiigs, 
on  an  average,  contain  about  280  cubic  inches, 
or  about  five  English  quarts  of  air.  At  each 
inspiration,  about  forty  cubic  inches  of  air  are 
received  into  the  lungs,  and  the  same  quantity  dis- 
charged at  each  expiration.  On  the  supposition 
that  20  res|)irations  take  place  in  a  minute,  it 
will  follow,  that,  in  one  minute  we  inhale  8C0 
cubic  inches  ;  in  an  hour,  48,000  ;  and  in  a  day, 
one  million,  one  hundred  and  fifty-two  ihoutiand 
cubic  inches — a  quantity  w  hich  wouU  fill  seventy- 
seven  wine  hogsheads,  and  tvould  weigh  fifly- 
three  pounds  troy.  By  means  of  this  function, 
a  vast  body  of  air  is  daily  brought  into  contact 
with  the  mass  of  blood,  and  communirates'to  it 
its  vivifying  influence ;  and,  therefore,  it  is  of 
the  utmost  im|>ortance  to  health,  that  the  air,  of 
which  we  breathe  so  considerable  a  quantity, 
should  be  pure,  and  uncontaminated  with  nox> 
ious  effluvia. 

Digestion.— This  process  is  performed  by  the 
stomach,  which  is  a  membranous  and  muscular 
bag,  furnished  wiih  two  orifices.  By  the  one,  it 
has  a  communication  with  the  gullet,  and  by  the 
other,  with  the  bowels.  The  fixxl,  after  being 
moistened  by  the  saliva,  is  received  into  the  sto- 
mach, where  it  is  still  farther  diluted  by  the 
gastric  juice ,  which  has  the  power  of  dissolving 
every  kind  of  animal  and  vegetable  substance. 
Part  of  it  is  afierwards  absorbed  by  the  lymphatic 
and  lacteal  vessels,'  and  carried  into  the  circulat- 
ing system,  and  converted  into  blood  for  supply- 
ing that  nourishment  which  the  perpetual  wule 
of  our  bodies  demands. 

Perspiration  is  the  evacuation  of  the  juices  of 
the  body  throUi:h  the  pores  of  the  skin.  It  has 
been  calculated  that  there  are  above  three  kurulred 
thousand  millions  of  ports  in  the  glands  of  th« 


ANATOMY  AND  PHYSIOLOGY. 


Ill 


skin  which  covers  the  body  of  a  middle-sized 
man.  Through  these  pores,  more  than  one-half 
of  what  we  eat  and  drink  passes  off.  by  insensible 
perspiration.  During  a  night  of  seven  hours' 
sleep,  we  perspire  about  forty  ounces,  or  two 
pounds  and  a  half.  At  an  average,  we  may  es- 
timate the  discharge  from  the  surface  of  the 
body,  by  sensible  and  insensible  perspiration,  at 
front  half  an  ounce  to  four  ounces  an  hour.  This 
is  a  most  wonderful  part  of  the  animal  economy, 
and  is  absolutely  necessary  to  our  health,  and 
even  to  our  very  existence.  When  parlially  ob- 
structed, colds,  rheumatisms,  fevers,  and  other 
inflammatory  disorders,  are  produced ;  and  were 
it  completely  obstructed,  the  vital  functions 
would  be  clogged  and  impeded  in  their  move> 
ments,  and  death  would  inevitably  ensue. 

Sensation.-— T\i6  nerves  are  generally  consi- 
dered as  the  instruments  of  sensation.  They 
are  soft  white  cords  which  proceed  from  the  brain 
and  spinal  marrow.  They  come  forth  originally 
by  pairs.  Ten  pair  proceed  from  the  medullary 
substance  of  the  brain,  which  are  distributed  to 
all  parts  of  the  head  and  neck.  Thirty  pair  pro- 
ceed from  the  spinal  marrow,  through  the  ver- 
tebrae, to  all  tho  other  parts  of  the  body  ;  being 
forty  in  all.  These  nerves,  the  ramifications  of 
which  are  infinitely  various  and  minute,  are  dis- 
tributed upon  the  heart,  lungs,  blood-vessels, 
bowels,  and  muscles,  till  they  terminate  on  the 
skin  or  external  covering  of  the  body.  Impres- 
sions of  external  objects  are  received  by  the 
brain  from  the  adjacent  organs  of  sense,  and  the 
brain  exercises  its  commands  over  the  muscles 
and  limbs  by  means  of  the  nerves. 

Without  prosecuting  these  imperfect  descrip- 
tions farther,  I  shall  conclude  this  very  hasty 
sketch  with  the  following  summary  of  the  parts 
of  the  body,  in  the  words  of  Bonnet.  "  The 
bones,  by  their  joints  and  solidity,  form  the  foun- 
dation of  this  fine  machine  :  the  ligaments  are 
strings  which  unite  the  parts  together:  the 
muscles  are  fleshy  substances,  which  act  as  elas- 
tic springs  to  put  them  in  motion:  the  nerves, 
which  are  dispersed  over  tho  whole  bodv,  con- 
nect all  the  parts  together  :  the  arteries  and  veins, 
like  rivulet^,  convey  life  and  health  throughout : 
the  heart,  placed  in  the  centre,  is  the  focus  where 
the  blood  collects,  or  the  acting  power  by  means 
of  which  it  circulates  and  is  preserved :  the 
lungs,  by  means  of  another  power,  draw  in  the 
external  air,  and  expel  hurtful  vapours:  the  sto- 
mach and  intestines  are  the  magazines  where 
every  thing  that  is  required  for  the  daily  supply 
is  prepared:  the  brain,  that  seat  of  the  soul,  is 
formed  in  a  manner  suitable  to  the  dignity  of  its 
inhabitant :  the  senses,  which  are  the  soul's  mi- 
nisters, warn  It  of  all  that  is  necessary  either  for 
its  pleasure  or  use.*  Adorable  Creator!  with 
what    wonderful    art    hast    thou    formed    us ! 

*  Contemplation  of  Nattire,  vol.  1.  p.  n. 


Though  the  heavens  did  not  exist  to  proclaim 
thy  glory;  though  there  were  no  created  being 
on  earth  but  myself,  my  own  body  might  suflice 
to  convince  me  that  thou  art  a  God  of  unlimited 
power  and  infinite  goodness." 

This  subject  suggests  a  variety  of  moral  and 
religious  rellections,  but  the  limits  to  which  I 
am  confined  will  permit  me  to  state  only  the 
following : — 

1.  The  economy  of  the  human  frame,  when 
seriously  contemplated,  has  a  tendency  to  excite 
admiration  and  astonishment,  and  to  impress  u* 
with  a  sense  of  our  continued  dependence  on  a  su- 
periarr power.  What  an  immense  multiplicity  of 
machinery  must  be  in  action  to  enable  us  to 
breathe,  to  feel,  and  to  walk  !  Hundreds  of 
bones,  of  diversified  forms,  connected  together  by 
various  modes  of  articulation :  hundreds  of 
muscles  to  produce  motion,  each  of  them  acting 
in  at  least  ten  different  capacities,  (see  p.  40 ;) 
hundreds  of  tendons  and  ligaments  to  connect  the 
bones  and  muscles ;  hundreds  of  arteries  to  con- 
vey the  blood  to  the  remotest  part  of  the  system  ; 
hundreds  of  veinp  to  bring  it  back  to  its  reser- 
voir the  heart ;  thousands  of  glands  secreting 
humours  of  various  kinds  from  the  blood ; 
thousands  of  lacteal  and  lymphatic  lubes,  ab- 
sorbing and  conveying  nutriment  to  the  circulat- 
ing fluid  ;  millions  of  pores,  through  which  the 
perspiration  is  continually  issuing ;  an  infinity 
of  ramifications  of  nerves,  diffusing  sensation 
throughout  all  the  parts  of  ihis  exquisite  ma- 
chine ;  and  the  heart  at  every  pulsation  exerting 
a  fi)rce  of  a  hundred  thousand  pounds,  in  order  to 
preserve  all  this  complicated  machinery  in  con- 
stant operation  !  The  whole  of  this  vast  system 
of  mechanism  must  be  in  action  before  we  can 
walk  across  our  apartments !  We  admire  the 
operation  of  a  steam-engine,  and  the  force  it  ex- 
erts. But,  though  it  is  constructed  of  the  hardest 
materials  which  the  mines  can  supply,  in  a  few 
months  some  of  its  essential  parts  are  worn  and 
deranged,  even  though  its  action  should  be  fre- 
quently discontinued.  But  the  animal  machine, 
though  constructed,  for  the  most  part,  of  the 
softest  and  most  flabby  substances,  can  go  on 
without  intermission  in  all  its  diversified  move- 
ments, by  night  and  by  day,  for  the  spaoe  of 
eighty  or  a  hundred  years  ;  the  heart  giving 
ninety-six  thousand  strokes  every  twenty-four 
hours,  and  the  whole  mass  of  blood  rushing 
through  a  thousand  pipes  of  all  sizes  every  four 
minutes !  And  is  it  man  that  governs  these 
nice  and  complicated  movements  ?  Did  he  set 
the  heart  in  motion,  or  endue  it  with  the  muscu- 
lar force  it  exerts  ?  And  when  it  has  ceased  to 
beat,  can  he  command  it  again  to  resume  its 
functions?  Man  knows  neither  the  secret 
springs  of  the  machinery  wiihin  him,  nor  the 
half  of  the  purposes  for  which  they  serve,  or  of 
the  movements  they  perform.  Can  any  thing 
more    strikingly   demonstrate  our    dependence 


113 


THE  CHlilSTlAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


vivry  moment  on  a  tuperior  Agent,  and  that  it 
ia  '■  in  God  wo  live,  and  move,  and  have  our 
being?  Were  a  tingle  pin  of  the  niachinerjr 
wilhin  us,  and  over  which  we  have  no  control, 
either  broken  or  deranged,  a  thousand  move- 
ment* might  instantly  be  interrupted,  and  our 
bodies  left  to  crumble  into  (he  dust. 

It  was  coosideratiuns  of  this  kind  that  led  the 
celebrated  (ihysician  Galen,  who  was  a  skeptic 
in  his  youth,  publicly  to  acknowledge  that  a  Su- 
preme  Intelligence  must  have  operated  in  ordain- 
ing  the  laws  by  which  living  beings  are  con- 
structed. Aihi  he  wrote  his  excellent  treatise 
"  On  the  uses  of  the  parts  of  the  human  frame," 
U  a  solemn  hymn  to  the  Creator  of  the  world. 
"  I  first  endeavour  from  His  works,"  he  says, 
"  to  know  him  myself,  and  afterwards,  by  the 
same  means,  to  show  him  to  others  ;  to  inform 
them,  how  great  is  his  wisdom,  his  goodness, 
his  power."  The  late  Dr.  Hunter  has  observed, 
that  astronomy  and  anatomy  are  the  studies 
which  present  us  with  the  most  striking  view  of 
the  two  most  wonderful  attributes  of  the  Supreme 
Being.  The  first  of  these  fills  the  mind  with 
the  idea  of  his  innnensitv,  in  the  largeness,  dis- 
tances, and  number  of  the  heavenly  bodies  ;  the 
last  astonishes  us  with  his  intelligence  and  art, 
in  the  variety  and  delicacy  of  animal  mechanism. 

2.  The  study  of  the  animal  economy  has  a 
powerful  tendency  to  exate  emotions  of  latitude. 
Man  is  naturally  a  thougliiless  and  ungrateful 
Creature.  These  dispositions  are  partly  owing 
to  ignorance  of  the  wonders  of  the  human  frame, 
and  of  the  admirable  economy  of  the  visible 
world  ;  and  this  ignorance  is  owing  to  the  want 
of  those  specific  instructions  which  ought  to  be 
communicated  by  parents  and  teachers,  in  con- 
nexion with  religion.  For,  there  is  no  rational 
being  who  is  acquainted  with  the  structure  of 
his  animal  system,  and  reflects  upon  it  with  the 
least  degree  of  attention,  but  must  feel  a  senti- 
ment of  admiration  and  gratitude.  The  science 
which  unfolds  to  us  the  economy  of  our  bodies, 
shows  us  on  what  an  infinity  of  springs  and 
motions,  and  adaptations,  our  life  and  comfort  de- 
pend. And  when  we  consider,  that  all  these 
movements  are  performed  without  the  least  care 
or  laborious  eflx>rt  on  our  part,  if  we  be  not  alto- 
gether brutish,  and  insensible  of  our  dependence 
on  a  superior  Power,  we  must  be  filled  with  emo- 
tions of  gratitude  towards  Him  "  whose  hands 
have  made  and  fashioned  us,  and  who  giveth  us 
life,  and  breath,  ar>d  all  things."  Some  of  the 
motions  to  which  I  have  adverted  depend  upon 
our  will ;  and  with  what  celerity  do  they  obey 
its  commands  ?  Before  we  can  rise  from  our 
chair,  and  walk  acroaa  our  afwrtmeut,  a  htmdred 
muscles  must  b«  set  in  motion  ;  every  one  of 
these  must  be  relaxed  or  constricted,  just  to  a 
certain  degree,  and  no  more  ;  and  all  must  act 
harmoniously  at  the  same  instant  of  time  ;  and, 
•I  the  command  of  the  soul,  all  these  movements 


are  inaianlaneously  peribnned.  Wh«>n  I  with 
to  lift  my  hand  to  my  head,  every  part  of  the 
body  requisite  lu  produce  the  efieci  is  |Hit  in  mo- 
tion :  the  nerves  are  braced,  the  niutclea  ara 
■tretched  or  relaxed,  the  Umex  play  in  their  sock- 
els,  and  the  whole  animal  machine  concurs  in 
the  action,  aa  if  every  nerve  and  muscle  had 
heard  a  sovereign  and  resistless  call.  When  I 
wish  the  next  moinent  to  extend  my  hand  to  my 
foot,  all  these  muscles  are  thrown  into  a  different 
state,  and  a  new  set  are  brought  along  with  ihem 
into  action  :  and  thus  we  may  vary,  every  mo- 
ment, the  movements  uf  the  muscular  system, 
and  the  mechanical  actions  it  produces,  by  a 
simple  change  in  our  volitiun.  Were  we  not 
daily  accustomed  to  such  varied  and  voluntary 
movements,  or  coukl  we  contemplate  them  in 
any  other  machine,  we  should  be  lost  in  wonder 
and  astonishment. 

Besides  these  voluntary  muiiuns,  there  are  a 
thousand  important  funcii<>iis  which  have  no  de- 
pendance  upon  our  will.  Wheihvr  we  think  of 
it  or  not,  whether  we  are  sleeping  or  waking, 
sitting  or  walking — the  heart  is  inceasanily  exert* 
ing  its  muscular  power  at  the  centre  uf  the  sys- 
tem, and  sending  off  streams  of  blood  through 
hundreds  of  pipes  ;  the  lungs  are  continually  ex- 
panding and  contracting  their  thousand  vesicles, 
and  imbibing  the  vital  principle  of  tlie  air ;  the 
stomach  is  grinding  the  food  ;  the  lacteals  and 
lymphatics  are  extracting  nourishment  for  the 
blood  ;  the  liver  and  kidneys  drawing  off  their 
secretions ;  and  the  perspiration  issuing  from 
millions  of  pores.  These,  and  many  other  im- 
portant functions  with  which  we  are  unacquaint- 
ed, and  over  which  we  have  no  control,  ought 
to  be  regarded  as  the  immediate  agency  of  the 
Deity  wilhin  us,  and  should  excite  our  incessant 
admiration  and  praise. 

There  is  one  peculiarity  in  the  constitution  of 
our  animal  system,  which  we  are  apt  to  overlook, 
and  for  which  we  are  never  sufficiently  grateful , 
and  that  is,  the  power  it  potsestt*  of  self-restora- 
tion. A  wound  heals  up  of  itself;  a  broken  bone 
is  made  firm  again  by  a  callus ;  and  a  dead  part 
is  separated  and  thrown  off.  If  all  the  wounds 
we  have  ever  received  were  still  opt-n  and  bleed- 
ing afresh,  to  what  a  miserable  condition  should 
we  be  reduced  ?  But  by  a  system  of  internal 
powers,  beyond  all  human  comprehension  as  to 
the  mode  of  their  operation,  such  dismal  effects 
are  effectually  prevented.  In  short,  when  we 
consider  that  health  depe^  Is  upon  such  a  nume 
rous  assemblage  of  moving  organs,  and  that  a 
single  spring  out  of  action  might  derange  the 
whole  machine,  and  put  a  stop  to  all  its  compli- 
cated movements,  can  we  refrain  fi-om  joining 
with  the  psalmist,  in  his  pious  exclamation,  and 
grateful  resolution,  "  How  precious  are  thy  won- 
derful contrivances  concerning  me,  O  God  !  how 
great  is  the  sum  of  them !  I  will  praise  the*  ; 
for  I  am  fearfully  and  wonderfully  made,    Mat- 


HISTORY. 


lis 


wllous  are  thy  works,  and  that  my  soul  knoweth 
right  well." 

Omitting  the  consideration  of  several  other 
departments  of  science,  I  shull  in  the  mean  time 
notice  only  another  subject  connected  with  reli- 
gion, and  that  is  History. 


History  embraces  a  record  and  description  of 
past  facts  and  events,  in  reference  to  all  the  na- 
tions and  ages  of  the  world,  in  so  far  as  they  are 
known,  and  have  been  transmitted  to  our  times. 
As  natural  history  contains  a  record  of  the  ope- 
rations of  the  Creator  in  the  material  world,  so 
sacred  and  civil  history  embraces  a  record  of  his 
transactions  in  the  moral  and  intellectual  world, 
or,  in  other  words,  a  detail  of  the  plans  and 
operations  of  his  providence,  in  relation  to  the 
inhabitants  of  our  globe.  Through  the  medium 
of  Sacred  History,  we  learn  the  period  and  the 
manner  of  man's  creation — the  reason  of  his  fall 
from  the  primitive  state  of  integrity  in  which  he 
was  created,  and  the  dismal  consequences  which 
ensued :  the  various  movements  of  Providence 
in  order  to  his  recovery,  and  the  means  by  which 
human  redemption  was  achieved ;  the  manner 
in  which  the  gospel  was  at  first  promulgated,  the 
countries  into  which  it  was  carried,  and  the  im- 
portant effects  it  produced.  Through  the  me- 
dium of  Civil  History  we  learn  thte  deep  and 
nniversal  depravity  of  mankind,  as  exhibited  in 
the  wars,  dissensions,  and  ravages,  which  have 
desolated  our  fallen  race,  in  every  period,  and  in 
every  land  ;  we  learn  the  desperate  wickedness 
of  the  human  heart,  in  the  more  private  acts  of 
ferocity,  cruelty,  and  injustice,  which,  in  all  ages, 
men  have  perpetrated  upon  each  other  ;  we  be- 
hold the  righteousness  of  the  Supreme  Ruler  of 
the  world,  and  the  equity  of  his  administration, 
in  the  judgments  which  have  been  inflicted  on 
wicked  nations — and  the  improbability,  nay,  the 
impossibility,  of  men  being  ever  restored  to  moral 
order  and  happiness,  without  a  more  extensive 
diffusion  of  the  blessings  of  the  gospel  of  peace, 
and  a  more  cordial  acquiescence  in  the  require- 
ments of  the  divine  laws. 

Such  being  some  of  the  benefits  to  be  derived 
from  history,  it  requires  no  additional  arguments 
to  show,  (hat  this  branch  of  knowledge  should 
occasionally  form  a  subject  of  study  to  every  in- 
telligent Christian.  But  in  order  to  render  the 
study  of  history  subservient  to  the  interests  of 
leligion,  it  is  not  enough  merely  to  gratify  our 
curiosity  and  imagination,  by  following  out  a 
succession  of  memorable  events,  by  tracing  the 
progress  of  armies  and  of  battles,  and  listening 
to  the  groans  of  the  vanquished,  and  the  shouts 
of  conquerors.  This  would  be  to  study  historv 
nvsrely  as  skeptics,  as  atheists,  or  as  writers  of 
onvels.  When  we  contemplate  the  facts  which 
the  historian  presents  to  our  view,  we  ought  to 
15 


raise  our  eyes  to  Him  who  is  the  Governor 
among  the  nations,  "  who  doth  according  to  his 
will  in  the  armies  of  heaven,  and  among  the  in- 
habitants of  the  earth,"  and  who  overrules  the 
jarring  interests  of  mortals,  for  promoting  the 
prosperity  of  that  kingdom  which  shall  never  be 
moved.  We  should  view  the  immoral  propensi- 
ties and  dispositions  of  mankind  as  portrayed  in 
the  page  of  history,  as  evidences  of  the  depravity 
of  our  species,  and  as  excitements  to  propagate, 
with  unremittmg  energy,  the  knowledge  of  that 
religion,  whose  sublime  doctrines  ami  fiure  pre- 
cepts alone  can  counteract  the  Stream  of  human 
corruption,  and  unite  all  nations  in  one  harmoni- 
ous society.  We  should  view  the  contests  of 
nations,  and  the  results  with  which  they  are  ac- 
companied, as  guided  by  that  invisible  Hand, 
which  "  mustereth  the  armies  to  the  battle  ;"  and 
should  contemplate  them  either  as  the  accom- 
plishment of  divine  predictions,  as  the  inflictions 
of  retributive  justice,  as  paving  the  way  for  the 
introduction  of  rational  liberty  and  social  happi- 
ness among  men,  or  as  ushering  in  that  glorious 
period,  when  "  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord  shall 
cover  the  earth,"  and  the  nations  shall  learn  war 


Thus  I  have  taken  a  very  cursory  survey  of 
some  of  those  sciences  which  stand  in  a  near 
relation  to  the  objects  of  religion  ;  and  which 
may,  indeed,  be  considered  as  forming  so  many 
of  its  subordinate  branches.  There  are  many 
other  departments  of  knowledge,  which,  at  first 
view,  do  not  seem  to  have  any  relation  to  theo- 
logical science ;  and  yet,  on  a  closer  inspection, 
will  be  found  to  be  essentially  connected  with  the 
several  subjects  of  which  I  have  been  treating. 
For  example — some  may  be  apt  to  imagine  that 
arithmetic,  geometry,  trigonometry,  and  other 
branches  of  mathematics,  can  have  no  relation 
to  the  leading  objects  of  religion.  But  if  these 
sciences  had  never  been  cultivated,  the  most  im- 
portant discoveries  of  astronomy,  geography, 
natural  philosophy,  and  chymistry,  would  never 
have  been  made ;  ships  could  not  have  been  na- 
vigated across  the  ocean ;  distant  continents, 
and  the  numerous  "  isles  of  the  sea,"  would  have 
remained  unexplored,  and  their  inhabitants  left 
to  grope  in  the  darkness  of  heathenism  ;  and 
most  of  those  instruments  and  engines  by  which 
the  condition  of  the  human  race  will  be  gradu- 
ally meliorated,  and  the  influence  of  Christianity 
extended,  would  never  have  been  invented. 
Such  is  the  dependence  of  every  branch  of  useful 
knowledge  upon  another,  that  were  any  one  por- 
tion of  science,  which  has  a  practical  tendency, 
to  be  discarded,  it  would  prevent,  to  a  certain 
degree,  the  improvement  of  every  other.  And, 
consequently,  if  any  one  science  can  be  shown 
to  have  a  connexion  with  religion,  all  the  rest 
must  likewise  stand  in  a  certain  relation  to  it. 
It  must,  therefore,  have  a  pernicious  effect  on  the 


lU 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


minda  of  the  matt  of  the  Chriilian  world,  when 
preaebcrt,  in  ihrir  scnnont,  endeavour  to  under- 
value acientific  knowle<lgr,  by  allcmpling  to  con- 
traat  it  with  thu  doclnneM  ofrevolntiun.  It  would 
be  juft  as  reasonable  lo  atiem|ii  to  contrast  the  se- 
veral doctrines,  duties,  and  facts  recorded  in  the 
New  Testament  with  each  other,  in  order  lo  de- 
termine their  relative  importance,  and  lo  show 
which  of  them  might  be  allot;ether  overlooked 
and  discarded.  The  series  of  facts  and  ofdivinr 
revelations  comprised  in  the  bible;  the  moral 
and  political  events  which  diversify  the  history 
of  nations;  and  the  physical  operations  that  are 
going  on  among  the  rolling  worlds  on  high,  and 
in  the  chymical  changes  of  the  invisible  atoms  of 
matter,  are  all  parts  of  otic  comprehensive  sys- 
tem, under  the  direction  of  the  Eternal  Mind  ; 
every  portion  of  which  must  have  a  certain  rela- 
tion to  the  whole. 

And,  therefore,  instead  of  attempting  to  de- 
grade one  part  of  the  divine  fabric  in  order  to 
enhance  another,  our  duty  is  to  take  an  expan- 
sive view  of  the  whole,  and  to  consider  the 
■ymmetry  and  proportion  of  its  parts,  and  their 
mutual  bearings  and  relations — in  so  far  as  our 
opportunities,  and  the  limited  faculties  of  our 
minds,  will  permit. 

If  the  remarks  which  have  been  thrown  out  in 
this  chapter,  respecting  the  connexion  of  the 
sciences  with  religion,  have  any  foundation,  it 


factions  of  the  providence  of  the  Almighty.  It 
is  much  to  be  regretted,  that  so  many  members 
of  the  Christian  church  are  abeolute  strangors 
to  such  studies  and  contemplations  ;  while  the 
time  and  attention  that  might  have  been  devoted 
to  such  exercises,  have,  in  many  cases,  beeo 
usurped  by  the  rmist  grovelling  affections,  by 
foolish  pursuits,  by  gossiping  chit-chat,  and 
slaiHlerous  conversation.  Shall  the  most  trifling 
and  absurd  opinions  of  ancient  and  modern  he- 
retics be  judged  worthy  of  attention,  and  occupy 
a  place  in  religious  journals,  and  even  in  discus- 
sions from  the  pulpit,  and  shall  "  the  mighty  acts 
of  the  Lord,"  and  the  visible  wonders  of  hi* 
power  and  wisdom,  be  thrown  completely  into 
the  shade  ?  To  survey,  with  an  eye  of  intelli- 
gence, the  wide-extended  theatre  of  the  divine 
operations — to  mark  the  agency  of  the  Eternal 
Mind  in  every  object  we  behold,  and  in  every 
movement  within  us  and  around  us,  are  some  of 
the  noblest  attainments  of  the  rational  soul ;  and, 
in  conjunction  with  every  other  Christian  study 
and  acquirement,  are  calculated  to  make  "  the 
man  of  Giod  perfect,  and  thoroughly  furnished 
unto  every  good  work."  By  such  studies,  we 
are,  in  some  measure,  assimilated  to  the  angelic 
tribes,  whose  powers  of  intellect  are  for  ever 
employed  in  such  investigations — and  are  gra- 
dually prepared  for  bearing  a  part  in  their  im- 
mortal hymn — "Great  and  marvellous  are  thy 


will  follow — that  sermons,  lectures,  systems  of  works.  Lord  God  Almighty  ;  just  and  true  are 

divinity,  and  religious  periodical  works,  should  thy  ways,  thou  King  of  saints.     Thou  art  wor- 

embrace  occasional  illustrations  of  such  subjects,  thy  to  receive  glory,  and  honour,  and  power  ;  for 

ibr  the  purpose  of  expanding  the  conceptions  of  thou  hast  created  all  things,  and  tor  thy  pleasure 

professed  Christians,  and  of  enabling  them  to  they  are  ukI  were  created." 
take  large  and  comprehensive  views  of  the  per- 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  RELATION  WHICH  THE  INVENTIONS  OP  HUMAN  ART  BEAR  TO  THE  OBJECTS 
OF  REU6I0N. 


In  this  chapter,  I  shall  briefly  notice  a  few 
philosophical  and  mechanical  inventions  which 
have  an  obvious  bearing  on  religion,  and  on  the 
general  propagation  of  Christianity  among  the 
nations. 

The  first,  and  perhaps  the  most  important,  of 
the  inventions  to  which  I  allude,  is  the  Art  of 
Printing.  This  art  appears  to  have  been  in- 
vented (at  least  in  Europe)  abotit  the  year  1430, 
by  one  Laurentius,  or  Lawrence  Koster,  a  native 
of  Haerlem,  a  town  in  Holland.  As  he  was 
walking  in  a  wood  near  the  city,  he  began  to  cut 
some  letters  upon  the  rind  of  a  beach  tree,  which, 
for  the  sake  of  gratifying  his  fancy,  being  im- 
pressed on  paper,  he  printed  one  or  two  lines  as 
a  specimen  for  his  grandchildren  to  follow.    This 


having  succeeded,  he  meditated  greater  things  , 
and,  first  of  all,  invented  a  more  glutinous  writing 
ink  ;  because  he  found  the  common  ink  sunk  and 
spread  ;  and  thus  formed  whole  pages  of  wood, 
with  letters  cut  upon  them.*     By  the  gradual 

•  I  am  aware,  that  the  honour  of  this  Invention 
has  been  claimed  by  other  cities  besides  Haerlem, 
particularly  by  Siraslmr?,  and  Menu,  a  rity  of  Ger- 
many ;  and  by  other  Imliviiluals  besides  Laurentius, 
chiefly  by  one  Fu«t,  romnionly  called  Dr.  Faustus ; 
by  SchoclTer,  ajid  by  (luteiibcrg.  It  appears  that  the 
art,  with  many  of  its  implements,  was"  stolen  from 
Laurentius  by  one  of  his  servants,  whom  he  had 
bound,  by  an  oath,  to  secrecy,  who  fled  to  Ments, 
and  first  commenced  the  process  of  printinj!  In  that 
city.  Here  the  art  wan  improved  by  Fust  and  Schoef- 
fer,  by  their  Invention  of  fn/r.7a«-,  insteail  of  tpoiien 
types,  which  were  first  u.-cd.  When  Fust  was  In 
Paris,  disposing  of  some  bibles  be  had  printed,  at 


PRINTING' MARINER'S  COMPASS. 


115 


Improvement  of  this  art,  and  its  application  to 
the  diffusion  of  knowledge,  a  new  era  was  formed 
in  the  annals  of  the  human  race,  and  in  the  pro- 
gress of  science,  religion,  and  morals.  To  it  we 
are  chiefly  indebted  for  our  deliverance  from  ig- 
norance and  error,  and  for  most  of  those  scien- 
tific discoveries  and  improvements  in  the  arts 
which  distinguish  the  period  in  which  we  live. 
Without  lis  aid,  the  Reformation  from  Popery 
could  scarcely  have  been  achieved ;  for,  had  the 
books  of  Luther,  one  of  the  first  reformers,  been 
multiplied  by  the  slow  process  of  handwriting 
and  copying,  they  could  never  have  been  diflTused 
to  any  extent ;  and  the  influence  of  bribery  and 
of  power  might  have  been  suflicient  to  have  ar- 
rested their  progress,  or  even  to  have  erased  their 
existence.  But,  being  p<»ured  forth  from  the 
press  in  thousands  at  a  lime,  they  spread  over  the 
nations  of  Europe  like  an  inundation,  and  with 
a  rapidity  which  neither  the  authority  of  princes, 
nor  the  schemes  of  priests  and  cardinals,  nor  the 
bulls  of  popes,  could  counteract  or  suspend.  To 
this  noble  invention  it  is  owing  that  copies  of  the 
bible  have  been  multiplied  to  the  extent  of  many 
millions — that  ten  thousands  of  them  are  to  be 
(bund  in  every  Protestant  country — and  that  the 

the  low  price  (as  was  then  thought)  of  sixty  crowns, 
the  number  and  the  uniformity  of  the  copies  he  pos- 
sessed created  universal  agitation  and  astonish- 
rnent.  Informations  were  given  to  the  police  against 
him  as  a  magician,  his  lodgings  were  searched,  and 
a  great  number  of  copies  being  found,  they  were 
seized  ;  the  red  ink  with  which  they  were  embel- 
lished was  said  to  be  his  blood ;  it  was  seriously 
adjudged,  that  he  was  In  league  with  the  devil ;  and 
If  he  had  not  fleii  from  the  city,  most  prOlKibly  he 
would  have  shared  the  fate  of  those  whom  ignorant 
And  superstitious  judges,  at  that  time,  condemned 
for  witchcraft.  From  this  circumstance,  let  us  learn 
to  iKware  liow  we  view  the  inventions  of  genius, 
and  how  we  tre.at  those  whose  ingenious  contri- 
vances may  afterwards  be  the  means  of  enlightening 
and  meliorating  mankind.  See  Appendix,  No.  VII. 
Various  improvements  have  lieen  made,  of  late 
years,  in  the  art  of  printing.  That  which  has  lately 
been  announced  by  Dr.  Church  of  Boston,  is  the 
most  remarkable ;  and,  if  found  successful,  will 
cjirry  this  art  to  a  high  degree  of  perfection.  A  prin 
cipal  object  of  this  improvement  is,  to  print  con- 
stantly from  new  types,  which  is  effected  by  simpli- 
fying the  process  for  casting  and  composing.  The 
type  is  deliveretl  perfect  by  machinery,  and  laid  as 
it  is  cast,  in  separate  compartment.?,  with  unerring 
order  and  exactness.  The  composition  is  then  ef- 
fected by  other  apparatus,  directed  by  keys  like 
those  of  a  piano-forte,  and  the  type  may  then  lie  ar- 
ranged in  wonls  and  lines,  as  quickly  as  in  the  per- 
formance of  notes  in  music.  No  error  can  arise 
except  from  touching  the  wrong  key:  and  hence  an 
cxiiert  hand  will  leave  little  labour  for  the  reader. 
It  is  then  found  less  e.xpensive  under  Dr.  Church's 
economical  system  of  recasting,  to  re-melt  the  types, 
and  re-cast  them,  than  to  perform  the  tedious  opera- 
lion  of  distribution.  The  melting  takes  place  with- 
out atmospheric  exposure,  by  which  oxydation  and 
waste  of  metal  are  avoided.  It  s  calculated  that 
two  men  ran  produce  7.5,000  new  types  per  hour,  and 
In  re-romposing,  one  man  will  perform  as  much  as 
three  or  four  compositors.  In  the  production  of 
typos,  the  saving  is  ninety-nine  parts  in  a  hundred; 
and  in  the  composition,  distribution,  and  reading,  is 
three  parts  in  four.  In  regard  to  press-work,  Dr.  C. 
has  Invented  a  machine  to  work  with  plattens.  In- 
stead of  cylinders,  from  which  he  will  be  enabled  to 
take  80  tine  impressions  per  minute. 


poorest  individual  who  expresses  a  desire  for  it, 
may  be  furnished  with  the  •'  word  of  life"  which 
will  guide  him  to  a  blessed  immortality.  That 
divine  light  which  is  destined  to  illuminate  every 
region  of  the  globe,  and  to  sanctify  and  reform 
men  of  all  nations,  and  kindreds,  and  tongues,  is 
accelerated  in  its  movements,  and  directed  in  its 
course  through  the  nations,  by  the  invention  of 
the  art  of  printing ;  and  ere  long  it  will  distri- 
bute among  the  inhabitants  of  every  land,  the 
"  law  and  the  testimony  of  the  Most  High," 
to  guide  their  steps  to  the  regions  of  eternal  bliss. 
In  short,  there  is  not  a  more  powerful  engine  in 
the  hands  of  Providence,  for  ditTusing  the  know- 
ledge of  the  nature  and  the  will  of  the  Deity, 
and  for  accomplishing  the  grand  objects  of  re- 
velation, than  the  art  of  multiplying  books,  and 
of  conveying  intelligence  through  the  medium  of 
the  press.  Were  no  such  art  in  existence,  we 
cannot  conceive  how  an  extensive  and  universal 
propagation  of  the  doctrines  of  revelation  could 
be  effected,  unless  after  the  lapse  of  an  indefinite 
number  of  ages.  But,  with  the  assistance  of 
this  invention,  in  its  present  improved  state,  the 
island  of  Great  Britain  alone,  within  less  than  a 
hundred  years,  could  furnish  a  copy  of  the  Scrip- 
lures  to  every  inhabitant  of  the  world,  and  would 
defray  the  expense  of  such  an  undertaking,  with 
much  more  ease,  and  with  a  smaller  sum,  than 
were  necessary  to  furnish  the  political  warfare  in 
which  we  were  lately  engaged. 

These  considerations  teach  us,  that  the  in- 
genious inventions  of  the  human  mind  are  under 
the  direction  and  control  of  the  Governor  of  the 
world — are  intimately  connected  with  the  ac- 
complishment of  the  plan  of  his  providence,  and 
have  a  tendency,  either  directly  or  indirectly,  to 
promote,  over  every  region  of  the  earth,  the  pro- 
gress and  extension  of  the  kingdom  of  the  Re- 
deemer. They  also  show  us,  from  what  small 
beginnings  the  most  magnificent  operations  of 
the  divine  economy  may  derive  their  origin. 
Who  could  have  imagined  that  the  simple  cir- 
cumstance of  a  person  amusing  himself  by  cutting 
a  few  letters  on  the  bark  of  a  tree,  and  impress- 
ing them  on  paper,  was  intimately  connected 
with  the  mental  illumination  of  mankind  ;  and 
that  the  art  which  sprung  from  this  casual  pro- 
cess was  destined  to  be  the  principal  means  of 
illuminating  the  nations,  and  of  conveying  to  the 
ends  of  the  earth,  "the  salvation  of  our  God?" 
But,  "  He  who  rules  in  the  armies  of  heaven,  and 
among  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth,"  and  who  sees 
"  the  end  from  the  beginning,"  overrules  the  most 
minute  movement  of  all  his  creatures,  in  subservi- 
ency to  his  ultimate  designs,  and  shows  himself, 
in  this  respect,  to  be  "  wonderful  in  counsel,  and 
excellent  in  working." 

The  Mariner's  Compass. — Another  invention 
which  has  an  intimate  relation  to  religion,  ia, 
the  art  of  Navigation,  and  the  invention  of  the 
Mariner's  Compass.    Navigation  is  the  art  of 


1 


116 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


oonducting  a  ship  through  lh«  •»*,  from  one  port 
to  •noiher.  Thii  art  was  partly  known  and 
practised  in  the  early  ages  of  anttquiiy,  by  the 
Phcnicians,  the  Carthaginians,  the  Egyptians, 
the  Romans,  and  other  nations  of  Euir>|>c  and 
Asia.  But  thvy  had  no  guide  to  direct  ihrni  in 
their  voyages,  except  the  sun  in  tlie  day-time, 
and  the  stars  by  night.  When  the  sky  was  over- 
cast with  clouds,  they  were  thrown  into  alarms, 
and  durst  not  venture  to  any  great  distance  from 
the  coast,  lest  they  should  be  carried  forward  in 
a  course  opposite  to  that  which  they  intended, 
or  be  driven  against  hidden  rocks,  or  unknown 
shores.  The  danger  and  difficulty  of  tlie  navi- 
gation of  the  ancients,  on  this  account,  may  be 
learned  from  the  deliberations,  the  great  prepa- 
rations, and  the  alarms  of  Homer's  heroes,  when 
they  were  about  to  cross  the  Egean  sea,  an  ex- 
tent of  not  more  than  150  miles  ;  and  thu  expe- 
dition of  the  Argonauts  under  Jason,  across  the 
sea  of  Marmora  and  the  Euxine,  to  the  island 
of  Colchis,  a  distance  of  only  four  or  five  hun- 
dred miles,  was  viewed  as  a  most  wonderful  ex- 
ploit, at  which  even  the  gods  themselves  were  said 
to  be  amazed.  The  same  thing  appears  from  the 
narration  we  have  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles, 
of  Paul's  voyage  from  Cesarea  to  Rome, — 
"  When,"  says  Luke,  "  neither  sun  nor  stars  in 
many  days  appeared,  and  no  small  tempests  lay 
on  us,  all  hope  that  we  should  be  saved  was  then 
taken  away."  Being  deprived  of  these  guides, 
they  were  tossed  about  in  the  Mediterranean,  nut 
knowing  whether  they  were  carried  to  the  north, 
south,  east,  or  west.  So  that  the  voyages  of  an* 
tiquity  consisted  chiefly  in  creeping  along  the 
coast,  and  seldom  venturing  beyond  sight  of 
land  :  they  could  not,  therefore,  extend  their  ex- 
cursions by  sea  to  distant  continents  and  nations  ; 
and  hence,  the  greater  portion  of  the  terraqueous 
globe  and  its  inhabitaats  were  to  them  altogether 
unknown.  It  was  not  before  the  invention  of  the 
mariner^a  compost,  that  distant  voyages  could 
be  undertaken,  that  extensive  oceans  could  be 
traversed,  and  an  intercourse  carried  on  between 
remote  continents  and  the  islands  of  tl'ie  ocean. 
It  is  somewhat  uncertain  at  what  precise  pe- 
riod this  noble  discovery  was  made ;  but  it  ap- 
pears pretty  evident,  that  the  mariner's  compass 
was  not  commonly  used  in  navigation  before  the 
year  1420,  or  only  a  few  years  before  the  inven- 
tion of  printing.'^  The  loadstone,  in  all  ages, 
was  known  to  have  the  property  of  attracting 
iron ;  but  its  tendency  to  point  towards  the  north 
and  south  seems  to  henre  been  unnoticed  till  the 
beginning  of  the  twelfth   century.    About  that 


•  The  Invention  of  the  compass  Is  usually  ascribed 
to  Falvto  Gloia,  of  Amalfl.  in  Campania,  alx>ut  the 
year  ISOT  ;  and  the  Italians  are  stienuous  In  sup|)ort- 
me  tlaiK  cliilm.  Others  affirm,  that  Marrus  I'atilus.  a 
Venetian,  having  ttuule  a  Journey  to  China.  brouRht 
Ijack  the  invention  with  him  in  IMO.  The  Fnnch 
also  lay  claim  to  the  honour  of  this  Invention,  from 
(he  clrcnmstaiiM,  that  all  natlooa  dlaUnfulati  Um 


time  some  curious  persona  seem  to  have  amused 
themselves  by  making  to  swim,  in  a  basin  of 
water,  a  loadstone  suspended  on  a  piece  of  cork  ; 
and  to  have  remarked,  that,  when  IrA  at  liberty, 
one  of  its  extremities  p<iinti'd  to  the  north. 
They  had  also  remarkt-d.  that,  when  a  piece  of 
'  iron  is  rubbed  against  the  loadstone,  it  acquire* 
also  the  property  of  turning  towards  the  north, 
and  of  attracting  needles  and  filings  of  iron. 
From  one  experiment  to  another,  they  proceed* 
ed  to  lay  a  needle,  touched  with  the  magnet,  on 
two  small  bits  of  straw  floating  on  the  water 
and  to  observe  that  the  needle  invariably  turned 
its  point  towards  the  north.  The  first  use  they 
seem  to  have  made  of  these  experiments,  was, 
to  impose  upon  simple  people  by  the  apfiear- 
anre  of  tnagic.  For  example,  a  hollow  swan, 
or  the  figure  of  a  mermaid,  was  made  to  swim 
in  a  basin  of  water,  and  to  follow  a  knife  with  a 
bit  of  bread  upon  its  point,  which  had  been  pre- 
viously rubbed  on  the  badstone.  The  experi- 
menter convinced  them  of  his  power,  by  com- 
manding, in  this  way,  a  needle  laid  on  the  sur- 
face of  the  water  to  turn  its  |>oint  from  the  north 
to  the  east,  or  in  any  other  direction.  But  some 
geniuses,  of  more  sublime  and  reflective  powers 
of  mind,  seizing  upon  these  hints,  at  last  applied 
these  experiments  to  the  wants  of  navigation, 
and  constructed  an  instrument,  by  the  help  of 
which  the  mariner  can  now  direct  his  course  to 
distant  lands,  through  the  vast  and  pathless  ocean. 
In  consequence  of  the  discovery  of  this  in- 
strument, the  coasts  of  almost  every  land  on  the 
surface  of  the  globe  have  been  explored,  and  a  re- 
gular intercourse  opened  up  between  the  remotest 
regions  of  the  earth.  "Without  the  help  of  this 
noble  invention,  America,  in  all  probability, 
would  never  have  been  discovered  by  the  eastern 
nations — the  vast  continent  of  New-Holland— 
the  numerous  and  interesting  islands  in  the  In- 
dian and  Pacific  oceans— the  isles  of  Japan,  and 
other  immense  territories  inhabited  by  human 
beings,  would  have  remained  as  much  unknown 
and  unexplored  as  if  they  had  never  existed 
And  as  the  nations  of  Europe  and  the  western 
parts  of  Asia  were  the  sole  depositories  of  the 
records  of  revelation,  they  could  never  have 
conveyed  the  blessings  of  salvation  to  remote 
countries  and  to  unknown  tribes  of  mankind,  of 
whose  existence  they  were  entirely  ignorant. 
Even  although  the  whole  terraqueous  globe  had 
been  sketched  out  before  them,  in  all  its  aspects 
and  bearings,  and  ramifications  of  islands,  con- 
tinents, seas,  and  oceans,  and  the  moral  and  p<^ 
litical  state  of  every   tribe  of  its   inhabitania 

north  point  of  the  cani  hy  a  fieurde-bt,  and,  with 
equal  reason,  the  Eni;llt;h  have  laid  claim  to  the  same 
hononr,  from  the  name  eompati,  by  which  roost  na- 
tions have  agreed  to  distinxulsb  it.  But  whoever 
were  the  Inventors,  or  at  whatever  period  this  in 
strumrnt  was  first  const rtjcted.  It  does  not  appeal 
that  it  was  brought  into  general  use  befere  the  pe 
riod  menUvoed  la  the  text. 


i 


MARINER'S  COMPASS— TELESCOPE. 


117 


displayed  to  view ;  without  a  guide  to  direct 
their  course  through  the  billows  of  the  ocean, 
they  could  have  atfoided  no  light  and  no  relief 
to  cheer  the  distant  nations  "  who  sit  in  darkness, 
and  in  the  shadow  of  death."  Though  the  art 
of  priming  had  been  invented  ;  though  millions 
of  bibles  were  now  prepared,  adequate  to  the 
supply  of  ail  the  "  kindreds  of  the  heathen ;" 
though  ships  in  abundance  were  equipped  for 
the  enterprise,  and  thousands  of  missionaries 
ready  to  embark,  and  to  devote  their  lives  to  the 
instruction  of  the  pagan  world — all  would  be  of 
no  avail,  and  the  "  salvation  of  God"  could  never 
be  proclaimed  to  the  ends  of  the  world,  unless 
they  had  a  mariner's  compass  to  guide  their 
course  through  the  trackless  ocean. 

In  this  invention,  then,  we  behold  a  proof  of 
the  agency  of  Divine  Providence,  in  directing 
the  efforts  of  human  genius  to  subserve  the  most 
important  designs,  and  contemplate  a  striking 
specimen  of  the  "  manifold  wisdom  of  God." 
When  the  pious  and  contemplative  Israelite  re- 
tlected  on  the  declaration  of  the  prophets,  that 
"  the  glory  of  Jehovah  would  be  revealed,  and 
that  all  flesh  would  see  it  together ;" — from  the 
state  of  the  arts  which  then  existed,  he  must 
have  felt  many  difficulties  in  forming  a  concep- 
tion of  the  manner  in  which  such  predictions 
could  be  realized.  "  The  great  and  wide  sea," 
now  termed  the  Mediterranean,  formed  the  bound- 
ary of  his  view,  beyond  which  he  was  unable  to 
penetrate.  Of  the  continents,  and  "  the  isles 
afar  off,"  and  of  the  far  more  spacious  oceans 
that  lay  between,  he  had  no  knowledge ;  and  how 
"  the  ends  of  the  earth"  were  to  be  reached,  he 
could  form  no  conception  ;  and,  in  the  midst  of 
his  perplexing  thoughts,  he  could  find  no  satis- 
faction but  in  the  firm  belief,  that  "  with  God 
all  things  are  possible."  But  now  we  are  ena- 
bled not  only  to  contemplate  the  grand  designs 
of  the  divine  economy,  but  the  principal  means 
by  which  they  shall  all,  in  due  time,  be  accom- 
plished, in  consequence  of  the  progress  of  science 
and  art,  and  of  their  consecration  to  the  rearing 
and  extension  of  the  Christian  church. 

The  two  inventions  to  which  I  have  now  ad- 
verted, may  perhaps  be  considered  as  among  the 
most  striking  instances  of  the  connexion  of  hu- 
man art  with  the  objects  of  religioa  But  there 
are  many  other  inventions,  which,  at  first  view, 
do  not  appear  to  bear  so  near  a  relation  to  the 
progress  of  Christianity,  and  yet  have  an  ulti- 
mate reference  to  some  of  hs  grand  and  interest- 
ing objects. 

The  Telescope. — We  might  be  apt  to  think, 
on  a  slight  view  of  the  matter,  that  there  can  be 
DO  immediate  relation  between  the  grinding  and 
polishing  of  an  optic  glass,  and  fitting  two  or 
more  of  them  in  a  tube,  and  the  enlargement 
of  our  views  of  the  operation  of  the  Eternal 
Mind.     Yet  the  coonozion  between  these  two 


the  former,  can  be  fairly  demonstrated.  The 
son  of  a  spectacle-maker  of  Middleburg  in  Hol- 
land, happening  to  amuse  himself  in  his  father's 
shop,  by  holding  two  glasses  between  his  finger 
and  his  thumb,  and  varying  their  distance,  per- 
ceived the  weathercock  of  the  church  spire  op- 
posite to  him  much  larger  than  ordinary,  and 
apparently  much  nearer,  and  turned  upside  down. 
This  new  wonder  excited  the  amazement  of  the 
father  ;  he  adjusted  two  glasses  on  a  board,  ren- 
dering them  moveable  at  pleasure  ;  and  thus 
formed  the  first  rude  imitation  of  a  perspective 
glass,  by  which  distant  objects  are  brought  near 
to  view.  Galileo,  a  philosopher  of  Tuscany, 
hearing  of  the  invention,  set  his  mind  to  work, 
in  order  to  bring  it  to  perfection.  He  fixed  his 
glasses  at  the  end  of  long  organ-pipes,  and  con- 
structed a  telescope,  which  he  soon  directed  to 
different  parts  of  the  surrounding  heavens.  He 
discovered  four  moons  revolving  around  the  pla- 
net Jupiter — spots  on  the  surface  of  the  sun,  and 
the  rotation  of  that  globe  around  its  axis — moun- 
tains and  valleys  in  the  moon — and  numbers  of 
fixed  stars  where  scarcely  one  was  visible  to  the 
naked  eye.  These  discoveries  were  made  about 
the  year  1610,  a  short  time  after  the  first  invention 
of  the  telescope.  Since  that  period  this  instru- 
ment has  passed  through  various  degrees  of  im- 
provement, and,  by  means  of  it,  celestial  won- 
ders have  been  explored  in  the  distant  spaces  of 
the  universe,  which,  in  former  times,  were  alto- 
gether concealed  from  mortal  view.  By  the  help 
of  telescopes,  combined  with  the  art  of  measur- 
ing the  distances  and  magnitudes  of  the  heavenly 
bodies,  our  views  of  the  grandeur  of  the  Almishty, 
of  the  plenitude  of  his  power,  and  of  the  extent 
of  his  universal  empire,  are  extended  far  beyond 
what  could  have  been  conceived  in  former  ages. 
Our  prospects  of  the  range  of  the  divine  opera- 
tions are  no  longer  confined  within  the  limits  of 
the  world  we  inhabit ;  we  can  now  [ilainly  per- 
ceive, that  the  kingdom  of  God  is  not  only  "  an 
everlasting  dominion,"  but  that  it  extends  through 
the  unlimited  regions  of  space,  comprehending 
within  its  vast  circumference  thousands  of  suns, 
and  tens  of  thousands  of  worlds,  all  ranged  in 
majestic  order,  at  immense  distances  from  one 
another,  and  all  supported  and  governed  "  by 
Him  who  rides  on  the  Heaven  of  heavens," 
whose  greatness  is  unsearchable,  and  whose  un- 
derstanding is  infinite. 

The  telescope  has  also  demonstrated  to  us 
the  literal  truth  of  those  scriptural  declarations 
which  assert  that  the  stars  are  "  innumerable." 
Before  the  invention  of  this  instrument,  not 
more  than  about  two  thousand  stars  could  be 
perceived  by  the  unassisted  eye  in  the  clearest 
night.  But  this  invention  has  unfolded  to  view 
not  only  thousands,  but  hundreds  of  thousands, 
and  millions,  of  those  bright  luminaries,  which 
lie  dispersed  in  every  direction  throughout  the 


^ects,  and  the  dependence  of  the  klter  upon     boundless  dimensions  of  space.    And  the  higher 


11» 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


lh«  ma|ntfjing  powers  of  th«  tpleacop«  are,  the 
more  nuiiieroua  thaae  celestial  orb*  appear ; 
leaving  us  no  room  to  doubt,  thai  countless 
myriads  more  lie  hid  in  the  distant  regions  of 
creation,  far  beyond  the  reach  of  (hu  finest  glasses 
that  can  be  constructed  by  human  skill,  and 
which  are  known  only  to  Him  "  who  counts . 
the  number  of  the  stars,  and  calls  them  by  iheir 
names." 

In  short,  the  telescope  may  be  considered  as 
serving  the  purpose  of  a  vehicle  for  conveying 
us  to  the  distant  regions  of  space.  We  would 
ooDsider  it  as  a  wonderful  achievement,  could 
we  trans|)ort  ourselves  two  hundred  thousand 
railes  from  the  earth,  in  the  direction  of  the 
moon,  in  order  to  take  a  nearer  view  of  that 
celestial  orb.  But  this  instrument  enables  us 
to  take  a  much  nearer  inspection  of  that  planet, 
than  if  we  had  actually  surmounted  \ito  force  of 
gravitation,  traversed  the  voids  of  space,  and 
left  the  earth  230,000  miles  behind  us.  For, 
supposing  such  a  journey  to  be  accomplished, 
we  should  still  be  ten  thousand  miles  distant 
from  that  orb.  But  a  telescope  which  magnifies 
objects  240  times,  can  carry  our  views  within 
MM  thousand  miles  of  the  moon  ;  and  a  tele- 
scope, such  as  Dr.  Herschel's  40  feet  reflector, 
which  magnifies  6000  limes,  would  enable  us  to 
view  the  mountains  and  vales  of  the  moon,  as 
if  we  were  transported  to  a  point  about  40  miles 
from  her  surface.*  We  can  view  the  magnifi- 
cent system  of  the  planet  Saturn,  by  means  of 
this  instrument,  as  distinctly,  as  if  we  had  per- 
formed a  journey  eight  hundred  millions  of  miles 
in  the  direction  of  tliat  globe,  which  at  the  rate 
of  50  miles  an  hour,  would  require  a  period  of 
more  than  eighteen  hundred  years  to  accomplish. 
By  the  telescope,  we  can  contemplate  the  region 
of  the  fixed  stars,  their  arrangement  into  sys- 
tems, and  their  immense  numbers,  with  the 
same  distinctness  and  anlplitudo  of  view,  as  if 

•  TiMugh  the  highest  magnifying  power  of  Dr. 
Herschel's  large  telescope  was  estimated  at  six 
thousand  times,  yet  it  does  not  appear  that  the  doc- 
tor ever  applied  this  power  with  success,  when 
viewing  the  moon  and  the  planets.  The  deficiency 
of  light,  when  using  so  high  a  power,  would  ren- 
der the  view  of  these  objects  less  satisfactory  than 
when  viewed  with  a  power  of  one  or  two  thousand 
times.  Still,  it  is  quite  certain,  that  if  any  portions 
of  the  moon's  surface  were  viewed  through  an  in- 
strument of  such  a  power,  they  would  appear  as 
tvgt  (but  not  nearly  to  brig-fu  and  diatina)  as  If 
we  were  placed  about  40  lalles  distant  from  that 
liody.  The  enlargement  of  the  an^ie  of  vision,  in 
tkla  case,  or,  the  apparent  distance  at  which  the 
moon  would  be  contemplated.  Is  found  by  dividing 
the  moon's  distance— 940,000  miles  by  sooo,  the  mag- 
nifying power  of  the  telescope,  which  produces  a 
quotient  of  40— the  number  of  miles  at  which  the 
moon  would  appear  to  be  placed  from  the  eye  of  the 
observer.  Dr.  Herscttel  appear*  to  have  used  the 
btehest  power  of  his  telescopes,  only,  or  chiefly, 
when  viewing  some  very  minute  ottiects  In  the  re- 
gion of  the  stars.  The  powers  be  generally  used, 
and  with  which  he  miMle  most  of  his  disroreriee 
wer<;,  S37,  4(0. 754,  tst,  and  occasionally  Mie,  sim, 
and  6450,  when  Insperilng  double  and  triple  stars, 
and  the  more  dlstaat  nebul*. 


we  had  actually  taken  a  flight  of  ten  humlred 
thousand  millions  of  mile*  into  those  unexplored 
and  unexplorable  regions,  which  could  not  be 
accomplished  in  several  millions  of  years,  though 
our  motion  were  as  rapid  as  a  ball  projected  from 
a  loaded  cannon.  We  would  justly  consider  it 
a«  a  noble  endowment  fur  enabling  us  lo  lake  ao 
extensive  survey  of  the  works  of  God,  if  we  bad 
the  faculty  of  transporting  ourselves  to  sui-b  im- 
mense distances  from  the  sphere  we  now  occupy , 
but,  by  means  of  the  telescopic  tube,  we  may 
take  nearly  the  same  ample  views  of  the  donii« 
nions  of  the  Creator,  without  stirring  a  fiml  from 
ihe  limits  of  our  terrestrial  abode.  This  instru* 
ment  may,  therefore,  be  considered  as  a  provi- 
dential gift,  bestowed  upon  mankind,  to  serve, 
in  the  mean  time,  as  a  Umporary  tubttittU*  for 
those  powers  of  rapid  flight  with  which  the 
seraphim  are  en«lowed,  and  for  those  superior 
faculties  of  motion  with  which  iiinn  himself  may 
be  invested,  when  he  arrives  at  the  summit  o( 
moral  perfection.* 

The  Microscope. — The  microtcope  is  another 
instrument  consinicted  on  similar  principles, 
which  has  greatly  expanded  our  views  of  the 
"  manifold  wisdom  of  God."  This  instrument, 
which  discovers  to  us  small  objects,  invisible  to 
the  naked  eye,  was  invented  soon  after  the 
invention  and  improvement  of  the  telescope.  By 
means  of  this  optical  contrivance,  we  peceive  a 
variety  of  wonders  in  almost  every  object  in  the 
animal,  the  vegetable,  and  the  mineralKingdoms. 
We  p<>rceive  that  every  particle  of  matter,  how- 
ever minute,  has  a  determinate  form — that  the 
very  scales  of  the  skin  of  a  haddock  are  all  beauti- 
fully interwoven  and  variegated,  like  pieces  of 
net-work,  which  no  art  can  imitate — that  the 
points  of  the  prickles  of  vegetables,  though  mag- 
nified a  thousand  times,  appear  as  sliarp  and 
well  polished  as  to  the  naked  eye — that  every 
particle  of  the  dust  on  the  butterfly's  wing  is  a 
beautiful  and  regularly  organized  feather — that 
every  hair  of  our  head  is  a  hollow  tube,  with 
bulba  and  roots,  furnished  with  a  variety  fd 
threads  or  filaments — and  that  the  pores  in  otir 
skin,  through  which  the  sweat  and  perspiration 
flow,  are  so  numeroiu  and  minute,  that  a  grain 
of  sand  would  cover  a  hundred  and  twenty-five 
thousand  of  them.  We  perceive  animated  beings 
in  certain  liquids,  so  small,  tltat  fifty  thousand  of 
them  would  not  equal  the  size  of  a  mite  ;  and 
yet  each  of  these  creatures  is  furnished  with  a 
mouth,  eyes,  stomach,  blood-vessels,  and  olber 
organs  for  the  performance  of  animal  functions. 
In  a  stagnant  pool  which  is  covered  with  a 
greenish  scum  during  the  summer  months,  every 
drop  of  the  water  is  found  to  be  a  world  teeming 
with  thousands  of  inbabilants.  The  mouldy 
substance  which  usually  adheres  to  damp  bodies 
exhibits  a  forest  of  trees  and  plants,  whcns  the 
branches,  leaves,  and  fruit,  can  be  plainly  die* 
*  8m  Appaodiz,  No.  VOL 


STEAM  NAVIGATION. 


119 


unguidhed.  In  a  word,  by  this  admirable  instru- 
ment we  behold  the  sanie  Almighty  Hand  which 
rounded  the  spacious  globe  on  which  we  live, 
and  the  hu^e  masses  of  the  planetary  orbs,  and 
directs  them  in  their  rapid  motions  through  the 
sky, — employed,  at  the  same  moment,  in  round- 
ing and  polishing  ten  thousand  minute  transpa- 
rent globes  in  the  eye  of  a  fly  ;  and  boring  and 
arranging  veins  and  arteries,  and  forming  and 
clasping  joint  s  and  claws,  for  the  movements  ofa 
mite!'  We  thus  learn  the  admirable  and  asto- 
nishing effects  of  the  wisdom  of  God,  and  that 
the  divine  care  and  benevolence  are  as  much 
displayed  in  the  construction  of  the  smallest 
insect,  as  in  the  elephant  or  the  whale,  or  in 
those  ponderous  globes  which  roll  around  us  in 
the  sky.  These,  and  thousands  of  other  views 
which  the  microscope  exhibits,  would  never  have 
been  displayed  to  the  human  mind,  had  they  not 
been  opened  up  by  this  admirable  invention. 

In  fine,  by  means  of  the  two  instruments  to 
which  I  have  now  adverted,  we  behold  Jeho- 
vah's empire  extending  to  infinity  on  either 
hand.  By  the  telescope  we  are  presented  with 
the  most  astonishing  displays  of  his  omnipotence, 
in  the  immense  number,  the  rapid  motions,  and 
the  inconceivable  magnitudes  of  the  celestial 
globes ;  and,  by  the  microscope,  we  behold, 
what  is  still  more  inconceivable,  a  display  of  his 
unsearchable  wisdom  in  the  divine  mechanism 
by  which  a  drop  of  water  is  peopled  with  myriads 
of  inhabitants — a  fact  which,  were  it  not  sub- 
ject to  ocular  di^monstration,  would  far  exceed 
the  limits  of  human  conception  or  belief.  We 
have  thus  the  most  striking  and  sensible  evi- 
dence, that,  from  the  immeasurable  luminaries 
of  heaven,  and  from  the  loftiest  seraph  that 
stands  before  the  throne  of  God,  down  to  this 
lower  world,  and  to  the  smallest  microscopic 
animalcula  that  eludes  the  finest  glass,  He  is 
every  where  present,  and,  by  his  power,  intel- 
ligence, and  agency,  animates,  supports,  and 
directs  the  whole.  Such  views  and  contempla- 
tions naturally  lead  us  to  advert  to  the  charac- 
ter of  God  as  delineated  by  the  sacred  writers, 
that  "  He  is  of  great  power,  and  mighty  in 
strength  ;"  that "  His  understanding  is  infinite  ;' 
that  "  His  works  are  wonderful ;"  that  "  His 
operations  are  unsearchable  and  past  finding 
out ;"  and  they  must  excite  the  devout  mind  to 
join  with  fervour  in  the  language  of  adoration 
and  praise. 

When  thy  amazing  works,  0  God ! 
My  mental  eye  surveys, 
"  Transported  witli  the  view,  I'm  lost 
In  wonder,  love,  and  praise." 

SUa7n  Navigation. — We  might  have  been 
apt  to  suppose  that  the  chymical  experiments 
that  were  first  made  to  demonstrate  the  force  of 
tUam  as  a  mechanical  agent,  could  have  little 
lelation  to  the  objects  of  religion,  or  even  to  the 
comfort  of  human  life  and  society.     Yet  it  has 


now  been  applied  to  the  impelling  of  ships  and 
large  boats  along  rivers  and  seas,  in  opposition 
to  both  wind  and  tide,  and  with  a  velocity 
which,  at  an  average,  exceeds  that  of  any  other 
conveyance.  We  have  no  reason  to  believe 
that  this  invention  has  hitherto  approximated  to 
a  state  of  perfection  ;  it  is  yet  in  its  infancy, 
and  may  be  susceptible  of  such  improvements, 
both  in  point  of  expedition  and  of  safety,  as  may 
render  it  the  most  comfortable  and  speedy  cod- 
veyance  between  distant  lands,  for  transporting 
the  volume  of  inspiration  and  the  heralds  of  the 
gospel  of  peace  to  "  the  ends  of  the  earth."  By 
the  help  of  his  compass  the  mariner  is  enabled 
to  steer  his  course  in  the  midst  of  the  ocean, 
in  the  most  cloudy  days,  and  in  the  darkest 
nights,  and  to  transport  his  vessel  from  one  end 
of  the  world  to  another.  It  now  only  remains, 
that  navigation  be  rendered  safe,  uniform,  and 
expeditious,  and  not  dependent  on  adverse 
winds,  or  the  currents  of  the  ocean  ;  and,  per- 
haps the  art  of  propelling  vessels  by  the  force  of 
steam,  when  arrived  at  perfection,  may  effectu- 
ate those  desirable  purposes.  Even  at  present, 
as  the  invention  now  stands,  were  a  vessel  to  be 
fitted  to  encounter  the  waves  of  the  Atlantic, 
constructed  of  a  projier  figure  and  curvature, 
having  a  proper  disposition  of  her  wheels,  and 
having  such  a  description  of  fuel,  as  could  be 
easily  stowed,  and  in  sufficient  quantity  for  the 
voyage — at  the  rate  of  ten  miles  an  hour,  she 
could  pass  from  the  shores  of  Britain  to  the 
coast  of  America,  in  less  than  thirteen  days  ; — 
and,  even  at  eight  miles  an  hour,  the  voyage 
could  be  completed  in  little  more  than  fifteen 
days  ;  so  that  intelligence  might  pass  and  re- 
pass between  the  eastern  and  western  conti- 
nents within  the  space  of  a  single  month — a 
space  of  time  very  little  more  than  was  requi- 
site, sixty  years  ago,  for  conveying  intelligence 
between  Glasgow  and  London.  The  greatest 
distance  at  which  any  two  places  on  the  globe 
lie  from  each  other,  is  about  12,500  miles  ;  and, 
therefore,  if  a  direct  portion  of  water  intervene 
between  them,  this  space  could  be  traversed  in 
fifty-four  or  sixty  days.  And,  if  the  isthmus  of 
Panama,  which  connects  North  and  Soutli 
America,  and  the  isthmus  of  Suez,  which  sepa- 
rates the  Mediterranean  from  the  Red  sea, 
were  cut  into  wide  and  deep  canals,  (which  we 
have  no  doubt  will  be  accomplished  as  soon  as 
civilized  nations  have  access  to  perform  opera- 
tions in  those  territories,)  every  country  in  the 
world  could  then  be  reached  from  Europe,  in 
nearly  a  direct  line,  or  at  most  by  a  gentle 
curve,  instead  of  the  long,  and  dangerous,  and 
circuitous  route  which  must  now  be  taken,  in  sail- 
ing for  the  eastern  parts  of  Asia,  and  the  north- 
Western  shores  of  America.  By  this  means, 
eight  or  nine  thousand  miles  of  sailing  would  be 
saved  in  a  voyage  from  England  to  Nootka 
soiuid,   or   the    peninsula    of  California;   and 


190 


THE  CHKISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


more  than  six  thousand  miles,  in  passing  from 
London  10  Bombay  in  the  Kast  Indies ;  and 
few  places  on  the  earth  would  be  farther  distant 
from  each  other  by  water  than  15,000  miles ; 
which  space  might  be  traversed,  at  the  rate 
mentioned  above,  in  a  period  of  from  sixty-two 
to  seventy-seven  days.* 

But  we  have  reation  to  believe ,  that  when  this 
invention,  cumbiiiwi  with  other  mechanical  as- 
■iatances,  shall  approximate  nearer  to  perfection, 
a  much  more  rapid  rate  of  motion  will  be  ei^ 
(beted;  an>l  the  udvantages uf  this,  inareligioua 
aa  well  as  in  a  commercial  point  of  view,  may 
b«  easily  appreciated,  especially  at  the  present 
period,  when  the  Christian  world,  now  aroused 
from  their  slumbers,  have  formed  the  grand  de- 
iign  of  sending  a  bible  to  every  inhabitant  of 
the  globe.  When  the  empire  of  the  prince  of 
darlcness  shall  be  shaken  throughout  all  its  de- 
pendencies, and  the  nations  aroused  to  inquire 
after  light,  and  liberty,  and  divine  knowledge- 
intelligence  would  .hus  be  rapidly  communicated 
over  every  region,  and  between  the  most  distant 
tribes.  "Many  would  run  to  and  fro,  and 
knowledge  would  be  increased."  The  ambassa- 
dors of  the  Redeemer,  with  the  oracles  of  heaven 
io  their  hands,  and  the  words  of  salvation  in  their 
mouths,  would  quickly  be  transported  to  every 
clime,  "  having  the  everlasting  go8i>el  to  preach 
to  every  nation,  and  kindred,  and  tongue,  and 
people." 

Air  Balloons. — Similar  remarks  may  be  ap- 
plied to  the  invention  of  Air  Balloons.  We 
have  heard  of  some  pious  people  who  have 
mourned  over  such  inventions,  and  lamented  the 
folly  of  mankind  in  studying  their  construction, 
and  witnessing  their  exhibition.  Such  disposi- 
tions generally  proceed  from  a  narrow  range  of 
thought,  and  a  contracted  view  of  the  divine  eco- 
nomy and  arrangements  in  the  work  of  redemp- 
tion. Though  the  perversity  of  mankind  has 
often  applied  useful  inventions  to  foolish,  and 
even  to  vicious  purposes,  yet  this  forms  no  rea- 
son why  such  inventions  should  be  decried; 
otherwise  the  art  of  printing,  and  many  other 
useful  arts,  mioht  be  regarded  as  inimical  to  the 
human  race.  We  have  reason  to  believe  that 
air  balloons  may  yet  be  brought  to  such  perfec- 
tion, as  to  be  applied  to  purposes  highly  benefi- 
cial to  the  progress  of  the  human  mind,  and  sub- 
•enrient,  in  some  degree,  for  effecting  the  pur- 
poees  of  providence  in  the  enlightening  and 
renovation  of  mankind.  For  this  purpose,  it  is 
only  requisite  tliai  some  contrivance,  on  chymi- 
cal  or  mectianical  principles,  be  suggested,  ana- 
logous to  the  sails  or  rudder  of  a  ship,  by  which 
ihey  may  be  moved  in  any  direction,  without 
being  directed  solely  by  the  course  of  the  wind  ; 
and,  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  such  a  contriv- 
ance is  possible  to  be  effected.  It  requires  only 
suitable  encouragement  to  be  given  (o  ingenious 
'  See  Appendix,  No.  IX. 


experimental  philosophers,  and  a  sufficient  tun 
of  money  to  enable  them  to  prosecute  their  ex- 
periments on  an  extensive  sca:e.  To  the  want 
of  such  prerequisites,  it  is  chiefly  owing,  that 
(he  hints  on  tliis  subject,  hitherto  suggested,  have 
either  failed  of  success  or  have  never  been  car- 
ried into  execution.  A  more  simple  and  expe- 
ditious process  for  filling  balloons  has  lately  been 
effected — the  use  of  the  parachute,  by  which  a 
person  may  detach  himself  from  the  balloon,  and 
descend  to  the  earth,  has  been  successfully  tried, 
—the  lightning  of  heaven  has  been  dtawn  from 
the  clouds,  and  forced  to  act  as  a  mechanical 
power  in  splitting  immense  stones  to  pi<xes, 
— the  atmosphere  has  been  analyzed  into  its 
component  parts,  and  the  wonderful  properties  of 
the  ingredients  of  which  it  is  composed  exhibited 
in  their  se|>arate  stale  :  and  why,  then,  should 
we  consider  it  as  at  all  improbabje  that  the  means 
of  producing  a  horizontal  direction  in  aerial  na- 
vigation may  soon  be  discovered?  Were  this 
object  once  effected,  balloons  might  be  applied 
to  the  purpose  of  survey  ing  and  exploring  coun- 
tries hitherto  inaccessible,  and  of  conveying  the 
messengers  of  divine  mercy  to  tribes  of  our  fel- 
low men,  whose  existence  is  as  yet  unknown. 

We  are  certain  that  every  portion  of  the  in- 
habited world  must  be  thoroughly  explored,  and 
its  inhabitants  visited,  before  the  salvation  of 
God  can  be  carried  fully  into  effect;  and,  for 
the  purpose  of  such  explorations,  we  must,  of 
course,  resort  (o  the  inventions  of  human  genius 
in  art  and  science.  Numerous  tribes  of  the 
sons  of  Adam  are,  doubtless,  residing  in  regions 
of  the  earth  with  which  we  have  no  acquaintancv, 
and  to  which  we  have  no  access  by  any  of  the 
modes  of  conveyance  presendy  in  use.  More 
than  one-half  of  the  interior  parts  of  Africa  and 
Asia,  and  even  of  America,  are  wholly  unknown 
to  the  inhabitants  of  the  civilized  world.  The 
vast  regions  of  Chinese  Tariary ,  Thibet,  Sibeiia, 
and  the  adjacent  districts  ;  almost  the  whole 
interior  of  Africa,  and  the  couiineni  of  New 
Holland — the  extensive  isles  of  Borneo,  Suma- 
tra, New  Guinea,  and  Japan,  the  territory  ct 
the  Amazons,  and  the  internal  |>arts  of  North 
America,  remain,  for  the  most  |iart,  unknown  and 
unexplored.  The  lofty  and  im|uissable  ranges 
of  mountains,  and  the  deep  and  rapid  rivers, 
which  intervene  between  us  and  many  of  those 
regions,  together  with  the  savage  and  plundering 
hordes  of  men,  and  the  tribes  of  ravenous  beasts 
through  which  the  traveller  must  push  his  way, 
present  to  European  adventurers  barriers  which 
they  cannot  expect  to  surmount  by  the  ordinary 
modes  of  conveyance,  for  a  lapse  of  ages.  But 
by  balloons  constructed  with  an  apparatus  for 
directing  their  motions,  all  such  obslnictions 
would  at  once  be  surmounted.  The  nnwl  im- 
penetrable regions,  now  hemmed  in  by  streams 
and  marshes,  and  lofty  mountains,  and  a  barba- 
rous population,  wo«ild  be  quickly  laid  op«a 


AIR  BALLOONS. 


131 


and  cities  and  nations,  lakes  and  rivers,  and 
fertile  plains,  to  which  we  are  now  entire  stran- 
gers, would  soon  burst  upon  the  view.  And  the 
very  circumstance,  that  the  messengers  of  peace 
ftnd  salvation  desceruled  upon  such  unknown 
tribes  from  the  regions  of  the  clouds,  might  arouse 
their  minds,  and  excite  their  attention  and  regard 
to  the  message  of  divine  mercy  which  they 
came  thither  to  proclaim.*  Such  a  scene  (and 
it  may  probably  be  realized)  would  present  a 
literal  fulfilment  of  the  prediction  of  "  angels 
flying  through  the  midst  of"  the  aerial  "  heaven, 
having  the  everlasting  gospel  to  preach  to  them 
that  dwell  upon  the  earth,  and  to  every  kindred 
and  nation." 

That  the  attention  of  the  philosophical  world 
u  presently  directed  to  this  subject,  and  that  we 
have  some  prospect  of  the  views  above  suggested 
being  soon  realized,  will  appear  from  the  follow- 
ing notice,  which  lately  made  its  appearance  in 
the  London  scientific  journals  : — "  A  prize  being 
offered  for  the  discovery  of  a  horizontal  direction 
in  aerostation,  M.  Mingreli  of  Bologna,  M. 
Pietripoii  of  Venice,  and  M.  Lember  of  Nu- 
remberg, have  each  assumed  the  merit  of  resolv- 
ing this  problem.  It  does  not  appear  that  any 
one  of  these  has  come  forward  to  establish,  by 
practical  experiment,  the  validity  of  his  claim  ; 
but  a  pamphlet  has  lately  been  reprinted  at 
Paris  (first  printed  at  Vienna)  on  this  subject, 
addressed  to  all  the  learned  societies  in  Europe. 
The  following  passage  appears  in  the  work  : — 
"  Professor  Robertson  proposes  to  construct  an 

•  In  this  point  of  view,  we  cannot  but  feel  the 
most  poignant  regret  at  the  conduct  of  the  Spaniards, 
after  the  discovery  of  America,  towards  the  natives 
of  tliat  country.  When  those  untutored  people  be- 
held the  ships  which  had  conveyed  Columbus  and 
his  associates  from  the  eastern  world,  the  dresses 
and  martial  order  of  his  troops,  and  heard  their 
music,  and  the  thunder  of  their  cannon,  they  were 
ailed  with  astonishment  and  wonder  at  the  strange 
objects  presented  to  their  view ;  they  fell  prostrate 
at  their  feet,  and  viewed  them  as  a  superior  race  of 
men.  When  Cortes  afterwards  entered  the  territo- 
ries of  Mexico,  tlie  same  sentiments  of  reverence  and 
admiration  seemed  to  pervade  its  inhabit.ints.  Had 
pure  Christian  motives  actuated  the  minds  of  these 
.idventurers,  and  had  It  been  their  ruling  desire  to 
communicate  to  those  ignorant  tribes  the  blessings 
■of  the  gospel  of  peace,  and  to  administer  to  their 
«xternal  comfort,  the  circumstances  now  stated 
would  have  been  highly  favourable  to  the  success  of 
missionary  exertion,  and  would  have  led  them  to 
listen  with  attention  to  the  message  from  heaven. 
But,  unfortunately  for  the  cause  of  religion,  trea- 
chery, lust,  cruelty,  selfi.-'hness,  and  t!ie  cursed  love  of 
gold,  predominated  over  every  other  feeling,  affixed 
a  stigma  to  the  Christian  name,  and  rendered  them 
curses  instead  of  blessings,  to  that  newly -discover- 
ed race  of  men.  It  is  most  earnestly  to  be  wished, 
that,  in  future  expeditions  in  que.st  of  unknown 
trills,  a  few  intelligent  and  philanthropic  missiona- 
ries may  be  appointed  to  direct  the  atlventurers  In 
their  moral  conduct  and  Intercourse  with  the  peo- 
ple they  visit,  in  order  that  nothing  inconsistent 
with  Christian  principle  make  its  appearance.  The 
uniform  manifestation  of  Christian  benevolence, 
purity,  and  rectltuile,  by  a  superior  race  of  men, 
would  win  the  aflfections  of  a  rude  people  far  more 
effectually  than  all  the  pomp  and  ensigns  of  raiU- 
Ury  parade. 

lo 


aerostatic  machine,  150  feet  in  diameter,  to  be 
capable  of  raising  72,954  kilograms,  equivalent 
to  149,037  lbs.  weight,  (French,)  to  be  capa- 
ble of  conveying  all  the  necessaries  for  the  sup- 
port of  sixty  individuals,  scientific  characters, 
to  be  selected  by  the  acaxiemicians,  and  the 
aerial  navigations  to  last  for  some  months, 
exploring  ditTerent  heights  and  climates,  &c.  in 
all  seasons.  If,  from  accident,  or  wear,  the  ma- 
chine, elevated  above  the  ocean,  should  fail  in 
its  functions,  to  be  furnished  with  a  ship  that 
will  ensure  the  return  of  the  aeronauts." 

Should  any  one  be  disposed  to  insinuate,  that 
the  views  now  stated  on  this  subject  are  chime- 
rical and  fallacious,  I  beg  leave  to  remind  them, 
that,  not  more  than  twenty  years  ago,  the  idea 
of  a  large  vessel,  without  oars  and  sails,  to  be 
navigated  against  the  wind,  with  the  rapidity  of 
ten  miles  an  hour,  would  have  been  considered 
as  next  to  an  impossibility,  and  a  mere  fanciful 
scheme,  which  could  never  be  realized.  Yet  we 
now  behold  such  vehicles  transporting  whole  vil- 
lages to  the  places  of  their  destination,  with  a 
degree  of  ease,  comfort,  and  expedition,  formerly 
unknown.  And  little  more  than  forty  years  have 
elapsed,  since  it  would  have  been  viewed  as  still 
more  chimerical  to  have  broached  the  idea,  that 
a  machine  might  be  constructed,  by  which  hu- 
man beings  might  ascend  more  than  two  miles 
above  the  surface  of  the  earth,  and  fly  through 
the  region  of  the  clouds  at  the  rate  of  seventy 
miles  an  hour,  carrying  along  with  them  books, 
instruments,  and  provisions.  Yet  both  these 
schemes  have  been  fully  realized,  and,  like  many 
other  inventions  of  the  human  intellect,  are 
doubtless  intended  to  subserve  some  important 
ends  in  the  economy  of  divine  providence. f 


■••  Balloons  were  first  constructed  in  the  year  1783, 
by  Messrs.  S.  and  J.  Mongolfler,  paper  manufactu- 
rers at  Annonay,  in  France.  A  sheep,  a  cock,  and 
a  duck,  were  the  first  animals  ever  carried  up  into 
the  air  by  these  veiiicles.  At  the  end  of  their  jour- 
ney, they  w^ere  found  perfectly  safe  and  unhurt,  and 
the  sheep  was  even  feeding  at  perfect  ease.  The 
first  human  being  who  ascended  into  the  atmosphere 
in  one  of  these  macliines,  was  M.  Pilatre  de  Rozier. 
This  adventurer  ascended  from  amidst  an  astonished 
multitude  assembled  in  a  garden  in  Paris,  on  the  tsth 
October,  1783,  in  a  balloon,  whose  diameter  was  48 
feet,  and  its  height  about  74 :  and  remained  sus- 
pended above  the  city  alx)ut  four  hours.  Mr.  Lu- 
nardi,  an  Italian,  soon  after,  astonished  the  people 
of  England  and  Scotland,  by  his  aerial  excursions. 
Dr.  G.  Gregory  gives  the  following  account  of  his 
ascent:— "I  was  myself  a  spectator  of  the  flight  of 
Lunardl,  and  1  never  was  present  at  a  sight  so  inte- 
resting and  sublime.  The  beauty  of  the  gradual 
ascent,  united  witKasentlment  of  terror,  on  account 
of  the  danger  of  the  man,  and  the  novelty  and  gran- 
deur of  the  whole  appearance,  are  more  than  words 
can  express.  A  delicate  woman  was  so  overcome 
with  the  spectacle,  that  she  died  upon  the  spot,  as 
the  balloon  ascended ;  several  fainted ;  and  the  silent 
admiration  of  the  anxious  multitude  was  beyond  any 
thing  I  hail  ever  beheld." 

Balloons  have  Xxtn  generally  made  of  varnished 
silk,  and  of  the  shape  of  a  globe  or  a  spheroid,  from 
thirty  to  fifty  feet  in  diameter.  They  are  filled  with 
hydrogen  gas,  which,  as  formerly  stated,  is  from 
twelve  to  fifteen  times  lighter  than  comioon  air 


133 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


AooumAc  TunneU. — B/  mean*  of  thn  inven- 
tions just  now  adverted  to,  when  brought  to  per- 
fection, matikiml  may  be  enabled  to  tranaport 
themselves  (o  every  refrion  of  the  globe,  with  a 
much  greater  dejfref  of  riipidity  that  has  hitherto 
been  attained.  By  the  hil|>  of  the  microscope, 
we  are  enabled  to  cunteinplate  the  invisible 
worlds  of  life,  an<l  by  the  telescope  wo  caa  ytt- 
aetrate  in'o  regions  far  beyond  the  range  of  the 
unassisted  eye.  By  the  arts  of  writing  and 
printing;,  we  can  oiminunicate  our  sentiments, 
after  a  certain  lapse  of  lime,  to  every  quarter  of 
Uie  world.  In  tho  progress  of  human  knowledge 
and  improvement,  it  wo«ild  obviously  be  of  con- 
siderable importance,  could  tut  txltnd  the  range 
of  the  human  voice,  and  ciimmunicale  inleiligenco 
to  the  distance  of  a  thousand  miles,  in  the  course 
of  two  or  three  hours  ;  or  could  we  hold  an 
occasional  conversation  with  a  friend  at  ihe  dis- 
tance of  30  or  30  miles.  Prom  the  experiments 
which  have  been  lately  made,  in  reference  to  the 
conveyance  of  sound,  we  have  some  reason  to 
believe,  that  such  objects  may  not  be  altogether 
unattainable.  It  has  been  long  known,  that 
wood  is  a  good  conductor  of  sound.  If  a  watch 
.  be  laid  on  the  end  of  a  long  beam  of  timber,  its 
beating  will  be  distinctly  heard,  on  applying  the 
ear  to  the  other  end,  though  it  could  not  be  heard 
at  the  same  distance  through  the  air.  In  "  Ni- 
cholson's Philosophical  Journal"  for  February, 
1803,  Mr.  E.  Walker  describes  a  simple  appa- 
ratus, connected  with  a  speaking  trum)>et,  by 
means  of  which,  at  the  distance  of  17l  feet,  he 
held  a  conversation  with  another  in  whispers,  too 
low  to  be  heard  through  the  air  at  that  distance. 
When  the  ear  was  placed  in  a  certain  position, 
the  words  were  heard  as  if  they  had  been  spoken 
by  an  invisible  being  within  the  trumpet.  And 
what  rendered  the  deception  still  more  pleasing, 
the  words  were  more  distinct,  8i>fter,  and  more 
musical,  than  if  they  had  been  spoken  through 
the  air. 

About  the  year  1750,  a  merchant  of  Cleves, 
nanned  Jorisen,  who  had  become  almost  totally 
deaf,  sitting  one  day  near  a  harpsichord,  while 
■ome  one  was  playin;;,  and  having  a  tobacco- 
pipe  in  his  mouth,  the  bowl  of  which  nested  acci- 
dentally against  the  body  of  the  instrument,  he 
wms  agreeably  and  unexpectedly  surprised  to 
bear  all  the  notes  in  the  roost  distinct  manner. 
By  a  little  reflection  and  practice,  he  again  ob* 

aad  tbex  rise  Into  the  atmosphere,  on  the  same  prin- 
ciple as  a  piece  of  i-ork  asceniis  from  the  tmttom  of 
a  pall  of  water.  The  aeri.al  travellers  are  seated  In 
a  basket  below  the  Inlloon,  whirh  Is  attached  to  It 
by  means  of  rorls.  The  parachute  Is  an  invention, 
by  which  the  voyatrcr,  In  cases  of  .-ilarm,  may  l)e 
enabled  to  desert  his  balloon  in  mliialr,  ami  descend, 
without  Injury,  to  the  croiind.  They  reccmhle  an 
■mbrella,  but  arc  of  far  prcater  extent.  With  one 
•f  these  contrivances,  twenty  three  feet  In  diameter, 
M.  Qameriii,  having  detached  himself  from  his  bal- 
loon, descended  from  a  hetcht  of  mure  than  4000  feet, 
and  landed  wUbottt  attock  or  accident 


tained  the  use  of  this  valuable  sense  :  for  he  SOM 
learned,  by  nieanx  of  a  piece  of  hard  wood,  ooc 
end  of  which  he  placed  against  his  teeth,  while 
another  person  placed  the  other  end  on  his  teeth, 
to  keep  up  a  conversation,  and  to  be  able  to  un- 
derstand the  least  whisper.  In  this  way,  two 
persons  who  hare  stopped  their  ears  may  coo- 
verse  with  each  other,  when  they  hoM  a  loof 
stick  or  a  seriee  of  sticks  between  their  teeth,  or 
rest  their  teeth  against  ihcin.  The  efl'ect  is  the 
same,  if  the  person  who  speaks  rexls  ihe  stick 
against  his  throat,  or  his  breast,  or  when  one 
rests  the  stick  which  he  hokis  in  his  teeth  against 
some  vessel  into  which  the  other  speaks ;  and 
the  effect  will  be  greater,  the  more  the  vessel  is 
capable  of  tremulous  motion.  These  experi- 
ments demonstrate  the  facility  with  which  the 
softest  whispers  may  be  transmitted.  Water 
also  is  found  to  be  a  good  conductor  of  sound. 
Dr.  Franklin  assures  us,  that  he  has  heard  under 
water,  at  the  distance  of  half  a  mile,  the  sound 
of  two  stones  struck  against  each  other.  It  haa 
been  also  observed,  that  the  velocity  of  sound  ia 
much  greater  in  solid  bodies,  than  in  the  air. 
By  a  series  of  experiments,  instituted  for  the 
purpose  of  determining  this  point,  Mr.  Chladni 
found  that  the  velocity  of  sound,  in  certain  solid 
bodies,  is  16  or  17  times  as  great  as  in  air. 

But  what  has  a  more  particular  bearing  on  the 
object  hinted  at  above,  is,  the  experiments  lately 
made  by  M.  Biot,  "  on  the  transmission  of  sound 
through  solid  bodies,  and  through  air,  in  very 
long  tubes,"  These  experiments  were  made  by 
means  of  long  cylindrical  pipes,  which  were 
constructing  for  conduits  and  aqueducts,  to  em- 
bellish Ihe  city  of  Paris.  With  regard  to  the 
velocity  of  sound,  it  was  ascertained  that  "  its 
transmission  through  cast  iron  is  10|  times  as 
quick  as  through  air."  The  pij)es  by  which  he 
wished  to  ascertain  at  what  distance  sounds  are 
audible,  were  1,039  yards,  or  nearly  five  furbngs, 
in  kngih.  M.  Biot  was  stationed  at  the  one  end 
of  this  series  of  pipes,  and  Mr.  Martin,  a  gen- 
tleman who  assisteid  in  the  experiments,  at  the 
other.  They  heard  the  lowest  voice,  so  as  per- 
fectly to  distinguish  the  words,  and  to  keep  up 
a  conversation  on  all  the  subjects  of  the  experi- 
ments.  "  I  wished,"  snys  M.  Biot,  "  to  deter- 
mine the  point  at  which  the  human  voi<»  ceases 
to  be  audible,  but  could  not  accomplish  it :  words 
spoken  as  low  as  when  we  whisper  a  secret  in 
another's  ear,  were  heard  and  understood  ;  so  that 
not  to  be  heard,  there  was  but  one  resource,  that 
of  not  speaking  at  all.  This  mode  of  conversing 
with  an  invisible  neighbour  is  so  singular,  that 
we  cannot  help  being  surprised,  even  ihotigb 
acquainted  with  the  cause.  Between  a  qaestion 
and  answer,  the  interval  was  not  greater  thar 
was  necessary  for  the  Iransmissirm  of  smind. 
For  Mr.  Martin  and  me,  at  the  distance  of  1 .039 
yards,  the  time  was  about  5i  seconds."  Re- 
ports of  a  pistol  fired  at  one  end,  occssiosed  • 


ACOUSTIC  TUNNELS. 


13S 


considerable  explosion  at  the  other.  The  air 
was  driven  out  of  the  pipe  with  sufficient  force 
to  give  the  hand  a  smart  blow,  to  drive  light  sub- 
stances out  of  it  to  the  distance  of  half  a  yard, 
and  to  extinguish  a  candle,  though  it  was  1,039 
yards  distant  from  the  place  where  the  pistol  was 
fired.  A  detailed  account  of  these  experiments 
may  be  seen  in  Nicholson^ s  Phil.  Jour,  for  Oc' 
tober,  1811.  Don  Gaiitier,  the  inventor  of  the 
telegraph,  suggested  also  the  method  of  convey- 
ing articulate  sounds  to  a  great  distance.  He 
proposed  to  build  horizontal  tunnels,  widening  at 
the  remoter  extremity,  and  found  that  at  the 
distance  of  400  fathoms,  or  nearly  half  a  mile, 
the  ticking  of  a  watch  could  be  heard  far  better 
than  close  to  the  ear.  He  calculated  that  a  se> 
ries  of  such  tunnels  would  convey  a  message 
900  miles  in  an  hour. 

From  the  experiments  now  stated,  it  appears 
highly  probable,  that  sounds  may  be  conveyed  to 
an  indefinite  distance.  If  one  man  can  converse 
with  another  at  the  distance  of  nearly  three 
quarters  of  a  mile,  by  means  of  the  softest  whis- 
per, there  is  every  reason  to  believe,  that  they 
could  hold  a  conversation  at  the  distance  of  30 
Of  40  miles,  provided  the  requisite  tunnels  were 
constructed  for  this  purpose.  The  latter  case 
does  not  appear  more  wonderful  than  the  former. 
Were  this  point  fully  determined,  by  experiments 
conducted  on  a  more  extensive  scale,  a  variety 
of  interesting  effects  would  follow,  from  a  prac- 
tical application  of  the  results.  A  person  at  one 
end  of  a  large  city,  at  an  appointed  hour,  might 
communicate  a  message,  or  hold  a  conversation 
with  his  friend,  at  another ;  friends  in  neigh- 
bouring, or  even  in  distant  towns,  might  hold  an 
occasional  correspondence  by  articulate  sounds, 
and  recognize  each  other's  identity  by  their 
tones  of  voice.  In  the  case  of  sickness,  acci- 
dent, or  death,  intelligence  could  thus  be  commu« 
nicated,  and  the  tender  sympathy  of  friends  in- 
stantly exchanged.  A  clergyman  sitting  in  his 
own  room  in  Edinburgh,  were  it  at  any  time 
expedient,  might  address  a  congregation  in 
Musselburgh  or  Dalkeith,  or  even  in  Glasgow. 
He  might  preach  the  same  sermon  to  his  own 
church,  and  the  nexi  hour  to  an  assembly  at  forty 
miles  distant.  And  surely  there  could  be  no  va- 
lid objection  to  trying  the  effect  of  an  invisible 
preacher  on  a  Christian  audience.  On  similar 
principles,  an  apparatus  might  be  constructed  for 
augmenting  the  strength  of  the  human  voice,  so 
as  to  make  it  extend  its  force  to  an  assembled 
multitude,  composed  of  fifty  or  a  hundred  thou« 
sand  individuals  ;  and  the  utility  of  such  a  power, 
when  the  mass  of  mankind  are  once  thoroughly 
aroused  to  attend  to  rational  and  religious  in- 
struction, may  be  easily  conceived.  In  short, 
intelligence  respecting  every  important  discove- 
ry, occurence,  and  event,  might  thus  be  commu- 
nicated, through  the  extent  of  a  whole  kingdom, 
within  the  space  of  on  hour  after  it  had  taken  place. 


Let  none  imagine  that  such  a  project  is  either 
chimerical  or  impossible.  M.  Biot's  experiment 
is  decisive,  so  far  as  it  goes,  that  the  softest 
Whisper,  without  any  diminution  of  its  intensity, 
niay  be  communicated  to  the  distance  of  nearly 
three  quarters  of  a  mile;  and  there  is  nothing 
but  actual  experiment  wanting  to  convince  us, 
that  the  ordinary  tones  of  the  human  voice  may 
be  conveyed  to  at  least  twenty  times  that  dis« 
tance.  We  are  just  now  acting  on  a  similar 
principle,  in  distributing  illumination  through 
large  cities.  Not  thirty  years  ago,  the  idea  of 
hghting  our  apartments  by  an  invisible  substance, 
produced  at  ten  miles'  distance,  would  have  been 
considered  as  chimerical,  and  as  impossible  to 
be  realized,  as  the  idea  of  two  persons  convers- 
ing together,  by  articulate  sounds,  at  such  a  dis- 
tance. It  appears  no  more  wonderful,  that  we 
should  be  able  to  hear  at  the  distance  of  five  or 
six  miles,  than  that  we  should  be  enabled  to  see 
objects  at  that  distance  by  the  telescope,  as  dis- 
tinctly as  if  we  were  within  a  few  yards  of  them. 
Both  are  the  effects  of  those  principles  and  laws 
which  the  Creator  has  interwoven  with  the  sys- 
tem of  the  material  world ;  and  when  man  has 
discovered  the  mode  of  their  operation,  it  re- 
mains with  himself  to  apply  them  to  his  necessi- 
ties. What  the  telescope  is  to  the  eye,  acoustic 
tunnels  would  be  to  the  ear ;  and  thus,  those 
senses  on  which  our  improvement  in  knowledge 
and  enjoyment  chiefly  depends,  would  be  gra- 
dually carried  to  the  utmost  perfection  of  which 
our  station  on  earth  will  permit.  And,  as  to 
the  expense  of  constructing  such  communications 
for  sound,  the  tenUi  part  of  the  millions  of  money 
expended  in  the  twenty-two  years'  war  in  which 
we  were  lately  engaged,  would,  in  all  probability, 
be  more  than  sufficient  for  distributing  them,  in 
numerous  ramification,  through  the  whole  island 
of  Great  Britain.  Even  although  such  a  project 
were  partially  to  fail  of  success,  it  would  be  a 
far  more  honourable  and  useful  national  under- 
taking, than  that  which  now  occupies  the  atten- 
tion of  the  despots  on  the  continent  of  Europe, 
and  might  be  accomplished  with  far  less  expen- 
diture, either  of  blood  or'of  money.  Less  than 
the  fourth  part  of  a  million  of  pounds  would  be 
sufficient  for  trying  an  experiment  of  this  kind, 
on  an  extensive  scale ;  and  such  a  sum  is  con- 
sidered as  a  mere  item,  when  fleets  and  armies 
are  to  be  equipped  for  carrying  destruction 
through  sea  and  land.  When  will  the  war  mad- 
ness cease  its  rage !  When  will  men  desist 
from  the  work  of  destruction,  and  employ  their 
energies  and  their  treasures  in  the  cause  of  hu- 
man improvement !  The  most  chimerical  pro- 
jects that  were  ever  suggested  by  the  most  en- 
thusiastic visionary,  are  not  half  so  ridiculous, 
and  degrading  to  the  character  of  man,  as  those 
ambitious  and  despotic  schemes,  in  which  the 
powers  of  the  earth  in  all  ages  have  been  chiefly 
engaged.     But  on  this   topic  it  is  needless  to 


1 


m 


THE  OHRiSTIAK^PHILOSOPHER. 


enUrfe,  tifl  more  exiendad  expcnmenu  ■hall 
haTo  be«n  uiidorukkn. 

In  the  prece<tiiig  skelches  I  have  presenled  a 
few  spccimenn  of  ihe  relation  which  the  iiivriH 
liora  of  huRMn  ingenuity  bear  to  religious  ob> 
jects.  I  intrntled  to  have  traced  the  tame 
relation  in  several  other  insianceii ;  in  the  inven- 
tion of  tlie  electrical  machine,  the  air-pump, 
mills,  clocks  and  watches,  gas-lights,  chyroical 
fumigations,  inventions  for  enabling  us  to  walk 
upon  the  water,  to  prevent  and  alleviate  the  dan- 
gers of  shipwreck,  &c.  &c.  But,  as  my  pre- 
scribed limits  »ill  not  permit  farther  enlarge- 
ment, I  trust  that  what  has  been  already  slated 
will  be  sufficient  to  establish  and  illustrate  my 
general  position.  From  this  subject  we  may 
learn —  | 

IsU  That  the  various  processes  of  art,  and 
the  exertions  of  human  ingenuity,  are  under  the 
special  direction  of  Him  who  arranges  all  things 
"  according  to  the  counsel  of  his  will."  As 
"  the  king's  heart  is  in  the  hand  of  the  Lord, 
and,  as  the  rivers  of  waters,  he  turns  it  whither- 
soever he  pleases,"  so  alt  the  varied  schemes 
and  movements  of  the  human  mind,  the  disco- 
veries of  science,  and  the  diversified  experi- 
ments of  mechanics,  chymists,  and  philosophers, 
are  directed  in  such  channels  as  may  issue  in 
the  accomplishment  of  His  eternal  purposes,  iu 
respect  to  the  present  and  future  condition  of 
the  inhabitants  of  our  world.  This  truth  is  also 
plainly  taught  us  in  the  records  of  insgiration. 
"  Doth  the  ploughman  plough  all  day  to  sow  ? 
Doth  he  open  and  break  the  clods  of  his  ground  ? 
When  he  hath  made  plain  the  face  thereof,  doth 
he  not  cast  abroad  the  fitches,  ar>d  scatter  the 
cummin,'*'  and  cast  in  the  wheat  in  the  principal 
[place,]  and  the  barley  in  the  appointed  place, 
and  the  rye  in  its  proper  place  ?  For  hi*  God 
doth  instruct  fum  to  discretion,  and  doth  teach 
him.  This  also  cometh  forth  from  the  Lord  of 
hosts,  who  is  wonderful  in  counsel,  and  excellent 
in  working."  Agriculture  has,  by  most  nations, 
been  attributed  to  the  suggestions  of  Deity  ;  for 
"  every  good  and  perfect  gift  cometh  down  from 
the  Father  of  lights."  It  is  he  who  hath  taught 
men  to  dig  from  the  bowels  of  the  earth  iron, 
copper,  lead,  silver,  and  gold,  and  to  apply  them 
to  useful  purposes  in  social  life;  and  who  hath 
given  them  "  wisdom  and  understanding"  to 
4pply  the  animal  and  vegetable  productions  of 
nature  to  the  manufacture  of  cfoths,  linen,  mus- 
lin, and  silk,  for  the  use  and  ornament  uf  man." 
For  "  all  things  are  of  God."  "  Both  riches 
and  honour  come  from  him,  and  he  reignelh  over 
all,  and  in  his  hand  is  power  and  might;  and  in 
his  hand  it  is  to  make  great,  and  to  give  strength 
to  all."  When  the  frame  c(  the  Mosaic  ta- 
bernacle and  all  its  curious  TMwla  wero  to  be 

*  FUche*  Is  a  kind  of  seed  ftequentlr  sown  In 
Judea,  for  the  use  of  cattle :  and  cummin  Is  the  seed 
o(  a  plant  somewhat  like  faaoeL 


constructed,  the  mind  of  Bezaleel  **waa  flW 
with  thu  spirit  of  God,  in  wiadoM  and  uodaita 
standing,  and  in  knowletige,  and  in  ail  maoDer 
of  workmanship,  to  devise  curioua  works  im 
gold,  and  in  silver,  and  in  brass."  And,  wheo 
the  fabric  of  the  New  'restamem  diurch  i*  to 
be  reared,  and  its  boundaries  extended,  arti- 
ficers of  every  description,  adequate  for  carrying 
on  the  diSerent  parts  of  the  work  are  raised 
up,  and  inspired  with  the  spirit  of  their  reapectiva 
departments — Home  with  the  spirit  of  writing, 
printing,  and  publishing ;  eume  with  the  spirit 
of  preaching,  lecturing,  and  catecliisiag ;  aooie 
with  the  spirit  of  fortitude,  I*  make  bold  wid 
daring  adventures  into  disiant  and  barkaraus 
climes;  and  others  with  the  spirit  oT  literature, 
of  science,  and  of  the  mechanical  arts— all  acW 
ing  as  pioneers  "  to  pre|Mire  the  way  of  the 
Lord,"  and  as  builders  for  carrying  forward 
and  completing  the  fabric  of  the  Christian 
church. 

2diy.  All  the  mechanical  contrivances  to 
which  I  have  adverted,  all  the  diaooveriea  of 
science,  and  all  the  useful  inventions  </  geniua 
which  may  hereafter  be  exhibited,  ought  to  be 
viewed  as  pn-paring  the  way  for  the  milUnnial 
era  of  the  church,  and  as  having  a  certain  ten- 
dency to  the  melioration  of  t>ie  external  condi- 
tion of  mankind  during  its  continuance.  We 
are  certain,  from  the  very  nature  of  things,  as 
well  as  from  scriptural  predictions,  tliat,  when 
this  peril  d  advances  towards  the  summit  of  its 
glory,  the  external  circumstances  of  this  world's 
population  will  be  comfortable,  prosperous,  and 
greatly  meliorated  beyond  what  they  have  ever 
been  in  the  ages  that  are  past.  "  Then  shall  the 
earth  yield  her  increase,  and  God,  even  our  own 
God,  shall  bless  us.  Then  shall  he  give  the  ram 
of  thy  seed,  that  thou  shall  sow  thy  ground  with- 
al; and  bread  of  the  increase  of  the  earth ;  and 
it  shall  be  fat  and  plenteous.  In  that  day  shall  thy 
cattle  feed  in  large  pastures ;  ilie  oxen  likewise 
and  the  young  a^es  that  ear  the  ground  shall  eat 
savoury  provender,  which  hath  been  winnowed 
with  the  shovel  and  with  the  fan.  And  the  in- 
habitants shall  not  say,  I  am  sick.  They  shW! 
build  houses  and  inhabit  them,  and  plant  vine- 
yards, and  eat  the  fruit  of  them.  They  shaH 
not  build,  and  another  inhabit;  they  shall  not 
plant,  and  another  eat ;  fur  at  (Ae  days  of  a  tret 
are  the  day*  of  my  people,  aud  mine  elect  shall 
long  enjoy  the  work  of  their  hands.  They  shall 
not  labour  in  vain,  nor  bring  forth  for  trouble; 
for  they  are  the  seed  of  the  bleaeed  of  the  Lord, 
and  their  offspring  with  them.  The  seed  ahail 
be  prosperous,  the  vine  shall  give  her  fruit,  and 
the  ground  shall  give  her  increase,  and  the  hei^ 
vens  shall  give  their  dew  ;  the  evil  beasts  shall 
cease  out  of  the  land,  and  they  shall  sit  every 
roan  under  his  vine,  and  under  his  6g-tree,  and 
none  shall  make  him  afraid  ;  for  wars  shall  cease 
to  the  ends  of  ibe  world,  and  the  knowledgeof  the 


MILLENNIAL  ERA. 


135 


Lord  shall  cover  the  earth  as  the  waters  cover 
the  sea."*  Diseases  will  be,  in  a  great  mea- 
sure, banished  from  the  world,  and  the  life  of 
man  extended  far  beyond  its  present  duration 
— agriculture  will  be  brought  to  perfection — 
commodious  habitations  erected  for  the  com- 
fortable accommodation  of  all  ranks — cities  built 
on  elegant  and  spacious  plans,  adapted  to  health, 
ornament,  and  pleasure;  divested  of  all  the  filth, 
and  darkness,  and  gloom,  and  narrow  lanes,  which 
now  disgrace  the  abodes  of  men — roads  will  be 
constructed  on  improved  principles,  with  com- 
fortable means  of  retreat  for  shelter  and  accom- 
modation at  all  seasons ;  and  conveyances  in- 
vented for  the  ease,  and  safety,  and  rapid  con- 
veyance of  persons  and  property  from  one  place 
to  another.  Either  the  climates  of  the  earth  will 
be  meliorated,  by  the  universal  cultivation  of  the 
soil,  so  that  storms  anJ  tempests,  thunders  and 
lightnings,  shall  no  longer  produce  their  present 
ravages  ,  or  chymical  and  mechanical  contrivan- 
ces will  be  invented  to  ward  off  their  destructive 
effects.  The  landscape  of  the  earth  will  be 
adorned  with  vegetable  and  architectural  beauty  ; 
and,  instead  of  horse-racing,  demoralizing  plays, 
routs  and  masquerades,  boxing  and  bull-baits — 
artificial  displays  of  scenery  will  be  exhibited, 
more  congenial  to  the  dignity  of  rational,  reno- 
vated, and  immortal  minds.  For  "  the  knowlege 
of  the  Lord,"  and  the  "  beauties  of  holiness," 
will  pervade  men  of  all  ranks  and  ages,  "  from 
the  least  even  to  the  greatest."'! 

Now,  as  we  have  no  reason  to  expect  any 
miraculous  interference,  we  must  regard  the  past 
and  the  future  useful  inventions  of  philosophy 
and  mechanics,  as  having  a  bearing  on  this  glo- 
rious period,  and  a  tendency  to  promote  the  im- 
provement and  the   felicity  of  those  who  shall 


•  Psalm  Ixvil.  Isaiah  xxx.  23,  24,  xxxlli.  24.  Ixv. 
81,  S3,  &.C- 

t  The  various  circumstances  above  stated  may  be 
eonsldered  as  the  natural  results  of  a  state  of  society 
on  which  the  light  of  science  and  of  revelation  has 
diffused  its  full  influence,  and  where  the  active 
powers  of  the  human  mind  are  Invariably  directed 
by  the  pure  principles  and  precepts  of  Christianity. 
That  the  duration  of  hum.in  life,  at  the  era  referred 
to,  will  be  exlenJcrt  beyond  its  present  boundary, 
appears  to  be  intimated  in  some  of  the  passages 
above  quoted,  particularly  the  following—"  As  the 
days  of  a  tree  shall  he  the  days  of  my  people,  and 
mine  elect  shall  ton^  enjoy  the  work  of  their  hands." 
And,  if  the  life  of  man  will  be  thus  protracted  to  an 
indefinite  period,  it  will  follow,  thai  those  diseases 
which  now  prey  upon  the  human  frame,  and  cut 
short  its  vital  action,  will  be  in  a  great  measure  ex 
tirpated.  Both  these  effects  may  be  viewed  (with- 
out supposing  any  miraculous  interference)  as  the 
natural  consequence  of  that  happlui'ss  and  equa- 
nimity of  mind  which  will  flow  from  the  practice  of 
Christian  virtues,  from  the  enlargement  of  our 
knowledge  of  the  principles  of  nature,  and  from  the 
physical  enjoyments  which  such  a  state  of  society 
will  funiisb 


live  during  this  era  of  Messiah's  reign.  If  dis- 
eases are  to  be  generally  abolished,  it  will  b« 
owing  to  the  researches  of  the  scientific  physi- 
cian in  discovering  certain  antidotes  against 
every  disorder,  and  to  the  practice  of  temperance, 
meekness,  equanimity  of  mind,  and  every  other 
mean  of  preserving  the  vigour  of  the  animal 
frame.  If  the  earth  is  to  produce  its  treasures 
in  abundance,  and  with  little  labour,  it  will  i^ 
owing  in  part  to  the  improvement  of  agricultural 
science  and  of  the  instruments  by  which  its  ope- 
rations are  conducted.  If  the  lightnings  of 
heaven  shall  no  longer  prove  destructive  to  man 
and  to  the  labours  of  his  hands,  it  will  be  effect- 
ed either  by  machinery  for  drawing  off  the 
electricity  of  a  stormy  cloud,  or  by  the  invention 
of  thunder-guards,  which  shall  afford  a  complete 
protection  from  its  ravages.  In  these,  and  nu* 
merous  other  instances,  the  inventions  of  men, 
under  the  guidance  of  the  Spirit  of  wisdom,  will 
have  a  tendency  to  remove  a  great  part  of  the 
curse  which  has  so  long  hung  over  our  sinful 
world.  And  since  the  inventions  of  human  skill 
and  ingenuity  for  the  melioration  of  mankind, 
and  for  the  swift  conveyance  of  intelligence, 
have,  of  late  years,  been  rapidly  increasing,  at 
the  same  time  when  the  Christian  world  is  roused 
to  increased  exertions  in  disseminating  the 
Scriptures  throughout  all  lands,  when  general 
knowledge  is  increasingly  diffused,  and  when  the 
fabric  of  superstition  and  despotism  is  shaking 
to  its  foundations — these  combined  and  simul- 
taneous movements  seem  plainly  to  indicate, 
that  that  auspicious  era  is  fast  hastening  on, 
when  "  the  glory  of  Jehovah  shall  be  revealed, 
and  all  flesh  shall  see  it  together,"  when  "  right- 
eousness and  praise  shall  spring  forth  before  all 
nations,"  and  when  "holiness  to  the  Lord" 
shall  be  inscribed  on  all  the  pursuits,  and  imple- 
ments, and  employments  of  men. 

Lastly, — If  the  remarks  suggested  above  be 
well  founded,  wo  may  conclude,  that  the  me- 
chanical and  philosophical  inventions  of  genius 
are  worthy  of  the  attentive  consideration  of  the 
enlightened  Christian,  particularly  in  the  rela- 
tion they  may  have  to  the  accomplishment  of 
religious  objects.  He  should  contemplate  the 
experiments  of  scientific  men,  not  as  a  waste  of 
time,  or  the  mere  gratification  of  an  idle  curi- 
osity, but  as  imbodying  the  germs  of  those  im- 
provements, by  which  civilization,  domestic 
comfort,  knowledge,  and  moral  principle  may 
be  diffused  among  the  nations.  To  view  such 
objects  with  apathy  and  indifference,  as  beneath 
the  regard  of  a  religious  character,  argues  a 
weak  and  limited  understanding,  and  a  contract- 
ed view  of  the  grand  operations  of  a  superin- 
tendiug  Providence. 


ise 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


SCRIPTURAL  DOCTRINES  AND  FACTS  a.LU8TRATEO  PROM  TH£  SYSTEM  OP  NATDRB.' 


i 


Without  spending  time  in  any  introductory 
otMervatiuns  on  this  subject,  it  may  bo  remarlted 
in  general, 

I. — Thai  »dent\fic  knowledge,  or  an  acquaintance 
with  Ihf.  sy»lem  of  nature,  mat/  frequently 
terve  a*  a  guide  to  the  true  interpretation  of 
Scripture. 

It  may  be  laid  down  as  a  universal  principle, 
(hat  there  can  be  no  real  discrepancy  between 
a  just  interpretation  of  Scripture  and  the  facts 
of  physical  science ;  and  on  thli  principle,  the 
following  canun  is  founded,  which  may  be  con- 
sidered as  an  infallible  rule  for  Scripture  inter- 
pretatjon,  namely, — That  no  interpretation  of 
Scripture  ought  to  be  admitted  which  is  inconiiia- 
tent  with  any  toeli-authenticated  facts  in  the  ma- 
terial world.  By  well-authenticated  facta,  I  do 
not  mean  the  theories  of  philosophers,  or  Uie 
deductions  they  may  have  drawn  from  them,  nor 
the  confident  assertions  or  plausible  reasonings 
of  scientific  men  in  support  of  any  prevailing 
system  of  natural  science  ;  but  those  facts  which 
are  universally  admitted,  and  the  reality  of 
which  every  scientific  inquirer  has  it  in  his  power 
to  ascertain  :  such  as  that  the  earth  is  not  an  ex- 
tended plane,  but  a  round  or  globular  body,  and 
that  the  rays  of  the  sun,  when  converged  to  a  focus 
by  a  large  convex  glass,  will  set  fire  to  combus- 
tible substances.  Such  facts,  when  ascertained, 
ought  to  be  considered  as  a  revelation  from  God, 
as  well  as  the  declarations  of  his  word  For 
they  make  known  to  us  a  portion  of  his  cnarac- 
ter,  of  his  plans  and  his  operations. — This  rule 
may  be  otherwise  expressed  as  follows  : — JVhere 
a  postage  of  Scripture  is  of  doubtful  meaning,  or 
capable  of  different  interpretations,  that  interpreta- 
aon  ought  to  be  preferred  which  will  best  agree 
with  the  established  discoveries  of  science.  For 
fince  the  Author  of  revelation  and  the  Author  of 
universal  nature  is  one  and  the  same  infinite 
being, — there  must  eiist  a  complete  harmony  be- 
tween the  revelations  of  his  word,  and  the  facts  or 
relations  which  are  observed  in  the  material  uni- 
verse.    To  suppose  the  contrary,  would  be  to 

♦  Under  this  head,  It  was  originally  Intended  to 
embrace  an  elucidation  of  a  ronsldenibte  variety  of 
the  facts  recorded  in  sarreil  history,  and  of  the 
allusions  of  the  inspired  writers  to  (he  system  of 
liatore  ;  but  as  the  volume  has  already  swellsd  be- 
jrond  the  limits  proposed,!  am  reluctantly  romiwlied 
to  confine  myself  to  the  Illustration  of  only  two  or 
three  topics 


suppose  the  Almighty  capable  of  tnconsisteocj ; 
a  supposition  which  would  go  far  to  shake  out 
conlidence  in  the  theology  o[  nature,  as  well  as 
of  revelation.  If,  in  any  one  instance,  a  record 
claiming  to  be  a  revelation  from  heaven  were 
found  to  contradict  a  well-known  fact  in  the 
material  world  ;  if,  for  example,  it  asserted,  in 
express  terms,  to  be  literally  understood,  that  the 
earth  is  a  quiescent  body  in  the  centre  of  the 
universe,  or  that  the  moon  is  no  larger  than  a 
mountain  ;  it  would  be  a  (air  conclusion,  either 
that  the  revelation  was  not  divine,  or  that  the 
passages  iinb<xiying  such  assertions  are  interp*^ 
laiioiis,  or  that  science,  in  reference  to  the«e 
points,  has  nut  yet  arrived  at  the  truth.  The 
example,  we  are  aware,  is  inapplicable  to  tho 
the  Christian  revelation,  which  rests  secureljr 
on  Its  own  basis,  and  to  which  science  is  grado- 
ually  approximating,  as  it  advances  in  the  ampli- 
tude of  its  views,  and  the  correctness  of  its  de 
ductiuns ; — but  it  shows  us  how  necessary  it  is, 
in  interpreting  the  word  of  God,  to  keep  our  eye 
fixed  upon  his  works;  fur  we  may  rest  assured, 
that  truth  in  the  one  will  always  correspond  with 
fact  in  the  other. 

To  illustrate  the  rule  now  laid  down,  an  exam- 
ple or  two  may  be  stated.  If  it  be  a  fact  that 
geological  research  has  ascertained  that  the 
materials  of  the  strata  of  the  earth  are  of  a  more 
ancient  date  than  the  Mosaic  account  of  the  com- 
mencement of  the  present  race  of  men  ;  the 
passages  in  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis,  and 
other  parts  of  Scripture,  which  refer  to  the  origin 
of  our  world,  must  be  explained  as  conveying 
the  idea,  that  the  cartli  was  then  merely  arranged 
into  its  present  form  and  order,  out  of  the  inat»> 
rials  which  previously  existed  in  a  confused 
mass,  and  which  had  been  created  by  the  Al- 
mighty at  a  prior  period  in  duration.  For 
Moses  no  where  asserts,  that  the  materials  of 
our  globe  were  created,  or  brought  into  existence 
out  of  nothing,  at  the  time  to  which  his  history 
refers  ;  but  insinuates  the  contrary.  "  For  the 
earth"  says  he,  prior  to  its  present  constitution, 
"  teas  without  form  and  void,"  &c.  Again,  ifh 
be  a  fact  that  the  universe  is  indefinitely  extend- 
ed, that,  of  many  millions  of  vast  globes  which 
diversify  the  voids  of  space,  only  two  or  three 
have  any  immediate  connexion  with  the  earth, 
then  it  will  appear  most  reasonable  to  conclude, 
that  those  expressions  in  ihu  Mosaic  history  of 
the  creation,  which  refer  to  the  creation  of  the 
fixed  8t«n,  are  not  to  be  understood  as  referring 


SCRIPTURAL  FACTS  ILLUSTRATED. 


197 


to  the  Hme  when  they  were  brought  into  exist- 
ence, as  if  they  had  been  created  about  the 
same  time  with  our  earth;  but,  as  simply  de- 
claring the  fact,  that,  at  what  period  soever  in 
duration  they  were  created,  they  derived  their  ex- 
intencefrom  God.  That  they  did  not  all  com- 
mence their  existence  at  that  period,  is  demon- 
strable from  the  fact,  that,  within  the  space  of 
2000  years  past,  and  even  wiihin  the  space  of 
ihe  two  laist  centuries,  new  stars  have  appeared 
in  the  heavens  which  previously  did  not  exist 
in  the  concave  of  the  firmament ;  which,  conse- 
quently, have  been  created  since  the  Mosaic 
period  ;  or,  at  least,  have  undergone  a  change 
analogous  to  that  which  took  place  in  our  globe, 
when  it  emerged  from  a  chaotic  state  to  the 
form  and  order  in  which  we  now  behold  it. 
Consequently,  the  phrase,  "  God  rested  from  all 
his  works,"  must  be  understood  not  absolutely, 
or  in  reference  to  the  whole  system  of  nature, 
but  merely  in  relation  to  our  world  ;  and  as  im- 
porting, that  the  Creator  then  ceased  to  form 
any  new  species  of  beings  on  the  terraqueous 
globe.  The  same  canon  will  direct  us  in  the  in- 
terpretation of  those  passages  which  refer  to  the 
last  judgment,  and  the  destruction  of  the  present 
constitution  of  our  globe.  When,  in  reference 
to  these  events,  it  is  said,  "that  the  stars  shall 
fall  from  heaven,"  that  "  the  powers  of  heaven 
shall  be  shaken,"  and  that  "  the  earth  and  the 
heaven  shall  flee  away,"  our  knowledge  of  the 
system  of  nature  leads  us  to  conclude,  either  that 
such  expressions  are  merely  metaphorical,  or 
that  they  describe  only  the  appearance,  not  the 
recUity  of  things.  For  it  is  impossible  that  the 
stars  can  ever  fall  to  the  earth,  since  each  of 
them  is  of  a  size  vastly  superior  to  our  globe, 
and  could  never  be  attracted  to  its  surface,  with- 
out unhinging  the  laws  and  the  fabric  of  univer- 
sal nature.  The  appearance,  however,  of  the 
"  heaven  fleeing  away,"  would  be  produced, 
should  the  earth's  diurnal  rotation  at  that  pe- 
riod be  suddenly  stopped,  as  will  most  probably 
happen  ;  in  which  case,  all  nature,  in  this  sublu- 
nary system,  would  be  thrown  into  confusion, 
and  the  heavens,  with  all  their  host,  would  ap- 
pear to  flee  away. 

Now,  the  scientific  student  of  Scripture  alone 
can  judiciously  apply  the  canon  to  which  I  have 
adverted ;  he  alone  can  appreciate  its  utility  in 
the  interpretation  of  the  sacred  oracles ;  for  he 
knows  the  facts  which  the  philosopher  and  the 
astronomer  have  ascertained  to  exist  in  the  ays- 
tern  of  nature ;  from  the  want  of  which  informa- 
tion, many  divines,  whose  comments  on  Scrip- 
ture have,"  in  other  respects,  been  judicious, 
have  displayed  their  ignorance,  and  fallen  into 
egregious  blunders,  when  attempting  to  explain 
the  first  chapters  of  Genesis,  and  several  parts 
of  the  book  of  Job,  which  have  tended  to  bring 
discredit  on  the  oradea  of  heaven. 


II. — The  tystem  of  nature  ermfirtia  and  ilhu- 
irates  the  scriptural  doctrine  of  the  depravity 
OF  MAN. 

In  the  preceding  parts  of  this  volume,  I  have 
stated  several  striking  instances  of  divine  be- 
nevolence, which  appear  in  the  construction  of 
the  organs  of  the  animal  system,  in  the  con- 
stitution of  the  earth,  the  waters,  and  the  atmos 
phere,  and  in  the  variety  of  beauties  and  sublimi- 
ties which  adorn  the  face  of  nature ;  all  which 
proclaim,  in  language  which  can  scarcely  be 
mistaken,  that  the  Creator  has  a  special  regarc 
to  the  happiness  of  his  creatures.  Yet  the 
Scriptures  uniformly  declare,  that  man  has  fallen 
from  his  primeval  state  of  innocence,  and  has 
violated  the  laws  of  his  Maker  ;  that  "  his  heart 
is  deceitful  above  all  things,  and  desperately 
wicked  ;"  and  that  "  destruction  and  misery  are 
in  his  ways."  Observation  and  experience  also 
demonstrate,  that  a  moral  disease  pervades  the 
whole  human  family,  from  the  most  savage  to  the 
most  civilized  tribes  of  mankind ;  which  has  dis- 
played its  virulence  in  those  wars  and  devasta- 
tions which  have,  in  all  ages,  convulsed  the 
world  ;  and  which  daily  displays  itself  in  those 
acts  of  injustice,  fraud,  oppression,  malice,  ty- 
ranny, and  cruelty,  which  are  perpetrated  in 
every  country,  and  among  all  the  ranks  even  of 
civilized  life.  That  a  world  inhabited  by  moral 
agents  of  this  description  would  display,  in  its 
physical  constitution,  certain  indications  of  its 
Creator's  displeasure,  is  what  we  should  natu- 
rally expect,  from  a  consideration  of  those  attri* 
butes  of  his  nature  with  which  we  are  acquainted. 
Accordingly,  we  find,  that,  amidst  all  the  evi- 
dences of  henevolence  which  our  globe  exhibits, 
there  are  not  wanting  certain  displays  of  "  the 
wrath  of  Heaven  against  the  ungodliness  and 
unrighteousness  of  men,"  in  order  to  arouso 
them  to  a  sense  of  their  guilt,  and  to  inspire 
them  with  reverence  and  awe  of  that  Being 
whom  they  have  offended.  The  following  facts, 
among  many  others,  may  be  considered  as  cor- 
roborating this  position. 

In  the  first  place,  tAe  present  state  of  the  interi- 
or strata  of  the  earth  may  be  considered  as  a  pre- 
sumptive evidence,  that  a  moral  revolution  has 
taken  place  since  man  was  placed  upon  the  globe. 
When  we  penetrate  into  the  interior  recesses  of 
the  earth,  we  find  its  different  strata  bent  into 
the  most  irregular  forms  ;  sometime.s  lying  hori- 
zontally, sometimes  projecting  upwards,  and 
sometimes  downwards,  and  thrown  into  confii- 
sion  ;  as  if  some  dreadful  concussion  had  spread 
its  ravages  through  every  part  of  the  solid  crust 
of  our  globe.  This  is  visible  in  every  region  of 
the  earth.  Wherever  the  miner  penetrates  among 
its  subterraneous  recesses,  wherever  the  fissures 
and  caverns  of  the  earth  are  explored,  and  wher- 
ever the  nMuntains  lay  bar«  their  rugged  diffi. 


138 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


the  mariii  of  niin.  conTubion,  and  dimrder  meet 
the  tye  of  thr  beholder.  Evidences  ofiheee  facti 
•re  to  be  found  in  the  record*  of  all  iaielligent 
travellers  and  geolugisu  who  have  visited  Alpine 
districts,  or  explored  the  subterraneous  regions 
of  the  earth ;  of  which  I  have  already  stated  a 
few  instances,  in  the  article  of  Oeology,  pp.  74, 
75,77.  These  facts  seem  evidently  tu  indicate 
that  the  earth  is  not  now  in  the  same  state  in 
which  it  originally  proceeded  from  the  hand  of  its 
Creator ;  for  such  a  scene  of  disruption  and  de- 
rangement appears  incompatible  with  that  or- 
der, harmony,  and  beauty  which  are  apparent 
in  the  other  departments  of  nature.  We  dare 
not  assert,  that  such  terrible  convulsions  took 
place  by  chance,  or  independent  of  the  will  of 
the  Creator ;  nor  dare  we  insinuate,  that  they 
were  the  efiects  of  a  random  display  of  Al- 
mighty Power;  and  therefore,  we  are  neces- 
sarily led  to  infer,  that  a  moral  cause,  connected 
with  the  conduct  of  the  rational  inhabitants  of 
the  globe,  must  have  existed,  to  warrant  so 
awful  an  interposition  of  divine  power ;  for 
the  fate  of  the  animated  beings  which  then 
pei>pled  the  earth  was  involved  in  the  conse- 
quences which  must  have  attended  this  terri- 
ble catastrophe.  The  volume  of  revelation, 
on  this  point,  concurs  with  the  deductions  of 
reason,  and  assigns  a  cause  adequate  to  war- 
rant the  production  of  such  an  extraordinary 
effect.  "  The  wickedness  of  man  was  great 
upon  the  earth ;  the  earth  was  JiUed  with  vio- 
tence ;  every  purpose  and  desire  of  man's  heart 
was  only  evil  eontinually.  Man  had  frustrated 
the  end  uf  his  existence  ;  the  earth  was  turned 
into  a  habitation  of  demons  ;  the  long  period  to 
which  his  life  was  protracted  only  served  to 
harden  him  in  his  wickedness,  and  to  enable 
him  to  carry  his  diabolical  schemes  to  their 
utmost  extent,  till  the  social  state  of  the  hu- 
man race  became  a  scene  of  unmixed  depra- 
vity and  misery.  And  the  physical  effects  of 
the  punishment  of  this  universal  defection  from 
God  are  presented  to  our  view  in  every  land, 
and  will  remain  to  all  ages,  as  a  visible  m»- 
morial  that  man  has  rebelled  against  the  autho- 
rity of  his  Maker. 

2.  The  exiitence  of  Volcanoet,  and  the  terri- 
Ueravaget  they  produce,  bear  testimony  to  the 
stale  of  man  as  a  depraved  intelligence.  A 
volcano  is  a  moimtain,  generally  of  an  immense 
size,  from  whose  summit  issue  fire,  snnoke,  sul- 
phur, and  torrents  of  melted  lava,  (see  p.  66.) 
Previous  to  an  eruption,  the  smoke,  which  is 
continually  ascending  fi-om  the  crater,  or  open- 
ing in  the  top,  increases  and  shoots  up  to  an  im- 
mense height ;  forked  lightning  issues  from  the 
ascending  column;  showers  of  ashes  are  thrown 
out  to  the  distance  of  forty  or  fifty  miles ;  votleys 
of  red-hot  stones  are  discharged  to  a  great 
height  in  the  air  ;  the  sky  apfiears  thick  and  dark  ; 
the  luminariei  of  heaven  disappear ;  and  these 


terrible  foreboding*  are  accompanied  with  tbua* 
der,  lightning,  frequent  concussiouk'  of  the  earthy 
and  dreadful  subterraneou*  bellowings.  When 
thene  alarming  appearances  have  continued 
sometimes  four  or  five  months,  the  lava  begins  to 
make  its  appearance,  either  boiling  over  the  lop, 
or  forcing  its  way  thro<igh  the  side  of  the  moun- 
tain. This  fiery  deluge  of  melted  minerals  rolls 
down  the  declivity  of  the  mountain,  forming  a  dia- 
mal  flaming  stream,  sometimes  fourteen  mile* 
long,  six  mile*  broad,  and  SOO  feet  deep.  In  its 
course,  it  destroys  orchards,  vineyards,  comfiekU, 
and  villages ;  and  sometimes  cities,  containing 
twenty  thousand  inhabitants,  have  been  swallow- 
ed up  and  consumed.  Several  other  phenomena, 
of  awful  sublimity,  sometimes  accompany  th<!*e 
eruptions.  In  the  eruption  of  Vesuvius,  in  1794, 
a  shock  of  an  earthquake  was  felt  ;  and,  at  the 
same  instant,  a  fountain  of  bright  fite,  attended 
with  the  blackest  smoke,  and  a  loud  report,  wa* 
seen  to  issue,  and  to  rise  tu  a  great  height  from 
the  cone  of  the  mountain ;  and  was  soon  suo' 
ceeded  by  fifteen  other  fiery  fountains,  all  in  a 
direct  line  extending  for  a  mile  and  a  half  down- 
wards. This  fiery  scene  was  accompanied  with 
the  loudest  thunder,  the  incessant  reports  of 
which,  like  those  of  a  numerous  heavy  artillery, 
were  attended  by  a  continued  hollow  murmur, 
similar  to  that  of  the  roaring  of  the  ocean  during 
a  violent  storm.  The  houses  in  Naples,  at  seven 
miles'  distance,  were  for  several  hours  in  a  con- 
slant  tremor ;  the  bells  ringing,  and  doors  and 
windows  incessantly  ratding  and  shaking.  The 
murmur  of  the  prayers  and  lamentations  of  a 
numerous  population  added  to  the  horrors  of  the 
scene.  All  travellers,  who  have  witnessed  theae 
eruptions,  seem  to  be  at  a  loss  to  find  worda 
sufficiently  emphatic  to  express  the  terrors  of  the 
scene.  "  One  cannot  form  a  juster  idea,"  says 
Bishop  Berkley,  "  of  the  noise  emitted  by  the 
mountain,  than  by  imagining  a  mixed  sound 
made  up  of  the  raging  of  a  tempest,  the  mur- 
mur of  a  troubled  sea,  and  the  roaring  of  thun- 
der and  artillery,  confused  altogether.  Though 
we  heard  this  at  the  distance  uf  twelve  miles, 
yet  it  was  very  terrible."  In  1744,  the  flames  of 
Cotopaxi,  in  South  America,  rose  S,000  feet 
above  the  brink  of  the  crater,  and  its  roarings 
were  heard  at  the  distance  of  tix  hundred  mile*. 
"  At  the  port  of  Guayaquil,  160  miles  distant 
from  the  crater,"  says  Humboldt,  "  we  heard, 
day  and  night,  the  noise  of  this  volcano,  like 
continued  discharges  of  a  battery,  and  we  dis- 
tinguished these  tremendous  sounds  even  on  the 
Pacific  ocean." 

The  ravage*  produced  by  volcanoes  are  in 
proportion  to  the  terror  they  inspire.  In  th« 
eruption  of  JEin*.,  in  1669,  the  stream  of  lava 
destroyed,  in  40  days,  the  habitations  of  27,000 
persons  ;  and  of  20.(X)0  inhabitants  of  the  city 
of  Catania,  only  3  000  escaped.  In  the  year 
79,  the  celebrated  cities  of  Pompeii  and  Hercn- 


DEPRAVITY  OF  MAN. 


129 


laneum  were  completely  overwhelmed  and  buried 
unaer  ground  by  an  eruption  of  Vesuvius,  and 
the  spots  on  which  they  stood  remained  unknown 
for  1600  years.  Since  that  period,  about  40 
eruptions  have  taken  place,  each  of  them  pro- 
ducing the  most  dreadful  ravages.  But  the 
volcanoes  of  Asia  and  America  are  still  more 
terrible  and  destructive  than  those  of  Europe. 
The  volcanic  mountain  Pichinca,  near  Quito, 
caused,  on  one  occasion,  the  destruction  of 
35,000  inhabitants.  In  the  year  1772,  an  erup- 
tion of  a  mountain  in  the  island  of  Java  destroyed 
40  villages,  and  several  thousands  of  the  inhabit- 
ants ;  and  in  October,  1822,  eighty-eight  ham- 
lets, and  above  2000  persons,  were  destroyed  in 
the  same  island,  by  a  sudden  eruption  from  a 
new  volcano.  The  eruption  of  Tomboro,  in  the 
island  of  Sumbawa,  in  1815,  was  so  dreadful, 
that  all  the  Moluccas,  Java,  Sumatra,  and  Bor- 
neo, to  the  distance  of  a  thousand  miles  from 
the  mountain,  felt  tremulous  motions,  and  heard 
the  report  of  explosions.  In  Java,  at  the  dis- 
tance of  340  miles,  the  clouds  of  ashes  from  the 
volcano  produced  utter  darkness. 

Volcanoes  are  more  numerous  than  is  gene- 
rally imagined.  They  are  to  be  found  in  every 
quarter  of  the  world,  from  the  icy  shores  of 
Kamtschatka  to  the  mountains  of  Patagonia. 
Humboldt  enumerates  40  volcanoes  constantly 
burning,  between  Cotopaxi  and  the  Pacific 
ocean  ;  20  have  been  observed  in  the  chain  of 
mountains  that  stretches  along  Kamtschatka; 
and  many  of  them  are  to  be  seen  in  the  Phillip- 
pines,  the  Moluccas,  the  Cape  de  Verd,  the 
Sandwich,  the  Ladrone,  and  other  islands  in  the 
Indian  and  Pacific  oceans.  It  is  stated  in  vol. 
6th  of  Sup.  to  Ency.  Brit,  lately  published,  that 
about  205  volcanoes  are  known,  including  only 
those  which  have  been  active  within  a  period  to 
which  history  or  tradition  reaches.  Europe 
contains  14 ;  and,  of  the  whole  number,  it  is 
computed,  that  107  are  in  islands,  and  98  on  the 
great  continents. 

Can  we  then  suppose,  that  so  many  engines 
of  terror  and  destruction,  dispersed  over  every 
quarter  of  the  globe,  are  consistent  with  the  con- 
duct of  a  benevolent  Creator  towards  an  innocent 
race  of  men  ?  If  so,  we  must  either  admit  that 
the  Creator  had  it  not  in  his  power,  when  ar- 
ranging our  terrestrial  system,  to  prevent  the  oc- 
casional action  of  these  dreadful  ravagers,  or  that 
he  is  indiiTerent  to  the  happiness  of  his  innocent 
offspring.  The  former  admission  is  inconsistent 
with  the  idea  of  his  omnipotence,  and  the  latter 
with  the  idea  of  his  universal  benevolence.  It 
is  not  therefore,  enthusiasm,  but  the  fairest  de- 
duction of  reason  to  conclude,  that  ihey  are  in- 
dications of  God's  displeasure  against  a  race  of 
transgressors  who  have  apostatized  from  his 
laws. 

3.  The  same  reasoning  will  apply  to  the  ra- 
vages produced  by  earthquak**.    Next  to  volca* 


noes,  earthquakes  are  the  most  terrific  phenome- 
na of  nature,  and  are  even  far  more  destructive 
to  man,  and  to  the  labours  of  his  bunds.  An 
earthquake,  which  consists  in  a  sudden  motion 
of  the  earth,  is  generally  preceded  by  a  rum- 
bling sound,  sometimes  like  that  of  a  number  of 
carriages  driving  furiously  along  the  pavement 
of  a  street,  sometimes  like  ihe  rushing  noise  of  a 
mighty  wind,  and  sometimes  like  the  explosions 
of  artillery.  Their  effect  on  the  surface  of  the 
earth  is  various.  Sometimes  it  is  instanta- 
neously heaved  up  in  a  perpendicular  direction, 
and  sometimes  it  assumes  a  kind  of  rolling  mo- 
tion, from  side  to  side.  The  ravages  which 
earthquakes  have  produced,  are  terrible  beyond 
description  ;  and  are  accomplished  almost  in  a 
moment.  In  1692,  the  city  of  Port-Royal,  in 
Jamaica,  was  destroyed  by  an  earthquake,  in  the. 
space  of  two  minutes,  and  the  houses  sunk  into 
a  gulf  forty  fathoms  deep.  In  1693,  an  earth- 
quake happened  in  Sicily,  which  either  destroyed, 
or  greatly  damaged,  fifty-four  cities,  and  an  in- 
credible number  of  villages.  The  city  of  Cata- 
nia was  utterly  overthrown  :  the  sea  all  of  a  sud- 
den began  to  roar  ;  mount  .Etna  to  send  forth 
immense  spires  of  flame  ;  and  immediately  a 
shock  ensued,  as  if  all  the  artillery  in  the  world 
had  been  discharged.  The  birds  flew  about  as- 
tonished ;  the  sun  was  darkened ;  the  beasts  ran 
howling  from  the  hills ;  a  dark  cloud  of  dust 
covered  the  air  ;  and,  though  the  shock  did  not 
last  three  minutes,  yet  nineteen  thousand  of  the 
inhabitants  of  the  city  perished  in  the  ruins. 
This  shock  extended  to  a  circumference  of  7000 
miles. 

Earthquakes  have  been  producing  their  ra- 
vages in  various  parts  of  the  world,  and  in  every 
age.  Pliny  informs  us,  that  12  cities  in  Asia 
Minor  were  swallowed  up  in  one  night.  In 
the  year  115,  the  city  of  Antioch,  and  a  great 
part  of  the  adjacent  country,  were  buried  by  an 
earthquake.  About  300  years  after,  it  was 
again  destroyed,  along  with  40,000  inhabitants  ; 
and,  after  an  interval  of  only  60  years,  it  was  a 
third  time  overturned,  with  the  loss  of  not  less 
than  60,000  souls.  In  1755,  Lisbon  was  de- 
stroyed by  an  earthquake,  and  it  buried  under  its 
ruins  above  50,000  inhabitants.  The  effects  of 
this  terrible  earthquake  were  felt  over  the  greater 
part  of  Europe  and  Africa,  and  even  in  the 
midst  of  the  Atlantic  ocean;  and  are  calculated 
to  have  extended  over  a  space  of  not  less  than 
four  millions  of  square  miles.  In  August,  1822, 
two-thirds  of  the  city  of  Aleppo,  which  con- 
tained 40,000  houses,  and  200,000  inhabitants, 
were  destroyed  by  an  earthquake,  and  nejirly 
thirty  thousand  inhabitants  were  buried  under 
the  ruins.  To  suppose  that  the  human  beings 
who  have  been  victims  to  the  ravages  of  earth- 
quakes and  volcanoes,  "  were  sinners  above  aU 
those  who  dwelt  around  them,"  would  be  the 
height  of  impiety  and  presumption.    But,  tfa« 


130 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


iket  that  thousand*  of  rational  beinpi  have  b«en 
•wapt  from  existence,  in  a  manner  so  horrible 
aad  traoMndoat,  seema  plainiy  lo  indicate,  that 
thejr  belonged  to  a  race  of  apostate  intelligences, 
who  had  violated  the  commands  of  their  Crea- 
tor. Such  visitations  are  quite  accordant  to  the 
idea  of  man  being  in  the  condition  of  a  trans- 
gressor;  but,  if  he  were  an  innocent  creature, 
they  would  be  altogether  unaccountable,  as  hap- 
|>ening  under  ihu  government  of  a  Being  of  un- 
bounded benevolence. 

4.  The  phenomena  of  tkunder-itormt,  tentr 
pests,  and  kurrieanes,  and  the  ravages  they 
produce,  are  also  presumptive  prooGi  that  mtui  is 
a  depraved  intelligence.  In  that  season  of  the 
year  when  Nature  is  arrayed  in  her  most  beau- 
tiful attire,  and  the  whole  terrestrial  landscape 
tends  to  inspire  the  mind  with  cheerfulness^ 
suddenly  a  sable  cloud  emerges  from  the  hori- 
zon— the  sky  assumes  a  baleful  aspect — a  dismal 
gloom  envelopes  the  face  of  nature — the  light- 
nings flash  from  one  end  of  the  horizon  to  another 
v-thc  thunders  roll  with  awful  majesty  along  the 
verge  of  heaven,  till  at  length  they  burst  over 
head  in  tremendous  explosions.  The  sturdy 
oak  is  shattered  and  despoiled  of  its  foliage; 
rockd  are  rent  into  shivers ;  and  the  grazing 
herds  are  struck  into  a  lifeless  group.  Even 
man  is  not  exempted  from  danger  in  the  midst 
of  tliis  appalling  scene.  For  hundreds  in  every 
age  have  fallen  victims  either  to  the  direct  stroke 
of  the  lightning,  or  to  the  concussions  and  con- 
fliigrations  with  which  it  has  been  attended.  In 
tropical  countries,  the  phenomena  of  thunder- 
storms are  more  dreadful  and  appalling,  than  in 
our  temperate  climate.  The  thunder  frequently 
continues  for  days  and  weeks  in  almost  one  in- 
cessant roar  ;  the  rains  are  jioured  down  in  tor- 
rents ;  and  the  flashes  of  lightning  follow  each 
other  in  so  rapid  a  succession,  that  the  whole 
atmosphere  and  the  surrounding  hills  seem  to  be 
in  a  blaze,  (n  some  instances,  the  most  dread- 
ful efl^ects  have  been  produced  by  the  bursting  of 
an  electrical  cloud.  In  1772,  a  bright  cloud 
was  observed  at  midnight  to  cover  a  mountain 
in  the  island  of  Java ;  it  emitted  globes  of  fire 
so  luminous,  that  the  night  became  as  clear  as 
day.  Its  effects  were  astonishing.  Every  thing 
was  destroyed  for  7  leagues  round ;  houses  were 
demolished ;  plantations  buried  in  the  earth ; 
and  2140  people  lost  their  lives,  besides  1500 
head  of  cattle,  and  a  vast  number  of  horses  and 
Other  animals. — Eney.  Brit.  Art.  Cloud. 

Is  it  not  reasonable,  then,  to  conclude,  that 
mich  awful  phenomena  as  storms,  volcanoes,  and 
earthquake*,  are  so  many  occasional  indications 
of  the  frown  of  an  offended  Creator  upon  a  race 
of  transgreMors,  in  order  to  arotise  them  to  a 
sense  of  their  aposlacy  from  the  Grod  of  heaven  ? 
We  cannot  conceive  that  such  physical  opera- 
tions, accompanied  by  so  many  terrtfin  and 
iMtructive  effecU,  are  at  all  compatible  with  the 


idea  that  man  is  at  present  in  a  parmiisairtt 
state,  and  po»ses*ed  of  that  moral  purity  in 
which  he  was  created.  Such  ap|ialling  liiHplays 
of  almighty  power  are  in  complete  unison  with 
the  idea,  that  man  is  a  transgressor,  and  that  tix 
present  di8|>ensations  of  God  are  a  mixture  of 
mercy  and  of  judgment ;  but  if  he  belong  to  an 
innocent  race  of  moral  intelligences,  they  appear 
quite  anomalotis,  and  are  altogether  inexplicuble, 
on  tlie  8up[x>sition,  that  a  Being  of  infinite  be- 
nevolence and  rectitude  directs  the  o, orations 
of  the  physical  and  moral  world ;  more  espe- 
cially when  we  consider  the  admirable  care  which 
is  displayed  in  the  construction  of  animal  bodies, 
in  order  to  prevent  pain,  and  to  produce  plea- 
surable sensations.  When  roan  was  first  brought 
into  existence,  his  thoughts  and  affections,  w« 
must  suppose,  were  in  unison  with  the  will  of 
his  Creator;  his  mind  was  serene  and  unruf^ 
fled  ;  and,  consequently,  no  foreboding  appre- 
hensions of  danger  would,  in  such  a  state,  take 
possession  of  his  breast.  But  after  he  had 
swerved  from  the  path  of  primeval  rectitude, 
and  especially  after  the  deluge  had  swept  away 
the  inhabitants  of  the  antediluvian  worki,  the 
constitution  of  the  earth  and  the  atmosphere 
seems  to  have  undergone  a  mighty  change,  cor- 
responding to  the  degraded  state  into  which  be 
had  fallen  ;  so  that  those  very  elements  which 
may  have  formerly  ministered  to  his  enjoyment 
— by  being  formed  into  difierent  combinations— 
now  conspire  to  produce  terror  and  destruction. 

The  same  important  conclusion  might  have 
been  deduced,  from  a  consideration  of  the  im- 
mense deserts  of  marshes  and  barren  sands  which 
are  dispersed  over  the  globe — the  vast  and  fright- 
ful regions  of  ice  around  the  poles^lhe  position 
of  the  mineral  strata,  and  the  vast  disproportion 
which  the  extent  of  the  dry  land  bears  to  the  ex- 
panse of  the  ocean — all  which  circuiiMtances, 
and  many  others,  in  conjunction  with  the  facts 
above  stated,  conspire  to  show,  that  ntan  no 
longer  stands  in  the  rank  of  a  pure  intelligence  ; 
and  that  his  habitation  corresponds,  in  some  de- 
gree, to  his  state  of  moral  degradation.  By  over- 
looking this  consideration,  St.  Pierre  and  other 
naturalists  have  found  themselves  much  at  a  loss, 
when  attempting  to  vindicate  the  wisdom  and 
equity  of  Providence,  in  the  physical  disorders 
which  exist  in  the  present  constitution  of  our 
globe.  The  circumstance,  that  man  is  a  fallen 
creature,  appears  the  only  clue  to  guide  us  in  un- 
ravelling the  mysteries  of  Providence,  and  to 
enable  us  lo  perceive  the  harmoni/  and  consistent 
of  the  divine  operations  in  the  system  of  nature ; 
and  no  other  consideration  will  fully  account  for 
the  disorders  which  exist  in  the  present  economy 
of  our  world. 

But  it  is  a  most  consoling  consideration,  that, 
amidst  all  the  physical  evils  which  abound,  iha 
benevolence  and  mercy  of  Qod  are  admirably 
blended  with  the  indications  of  his  displcasurs. 


THE  RESURRECTION  ILLUSTRATED. 


i9i 


Thunder-storms  and  tempests  contribute  to  the 
purification  of  the  atmosphere ;  and  volcanoes 
are  converted  into  funnels  for  vomiting  up  those 
fiery  materials  which  pruiluce  earthquakes,  and 
which  might  o'-herwise  swallow  up  whole  pro- 
vinces in  one  mighty  gulf.  In  the  ordinary 
course  of  things,  such  phenomena  are  more  ter- 
rific than  destructive  ;  and  are  calculated  rather 
to  rouse  an  unthinking  world  to  consideration, 
tlian  to  prove  the  instruments  of  human  destruc- 
tion. Compared  with  the  miseries  which  men 
have  voluntarily  inflicted  on  one  another,  the 
destructive  efFecis  of  the  elements  of  nature 
dwindle  into  mere  temporary  and  trifling  acci- 
dents. We  have  reason  to  believe,  that  a.  much 
greater  destruction  of  human  beings  has  been 
produced  by  two  or  three  of  the  late  battles  in 
modern  Europe,  such  as  those  of  Waterloo, 
Borodina,  and  Smolensko,  than  has  been  pro- 
duced by  all  the  electrical  storms,  earthquakes, 
and  volcanic  eruptions,  which  have  raged  for  the 
space  of  a  hundred  years.  It  has  been  calcu- 
lated, that  during  the  Russian  campaign  of  1812, 
including  men,  women,  and  children,  belonging  to 
the  French  and  Russians,  there  were  not  less 
than  five  hundred  thousand  human  victims  sacri- 
ficed to  the  demon  of  war.  It  is  probable,  that 
the  destruction  produced  among  the  human  race, 
by  the  convulsions  of  nature,  since  the  com- 
mencement of  time,  (the  deluge  only  excepted,) 
does  not  amount  to  above  four  or  five  millions  of 
lives ;  but  were  we  take  into  account  tbe  de- 
struction of  human  life  produced  by  ambition, 
tyranny,  oppression,  superstition,  wars,  devast- 
ations, murders,  and  horrid  cruelties,  in  every 
period  of  the  world,  it  would,  doubtless,  amount 
to  several  hundreds  of  millions.  So  that,  amidst 
the  most  terrible  displays  of  the  displeasure  of 
God  against  the  sins  of  men,  mercy  is  mingled 
with  judgment ;  and  while  man  is  the  greatest 
enemy  and  destroyer  of  his  own  species,  bene- 
volence is  the  prominent  feature  of  all  the  ar- 
rangements of  the  Deity  in  the  physical  world. 
For  "  histender  mercies  are  over  all  his  works."* 

III. — The  fliscoveries  which  have  been  made  in 
the  system  of  nature,  illustrate  the  doctrine  of 

the  RESOKRECTION    OF    THE    DEAD. 

The  doctrine  of  a  resurrection  from  the  dead, 
at  first  view,  appears  to  involve  in  it  a  variety 
ofdifl^culties,  and  apparent  contradictions.  That 
a  complex  or^anical  machine,  as  the  human  body 
is,  consistiiio  of  thousands  of  diversified  parts 
for  the  performance  of  its  functions,  after  it  has 
been  reduced  to  atoms,  and  those  atoms  dispersed 

•Tho^factR  stated  In  this  section  are  expressed 
for  the  most  part  in  the  author's  own  words,  for  the 
sake  of  compression.  His  authorities  are.  Gold- 
smith's "  N.itural  History,"  Humlraldt's  "  Travels," 
Brydon's,  "Tour."  Sir  W.  Hamilton's  "ObservH- 
•ions,"  Raffles'  "  History  of  Java,"  Ennj.  Brit.  Art. 
Etna,  Vnicann,  Enrtlvjuakf,  Aniloch,  Cloud;  The  Li- 
terary and  Scientific  Journals  for  1822,  4c. 


to  "  the  four  winds  of  heaven" — should  be  again 
reared  up  with  the  same  materials,  in  anew  and 
more  glorious  form — is  an  idea  which  seems  to 
baffle  the  human  comprehension  ;  and,  in  all  pro- 
bability, would  never  have  entered  the  mind  of 
man,  had  it  not  been  communicated  by  divine 
revelation.  Accordingly  we  find,  that  the  phi- 
losophers of  antiquity,  though  many  of  them  be- 
lieved in  the  doctrine  of  a  future  state,  never 
once  dreamed,  that  the  bodies  of  men,  after  they 
had  been  committed  to  the  dust,  would  ever 
again  be  reanimated  ;  and  hence,  when  the  apos- 
tle Paul  proposed  this  doctrine  to  the  Athenian 
philosophers,  they  scouted  the  idea,  as  if  it  had 
been  the  reverie  of  a  madman.  And,  indeed, 
without  a  strong  conviction,  and  a  lively  impres- 
sion of  the  infinite  power  and  intelligence  of  God, 
the  mind  cannot  rely  with  unshaken  confidence 
on  the  declaration  of  a  future  fact  so  widely  dif- 
ferent from  all  the  obvious  phenomena  of  nature, 
and  from  every  thing  that  lies  within  the  range 
of  human  experience.  "  If  a  man  die,"  says 
Job,  "  shall  he  live  again  ?  There  is  hope  of  a 
tree,  if  it  be  cut  down,  that  it  will  sprout  again, 
and  bring  forth  boughs  like  a  plant.  But  man 
dieth  and  wasteth  away  ;  yea,  man  giveth  up  the 
ghost,  and  where  is  he  1"  When  the  mind, 
however,  is  frequently  exercised  in  contempla- 
tions on  the  stupendous  works  of  the  Almighty, 
it  must  feel  an  impressive  conviction,  that  "  no- 
thing can  be  too  hard  for  Jehovah."  When  we 
endeavour  to  draw  aside  the  veil  which  conceals 
many  of  the  scenes  of  nature  from  the  vulgar 
eye,  we  perceive  a  variety  of  operations  and 
analogies,  which  tend  to  assist  us  in  forming  a 
conception,  not  only  of  the  possibility  of  a  resur- 
rection, but  also  of  the  manner  in  which  it  may 
probably  be  effected,  when  the  power  of  Omni- 
potence is  interposed. 

The  transformations  of  insects  afford  us  a 
beautiful  illustration  of  this  subject.  All  the 
butterflies  which  we  see  fluttering  about  in  the 
summer  months,  were  originally  caterpillars. 
Before  they  arrive  at  that  highest  stage  of  their 
existence,  they  pass  through  four  different  trans- 
formations. The  first  state  of  a  butterfly  is  that 
of  an  egg ;  it  next  assumes  the  form  of  a  loath- 
some crawling  worm ;  after  remaining  some 
time  in  this  state,  it  throws  off  its  caterpillar 
skin  ;  languishes ;  refuses  to  eat ;  ceases  to  move ; 
and  is  shut  up,  as  it  were,  in  a  tomb.  In  this 
state,  the  animal  is  termed  a  chrysalis  ;  it  is  co- 
vered with  a  thin  crust  or  shell,  and  remains 
sometimes  for  six  or  eight  months  without  mo- 
tion, and  apparently  wiihout  life.  After  remain- 
ing its  allotted  time  in  this  torpid  condition,  it 
begins  to  acquire  new  life  and  vigour  ;  it  bursts 
its  imprisonment,  and  comes  torth  a  butterfly, 
with  wings  tinged  with  the  most  beautiful  co- 
lours. It  moimts  the  air  ;  it  ranges  from  tlower 
to  flower,  and  seems  to  rejoice  in  its  new  and 
splendid  existence.     How  very  difl^erent  does  it 


18S 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


appear  in  this  state  Troin  what  it  <Ii<i  in  the  pre- 
ceding slagrs  of  ill  exisicoce!  Ihivr  unhkely 
did  it  Kcem  that  a  rough,  hairy,  erawling  worm, 
which  lay  fur  such  a  length  of  lime  in  a  death- 
Mko  tor|>or,  and  ennhrouded  in  a  lunib,  should  be 
•  oanimated,  as  it  were,  and  chant;ed  into  so 
beautiful  a  form,  and  endowed  wilh  such  powers 
of  rapid  motion !  Perhaps  (lie  clian^je  lo  be  ef- 
fected on  the  biKlieg  of  men,  at  the  general  resur- 
rection, may  not  be  greater,  nor  more  wonderful  in 
its  nature,  than  are  the  changes  which  take  place 
from  the  first  to  the  last  stage  of  a  caterpillar's 
vzistrnce.  In  such  transformations,  then,  we 
behold  a  lively  representation  of  the  death  and 
resurrection  of  a  righteous  man.  "  A  little 
while  he  shall  lie  in  the  ground,  as  the  seed  lies 
in  the  bosom  of  the  earth  ;  but  he  shall  be  raised 
again,  and  shall  never  die  any  more." 

There  is  another  illustration,  taken  from  a 
consideration  of  the  chymical  changes  of  matter, 
which  has  a  still  more  direct  bearing  on  tlie  doc- 
trine of  a  resurrection.  We  know,  that  sub< 
■Umces  which  are  invisibly  incorporated  with 
air,  water,  and  other  fluids,  and  which  seem  to 
be  des'royed,  may  be  made  to  reappear  in 
iheir  original  form  by  the  application  of  certain 
chymical  agents.  For  example ;  put  a  small 
piece  of  solid  camphor  into  a  phial  half  filled 
with  alcohol  or  spiriis  of  wine  ;  in  a  short  time 
the  camphor  will  be  dissolved  in  the  fluid,  and 
the  spirit  will  be  as  transparent  as  at  first.  If 
water  be  now  added,  it  will  unite  with  the  ardent 
spirit,  and  the  camphor  will  bo  separated  and 
&1I  to  the  bottom  of  the  phial.  In  this  way  the 
camphor  may  be  nearly  all  recovered  as  at  first ; 
and,  by  distillation,  the  alcohol  may  also  be  se- 
parated from  the  water,  and  exhibited  in  a  sepa- 
rate state.  I  have  already  noticed,  that  carbon, 
which  forms  an  essential  part  of  all  animal  and 
vegetable  substances,  is  found  to  be  not  only  in- 
destructible by  age,  but  in  all  its  combinations, 
which  are  infinitely  diversified,  it  still  preserves 
its  identiti/.  In  the  state  of  carbonic  acid  it  ex- 
ists in  union  wi'h  earths  and  stones  in  unbounded 
quantities ;  and  though  buried  for  thousands  of 
years  beneath  immense  rocks,  or  in  the  centre  of 
mountains,  it  is  still  carbonic  acid  ;  for  no  sooner 
is  it  disengaged  from  its  dormitory  than  it  rises 
with  all  the  life  and  vigour  of  recent  formation, 
not  in  the  least  impaired  by  its  torpid  inactivity 
during  a  lapse  of  ages.  The  beams  of  the  the- 
atre at  Herculaneum  were  convened  intocAarcoo/ 
(which  is  one  of  the  compounds  of  carbon)  by 
the  lava  which  ovcrflowetl  that  city,  during  an 
eruption  of  .Mxmt  Vesuvius  ;  and  during  the 
lapse  of  1700  years,  the  charcoal  has  remained 
as  entire  as  if  it  had  been  f(>rmed  but  yesterday, 
and  it  will  probably  continue  so  to  the  end  of  the 
world.  In  addition  to  these  facts  it  may  be 
stated,  that  provision  has  been  made  fur  the  re- 
storation of  theJii!l<Mi  leaves  of  vegplab'rs  which 
rol  upon  the  ground,  and,  to  a  careless  obsenrer, 


wouM  appear  to  be  lost  for  ever.  It  has  beea 
shown  by  experiment,  thai  whenever  the  soil  be 
comes  charged  with  such  matter,  the  oxygen  of 
the  atmosphere  combines  with  it,  and  converts 
it  into  carbonic  acid  gas.  The  connequence 
of  which  is,  thai  this  t«ry  latne  carbon  is,  in 
process  of  time,  absorbed  by  a  new  race  of  ve- 
getables, which  it  clothes  with  a  new  foliage,  and 
which  is  itself  destined  to  undergo  similar  putre- 
faction and  renovation  to  the  end  of  time."* 

These  facts  and  others  of  a  similar  drscripiion 
which  might  have  been  slated,  demonstrate,  thai 
one  of  the  constituent  parts  of  animal  bodies 
remains  unalterably  the  same,  amidst  all  the  revo- 
lutions of  lime,  and  all  the  changes  and  decompo- 
sitions which  take  place  in  the  system  of  nature: 
and,  conse<]uently,  that  though  human  bodie* 
may  remain  in  a  state  of  putrefaction  for  ages, 
in  the  earth  and  in  the  waters,  yet  their  compo- 
nent parts  remain  unchanged,  and  in  readiness 
to  enter  into  a  new  and  more  glorious  combina- 
tion, at  the  command  of  that  Inteiligenee  t« 
whom  all  the  principles  of  nature  and  all  their 
diversified  changes  are  intimately  known ;  and 
whose  Power  is  able  to  direct  ihcir  combina- 
tions to  the  accomplishment  of  his  purftoses. — 
Though  such  considerations  as  these  may  have 
no  weight  on  certain  unreflecting  minds,  that 
never  meet  with  any  difficulties  in  the  economy 
either  of  nature  or  of  redemption  ;  yet,  the 
man  of  deep  reflection,  who  has  frequently  had 
his  mind  distracted  »'ith  the  apparent  improba- 
bility of  the  accomplishment  of  certain  divine 
declarations,  will  joyfully  embrace  such  facts  in 
the  economy  of  nature,  as  a  tensibU  support  to 
his  faith  in  the  promises  of  his  God ;  and  will 
resign  his  body  to  dust  and  putrefaction,  in  the 
firm  hope  of  emerging  from  the  tomb  to  a  future 
and  more  glorious  transformation. 

IV.   The  ditcoveriet  ofacience  tend  lo  iUuatraU  the 
do^ne  of  the  sereral  coxflaokatiok. 

Wc  are  informed,  in  the  Sacred  Oracles,  that 
a  period  is  approaching,  when  "  the  elements 
shall  melt  with  fervent  heat,  and  the  earth,  and 
the  works  that  are  therein,  shall  be  burned  up." 
Science  has  ascertained  certain  facts  in  the  con- 
stitution of  nature,  which  lead  us  to  form  some 
conception  of  the  manner  in  which  this  awful 
catastrophe  may  probably  be  effected,  and  also 
of  the  ease  with  which  it  may  be  accomplished, 
when  the  destined  period  shall  have  arrived.  It 
was  formerly  stated,  (pp.  35.  104,)  that  the 
atmosphere,  or  the  air  we  brt-athe,  is  a  com- 
pound substance,  composed  of  two  very  different 
and  opposite  principles,  termed  oxygen  and  ni- 
trogen. The  oxygen,  which  forms  about  a  fiftl* 
part  of  the  atmosphere,  is  now  ascertained  to 
be  ihe  principle  of  flame ;  a  lighted  taper  im- 
mersed in  this  gas,  bums  with  a  brilliancy  too 

*  Parkes's  "  Chym.  Catschlsm,"  p.  S6<,  tu,  the  mi 
iUUmcUnotu. 


GENERAL  CONFLAGRATION. 


iSS 


great  for  the  eyci  In  bear  ;  and  even  a  rod  of  iron 
or  steel  is  made  to  blaze  under  its  energy. 

The  modern  infidel,  like  the  scoffers  of  old, 
scouts  the  idea  of  the  dissolution  of  the  world, 
and  of  the  restitution  of  the  universe,  "  because 
all  things  continue  as  they  were  from  the  begin- 
ning of  the  creation ;  not  knowing  the  Scrip- 
ture!!, nor  the  power  of  God;"  and  not  consi- 
dering the  principles  and  facts  in  the  system  of 
nature,  which  indicate  the  possibility  of  such  an 
event.  But,  from  the  fact  now  stated,  we  may 
learn  how  easily  this  effect  may  be  accom- 
plished, even  in  conformity  with  those  laws 
which  now  operate  in  the  constitution  of  our 
globe.  For  should  the  Creator  issue  forth  his 
almighty  fiat — "  Let  the  nitrogen  of  the  atmos- 
phere be  completely  separated  from  the  oxygen, 
and  let  the  oxygen  exert  its  native  energies 
without  control,  wherever  it  extends  ;" — from 
what  we  know  of  its  nature,  we  are  warranted 
to  conclude,  that  instantly  a  universal  conflagra- 
tion would  commence  throughout  all  the  king- 
doms of  nature — not  only  wood,  coals,  sulphur, 
bitumen,  and  other  combustible  substances,  but 
even  the  hardest  rocks  and  stones,  and  all  the 
metals,  fossils,  and  minerals,  and  water  itself, 
which  is  a  compound  of  two  inflammable  sub- 
stances, would  blaze  with  a  rapidity  which  would 
carry  destruction  through  the  whole  expanse  of 
the  terraqueous  globe,  and  change  its  present 
aspect  into  that  of  a  new  world  : — at  the  same 
time,  all  the  other  laws  of  nature  might  still 
operate  as  they  have  hitherto  done  since  the 
creation  of  the  world. 

I  do  not  mean  positively  to  assert,  that  this 
is  the  agent  which  the  Almighty  will  certainly 
employ  for  accomplishing  this  terrible  catas- 
trophe, (though  we  think  it  highly  probable,) 
since  Infinite  Power  is  possessed  of  numerous 
resources  for  accomplishing  its  objects,  which 
lie  beyond  the  sphere  of  our  knowledge  and 
comprehension.  But  I  have  brought  forward 
this  fact,  to  show  with  what  infinite  ease  this 
event  may  be  accomplished,  when  Almighty 
Power  is  interposed.  By  means  of  the  know- 
ledge we  have  acquired  of  the  constitution  of 
the  atmosphere,  and  by  the  aid  of  chymical  ap- 
paratus, we  can  perform  experiments  on  atmall 
scale,  similar  in  kind,  though  infinitely  inferior 
in  degree,  to  the  awful  event  under  considera- 
tion. And,  therefore,  we  can  easily  conceive 
that  He  who  formed  the  expansive  atmosphere 
which  surrounds  us,  and  who  knows  the  native 
energy  of  its  constituent  principles,  may,  by  a 
simple  volition,  make  that  invisible  fluid,  in  a 
few  moments,  the  cause  of  the  destruction  of  the 
present  constitution  of  our  world,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  the  means  of  its  subsequent  renova- 
tion. For,  as  fire  does  not  annihilate,  but  only 
changes,  the  forms  of  matter,  this  globe  on  which 
we  now  tread,  and  which  bears  the  nukrks  of 


ruin  and  disruption  in  several  parts  of  its  struc- 
ture, may  come  forth  from  the  flames  of  the 
general  conflagration,  purified  from  all  its  physi- 
cal evils,  adorned  with  new  beauties  and  subli- 
mities, and  rendered  a  fit  habitation  fur  pure  in- 
telligences, either  of  our  own  species  or  of 
another  order.  For,  though  the  "  heavens,"  or 
the  atmosphere,  "  shall  be  dissolved,  and  the 
elements  melt  with  fervent  heat ;"  "  yet,"  says 
the  Apostle  Peter,  "  we,  according  to  his  pro- 
mise, look  for  new  heavens  and  a  new  earth, 
wherein  dwelleth  righteousness."  Whether, 
after  being  thus  renovated  it  shall  be  allotted  as 
the  residence  of  the  redeemed  inhabitants  of 
our  world,  is  beyond  our  province  at  present  to 
determine.  But  if  not,  it  will,  in  all  probability, 
be  allotted  as  the  abode  of  other  rational  beings, 
who  may  be  transported  from  other  regions,  to 
contemplate  a  new  province  of  the  divine  em- 
pire, or  who  may  be  immediately  created  for  the 
purpose  of  taking  possession  of  this  renovated 
world.  For  we  have  reason  to  believe,  that  the 
energies  of  creating  power  will  be  continually 
exerted,  in  replenishing  the  boundless  universe, 
throughout  all  the  ages  of  infinite  duration,  and 
that  no  substances  or  worlds  which  God  has 
created,  will  ever  be  suffered  to  fall  into  annihi- 
lation— at  least,  that  the  original  atoms  of  matter 
will  never  be  destroyed,  whatever  new  forms 
they  may  assume,  and  however  varied  the  com- 
binations into  which  they  may  enter. 

The  above  are  only  a  few  examples  out  of 
many  which  were  intended  to  be  specified,  of 
the  illustrations  which  the  system  of  nature 
affords  of  the  doctrines  and  facts  of  revela- 
tion, but  the  narrow  limits  of  this  volume  pre- 
vent further  enlargement. 

It  was  also  intended  to  follow  up  the  pre- 
ceding discussions  with  particular  illustrations 
of  the  following  topics: — The  views  which  sci- 
ence affords  of  the  incessant  energies  of  crea- 
ting power — the  changes  and  revolutions  which 
appear  to  have  happened,  and  which  are  still 
going  on  in  the  distauit  regions  of  the  uni- 
verse, as  tending  to  amplify  our  views  of  the 
grand  and  multifarious  objects  over  which  Di- 
vine Providence  presidejt — the  connexion  of  sci- 
ence with  a  future  state — the  aids  which  the 
discoveries  of  science  afford,  in  enabling  us  to 
form  a  conception  of  the  scenes  of  future  fe- 
licity— of  the  employments  of  the  heavenly 
inhabitants,  and  of  their  perpetual  advances  in 
knowledge  and  happiness,  and  in  their  views 
of  the  perfections  of  Deity — the  moral  relations 
of  intelligent  beings  to  their  Creator,  and  to 
each  other ;  and  the  physical  grounds  or  reason 
of  those  moral  laws  which  the  Deity  hajs  pro- 
mulgated for  regulating  the  conduct,  and  fiir 
promoting  the  harmony  and  order  of  intelligoot 
agents — illustrations  of  the  allusions  of  the  sa- 
cred writera  to  the  system  of  the  material  woidkl 


184 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


•—the  timullatuou*  pngreu  of  tdenei  md  rtli- 
gion,  considered  as  an  evidence  of  the  con- 
nexion of  the  one  with  the  other — t)ie  moral 
^tda  of  the  stud^  of  science  in  connexion  with 
religon — replies  to  objections  and  insinuations 
which  have  been  thrown  out  af^ainst  the  idea 
of  combining  the  discuverios  of  science  with 
the  discoveries  of  revelation,  &c.  But,  as  iU 
kistratiuns  of  these,  and  various  other  topics 
conoocted  with  them,  would  occupy  two  or  ihrea 


hundred  pages,  they  must,  in  the  mean  time, 
be  poetpoited.* 

*  A  work,  embracing  llliutrations  of  some  of  the 
topics  here  stated,  Ia  preparing  for  the  press,  under 
the  title  of  "  TKe  VUilnnphy  of  lUUrbm:  or,  an 
Illustration  of  the  Miir.il  Laws  of  tlie  Universe,  on 
Iheprini'Iple.ior  Reasdii  and  Divine  Revelation."  In 
this  work,  an  orlKlnnl,  and,  at  the  same  time,  a  popu- 
lar train  ortliouglil  will  l>e  prosecuted,  and  the  dif- 
ferent tuples  will  be  enlivened  with  lllustmllve  fa<:U, 
iKirroweil  rrom  the  scenery  of  nature  and  the  moiai 
history  of  mankind. 


CHAPTER  V. 

BiaiEnciAL  EFFECTS  •WHICH  MIGHT  RESULT  TO  CHRISTIAN  SOCIETT  FROM  COimECTIllO 
THE  DISCOVERIES  OF  SCIENCE  WITH  THE  OBJECTS  OF  RELIGION. 


I.^The  variety  or  topics  which  vxnUd  be 
introduced  into  Chrislian  instruclionn,  by  con- 
necting them  with  the  manifesliUiona  of  Deity  in 
the  system  of  nature,  would  have  a  ten- 

DEIfCr  TO  ALLURE  THE  ATTENTION  OF  THE 
rOUNO  TO  RELIGIOUS  SUBJECTS,  and  lo  a/- 
ford  mental  entertainment  and  moral  instruc- 
tion to  intelligent  minds  of  every  description. 

Novel TT  and  xxtriety  appear  to  be  essentially 
requisite  in  order  to  rouse  the  attention,  not  only 
of  the  more  i^orant,  but  even  of  the  more  intel- 
ligent class  of  mankind,  and  to  excite  them  to 
make  progress  in  the  path  of  intellectual  and 
moral  improvement.  The  principle  otoaiosity, 
which  appears  at  a  very  early  period  of  life,  and 
which  variegated  scenery  and  novel  objects  tend 
to  stimulate  and  to  gratify— so  far  from  being 
checked  and  decried,  in  a  religious  point  of  view, 
as  some  have  been  disposed  to  do,  ought  to  be 
encouraged  and  cultivated  in  the  minds  both 
of  the  old  and  of  the  young.  As  it  is  a  prin- 
ciple which  God  himself  has  implanted  in  our 
natures,  for  wise  and  important  purposes,  it 
requires  only  to  be  chastened,  and  directed  in 
a  proper  channel,  in  order  to  become  one  of 
the  most  powerful  auxiliaries  in  the  cause  of 
religion,  and  of  intellectual  improvement.  To 
gratify  this  principle,  and  to  increase  its  ac- 
tivity, the  Creator  has  adorned  our  globe  with 
a  combination  of  beauties  and  sublimities,  strew- 
ed in  endless  variety  over  all  its  different  regions. 
The  hills  and  dales,  the  mountains  and  plains; 
the  seas,  the  lakes,  the  rivers,  the  islands  of 
every  form  and  size  which  diversify  the  surface 
of  the  ocean ;  the  bays,  the  ga\U,  and  penin- 
■ulat;  the  forests,  the  groves,  the  deep  delis, 
and  towering  clifiii ;  the  infinite  variety  of  trees, 


plants,  flowers,  and  vegetable  productiona  of 
every  hue,  so  profusely  scattered  over  the  face  of 
nature ;  the  diversified  productions  of  the  mineral 
kingdom  ;  the  variegated  colouring  spread  over 
the  face  of  nature  ;  together  with  the  many  thou- 
sands of  different  species  of  animated  beings 
which  traverse  the  air,  the  waters,  and  the  earth 
— afford  so  many  stimuli  to  rou.se  this  principle 
into  exercise,  and  to  direct  the  mind  to  the  con- 
templation of  the  Creator.  And  as  the  earth 
displays  an  endless  diversity  of  objects,  so  the 
heavens,  in  so  far  as  they  have  been  explored,  ex- 
hibit a  scenery  both  grand  and  variegated.  There 
is  not  a  planet  in  the  solar  system  but  differs 
from  another,  in  its  magnitude,  in  its  distance 
from  the  central  luminary  about  which  it  re- 
volves, in  the  velocity  of  its  motion,  in  the  ex- 
tent of  the  circle  it  describes  around  the  sun,  in 
the  period  of  time  in  which  its  revolution  is 
completed,  in  its  rotation  round  its  axis,  in  the 
number  of  moons  with  which  it  is  attended,  in 
the  inclination  of  its  axis  to  the  plane  of  its  orbit, 
and  the  diversity  of  seasons  which  results  from 
this  circumstance ;  in  the  density  of  its  atmos- 
phere, and  the  various  appearances  which  diver- 
sify its  surface.  And  if  we  were  favoured  with 
a  nearer  view  of  these  majestic  orbs,  we  should, 
doubtless,  behold  a  similar  variety  in  every  part 
of  their  internal  arrangements.  The  sui&ce  of 
the  moon  presents  a  variegated  prospect  of 
mountains  and  vales,  but  so  very  different  ia 
their  form,  position,  and  arrangement,  from  what 
obtains  on  the  surface  of  our  globe,  that  it  would 
exhibit  a  scenery  altogether  new  and  uncom- 
mon to  an  inhabitant  of  this  world,  were  be 
placed  on  the  surface  of  that  planet.  Ev^ 
comet,  too,  is  distinguished  from  another,  by  ita 
magnitude,  the  extent  of  ita  atmoaphere,  toe 


VARIETY  OF  TOPICS  IN  RELIGION. 


195 


tength  oFits  blazing  tail,  the  rapiaity  of  its  mo- 
tion, and  the  figure  of  the  curve  il  describes 
around  the  sun.  With  regard  to  the  fixed  stars, 
which  are  distributed,  of  every  size,  and  in  every 
direction,  through  the  immensity  of  space,  our 
senses,  as  well  as  the  declaration  of  an  inspired 
writer,  convince  us,  that,  in  point  of  brilliancy, 
colour,  and  magnitude,  "  one  star  ditfereth  from 
another  star  in  glory." 

And  as  the  system  of  nature  in  all  its  parts 
presents  a  boundless  variety  of  scenery ,  to  arouse 
the  attention,  and  to  gratify  the  desire  for  novel- 
ty, so  the  revelation  of  God  contained  in  the 
Sacred  Records  displays  a  diversified  combina- 
tion of  the  most  sublime  and  interesting  subjects 
and  events.  Were  we  to  form  an  opinion  of  the 
compass  of  divine  revelation,  from  the  range  of 
subjects  to  which  the  minds  of  some  professing 
Christians  are  confined,  it  might  all  be  compre- 
hended within  the  limits  of  five  or  six  chapters  of 
the  New  Testament ;  and  all  the  rest  miaht  be 
thrown  aside,  as  a  dead- weight  upon  the  Chris- 
tian system.  But  here,  as  in  all  the  other  dis- 
plays of  the  Almighty,  divine  perfection  and 
providence  are  exhibited  in  the  most  diversified 
aspects.  Here  we  have  recorded  a  history  of  the 
creation  and  arrangement  of  our  globe, — of  the 
formation  of  the  first  human  pair,^-of  their  pri- 
meval innocence,  temptation,  and  fall.— ^f  the 
arts  which  were  culiivaied  in  the  first  ages  of  the 
world,^-of  the  increase  of  human  wickedness, — 
of  the  building  of  the  ark,— of  the  drowning  of 
the  world  by  a  universal  deluge, — of  the  burning 
of  Sodom  by  fire  from  the  clouds,— of  the  ori- 
gin of  languages,^.of  the  dividing  of  the  Red 
sea, — of  the  journeying  of  the  tribes  of  Israel 
through  the  deserts  of  Arabia,^-of  their  conquest 
of  the  promised  land,  and  their  wars  with  the 
nations  of  Canaan,— of  the  corporeal  translation 
of  Elijah  from  earth  to  heaven, — of  the  manifes- 
tation of  the  son  of  Grod  in  human  flesh,  the  be- 
nevolent miracles  he  performed,  and  the  tri- 
umphs he  obtained  over  all  the  powers  of  hell  and 
earth.  We  are  here  presented  with  the  most 
interesting  and  affecting  narratives,  elegies,  dra- 
matic poems,  and  triumphal  songs, — with  views 
of  society  in  the  earliest  ages  of  the  world,  when 
the  lives  of  men  were  prolonged  to  nearly  a  thou- 
sand years, — with  splendid  miracles  performed 
in  the  land  of  Egypt,  in  the  wilderness  ofHoreb, 
and  in  the  "  field  of  Zoan,"  when  "the  sun  and 
moon  stood  still  in  their  habitation ;"  when  the 
waters  of  the  great  deep  were  divided,  and 
mountains  shook  and  trembled  "  at  the  presence 
of  Jehovah," — with  the  glorious  marching  of  a 
whole  nation  through  the  Arabian  deserts,  under 
the  guidance  of  a  miraculous  pillar  of  cloud  and 
fire, — with  the  visits  of  celestial  messengers, 
and  the  visible  symbols  of  "  a  present  Deity," 
— with  prophetical  delineations  of  the  present 
and  future  condition  of  the  race  of  Adam, — with 
dascriptions  of  tlte  power,  wisdom,  love,  and 


majesty  of  the  Almighty,  and  of  his  operations  in 
heaven  and  eartii, — with  the  results  and  bear- 
ing of  the  economy  of  redemption, — with  divine 
songs,  odes,  and  hymns,  composed  by  angels  and 
inspired  men, — with  maxims  of  moral  wisdom, 
examples  of  sublime  eloquence,  of  strength  of 
reasoning,  and  of  manly  boldness  of  reproof,— 
with  proverbs,  parables,  allegories,  exhortations, 
promises,  threatenings,  and  consolatory  address- 
es. In  short,  we  have  here  detailed,  in  the 
greatest  variety,  history,  antiquities,  voyages, 
travels,  philosophy,  geography,  natural  and  mo- 
ral science,  biography, arts,  epic  poetry,  epistles, 
memoirs,  dehneations  of  nature,  sketches  of  hu- 
man character,  moral  precepts,  prophecies,  mira- 
cles, narrations,  wonderful  providences,  marvel- 
lous deliverances,  the  phenomena  of  the  air,  the 
waters,  and  the  earth;  the  past,  the  present,  and  the 
future  scenes  of  the  world — all  blended  together  in 
one  harmonious  system,  without  artificial  order, 
but  with  a  majesty  and  grandeur  corresponding 
to  the  style  of  the  other  works  of  God, — and  all 
calculated  to  gratify  the  principle  of  curiosity— 
to  convey  "  reproof,  correction,  and  instruction 
in  righteousness,"  and  "  to  make  the  man  of 
God  perfect,  and  thoroughly  furnished  to  every 
good  work." 

And,  as  the  scenes  of  nature,  and  the  scenes 
of  revelation,  are  thus  wonderfully  diversified, 
in  order  to  excite  ihc  attention  of  intelligent 
beings,  and  to  gratify  the  desire  for  variety,  sc 
we  have  every  reason  to  believe,  that  the  scenes, 
objects,  and  dispensations,  which  will  be  dis- 
played in  the  heavenly  world,  will  be  incompa- 
rably more  grand  and  diversified.  When  we 
consider  the  immensity  of  God's  universal  king- 
dom, and  the  numerous  systems,  and  worlds,  and 
i)eings  comprehended  within  its  vast  circumfe- 
rence, and  that  the  energies  of  creating  power 
may  be  for  ever  exerted  in  raising  new  worlds 
into  existence — we  may  rest  assured,  that  the 
desire  of  variety  and  of  novelty,  in  holy  intelli- 
gences, will  be  completely  gratified  throughout 
an  endless  succession  of  existence  ;  and  that  the 
most  luxuriant  imagination,  in  its  boldest  ex- 
cursions, can  never  go  beyond  the  reality  of 
those  scenes  of  diversified  grandeur  which  the 
heaven  of  heavens  will  display. 

Now,  since  the  book  of  nature,  and  the  book 
of  revelation,  since  all  the  manifestations  of 
the  Creator  in  heaven  and  earth,  are  character- 
ized by  their  sublime  and  diversified  aspect ;  we 
would  ask,  why  should  we  not  be  imitators  of 
Gcxl,  in  displaying  the  diversified  grandeur  of 
his  kingdom  of  providence  and  of  grace,  before 
the  minds  of  those  whom  we  profess  to  instruct  ? 
Why  should  we  confine  our  views  to  a  few  points 
in  the  Christian  system,  to  a  few  stones  in  the 
fabric  of  the  divine  operations,  when  "  a  wide 
and  unbounded  prospect  lies  before  us  ?"  Why 
should  we  not  rather  attempt  to  rouse  the  moral 
and  intellectual  energies  of  mankind,  from  the 


186 


THE  CHWISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


preM,  in  the  ichool-room,  nnd  in  the  family  cii^ 
cl«,  by  exhibiiing  the  boiindim  variety  of  aiipect 
which  th«  revelatiuiis  uT  heaven  present,  and 
the  holy  tendencies  of  devout  contemplation 
on  the  works  and  the  ways  of  God  ?  that  they 
may  learn,  with  int«ili);ence,  to  "meditate  on 
all  the  works  of  the  Lord,  and  to  talk  of  all  his 
doings."  By  enlarging  and  diversifying  the  to- 
pict  of  religious  discussion,  according  to  th« 
viewa  now  aiated,  we  have  it  in  our  (rawer  to 
qwad  out  an  intellectual  feast  to  allure  and  to 
grtr^r  every  variety  of  taste, — the  young  and 
the  old,  the  learned  and  the  unlearned  ;  yea,  even 
the  careless  and  the  ignorant,  the  skeptical  and 
the  dissipated,  might  frequently  be  allured  by 
the  selection  of  a  judicious  variety  of  striking 
and  impressive  objects  and  descriptions,  to  par- 
take of  those  mental  enjoyments  which  might 
ultimately  issue  in  the  happiest  results.  The 
man  of  an  inquisitive  turn  of  mind,  who  now 
throws  aside  every  thing  that  has  the  appearance 
of  religion,  on  account  of  its  dulness,  might 
''^ve  his  curiosity  gratified  amidst  such  a  va- 
riety as  that  to  which  I  allude ;  and,  from  per- 
ceiving the  bearing  of  every  discussion  on  the 
great  realities  of  j'eligion  and  a  future  state, 
might  be  led  to  more  serious  inquiries  after  the 
path  that  leads  to  immortality.  In  a  word,  to 
associate  and  to  amalgamate,  as  it  were,  the 
arts  and  sciences,  and  every  department  of  use- 
ful knowledge,  with  divine  subjects,  is  to  conse- 
crate them  to  their  original  and  legitimate  ends, 
and  to  present  religion  to  the  eyes  of  men,  in 
its  most  sublime,  and  comprehensive,  and  at- 
tractive form,  corresponding  to  what  appears  to 
be  the  design  of  the  Creator,  in  all  the  mani- 
festations he  has  given  of  himself,  in  the  system 
of  nature,  in  the  operations  of  Providence,  and 
in  the  economy  of  redemption. 

II. — By  connecting  gdenee  with  rdigion,  Chris- 
tiana would  be  enabled  to  take  Alt  extensive 

SVRTEY   OF    THE    KINGDOM    OF   GoD. 

How  very  narrow  and  limited  are  the  views 
of  most  professors  of  religion  respecting  the 
universal  kingdom  of  Jehovah,  and  the  range 
of  his  operations !  The  views  of  some  indivi- 
duals are  confined  chiefly  within  the  limits  of 
their  own  parish,  or  at  farthest,  extend  only  to 
the  blue  mountains  that  skirt  their  horizon,  and 
form  the  boundary  of  their  sight.  Within  this 
narrow  circle,  all  their  ideas  of  God,  of  religion, 
and  of  the  relations  of  intelligent  beings  to  each 
other,  are  chiefly  confined.  There  are  others, 
who  form  an  extensive  class  of  our  population, 
whose  ideas  are  confined  r>early  to  the  county  in 
which  they  reside,  and  to  the  adjacent  districts; 
and  there  are  few,  comparatively,  whose  views 
extend  beyond  the  confines  of  the  kingdom  to 
which  they  belong — though  the  whole  island  in 
which  we  reside  it  leM  than  the  two-thousandth 


part  of  the  gk>be  we  inhabit  Of  the  vast  eztnn 
of  this  earthly  ball,  of  its  figure  and  motiooa, 
of  its  continents,  seas,  islands,  and  oceans;  of 
its  vok»noes  and  ranges  of  mountains,  of  it« 
numerous  and  diveraitied  climate*  and  land- 
scapes ;  of  the  various  nations  and  t^ibea  of 
mankind  that  people  it*  surface,  and  of  the  mo- 
ral government  of  God  respecting  them,— tltey 
are  almost  as  completely  ignorant  as  the  untu- 
tored Greenlander,  or  the  roving  savage.  With 
regard  to  the  objects  which  lie  beyond  the  boun- 
dary of  our  world,  they  have  no  precise  and 
definite  conceptions.  When  the  moon  is  "  wallt- 
ing  in  brightness''  tiirough  the  heavens,  they 
take  the  advantage  of  her  light  to  prosecute  their 
journeys;  and,  when  the  sky  la  overcast  with 
clouds,  and  they  are  anxious  to  travel  a  few 
miles  to  their  destined  homes,  they  will  liA  up 
their  eyes  to  the  heavens  to  see  if  any  of  the 
stars  are  twinkling  throuffh  the  gl<KMn,  that  their 
footsteps  may  be  directed  by  their  glimmering 
rays.  Beyond  this  they  seldom  soar.  What 
may  be  the  nature  of  the  vast  assemblage  of 
shining  points  which  adorn  the  canopy  of  their 
habitation,  and  the  ends  they  are  destined  to 
accomplish  in  the  plan  of  the  Creator's  opera- 
tions, they  consider  as  no  part  of  their  province 
to  inquire. 

"  Their  minds,  feJr  science  never  taught  to  stray 
Far  as  the  solar  worlds,  or  milky  way." 

How  very  different,  in  point  of  variety,  of 
grandeur,  and  of  extent,  are  the  views  of  the 
man  who  connects  all  the  different  departments 
of  knowledge,  and  the  discoveries  of  science, 
with  his  prospects  of  God's  universal  dominion 
and  government  ?  With  his  mental  eye  he  can 
traverse  the  different  regions  of  the  earth,  and 
penetrate  into  the  most  distant  and  retired  re- 
cesses where  human  beings  have  their  residence. 
— He  can  contemplate  and  adore  the  conduct  of 
divine  sovereignly,  in  leaving  so  many  nations 
to  grope  amidst  the  darkness  of  heathen  ido- 
latry,— he  can  trace  the  beams  of  the  Sun  of 
righteousness,  as  they  gradually  rise  to  illumine 
the  benighted  tribes  of  men, — he  can  direct  his 
prayers,  with  intelligence  and  fervour,  in  behalf 
of  particular  kindreds  and  people, — he  can  de- 
vise, with  judgment  and  discrimination,  schemes 
for  carrying  the  ♦'  Salvation  of  God"  into  eflect, 
— he  can  realize,  in  some  measure,  to  his  mental 
sight,  the  glorious  and  happy  scenes  which  will 
be  displayed  in  the  fiiture  ages  of  time,  when 
"  the  kingdoms  of  this  worki  shall  become  the 
kingdom  of  our  Lord,  ai>d  of  his  Christ,"  and 
when  the  "  everlasting  gospel"  shall  be  pub- 
lished, and  its  blessings  distributed  among  all 
who  dwell  upon  the  face  of  the  earth.  He  can 
bound  from  this  earth  to  the  planetary  worlds, 
and  survey  far  more  spacious  globes,  peopled 
with  a  higher  order  of  intelligences,  arranged 
and  superintended  by  the  same  Almighty  Sor^ 
reigii,  who  *'  doth  according  to  his  will 


AMPLITUDE  OF  THE  DIVINE  EMPIRE. 


137 


the  inhabitants  of  the  earth."  He  can  wing  his 
way  beyond  the  visible  region  of  the  sky,  till  he 
find  himself  surrounrfed  on  every  hand  with  suns 
and  systems  of  worlds,  rising  to  view  in  bound- 
less perspective,  throughout  the  tracts  of  imnien- 
sity— diversified  with  scenes  of  magnificence, 
and  with  beings  of  every  order — all  under  the 
government  and  the  wise  direction  of  Him  who 
"  rules  amon,'  the  armies  of  heaven,"  and  who 
"  preserveth  them  all,"  and  whom  the  "  host  of 
heaven  worship"  and  adore.  He  can  soar  be- 
yond them  all  to  the  throne  of  God,  where  angels 
and  archangels,  cherubim  and  seraphim,  celebrate 
the  praises  of  their  Sovereign  Lord,  and  stand 
ready  to  announce  his  will,  by  their  rapid  flight 
to  the  most  distant  provinces  of  his  empire.  He 
can  descend  from  that  lofty  eminence  to  this  ter- 
restrial world,  allotted  for  his  temporary  abode, 
and  survey  another  unbounded  province  of  the 
empire  of  God,  in  those  living  worlds  which  lie 
hid  from  the  unassisted  sight,  and  which  the 
microscope  alone  can  descry.  He  can  here 
perceive  the  same  Hand  and  Intelligence  which 
direct  the  rolling  worlds  above,  and  marshal  all 
the  angelic  tribes — organizing,  arranging,  and 
governing  the  countless  myriads  of  animated 
existence  which  people  the  surface  of  a  mudJy 
jwol.  He  can  speed  his  course  from  one  of  these 
departments  of  Jehovah's  kingdom  to  another, 
till,  astonished  and  overwhelmed  with  the  order, 
the  grandeur,  and  extent  of  the  wondrous  scene, 
he  is  constrained  to  exclaim,  "  Great  and  mar- 
vellous are  thy  works,  Lord  God  Almighty !" 
"  Thine  understanding  is  infinite  !"  The  limits 
of  thy  dominions  are  "  past  finding  out !" 

By  taking  such  extensive  surveys  of  the  em- 
pire of  Jehovah,  we  are  enabled  to  perceive  the 
spirit  and  references  of  those  sublime  passages  in 
the  sacred  writings  which  proclaim-  the  majesty 
of  God,  and  the  glory  of  his  kingdom.  Such 
passages  are  diffusely  scattered  through  the  in- 
spired volume,  and  have  evidently  an  extent  of 
■reference  far  beyond  what  is  generally  conceived 
by  the  great  mass  of  the  Christian  world.  The 
fullowing  may  suffice  as  a  specimen  : — 

"  Thine,  O  Lord  !  is  the  greatness,  anu  the 
glory,  and  the  majesty  ;  for  all  in  heaven  arid 
earth  is  thine  !  Thine  is  the  kingdom,  OLord  ! 
Thou  art  exalted  above  all,  thou  reignest  over  all, 
and  in  thine  hand  is  power  and  might. — Behold, 
ihe  heaven,  and  the  heaven  of  heavens,  is  the 
Lord's  ;  the  earth  also,  with  all  that  therein  is. 
— Ascribe  ye  greatness  to  our  God  ;  for  there  is 
none  like  unto  the  God  of  Israel,  who  rideth  upon 
the  heavens  in  his  strength,  and  in  his  excellency 
on  the  sky.  Thou,  even  thou,  art  Lord  alone;  thou 
hast  made  heaves,  the  heaven  of  heavens,  with 
all  their  host;  the  earih,  and  all  things  that  ate 
therein  ;  the  sea,  and  all  that  is  therein  ;  and 
thou  preservest  them  all,  and  the  host  of  heaven 
worshippeth  thee. — He  dividelh  the  sea  by  his 
power  ;  by  his  Spirit  he  hath  garnished  the 
Id 


heavens  :  Lo!  these  are  only  partsof  his  ways; 
but  how  little  a  portion  is  heard  of  hitn,  and  the 
thunder  of  his  power  who  can  understand  ?— 
The  Lord  hath  prepared  his  throne  in  the  hea- 
vens, and  his  kingdom  ruleth  over  all. — O  Lord 
our  God  !  how  excellent  is  thy  name  in  all  th« 
earth !  who  hast  set  thy  glory  above  the  heavens. 
When  I  consider  thy  heavens,  the  work  of  thy 
fingers,  the  moon  and  the  stars,  which  thou  hast 
ordained ;  what  is  man,  that  thou  art  mindful  of 
him  ! — His  kingdom  is  an  everlasting  kingdom  ; 
honour  and  majesty  are  before  him ;  all  the  i»- 
habitants  of  the  earth  are  reputed  (u  nothing  in 
ftis  sight,  and  he  doth  according  to  his  will  in  the 
army  of  heaven,  and  among  the  inhabitants  of 
the  earth. — He  measures  the  waters  in  tlie  hol- 
low of  his  hand  ;  he  meteth  out  heaven  with  a 
span,  and  comprehendeih  the  dust  of  the  earth  in 
a  measure. — He  sitteth  upon  the  circle  of  the 
earth,  and  the  inhabitants  thereof  are  as  grass- 
hoppers.— I  have  made  the  earth,  and  created 
man  upon  it ;  I,  even  my  hands,  have  stretched 
out  the  heavens,  and  all  their  host  have  I  com- 
manded.— The  Most  High  dwelleth  not  in  tena- 
ples  made  with  hands  ;  for  the  heaven  is  his 
throne,  and  the  earth  is  his  footstool. — With 
God  is  awful  majesty. — Great  things  doth  He, 
which  we  cannot  comprehend  ;  yea,  the  Lord 
sitteth  King  for  ever. — Praise  ye  the  Lord  in  the 
heavens ;  praise  him  in  the  heights  ;  praise  him, 
all  his  angels  ;  praise  ye  him,  all  his  hosts. 
Praise  him,  sun  and  moon ;  praise  him,  all  ye 
stars  of  light ;  praise  him,  ye  heaven  of  heavens. 
Praise  him,  ye  kings  of  the  earth,  and  all  people, 
princes  and  Judges  of  the  earth  ;  lK>th  young 
men  and  maidens  ;  old  men  and  children — let 
them  praise  the  name  of  the  Lord  ;  for  his  name 
alone  is  excellent,  his  glory  is  above  the  earth 
and  heaven." 

These  sublime  descriptions  of  the  supremacy 
of  God,  and  of  the  grandeur  of  his  kingdom, 
must  convince  every  reflecting  mind,  of  the  in- 
conceivable magnificence  and  extent  of  that  do- 
minion "  which  ruleth  over  all."  It  is  quite 
evident,  that  we  can  never  enter,  with  intelli- 
gence, into  the  full  import  and  the  grand  refer- 
ences of  such  exalted  language  employed  by  in- 
spired writers,  unless  we  take  into  view  all  the 
discoveries  which  science  has  made,  both  in  the 
earth  and  in  the  heavens,  respecting  the  variety 
and  extent  of  the  dominions  of  the  Creator.  If 
the  "  kingdom  of  the  most  High"  were  as  limited 
in  its  range  as  most  Christians  seem  to  conceive, 
such  descriptions  might  be  considered  as  mere 
hyperboles,  or  bombast,  or  extravasant  declama- 
tion, which  far  exceeds  the  bounds  of"  truth  and 
soberness."  But  we  are  certain,  that  the  con- 
ceptions and  the  language  of  mortals  can  never 
go  beyond  the  reality  of  what  actually  exists 
within  the  boundless  precincts  of  Jehovah's  em- 
pire. For  "  who  can  utter  the  mijjhty  acts  of 
the  Lord?"  or  "  who  can  show  forth  ail  hia 


198 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


praise?"  The  Itngtuge  and  doMripiioni  to 
which  we  have  now  adverted,  aeein  to  have  had 
a  )ir<><<{>ective  reference  to  later  and  UMre  en- 
lightened titne«,  when  more  extensive  proB|>ecta 
of  Qnd'<  dominions  would  be  opened  up  by  the 
exertions  of  human  intellect.  And  were  we  to 
■earch  the  recoriis  of  literature,  in  ancient  or 
modem  time;*,  we  should fiinl  no  descriptions  nor 
langua^je  of  such  diftnified  nature  an  to  express 
the  views  and  feelinf;v  of  an  enlif;htened  Christian 
pltilosopher,  when  he  contemplates  the  sublimity 
and  extent  of  divine  operations— except  those 
which  are  to  be  found  in  the  inspired  volume — 
the  strength,  and  majesty,  and  comprehension  of 
which  no  human  language  can  ever  exceed. 

Agam,  by  familiarizing  our  minds  to  such  ex- 
tended  prospects  ofGod's  universal  kingdom,  we 
^oll  be  qualified  and  disposed  to  comply  with 
the  injunctions  of  Scripture,  which  represent  it 
as  an  imperious  duty,  to  communicate  to  the  mind* 
of  others  such  devoted  conceptions.  This  duty  is 
enjoined  in  numerous  passages  of  Sacred  Scrip- 
ture, particularly  in  the  book  of  Psalms  :  "  De- 
dare  his  glory  among  the  heathen,  and  his 
wonders  among  all  people. — I  will  extol  thee, 
my  God,  O  King. — One  generation  shall  praise 
thy  works  to  another,  and  shall  declare  thy 
mighty  acts. — I  will  speak  of  the  glorious  honour 
of  ihy  majesty,  and  of  thy  wondrous  works.  And 
men  shall  speak  of  the  might  of  thy  terrible  acts  ; 
and  shall  declare  thy  greatness.  All  thy  works 
shall  praise  thee,  O  Lord  ;  and  thy  saints  shall 
bless  thee.  T^ey  shall  speak  of  the  glory  of  thy 
kingdmn,  and  talk  of  thy  power ;  to  make  knotvn 
to  the  sons  of  men  thy  mighty  acts,  and  the  glo- 
rious majesty  of  thy  kingdom."*  When  we  look 
around  us  in  the  world,  and  in  the  visible  church, 
and  mark  the  conceptions  and  the  conversation 
of  the  members  of  religious  societies,  we  need 
scarcely  say  how  little  this  ennobling  duty  is  at- 
tended to  by  by  the  mass  of  those  who  bear  the 
Christian  name.  We  hear  abimdance  of  idle 
chat  abont  the  fashions  and  the  politics  of  the 
day — how  Miss  A.  danced  so  gracefully  at  the 
ball,  and  how  Miss  B.  sung  so  sweetly  at  the 
concert ;  how  Mr.  C.  acted  his  part  .so  well  in 
the  character  of  Rob  Roy,  and  how  Mr.  D.  made 
such  a  flaming  speech  at  the  corporation  dinner. 
We  listen  to  slanderous  conversation,  and  hear 
abundance  of  mean,  and  base,  and  uncharitable 
insinuations  against  our  neighbours  ;  which  in- 
dicate the  operation  of  malice,  hatred,  envy,  and 
other  malevolent  tempers.  We  sppnd  whole 
hours  in  boisterous  disputations  about  meiaph)'- 
sical  subtleties  in  religion,  and  questions  "  which 
gender  strife  rather  than  godly  edifying ;"  but 
"  to  speak  of  the  glory  ofGod's  kingdom,  and 
to  talk  of  his  power,"  with  the  view  of"  making 
known  to  the  sons  of  men  his  mighty  works,"  is 
a  dutj  which  remains  yet  to  be  learned  by  a  ma- 

*  Psalm  cxiv.  and  xcvi.  s< « 


jority  of  those  who  profess  the  religion  of  Jesot. 
And  how  can  they  be  supposed  to  be  ijuBlified  to 
enter  into  the  spirit  of  this  duly,  and  lu  priKlaim 
to  others  "  the  glorious  majesty  of  God's  king- 
dom," unless  such  subjects  be  illustrate<l  in  mi- 
nute detail,  and  proclaimed  with  becoming  energy, 
both  from  the  pulpit  and  from  the  press  ?  These 
powerful  engines,  when  coiidiicled  with  judgment 
and  discrimination,  are  C8|>able  of  producing  on 
the  mass  of  mankind  a  tone  of  thinking,  and  an 
enlargement  of  conception,  on  such  subjects, 
which  no  other  means  can  easily  effect ;  and  it 
is  to  be  hoped,  that  more  precise  and  luminous 
details,  and  more  vigour  and  animation,  will  soon 
be  displayed,  in  this  respect,  than  in  the  ages 
that  are  past. 

There  is  a  certain  principle  of  «f(^sfeiest  which 
pervades  the  minds  of  many  professed  religion- 
ists, which  leads  them  to  conclude,  chat,  if  they 
can  but  secure  their  own  personal  solvation,  they 
need  give  themselves  no  trouble  about  the  glory 
and  extent  of  the  kingdom  of  the  Most  High. 
"  What  need  we  care,"  say  they,  "  about  nations 
in  the  far-distant  parts  of  the  world,  and  about 
the  planets  and  the  stars ;  our  business  is  to  at- 
tend to  the  spiritual  interests  of  our  souls."  Such 
persons  seem  neither  to  understand  in  what  sal- 
vation really  consists,  and  what  is  conducive  U> 
their  spiritual  interests,  nor  to  appreciate  those 
tempers  and  habits  which  will  qualify  them  for 
the  enjoyment  of  eternal  life.  It  forms  but  a 
very  slender  evidence  of  their  possessing  any 
spark  of  Christianity  at  all,  if  they  wish  to  rest 
satisfied  with  the  most  vague  and  grovelling  con- 
ceptions, and  if  they  do  not  ardently  aspire  afker 
a  more  enlarged  view  of  the  attributes  of  God,  of 
the  glory  of  his  empire,  and  of  whatever  may 
tend  to  expand  their  conceptions  of  "  the  inherit- 
ance of  the  saints  in  light."  We  have  often 
been  astonished  at  the  opinions  of  some  of  those 
who  move  in  a  higher  sphere  of  intelligence, 
who  seem  to  consider  it  as  a  matter  of  pure  in- 
different, whether  or  not  Christians  should  attain 
to  the  highest  conception  in  their  power  of  the 
God  whom  they  worship,  and  of  his  boundless 
dominions ;  because  ihey  conceive  that  such 
views  are  not  essentially  connected  with  salva- 
tion ?  Though  they  may  not  have  been  essen- 
tial (o  the  salvation  of  men  in  the  dark  ages  that 
are  past,  or  to  obscure  tribes  of  people  at  |>resent, 
who  have  no  access  to  the  proper  sources  of  in- 
formation, yet,  since  God,  in  the  course  of  his 
providence,  which  guides  all  human  inventions 
and  discoveries,  has  discloned  to  us  a  far  more 
expansive  view  of  the  "  glory  of  his  kingdom," 
than  former  ages  could  obtain,  for  the  purpose  of 
illustrating  the  revelations  of  his  word— who  will 
dare  to  assert,  that  (he  man  who  has  access,  by 
his  studious  efforts,  to  contemplate  (his  wondrous 
scene,  and  to  display  its  grandeur  to  others,  and 
yet  wilfully  shuts  his  eyes  on  the  divine  glory 
therein  displayed,  does  not  thereby  hazaid  the 


AMPLITUDE  OP  THE  DIVINE  EMPIRE, 


139 


divine  displeasure  ?  In  this  point  of  view,  the 
following  passage  deserves  a  serious  considera- 
tion :  "  Because  they  regard  not  the  works  of 
the  Lord,  nor  the  operations  of  his  hands,  he  shall 
destroy  them,  and  not  build  them  up."  We  have 
no  hesitation  in  admitting,  that  persons  may  have 
obtained  salvation  who  never  saw  more  of  the 
sacred  writings  than  what  is  contained  in  the 
gospel  of  Mark,  or  in  one  of  Paul's  epistles; 
but  what  would  we  say  of  the  man  who  had  ac- 
cess to  all  the  revelations  of  heaven  we  now  pos- 
sess, and  y-l  confined  his  attention  solely  to  a 
chapter  or  two  in  the  New  Testament,  and  would 
not  deign  to  look  into  any  other  part  of  the  in- 
spired volume  ?  We  should  not  hesitate  at  once 
to  pronounce  that  such  a  person  was  grossly  de- 
ficient in  his  duty,  and  devoid  of  that  reverence 
and  submission  which  are  due  to  the  oracles  of 
God.  And,  if  it  be  admitted,  that  the  person 
who  has  access  to  the  bible,  and  who  refuses  to 
peruse  its  important  contents,  is  guilty  of  a  cri- 
minal neglect,  we  do  not  see  hew  the  man,  who 
has  free  access  to  the  other  volume  of  God's  re- 
velation, and  views  it  as  a  matter  of  mere  indif- 
ference whether  he  looks  into  into  it  or  not,  can 
be  deemed,  in  this  respect,  entirely  innocent. 
If  it  be  understood,  that  we  shall  be  judged  ac- 
cording to  the  light  and  privileges  we  enjoy,  and 
the  use  we  make  of  them,  in  our  improvement 
in  the  knowledge  of  God — we  would  deem  it  a 
hazardous  p>osition  for  any  one  to  support,  that 
"  inattention  to  the  visible  glories  of  the  kingdom 
of  God,  and  to  the  '  declaration  of  his  wonders 
among  the  people,'  is  a  matter  either  of  indiffer- 
ence or  of  trivial  importance." 

For,  let  it  be  considered,  further — that  on  the 
extent  of  our  tnewt  respecting  the  universal  king- 
dom of  God  depends  our  conceptions  of  the  ma- 
jesty and  glory  ofihe  Creator  himself.  We  be- 
come acquainted  with  the  nature  of  God,  only  in 
so  far  as  he  has  manifested  himself  to  us  by  ex- 
ternal operations,*  and  in  so  far  as  we  form  just 
conceptions  of  these  operations.  If  we  conceive 
his  empire  as  included  within  the  bounds  of 
eighty  or  ninety  thousand  miles,  our  conceptions 
of  the  Soverei:;n  of  that  empire  will  be  ^rcum- 
scribed  within  nearly  the  same  limits.  The  mind 
of  every  reasonable  man  must,  indeed,  admit  the 
abstract  proposition,  "  That  the  Divine  Being 
is  infinite,  and,  consequently,  fills  all  space  with 
his  presence."  But  this  infinity,  in  our  view, 
is  nothing  more  than  a  vague  conception  of  empty 
space,  extending  a  little  way  beyond  the  sphere 
of  his  visible  operations.  The  mind  must  have 
some  material,  visible,  or  tangible  objects  to  rest 
upon,  and  to  guide  it  in  its  excursions,  when  it 
would  attempt  to  form  the  most  definite  and  com- 
prehensive conceptions  of  an  infinite,  eternal, 
and  invisible  existence.     For  however  much  we 

*  Here  I  Include  the  manifestations  of  D«tty,  as 
exhibited  both  In  divine  revelation,  and  in  tke  syt- 
tern  of  nature. 


may  talk  about  purely  spiritual  ideas,  it  is  quite 
evident,  from  the  nature  of  things,  and  from  the 
very  constitution  of  man,  that  we  can  have  no 
ideas  at  all  without  the  intervention  of  serisible 
objects.  And,  therefore,  if  we  would  wish  to  form 
the  most  sublime  conceptions  of  God  himself, 
we  must  endeavour,  in  the  first  place,  to  take  the 
most  extensive  views  which  science  and  revela- 
tion exhibit,  of  his  vast  dominions.  We  must 
endeavour  to  form  some  adequate  idea  of  the 
wide  extent  of  the  globe  on  which  we  dwell,  its 
diversified  scenery,  and  the  numerous  tribes  of 
human  beings,  and  other  animated  existences, 
visible  and  invisible,  which  people  its  different 
provinces.  We  must  explore  the  vast  regions  of 
the  planetary  system,  and  compare  the  bulk  of 
]hf  earth,  large  as  it  is,  with  some  of  those 
more  magnificent  globes,  which  would  contain  a 
thousand  worlds  as  large  as  ours.  We  must 
next  wing  our  way,  in  imagination,  over  a  space 
which  a  cannon-ball,  flying  five  hundred  mites 
every  hour,  would  not  traverse  in  ten  hundred 
thousand  years,  till  we  arrive  at  the  nearest  fixed 
stars,  and  find  ourselves  in  the  centre  of  thou- 
sands of  systems  and  worlds,  arranged  at  im- 
measurable distances  from  one  another.  We 
must  pass  from  one  nebula,  or  cluster  of  systems, 
to  another  ;  continuing  our  excursions  as  far  as 
the  eye  or  the  telescope  can  direct  our  view ; 
and,  when  the  aid  of  artificial  instruments  begins 
to  fail,  our  imagination  must  still  take  its  flight 
far  beyond  the  boundaries  of  mortal  vision,  andi 
add  system  to  system,  and  nebula  to  nebula^ 
through  the  boundless  regions  of  space,  till  we- 
arrive  at  the  grand  centre  of  the  universe,  the 
throne  of  God,  around  which  all  worlds  and 
beings  revolve,  where  "thousands  thousands"  of 
bright  intelligences  "  minister  to  Him,  and  tea 
thousand  times  ten  thousand  stand  before  him." 
We  must  consider  all  this  magnificent  t«sem«- 
blage  of  objects,  not  merely  as  so  many  masses 
of  inert  matter,  or  as  a  grand  raree-show,  ta 
dazzle  the  eyes  of  a  few  hundreds  of  human 
spectators, — but  as  destined  for  purposes  worthy 
of  the  plans  and  the  intelligence  of  Him  whoig 
"  the  only  wise  God," — as  peopled  with  nume- 
rous orders  of  intelligent  beings,  whose  physical 
and  moral  economy  is  superintended  and  direct- 
ed by  Him,  who,  at  the  same  time,  rules  amidst 
the  tumults  of  human  revolutions,  and  governs 
the  living  myriads  which  people  a  drop  of  water. 
In  this  way,  then,  do  we  come  to  acquire  the 
most  extensive  views  of  the  amplitude  and  glory 
of  the  kingdom  of  the  Most  High.;  and  it  is  only 
by  the  same  process  of  thought  that  we  can  ever- 
attain  the  most  exalted  conceptions  of  the  attri- 
butes of  its  almighty  Sovereign.  For  our  views  of 
the  Sovereign  of  the  universe  must  always  corres- 
pond with  our  views  of  the  extant  and  magoifU 
cence  of  those  dominions  which  sprung  from  his- 
creating  hand,  and  over  which  he  every  moment 
presides.    His  essence  mustibr  ever  remain  ia»>- 


140 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


perceptible  to  finite  minds ;  (ur  he  is  "  the  King 
eternal,  immorlal,  and  inviMibU,  dwelling  in  that 
light  which  DO  niMican  apprucch  unto,  whmn  no 
man  hath  seen, or  eon  set."  FromhisnBiure,a8a 
spiritual  uncompounded  substance,  and  frum  his 
immensity,  as  filling  inlinite  s|>ace  with  his  pre- 
■ence,  it  appears  impossible,  in  the  very  nature  of 
things,  that  the  glory  of  hi.<i  perfections  can  be  dis- 
played in  any  other  way  than  through  the  medium 
of  the  visible  Operations  ofhis  hands,  or  in  the  dis- 
peosaliona  of  his  providence  towards  particular 
worlds  or  classes  of  intelligences.  And  if,  in  the 
future  world,  the  souls  of  good  men  will  enjoy  a 
more  glorious  display  than  at  present,  of  tiie  at- 
tributes of  Deity,  it  will  be  owing  chiefly  to  their 
being  placed  in  more  favourable  circumstances 
than  they  now  are,  for  contemplating  this  display ; 
to  their  faculties  being  more  invigorated  ;  and 
every  physical  and  moral  impediment  to  their 
exercise  being  completely  removed  ;  so  as  to 
enable  them  to  perceive  more  clearly  than  they 
now  do,  the  unbounded  displays  he  has  given  of 
his  power,  wisdom,  and  benevolence.  And,  if 
we  expect  to  be  introduced  to  this  state  of  en- 
larged vision,  when  we  pass  from  the  scenes  of 
mortality,  it  cannot  be  a  matter  of  mere  indfffer- 
^tue,  even  now,  whether  or  not  our  minds  are 
prepared  for  such  exalted  employments,  by  en- 
deavouring to  form  the  most  ample  conceptions 
of  the  attributes  of  God  which  can  be  obtained 
through  the  medium  of  hiw  word,  and  by  a  con- 
templation of  the  variety  and  magnificence  ofhis 
works.  In  the  prospect  of  that  world  where  we 
hope  to  spend  an  interminable  existence,  it  must 
also  be  interesting  to  ascertain,  whether  or  not 
the  dominions  of  the  universal  Sovereign  pre- 
sent 8t*ch  an  extent  of  empire,  and  such  a  variety 
of  objects,  that  new  scenes  of  wonder  and  glory 
may  be  expected  to  be  displayed  in  continual 
succession,  for  the  contemplation  and  entertain- 
ment of  holy  beings,  while  eternal  ages  are  roll- 
ing on.  And,  on  this  point,  the  discoveries  of 
science  confirm  and  illustrate  the  notices  of  hea- 
venly glory  and  felicity  recorded  in  the  inspired 
volume,  and  lead  us  to  rest  with  full  assurance 
on  the  prophetic  declaration,  that  "  eye  hath  not 
seen,  nor  ear  heard,  nor  hath  it  entered  into  the 
heart  of  man  to  conceive,  the  things  which  God 
hath  prepared  for  them  that  love  him." 

III. — By  connecting  the  diteoverie*  of  tdence 
wilh  religion,  the  minds  of  Chriatiant  would 
be  enabled  to  take  a  more  miratle  and  compre- 
heruive  turvey  of  the  opebatiohs  or  pao- 

VIOEIfCE. 

Providence  is  that  superintendence  and  care 
which  God  exercises  over  all  creatures  and 
events,  in  order  to  accomplish  the  eternal  pur- 
pose* of  his  will.  In  creation,  God  brought  the 
universe  out  of  nothing,  aitd  arranged  all  its 
provinces  and  inhabitants  in  due  order.  By 
ki>  frouidtMOi  b«  supporU  and  gorenu  all  the 


movements  of  the  mat  rial  system,  and  the  sen* 
sitive  and  rational  beings  with  which  it  is  peopled. 
It  is  evident,  that,  in  (troportion  as  our  views  of 
the  Creulor's  dominions  are  extended,  our  view* 
of  his  providence  will,  to  a  certain  extrnl,  be  pnv 
portionably  enlarged.  For  wherever  worlds  and 
beinex  cxi.^t,  there  will  God  be  found,  preserving, 
superiniending,  and  governing  ihc  movements  of 
all  creaturrn  and  events.  It  is  clii<'fly,  however, 
in  the  world  in  which  we  reside,  that  the  diver- 
sified dispensations  of  Providence  can  be  dis- 
tinctly traced.  Now  an  acquaintance  with  the 
proniment  parts  of  the  different  branches  of 
knowledge  to  which  I  have  already  adverted, 
would  enable  us  to  take  a  particular  and  com- 
prehensive view,  not  only  of  the  way*  of  God 
to  man,  but  also  of  his  arrangements  in  reference 
to  all  subordinate  creatures  and  event*. 

From  the  inspired  history  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, we  can  trace  the  prominent  lines  of  the 
dispensations  of  God  towards  man,  particularly 
in  regard  to  the  Israelites  and  the  surrounding 
nations — from  the  creation  to  a  period  about  400 
years  before  the  coming  of  Christ.  But  in  order 
to  perceive  the  farther  progress  and  bearings  of 
these  lines  till  the  commencement  of  the  New 
Testament  economy,  we  must  have  recourse  to 
the  most  authentic  records  of  profane  history. 
From  the  era  of  the  birth  of  Christ  to  near  the 
close  of  the  first  century,  we  can  acquire,  from 
the  evangelists  and  the  history  of  the  apostles, 
a  particular  account  of  the  life  of  Christ,  of  the 
events  which  preceded  and  accompanied  the 
finishing  of  the  work  of  redemption,  and  of  the 
progress  of  the  gosfiel  through  Judeaand  the  ad- 
jacent countries.  But  after  this  period  we  have 
no  inxpired  guide  to  direct  us  in  tracing  the  di- 
vine dispensaiiom.  towards  the  various  nations 
of  the  earth  ;  ano,  therefore,  we  must  have  re- 
course to  the  annals,  memoirs,  chronicles,  and 
other  records  of  the  history  of  nations,  down  to 
the  period  in  which  we  live  ;  otherwise  we  couk) 
never  contemplate  the  continued  series  of  events 
in  the  divine  economy  towards  the  inhabitants  of 
our  world.  Unless  men  of  learning  and  of  ob- 
servation had  recorded  the  prominent  facts  which 
have  occurred  in  the  history  of  nations,  for  1700 
years  past,  we  must  have  remained  almost  as  ig- 
norant of  the  dispensations  of  God  towards  our 
race,  during  that  period,  as  the  inhabitants  of  the 
planet  Saturn  :  and  unless  we  study  the  events 
thus  recorded  in  the  writings  of  the  historian, 
and  contemplate  their  varied  aspects  and  bearings 
in  the  light  of  divine  revelation,  we  must  still 
remain  ignorant  of  the  grand  movements  and 
tendencies  of  divine  providence.  This  single 
circumstance  shows,  in  the  clearest  light,  that  it 
is  the  intention  of  God,  that  we  should  learn  the 
operations  of  his  providence  from  the  researches 
of  science  and  history,  as  well  as  from  the  records 
of  revelation  ;  and  that  the  scriptures,  though  they 
coatain  every  mptrmUvrat  iacvrtrj  requisite  l*- 


RANGE  OF  DIVINE  PROVIDENCE. 


141 


our  happiness,  are  not  of  themselves  suf!icient  to 
present  us  witli  a  connected  view  of  the  promi- 
nent dispensations  of  heaven,  from  the  creation 
to  the  period  in  which  we  live. 

From  the  science  of  geography/  we  acquire  a 
knowledge  of  the  extent  of  the  surface  of  the 
earth — of  the  various  tribes  of  human  inhabit- 
ants with  which  it  is  peopled^-of  the  physical 
aspect  of  the  different  climates  they  inhabit — of 
their  arts,  manners,  customs,  laws,  religion, 
vices,  wars,  and  political  economy :  and,  conse- 
quently, we  can,  in  these  and  similar  respects, 
trace  some  of  the  aspects  of  Divine  Providence 
towards  them  in  relation  to  their  present  and  fu- 
ture condition.  From  the  same  source,  we  learn 
the  number  of  human  beings  which  the  Governor 
of  the  world  has  under  his  direction  at  one 
time,  which  is  nearly  a  thousand  millions,  or 
five  hundred  times  the  number  of  the  inhabitants 
of  Scotland.  From  the  data  afforded  by  this 
science,  we  may  also  form  an  estimate  of  the 
number  of  disembodied  spirits  that  have  passed 
from  this  world  since  the  creation,  and  are  now 
under  the  superintendence  of  the  Almighty  in  the 
invisible  state,  which  cannot  be  much  less  than 
145,000  millions  ;  and  on  similar  grounds  we  may 
also  learn  the  number  of  rational  beings  that  are 
coming  forward  into  existence,  and  passing  into 
the  eternal  world  every  day,  which  is  at  least 
68,000,  and,  consequently,  nearly  50  during  each 
passing  minute, — every  individual  of  which,  the 
Supreme  Disposer  of  events  superintends  at  his 
entrance  into  life ;  and,  at  his  departure  from  it, 
directs  to  his  respective  and  eternal  state  of  des- 
tination. All  which  circumstances,  and  many 
others  of  a  similar  kind,  must  be  taken  into  ac- 
count, in  order  to  our  forming  a  comprehensive 
conception  of  the  numerous  bearings  and  the  in- 
cessant agency  of  a  Superintending  Providence. 

From  natural  history  we  learn  the  immense 
number  and  variety  of  the  subordinate  tribes  of 
animated  beings  which  inhabit  the  different  re- 
gions of  earth,  air,  and  sea — their  economy  and 
instincts — their  modes  of  existence,  and  the  man- 
ner in  which  the  Creator  provides  for  their 
various  necessities.  From  an  acquaintance  with 
the  history  of  the  arts  and  mechanical  inverii- 
tions,  we  learn  the  gradual  manner  in  which  God 
directs  the  movements  of  the  human  mind,  in 
making  those  improvements  and  discoveries 
which  have  a  bearing  upon  the  accomplishment 
of  his  eternal  plans  of  mercy,  and  which  tend 
to  enlarge  our  views  of  the  amplitude  and  the 
glories  of  his  kingdom.  From  natural  philosophy 
and  chymiatry,  we  learn  the  secondary  causes  or 
subordinate  laws  by  which  the  Almighty  supports 
and  directs  the  natural  constitution  of  the  world 
— the  wonderful  manner  in  which  our  lives  are 
every  moment  supported — and  the  agencies 
by  which  fire,  air,  light,  heat,  and  fertility  are 
distributed  through  the  globe,  for  promoting  the 
comfort  ana  r.apoiness  ' '  of  every  thing  that 


lives."  From  anatomy  and  physiology,  we 
learn,  how  "  fearfully  and  wonderfully  we  are 
made  and  preserved" — that  our  health  and  com- 
fort depend  upon  the  regular  action  of  a  thousand 
organical  parts  and  functions,  over  which  we 
have  no  control — and  that  our  very  existence 
every  moment  is  dependent  on  the  superintend- 
ence of  a  Superior  Power,  "in  whose  hand 
our  breath  is,  and  whose  are  all  our  ways." 

By  an  occasional  study,  then,  of  the  subjects 
to  which  we  have  now  alluded,  we  would  gra- 
dually expand  our  conceptions  of  the  range  and 
operations  of  Divine  Providence.  Every  geo- 
graphical exploration  of  a  new  region  of  the 
globe — every  scientific  improvement  and  disco- 
very— every  useful  invention — every  eruption 
of  a  volcano — every  shock  of  an  earthquake— 
every  hurricane,  and  storm,  and  tempest — every 
battle  of  the  warrior — every  revolution  among 
the  nations — and  every  detail  in  the  newspapers 
we  daily  read,  would  lead  us  to  form  some  con- 
ceptions of  the  providential  purposes  of  Him 
who  is  the  Supreme  Disposer  of  all  events. — 
Even  the  arrangements  of  Divine  Wisdom, 
witti  regard  to  the  economy  of  the  lower  ani- 
mals, ought  not  to  be  overlooked  in  such  a  sur- 
vey. When  we  consider  the  immense  number 
and  variety  of  animated  beings — that  there  are 
600  species  of  quadnipeds,  every  species  con- 
taining, perhaps,  many  millions  of  individuals ; 
4000  species  of  birds ;  2500  species  of  fishes  ; 
700  species  of  reptiles ;  and  44,000  different 
kinds  of  insects,  besides  many  thousands  of 
species  altogether  invisible  to  the  unassisted 
sight — when  we  consider  that  the  structure  and 
organization  of  all  these  different  species  are 
different  from  each  other,  and  exactly  adapted 
to  their  various  situations  and  modes  of  exist- 
ence, and  that  their  multifarious  wants,  in  regard 
to  food  and  habitation,  are  all  provided  for,  and 
amply  supplied  by  Him,  who,  at  the  same  time, 
arranges  and  governs  the  affairs  of  ten  thou- 
sand worlds — we  must  be  lost  in  astonishment 
at  the  greatness  of  that  Intelligence  which 
formed  them,  and  at  the  exuberance  of  that 
Bounty  which  spreads  so  full  a  table  for  so  im- 
mense an  assemblage  of  living  beings !  And 
were  we  transported  to  other  worlds,  we  should, 
doubtless,  behold  still  more  ample  displays  of 
Divine  Beneficence. 

We  are  here  presented  with  a  striking  com- 
mentary on  such  passages  of  the  sacred  volum* 
as  these  :  "  The  eyes  of  all  look  unto  Thee,  O 
Lord !  and  thou  givest  them  their  meat  in  due 
season.  Thou  openest  thy  hand  liberally,  and 
satisfiest  the  desire  of  every  living  thing.  The 
earth  is  full  of  thy  riches,  O  Lord  !  so  is  the  great 
and  wide  sea,  wherein  are  things  creeping  innu- 
merable, both  great  and  small  beasts.  These  all 
wait  upon  thee,  and  thou  givest  them  their  meat 
in  due  season.  That  which  thou  givest  them 
they  gather :  Thou  openest  thy  hand,  tbey  are 


■M^ 


142 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


WW  with  good."— "O  Lord,  thou  preaervest 
autn  and  beaat!  How  excellent  ia  thy  loving- 
kiadneM  !  Therefore  the  childrea  oT  men  sikall 
put  their  tniat  under  the  shadow  of  thy  wings  : 
They  shall  b«  abundantly  aaiiified  with  the  Tat- 
IMM  of  thy  hooae,"'*  (of  the  Ubie  thou  haat 
•pr«ad  in  thy  world  for  all  thine  oflsprinK.)  "  and 
tbou  ihall  make  them  drink  of  the  river  of  thy 
pleasures."  One  excellent  practical  effect  which 
might  flow  from  such  contemplations  would  be, 
to  inspire  us  with  feelings  of  humanity  towards 
the  inferior  order  of  animals,  and  to  prevent  us 
from  wantonly  and  unnecessarily  torturing,  or 
depriving  them  of  existence.  For  since  the  Cre- 
ator and  Preserver  of  all  has  so  curiously  orga- 
nized their  bodies,  and  fitted  them  for  the  different 
regions  in  which  they  reside,  and  so  carefully 
provided  for  all  their  wants,  it  must  be  His  will 
that  they  should  enjoy  happiness  according  to  the 
extent  of  their  capacities  ;  and,  therefore,  they 
ought  to  be  considered  as  necessary  parts  of  our 
sublunary  system.  Another  practical  lesson  we 
may  derive  from  such  surveys,  is,  to  place  an  un- 
shaken dependence  u|K>n  God  for  our  temporal 
subsistence,  while  we,  at  the  same  time,  exert 
all  our  faculties  in  the  line  of  active  duty. 
"  Blessed  is  the  man  who  trusteth  in  him  ;  for 
there  is  no  want  to  them  that  fear  him.  The 
young  lions  may  sufier  hunger,  but  they  that  fear 
the  Lord  shall  not  want  any  good  thing."  He 
who  decks  the  lily  of  the  vale,  and  spreads  out 
a  plentiful  table  to  the  fowls  of  heaven,  to  the 
beasts  of  the  fbr<tsts,  to  the  creeping  insects,  and 
even  to  the  microscopic  animalculse,  will  never 
fail  to  supply  the  necessary  wants  of  those  who 
"  do  His  will,  and  hearken  to  the  voice  of  his 
commandments."  And  if,  at  any  time,  we  be 
found  destitute  of  daily  food,  and  pining  away  in 
peoury  and  squalid  disease,  we  have  too  much 
reason  to  conclude,  that  in  one  way  or  another, 
either  our  deviation  from  the  path  of  rectitude, 
or  our  distnist  of  divine  providence,  or  our  want 
q(  prudence  and  economy,  has  proctired  for  us 
the*e  things. 

I  have  said,  that  it  is  chiefly  in  the  world  in 
which  we  dwell,  that  the  dispensations  of  Pro- 
vidence can  be  distinctly  traced.  But  we  must 
nevertheless  admit  that  the  care  and  superin- 
tendence of  God  are  as  minutely  exercised  in  the 
distant  regions  of  the  universe  as  in  our  terres- 
trial sphere  ;  though  we  are  not  permitted,  at 
pr«ient,  to  inspect  the  particular  details  of  His 

'  This,  and  several  other  similar  passages,  may  be 
coiwldered  as  more  especially  applicable  to  the 
l>ounty  of  prortdenoe  which  God  has  provided  for 
all  his  creatures.  The  prarllee  of  tpirltuoHzingr 
such  passafes,  as  It  Is  tennod,  has  a  tendency  to 
caricature  Sortpture,  and  to  twist  it  from  its  pre- 
cise and  sublime  references,  to  accord  with  the  va^ue 
fancies  of  Injudicious  miniis.  The  literal  meanln^t 
of  Scripture  Is  always  the  most  appropriate,  em- 
phatic and  sublime ;  but  It  may,  in  some  cases,  l>e 
used  by  way  ofaccommodallon,  in  Illustrating  divine 
Ml^leets,  when  it  Is  applied  with  Judgmeul  and  dis- 


procedure  in  reference  to  other  orders  of  intellt-. 
gnnces.  We  arenol,  however,  altogether  igno- 
rant of  some  prominent  features  ot  the  physical 
and  moral  economy  of  oiher  worlds,  in  cona^ 
quence  of  tlie  discoveries  of  modern  astrunomioal 
science. 

With  respect  to  their  pkymeal  economy,  we 
behold  a  striking  variety  in  the  divine  arrange- 
ments. We  perceive  one  planetary  world  sur- 
rounded by  two  splendid  and  magnificent  rings, 
one  of  them  204,000,  and  the  other  184.000  milen 
in  diameter,  stretching  acrusii  its  celestial  cano- 
py from  one  end  of  the  heavens  to  another — mov- 
ing with  majestic  grandeur  around  its  inhabitants 
every  ten  hours,  and  diffusing  a  light  equal  to 
several  thousands  of  moons  like  ours — which 
may  be  considered  as  a  visible  and  permaneiu 
emblem  of  the  majesty  and  glory  of  their  Cre- 
ator. We  perceive  connected  with  the  same 
globe,  seven  moorts,  all  larger  than  ours,  of  dif- 
ferent magnitudes,  and  placed  at  different  dis- 
tances, and  revolving  in  different  periods  of  lime 
around  that  spacious  world.  The  diversified  as- 
pects of  these  rings,  as  viewed  from  the  different 
regions  of  the  planet  at  different  limes,  and  (he 
variety  of  appearances  produced  by  the  alternate 
rising  and  setting,  culmination,  and  frequent 
eclipses,  and  other  aspects  of  the  moons,  must 
present  to  the  inhabitants  a  very  grand  and  va- 
ried and  magnificent  scene  of  divine  operation.* 
On  the  other  hand,  we  behoU  another  planetary 
globe,  destitute  both  of  rings  and  moons,  bul 
which  has  the  starry  heavens  presented  to  view 
nearly  in  the  same  aspect  in  which  we  behold 
them.  We  perceive  a  third  globe  much  larger 
than  them  both,  capable  of  containing  200  times 
the  number  of  the  inhabitants  of  our  world — ac- 
companied in  its  course  with  four  moons  to  dif- 
fuse light  in  the  absence  of  the  sun,  and  to  di- 
versify the  aspect  of  its  sky.  In  some  of  these 
worlds,  the  succession  of  day  and  night  is  ac- 
complished within  the  space  often  hours;  in 
others,  this  revolution  is  not  completed  till  aAer 
the  lapse  of  twenty-four  hours,  or  of  as  many 
days.  In  some,  the  days  and  nights  are  nearly 
equal  on  every  part  of  their  surface,  and  they 
have  little  variety  of  seasons  ;  in  others,  the  va- 
riety in  the  length  of  the  days,  attd  the  vicissi- 
tudes  of  the  seasons,  are  nearly  the  same  as  thoae 
we  experience  in  our  terrestrial  world.  Around 
some  there  appears  a  dense  atmosphere,  while 
others  are  environed  with  atmospheres  more  rara 
and  transparent.  Some  move  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  sun,  and  enjoy  an  abundant  efflux  of  light 
and  heat,  while  others  are  removed  to  the  dis- 
tance of  eighteen  hundred  millions  of  miles  from 
that  central  luminary.  Some  finish  the  revolts 
(ion  of  their  year  in  a  few  months  :  while  others 
require  twelve,  thirty,  or  even  eighty  of  our  years 
to  complete  their  annual  round.     Some  appaas 

*8MtlM  ,AU,  Fif.} 


RANGE  OF  DIVINE  PROVIDENCE. 


14S 


adorned  with  majestic  mountain  scenery,  and 
others  seem  to  have  great  changes  occasionally 
taking  place  in  their  atmosphere,  or  on  their  sur- 
faces. There  are  four  planetary  bodies  lately 
discovered,  which,  there  is  every  reason  to  be- 
lieve, once  formed  the  component  parts  of  a  large 
globe  ;  but  by  some  mighty  catastrophe  in  the 
dispensations  of  heaven,  it  appears  to  have  been 
burst  asunder  into  the  fragments  we  now  behold. 
If  the  general  proposition  illustrated  in  section 
2.  of  the  preceding  chapter  be  admitted,  such  a 
fact  would  seetn  to  indicate  that  a  moral  revolu- 
tion has  taken  place  among  the  intelligent  beings 
who  had  originally  been  placed  in  those  regions  ; 
and  that  their  fate  was  involved  in  the  dreadful 
shock  which  burst  asunder  the  globe  they  inha- 
bited ;  just  as  the  fate  of  the  antediluvians  was 
involved  in  the  shock  by  which  the  solid  crust  of 
our  globe  was  disrupted,  at  the  period  of  the  uni- 
versal deluge. 

These  are  some  outlines  in  the  economy  of 
Providence  which  we  can  trace  with  regard  to 
the  arrangements  of  other  worlds ;  but  beyond 
such  general  aspects  we  are  not  permitted  to  pe- 
netrate, so  long  as  we  sojourn  in  tabernacles  of 
clay.  But  even  such  general  views  afford  some 
scope  to  the  conteuiplative  mind,  for  forming  en- 
larged conce|)ti«ns  of  the  grandeur  and  diversity 
of  the  dispensations  of  God,  in  the  worlds  which 
roll  in  the  distant  regions  of  space. 

With  regard  to  their  moral  economy — we  may 
rest  assured  that  the  prominent  outlines  of  it  are 
materially  the  same  as  of  that  economy  which  re- 
lates to  the  inhabitants  of  our  world.  The  fun- 
damental principles  of  the  moral  laws  given  to 
men,  and  which  it  is  the  great  object  of  revela- 
tion to  support  and  illustrate,  are,  "  Thou  shalt 
love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart  and  un- 
derstanding," and,  "  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neigh- 
bour as  thyself."  On  these  two  commandments 
hang  all  the  law  and  the  prophets.  Now,  we 
must  admit,  from  the  nature  of  the  Divine  Being, 
and  from  the  relations  in  which  rational  beings 
stand  to  Him  and  to  one  another,  that  the  Cre- 
ator has  enacted  these  laws,  as  the  great  govern- 
ing principles  by  which  the  actions  of  all  intel- 
ligences in  heaven,  as  well  as  upon  earth,  are  to 
be  directed.  For  the  Governor  of  the  world  can 
never  be  supposed  to  issue  a  law  to  any  order  of 
rational  creatures,  which  would  permit  them  to 
hate  their  Creator,  or  to  hale  those  whom  he  has 
formed  after  his  o'.vn  image.  Such  a  supposition 
would  be  inconsistent  with  the  eternal  rules  of 
rectitude,  and  with  the  perfections  of  Deity — and 
the  fact  supposed,  (if  it  could  exist,)  would  in- 
troduce confusion  and  misery  throughout  the 
whole  intelligent  imiverse.  And,  therefore,  we 
must  necessarily  alinil,  that  the  laws  to  which  I 
D04V  advert,  are  binding  upon  all  the  rational  in- 
habitants which  exist  throughout  Jehovah's  do- 
minions; and  that  it  is  by  these  that  the  moral 
order  of  all  (he  principalities  and  powers  of  hea- 


ven is  preserved  and  directed.  Tn  those  worlds 
where  there  is  no  change  in  the  succession  of 
their  inhabitants — or,  in  other  words,  where  there 
is  no  death,  or  where  they  are  not  produced  by 
any  process  analogous  to  generation,  but  have  a 
fixed  and  permanent  residence,  there  will  be  no 
need  for  moral  precepts  corresponding  to  the  fifth 
and  the  seventh  commandments  of  our  moral  law ; 
and  in  those  worlds  where  property  is  common, 
and  the  bounties  of  the  Creator  are  equally  en- 
joyed by  all,  there  will  be  no  necessity  for  a  law 
corresponding  to  the  eighth  commandment;  but 
the  general  principles  on  which  these  laws  are 
founded,  will  be  applicable  to  all  the  other  cir- 
cumstances and  relations  which  actually  exist ; 
so  that  the  principle,  and  spirit,  and  tasence  of 
our  religion  must  be  common  to  all  the  holy  in- 
habitants of  the  universe.  And,  therefore,  it 
will  follow,  that  every  intelligent  being  that  is 
animated  and  directed  by  such  principles  and  af- 
fections, will  be  qualified  for  holding  delightful 
intercourse  with  all  holy  beings  throughout  the 
universe  of  God,  in  whatever  province  of  the 
Creator's  empire  he  may  hereafter  be  placed ; 
and,  to  qualify  us  for  such  harmonious  and  af- 
fectionate intercourse,  is  one  great  end  of  the 
salvation  exhibited  in  the  gospel.  So  that,  al- 
though we  cannot,  in  our  present  slate,  acquire 
a  minute  and  comprehensive  knowledge  of  the 
moral  history  of  other  worlds,  of  the  special  in- 
terpositions or  manifestations  of  Deity  in  rela- 
tion to  them,  or  of  the  means  hy  which  they  are 
carried  forward  in  moral  and  intellectual  improve- 
ment— yet  we  can  trace  the  general  priticiples  or 
laws  which  form  the  basis  of  tlieir  moral  and  re- 
ligious economy.  For  as  the  laws  of  optics,  and 
the  principle  of  gravitation,  pervade  the  whole 
material  system,  as  far  as  the  universe  is  visible 
to  our  assisted  vision,  so  the  principle  of  su- 
preme love  to  God,  and  sincere  affection  to  fel- 
low-intelligences, must  pervade  the  intellectual 
universe,  wherever  it  extends ;  and,  if  any  in- 
telligent agents  besides  men,  have  violated  these 
laws,  they  must  experience  pain,  and  misery, 
and  disorder,  analogous  to  those  which  are  felt 
by  the  inhabitants  of  our  apostate  world. 

Thus  I  have  endeavoured  to  show,  that  the 
combination  of  science  with  religion  would  tend 
to  expand  our  views  of  divine  providence— 
in  the  various  arrangements  of  God,  in  rela- 
tion to  the  human  race,  and  to  the  subordinate 
tribes  of  sensitive  beings — and  in  reference  to 
some  of  the  prominent  features  of  his  adminis- 
tration in  distant  worlds.  And,  therefore,  though 
the  Christian  ought  never  to  overlook  the  ways 
of  Providence  in  relation  to  himself,  and  to  his 
spiritual  and  domestic  concerns,  yet  it  would 
argue  a  selfishness  and  a  sottishncss  altogether 
inconsistent  with  the  noble  and  expansive  spirit 
of  Christianity,  to  overlook  all  the  other  parts 
of  the  theatre  of  divine  dis|)ensation8,  when 
a  very  slight  degree   of  labour   and    research 


144 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


might  be  iutqunenUl  in  unfolding  them  to  his 
»iew. 

IV. — 7*^  coniMirion  of  teitnee  with  rtU/fion 
vxmid  have  a  Undtney  to  induce  upon  Cla-it- 
tianM  A  SPIRIT  or  libekality,  or  candour, 

out  qf  ACCURACV  IN  JUOOINO  Or  THE  OPI- 
mOM    AND    ACTIONS  Or    MEN,    and   qf  THE 

OtriNc  procedure  and  operations. 

Who  is  the  most  candid  and  liberal  Being  in 
the  Universe  ?  God. — And  why  is  God  lo  be 
conaidered  as  ihe  must  liberal  intelligence  that 
exists?  Because  he  embraces  a  minute,  a  full, 
and  comprehensive  view  of  all  the  circumstances, 
connexions,  relations,  habits,  motives,  tempta- 
tions, modes  of  thinking,  educational  biases, 
physical  atfeclions,  and  other  causes,  that  may 
influence  the  sentiments  or  the  conduct  of  any 
of  his  creatures. — Who  among  created  intelli- 
gences may  be  viewed  as  endowed  with  these 
qualities  in  the  next  degree  ?  The  loftiest  se- 
raph that  God  has  created,  who  has  winged  his 
way  to  numerous  worlds,  and  taken  the  most 
extensive  survey  of  the  dispensations  of  the 
Almighty,  and  of  all  creatures  and  events. — 
Who,  among  the  sons  of  men,  is  the  most  illi- 
beral and  inaccurate  in  judging  of  opinions,  of 
persons,  and  of  things?  The  man  who  has 
lived  all  his  days  within  the  smoke  of  his  father's 
chimney,  or  within  the  confines  of  his  native 
village — who  has  never  looked  beyond  the  range 
of  his  own  religious  party — whose  thoughts  have 
always  run  in  one  narrow  track — whose  reading 
has  been  confined  to  two  or  three  musty  volumes, 
which  have  lain  for  ages  on  the  same  smoky 
shelf— who  cares  for  nothing  either  in  the  hea- 
vens or  the  earth,  but  in  so  far  as  it  ministers  to 
bis  convenience,  his  avarice,  or  his  sensual  en- 
joyment— who  will  admit  no  sentiment  to  be 
true,  but  what  he  may  have  heard  broached  by 
his  parson — and  whose  conversation  seldom  rises 
beyond  mere  gossipping  chit-chat,  and  the  slan- 
derous remarks  which  are  circulated  among  his 
neighbours. — Such  characters  are  entirely  un- 
qualified for  forming  a  correct  judgment,  either  of 
the  sentiments  and  tlie  actions  of  men,  or  of  the 
works  and  tlie  ways  of  God ;  for  they  are 
completely  destitute  of  the  requisite  data  wher^ 
on  to  form  a  rational  decision  in  relation  to 
either  of  these  subjects. 

It  may  be  admitted  as  a  kind  of  axiom,  in  our 
estimate  of  human  character,  that  in  proportion 
to  the  ignorance  and  the  narrow  range  of  view 
which  characierize  any  individual,  in  a  similar 
proportion  will  be  his  want  of  candour  and  his 
unfitness  for  passing  a  sound  judgment  on  any 
•ubject  that  b  laid  before  him, — and  thai  the 
man  who  has  taken  excursions  through  the  widest 
range  of  thought,  accompanied  with  a  corres- 
ponding improvement  of  his  moral  powers,  will 
always  be  the  most  liberal  and  camiid  in  his  de- 


cisions on  the  moral  and  intellectual  qualities  of 
others.  To  thei>e  maxims  few  exceptions  will 
generally  be  found. — In  forming  an  enlightened 
judgment  in  regard  to  any  action  or  object,  it  is 
essentially  requisite,  that  we  contemplate  it  in 
all  its  different  features  and  aspecu,  and  in  all 
its  minute  circumstances,  bearings,  and  rela- 
tions. We  would  not  hesitate  for  a  moment  to 
determine  who  is  best  qualified  to  give  an  accu- 
rate description  of  a  city, — he  who  has  only 
viewed  its  spires  from  a  distance,  while  in  rapid 
motion  in  his  chariot— or  he  who  has  minutely 
surveyed  all  its  streets,  lanes,  squares,  public 
edifices,  and  surrounding  scenery,  in  every  va- 
riety of  aspect ;  or,  who  appears  most  likely  to 
form  the  most  accurate  and  enlightened  judgment 
in  relation  to  any  particular  kingdom — he  who 
has  just  skirted  along  a  few  miles  on  one  of  its 
coasts,  or  he  who  has  traversed  its  length  and 
breadth  in  all  directions,  and  mingled  with  every 
class  of  its  inhabitants.  On  the  same  principle, 
it  must  be  admitted,  that  be  tvho  has  viewed  re- 
ligion in  all  its  aspects  and  bearings,  who  has 
taken  the  most  extensive  survey  of  the  manifes- 
tations of  God,  and  of  the  habits  and  relations 
of  men,  is  the  best  qualified  to  pronounce  a  can- 
did and  accurate  decision  on  all  tlie  intellectual 
and  moral  cases  that  may  come  before  him. 

If  the  spirit  of  the  atxtve  stated  sentiments  be 
founded  on  reason  and  on  fact,  it  will  follow,  that 
the  moie  we  resemble  G<xl  in  the  amplitude  of 
our  intellectual  views  and  benevolent  affections, 
the  more  candid,  and  liberal,  and  accurate  will 
our  judgments  be  in  reference  to  all  the  actions, 
objects,  and  relations  we  contemplate. — On  the 
other  hand,  the  man  who  is  confined  to  a  narrow 
range  of  thought  and  prosfiect  is  continually 
blundering  in  the  estimates  he  forms,  both  in 
respect  to  physical  facts,  to  general  print  iples, 
and  to  moral  actions.  He  forms  a  prrmaiure 
and  uncharitable  opinion  on  every  slander  and 
report  against  his  neighbour.  He  condemns, 
without  hesitation,  and  throws  an  unmerited 
odium  on  wliole  bodies  of  men,  because  one  or 
two  of  their  number  may  have  dii^played  weak- 
ness or  folly.  He  hates  and  despises  men  and 
their  opinions,  because  they  belong  not  to  his 
political  or  religious  party.  He  pronounces  his 
decisions  on  the  motives  of  men,  with  as  much 
confidence  as  if  he  had  surveyed  their  hearts 
with  the  eye  of  omniscience.  He  cannot  hear 
an  objection  against  his  favourite  opinions  with 
patience,  nor  an  apology  for  any  set  of  opinions 
but  his  own.  He  is  arrogant  and  dogmatical  in 
his  assertions,  and  will  make  no  concessions  to 
the  superior  wisdom  of  others.  He  sets  him- 
self, with  violence,  against  every  prnpodal  (or 
reformation  in  the  church,  because  his  forefathers 
never  thought  of  it,  and  because  such  "  innova- 
tions" do  not  suit  his  humour  and  preconceived 
opinions.  He  decides,  in  the  most  confident 
tone,  00  what  God  eon  and  cam*o<  do,  as  if  bo 


EXPANSION  OF  INTELLECTUAL  VIEWS. 


145 


(uul  taken  the  ga-nire  of  infinite  perfeniion  ;  and 
he  frets  at  the  divine  dispensations  when  they 
do  not  exactly  quadrate  with  his  own  humours 
and  selfish  views. 

With  regard  to  the  operations  of  the  Most 
High,  he  also  forms  the  most  foolish,  and  vague, 
and  contradictory  conceptions.  Tell  him  of  the 
vast  dimensions  of  the  planetary  system,  of  the 
men  and  animals  that  live  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  globe,  of  the  annual  and  diurnal  motion 
of  the  earth— that  this  world  and  its  inhabitants 
are  moving  through  the  regioi>s  of  space  many 
thousands  of  miles  every  hour— that  one  of  the 
planets  is  so  large  that  it  would  contain  1400 
worlds  as  spacious  as  our»— that  another  is  fly- 
ing through  the  tracts  of  immensity,  at  the  rate 
of  a  hundred  thousand  miles  in  an  hour— and 
that  light  is  darted  from  the  sun  with  a  velocity 
of  195,000  miles  in  a  moment  of  time— he  will 
stare  at  you  with  astonishment  at  such  extrava- 
gant assertions,  and  will  sooner  believe  the  sto- 
ries of  giants  100  feet  high,  and  of  fairies  that 
can  enter  in  crowds  through  the  key-hole  of  his 
door.  Instead  of  frankly  acknowledging  that 
"  He  is  ignorant  of  such  subjects,  and  of  the 
grounds  of  such  conclusions,— that  those  who 
have  studied  them  with  intelligence  are  best  ca- 
pable of  judging,— that,  if  true,  they  must  fill 
us  with  admiration  of  the  glory  of  God, — but 
that,  as  he  has  hitherto  had  no  opportunity  of 
examining  such  matters,  he  must  suspend  his 
assent  till  he  inquire  into  the  reasons  which  can 
be  given  for  such  amazing  deductions ;"— instead 
of  such  concessions,  which  are  the  dictates  of 
modesty  and  of  common  sense— he  will  tell  you 
at  once,  without  hesitation,  and  without  a  blush 
at  his  presumptuous  decisions,  that  "  it  is  all 
extravagance,  and  folly,  and  idle  romance,  con- 
trary to  Scripture,  and  reason,  and  common 
sense  ;"  and  will  not  hesitate  to  brand  you  as  a 
heretic,  for  endeavouring  to  break  loose  his  in- 
tellectual trammels  ! — thus  tacitly  declaring,  that 
he  is  far  better  qualified  to  pronounce  a  decision 
on  such  topics,  than  all  the  philosophers  and 
divines,  and  all  the  brightest  geniuses  who  have 
appeared  in  the  world  for  ages  past ;  though  he 
will  at  the  same  time  admit,  that  he  never  gave 
himself  the  trouble  to  examine  into  such  mat- 
ters! 

His  views  of  the  providential  dispensations  of 
God  are  equally  partial  and  distorted.  If  dis- 
ease, or  poverty,  or  misfortune,  happen  to  his 
neighbour,  especially  if  he  had  withdrawn  from 
the  religious  party  to  which  he  belongs,  it  is  con- 
sidered as  a  penal  judgment  for  his  error  and  . 
apostacy.  If  prosperous  circumstances  attend 
his  family  or  his  religious  party,  it  is  viewed 
as  a  sign  of  divine  approbation.  He  seldom 
views  the  hand  of  God,  except  in  uncommon  oc- 
currences ;  and  then,  he  imagines  that  a  miracle 
is  performed,  and  that  the  wheels  of  nature  are 
stopped  ia  order  to  accomplish  th«  event.  He 
19 


seldom  looks  beyond  the  precincts  of  his  own 
church  or  nation,  to  observe  the  movements  of 
the  divine  footsteps  towards  other  tribes  of  his 
fallen  race.  He  overlooks  the  traces  of  divine 
operation  which  are  every  moment  to  be  seea 
above  and  around  him — and  yet,  in  the  midst 
of  all  such  partial  and  contracted  views,  he  will 
sometimes  decide  on  the  wisdom  and  rectitude 
of  the  ways  of  God,  with  as  much  confidence,  as 
if  he  had  entered  into  the  secret  counsels  of  the 
Eternal,  and  surveyed  tlie  whole  plan  of  his 
procedure. 

Such  are  a  few  prominent  outlines  of  the  cha- 
racter of  thousands  whose  names  are  enrolled  as 
members  of  the  visible  church — whose  illiberal- 
ity  and  self-conceit  are  owing  to  the  contracted 
notions  they  have  formed  of  God  and  of  religion. 
And,  surely,  it  must  appear  desirable  to  every 
enlightened  Christian,  that  all  proper  means 
should  be  used  to  prevent  rational  immortal  be- 
ings from  remaining  enchained  in  such  mental 
thraldom. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  man  who  takes  an  en- 
lightened view  of  all  the  works  and  dispensations 
of  God,  and  of  all  the  circumstances  and  rela- 
tions of  subordinate  beings,  necessarily  acquires 
a  nobleness  and  liberality  of  mind,  and  an  accu- 
racy in  judging  of  things  human  and  divine, 
which  no  other  person  can  possess.  He  does 
not  hastily  take  up  an  evil  report  against  his 
neighbour  ;  for  he  considers  how  unfounded  such 
reports  often  are,  and  how  much  they  are  owing  to 
the  insinuations  of  envy  or  of  malice.  And  when 
he  can  no  longer  doubt  of  an  evil  action  being 
substantiated  against  any  one,  he  does  not  tri- 
umph over  him  in  the  language  of  execration; 
for  he  considers  all  the  circumstances,  relations, 
feelings,  and  temptations  with  which  he  may 
have  been  surrounded ;  he  considers,  that  he 
himself  is  a  frail  sinful  creature,  and  might  pos- 
sibly have  fallen  in  a  similar  way,  had  he  been 
placed  in  the  same  situation.  He  does  not 
trumpet  forth  the  praises  of  a  man  who  has  per- 
formed one  brilliant  benevolent  deed,  as  if  he 
were  a  character  to  be  admired  and  eulogized— 
while  the  general  course  of  his  life  is  marked 
with  vice,  and  an  utter  forgetfulness  of  God  and 
religion  ;  nor  does  he  fix  a  stigma  of  immorality 
upon  the  person  who  may  have  acted  foolishly  or 
sinfully,  in  one  or  two  instances,  while  the  gene- 
ral tenor  of  his  conduct  has  been  marked  by 
purity  and  rectitude :  for,  in  both  cases,  he  con- 
siders, that  it  is  not  an  insulated  action,  but  gene- 
ral habit*,  which  determine  the  character  of  any 
individual.  He  esteems  the  wise  and  the  good, 
and  holds  friendly  intercourse  with  them,  t« 
whatever  political  or  religious  party  they  belong. 
He  can  bear,  with  affability  and  candour,  to  have 
his  opinions  contradicted,  and  can  differ  from 
his  neighbour  in  many  disputed  points,  whilM',  at 
the  same  time,  he  values  and  esteems  him.  He 
will  not  brand  a  man  as  a  heretic  or  a  Deist, 


146 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


becauM  he  take*  a  view  of  aome  dopnas  in 
tbeolo);y,  in  a  ditferrnt  li^ht  from  what  he  himself 
does ;  for  he  considers  the  difri>r«iice  of  hahiis, 
•tudies,  pursuits,  and  educational  prejudice* 
which  must  have  influenced  his  opinions  ;  and 
makes  due  allowance  fur  the  range  of  thought  to 
which  he  may  have  been  accustomed.  He  is 
always  disposed  to  attribute  tlie  actions  of  other* 
to  good  m^ives,  when  he  has  no  proof  of  the 
contrary.  He  uses  no  threats  nor  physical  force 
lo  support  hiii  opinions,  or  to  convince  gainsay* 
ers;  for  he  knows  that  no  external  coercion  can 
illuminate  the  mind,  and  that  the  strength  of  ar> 
gumenls,  and  the  (brce  of  truth,  can  alone  pro- 
duce conviction.  He  is  convinced  how  igno- 
rant he  is,  notwithstanding  all  his  study,  obser- 
vations, and  researches ;  and  presses  forward,  a* 
long  as  he  lives,  to  higher  degrees  of  knowledge 
and  of  moral  improvement. 

He  is  an  active  promoter  of  every  scheme 
ifaat  tends  to  enlighten  and  meliorate  mankind, 
and  to  extend  the  knowledge  of  salvation  to  the 
end*  of  the  earth  ;  for  he  considera  that  it  is  not 
by  miracles,  but  by  the  iiubordinate  agency  of  in- 
telligent beings,  that  God  will  effectuate  the  illu- 
mination and  the  moral  renovation  of  our  apos- 
tate race.  He  views  the  special  agency  of  God 
in  all  the  movements  of  the  scientific,  the  reli- 
gious, and  the  political  world,  and  perceives  Him 
accomplishing  his  purpose  in  the  inventions  of 
human  genius,aiid  in  the  economy  of  the  minutest 
insect,  as  well  as  in  the  earthquake,  the  storm, 
and  the  convulsions  of  nations  ;  for  he  considers 
the  smallest  atom,  and  the  hosts  of  heaven,  as 
equally  directed  by  eternal  wisdom,  and  equally 
necessary  in  the  universal  chain  of  creatures  and 
events.  He  displays  a  becoming  modetty  in 
speaking  of  the  ways  and  the  works  of  God. 
When  he  meets  with  any  dark  and  afflictive  dis- 
pensation in  the  course  of  Providence,  he  does 
not  fret  and  repine,  but  is  calm  and  resigned, 
conscious  that  he  perceives  only  a  small  portion 
of  the  chain  of  God's  dispensations,  and  is,  therc- 
C>re,  unable  to  form  a  just  comparison  of  the 
connexion  of  any  one  part  with  the  whole. 
When  he  contemplates  the  depraved  and  wretch- 
ed condition  of  the  greater  part  of  the  world,  at 
present,  and  for  thousands  of  years  past,  not- 
withstanding the  salvation  which  has  been 
achieved  for  sinners  of  mankind,  he  is  far  from 
arraigning  the  divine  goodness  and  rectitude,  in 
laavini  so  many  nations  "  to  walk  in  their  own 
ways;  for  ho  knows  not  what  relation  this  dis- 
mal scene  may  boar,  what  influence  it  may  have, 
or  what  important  impressions  it  may  produce, 
on  worlds  and  beings  with  which  we  are  at  pre- 
sent unacquainted. 

He  is  cautious  in  pronouncing  decisively  re- 
specting the  dispensations  of  God,  in  regard  to 
Qm  uiwotTte  at  larg*.  He  does  not,  for  example, 
assert,  with  the  utmost  coofidence,  as  some  havo 
dcos, "  that  there  never  was,  and  never  will  be, 


to  all  the  ages  of  eternity,  such  a  bright  dispUr 
of  the  divine  glory  as  in  the  cross  of  Christ 
He  admires  and  adores  the  cuiidescenxion  and 
the  love  of  God,  in  the  plan  of  salvation,  which 
the  gospel  exhibits,  and  feels  an  interest  in  it  far 
beyond  that 'of  any  oilier  special  nuuiifesiaiiun  uf 
Deity  ;  but  he  dares  not  set  limits  to  the  divine 
attributes  and  operations.  He  considers  himself 
at  present,  with  regard  to  the  grand  system  of 
the  universe,  in  a  situation  similar  to  that  of  a 
small  insect  on  one  of  the  stones  of  a  magnificent 
edifice,  which  sees  only  a  few  hair-breadihs 
around  it,  and  is  altogether  incapable  of  survey- 
ing the  symmetry,  the  order,  and  beauty  of  the" 
structure,  and  of  forming  an  adequate  conception 
of  the  whole.  He  considers  that  he  has  never 
yet  surveyed  the  millionth  part  of  Jehovali's 
empire,  and  therefore,  cannot  tell  what  the  eter- 
nal Sovereign  has  been  pleased  to  exhibit  in  its 
numerous  provinces  ;  and,  least  of  all,  can  he 
ever  presume  lo  dive  into  the  depllis  of  intermi- 
nable ages,  and  boldly  declare  what  the  Almighty 
will,  or  will  not  do,  through  eternity  to  come. 
He,  therefore  views  it  as  presumption,  while  he 
has  no  dictate  of  revelation  (nr  his  warrant,  to 
pronounce  decisively,  either  on  the  one  side  or 
the  other,  of  such  a  deep  and  important  question, 
which  seems  above  the  reach  of  the  loftiest  se- 
raph to  determine.*  In  short,  he  endeavours  to 
take  a  view  of  all  the  manifestations  of  Deity 
within  his  reach,  from  every  source  of  infor- 
mation which  lies  before  him,  and  as  far  as  his 
limited  faculties  will  permit.  He  does  not  call  in 
question  the  discoveries  of  science,  because  they 
bring  to  his  ears  most  astonishing  reports  of  the 
wisdom  and  omnipotence  of  Jehovah,  and  of  the 
boundless  extent  of  his  kingdom  ;  but  rejoices  to 
learn,  that  the  grandeur  of  his  dominions  is  ac- 
tually found  to  correspond  wiih  the  lofty  descrip- 
tions of  divine  majesty  and  glory  recorded  in 
the  volume  of  inspiration,  and  is  thereby  inspi- 
red with  nobler  hopes  of  the  glory  and  felicity  of 
that  heavenly  workl  where  he  expects  to  spend 
an  endless  existence. 

If,  then,  such  be  some  of  the  features  in  the 
character  of  the  enlightened  Christian  ;  if  libe- 
rality and  candour,  and  accurate  investigation, 
mark  the  judgments  he  pronounces  on  the  senti- 
ments and  the  actions  of  men,  and  on  the  works 
and  the  ways  of  God;  and  if  such  views  and 
feelings  ought  to  be  considered  as  more  conge- 
nial to  the  noble  and  benevolent  spirit  of  our 
religion,  than  the  narrow  and  distorted  notions 
of  a  contracted  mind,  it  must  be  an  object  much 
to  be  desired,  that  the  mass  of  the  Christian  world 
be  led  into  such  strains  of  thought,  as  might  im- 
bue their  minds  with  a  larger  prtiportion  of  this 
spirit.  And,  if  diversified  and  occasional  dis- 
cussions on  the  topics  to  which  we  have  adverted 
would  have  a  tendency  to  produce  this  desirable 

'  See  Appendix,  No.  X. 


PIETY  AND  HUMILITY. 


147 


effect,  it  is  obvious,  that  such  branches  of  know- 
ledge  as  are  calculated  to  enlarge  the  capacity 
of  the  mind,  and  to  throw  a  light  over  the  reve- 
lations and  the  works  of  God,  should  no  longer 
be  overlooked  in  the  range  of  our  religious  con- 
templations. 

V. — The  erierudve  range  of  thought  which  the 
diversified  objects  in  nature  present,  woitld 

HAVE  A  TENDENCY  TO  INSPIRE  US  WITH 
A  SPIRIT  or  PIETF,  AND  OF  PEOFOUND 
HUMILfTV. 

It  is  owing,  in  many  instances,  to  want  of 
attention  to  the  impressive  displays  of  wisdom 
and  omnipotence  in  the  material  world,  that  our 
pious  feelings  and  devotional  exercises  are  so 
cold  and  languid.  We  stalk  about  on  the  sur- 
face of  the  earth,  and  pass  from  one  day  to  an- 
other, without  reflecting  on  the  grand  and  com- 
plicated machinery  around  us,  which  is  carrying 
us  along  through  the  regions  of  space,  and  from 
one  portion  of  duration  to  another,  as  if  the 
mighty  energies  of  the  Eternal  Mind,  exerted  in 
our  behalf,  were  unworthy  of  our  acknowledge- 
ment or  regard.  How  few,  for  example,  reflect, 
when  they  open  their  eyes  in  the  morning,  and 
perceive  the  first  beams  of  the  rising  sun,  that 
since  they  lay  down  to  sleep,  the  divine  power 
has  been  exerted  in  carrying  them  more  than 
four  thousand  miles  round  to  the  eastward,  in 
order  that  they  might  again  be  cheered  with  the 
morning  light  ;  and  that,  during  the  same  period, 
they,  along  with  the  earth  and  its  vast  popula- 
tion, have  been  carried  forward  476,000  miles 
from  that  portion  of  space  which  they  occupied 
seven  hours  before !  Or,  if  they  have  no  idea  of 
the  motion  of  the  earth,  and  attach  no  belief  to 
such  an  opinion,  how  is  it  they  do  not  re- 
flect, that  after  night  has  thrown  its  shades 
around  them,  the  sun,  and  ten  thousand  other 
vast  globes,  must  move  several  hundreds  of  mil- 
lions of  miles  before  their  eyes  can  again  behold 
the  lightofday?  Either  the  one  or  the  other  of 
these  cases  must  be  the  fact ;  and,  in  either  case, 
there  is  presented  to  our  view  a  display  of  the 
omnipotence  and  the  superintendence  of  Him  in 
whom  we  live  and  move,  which  demands  our 
gratitude,  our  admiration,  and  praise.  Andean 
it  ever  be  supposed,  that  such  reflections,  com- 
bined with  all  the  other  excitements  to  reverence 
and  gratitude,  will  not  tend  to  elevate  our  con- 
templations, and  to  raise  our  pious  feelings  to  a 
higher  pitch  of  devotion?  Whether  the  psalmist 
entertained  any  views  of  this  kind  when  he  com- 
posed the  ninety-second  Psalm,  we  csinnot  cer- 
tainly determine  ;  but  I  presume,  the  pious  and 
contemplative  mind,  when  awaking  from  the 
slumbers  of  the  night,  under  such  impressions, 
might  sing  the  first  part  of  that  song  of  praise 
with  peculiar  emphasis  and  delight — "  It  is  a 
good  thing  to  give  thanks  to  Jehovah,  and  to 
sing  praise  to  thy  name,  O  thou  Most  High !  to 


show  forth  thy  loving  kindness  in  the  morning. 
For  thou,  Lord,  hast  made  me  glad  through  thy 
work,"  (or  thy  powerful  energy  :)  •'  I  will  tri- 
umph in  the  works  of  thy  hands.  O  Lord  ! 
how  great  are  thy  works!  and  thy  thoughts"  (or 
contrivances)  "  are  very  deep !  A  brutish  man 
knoweth  nut,  neither  doth  a  fool  understand 
this." 

An  extensive  acquaintance  with  nature  and 
science,  combined  with  Christian  principle, 
would  a\so  induce  profound  humibty.  The  man 
who  has  made  excursions  through  the  most  di- 
versified regions  of  thought,  is  deeply  sensible  of 
the  little  progress  he  has  attained,  and  of  the 
vast  and  unbounded  field  of  divine  science  which 
still  remains  to  be  explored.  When  he  consi- 
ders the  immense  variety  of  sublime  subjects 
which  the  volume  of  inspiration  exhibits,  and  of 
which  he  has  obtained  but  a  very  faint  and  im- 
perfect glimpse— the  comprehensive  extent,  and 
the  intricate  windings  of  the  operations  of  Pro- 
vidence, and  the  infinite  number  of  beings  over 
which  it  extends — the  amplitude  and  magnifi- 
cence of  that  glorious  universe  over  which  Je- 
hovah presides,  and  how  small  a  portion  of  it 
lies  open  to  his  minute  inspection — he  is  hum- 
bled in  the  dust  at  the  view  of  his  own  insigni- 
ficance ;  he  sees  himself  to  be  a  very  babe  in 
knowledge  ;  and,  as  it  were,  just  emerging  from 
the  gloom  of  ignorance  into  the  first  dawnings 
of  light  and  intelligence.  He  feels  the  fiill  force 
and  spirit  of  the  poet's  sentiments — 

"  Much  learning  shows  hoto  little  mortals  know." 

When  ho  considers  the  comprehensive  extent  of 
the  divme  law,  and  its  numerous  bearings  on 
every  part  of  his  conduct,  and  on  all  the  diver- 
sified relations  in  which  he  stands  to  his  God, 
and  to  his  fellow  men  ;  and  when  he  reflects  on 
his  multiplied  deviations  from  that  eternal  rule  of 
rectitude,  he  is  ashamed  and  confounded  in  the 
presence  of  the  Holy  One  of  Israel ;  and,  on  a 
review  of  his  former  pride  and  self-conceit,  is 
constrained  to  adopt  the  language  of  Agur  and 
of  Asaph — "  Surely  I  am  more  brutish  than  any 
man,  and  have  not  the  understanding  of  a  man." 
"  So  foolish  was  I,  and  ignorant,  I  was  as  a 
beast  before  thee."  He  views  the  meanest  and 
the  most  ignorant  of  his  species,  as  but  a  very 
few  degrees  below  him  in  the  scale  of  intelli- 
gence, and  sees  no  reason  why  he  should  glory 
over  his  fellows. 

This  sentiment  might  be  illustrated  from  the 
example  of  some  of  the  most  eminent  men,  in 
whose  minds  science  and  religion  were  combined. 
The  Honourable  Mr.  Boyle  was  the  most  un- 
wearied and  successful  explorer  of  the  works  of 
God,  in  the  age  in  which  he  lived,  and  all  his 
philosophical  pursuits  were  consecrated  to  the 
service  of  relij^ion.  Among  other  excellent 
traits  in  his  character,  humility  was  the  most 
conspicuous.  "  He  had  about  him,"  saya  Bishop 


148 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHH^OSOPHER. 


Burnet,  "  all  that  unafloci«d  ne(;lect  of  pomp  in 
clotbei,  lodging,  fuiriimre,  and  equipage,  which 
afr«ed  with  hit  grave  and  tenout  course  of  life," 
Knd  wu  cnurtciMis  and  condeacrndinc  to  the 
meuiesi  ofhis  fi-llow  men.  "  He  had,"sayi  (he 
aaine  author, "  ttu;  profmndest  veneration  for  the 
great  (9od  of  hraven  and  earth,  that  I  ever  ob- 
served  in  any  persuii.  The  very  namf  of  God 
was  never  mentioned  by  him  without  a  pause, 
and  a  visible  gin|i  in  his  discourse  -,"  and  the 
tenor  ofhis  philosopliical  nnd  theological  writings 
is  in  complete  unison  with  these  traits  of  cha- 
racter. Sir  Iiaae  Newton,  too,  whose  genius 
■eeroed  to  know  no  limits  but  those  of  the  visible 
universe,  was  diniinguished  by  his  modesty,  ku- 
mility,  and  meeknete  of  temper.  He  had  such 
an  kumbk  opinion  of  himself,  that  he  had  no  re> 
lishoTlhe  applause  which  was  so  deservedly  paid 
him.  He  would  have  let  others  run  away  with 
the  glory  of  his  inventions,  if  his  friends  and 
countrymen  had  not  been  more  jealous  ofhis  ho- 
nour than  he  wa.s  himself.  He  said,  a  little  be- 
fore his  death,  "  I  do  not  know  what  I  may  ap- 
pear to  the  world,  but  to  myself  I  seem  to  havo 
been  only  like  a  boy  playing  on  the  sea-shore, 
and  diverting  myself  in  now  and  then  finding  a 
pebble  or  a  pre:ii«r  shell  than  ordinary,  whilst 
the  great  ocean  of  truth  lay  all  undiscovered  be> 
fore  me." 

The  same  sentiment  might  have  been  illus- 
trated from  the  lives  of  Bacon,  Locke,  Dr. 
Boerhaave,  Hervey ,  Nieuwenty t,  Ray,  Derham, 
the  Abbe  Pluche,  Bonnet,  and  other  eminent 
characters,  who  devoted  their  stores  of  know- 
ledge to  the  illustration  of  the  Christian  system. 
For  an  extensive  knowledge  of  the  operations  of 
God  has  a  natural  tendency  to  produce  humility 
and  veneration  ;  and  wherever  it  is  combined  with 
pride  and  arrogance,  either  amortg  philosophers 
or  divines,  it  indicates  a  lamentable  deficiency, 
if  not  a  complete  destitution  of  Christian  prin- 
ciple, and  of  all  those  tempers  which  form  the 
bond  of  union  among  holy  intelligences.  Afier 
the  attention  of  Job  had  been  directed  to  the 
works  of  God,  and  when  he  had  contemplated 
the  inexplicable  phenomena  of  the  divine  agency 
in  the  material  world,  he  was  ashamed  and  con- 
founded at  his  former  presumption  ;  and,  in  deep 
humility,  exclaimed,  "  I  have  heard  of  thee  by 
the  hearing  of  the  ear ;  but  now  mine  eye  seeth 
thee ;  wherefore  I  abhor  myself,  and  repent  in 
dust  and  ashes."  In  accordance  with  what  has 
been  now  stated,  we  find  that  the  moat  exalted 
intelligences,  who,  of  course,  possess  the  most 
•xtenaive  viewt  of  the  worka  and  providential 


arrangements  of  God,  are  represented  as  tiM 
the  most  humble  in  their  deportment,  and  as 
displaying  the  roost  profound  reverence  in  their 
incessant  adorations.  They  "faU  down  before 
Him  who  sits  upon  the  throne ;  and  eoJf  thiir 
croumt  before  the  throne,  saying.  Thou  art  wor- 
thy, O  Lord,  to  receive  glory,  and  hooour,  and 
power ;  for  thou  hast  created  all  things,  and  for 
thy  pleasure  they  are  and  were  created."  Their 
moral  conduct  evinces  the  same  lowly  temper  of 
mind.  They  wait  around  the  throne,  in  the  at- 
titude of  motion,  with  wings  outspread  ready  to 
fly,  on  the  first  signal  of  their  Sovereign's  will  ^ 
they  "  do  his  commandments,  hearkening  to  the 
voice  ofhis  word,"  and  do  not  disdain  to  perform 
important  services,  in  our  wretched  HorM,  to 
the  meanest  human  being  who  is  numbered 
among  *'  the  heirs  of  salvation."  In  like  man- 
ner, were  ice  endued  with  the  grasp  of  intellect, 
the  capacious  minds,  the  eitensive  knowledge, 
and  the  moral  powers  which  they  possess,  we 
would  also  display  the  same  humble  and  reve- 
rential spirit,  and  feel  ashamed  of  thoeeemotioos 
of  vanity  and  pride,  which  dispose  so  many  of 
the  human  family  to  look  down  with  contempt 
on  their  felk>w  mortals. 


If  the  leading  train  of  sentiment  which  per- 
vades this  volume  be  admitted,  the  following  ge- 
neral  condunon*  may  be  adduced : — That,  in 
conducting  the  religious  instruction  of  the  young, 
the  works  of  God  m  the  material  world,  and  the 
most  striking  discoveries  which  have  been  made 
as  to  their  magnitude,  variety,  and  mechanism, 
should  be  frequently  exhibited  to  their  view  in 
minute  detail ;  as  illustrations  of  the  attributes 
of  the  Deity,  and  of  those  descriptions  of  his 
nature  and  operations  contained  in  the  volume 
of  inspiration  ; — that  the  books  put  into  their 
hands  should  contain,  among  other  subjects,  po« 
pular  and  striking  descriptions  of  the  facts  and 
appearances  of  nature  ; — that  seminaries  should 
be  established  for  the  occasional  instruction  of 
young  persons,  from  the  age  of  15  to  the  age  of 
20  or  30,  or  upwards,  in  all  those  popular  branches 
of  natural  and  moral  science  which  have  a  ten- 
dency to  enlarge  the  capacity  of  their  minds,  and 
to  expand  their  concept  ions  of  the  incessant  agen- 
cy of  God  ; — and  that  the  ministers  of  religion,  in 
their  public  instructions,  should  frequendy  blend 
their  discussions  of  divine  topics  with  illustra- 
tions derived  from  the  scenes  of  creation  and  pr<K 
videace. 


APPENDIX, 


coNTAnrino 


NOTES   AND   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


No.  I.  p.  23  — Illustration  of  the  Rate  of  Motion 
in  the  Heavenly  Bodiet,  on  the  supposition  that 
the  earth  is  at  rest. 

The  distance  of  the  sun  is  about  95  millioBS 
of  miles;  consequently,  the  diameter  of  the  cir- 
cle he  would  describe  around  the  earth  would  be 
190  millions,  and  its  circumference  597,142.857, 
which  forms  the  extent  of  the  circuit  through 
which  he  would  move  in  24  hours,  if  the  earth 
were  at  rest.  This  number  divided  by  24,  gives 
25,880,952,  the  number  of  miles  he  would  move 
in  an  hour ;  and  this  last  number,  divided  by  60, 
gives  414,682,  the  number  of  miles  he  would 
move  in  a  miaute.     The  nearest  star  is  reckon- 


ed to  be  at  least  20,000,000,000,000,  or  twenty 
billions  of  miles  distant  from  the  earth  ;  conse- 
quently, its  daily  circuit  round  our  globe  would 
measure  more  than  125,000,000,000,000  miles. 
This  sum  divided  by  86,400,  the  number  of  s&- 
conds  in  a  day,  would  give  1,454,861,111,  or 
somewhat  more  than  one  thousand  four  hundred 
millions  of  miles,  for  its  rate  of  motion  in  a 
second  of  time — a  motion  which,  were  it  actually 
existing,  would,  in  all  probability,  shatter  the 
universe  to  atoms. 

The  unlearned  reader  may,  perhaps,  acquire 
a  more  distinct  idea  of  this  ezplaoation  from  the 
following  figure: 


Let  the  small  circle  A,  in  the  centre,  represent  round  the  earth  every  «4  hours.  The  line  A  B 
the  earth,  and  the  circle  B  C  D  E  the  orbit  will  represent  the  distance  of  the  sun  from  the 
«f  the  sun,  on  the  supposition  that  be  nores     earth,  or  95  millions  of  miles;  the  line  B  D  the 


150 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


tHameler  of  thr  orbit  h«  would  detcribe  ;  and  the 
circle  BC  U  1-^  tlie  circumfrreDce  along  which 
he, would  iiiDve  ev<-ry  day,  or  697  millioM  of 
milrt,  which  is  toniHwhat  more  than  three  timet 
the  diameter.  If  ili«  line  A  F  represent  the  dis- 
tance of  the  nearrst  siar,  the  circle  F  G  H  I  will 
represent  the  circuit  through  which  it  would 
move  every  14  hour*,  if  the  earth  were  at  rest. 
It  is  obvious,  t'rum  the  figure,  that  since  the  stars 
are  at  a  grraier  distance  from  the  earth  than  the 
•un,  (he  circle  they  would  describe  around  the 
earth  would  l>e  larger  in  proportion,  and,  conse- 
quently, their  velocities  would  be  proportionably 
more  rapid :  smco  they  would  move  through 
their  larger  circles  in  the  Mme  time  in  which  the 
sun  moved  through  his  narrow  sphere.  But  the 
supposition  thai  the  earth  is  the  centre  of  all  the 
celestial  motions,  and  that  the  different  stars  are 
daily  moving  around  it  with  different  velocities, 
and  the  slowest  of  these  motions  is  so  inconceiva- 
bly rapid — is  so  wild  and  extravagant,  that  it 
appears  altogether  inconsistent  with  the  harmony 
of  the  universe,  with  the  wisdom  and  intelli- 
gence of  the  Deity,  and  with  all  the  other  ar- 
rangements he  has  made  in  the  system  of  nature. 

No.  II.  p.   34. — ExperimetUal   illustrations  of 
the  Pressure  of  the  Atmosphere. 

The  pressure  of  the  atmosphere  is  most  strik- 
ingly illustrated  by  means  of  the  air-pump.  But 
as  few  persons,  comparatively,  possess  this  in- 
strument, the  following  experiments,  which  any 
person  may  perform  at  pleasure,  are  sufficiently 
convincing  on  this  point.  Take  a  common 
wine-glass,  and  fill  it  with  water;  apply  a  piece 
of  paper  over  the  mnulh  of  the  glass;  press  the 
paper  to  the  rim  of  the  glass  with  the  palm  of 
the  hand ;  turn  the  glass  upside  down  ;  with- 
draw the  hand  from  the  paper,  and  the  water 
will  be  supported  by  the  pressure  of  the  atmos- 
phere. Tha'  it  is  the  atmospherical  pressure, 
Wtd  not  the  |ia|>er,  which  supports  the  water,  is 
evident ;  for  the  paper,  instead  of  being  pressed 
down  by  the  weight  of  the  water,  is  pressed 
upward  by  the  (>re.ssure  of  the  atmosphere,  and 
appears  cojicave,  or  hollow  in  the  middle.  If  the 
flame  of  a  can  ile  be  applied  to  the  paper,  it 
majr  be  held,  Hht  an  indefinite  length  of  time, 
doae  to  tlie  pa|>er,  without  setting  fire  to  it. 
The  same  fact  is  proved  by  the  following  expe- 
riment : — Take  a  glass  tube,  of  any  length,  and 
of  a  narrow  bore  ;  put  one  end  of  it  in  a  basin 
of  water ;  apply  the  mouth  to  the  other  end, 
and  draw  out  the  air  by  suction  ;  the  water  will 
immediately  rise  toward  the  top  of  the  tube ; 
and  if  the  finger  or  thumb  be  applied  to  the  lop 
of  the  tube,  to  prevent  the  admission  of  air,  and 
the  tube  rem'ived  frimi  the  basin  of  water,  the 
water  in  tl>e  mh'-  will  be  supported  by  the  pres- 
sum  of  the  atmosiihere  on  the  lower  end.  Again : 
—Take  a  wiii(>-gfaue,  «nd  bum  a  small  bit  of 


paper  in  h ;  and  when  the  paper  is  baminf 
press  the  palm  of  the  hand  upon  the  mouth  of 
the  glass,  and  it  will  adhere  to  the  hand  with 
considerable  force.  In  this  case,  the  pressure 
of  the  atmosphere  will  be  sensibly  felt :  for  ii 
will  sometimes  require  considerable  force  to  de- 
tach the  glass  from  the  hand. 

The  pressure  of  the  atmosphere  explains  a 
variety  of  common  phenomena.  When  we  take 
a  draught  of  water  out  of  a  basin,  or  a  runninf 
stream,  we  immerse  our  mouths  in  the  water, 
and  make  a  vacuum  by  drawing  in  the  air  ;  the 
pressure  of  the  atmosphere  upon  the  external 
surface  of  the  water  then  forces  it  into  the 
mouth.  The  same  cause  explains  the  proceai 
of  a  child  sucking  its  mother's  breasts — the  ac- 
tion of  a  boy's  sucker,  in  lifting  large  stone*— 
the  rise  of  water  in  pumps — the  effects  produced 
by  cements — the  firm  adhesion  of  snails  aixl 
periwinkles  to  rocks  and  stones — the  scarcity  of 
water  in  the  lime  of  hard  frosts — and  the  fact 
that  a  cask  will  not  rim  by  the  cock,  unless  a 
hole  be  opened  in  some  other  part  of  the  cask. 


No.  III.  p.  118. — On  the  means  by  which  it 
may  probably  be  ascertaintd  whether  the  Moom 
be  a  HabitabU  iVorU. 

About  six  years  ago,  the  author  published,  in 
the  Monthly  Magazine,  a  few  observations  on 
the  surface  of  the  moon,  in  which  a  few  remarks 
were  offered  on  this  subject.  The  following  is 
an  extract  from  that  communication : — 

"  If  we  be  ever  to  obtain  an  ocular  demon- 
stration of  the  habitability  oTany  of  the  celestial 
orbs,  the  moon  is  the  only  one,  where  we  can 
expect  to  trace,  by  our  telescopes,  indications 
of  the  agency  of  sentient  or  intelligent  beings ; 
and  I  am  pretty  much  convinced,  that  a  long 
continued  series  of  observations  on  this  planet, 
by  a  number  of  individuals  in  different  places, 
might  completely  set  at  rest  the  question,  '  Whe- 
ther the  moon  be  a  habitable  world?'  Were  a 
vast  number  of  person^',  in  different  parts  of  the 
world,  to  devote  themselves  to  a  particular  sur- 
vey of  the  mooi>^wero  different  portions  of  her 
surface  allotted  to  different  individuals,  as  the 
object  of  their  particular  research — were  every 
mountain,  hill,  cavern,  cliff*,  and  plain  accurately 
inspected — and  every  change  and  modification 
in  the  appearance  of  particular  spots  carefully 
marked  and  represented  in  a  series  of  delinea- 
tions, it  might  lead  to  some  certain  conclusion*, 
both  as  to  her  physical  constitution,  and  her 
ultimate  destination.  It  can  be  demonstrated, 
that  a  telescope  which  magnifies  100  times, 
will  show  a  spot  on  the  moon's  surface,  whose 
diameter  is  122S  yards  ;  and  one  which  magni- 
fies a  thousand  times,  will,  of  course,  enable  us 
to  perceive  a  portion  of  her  surface,  whose  size 
is  only  122  yards:  and, consequently,  an  object, 
whether  natural  or  artificial,  of  no  greater  extent 


APPENDIX. 


161 


(han  one  of  our  large  edifices,  (for  example,  St. 
Paul's  church,  London,)  may,  by  such  an  in- 
strument, be  easily  distinguished.  Now,  if  every 
minute  point  on  the  lunar  surface  were  accu- 
rately marked  by  numerous  observers,  it  might 
be  ascertained  whether  any  changes  are  taking 
place,  either  from  physical  causes,  or  from  the 
operations  of  intelligent  agents.  If  a  large  forest 
were  cutting  down — if  a  city  were  building  in 
an  open  plain,  or  extending  its  former  bounda- 
ries— if  a  barren  waste  were  changing  into  a 
scene  of  vegetation— or,  if  an  immense  con- 
course of  animated  beings  were  occasionally 
assembled  on  a  particular  spot,  ur  shifting  from 
one  place  to  another — such  changes  would  be 
indicated  by  certain  modifications  of  shade,  co- 
lour, or  motion ;  and,  consequently,  would  furnish 
a  direct  proof  of  the  agency  of  intelligent  beings 
analogous  to  man,  and  of  the  moon  being  a  ha- 
bitable globe.  For  although  we  may  never  be 
able  to  distinguish  the  inhabitanta  of  the  moon, 
(if  any  exist,)  yet  if  we  can  trace  those  ^ects 
which  can  flow  only  from  the  operatioi>s  of  intel- 
ligent agents,  it  would  form  a  complete  demon- 
stration of  their  existence,  on  the  same  ground 
on  which  a  navigator  concludes  an  unknown 
island  to  be  inhabited,  when  he  perceives  human 
habitations,  and  cultivated  fields. 

"  That  changes  occasionally  happen  on  the 
lunar  hemisphere  next  the  earth,  appears  from 
the  observations  of  Horschel  and  Schrocter,  par- 
ticularly from  those  of  the  latter.  In  the  trans- 
actions of  the  'Society  of  Natural  Philosophy,' 
at  Berlin,  Schroeter  relates,  that  on  the  SOth 
December,  1791,  at  five  o'clock,  p.  M.with  aseven 
feet  reflector,  magnifying  161  times,  he  perceived 
the  commencement  of  a  small  crater  on  the 
south-west  declivity  of  the  volcanic  mountain 
in  the  Mare  Criiium,  having  a  shadow  of  at 
least  2''  5.  On  the  11  th  January,  at  twenty 
minutes  past  five,  on  looking  at  this  place  again, 
he  could  see  neither  the  new  crater  nor  its  sha- 
dow. Again,  on  the  4th  January,  1792,  he 
perceived,  in  the  eastern  crater  of  Helicon,  a 
central  mountain,  of  a  clear  gray  colour,  3'^  in 
diameter,  of  which,  during  many  years'  obser- 
vations, he  had  perceived  no  trace.  '  This  ap- 
pearance,' he  adds,  '  is  remarkable,  as  probably 
from  the  time  of  Hevelius,  the  western  part  of 
Helicon  has  been  forming  into  its  present  shape, 
and  nature  seems,  in  that  district,  to  be  parti- 
cularly active.' — In  making  such  mmute  obser- 
vations as  those  to  which  I  allude,  it  would  be 
proper,  along  with  an  inspection  of  the  moon's 
luminous  disk,  to  mark  the  appearances  of  dif- 
ferent portions  of  her  dark  hemisphere,  when  it 
is  partially  enlightened  by  the  reflected  light 
from  the  earth,  soon  after  the  appearance  of  new 
moon.  These  researches  woull  require  a  long- 
continued  series  of  the  most  minute  observa- 
tions, by  numerous  observers  in  different  regions 
of  the  globe,  which  could  b«  eflfected  only  by 


exciting,  among  the  bulk  of  mankind,  a  general 
attention  to  such  investigations.  But  were  this 
object  accomplished,  and  were  numerous  obser- 
vations made  from  the  tops  of  mountains,  and  in 
the  serene  sky  of  southern  climes,  where  the 
powers  of  the  telescope  are  not  counteracted  by 
dense  vapours,  there  can  be  little  doubt  thatdirect 
proofs  would  be  obtained  that  the  moon  is  a 
habitable  world ;  or,  at  least,  that  the  question 
in  relation  to  this  point  would  be  completely  set 
at  rest. " 

No.  IV. — Remarks  on  the  late  pretended  diseo' 
very  of  a  Lunar  Fart^ficalion. 

The  British  public  was  lately  amused  by  the 
announcement  of  a  discovery  said  to  have  been 
made  by  Professor  Frauenhofer,  of^  Munich. 
This  gentleman  was  said  to  have  discovered  a 
fortification  in  the  moon,  and  to  have  distin- 
guished several  lines  of  road,  supposed  to  be  the 
work  of  the  lunar  inhabitants.  It  is  scarcely 
necessary  to  say,  that  such  announcements  are 
obviously  premature.  To  perceive  distinctly 
the  shape  of  an  object  in  the  moon,  which  re- 
sembles a  fortification,  it  is  requisite,  that  that 
object  be  of  a  much  larger  size  than  our  terres- 
trial ramparts.  Besides,  although  an  object 
resembling  one  of  our  fortifications  were  per- 
ceived on  the  surface  of  the  moon,  there  would 
be  no  reason  to  conclude,  that  it  served  the  same 
purpose  as  fortifications  do  among  us.  We  are 
so  much  accustomed  to  war  in  our  terrestrial 
system,  and  reflect  so  little  on  its  diabolical  na- 
ture, that  wo  are  apt  to  imagine  that  it  must  form 
a  necessary  employment  even  in  other  worlds. 
To  be  assured  that  a  fortification  existed  in  the 
moon  for  the  same  purpose  as  with  us,  would 
indeed  be  dismal  tidings  from  another  world ; 
for  it  would  be  a  necessary  conclusion,  from  such 
intelligence,  that  the  inhabitants  of  that  globe 
are  actuated  by  the  same  principles  of  depravity, 
ambition,  and  revenge,  which  have  infected  the 
moral  atmosphere  of  our  sublunary  world.  With 
regard  to  the  pretended  discovery  of  the  lunar 
roads,  it  may  not  be  improper  to  remark,  that 
such  roads  behooved  to  be  at  least  400  feet 
broad,  or  ten  times  the  breadth  of  ours,  in  order 
to  be  perceived  as  faint  lines  through  a  telescope 
which  magnifies  a  thousand  times  ;  which  is  a 
higher  power,  I  presume,  than  Frauenhofer  can 
apply  with  distinctness  to  any  of  his  telescopes. 
It  is  not  at  all  likely  that  the  lunar  inhabitants 
are  of  such  a  gigantic  size,  or  employ  carriages 
of  such  an  enormous  bulk,  as  to  require  roads  of 
such  dimensions,  since  the  whole  surface  of  the 
moon  is  only  the  thirteenth  part  of  the  area  of 
our  globe. 

Schroeter  conjectures  the  existence  of  a  great 
city  to  the  north  of  Manus,  (a  spot  in  the  moon,) 
and  of  an  extensive  canal  towards  Hygena,  (an- 
other spot,)  and  lie  represents  part  of  the  spot 


153 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


Dtmed  Mart  Imbrhun,  to  b«  ai  fertile  u  the 
Campania.  Sw  Edin.  Phil.  Jour.  No.  21,  for 
July,  1824.  Similar  remarka  lo  ih<we  now  aialed 
will  apply  (o  theoe  conjectures  ofSchroeter.  We 
tr«  too  apt  to  imagine,  that  the  objects  we  |>cr> 
eeive  in  the  nioon  must  bear  a  certain  resem- 
UaiMMi^o  those  wkh  which  we  are  acquaitXfid  on 
tile  earth ;  whereas,  there  is  every  rom-'<on  to  be- 
lieve, ((t>m  the  variety  we  perceive  in  nature, 
that  no  one  world  resembles  another,  except  in 
iome  of  its  more  prominent  and  general  arrange- 
ments. The  moon  bears  a  general  resemblance 
to  the  earth,  in  its  being  diversified  wiih  moun- 
tains and  valleys  ;  but  the  positions  and  arrange- 
ment of  these  objects  in  the  moon,  and  the  scenery 
they  exhibit,  are  materially  different  from  what 
appeara  91  the  surface  of  the  terraqueous  globe. 

No.  V. — On  the  ideas  of  Magnitude,  Motion, 
and  Duration,  aa  expretud  by  nwnber*.  See 
pp.  44,  46. 

In  the  pages  referred  to,  and  other  parts  of 
thu  volume,  some  very  large  numbers  are  ex- 
pressed in  Jlgurei.  Some  readers  have  insinu- 
ated, that  it  would  have  beeii  better  to  have  ex- 
preated  such  numbers  in  ■wardt.  The  author, 
btrwever,  is  of  a  different  opinion  ;  because  to 
some  readers,  not  much  acquainted  with  nume- 
ration, a  thousand  trillion*  would  convey  nearly 
the  same  idea  as  a  thousand  Tionilioru,  though 
the  one  number  contains  58  places  of  figures,  and 
the  other  only  22.  It  is  chiefly  the  number  of 
figures,  or  ciphers,  in  such  large  sums,  that  leads 
us  to  Cirm  a  comparative  estimate  of  their  value 
or  extent.  Our  ideas  of  magnitude  and  exten- 
sion, conveyed  by  such  numbers,  must,  of  course, 
be  very  vague  and  undeGned.  If  we  have  been 
accustomed  to  travelling,  we  have  a  tohrable 
clear  conception  of  a  hundred,  and  even  of  a 
thousand  miles ;  but  we  have  no  clear  nor  ode- 
quale  conception  of  a  body,  or  a  portion  of  space, 
ten  hundred  thousand,  ten  hundred  millions,  or 
ten  hundred  billions  of  miles  in  extent.  The 
mind,  however,  may  be  assisted  in  its  concep- 
tions, and  in  its  comparative  estimate  of  different 
numbers,  by  fixing  on  some  particular  number  as 
a  standard.  If,  according  to  the  common  reck- 
oning, we  suppoae,  that  5828  years  have  elapsed 
since  the  commencement  of  time,  the  number  of 
seconds,  or  moments,  in  this  period,  will  ainoimt 
to  183,913,782,212,  or  one  hundred  and  eighty, 
three  thousand  nine  hundred  and  thirteen  mil- 
lions, seven  hundred  and  eighty-two  thousand, 
two  hundred  and  twelve,  which  is  less  than  the 
fifth  part  of  a  billion.  If  the  distance  of  the 
nearest  stars  from  the  earth  be  at  least  20  bil- 
lions of  miles,  then  this  distance  may  be  other- 
wise expressed,  by  saying,  that  the  number  of 
miles  which  intervene  between  us  and  these  bo- 
dies is  more  than  a  hundred  timet  greater  than 
the  mimbar  of  moments  which  have  elapsod  since 


the  creation;  and,  by  a  similar  comparison,  h 
will  be  found  that  the  number  of  cubical  miles 
within  the  limits  of  the  planetary  system,  is 
]S0.C00,0eO,W)0,0CO,O00,  or  one 'hundred  and 
thirty  thousand  billions  of  times  greater  than  the 
number  of  moments  in  58*28  years. 

It  has  been  computed,  that  the  enrth,  siippov- 
ing  it  a  solid  globe,  coniains  about  30.000,000,- 
000,000,000,000,000,000  000  000,  or  iliiriy  se|>. 
tillions  of  grains  of  sand,  siip|K>siiig  a  htindred 
grains  of  sand  to  be  equal  in  length  to  an  inch, 
and,  consequently,  a  million  of  such  grains  fot 
every  cubical  inch.  If  we  use  this  number  as 
a  standard  for  estimating  the  number  of  cubical 
miles  contained  within  the  space  which  intst^ 
venes  between  us  and  the  nearest  stars,  woshaD 
find  that  the  number  of  cubical  mile*  compr*- 
hended  witliin  this  space,  is  more  than  ten  tliou> 
sand  millions  of  times  greater  than  the  number 
of  the  grains  of  sand  contained  in  the  globe  on 
which  we  dwell. 

Though  the  human  mind  can  form  no  definite 
conceptions  of  such  nambers  and  magnitude*, 
yet  it  may  be  useful,  occasionally,  lo  ruminate 
on  such  subjects  ;  sis  it  is  the  only,  or,  at  leas^ 
the  principal  mode  by  which  limited  minds  like 
ours  can  approximate  to  an  idea  of  ihe  infinity 
of  the  Creator.  And  if  an  image  of  infinity  is 
presented  to  the  mind  in  the  spaces  comprehend- 
ed within  the  limits  of  our  system,  how  over- 
powering the  conception  of  innumerable  systems, 
to  which  ours  bears  no  more  proportion  than  a 
drop  of  water  to  the  mighty  ocean  !  How  i» 
effably  glorious  must  be  the  attributes  of  that 
incomprehensible  Being  who  pervades  every  part 
of  this  vast  universe,  and  who  continually  supers 
intends  all  its  minute  and  diversified  movements  i 

No.  VI.  p.  91.— Oh  a  Plurality  of  World*. 

The  doctrine  of  a  plurality  of  worlds  is  now 
admitted  as  highly  probable  both  by  philos<ipher8 
and  by  enlightened  divines.  But  it  has  been 
admitted  by  many  persons  on  grounds  that  are 
too  general  and  vague,  and  consequently,  a  /itfl 
conviction  of  its  trutit  is  seldom  produced  in  the 
mind.  In  different  parts  of  the  preceding  volumei, 
I  have  all  alon^  taken  it  for  granted,  because  I 
consider  it  as  susceptible  of  a  moral  demonttnt- 
Hon.  The  following  heads  of  argumaat,  wera 
they  fully  illustrated,  would  go  far  to  carry  de- 
monstration to  the  mind  on  this  subject :  namely, 
That  there  are  numermw  bodies  in  the  universe 
of  a  bulk  sufficient  to  contain  myriads  of  intelli- 
g^t  beings,  and  to  afford  them  enjoyment — tha! 
there  appears,  in  the  conitituiion  of  many  of 
these  bodies,  a  variety  of  arrangements  evi» 
dently  adapted  to  this  end — that,  in  relation  to 
the  planets  of  our  system,  therq  are  many  cir- 
cumstances which  bear  a  striking  resemblance 
to  the  constitution  of  our  globe  and  its  appen- 
dages: they  have  annual  and  diurnal  motions, 


APPENDIX. 


15S 


moons,  atmospheres,  mountains,  and  vales — that 
light,  and  heat,  and  colour,  appear  to  be  dis- 
tributed throughout  the  regions  of  immensity  ; 
and  that  these  agents  can  have  a  relation  only 
to  the  necessities  and  the  happiness  of  orga- 
nized intelligences — that  every  part  of  nature, 
80  far  OS  our  observations  on  the  surface  of 
tliis  globe  extend,  appears  to  exist  solely  for 
the  sake  of  sentient  beings — that  this  doctrine 
is  more  worthy  of  the  Infinite  Creator,  and  gives 
a  more  glorious  and  magnificent  idea  of  his  na- 
ture, than  to  suppose  his  benevolent  regards 
confined  to  the  globe  on  which  we  dwell.  When 
these  and  a  variety  of  other  arguments  are  con- 
sidered, in  connexion  with  the  winiom  and  other 
attributes  of  the  Deity,  they  amount  not  only  to* 
a  high  degree  of  probability,  but  to  something 
approaching  to  a  moral  demonstration.  But  to 
illustrate  these  arguments  in -a  minute  detail,  so 
as  to  make  a  convincmg  impression  on  the  mind, 
would  require  a  volume  of  a  considerable  size. 
The  author  flatters  himself  he  has  some  original 
thoughts  on  this  subject,  which  may  probably  see 
the  light  should  the  present  work  meet  with  public 
acceptance.  There  is  no  work  in  our  language 
which  takes  an  extensive  view  of  this  subject, 
in  connexion  with  the  attributes  of  the  Deity,  and 
the  intimations  contained  in  divine  revelation. 
Fontenelle's  "  Plurality  of  Worlds"  contains  a 
number  of  ingenious  reasonings ;  but  he  treats 
the  subject  in  too  light  and  flippant  a  manner, 
and  without  the  least  reference  to  a  Supreme 
Intelligence.  The  celebrated  Huygens,  in  his 
"  Cosmotheoros"  instead  of  attempting  to  prove 
the  doctrine  of  a  plurality  of  worlds,  takes  it  for 
granted,  and  indulges  chiefly  in  conjectures  re- 
specting the  original  structure  and  faculties  of 
their  inhabitants. 

That  the  scriptures  are  silent  on  this  head, 
has  been  assumed  by  some  as  a  presumptive  ar- 
gument that  this  doctrine  is  without  a  solid  foun- 
dation. I  have  already  endeavoured  to  show 
that  this  assumption  is  unfounded ;  (see  page 
90.)  A  plurality  of  worlds  is  more  than  once 
asserted  in  scripture,  and  in  numerous  passages 
is  evidently  taken  for  granted.  Celestial  intel- 
ligences are  represented  as  ascribing  "  glory, 
honour,  wisdom,  and  power"  to  the  king  of  hea- 
ven, "  because  he  hath  created  all  things,"  and 
because  they  perceive  his  works  to  be  "  great 
and  marvellous."  But  if  all  the  great  globes  in 
the  firmament  were  only  so  many  frightful  de- 
serts, destitute  of  inhabitants,  such  a  universe 
could  never  inspire  superior  intelligences  with 
admiration  of  the  wMom  of  the  Creator.  For 
wisdom  consists  in  proportioning  means  to  end*; 
but,  in  the  case  supposed,  there  would  be  no  pro- 
portion between  the  means  and  the  end.  The 
means  are  indeo^  great  anri  astonishing ;  but  no 
end  appears  to  justify  such  a  display  of  creating 

20 


energy.  The  psalmist,  when  he  contemplated 
the  heavens,  was  so  affected  with  the  idea  of  the 
immense  population  of  tlie  universe,  that  he 
seems  to  have  been  almost  afraid  lest  he  should 
be  overlooked  amidst  tiie  immensity  of  beings 
that  are  under  the  superintendence  of  God. 
"  When  I  consider  thy  heavens — what  is  man 
that  thou  art  mindful  of  him  !"  There  would  be 
no  propriety  nor  emphasi.s  in  this  exclamation, 
if  the  heavenly  orbs  were  devoid  of  inhabitants; 
for  if  no  intelligent  beings  exist  beside  man, 
and  a  colony  of  angels,  it  would  not  appear 
wonderful  that  the  Creator  should  exercise  a 
particular  care  over  the  one-half  of  his  intelligent 
offspring.  But,  if  we  conceive  the  universe  as 
composed  of  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand 
worlds,  peopled  with  myriads  of  iwellectual 
beings  of  various  orders,  the  sentiment  of  admi- 
ration implied  in  the  passage  is  extremely  natu- 
ral and  emphatic,  and  conveys  to  us  an.  im- 
pressive idea  of  the  intelligence,  the  beneficence, 
and  the  condescension  of  the  Founder  and  Go- 
vernor of  all  worlds. 

No.  Vir.  pp.114, 116. — On  the  first  ImerUor  of 
Printing. 

Mr.  Ireland,  in  his  "  Picturesque  Tour  through 
Holland,  Brabant,  and  part  of  France,  in  1789," 
gives  the  following  account  nf  the  inventor  of 
printing,  when  describing  ihe  city  of  Haerlem. 

"  Haerlem  claims  the  invention  of  the  art  of 
printing.  It  is  attributed  to  Lawrence  Koster,an 
alderman  of  this  city,  in  1440  ;  whose  house  is  yet 
standing  in  the  market-place  opposite  the  church. 
Amusing  himself  one  day  in  the  neighbouring 
wood,  with  cutting  the  bark  of  trees  into  the  let- 
ters that  formed  the  initials  of  his  name,  he  is 
said  to  have  laid  them  on  paper,  and  falling 
asleep,  when  he  awoke,  observed,  that  from  the 
dew,  their  form  was  impressed  on  the  paper. 
This  accident  induced  him  to  make  further  ex- 
periments :  he  next  cut  his  letters  in  wood,  and, 
dipping  them  in  a  glutinous  liquid,  impressed 
them  on  paper,  which  he  found  an  improvement ; 
and,  soon  after,  substituting  leaden  and  pewter 
letters,  erected  a  press  in  his  house ;  thus  laying; 
the  foundation  of  this  noble  art,  which  hais  thence 
gradually  risen  to  its  present  excellence.  The 
art,  it  is  said,  was  stolen  from  him  by  his  ser- 
vant, John  Faustus,  who  conveyed  it  to  Mentz, 
and,  from  the  novelty  of  the  discovery,  soon  ac- 
quired the  title  of  doctor  and  conjuror.  The 
original  specimens  are  now  shown  at  the  library 
in  the  Town  Hall.  The  first  is  on  a  leaf  of 
parchment,  and  the  second  and  third  on  paper, 
printed  only  on  one  side,  and  the  corners  lefk 
blank  fcr  capitals.  At  the  top  are  wooden  cuts, 
representing  the  creation,  and,  as  it  is  called, 
Lucifer's  Fall."— Pp.  109—111. 


114 


THE  CHKISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


No.  VTII.  p.  lis.— On  Te/eaoope*  ;  with  a  brirf 
notie*  of  a  itcw  heflectiiio  tele*copb, 
eon$trueted  ^y  the  author. 

It  U  (ioiibtfdl  lo  what  particular  indiridual 
we  owe  the  invention  of  (he  telescope.  Some 
have  suppueed  that  Roger  Bacon  and  Baptista 
Porta  invented  thii  instrument.  Borelli  ascribes 
the  invention  to  Zarharias  Janwn,  a  native  of 
Middloburgh.  Perhapa  the  account  given  in  ibe 
article  to  which  this  note  refera,  and  which  ia 
atated  by  a  variety  of  authors,  may  be  as  proba- 
bi«  aa  any  other.  It  is  certain  that  the  telescope 
waa  not  in  general  use  until  the  beginning  of 
the  17th  century,  and  that  no  discoveries  in  the 
heavens  were  made  with  it,  till  the  year  1609. 

There  a*e  two  kinds  of  telescopes,  refraeting 
and  r^ecting.  In  refracting  telescopes,  the  raya 
of  light  pass  through  convex  or  concave  glasses 
or  lenses.  The  object-glass  is  alwaya  convex, 
and  forms  ati  image  or  picture  of  the  object  in  an 
inverted  position  in  its  focus  ;  which  image  ia 
viewed  by  the  eye-glass  ;  and  the  magnifying 
power  is  in  the  proportion  of  the  focal  distance  of 
the  object-glass  to  that  of  the  eye-glasa.  The 
focal  distance  of  a  convex  glass  may  be  ascer- 
tained by  holding  it  in  the  rays  of  the  sun,  op- 
posite to  a  piece  of  white  paper,  and  measurmg 
the  distance  between  the  glass  and  the  white 
spot,  or  burning  point,  formed  on  the  paper.  An 
astronomical  telescope  for  viewing  celestial  ob- 
jects may  be  constructed  with  only  two  glasses. 
If  an  object-glass,  30  inches  focaJ  distance,  be 
fixed  in  the  end  of  a  tube,  and  an  eye-glass  of 
one  inch  focus  be  placed  at  the  other  end,  at  the 
distance  of  31  inches  from  the  object-glass,  a 
telescope  will  be  formed,  which  will  magnify  in 
the  proportion  of  one  to  thirty,  or  30  times  ;  that 
is,  objects  seen  through  such  a  telescope  will  ap- 
pear thirty  times  larger  in  diameter,  or  thirty 
tinaes  nearer,  than  to  the  naked  eye.  By  such 
an  instrument,  the  inequalities  on  the  moon's 
surface,  and  some  of  the  satellites  of  Jupiter, 
may  be  perceived  ;  but  when  directed  to  land  ob- 
jects they  will  appear  inverted,  or  turned  upside 
down.  In  order  to  reverse  the  appearance  of 
the  object,  two  other  eye-glasses  are  required  ; 
Of,  if  a  eoneaoe  eye-glass  of  a  similar  focus  be 
pteced  at  29  inches  from  the  object-glass,  the 
obJACt  will  appear  in  its  natural  position,  and  the 
magnifying  power  will  be  the  same  ;  but  the 
field  of  view  will  be  much  smaller.  Astro- 
nomical telescopes  of  this  construction  were  for- 
merly made  of  ItO,  and  even  of  200  feet  in 
length,  and  were  used  without  a  tube  ;  the  ob- 
ject-glass being  placed  on  the  top  of  a  long  pole  ; 
but  these  are  now  entirely  superseded  by  aehro- 
matie  telescopes.  In  the  achrom^ic  telescope, 
the  obj'-ct- glass  ia  compounded  of  two,  and 
sometimes  of  three  leases,  placed  close  to  each 
other,  one  of  which  is  a  double  concave  of 
whits  flint  glass,  aad  tb«  othsr  ■  dotibU  oootsx 


of  crown  glass.  By  this  means  an  imagv  is 
formed  without  being  blended  wiih  the  prismatic 
colours ;  and  it  will,  therefore,  bear  a  much 
greater  magnifying  power  tlian  a  common  refra» 
tor.  An  achromatic  telescope  four  feet  loag 
will  magnify  objecU  as  much  as  a  Oommoa  n- 
fractor  100  feet  long. 

In  rejleeting  telescopes  the  images  of  objects 
are  formed  by  speculums  or  mirrors,  instead  of 
lenses.  They  are  of  two  kinds,  the  Gregori<m 
and  the  JVinoConian.  The  (jrcgorian  reflector 
consists  of  a  tube,  in  which  a  concave  mirror, 
having  a  hole  in  its  centre,  is  placed.  The  rays 
of  light  from  distant  objects  falling  upon  this 
noirror,  (iirm  an  image  before  it,  in  its  centre  or 
focus.  This  image  is  intercepted  by  a  smaller 
mirror,  which  reflects  it  back  through  the  hole  in 
the  large  mirror,  to  an  eye-glavs,  through  which 
the  observer  v^ews  the  object.  In  the  Newtonian 
reflector,  a  plane  mirror,  placed  at  an  angle  of 
45  degrees,  is  substituted  in  place  of  the  small 
mirror  in  the  Gregorian  construction,  and  the 
observer  looks  down  upon  the  object  through  the 
side  of  the  tube.  Dr.  Brewster  has  suggested 
an  interesting  improvement  in  the  construction 
of  this  instrument,  which  is  described  in  Ms 
Edinburgh  Ertey.  Art.  Optics,  p.  644. 

New  R^eetar. — About  three  years  ago,  the 
author  commenced  a  series  of  experiments  on 
reflecting  telescopes  ;  and  has  lately  consiructad 
several  on  a  new  plan  and  principle.  In  this 
construction,  there  is  no  B/ruiU  speculum,  either 
plane,  convex,  or  concave;  there  is  no  tube,  ex- 
cept a  short  one  of  two  or  three  inches  in  length, 
for  holding  the  speculum.  The  observer  sits  with 
his  back  to  the  object,  and  views  the  image  formed 
by  the  speculum  through  an  eye-piece,  which  re- 
quires to  be  nicely  directed  and  adjusted.  Three 
or  four  instruments  of  this  construction  have  been 
fi'.ted  up,  with  specula  of  5,  8,  16,  2S,  35,  and 
49  inches  focal  distance.  One  of  them,  having 
a  speculum  of  eight  inches  focus,  and  two  iix:hes 
diameter,  with  a  terrestrial  eye-piece,  magnify- 
ing about  25  times,  forms  an  excellent  psrloor 
telescope  for  viewing  land  objects,  and  exhibits 
them  in  a  brilliant  and  novel  aspect.  When 
compared  with  a  Gregorian  of  the  same  size 
and  magnifying  power,  the  quantity  of  light  upon 
the  object  appears  nearly  doubled,  and  (he  image 
is  equally  diitinet.  It  represents  objects  in  their 
natural  colours,  without  that  dingy  and  yellowish 
tinge  which  appears  when  looting  through  a 
Gregorian.  Another  of  these  iiistiuments,  hav- 
ing a  speculum  of  28  inches  focal  distance,  and 
an  eye-piece  producing  a  magnifying  power  <A 
about  100  times,  serves  as  an  excellent  astrono- 
mical telesco|>e.  By  this  instrument  the  belts 
and  satellites  of  Jupiter,  the  ring  of  Saturn,  and 
•he  mountains  and  cavities  of  the  moon,  may  be 
contemplated  with  great  ease  and  distinctness. 
Bjr  piaoing  the  padsstal  on  ths  floor  flf  lbs  sfW 


APPENDIX, 


155 


ment,  when  the  object  is  at  a  high  elevation,  we 
can  view  celestial  phenomena  with  the  same  ease 
ai  if  we  were  sitting  at  a  writing  desk  reading  a 
book.  With  a  magnifying  power  of  about  40  or 
dO  times  applied  to  this  telescope,  terrestrial  ob- 
jects appear  extremely  bright  and  well  defined. 
A  speculum  of  49  inches  fucal  distance,  and  6i 
inches  diameter,  has  lately  been  fitted  up  on  the 
same  principle.  With  magnifying  powers  of 
from  lOO  lu  160  times,  it  exhibits  distinct  and  in- 
teresting views  of  the  moon's  surface,  and  of  the 
ring  of  Saturn,  and  with  a  power  of  56  times  it 
affords  a  beautiful  view  of  land  objects.  The 
specula  used  in  these  instruments  are  far  from 
being  good  ;  iteina  of  a  yellowish  colour,  and 
scarcely  half  polished,  and  having  large  holes  in 
the  centre  ;  as  they  were  originally  intended  for 
Gregorian  reflectors ;  yet  the  brightness  of  vision 
approaches  nearly  to  that  of  achromatic  tele- 
•copes.  The  experiments  which  have  been  made 
on  this  subject  demonstrate,  that  a  tube  is  not 
necessary  for  a  reflecting  telescope,  when  view- 
ing either  celestial  or  terrestrial  objects;  and, 
therefore,  this  construction  of  the  instrument  may 
be  denominated,  Tfie  Aerial  Rector.  The 
simplicity  of  the  construction,  and  the  excellence 
of  the  performance  of  these  instruments,  have 
been  much  admired  by  several  scientific  gentle- 
men to  whom  they  have  been  exhibited.  A 
caveat  has  lately  been  lodged  at  the  Patent  Of- 
fice, in  the  view  of  taking  out  a  patent  for  this 
construction  of  reflecting  telescopes  ;  and  a  more 
detailed  accotmt  of  it  will  probably  soon  appear 
in  some  oQthe  scientific  journals. 

In  the  system  of  Optict,  lately  published  in 
the  Edinburgh  Encyclopaedia,  (one  of  the  most 
luminous  and  comprehensive  treatises  which  has 
yet  appeared  on  this  subject,)  the  writer,  in  his 
introduction  to  the  accoimt  of  Dr.  Brewster's 
improvement  on  the  Newtonian  telescope,  re- 
marks : — "  If  we  could  dispense  with  the  use  of 
the  small  sppciila  in  telescopes  of  moderate  lenf  th, 
by  inclining  the  great  speculum,  and  using  an 
oblique,  and,  consequently,  a  distorted  reflection, 
as  proposed  first  by  La  Maire,  we  should  consider 
the  Newtonian  telescope  as  perfect ;  and  on  a 
large  scale,  or  when  the  ins-trument  exceeds  20 
feet,  it  has  undoubtedly  this  character,  as  nothing 
can  be  more  simple  than  to  magnify,  by  a  single 
eyeglass,  the  im  ige  formed  by  a  single  speculum. 
•^As  the  front  view  is  quite  impracticable,  and, 
indeed,  has  never  been  attempted  in  instruments 
oftrsmall  size,  it  becomes  of  great  practical  con- 
sequence to  remove  as  much  as  possible  the  evils 
which  arise  from  the  use  of  a  small  speculum," 
&c. — The  in-irumenls  noticed  above  have  ef- 
fectuated the  desirable  object  alluded  to  by  this 
respectable  writer  ;  and  the  principle  of  the  con- 
struction is  neither  that  of  Dr.  Herschel'.s /rorU 
view,  nor  does  it  coincide  with  that  proposed 
by  La  Maire,  which  seems  to  have  been  a  mere 
hint,  which  was  never  put  into  execution. 


No.  IX.  p.  256.— On  Steam  Navigation. 

The  application  of  steam,  as  a  mechanical 
power  for  impelling  vessels  along  rivers  and  seas, 
is  one  of  the  most  brilliant  and  useful  achieve- 
ments of  art  which  distinguish  the  present  age, 
and  seems  destined  to  produce  an  important  and 
interesting  change  in  the  general  intercourse  of 
nations.  From  the  "  Report  of  a  Commitiee  of 
Parliament,"  published  in  1822,  it  ap[)ears,  that 
the  first  application  of  steam  to  the  impelling  of 
vessels  was  made  by  an  Englishman,  of  the 
name  of  Hull,  who,  in  1736,  obtained  a  patent 
for  the  invention  of  a  steam-boat,  to  be  moved 
with  a  crank  and  paddles.  But  it  was  only  in 
1807,  that  the  invention  was  fairly  brought  into 
practical  use,  bv  Mr.  Fulion,  an  American, 
who  had  the  assistance  and  advice  of  Mr.  Bell, 
a  Scots  engineer.  There  are  now,  according 
to  Mr.  Perkins'  statement,  about  300  steam- 
boats on  the  rivers,  bays,  and  coasts  of  the 
United  States,  varying  in  their  size  from  100 
to  700  tons.  In  Britain,  tho  first  successful 
application  of  steam  to  yessels  wa5  made  by 
the  above-mentioned  Mr.'' Bell,*  who  built  the 
Comet  of  25  tons,  and  four  horses'  power,  to 
ply  on  the  Clyde.  There  are  now  reckoned 
about  150  steam-boats,  from  40  to  500  tons, 
plying  on  the  rivers  and  coasts  of  the  British 
isles.  Glasgow,  which  had  the  honour  of  in- 
troducing steam  navigation  on  this  side  of  the 
Atlantic,  is  still  tlie  seat  of  its  greatest  activity. 
According  to  a  statement  given  in  the  "  Edin- 
burgh Philosophical  Journal,"  published  in  July, 
1822,  there  were  then  no  less  than  36  steam- 
boats, of  various  sizes,  plying  on  the  Clyde. 
Some  of  these,  besides  performing  regular  voy- 
ages to  Inverary,  Campbelton,  Belfast,  Liver- 
pool, and  other  places,  are  also  performing 
tours,  during  the  summer  months,  to  the  Giant's 
Causeway,  Staffa,  Skye,  and  other  ports  of 
the  Western  isles,  and  to  Inverness  by  the 
Caledonian  canal.  Steam-boats  are  also  plying 
between  Aberdeen  and  Leith — between  New- 
haven  and  Aberdour,  Brunt  island,  Kinghom, 
Kirkaldy,  and  Dysart;  and  to  Q,ueensferry, 
Alloa,  Grangemouth,  and  Sterling — between 
Leith  and  London — Dover  and  Calais.  One 
has  been  plying  for  several  years  on  Loch- 
Lomond,  which  enables  the  traveller,  at  a  small 
expense,  to  take  an  interesting  view  of  the  di- 
versified scenery  of  that  beautiful  lake.  Five 
are  just  now  plying  on  the  Tay  ;  two  of  which, 
with  engines  of  30  and  40  horse  powers,  and 
fitted  up  with  elegant  accommodations  ply  daily 
between  Perth  and  Dimdee;  each  of  them,  during 

•  It  is  mucli  to  be  reerette<1,  and  It  Is  certainly  not 
conzental  to  the  lilieral  spirit  of  the  ape,  that  this 
gentleman,  who  was  amnne  the  firFt  inventors  of 
steam  navigation,  and  who  hns  done  i<o  much  to 
promote  its  .surges.';  In  the  nelshltourhood  or  Glas- 
gow, ha.s  never  received  any  public  reward  for  his 
exertions,  and  has  been  lefX  to  sink  into  a  state  ap- 
prnafhlng  to  poverty. 


156 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


jBOtt  of  tho  nimnwr  months,  (ramportinf  nearly 
ft  hundred  |>a»:iM-ji^iT8  at  fvery  trip. 

iJlvain  nuvi^fu.iuu,  ihuiigli  leiw  underatuod  nn 
lh«  Colli  iiiciii  I  hull  with  ui,  i«  now  beginning 
to  make  cun>itierable  prii^re»a.  There  are  8 
•team-boats  on  ihe  Garonne,  and  several  oo 
the  Seine.  'I'ltere  are  two  on  (he  Lake  of 
Geneva,  and  two  are  about  to  be  established 
«■  the  Lake  Constance,  and  Uiere  are,  besides, 
one  or  two  on  tlic  Danube.  It  is  likely,  that 
io  the  cour.«v  of  a  few  years  such  conveyances 
will  be  pstablmhed  on  all  our  friths  and  rivers, 
and  th'!  period  ix,  no  doubt,  hasienin;;  on,  when 
oxcursions  will  be  taken,  in  such  vehicles,  be- 
tween Europe  and  America.  A  steam-boat  of 
700  tons  burden,  ami  100  horse  power,  has  sailed 
regularly,  t>uniiiii<r  and  winter,  for  three  or  four 
years,  between  New- York  and  New-Orleans, 
a  distance  of  20C0  miles,  in  an  open  sea,  ex- 
posed to  great  storms ;  and,  by  many,  she  is 
preferred  to  the  packets,  not  only  for  the  cer- 
tainty of  making  shorter  voyages,  but  on  ac- 
count of  greater  tafeiy.  In  America,  steam 
vessels  are  fitted  up  with  every  accommodation 
and  elegancy  which  art  can  devise  ;  so  as  to 
produce,  if  possible,  as  great  a  variety  of  en- 
joyment to  |>a!>sensers  on  sea  as  on  land.  Mr. 
Chorch,  the  American  consul  in  France,  has 
invented  a  paddle,  which  revolves  on  the  pad- 
dle wheel,  by  very  simple  mechanism,  which 
is  filund  to  save  power.  In  the  United  States, 
a  new  mode  of  constructing  cabins  has  been 
lately  iniroduce<i.  so  as  to  place  them  beyond 
the  reach  of  injury  from  explosions  of  the  boiler. 
A  steam  ves>iel  of  a  large  size  has  lately  been 
fitted  up,  which  is  intended  to  sail  between 
London  and  Calcutta. 

"  Steam  vessels  have  been  built  in  this  coun- 
try of  from  10  to  500  tons,  and  from  3  or  4  to  110 
horse  power.  The  lent>ih  of  the  City  of  Edin- 
burgh, on  the  upper  dock,  is  143  feet ;  and  some 
have  laielv  been  constnicied  of  still  larger  dimen- 
sions. The  American  steam-boats  are  larger 
than  ours,  ami  are  much  more  used  for  the  con- 
Teyanre  of  merchandise.  TI>o  Frontinac,  which 
plies  nn  the  Canadian  side  of  Lake  Ontario,  is 
170  feet  lone  on  deck,  and  32  feet  broad  ;  and 
the  Chancellor  Livingston,  which  plies  on  the 
Hudson,  is  of  the  same  size.  The  velocity  aimed 
ftt  is  generally  8  or  9  miles  an  hour.  The  pro- 
portion is.  on  an  average,  about  one  horse  power 
for  every  four  tons  of  burden,  computed  in  the 
nnial  way.  The  velocity  is  found  to  be  nearly 
aa  the  square  root  of  the  power,  so  that  an  80 
horse  power  engine  will  produce  only  twice  the 
velocity  of  one  of  20  horse  power.  Something 
depends  also  on  the  make  and  size  of  the  vessel. 
The  "  Sovereign,"  of  210  tons,  and  60  horse 
power,  goes  9j  miles  an  hour  in  still  water  ;  and 
the  "  Jame!<  Watt,"  of  448  tons,  and  100  horse 
pMwer.  IS  s;aled  to  go  10  miles.  For  the  paddle- 
t-oards,  the  rule  is,  that  3-IOths  of  a  square  foot 


of  aurftce  should  be  immeraed  in  the  water  for 
each  horse  power.  The  |ta<ldle  wheels  vary 
frfim  10  to  15  feet  in  diameter,  dip  from  12  to  20 
inches  in  the  water,  and  have  about  one  foot  in 
bread  h  for  each  10  horse  power.  Mr.  Oladstone 
affirms,  that  so  much  potver  is  wasted  in  dis- 
placing the  water  by  the  stroke  of  the  board, 
thai  the  velocity  of  the  ship  is  only  about  ei>e-half 
of  that  of  the  outer  surface  of  the  paddle-wheel. 

"  There  arc  two  souices  of  ap|<reheiision  in 
steam-buati^— hre,  and  the  bursting  of  the  boiler. 
With  regard  to  the  latter,  when  the  boiler  is  of 
low  pressure,  it  is  satisfactorily  established  that 
not  the  smallest  danger  exists.  And  in  the  bes* 
constructed  vessels,  the  danger  from  Are  is  com- 
pletely obviated,  by  separating  the  furnace  frun 
the  sides  of  the  vessels  by  five  inches  of  water." 

The  power  of  steam  is  now  rendered  subser- 
vient to  the  breaking  of  stones  fur  the  construc- 
tion of  roads.  The  stones  are  put  into  a  kind 
of  hopi>er  above,  and  pushed  down  with  a  rake, 
and  the  machine  is  worked  by  a  rotatory  motion 
of  one  horse  |>ower ;  and  will  break  a  ton  of  hard 
pebbles  completely,  in  from  six  to  eight  minrtes. 
A  steam  machine  has  also  been  invent(^d  for  the 
dressing  of  woollen  cloth,  which  does  as  much  work 
in  50  minutes  as  two  men  could  do  in  two  days. 
Man.  Mag.  ^u^.  1923,  p.  71. — ^A  steam  car- 
riage, for  conveying  goods  and  passengers  on 
land,  wa»  lately  constructing  by  Mr.  Griffiths. 
Its  rate  of  motion,  on  common  roads,  is  estimated 
at  five  miles  an  hour,  at  an  avera^^e  ;  about  three 
miles  when  going  up  hill,  and  above  seven  when 
running  down.  But  pecuniary  embarrassments, 
or  other  impediments,  have,  hitherto,  prevented 
the  completion  of  his  design. 

Mr.  Perkins  has  lately  made  improvements  on ' 
the  steam  ensine,  which  promise  to  carry  ita 
powers  to  a  high  degree  of  perfection.  The  en- 
gine he  has  lately  constructed  is  calculated  to  a 
ten  horse  power,  though  the  cylinder  is  no  more 
than  two  inches  in  diameter,  and  IS  inches  long, 
with  a  stroke  of  only  12  inches.  Although  the 
space  occupied  by  the  engine  is  not  more  than 
six  feet  by  eight,  yet  Mr.  P.  considers  the  ap- 
paratus (with  the  exception  of  the  working  cy- 
linder and  piston)  as  peifectly  sufficient  fur  a 
thirty  horse  engine.  When  the  engine  performs 
full  work,  it  consumes  only  two  bu>hels  of  coal 
in  the  day.  Mr.  Perkiris  has  also  announced  a 
discovery  still  more  extraordinary,  viz.  that  he 
has  been  able  ''  to  arrest  the  heat,  afier  it  has 
performed  its  mechanical  functions,  and  actually 
pump  it  back  to  the  generator,  to  unite  with  a 
fresh  portion  of  water,  and  renew  its  useful  la- 
bours." A  particular  account  of  Perkins's  engine, 
accompanied  with  an  engraving,  is  given  in  the 
Edin.  Philos.  Journal,  No.  17,  for  July  1823. 
The  pretensions  of  Mr.  Perkins,  however,  have 
not  yet  been  so  fully  substantiated  by  experiment 
as  to  satisfy   the  anxious  expectation   of  the 


APPENDIX. 


157 


An  interesting  report  has  lately  been  published 
of  a  series  of  exijeriments,  made  with  a  new 
.fleam  engine,  invented  by  an  American  machi- 
nisl,  called  the  capillary  steam  engine.  Three 
f^eat  objects  are  said  to  be  accomjilished  by  this 
invention,  lightness,  safety,  and  economy  of  fuel. 
In  an  engine  calculated  for  a  four  horse  power, 
the  generator  is  formed  of  a  copper  tube  i  inch 
in  diameter,  and  100  feet  long,  which  weighs 
about  16lbs.  Ii  is  arranged  in  coils,  one  above 
another,  in  the  form  of  a  sugar  loaf,  30  inches 
high  ;  the  bottom  coil  being  18  inches  in  diame- 
ter, and  the  top  one  considerably  less.  The 
wood  is  prepared  as  is  usual  for  a  stove,  and  put 
within  the  coils.  The  steam  cylinder  is  formed 
of  sheet  copper,  three  inches  in  diameter,  27 
inches  in  stroke,  and,  with  all  its  appendages, 
weighs  about  2olbs.  It  has  been  asceitained, 
that  the  generator  and  main  cylinder,  with  their 
contents  and  appendages,  exclusive  of  fuel,  need 
not  weigh  more  than  20!bs.  to  the  horse  power. 
No  harm  can  he  done  by  the  bursting  of  boilers 
— even  a  safety-valve  is  considered  as  useless. 
In  the  course  of  the  experiments,  the  experi- 
menters several  times  burst  the  tube  ;  but,  so  far 
from  doing  any  injury,  it  could  not  always  be 
perceived  by  the  spectators.  To  ascertain  what 
may  be  done  towards  aericU  navigation,  by  steam, 
experiments  were  made  on  the  power  of  wings 
in  the  air,  and  on  the  power  necessary  to  work 
them.  The  result  is,  that  it  requires  a  horse 
power  to  carry  SOIbs.  in  the  air  ;  so  that  a  flying 
engine,  to  be  worked  by  charcoal,  would  weigh 
about  301bs.  to  the  horse  power,  wings,  conden- 
ser and  fuel  included.  It  was  also  ascertained 
by  experiments  and  calculations,  that  a  balloon 
could  be  made  to  carry  a  man  with  an  engine, 
which  would  push  it  at  the  rate  of  15  miles  an 
hour  in  the  air.  A  more  particular  detail  of 
these  experiments  may  be  seen  in  the  "  London 
Mechanics'  JWagazine,"  No.  60,  for  16th  Octo- 
ber, 1824. 

No.  X.  p.  146. — Strictures  on  a  certain  sentiment 
respecting  the  work  of  Human  Redemption. 

The  sentiment  referred  to  in  this  paragraph, 
"  That  there  never  was,  nor  ever  will  be,  through 
all  the  ages  of  eternity,  so  wonderful  a  display 
of  the  divine  glory,  as  in  the  cross  of  Christ," 
has  been  reiterated  a  thousand  times,  in  sermons 
and  in  systems  of  divinity,  and  is  still  repeat- 
ed by  certain  preachers,  as  if  it  were  an  in- 
controvertible axiom,  which  ought  never  to  be 
called  in  question;  and  is,  no  doubt,  intended  to 
magnify  the  divine  attributes,  and  the  work  of 
redemption.*     But   it  is  nothing  more  than  a 

•  It  Is  not  Important  to  determine  how  often  the 
»entlment  here  expressed  has  been  "  reiterated  In 
lermons  and  systems  of  divinity."  We  cannot,  how- 
ever, believe  that  it  has  been  repeated  with  the  same 
freauency  as  the  author's  language  seems  to  Imply. 
TtM  tlMtre  ate  Instances,  in  which  it  was  designed 


presumptuous  assumption,  which  has  a  tendency 
to  limit  the  perfeciions  of  Deity,  and  to  present 
a  partial  and  distorted  view  of  the  economy  of 
human  redemption.  For,  in  the  first  place,  it 
has  no  foundation  in  Scripture.  There  is  not  a 
single  passage  from  which  il  can  be  legitimately 
deduced.  The  onus  proban/li,  on  this  point, 
rests  with  those  who  make  the  assertion.  A 
gentleman,  when  lately  conversing  on  this  sub- 
ject, brought  forward  the  fi>llowing  interrogation, 
as  a  demonstrative  argument  in  proof  of  the  po- 
sition in  question:  "  Is  not  redemption  declared 
in  Scripture  to  be  the  chief  of  all  the  works  of 
God  ?"  but  he  was  not  a  little  surprised,  when 
he  was  informed  that  the  passage,  which  he  had 
partly  misquoted,  is  applied  to  the  behemoth  or 
the  elephant,  as  stated  in  Job  xl.  19. — 2dly,  the 
assertion  is  as  presumptuous  as  it  is  unfounded. 
It  takes  for  granted,  that  we  know  all  the  events 
which  have  already  happened,  and  which  are  now 
taking  place  throughout  the  whole  range  of  God's 
universal  empire.  This  empire  appears  un- 
bounded ;  and  that  portion  of  it  which  we  can 
minutely  explore,  is  but  as  a  point  in  comparison 

to  express  all  the  meaninc  here  attributed  to  it,  can- 
not  be  denied.  But  why  may  it  not  have  been  some- 
times used  to  distinguish  the  work  of  mediation  from 
all  the  other  favours  which  God  has  conferred  on 
our  race  ?  In  his  History  of  Redemption,  p.  342,  Pre- 
sident Edwards  say.s,  "  From  what  has  been  said,  one 
may  argue,  that  the  work  of  redemption  is  the  great 
est  of  all  God's  works,  of  which  we  have  any  notice, 
and  it  is  the  end  of  all  his  other  works."  This  view 
of  the  subject  accords  with  the  scriptures.  Though' 
it  cannot  be  asserted,  that  in  a  single  instance  they 
directly  affirm  the  work  of  redemption  to  be  the 
greatest  of  all  the  works  of  God,  yet  they  give  It 
such  an  importanc-e  and  prominency,  as  are  conced- 
ed tonoolhcr  of  His  dispensations.  In  this  light  the 
apostles  seem  to  have  regarded  it.  Paul  counted  all 
the  distinctions  and  honours  and  advantages  which 
he  had  acquired  among  the  Jews,  as  loss  in  com 
parison  with  the  glory  of  the  gospel.  He  went  even 
fartlier.  He  declared  that  he  counted  all  thing's  but 
loss  for  tlie  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ 
Jesus  his  Lord.  In  this  view  of  the  subject  there  is 
no  presumption  and  no  limitation  of  the  "  divine 
perfections  and  operations."  It  has  no  tendency 
either  to  damp  the  hopes,  or  obscure  the  prospects 
of  immortal  beings. 

On  the  other  hand,  who,  that  is  not  presumptuous 
beyond  endurance,  will  suppc^e,  that  he  now  under- 
stands the  full  extent  of  the  love  of  Christ,  and  its 
bearings  on  all  the  other  divine  operations?  Who 
will  dare  to  assert,  that  this  theme  will  not  be  suffi- 
cient for  ever  to  employ  the  meditations  and  the 
son.-js  of  the  redeemed  ?  Has  any  one  ascertained, 
that  it  is  so  limited,  as  to  be  soon  exhausted?  On 
these  topics  the  author  is  happily  silent;  or  rather 
he  "pronounces  nothing  decisively;"  but  affirms, 
that  were  he  "to  hazard  a  conjecture."  he  should 
say,  that  the  converse  of  the  proposition"  undei 
consideration  "is  true."  But  for  ourselves  "w« 
feel  chained  down  to  an  obscure  corner  of  Ciod's 
domains,"  and  possess  no  light  except  that  which 
he  lias  given  us.  In  our  present  condition  tee  dare 
not  launch  with  the  author  into  the  ocean  of  con- 
jecture. Guided  by  the  revelation  which  God  has 
made,  we  are  compelled  to  reganl  the  work  of  re- 
demption as  the  greatest  of  all  the  divine  works  of 
which  wc  have  any  knowledge  ;  and  we  are  satisfied, 
that  the  development  of  the  relations  and  bearings 
and  effects  of  this  stupendous  work  will  be  sufficient 
to  employ  all  our  powers  of  comprehension,  and 
ever  to  minister  to  us  new  and  constant  deliehi.— 
Jm.EdUor 


158 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


«r  iba  wholp.  But  beToro  we  can,  on  good 
gtxMitds,  harard  inch  an  asseriiiin  m  that  undrr 
OMUidpration,  we  inu8l  have  ex|>l<>rcd  aU  the  dis- 
p«iMationti  of  GiKi,  ihr(Mi<;h  every  portion  of  hii 
vmatdoininioii.1 ;  and  be  ahle  to  form  a  C(>m|>ari- 
■00  betwetm  tho  ditfurcnt  duiplayii  ufdiviiie  jjiory , 
■nde  to  all  llie  diflorent  clas'^es  of  inlellecliial 
baioga,  under  the  government  of  the  Creator. 
And  who,  anions  the  sons  of  Adam,  can  lay  claim 
to  such  high  qualifications  for  pronouncing  su 
■weepine  a  ducision  <>n  ihis  (Kjint  7  3<ll_v,  It  $el* 
hmiU  to  the  divine  perfrdiofU  and  operations.  For 
although  it  could  be  provoi,  (which  it  cannot  be,) 
that  no  such  displays  have  hiiherto  been  made  to 
any  other  btMngi,  yet  who  can  lake  u|ion  him  to 
aaaert,  that  disipiay.s  ofdivine  perfection  far  mr>re 
glorious  and  ast<)ni^ihing  will  not  be  exhibited 
during  the  countless  ages  of  eternity  which  are 
yet  tn  come  ?  To  set  limits  to  the  operations  of 
almighty  pr>wer  and  boundless  benevolence,  dur- 
ing the  lap!ie  of  infinite  duration,  is  not  the  pro- 
vince of  any  created  intelligence,  and  far  less 
of  man,  who  stands  so  low  in  the  scale  of  uni- 
versal bein^.  4ihly,  It  tends  to  damp  the  hope* 
and pronpecta  of  immortal  beings,  when  looking 
Ibrward  to  an  iniermiuab'.e  existence.  For  this 
aentiment  leuds  them  to  conclude,  that  they  are 
already  acquainted  with  the  greatest  display  of 
divine  glory  which  can  be  made  ;  and  that  what- 
ever scenes  of  wonder  may  be  exhibited  in  the 
fiiture  world,  they  must,  of  course,  be  all  inferior 
to  this,  in  ptiint  of  extent  and  grandeur. 

The  redemption  of  the  human  race,  as  dis- 
played in  the  Christian  revelation,  is  a  theme 
Bufiicienily  grand,  astonishing,  and  interesting, 
to  conimund  the  attention  of  all  who  are  con- 
vinced that  they  belong  to  an  apostate  race  of 
intelligences,  and  to  excite  the  admiration  and 
gratitude  of  all  who  have  ex|>enenced  its  bene- 
fits ;  and  it  stands  in  no  need  of  such  unfounded 
and  extravagant  assertions,  to  display  its  riches 
and  glory.  "  Will  a  in;in  speak  deceitfully  for 
God  ?  Shall  not  his  excellency  make  you  alraid, 
and  his  dread  fall  upon  you?" — We  pronounce 
nothing  decisively  on  this  subject.  We  feel  our- 
selves chained  down  to  an  obscure  corner  of 
Qod's  dominions,  to  be  in  the  very  infancy  of 
our  knowledge,  and  withal,  to  be  connected  with 
a  race  of  bcin:;s  whose  "  understandings  arc 
ilarkcncd  by  reason  of  sin ;"  and  are  therefore 
nnable  to  pron.timcc  an  infallible  decision  on 
what  God  will  or  wi'l  not  do.  Were  we  to  ha- 
xard  a  conjecinre  on  this  subject,  we  would  say, 
that  the  converse  of  the  proposition  under  consi- 
deration is  more  proi>ablc  than  the  profmsilion 
itself.  We  cm  nmceiveof  wor I  Is  ten  tlioiisaid 
times  more  populous  than  ours,  and  peopled  with 
a  higher  order  of  intellectual  beings,  towards 
whomasimilar display  ofbenevolence  and  mercy, 
were  it  necessary,  may  be  made  ;  and,  therefore, 
•  Id  point  of  Ou  extent  of  its  object!,  we  can  con- 
ceive the  love  of  God  more  illuitriously  mani- 


feited  than  even  to  the  inhabilanti  oT  our  globe 
But  whether  sudi  an  event  vhall  over  take  place, 
it  would  be  prevumptinn  inns  todeiurmine.  For 
the  thoughts  and  the  way*  of  Uml  aa  lar  truniceno 
ours,  "  a«  the  heavens  are  hich  above  the  earth." 
It  demands  our  highest  tribute  of  grateful  aikjra- 
tion,  that  the  Almighty  condesceniled  lo  "  rcgaid 
us  ill  our  low  «;»iate,"  and  to  deliver  us  from  the 
moral  degradation  into  which  we  had  fallen  ;  Uil, 
surely,  it  would  be  unreasonable  to  conclude, 
from  this  consideration,  that  of  all  the  ntionai 
tribes  which  people  the  universe,  man  is  the  ocdy 
favourite  of  the  Most  High,  "  when  thiHisand 
worlds  are  round."  Though  myriads  of  other 
intelligences  were  to  share  in  similar  Civours,  it 
would  not  les.sen  the  hafiptncsi*  conferred  on  us, 
nor  ought  it  in  the  least  to  detract  from  our  ad- 
miration of  "  the  love  of  God,  which  is  in  Christ 
Jesus  our  Ijord." 

There  are  a  great  many  other  vague  ami  un- 
tenable notions  which  are  entertained  and  reite- 
rated by  certain  comnK'iitators  and  divines,  aa 
indisputable  axioms,  which  it  would  be  of  im- 
portance to  the  cause  of  religion  to  discard , 
such  as — that  angels  are  pure  immaterial  sulv 
stances* — that  they  were  formed  on  the  first  day 
of  the  Mosaic  creation — that  the  wimlom  of 
God  is  no  where  so  illustriously  displayed 
throughout  the  universe  as  in  the  scheme  of  re- 
demption!— that  the  chief  employment  of  the 
future  world  will  be  lo  pry  into  the  mysteries  of 
salvation^ — that  sin  is  an  injinite  evil§ — that  the 

•  In  the  Scriptures  anic'.s  are  ralletl  spirits.  Anil 
till  some  evhlence  is  ollercil  of  tlieir  ninteriiillty,  wc 
Rlistll  sec  no  re.tsoii  toatximlon  tlieo|iiiiiun,  ihui  they 
are  pure  spirits.— f^. 

»  To  sliow  that  It  is  im|iortnnt  lo  ilisranl  this  sen- 
timent, the  nmhoronsht  ;it  Ic.ist  to  have  st:itc<l  siime 
fiooil  reason  for  liclicviii-.'  it  lo  lie  withiMit  foiimlu- 
tion.  I'lHil  Koiiictliin^  more  ilerislvc  of  this  |>oliit 
sh;ill  lie  ni:ulc  lo  :ip|ie;ir,  llierc  ciiniot  In'  llio  least 
occasion  tualKimlon  Ilic  sentiment  uii|(iestion.— AX 

3  Here  suhst;iiili;illy  the  s.une  reply  ni:iy  lie  m:ulc 
as  in  the  prereiliiiL'  inst;ii>rc.  rrovc  Ihii't  Ihis  wlA 
not  lie  the  chief  eniplo^meiit  of  hc:ivcn— .Show  tiui 
any  thine  else  will,  lor  the  most  |Mrt.  nctiijiy  the 
atlentioii  of  the  spirits  of  just  men  inaile  |>crfcrt  In 
plory,  :inil  the  sentiment  iimler  ronsiilerniion  will 
lie  reuilily  rriiounrcil.  Till  then  we  shrill  rhilin  the 
risht  to  liclieve,  sind  iiKiinliiin.  that  llic  cniployiiieiit 
of  the  rcilecmetl  in  glory  will  roiisisl.  to  a  irieal  ex- 
tent, in  lieliohljM!;,  ailnnrliitr.  .I'ul  uilorin::  HIni,  vtlio 
h;Uh  lovc'l  them  ami  illcil  for  Ihem.— Krf. 

$  Infliiile  is  once  iisol  in  the  si  ripiiires  to  rjiLilIfy 
the  term  iniijOity,  Job  xxli.  3.  Is  na  I'njirirktdnrst 
grrnt  and  thine  iiilquitirs  tnJiHitr .'  Km  not  tu  In- 
sist un  |iorhaps  a  too  lilcml  iiilerpiel^iiion  of  the 
teriii.it  will  lie  siifncieiil  to  show  what  it  is  onlina 
rily  nscil  toilenoto. 

Homo  authors,  reiranliiiv'  only  the  very  llnillol 
farullics  anil  iiowcrs  of  human  lieiiiL's.  ilcein  it  im- 
possible, th.-it  any  of  tlicir  iloctis  ran  l>e  an  itiflntti 
evil. 

Others.  rnnslilerin:(  only  the  infinity  of  the  Bein;| 
against  whom  sin  Is  roiiiiiiiltc<l.  tlml  no  illfnriilly  in 
conviiirin;.'  themselves,  that  //  is  an  lii/liiltr  rrit 

Tlicre  is  also  a  thinl  class,  w  ho,  takins  the  won) 
of  Go<l  for  their  irniile,  and  Icaniimt  lluit  stiic.V|Kii<e« 
men  to  evrrtasting  pmiiyltwrnt,  Uu  not  hesitate  lo 
denominate  that  an  in/uiilr  rril.  which  hriiigs  on  lu 
ftiiilty  victim  soncrin:.'s  inftnitc  in  iliiralion.  Under- 
stood in  tills  last  sense,  we  con  feel  no  obllfatlon  tc 


APPENDIX. 


159 


«iK>le  material  universe  was  brought  into  exist- 
ence at  the  same  time  witii  our  earth — that  the 
Creator  ceased  to  create  any  new  order  of  beings 
in  the  universe,  after  arranging  the  fabric  of  our 
globe— that  the  whole  system  of  material  nature 
in  heaven  and  earth  will  be  destroyed  at  the 
period  of  the  dissolution  of  our  world — that  our 
thoughts  and  aiTection's  should  be  com|)tetely  de- 
tached from  all  created  things,  &c.  &c. — Several 
vague  notions  of  this  description  are  founded  on 
the  false  assumption,  that  the  globe  we  inhabit, 
and  the  rational  beings  that  have  appeared  on  its 
surface  from  age  to  age,  are  the  chief  objects  of 
God's  superintendence  and  care — and  that  the 
Scriptures  are  the  only  medium  through  which 
we  can  view  the  plans  and  operations  of  the 
Deity — assumptions,  which  are  contrary  to  rea- 
son, which  are  unwarranted  in  revelation,  nay, 
which  are  directly  contradicted  in  numerous 
passages  of  Scripture,  some  of  which  have  al- 
ready been  referred  to  in  the  course  of  this  vo- 
lume. It  would  be  of  essential  service  to  the 
cause  of  Christianity,  that  its  doctrines,  facts, 
and  moral  requisitions  were  uniformly  exhibited 
in  their  native  simplicity  and  grandeur,  without 
being  obscured  and  distorted  by  the  vague  and 
extravagant  representations  with  which  they  are 
too  frequently  blended  by  injudicious  minds. 

No.  XI, 

As  authority  has  a  considerable  degree  of 
weight  on  some  minds,  I  shall  conclude  with  an 
extract  on  the  subject  of  this  volume,  from  that 
respectable  and  enlightened  divine,  Dr.  Dwight, 
late  president  of  Yale  college: — "  The  works 
of  God  were  by  him  intended  to  be,  and  are,  in 
fact,  manifestations  of  himself;  proofs  of  his 
character,  presence,  and  agency.  In  this  light 
he  requires  men  continually  to  regard  them : 
and  to  refuse  this  regard  is  considered  by  him  as 
grossly  wicked,  and  highly  deserving  of  pimish- 
ment,  Psalm  xxviii.  o.  Isa.  v.  12 — 14.  I  am 
apprehensive,  that  even  good  men  are  prone  to 
jMiy  less  attention  to  the  works  of  creation  and 
providence  than  piety  demands,  and  the  scrip- 
tures require.  Wu  say  and  hear  so  much  con- 
cerning the  insuffinieiicv  of  these  works  to  un- 
(bid  the  character  of  God,  and  the  nature  of 
genuine  religion,  that  we  are  prone  to  consider 
them  as  almost  unin>tructive  in  moral  things, 
and,  in  a  great  measure,  useless  to  the  promo- 
tion of  piety.  This,  however,  is  a  palpable  and 
dangerous  error.  The  works  alone,  without  the 
aid  of  the  scriptures,  woul  I,  I  acknowledge,  be 
far  less  instructive  than  they  now  are,  and  ut- 
terly insufficient  to  guide  us  in  the  way  of  right- 
reject  It.  It  must,  however,  be  admitted  that  It  is 
not  nlways  uso«l  in  this  manner,  ai^  ibat  it  is  some- 
times an  occasion  of  .-imblguity.— £d 


eousness.  The  scriptures  were  designed  to  be 
a  comment  on  these  works  ;  to  explain  their  na- 
ture, and  to  show  us  the  agency,  purposes,  wis- 
dom, and  goodness  of  God  in  their  furniation. 
Thus  explained,  thus  illuminated,  ihey  become 
means  of  knowledge,  very  extensive  and  emi- 
nently useful.  He  who  does  not  find  in  the  va- 
rious, beautiful,  sublime,  awful,  and  astonishing 
objects  presented  to  us  in  creation  and  provi- 
dence, irresistible  and  glorious  reasons  for  ad- 
miring, adoring,  loving,  and  praising  his  Crea- 
tor, has  not  a  claim  to  evangelical  pioty." — Si/»- 
tem  of  Theology,  vol.  iii.  p.  477. 

No.  XII. — List  of  Popular  Works  on  thediff'er-' 
ent  Sciences  treated  of  in  this  volume,  with 
occasional  remark*. 

SELECT    BOOKS    OW    NATURAL    HISTORY. 

"  Goldsmith's  History  of  the  Earth,  and  ani- 
mated nature,"  with  notes  by  T.  Brown,  Esq. 
published  at  Manchester,  6  vols.  8vo.  The  co- 
pious notes  appended  to  this  edition,  contain  an 
account  of  the  latest  discoveries,  and  form  a 
valuable  addition  to  the  original  work — "  The 
Gallery  of  Nature  and  Art,"  by  Dr.  Mason 
Good,  and  others,  6  vols.  8vo. — "  Spectacle  de 
la  Nature,"  or  Nature  Displayed,  7  vols.  12mo. 
— "  Nature  Displayed,"  by  Dr.  Simeon  Shaw,  3 
vols.  8vo.  or  in  6  vols.  12mo.  This  work,  though 
chiefly  a  comnilation,  imbodies  a  great  variety 
of  interesting  and  popular  descriptions  of  the 
most  remarkable  facts  in  the  system  of  nature, 
which  arc  illustrated  with  numerous  engravings, 
both  plain  and  coloured. — Clarke's  "  Hundred 
Wonders  of  the  World,"  one  vol.  12mo.  and 
Piatt's  "  Book  of  Curiosities,"  contain  a  num- 
ber of  interesting  selections  on  this  subject.— 
Smellie's  "  Philosophy  of  Natural  History,"  2 
vols.  4io.  and  his  translation  of  "  Biiffoii's  Na- 
tural History." — Works  entitled,  "  System"  and 
"  Elements"  of  "  Natural  History,"  are  nu- 
merous ;  but  the  greatest  part  of  them  is  confi- 
ned to  descriptions  of  the  forms,  habits,  and  in- 
stinct of  animals.  On  this  department  of  natu- 
ral science,  a  work  is  just  now  in  course  of  pub- 
lication, by  the  celebrated  Cuvier,  entitled  "  The 
Animal  Kingdom,"  with  engravings,  chiefly 
from  the  living  subjects  in  the  Museum  of  Na- 
tural History  at  Pans. — A  popular  and  compre- 
hensive history  of  the  facts  which  have  been 
ascertained  respecting  the  earth,  the  atmosphere, 
the  meteors,  the  heavens,  &c.  calculated  for 
general  readers,  and  interspersed  with  appropri- 
ate moral  and  religious  reflections,  is  still  a  den-, 
deratum.  The  facts  of  natural  history,  next  to 
the  facts  recorded  in  the  sacred  volume,  are  the 
first  subjects  to  which  the  minds  of  the  young 
should  be  directed  in  the  course  of  a  general 
education. 


160!( 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER, 


■XLKCT  BOOK*  OM  eXOOKAPBV. 

Pinkerton'a  Mtxium  Geography,  t  vol*.  4lo. 
and  the  At)ri<l;{moii(,  one  vol.  8vo. — Quihriu'a 
G«ogra|>hi<;al  Graiiiiiuir. — Tlie  Glasgow  Geo- 
graphy, ill  5  vols.  8vo.  This  work  comprehends 
an  immense  niasn  of  informatiun,  on  llie  histori- 
cal and  descriptive  parts  oT  geography.  It  also 
contains  comprehensive  compends  of  astrono- 
my, geology,  ni<'te<>i;ology,  &c. — IVlalte  Bran's 
"  System  of  Geography,"  8vo.  The  English 
translation  of  tins  work,  when  completed,  will 
compri-se  the  fullest  and  most  comprehensive 
view  of  universal  geography  that  has  yet  ap- 
peared in  our  language,  including  details  of  the 
most  recent  discoveries.  Five  volumes  of  the 
English  translation  have  already  appeared.  The 
tirst  volume  ctmiuiiis  a  luminous  and  compre- 
hensive outline  of  the  science  of  Geology,  and 
t'hysical  and  Maihcmatical  Geography. — 
Myer's  "  System  of  Modem  Geography,"  with 
maps,  views,  engravings  representing  costumes, 
&c.  2  large  vols.  4to. — Cooke's  "  System  of 
Universal  Geography,"  in  2  very  largo  quarto 
vols,  closely  printed,  contains  a  great  variety  of 
interesting  sketches  in  relation  to  Descriptive 
Geography,  extructed  from  the  writings  of  mo- 
dern voyagers  and  travellers ;  the  details  of 
incidents,  &c.  being  related  for  the  most  part, 
in  the  words  of  the  respective  authors  from  whom 
ihe  information  is  collected. — Winterbotham's 
"  Geographical  and  Historical  view  of  the 
United  Stales  of-America,  &c."  4  vols.  8vo. 
—Morse's  American  Geography,"  8vo. — Gold- 
smith's "  Geography  on  a  popular  plan,"  con- 
tains an  interesting  account  of  the  manners  and 
customs  of  nations,  for  iho  entertainment  and  in- 
struction of  the  young,  illustrated  with  above  60 
engravings.  Of  smaller  systems,  there  is  a 
great  abundance  in  the  English  language,  but 
most  of  them  are  extremely  deficient,  particulary 
in  what  relates  to  General  Geography. — On  So- 
cred Geography,  Wells's  Geography,  modernized 
by  the  editor  of  Calmei'sDiciionary,  is  the  most 
complete  work  of  its  kind. — On  Physical  or  Ge- 
nera/Geography— Playfair's  System  of  Geogra- 
phy, vol.  I.  and  Varenius's  General  Geography. 
A  Modem  system  of  Geography,  in  a  separate 
form,  on  the  plan  of  Varenius,  is  a  desideratum. 
— Edin.  Ency.  An.  Geography. — Sup.  to  Ency. 
Brit.  Art.  Physieal  Geography,  &c.  &c.  Books 
of  Voyages  and  Travels,  generally  contain  the 
most  circumsianrial  details  of  the  physical  as- 
pects of  the  different  countries,  and  of  the  dis- 
positions and  customs  of  llieir  inhabitants  ;  and 
.present  to  the  view  of  the  Christian  philanthro- 
pist, tliose  facts  and  incidents,  from  which  the 
moral  state  and  character  of  the  various  tribes  of 
human  bninns  may  be  Inferred.  The  following 
works  contain  comprehensive  abridgments  of 
tJie  most  celebrated  voyages  and  travels. — "  Pin- 
kerton'ii  General  CoUectioa   of  Voyages  and 


Travels  in  all  parts  of  the  World,"  17  vols.  4ta 
— "  Mavor's  Voyages,"  Slc.  28  vols.  ISmo. — 
"  The  World  Uisplayed,"  18  vols.  18mo.— 
"Philips's  Collection  of  Voyages  and  Travels," 
&c. 

The  following  are  among  the  most  resp«ctabl« 
modern  publications  on  thi*  subject,  arranged 
according  to  the  different  quarters  of  the  worU. 
Asia. — "  Valencia's  Travel*  in  India,  Arabia," 
&c. — "  Porter's  Travels  in  Georgia,  Arroeniai" 
&c. — "  Golownin's  Travels  in  Japan." — >*  Staun- 
ton's Account  of  Macartney's  Embassy  to 
China."— "Raffle's  Travels  in  Java."— ^Clarke's 
Travels  in  Asia  Minor,  and  the  Holy  Land." — 
"  Chateaubriand's  Travels  in  Palestine." — "  Ali 
Bey's  Travels  in  Arabia." — "  Morier's  Travels 
through  Persia,"  &c.  Africa. — "  Lyon's  Tra- 
vels in  Northern  Africa." — Burckhard's  Travel* 
in  Nubia. — Bruce's  Travels  in  Abyssinia. — 
Salt's  Travels  in  Abyssiuia. — Bowdich,  HuttoD, 
and  Dupuis's  Account  of  Ashantee. — Leigh's 
Jour,  in  Egypt. — Belzoni's  Travels  in  Egypt.— 
Sonini's  Travels  in  Egypt. — Barrow's,  Bur- 
chell's,  and  Campbell's  Travels  in  Southern 
Africa, &C.&C.  Amehica. — Ho wison's  Sketch- 
es of  Upper  Canada.  Fearon's  Sketches  of  the 
United  States. — Miss  Wright's  Views  of  So- 
ciety in  the  United  Stales. — Humboldt's  Travels 
in  South  America. — Duncan's  Tr.ivels  in  the 
United  States. — Luccock's,  Vidal's,  Kosters's, 
and  Hall's  Travels  in  South  America,  &c. 
Europe. — Henderson's  and  Mackenzie's  Tra- 
vels in  Iceland. — Thompson's  Travels  in  Swe- 
den.— Carr's  Travels  in  Russia,  Denmark,  &c 

— Pallas's  Travels    in    Russia. Wraihall's, 

Neale's,  Coxe's,  and  Lemaistre's  Tours  through 
France,  Switzerland,  Germany,  &c. — Bour- 
going's  and  Jacob's  Travels  in  Spain. — Brydon's 
Tour  in  Sicily,  &c. — Von  Buch's  Travels  in 
Norway  and  Lapland. — Cochrane's  Travels  io 
Siberia,  &c. — Cook's,  Anson's,  Byron's,  Pe- 
rouse's,  and  Bougainville's  Voyages  round  ths 
World,  &c. — Prior's  Universal  Traveller,  one 
thick  vol.  12mo,  closely  printed,  with  one  hun- 
dred engravings. 

SELECT  BOOKS  ON  GEOLOOT. 

Kirwan's  "  Mineralogy,"  and  his  "  Geological 
Essays." — De  Luc's  ''  Geology,"  and  his  "  Gt«K 
logical  Travels." — Parkinson's  "  Organic  Re- 
mains of  a  former  World,"  3  vols.  4to. — ''  The 
Fossils  of  the  South  Downs,  or  Illustrations  of 
the  Geology  of  Sussex,  by  G.  Mantel,  F.  L.  S." 
The  preliminary  essay  to  this  splendid  work 
contains  several  excellent  remarks  respecting 
the  connexion  of  geology  with  religion,  which 
are  calculated  to  advance  the  interests  of  both. 
— Cuvier's  "  Essay  on  the  Theory  of  the  Earth," 
with  illustrations  by  Professor  Jameson ;  4th 
edition. — Playfair's  illustraiionsoTtiie  Huuoniaa 
Theory  of  the   Earth. — TransactioBa  of  th* 


APPENDIX. 


161 


Geological  and  Wemerian  Societies. — Jame- 
son's Mineralogy. — Buckland's  Account  of  the 
Discovery  of  a  Den  of  Hyenas  in  a  cavern  in 
Yorkshire. — Pliilips's  "  Outlines  of  Mineralogy 
ind  Geology,"  12nio.  This  last  work  forms  a 
good  introduction  to  the  study  of  Geology,  for 
those  who  are  just  commencing  their  inquiries 
on  this  subject.  The  object  of  this  science,  in 
the  mean  time,  should  be  chiefly  to  the  collecting 
of  facts  in  reference  to  the  structure  of  the  earth, 
and  the  changes  it  has  undergone.  The  exterior 
aspect  of  our  globe,  and  its  internal  recesses, 
must  be  still  more  extensively  explored,  before 
any  theory  of  the  earth  can  be  established  on  a 
broad  and  solid  foundation.  It  should  be  left  to 
future  ages  to  build  a  system  with  the  materials 
we  are  now  preparing. 

POPULAB  WORKS  ON  ASTKONOMT. 

Brewster's  "  Ferguson's  Astronomy,"  2  vols. 
8vo.  with  a  vol.  of  plates.  The  notes  and  sup- 
plementary chapters  of  this  work,  written  by 
Dr.  Brewster,  contain  a  full  and  comprehensive 
detail  of  all  the  modem  discoveries  in  this 
science. — "  Bonnycastle's  Introduction  to  Astro- 
nomy," 1  vol.  8vo. — La  Place's  ''  System  of  the 
World,"  2  vols.  8vo.  Dr.  Olinthus  Gregory's 
Astronomy,  1  vol.  8vo. — Mrs.  Bryan's  "  System 
of  Astronomy ,"  8vo. — Dr.  Mylne's  "Elemen- 
tary Treatise  on  Astronomy,"  8vo. — Adam's 
"  Astronomical  and  Geographical  Essays,"  8vo. 
— Philips's  "  Eight  Familiar  Lectures  on  Astro- 
nomy," 12mo. — Squire's  "  Grammar  of  Astro- 
nomy," 1  thick  vol.  18mo.  closely  printed  and 
illustrated  wiih  35  plates. — The  "  Wonders  of 
the  Heavens,"  12mo.  This  work  contains  a 
popular  view  of  the  principal  facts  of  Astronomy, 
and  is  illustrated  with  50  elegant  engravings,  of 
a  variety  of  interesting  objects  connected  with 
the  scenery  of  the  heavens;  but  its  discussions 
are  too  frequently  blended  with  the  peculiarities 
of  a  modern  physical  theory. — Martin's  "  Gen- 
tleman and  Lady's  Philosophy,"  vol.  I. — Der- 
ham's  "  Astro-Theology,"  and  Whision's  "  As- 
tronomical principles  of  Religion,"  8vo. — Baix- 
ter's  "  Matho,"  2  vols.  &c. — An  elegant  and 
comprehensive  outline  of  the  leading  facts  of 
Astronomy,  in  their  relation  to  revealed  Reli- 
gion, will  be  found  in  Dr. Chalmers's"  Discourses 
on  the  Christian  Revelation,  viewed  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Modern  Astronomy,"  8vo. — The 
general  reader  in  commencing  his  study  of  this 
science,  will  find  Bonnycastle's  "  Introduction" 
a  very  interesting  work.  It  is  written  in  an 
elegant  and  animated  style,  and  is  agreeably  in- 
terspersed with  a  number  of  appropriate  reflec- 
tions ;  but  it  is  deficient  in  the  detail  of  modem 
discoveries.  He  might  next  proceed  to  the  pe- 
rusal of  Ferguson,  Gregory,  Squire,  &c.  (>« 
Place's  work  contains  a  beautiful  exposition  of 
ihe  Newtonian  system,  but  it  is  glaringly  defi 


cient  in  a  reference  to  the  wisdom  and  asency 
of  a  Supreme  Intelligence.  "  An  undevout  as- 
tronomer is  mad."  Baxter's  "  Matho,"  contains 
a  popular  and  interesting  view  of  this  subject, 
and  forms  a  striking  contrast  to  the  apathy  of 
La  Place,  who  carefully  keeps  out  of  view  the 
agency  of  the  Creator — the  main  design  of  this 
author  being  to  connect  the  phenomena  of  the 
heavens  and  the  earth  with  the  attributes  of 
Deity,  and  the  high  destination  of  immortal 
minds.  Though  this  work  passed  through  three 
editions,  it  does  not  seem  to  have  been  appre- 
ciated according  to  its  merUe.  As  it  has  now 
become  scarce,  a  new  edition,  with  notes,  con- 
taining a  detail  of  modern  discoveries,  might  be 
an  acceptable  present  to  the  public.  Those 
who  wish  to  prosecute  this  subject  to  a  greater 
extent,  may  be  referred  to  "Long's  Astronomy," 
2vols.  4io. — Robinson's  "Mechanical  Philosa|| 
phy,"  vol.  1. — Vince's  "Complete  System  oT 
Astronomy,"  3  vols.  4to. — "La  h&nde  Astro- 
nomie"  3  vols.  4to. — and  Biot's  "  Traite  Ele- 
mentaire  d'Astronomie  Physique."  A  compre- 
hensive work  on  Descriptive  Astronomy,  detailing, 
in  a  popular  manner,  all  the  facts  which  have 
been  ascertained  respecting  the  scenery  of  the 
heavens,  accompanied  with  a  variety  of  striking 
delineations,  and  interspersed  with  appropriate 
reflections,  accommodated  to  the  general  reader, 
is  a  desideratum. 

SELECT  BOOKS  ON  NATURAL  PHILOSOPHY. 

Hauy's  "  Elementary  treatise  on  Natural 
Philosophy,"  translated  by  Dr.  O.  Gregory,  2 
vols.  8vo.  This  translation  contains  a  number 
of  valuable  notes  by  the  translator. — Ferguson's 
"  Lectures  on  Select  Subjects  in  Mechanics," 
&c.  by  Dr.  Brewster,  2  vols.  8vo  with  a  volume 
of  plates.  The  Appendix  to  this  work,  by  Dr. 
Brewster,  contains  a  mass  of  valuable  informa- 
tion on  Mechanics,  Hydraulics,  Dialling,  and 
the  construction  of  Optical  Instruments ;  besides 
a  variety  of  illustrative  notes  interspersed  through 
the  body  of  the  work.  A  new  edition  of  this 
work,  comprising  a  detailed  account  of  the  recent 
discoveries  in  Experimental  Philosophy,  has 
been  lately  published. — Nicholson's  "  Introduc- 
tion to  Natural  Philosophy,"  2  vols.  8vo. — 
Cavallo's  "  Complete  Treatise  on  Natural  and 
Experimental  Philosophy,"  4  vols.  8vo. — Mar- 
tin's "  Philosophia  Britannica,"3  vols.  8vo. 
His  "  Gentleman  and  Lady's  Philosophy,"  S 
vols.  8vo.  and  his  "Philosophical  Grammar," 
1  vol.  8vo. — Gregory's  "  Economy  of  Nature," 
3  vols.  8vo.  and  his  "  Lectures  on  Experimen- 
tal Philosophy,  Astronomy,  and  Chymislry,"  2 
vols.  12mo. — Joyce's  "Letters on  Experimental 
Philosophy,"  2  vols.  12mo.  and  his  "  Scientific 
Dialogues,"  6  vols.  18mo. — Adam's  "  LecturcM 
on  Natural  and  Experimental  Philosophy,"  4 
vols.  8vo.  with  a  volume  of  plates. — Young's 


l\ 


THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHER. 


**  L«eturet  on  NttunI  PhikMophy,"  t  voU.  8vo. 
—Walker's  system  of  "  Familiar  Philo«ophy," 
4(0.  in  12  leciures,  with  47  quarto  engravings. 
— Convcrsatiuns  on  Natural  Philosophy,  by  the 
author  of  Convemations  on  Chymisiry,  1  thick 
vol.  12mo.  wiih  23 engravings. — Blair's  '*  Gram- 
mar of  Natural  and  Experimental  Philosophy," 
especially  the  late  editions,  contains  (at  a  small 
price)  a  comprehensive  view  of  the  principal 
departments  uf  Philosophy,  including  Astroncv 
my.  Geology,  Cliymislry,  Meteorology,  &c.— 
Ealer's  "  Letters  to  a  German  Princess,"  2  vols. 
8vo.  contains  a  popular  view  of  the  most  interest- 
ing subjects  connected  with  Natural  and  Expe- 
rimental Philosophy,  Logic,  and  Ethics.  This 
work  is  distinguished  by  a  vein  of  dignified  and 
■criplural  piety,  which  runs  through  every  part 
of  it.  Euler  was  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
philosophers  and  mathematicians  of  his  day. 
He  died  in  1783,  at  the  age  of  77.  A  new  edi- 
tion of  this  work,  toith  notes  by  Dr.  Brevotter, 
has  been  lately  published.  These  notes  are  ex- 
cellent, so  far  as  they  extend  ;  but  it  is  to  be 
regretted  that  they  are  so  sparingly  distributed, 
and  that  the  passages  suppressed  byM.  Condor- 
eel,  and  De  la  Croix,  which  were  restored  by 
Dr.  Hunter,  who  translated  the  work,  and  the 
notes  of  the  French  and  English  editors,  are,  for 
the  most  part,  discarded.  Notwithstanding  the 
numerous  excellent  treatises  which  are  to  be 
fbund  on  this  subject,  a  comprehensive  work  on 
eocperimenlal  philosophy,  blended  with  sketches 
of  those  parts  c  f  natural  history,  which  are  con- 
Cf^ed  with  it,  and  enlivened  with  appropriate 
redeciioiis  on  the  peculiar  agencies  of  the  Deity, 
which  appear  in  the  various  processes  of  nature — 
ia  still  wanting  to  interest  the  general  reader,  and 
to  attract  his  attention  to  this  department  of  know- 
ledge. Were  ph;lo80phers,  in  their  discussions 
of  natural  science,  more  frequently  to  advert  to 
the  agency  of  Uie  Deity ,  and  to  point  out  the 
religious  and  philanthropic  purposes  to  which 
modem  discoveries  might  be  applied,  they 
might  be  the  means  of  promoting,  at  the  same 
time,  the  interests  both  of  science  and  of  reli- 
gion ;  by  alluring  general  readers  to  direct  their 
atieniiun  to  such  subjects  ;  and  by  removing 
those  groundless  prejudices  which  a  great  pro- 
portion of  the  Christian  world  still  entertain 
against  philosophical  studies.  About  the  period 
when  Boyle,  Ray,  Derham,  Nieuwentyt,  Whis- 
loo,  Addison,  the  Abbe  Pluche,  and  other 
Cbrktian  philosophers  flourished,  more  atteo- 


tioQ  seems  to  have  been  paid  to  this  object  than 
at  present.  Since  the  middle  of  the  l^si  cea> 
tury,  the  piety  of  philosophen  appears  to  hare 
been  greatly  on  the  decline.  It  is  to  be  hopetf 
that  it  is  now  beginning  to  experience  a  revival. 
But,  whatever  may  be  the  varying  sentimenia 
and  feelings  of  mere  philosophers,  in  reference  to 
the  agencies  of  the  material  system — "  all  the 
works  of  God  invariMy  speak  of  their  Author," 
to  the  humble  and  enlightened  Christian ;  and  if 
he  be  directed  to  contemplate  the  order  of  n^ 
ture,  with  an  eye  of  intelligence,  he  will  never 
be  at  a  loss  to  trace  the  footsteps  and  the  attri- 
butes of  his  Father  and  his  God. 

SKLXCT  BOOKS  OH  CHTMISTaT. 

Davy's  Elements  of  Chymical  Phikiaophy, 
8vo. — Ure's  Dictionary  of  Chymistry,  oo  the 
basis  of  Mr.  Nicholson's,  1  large  vol.  8vo. 
Henry's  Epitome  of  Chymistry,  2  vols.  Svo.- — 
Accum's  Chymistry,  2  vols.  8vo. — Thomson's 
System  of  Chymistry,  4  vols.  8vo. — Murray's 
System  of  Chymistry,  4  vols.  8vo.  and  Appen- 
dix.— Kerr's  translation  of  Lavoisier's  Elements 
of  Chymistry,  8vo. — Chaptal's, Chymistry,  ap- 
plied to  the  Arts,  4  vols.  8vo. — Fourcroy's 
Chymistry, 4  vols.-Accum's  "  Chymical  Amua^ 
ments,"  and  Griffin's  "  Chymical  Recreations," 
contain  a  description  of  a  variety  of  interesting 
chymical  facts  and  amusing  experiments. — 
Gurney's  Lectures  on  the  Elements  of  Chymi- 
cal Science,  8vo. — Mackenzie's  One  Thnusanri 
Experiments  in  Chymistry,  &c. — Mitchell's 
Dictionary  of  Chymistry. — Conversalioos  on 
Chymistry,  by  a  Lady,  S  vols.  I2mo. — Joyce's 
Dialogues  on  Chymistry,  S  vols.  18mo.— Par- 
ker's Rudiments  of  Chymistry,  18mo.  and  his 
Chymical  Catechism,  8vo.  The  four  works  last 
mentioned  may  be  recommended  as  popular  in- 
troductions to  the  study  of  this  science.  Parker's 
Rudiments  and  Catechism  are  distinguished  by 
their  constant  reference  to  the  agency  of  the 
Deity,  and  by  the  anxiety  which  the  author  di^ 
plays  to  fix  the  attention  of  his  readers  on  the 
evidences  of  benevolent  design  which  appear 
in  the  constitution  of  nature.  The  numerous 
notes  appended  to  the  Chymical  Catechism,  iro- 
body  a  great  variety  of  interesting  facts  in  re- 
ference to  the  economy  of  nature,  and  the  pro- 
cesses of  the  arts.  To  this  amiable  and  intelligent 
writer  I  feel  indebted  for  severa<  of  the  chjmkal 
(acts  suited  in  this  volume. 


3  1158  00951  5882 

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tuings  besides  flax,  hemp  and  cotto 
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paper  is  made  and  re-made  over  an 
over  again.  Not  a  scrap  of  paper  nee 
be  wasted,  for  there  are  plenty  of  pei 
sons  ready  to  buy  it,  and  if  not  goo 
enough  for  remanufacture  as  paper,  ; 
can  always  be  converted  into  "papie 
mache,"  no  matter  what  its  color  o 
quality.  Cuttings  of  paper  severed  b 
book- binders,  pasteboard  makers,  en 
velope  cutters,  pocket  book  makers  an' 
paper  hangers  are  readily  bought  up 
and  so,  too,  are  tons'  weight  of  ol 
ledgers  and  account-books  oy  the  "pa 
pier-mache"  manufacturer,  togethe 
with  old  letters  and  any  other  pape 
rubbish,  giving  a  pledge  that  all  sha 


